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US 7,603,807 B2Granted
Vacuum pick-up device with mechanically assisted release
AssigneeWeyerhaeuser NR Company
InventorsMichael K McKinnis, William C Carlson, Jeffrey E Hartle
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vacuum pick-up device 20 includes a device body 22 having a pick-up tip opening 78 to which vacuum pressure is supplied. The vacuum pick-up device 20 further includes a mechanical release assisting device 36 that assists in the release of a grasped object contemporaneously with or slightly subsequent to the cessation of vacuum pressure. A manifold 38 may be included to efficiently and effectively supply vacuum pressure to the device body 22 from a vacuum pressure source.
Claims6
A method for grasping and releasing an object with a pick-up device, comprising.
- providing a pick-up device, the pick-up device including a vacuum pressure supply port, a first tip opening positioned at the distal end of the pick-up device, and a movable first release assisting device having a first position wherein the entire release assisting device within the pick-up device and a second position wherein a portion of the first release assisting device is extended through the first tip opening, the vacuum pressure supply port being in fluid communication with the first tip opening when the first release assisting device is in the first position;
- moving the pick-up device to a first location for grasping an object;
- supplying vacuum pressure to the first tip opening;
- grasping the object at the first tip opening with the supplied vacuum pressure;
- transferring the object to a second location;
- and
- releasing the object at the second location by moving the first release assisting device from the first position to the second position.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.