Quick-action coupling for forge and conveyor manipulators

Quick-action coupling for forge and conveyor manipulators, comprising a toolholder (3), a rotary spindle (7) mounted for rotation on the toolholder (3) about a horizontal axis, means carried by the toolholder (3) for rotating the rotary spindle (7) about said axis, a tool head (11) laterally engageable with and disengageable from the toolholder (3) by movement in a direction transverse to said axis, tongs (5) carried by the tool head (11) for clamping and moving a workpiece, power means (8) reciprocable along said axis and engageable with said tongs for opening and closing said tongs when said tool head is engaged with said toolholder, and means (21) releasably interlocking said toolholder (3) and said tool head (11) for conjoint rotation about said axis, said interlocking means comprising locking means (22) having a forward position and a rearward position, said locking means (22) locking, in said forward position, said tool head (11) and toolholder (3) together for conjoint rotation about said axis, and in said rearward position locking said toolholder (3) and said rotary spindle (7) together to prevent rotation of said rotary spindle (7) relative to said toolholder (3).