Mechanism for capturing and releasing a spinning object

In combination an end effector and adaptor for use in releasably securing a satellite with respect to a manipulator arm of a service craft during servicing of orbiting space satellites which rotate about a satellite axis in use, said adaptor comprising:

• (a) a housing having an inner end and an outer end and an adaptor axis extending between the inner end and the outer end,
• (b) a spinner passage opening into said housing at the outer end thereof, said spinner passage being axially aligned with said adaptor axis,
• (c) a brake disc at the outer end of said housing projecting radially outwardly from said spinner passage.
• (d) a turntable mounted at the outer end of said housing for free rotation about said adaptor axis, said turntable having oppositely disposed first and second turntable clamping faces projecting radially from said adaptor axis and, said end effector comprising:
• (a) a first clamping arm having a proximal end and a distal end, a longitudinal axis extending from the proximal end to the distal end, a first clamping face at the distal end, and disposed in a first plane which is substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis so as to be locatable in a face-to-face relationship with said first turntable clamping face,
• (b) a spin-up drive means mounted on said first clamping arm, said spin-up drive means comprising a spin-up drive shaft having a spin-up axis of rotation extending perpendicular to said first clamping face and said longitudinal axis, said spin-up drive means including means for driving said spin-up shaft axially along said spin-up axis between a retracted position disposed below said first clamping plane and an extended position projecting above said first clamping plane for engagement with said spinner passage of an adaptor in use and means for rotatably driving said spin-up shaft about said spin-up axis to rotatably drive said adaptor and its associated satellite in use,
• (c) clamp actuator means having a first end and a second end and means for moving said first end and second end toward and away from one another, said first end being mounted on said first clamping arm between said first clamping face and the proximal end thereof,
• (d) a pair of second clamping arms each having a proximal end and distal end, a second clamping face at the distal end of each of said second clamping arms, the proximal ends of the second clamping arms being mounted on said second end of said clamp actuator means, one on either side of said longitudinal axis, for rotation about third axes which extend perpendicular to said clamping face, said second clamping arms being movable about said third axis between a first position in which the second clamping face of each second arm is disposed opposite said first clamping face to a second position in which said second arms are remote from said first clamping face,
• (e) said clamp actuator means being operable to move said second clamping arms relative to said first clamping arms to move said second clamping faces toward and away from said first clamping face to clamp or release said turntable as required in use,
• (f) retractable brake pad means on said first clamping arm at said first clamping face, said brake pad means being retractable below said first clamping face and extendable above said first clamping face to engage said brake disc and apply a braking torque thereto in use.