# US 4,397,491 A · Portable vacuum object handling device

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- Number: US 4,397,491 A
- Document ID: US4397491A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/288,561
- Filed: 1981-07-30
- Granted: 1983-08-09
- Earliest claimed: 1981-07-30
- Inventors: Gordon H. Anderson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4397491A

## CPC

- B25B 11/007: {portable, e.g. handheld}
- B65G 7/12: Load carriers, e.g. hooks, slings, harness, gloves, modified for load carrying
- B25B: TOOLS OR BENCH DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, FOR FASTENING, CONNECTING, DISENGAGING, OR HOLDING
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)

## Abstract

The disclosure relates to a portable device adapted to handle objects which are not to be touched by hand. A piston and bore wall form a vacuum chamber communicating with an adaptor sealably engageable with an object to be lifted. The piston is manually moved and set to establish vacuum. A valve is manually actuatable to apply the vacuum to lift the object.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A hand held vacuum holding apparatus comprising:
an elongated housing fittable in a user's hand comprising a generally cylindrical bore wall longitudinally disposed therein;
a piston sealably and slidably engagable with said bore wall disposed therein;
means for moving said piston reciprocally within said bore wall;
means for locking said piston in at least one position;
a piece engaging member communicating with said bore wall, said member comprising a conduit relatively small compared to said bore wall;
valve means operably connected to said member for opening and sealing said conduit therein;
a removable adapter sealably fittable with an object to be held communicating with said piece engaging member;
a vacuum gauge communicating with said member for providing a reading of the vacuum present within said apparatus; and
a radiation shield disposed about the housing for protecting a user's hand from radiation from an object being held.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The invention of claim 1 wherein said radiation shield is removable.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The invention of claim 1 wherein said radiation shield is a disk.