Electromechanical manipulator assembly

A jaw assembly for a remote manipulator apparatus including a pair of opposed jaw means each formed with a gripping surface for gripping an object therebetween, at least one of said jaw means being movably mounted with respect to the other of said jaw means, and drive means displacing the movable one of said jaw means to effect gripping and release of said object, wherein the improvement in said manipulator apparatus comprises:

• said movable one of said jaw means being formed with a base member having a portion of said gripping surface thereon, said base member being displaceable by said drive means into gripping engagement with said object to grip said object between said base member and said other of said jaw means, and said movable one of said jaw means further having a tip member pivotally mounted to said base member and having a portion of said gripping surface thereon, said tip member being displaceable by said drive means into gripping engagement with said object to grip said object between said tip member and said other of said jaw means;
• and
• said drive means including three members, said three members being a fluid cylinder and two pistons mounted in said cylinder to contain a working fluid in said cylinder, at least two of said three members being movable with respect to a remaining member upon pressurizing said working fluid in said cylinder, and one of the two movable members being connected to and pivotally displacing said tip member with respect to said base member and said other of said jaw means until the portion of said gripping surface on said tip member engages said object, and the other of the two movable members being connected to and pivotally displacing said base member toward said other of said jaw means until the portion of said gripping surface on said base member engages said object.