Manipulator for handling objects within a sealed chamber

A manipulator for handling objects within a sealed chamber, comprising:

• (a) a first or active manipulator portion locatable within a said sealed chamber,
• (b) a second or mounting manipulator portion mountable on a wall portion defining a boundary region of a said sealed chamber so that said active manipulator portion is located inwardly of said boundary region and within said chamber, and
• (c) a third or operating manipulator portion located externally of said boundary region when the manipulator is mounted on a said wall portion, said active manipulator portion having object-holding means disposable in a plurality of operating configurations, said operating manipulator portion having control means for displacing said object-holding means between one of said operating configurations and another of said configurations and having an internal region which is in communication with the environment within a sealed chamber when the manipulator is mounted on a said wall portion, said object-holding means of said active manipulator portion being continuously rotatable through at least 360.degree. about an axis of the manipulator extending between said object-holding means and said control means of the operating manipulator portion and being mounted at one axial end region of a shaft extending within said manipulator in the direction of said axis fo the manipulator, said shaft being mounted for rotation about said axis, a sleeve extending substantially coaxially of said shaft within said manipulator in the direction of said axis of the manipulator, said sleeve being axially displaceable relative to said shaft by means of at least one bearing and being associated with said object-holding means for displacement of said means between operating configurations thereof, said at least one bearing being located in the vicinity of said one axial end region of said shaft, said control means of the manipulator including drive means for rotating said shaft about said axis and means for axially displacing said sleeve relative to said shaft, and said internal region of said operating manipulator portion being sealed against the environment external of a said sealed chamber and the manipulator, wherein said object-holding means has a pair of opposed jaws, each of said jaws being pivotably mounted and having an object-engaging face which is urged towards the corresponding face of the opposed jaw in a gripping configuration of the object-holding means;
• said sleeve is associated with said jaws of the object-holding means by activating means mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, said activating means being displaceable relative to said shaft in the direction of said axis of the manipulator to displace said jaws between said gripping and a release configuration of the object-holding means;
• said sleeve is non-rotatably mounted within said manipulator;
• and said activating means is associated with said sleeve through bearing means for transmitting axial displacement of said sleeve to said activating means while also permitting rotation of said shaft and activating means relative to said sleeve and about said axis of the manipulator.