CA1185292A - Gripping device with interdigitating, articulate fingers - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT

A grip attachment to an implement arm of construction or industrial equipment via a swivel coupling comprises three inter-digitating, articulate fingers, two pivotable about a first axis and the other pivotable about a second axis parallel to the first.
Each finger consists of a first segment pivotable about the first or second axis and a second segment pin-jointed to the first seg-ment. Hydraulic cylinders Ire employed to cause pivotal motion of the fingers about the first and second axes, and of their second segments relative to the first segments. An additional hydraulic cylinder acts to cause pivotal displacement of the second axis about the first axis, so that the finger pivotable about the second axis can be extended and contracted with respect to the other two fingers.

Description

5~92 GRIPPING DEVICE ~ITH INTERDIGITATING, ARTICVLATE FINGERS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a gripping device particularly suitable for use as an attachment to an implement arm of construction or industrial equip-ment.
A grip or grapple attachment to an implement arm has been known which comprises rigid or inar-ticulate arms pivotally movable toward and away from each other between fully open and fully closed positions. With this type of device difficulty has been encountered in adjusting the grapple opening to the size of the object to be gripped, as the arms project considerable distances beyond the object gripped. The placement of the successive objects with respect to the gripping device has also been a problem.

SVMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has it as an object to provide an improved gripping device or grapple of the class defined which permits easy and precise adjust-ment of the grapple opening to the size of the object and which can easily and positively grip the successive objects regardless of their placement.
An aspect of the invention is as follows:
A gripping device as for attachment to an implement arm or the like, comprising:

. . , ~!' (a) mounting means;
(b) at least two parallel spaced articula-te fingers connected to the mounting means for pivotal motion about a first pivot;
(c) at least one other articulate finger connec-ted to the mounting means for pivotal motion about a second pivot parallel to the first pivot and disposed in inter-digitating relation with the first recited two articula-ting fingers;
(d) each of the articulate fingers having a first segment pivotable about the first or second pivot and a second segment pivotally connected to the first segment;
(e) means for pivotally moving the first segments of the articulate fingers relative to the mounting means;
(f) means for pivotally moving the second segments of the articulate fingers relative to the first seg-ments thereof; and (g) means for pivotally moving the second pivot about the first pivot.
Preferably, as in the embodiments disclosed herein, a set of two articulate fingers are connected in parallel spaced relation to the mounting means for pivotal motion about a first axis, and a third articulate finger is connected for pivotal motion about a second axis parallel to the first. The three fingers are in interdigitating relation. Thus, by independently manipulating the first and second ~-2-segments of the three fingers, the gripping device can be made to grip and release a desired object.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will become more apparent, and the invention itself will best be understood from a study of the following description and appended claims, with reference had to the a-ttached drawings showing some preferred embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partly sectioned for clarity, of the gripping device constructed in accordance with this invention, the gripping device being shown attached to an articulate implement arm to illustrate its typical appliction; --FIG. ~ is a left hand side elevational view, partly broken away and partly sectioned for clarity, of the gripping device of FIG. l;
FIG. 3 is a right hand side elevational view, partly broken away and partly sectioned for clarity, of -the gripping device of FIG. l; and FIG. 4 is an elevational view of an alternative form of 5i~

1 the gripping device in accordance with the invention.

3 ESC_PTIO~ OF THE PREFERRE~ E~IBODIMENTS

6 FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate a prefer,red form o~ the grip-6 ping device in accordance with the invention, generally desi~nated 7 10 in FIG. 1, as attached to an articulate implemet arm or boom 12 8 vla a swivel union 14. The implement arm 12 has a r,eck structure ~ 16 ooupled thereto via a pivot pir, 18. ~lso prorided to the im-plement arm 12 is a tilting li~kage 20 which is pin joint,ed at 22 ll to the neck structure 16 in order to cause its pivotal or tilting ~ motion about the pin 18. Interposed between the neck structure 16 13 and the gripping device 10, the swivel union 14 ir,cludes a swivel 14 ¦joint 24 housed in a swivel mount 26. This swivel mount is formed 1~ lintegral with an irternal gear 28 in mesh with a pinion 30 on the 16 ¦output ~haft of a bidirectional motor 32, preferably a hydraulic 17 ¦one. Thus, with the rotation of the motor 32, the swivel mount 26 18 ¦as well as the gripping device 10 attached thereto revolves about 19 the axis X-X of the swivel joint 24 relative to the neck structure ,6.
21 The gripping device 10 in accordance with the inve~tion 23 broadly compriseq:
1. A ~upport structure 34 rigiclly fastened to the swivel

2~ mount 26.
26 2. First.36 and s~cod 36t articulate fingers mounted to 26 1 the support structure 34 in parallel spaced relation to each other, 27 1 as in FI~. 2, for pivotal motion about a common pivot 38 disposed 28 ¦ on one side of the swivel axis X-X.
2~ ¦ 3. ~ third articulate finger 40 swingable about a pivot 142~ disposed parallel to and normally symmetrically with the pivot ~ 5~2 2 38 of the first 36 and secod 36 ' fingers relative to the swivel axis X-X, and arranged opposite to and in intertligitatin~ relation

