Apparatus for handling objects

Apparatus for handling objects having central passages therein, said apparatus comprising upper and lower housings, a gripper extending outwardly from said lower housing to be received in the central passages of the objects, means forming an articulated joint between said housings to enable said lower housing to move relative to said upper housing in a manner to enable said gripper to move between a generally vertical position and a generally horizontal position, an overhead hoist, means on said upper housing to receive a cable, a cable extending from said hoist and connected to said cable-receiving means, a locking pin movably mounted in said upper housing, said articulated joint having two recesses to receive said pin to lock said lower housing in either of two positions relative to said upper housing, said pin having a locking position in which it is received in one of said recesses and a release position in which it is spaced from said recesses, a release member engagable with said pin to move said pin to the release position, a handle connected to said release member and extending outwardly from said upper housing to operate said release member, and a manually-operable hoist control mounted on said upper housing near said handle, said hoist control having handle means positioned near said release member handle, whereby said hoist control and said handle can be operated by one hand of an operator with his hand on said handle means to manipulate said upper housing.

Apparatus for handling objects having central passages extending therethrough, said apparatus comprising an upper housing, a lower housing, a gripper extending outwardly from said lower housing to be received in the central passages of the objects, means forming an articulated joint between said housings to enable said lower housing to move relative to said upper housing in a manner to enable said gripper to move between a generally vertical position and a generally horizontal position, an overhead hoist, means on said upper housing to receive a cable, a cable extending from said hoist and connected to said cable-receiving means, a hoist control mounted on said apparatus for controlling the supply of fluid to said hoist, said gripper having at least one jaw with an engagable position for engaging the surfaces of the passages of the objects and a retracted position within said gripper, a fluid-operated ram for moving said jaw between its positions, manually-operated valve means mounted on said lower housing for controlling the supply of fluid to said ram, a pressure-responsive valve responsive to pressure in said hoist and enabling the supply of fluid directly to said ram, bypassing said valve means, to maintain said jaw in a gripping position when said hoist pressure is at a predetermined value or higher, and for supplying fluid to said valve means when said hoist pressure is below the predetermined value, and a gripper handle on said lower housing adjacent said manually-operated valve means.

Apparatus for handling objects of generally cylindrical shape having central passages extending therethrough, said apparatus comprising an upper housing, a lower housing, a gripper extending outwardly from said lower housing to be received in the central passages of the objects, means forming an articulated joint between said housings to enable said lower housing to move relative to said upper housing in a manner to enable said gripper to move between a generally vertical position and a generally horizontal position, a fluid-operated overhead hoist, means on said upper housing to receive a cable, a cable extending from said hoist and connected to said cable-receiving means, a source of fluid under pressure, a manually-operable hoist control communicating with said fluid source and with said hoist, said hoist control having manually-operable means for supplying fluid under pressure to the hoist to raise an object gripped by said gripper and additional manually-operable means for reducing pressure in said hoist to lower an object gripped by said gripper, said gripper having at least one jaw with an engagable position for engaging the surfaces of the passages of the objects and a retracted position within said gripper, a fluid-operated ram for moving said jaw between its positions, a manually-operated gripper valve mounted on said apparatus for causing said gripper jaw to grip an object when said valve is not actuated and for causing said jaw to move to the retracted position within said gripper when said gripper valve is actuated, a gripper handle extending outwardly from said lower housing on the side opposite said gripper, said gripper handle being adjacent said manually-operated gripper valve, and an interlock valve for sensing the pressure of fluid in said hoist for bypassing said gripper valve for supplying said fluid under pressure independently of said gripper valve directly to said fluid-operated ram to prevent release of said gripper by manual operation of said gripper valve when the pressure of fluid in said hoist is at least equal to a predetermined value, and for supplying fluid to said gripper valve when said hoist pressure is below the predetermined value.

Apparatus for handling objects having central passages therein, said apparatus comprising an upper housing, a lower housing, a gripper extending outwardly from said lower housing to be received in the central passages of the objects, and means forming an articulated joint between said housings to enable said lower housing to move relative to said upper housing in a manner to enable said gripper to move between a generally vertical position and a generally horizontal position, said lower housing having a handle extending outwardly therefrom on the side opposite said gripper, said means forming an articulated joint comprising an upper plate affixed to a lower end of said upper housing at a 45.degree. angle to an axis of said upper housing, a lower plate affixed to an end of said lower housing on a 45.degree. angle with respect to an axis of said lower housing, said plates having central openings therein, a trunnion shaft extending through said openings and connecting said plates in a manner to enable said plates to pivot about an axis of said trunnion shaft relative to one another, one of said plates having an arcuate groove extending at least 180.degree. around said central openings and facing the other of said plates, and a projection carried by the other of said plates and extending into said arcuate groove to limit the extent of movement of said plates relative to one another.

Apparatus for handling objects having central passages therein, said apparatus comprising an upper housing, a lower housing, a fluid-operated gripper extending outwardly from said lower housing to be received in the central passages of the objects, means forming an articulated joint between said housings to enable said lower housing to move relative to said upper housing in a manner to enable said gripper to move between a generally vertical position and a generally horizontal position, said means forming an articulated joint comprising an upper plate affixed to a lower end of said upper housing at an angle to an axis of said upper housing, a lower plate affixed to an end of said lower housing at an angle to an axis of said lower housing, said plates having central openings therein, a trunnion shaft extending through said openings and connecting said plates in a manner to enable said plates to pivot about an axis of said trunnion shaft relative to one another, said trunnion shaft having a passage extending centrally therethrough in a longitudinal direction of said shaft, said plates having cooperating means to limit the extent of movement of said plates relative to one another about the axis of said trunnion shaft, and fluid passage lines extending through said trunnion shaft passage and communicating with said fluid-operated gripper for supplying fluid to said gripper for operating same.