Sawtooth terminal blade gripper and method of gripping
OwnerGregory R. Mortoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gripping apparatus is disclosed. The gripping apparatus includes a first finger including a plurality of first sawteeth along a first longitudinal end and a receiving area being located between adjacent sawteeth and a second finger including a plurality of complementary sawteeth juxtaposed from the first sawteeth. One of the first and second fingers is movable relative toward the other of the first and second fingers such that an object to be gripped is positioned in the receiving area by one of the plurality of complementary sawteeth. The object is releasably retained against the receiving area by the second finger. A method of gripping an object is also disclosed.
Claims10
A method of gripping an object comprising:
- providing at least one electrical terminal blade of a fuel injector as the object, the at least one electrical terminal blade having a cross-sectional geometry;
- locating the object between first and second fingers of an apparatus, the first finger including a plurality of first sawteeth along a first longitudinal side, a receiving area being located between adjacent sawteeth and the second finger including a plurality of complementary sawteeth juxtaposed from the first sawteeth, the receiving area conforming to at least a portion of the cross-sectional geometry of the at least one electrical terminal blade;
- moving in a linear path one of the first and second fingers relative toward the other of the first and second fingers thereby gripping the object and so that in an engaged position of the first and second fingers, a terminal surface of a tooth of the first finger is disposed in a space defined by a complementary opening between the sawteeth of the second finger and the terminal surface of the tooth is spaced from a surface of the complementary opening to further define another space therebetween;
- moving the apparatus and inserting the object gripped by the first and second fingers into a mold cavity, and
- releasing the first and second fingers from the object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.