3 with the first and second fingers as in FIG. 3.
~ As will be ~oted from FIGS. t an~ 2, the support struc-ture 34 is formed to include first 44 an~ second 44' pairs of de-6 pendin~ lugs for nonrotatably carrying the pivot 38. Betwee~ these 7 pairs of lugs 44 an~ 44~ sleeves 46 and 46 ' are rotatably fitted 8 over the pivot 38 and rigidly connected to the first 36 and second 9 36 ~ articulate fingers respectively, so that these fingers are both swingable about the pi~ot 38.
11 Formed irtegral with the sleeves 46 an~ 46 ' are pairs of ~ I upstanding lugs 48 and 48 ~ which are pivotally connected to the 13 ¦ piston rods of fluid actuated, preferably hydraulic, cylinders 50 1~ ¦ and 50' respectively. The head eDds of these cylinders are pi.vot- ¦
15 1 ally connected to two other pairs 52 an~ 52' of depending lugs 16 forming parts of the suDport structure 3~, as will be seen also from FIG. 3. Thus, with the extension and contraction of the cyl-18 inders 50 and 50~, the first 36 and second 36 ' articulate fingers 2~ swing in both cloclcwise and counterclockwise directions, as viewed in FIG. t~ about the common pi~ot 38.
21 The articulate fingers 36 and 36 ' comprise first segments 54 an-1 54~ pivoted at 38 and second segments 56 and 56 ~ pin jointed 23 at 58 and 58~ to the first segments. Tha first segments 54 and 54 24 are pi~oted by the respective cylinders 50 an~ 50~. Additional hydraulic cylinders are provided at 60 and 60~ to cause pivotal 26 1 motion of the second segments 56 and 56 ' relative to the firsts 54 ~7 ~ and 54~. The head ends of these cylinders are pivotally coupled 2~ 1 to pins 62 and 62 ~ mounted to the first segments 54 and 54~ in the ¦ vicinity of the common pi~ot 38. The piston rods of the cylin~ers 60 and 60~, on the other hand, are pivotally coupled to pairs of ~1~5;~

1 ~ lugs 64 an~l 64~ integral with sleeves 66 an~ 66~ rotatably fitted 2 over the pins 58 and 58' joining the first 54 an~ 54' and second 3 56 and 56~ segments. The second segments 56 and 56' are rigidly ~ coupled to the sleeves 66 and 66'. Consequently, with the exten-sion and contraction of the cyl:inders oO and 60', the second seg-6 ments 56 and 56~ pivot about the pins 58 and 58' relative to the 7 first segments 54 and 54'.

8 Tha third articulate fin~er 40 is mounted to the support 9 structure 34 in a different way from the above two fingers 36 and 36~ s best seen in FIG. 2 J a sleeve 68 is rotatably fitted over the common pivot 38 of the first 36 and second 36' fingers so as to be caught between the two pairs of depedi~g lugs 44 and 44~.

13 Formed integral ~ith the sleeve 68 are (l) a first pair of upstand-~ ing lugs 70, ~2) a second pair of depending lugs 72, and (3) a pair of arms 74 normally extending perpendicular to the axis X-X of the 5 ¦ swlvel joint 24. A hydraulic cylinder 76 is operatively connected 17 ¦ between the depending lug pair 72 and a pair of lugs 78 angled 18 upwardly from the support structure 34. This cylinder 76 acts to 19 swing -'he arm pair 74 about the common pivot 38 of the first 36 and second 36l articulate fingers. The arm pair 74 is in the illust-rated normal position when the cylinder 76 is extended.

22 l~ith reference to both FI~.S. t and 3 the pivoted arm pair 23 7~ carries on its free end the pivot 42 of the third articulate 24 finger 40 in parallel relation to the pivot 38 of the first 36 an~
l secon~2 36~ fingers. This third finger also comprises a Eirst seg-26 j 1 ment 80 and a secont2 segment 82 jointed together by a pin 84 26 j oriented parallel to the pivots 38 and 42. The first segment 80 27 1 is substantially integral with a sleeve 85 rotatably fitted over 29 the pivot 42,. The sleeve 85 has a pair of upstanding lugs 86 rigidly coupled thereto. 'Pivotally coupled to this upstanding lug pair is the head end oP a hydraulic cylinder 88, the piston rod of 1 ~t35~'32 1 which is pivotally coupled to the aforesaid first lug pair 70, 2 1 FIGS. l and 2, on the sleeve 68 arourd the common pivot 38 of the 3 first 36 and second 36~ articulate fingers. Thus the extension

