End effector with moveable jaw assembly to manipulate an article

An apparatus comprising:

• a housing comprising a central axis extending therethrough, a first guide surface and a second guide surface parallel to the first guide surface, wherein the first and second guide surfaces face in a common direction toward the central axis at a non-orthogonal angle therewith;
• and
• a moveable jaw member disposed within the housing and configured to apply a gripping force to an article aligned along the central axis, the jaw member comprising a first inclined surface at a proximal end of the jaw member and a laterally extending guide flange disposed at a distal end of the jaw member with a second inclined surface parallel to the first inclined surface, wherein the first and second inclined surfaces face in a common direction away from the central axis at said non-orthogonal angle and are adapted to respectively slidingly contact the first and second guide surfaces as the jaw member is advanced toward the central axis.

An apparatus comprising:

• a housing adapted to receive an article aligned along a central axis of the housing;
• and
• opposing first and second jaw members disposed within the housing configured to concurrently advance toward the central axis on opposite sides thereof to apply a gripping force upon the article, wherein the first jaw member contactingly slides along respective first and second guide surfaces of the housing, the first and second guide surfaces facing in a first common direction toward the central axis at a selected non-orthogonal angle therewith, and wherein the second jaw member concurrently contactingly slides along respective third and fourth guide surfaces of the housing, the third and fourth guide surfaces facing in a second common direction toward the central axis at said selected non-orthogonal angle therewith.