GB2179912A

GB2179912A - Air operable article gripping device

Info

Publication number: GB2179912A
Application number: GB08621164A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Albert Kilner
Original assignee: KILNER VACUUMATION Ltd
Current assignee: KILNER VACUUMATION Ltd
Priority date: 1985-09-03
Filing date: 1986-09-02
Publication date: 1987-03-18
Also published as: GB8621164D0; GB2179912B

Abstract

A gripping device 1, suitable for handling articles of random size and nature eg suitcases 8, comprises a plate 2 which supports by means of straps 5 a tubular member 7 which is expandable or contractable under the influence of positive or negative interior air pressure, and which member, in use, is located at least partially around or along an inner or outer perimeter of an article 8 to be handled, and is expanded or contracted to cause gripping engagement of the device 1 with the article 8 by such positive or negative air pressure. The member 7 may be endless or there may be two linear members connected between a pair of plates, the application of negative air pressure bringing the plates together to grip an article. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Air operable article gripping device This invention relates to an air operable, article gripping device particularly though not exclusively, for use in the handling of articles of random size and nature, such as articles of luggage for example at a passenger terminal; cartons, boxes, packages, packing cases etc., where the handling usually involves lifting, moving and lowering.

Known article gripping devices operable by the creation of a partial vacuum such as described in GB 776,806 and 2,113,178 employ a flexible gripping/lifting hood, shroud or skirt, which surrounds the article(s) to be handled, e.g. by lowering the hood etc., over the article(s) to be handled, and applying a partial vacuum to the hood interior.Such arrangements work satisfactorily in circumstances where the articles are (a) reasonably rigid so that an air seal can be maintained around the open mouth of the hood, between the mouth and the article(s) being lifted, so that a vacuum can be retained with minimum leakage within the hood; (b) of uniform size because of the flexural limitations of a hood, irrespective of the nature of the material of the hood, and its wall thickness etc; and (c) substantially air impervious to ensure that a negative pressure source that is reasonably economical to operate, may be employed.

It will be appreciated that random size articles, e.g. of luggage, rarely satisfy (a), (b) and (c), as such articles may or may not be rigid, are invariably of differing sizes, and may or may not be air impervious material.

The object of the present invention is to provide an air operable, article gripping device, particularly for the handling of random size articles, which device does not demand features (a), (b) and (c) above in order to be operationally effective.

According to the present invention there is provided an air operable, article gripping device suitable for handling articles of random size and nature, comprising: (i) a body member, (ii) connection means attached to the body member and extending therefrom, and (iii) a hollow-interior, tubular displacement member which is expandable or contractable under the influence of positive or negative interior air pressure, and which displacement member, in use, is located at least partially around or along an inner or outer perimeter of an article to be handled, and is expanded or contracted to cause gripping engagement of the device with the article by such positive or negative air pressure.

In a first embodiment, the displacement member is itself formed as a gripping means, to extend completely around the inner or outer perimeter of the article to be handled.

Basically, positive air pressure is applied to the hollow interior of the gripping means to expand the latter into gripping engagement with the inner periphery of an article to be handled, whilst negative air pressure is applied to the hollow interior of the gripping means to contract the latter into gripping engagement with the outer periphery of an article to be handled. With either arrangement, the opposite air pressure to that finally required may be initially employed, in the first instance to contract the gripping means so that it may be readily inserted into an aperture in the article to be handled, and in the second instance to expand the gripping means so that it may be readily located around an article to be handled.

In a second embodiment, the gripping means is constituted by a pair of spaced-apart gripping plates which are adapted, in the gripping mode, to engage opposite sides of an article to be handled and are mutually displaceable by virtue of at least one, and preferably two spaced-apart, displacement members inter-connecting the plates.

Again, positive or negative air pressure, as required, is applied to the interior of the two displacement members.

Because of the expandable and contractable nature of the displacement member in accordance with the invention, one size of gripping device can be employed to handle a considerable range of article sizes. It will be appreciated however, that with the luggage example previously mentioned, that two or more sizes of gripping device may be required to handle the extremes of luggage dimensions, e.g. from a brief case to a trunk.

By the employment of an expandable and contractable hollow, tubular gripping means, in accordance with the first embodiment, the article itself need not be particularly rigid, for the gripping means will conform to the contour and perimeter defined by rigid, or relatively rigid, content of the article, whilst the second embodiment requires the articles to be rigid or relatively rigid.

