Gripping device
AssigneeMorrison Container Handling Solutions, Inc.
InventorsNick Wilson, Lee Kuipers, Mark Burk
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gripper formed as a single component includes a hoop portion connecting facing arms. Each arm may have a tang end, a jaw end and a pivot intermediate the tang and jaw ends and be attached to the hoop portion at the pivot to be pivotable to change the size of a jaw opening defined by the jaw ends. The hoop portion is cyclically loaded in use and configured to act as a stress concentrator for the gripper and provide a failure point for consistently initiating a failure crack in the hoop portion at time of failure of the gripper. Each of the facing arms is attachable to a base such that at failure, the fractured portions of the gripper are retained to the base.
Claims20
A gripper configured to fail in a controlled manner, the gripper comprising:
- a hoop portion connecting a pair of facing arms defining a longitudinal axis of the gripper;
- wherein each of the facing arms:
- defines a pivot axis at an intermediate position within the respective facing arm;
- is attached to the hoop portion adjacent the pivot axis;
- and
- is pivotable relative to the longitudinal axis;
- wherein the hoop portion is configured to provide a failure point in the hoop portion for consistently initiating a failure crack in the hoop portion at time of failure of the gripper.
A gripping device configured to fail in a controlled manner, the gripping device comprising:
- a gripper defining a pair of facing arms and a hoop portion connecting the pair of facing arms;
- wherein:
- the hoop portion is connected to a mid-portion of each respective arm of the facing arms to define a respective pivot about which the respective arm is pivotable relative to a longitudinal axis of the gripper;
- and
- the hoop portion is configured as a stress concentrator such that the gripper fails in a controlled manner by formation of a failure crack in the hoop portion.
A method of controlling the failure of a gripping device configured to grip a workpiece, the method comprising:
- providing a gripper defining a pair of facing arms and a hoop portion connecting the pair of facing arms;
- wherein the hoop portion is connected to a mid-portion of each respective arm of the facing arms to define a respective pivot about which the respective arm is pivotable relative to a longitudinal axis of the gripper;
- wherein the hoop portion is configured to provide a stress concentrator in the hoop portion for consistently initiating a failure crack in the hoop portion at time of failure of the gripper;
- and
- actuating the gripper by pivoting the facing arms in opposing directions relative to the longitudinal axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.