Pick-up and placement tools for items having hook portion and pusher

A pickup tool, comprising:

• a tool head, comprising:
• a plurality of hook portions, each one of the plurality of hook portions having a hook-contacting surface with a plurality of hooks adapted to engage fibers of a pliable item;
• a pusher movably coupled to the tool head and having a pusher-contacting surface that at least partially circumscribes the plurality of hook portions, wherein each hook-contacting surface of the plurality of hook portions is spaced from at least one other hook-contacting surface of the plurality of hook portions by a respective portion of the pusher-contacting surface that is movable;
• and
• an actuator coupled to the pusher and operable to move the pusher between a first position and a second position, the first position positioning the pusher-contacting surface past each hook-contacting surface to facilitate release of the pliable item, and the second position positioning each hook-contacting surface past the pusher-contacting surface to facilitate attachment of the pliable item,
• wherein the pusher-contacting surface remains substantially planar as the pusher is moved between the first position and the second position by the actuator.

A method of using a pickup tool, the method comprising:

• positioning a tool head of the pickup tool proximate to a pliable item having fibers, the tool head comprising:
• a plurality of hook portions movably coupled to the tool head, each one of the plurality of hook portions having a hook-contacting surface with a plurality of hooks adapted to engage the fibers of the pliable item;
• a pusher having a pusher-contacting surface that at least partially circumscribes the plurality of hook portions, wherein each hook-contacting surface of the plurality of hook portions is spaced from at least one other hook-contacting surface of the plurality of hook portions by a respective portion of the pusher-contacting surface that remains in fixed position on the tool head during movement of the plurality of hook portions,
• an actuator coupled to the plurality of hook portions and operable to move the plurality of hook portions between a first position and a second position relative to the pusher-contacting surface, the first position positioning each hook-contacting surface past the pusher-contacting surface to facilitate attachment of the pliable item, and the second position positioning the pusher-contacting surface past each hook-contacting surface to facilitate release of the pliable item;
• engaging the pliable item with at least a portion of the plurality of hooks;
• moving the pliable item from a first location to a second location;
• and
• moving the plurality of hook portions from the first position to the second position to disengage the pliable item.

A method of using a pickup tool, the method comprising:

• positioning a tool head of the pickup tool proximate to a pliable item having fibers, the tool head comprising:
• a plurality of hook portions, each one of the plurality of hook portions having a hook-contacting surface with a plurality of hooks adapted to engage the fibers of the pliable item;
• a pusher movably coupled to the tool head and having a pusher-contacting surface that at least partially circumscribes the plurality of hook portions, wherein each hook-contacting surface of the plurality of hook portions is spaced from at least one other hook-contacting surface of the plurality of hook portions by a respective portion of the pusher-contacting surface that is movable;
• and
• an actuator coupled to the pusher and operable to move the pusher between a first position and a second position, the first position positioning the pusher-contacting surface past each hook-contacting surface to facilitate release of the pliable item, and the second position positioning each hook-contacting surface past the pusher-contacting surface to facilitate attachment of the pliable item, wherein the pusher-contacting surface remains substantially planar while the pusher is moved between the first position and the second position by the actuator;
• engaging the pliable item with at least a portion of the plurality of hooks;
• moving the pliable item from a first location to a second location;
• and
• moving the pusher from the second position to the first position to disengage the pliable item.