4 and contraction of the cylintler 88 res~llts i~ the bidirectional 6 pivotal motion of the third articulate firger 40, or of its first 6 segment 80, about the pivot 42 parallel to the pivot 38.
7 FIG. 3 also reveals a sleeve 90 rotatably fitted over the 8 pin 84 joining the first 80 and second 82 segments of the third 9 ~inger 40. This sleeve is i~tegral with the second segmert 82 and with a pair of lu~s 92. ~ hydraulic cylintler 94 is operatively 11 connected between the lug pair 92 and a pin 96 mounted to the first ~ segment 80 in the vicinity of the pivot 42. It is thus seen that 13 the cylinder 94 acts to cause pivotal motion of the second segment 14 82 about the pin 84 relative to the first segment 80.
Such being the construction of the gripping device 10 ad 16 ¦ of the mean6 associated therewith in one of its possible applica-17 tions, in operation the cylinders 50 ard 88 may be extended and 19 contracted to move the three interdigitatingJ articulate fingers 36, 36~ and 40 between the open position depicted by the solid lines in FIG. t and the phantom closed position. The second seg-22 ments 56, 56~ and 82 of the three fingers may also be pivoted 23 about the pins 58, 58' and 84, all parallel to the pivots 38 and 42, by the cylinders 60, 60' and 94. Thus actua-ted, the fin~ers 2~l will ~rip and release a desiretl object without the problems here-tofore encountered in the art.
26 ¦ Further, upon contraction of the cylinder 76, the arm I pair 74 will be pivoted in a clockwise rlirection, as viewed in 28 FIC. 1, ahout the common pivot 3~ of the first 36 and second 36 fingers. This pivotal motion of the a-m pair 74 results in the angular displacement of the pivot 42 of the third finger 40 and, 5f~9~2 1 j conse~uently, in the downward extension of the third finger. Such ~ I extension of the third finger beyond the other two figers may be 3 desired in some use of the gripping device. This third finger may 4 therefore be considered to be oÇ threa segments jointed together in ~ series, including the arm pair 74. It will also be seen that the 6 complete gripping device 10 can be tilted relative to the implemert 7 arm 12 by ths tiltig linkage 20 and revolved relative to ~he neck 8 structure 16 by the s~ivel uion 14. The tilting an~. revolving 9 mechanisms are intended to add to the operating efficiency of the gripping de~i~e.
11 In FIG. 4 is shown another preferable embodiment of the 12 invention, including a modified grippig device 110 coupled to a 13 nec~ structure 116 via a swivel union 114. The modified gripping 14 devica 110 has a support structure 134 carrying a commo~ pivot 138 ~ ¦ f first 136 and secod (unseen) articulate fingers. The first 16 seg~ent 154 of the first finger 136, as well as the first segment 17 of the unseen second finger, extends beyond the pivot 138 ad is '18 coupled to a hydrauiic cylinder 150 thereby to be pivoted about the 19 pivot 138. The ~econd segmen~ 156 of the first finger 136, as well as the second segment of the unseen second finger~ is pivoted re-21 lative to the first se~ment 154 by a hydraulic cylinder t60 con-22 nected at one end to the common pLvot 138 o~ the first and second 23 fingers.
24 A pair of arms 174 are connecte~ to the support structure t34 ~or pivotal motion about the pivot 138. .~ third articulate 2~ ~ flnger 140, or its ~irst segment 180, is pivoted at 142 to the arm pair 174 and coupled to a hydraulic cylin-ler 188 thereby to be ~8 ¦ -turned about the pivot 142. ('onnected at one end to the pivot 142, 29 ~ a hydrauLic cylinder l94 acts to cause pivotal motion of the second segment 182 of the third f:Lnger relative to its first segment 180.

5Z9~

1 ¦ .~n additional hydraulic cylinder 176 extends between the support 2 structure 134 an~ the arm pair 174 to cause the angular displace-3 ment o~ the latter about the pivot 138~
4 It will have been seen that the modified gripping device 110 i~ analogous with the ori~inal davice 10 except that the cyl-6 inders 160 and 194 for pivotally moving the second segments of the7 three fingers relative to their first se~ments are each pivotally 8 connected at one end to either of the pivots 13~ and 142 of the 9 first segments. The other details of construction and operation are substantially as set forth above in connection with FIGS. 1 to 12 It is to be understood that the preferrsd embodiments 13 1disclosed hçrein are meant purely to illustrate or e~plain and not14 ¦Ito impose limitatiors upon the invention, since a variety of modi-~ !fications or changes will readily occur to one skilled in the art 16 on the basis of this disclosure. For example, the gripping device 17 may incorporate any desired number of articulate fingers other 18 than three, without departin~ from the spirit or scope of the in-19 vention as expressed in the following claims.

~6

Claims (2)

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A gripping device as for attachment to an implement arm or the like, comprising:
(a) mounting means;
(b) at least two parallel spaced articulate fingers connected to the mounting means for pivotal motion about a first pivot;
(c) at least one other articulate finger connected to the mounting means for pivotal motion about a second pivot parallel to the first pivot and disposed in inter-digitating relation with the first recited two articulating fingers;
(d) each of the articulate fingers having a first segment pivotable about the first or second pivot and a second segment pivotally connected to the first segment;
(e) means for pivotally moving the first segments of the articulate fingers relative to the mounting means;
(f) means for pivotally moving the second segments of the articulate fingers relative to the first seg-ments thereof; and (g) means for pivotally moving the second pivot about the first pivot.

2. The gripping device as recited in Claim 2, wherein the pivotally moving means comprise fluid actuated cylinders.