The level of the positive or negative air pressures within the hollow interior can of course be varied to suit the weight(s) of the articles to be gripped and handled.

In one proposal, the connection means may be constituted by a plurality of lifting straps or struts.

In detail, the body member may be rectangular, e.g. of mild steel, light metal alloy etc., and is itself attachable to a hoist, winch, robot, transfer machine etc., so that after application of positive or negative pressure, operation of the hoist etc., commences the article handling process, and when the article has been lifted and moved to a new location where its deposit is required, the article is lowered by suitable operation of the hoist etc., and the positive or negative pressure is released.

In principle, the gripping device may be operated by being lowered, from above, onto an article to be handled, or elevated, from beneath, an article to be handled. In the former case the body member would be an upper member, with the lifting straps, preferably flexible (e.g. of nylon (trade mark) or other long life, wear and abrasion resistant material) depending downwardly from the body member. In the latter case the body member would be a lower member with the lifting straps constituted by rigid, or semi-rigid, upwardly projecting struts.

Particularly for the handling of suitcases, the body member may be generally oblong, with six lifting straps, two each being located on the longer sides and one each on the shorter sides.

The displacement member is preferably formed in a bellows like manner, to provide a ready ability for the displacement member to expand or contract under the influence of whatever air pressure is applied to its hollow interior. Furthermore, the displacement member may be formed in a circular, rectangular or other tubular section. Preferably, the displacement member is of synthetic rubber or plastics material, and may have a friction increasing surface or formations around its gripping periphery. With a displacement member in accordance with the first embodiment and for gripping what may be regarded as a "standard" suitcase, the gripping means is preferably shaped as a generally rectangular ring.

Vacuum may be applied to the interior of the displacement member by any convenient negative pressure source, e.g. a fan, venturi ejector, or vacuum pump, connected to the interior by a conduit, preferably with an interposed on/off control valve to create or release a vacuum as and when required by the operator. Conversely, positive pressure may be applied to the hollow interior by any convenient positive pressure source, e.g. a fan or pump, again with an interposed on/off control valve.

After release of an article from the gripping device following release of the positive or negative pressure, the displacement member may revert from its expanded or contracted gripping dimension(s) to its original dimension(s) by the natural characteristics of the material from which it is produced and/or of its construction e.g. in bellows or concertina fashion, as indicated previously. Preferably, however, additional means is provided to ensure that such reversion is achieved. Thus, a relatively: soft coil spring may be provided within the displacement member, which spring is compressed when negative pressure is applied and expanded when positive pressure is applied.Such additional means may also serve to obviate, or to assist, the opposite air pressure that it may be necessary to apply initially by, in the case when the final air pressure is positive, contracting the displacement member to ensure ease of insertion of the latter into an aperture of an article to be handled or, in the case when the final air pressure is negative, expanding the displacement member to ensure ease of location of the displacement member around an article to be handled.

For relatively deep articles, and particularly with the first embodiment, multiple numbers of displacement members may be located one below the other on the lifting straps.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a first embodiment of gripping device in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is an end elevation of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a side elevation of a second embodiment of gripping device in accordance with the invention; and Figure 5 is an end elevation of Figure 4.

In the drawings of both embodiments, like components are accorded like ref numerals.

In the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3, the article gripping device 1 comprises a rectangular body member 2 e.g. of lightweight metal alloy plate, which is attachable by lugs 3 to a hoist etc. From the body member 2 depends connection means 4 in the form of six flexible lifting straps 5 e.g. of nylon (Trade Mark) or other long life, wear and abrasion resistant material, the straps 5 being attached at their other ends to a displacement member 7 of tubular, bellows like form, having a hollow interior, being of synthetic rubber or plastics material and formed to a generally rectangular shape, the member 7 constituting a gripping member to grip an article such as a suitcase 8 indicated in chain-dotted line in Figures 1 to 3, for the subsequent handling of the suitcase.

The displacement member 7 is contractable, into engagement with the periphery of the suitcase 8 by applying negative air pressure to the interior of the member 7, via a supply duct 9 with an interposed control valve 10, the supply duct 9 being connected, beyond the valve 10, to any convenient source of negative air pressure, such as a fan, venturi ejector, vacuum pump etc. After gripping the suitcase 8, the device 1 would normally be lifted by the hoist, then moved to the location where deposit of the suitcase was required, at which location the device 1 would be lowered and the gripping action released, by release of the vacuum within the member 7. Release, by expanding the member 7, can be enhanced by admitting positive air pressure to the interior of the member 7 and/or by providing the interior with a soft coil spring (not shown).

