Articulating gripper tooling
AssigneePHD, Inc.
InventorTod A. Gunder
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gripping device for gripping a workpiece includes: at least one gripping element configured for contacting the workpiece, the at least one gripping element including a shaft; at least one articulating finger jaw; a mounting block connecting the shaft to the at least one articulating finger jaw, the mounting block including an articulation stop having a first stopping surface and a second stopping surface; and a stopping member connected to the shaft, the stopping member being configured for contacting one of the first stopping surface and the second stopping surface to limit a rotation of the shaft relative to the mounting block, the stopping member being in the form of a fastener which is inelastic.
Claims15
A gripping device for gripping a workpiece, comprising:
- at least one gripping element configured for contacting the workpiece, the at least one gripping element including a shaft;
- at least one articulating finger jaw;
- a mounting block connecting the shaft to the at least one articulating finger jaw, the mounting block including an articulation stop having a first stopping surface and a second stopping surface, the first stopping surface and the second stopping surface opposing one another;
- and
- a stopping member connected to the shaft, the stopping member being configured for contacting one of the first stopping surface and the second stopping surface to limit a rotation of the shaft relative to the mounting block, the stopping member being in the form of a fastener which is inelastic.
A method of gripping a workpiece, the method comprising:
- providing a gripping device for gripping a workpiece, the gripping device including at least one gripping element configured for contacting the workpiece, the at least one gripping element including a shaft, at least one articulating finger jaw, a mounting block connecting the shaft to the at least one articulating finger jaw, the mounting block including an articulation stop having a first stopping surface and a second stopping surface, and a stopping member connected to the shaft, the first stopping surface and the second stopping surface opposing one another, the stopping member being in the form of a fastener which is inelastic;
- positioning the gripping device relative to the workpiece;
- and
- actuating the gripping device so that the at least one gripping element contacts the workpiece and the shaft rotates relative to the mounting block until the stopping member contacts one of the first stopping surface and the second stopping surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.