In the embodiment of Figures 4 and 5 the gripping means is constituted by a pair of spaced-apart, parallel gripping plates 11 which are relatively rigid and adapted, in the gripping mode, to engage opposite sides of an article to be handled, the plates 11 being mutually displaceable towards and away from one another by a pair of spaced apart displacement members 7, also of bellows like form and of synthetic rubber or plastics material, with the article embraced within the rectangular area defined by the two gripping plates 11 and the two displacement members 7. One gripping plate 11 carries a control panel 12 for valve operation, while a flexible electrical conduit 13 extends to the control panel 12 and the body member 2 is provided with an electrical supply socket 14 so that, from the control panel, the operator may control operation of an associated hoist, and hence control all the article handling functions, being gripping, raising, displacing, lowering and release.

Claims

1. An air operable, article gripping device suitable for handling articles of random size and nature, comprising: (i) a body member, (ii) connection means attached to the body member and extending therefrom, and (iii) a hollow-interior, tubular displacement member which is expandable or contractable under the influence of positive or negative interior air pressure, and which displacement member, in use, is located at least partially around or along an inner or outer perimeter of an article to be handled, and is expanded or contracted to cause gripping engagement of the device with the article by such positive or negative air pressure.

2. A device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the displacement member is itself formed as a gripping means, to extend completely around the inner or outer perimeter of the article to be handled.

3. A device as claimed in Claim 2, wherein positive air pressure is applied to the hollow interior of the gripping means to expand the latter into gripping engagement with the inner periphery of an article to be handled.

4. A device as claimed in Claim 2, wherein negative air pressure is applied to the hollow interior of the gripping means to contract the latter into gripping engagement with the outer periphery of an article to be handled.

5. A device as claimed in any preceding Glaim, wherein the opposite air pressure to that finally required is initially employed, either to contract the gripping means so that it may be readily inserted into an aperture in the article to be handled, or to expand the gripping means so that it may be readily located around an article to be handled.

6. A device as claimed in Glaim 1, comprising a pair of spaced-apart gripping plates which are adapted, in the gripping mode, to engage opposite sides of an article to be handled and are mutually displaceable by virtue of at least one displacement member interconnecting the plates.

7. A device as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the two spaced apart displacement members are employed.

8. A device as claimed in Claim 6 or Claim 7, wherein positive air pressure is applied to the hollow interior of the gripping means to expand the latter into gripping engagement with the inner periphery of an article to be handled.

9. A device as claimed in Claim 6 or Glaim 7, wherein negative air pressure is applied to the hollow iterior of the gripping means to contract the latter into gripping engagement with the outer periphery of an article to be handled.

10. A device as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the connection means is constituted by a plurality of lifting straps or struts.

11. A device as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the body member is rectangular and is itself attachable to a hoist, winch, robot, transfer machine etc., so that, after application of positive or negative pressure, operation of the hoist etc., commences the article handling process, and when the article has been lifted and moved to a new location where its deposit is required, the article is lowered by suitable operation of the hoist etc., and the positive or negative pressure is released.

12. A device as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the body member is of mild steel, or light metal alloy.

13. A device as claimed in Claim 10 and Claims 11 or 12 when appendant thereto, with the device operated by being lowered, from above, onto an article to be handled, wherein the lifting straps are flexible and depend downwardly from the body member.

14. A device as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the lifting straps are of Nylon (Trade Mark).

15. A device as claimed in Claim 13 or Claim 14, wherein the lifting straps are of a long life, wear and abrasion resistant material.

16. A device as claimed in Claim 10, and Claims 11 or 12, when appendant thereto, wherein the device is operated by being elevated, from beneath, an article to be handled with the lifting straps constituted by rigid, or semi-rigid, upwardly projecting struts.

17. A device as claimed in Claim 10 and any Claim appendant thereto, wherein the body member is generally oblong, with six iifting straps, two each being located on the longer sides and one each on the shorter sides.

18. A device as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the displacement member is formed in a bellows like manner, to provide a ready ability for the displacement member to expand or contract under the influence of whatever air pressure is applied to its hollow interior.

19. A device as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the displacement member is formed in a circular, rectangular or other tubular section.

20. A device as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the displacement member is of synthetic rubber or plastics material.

21. A device as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the displacement member has a friction increasing surface or formations around its gripping periphery.

22. A device as claimed in Claim 17, and any Claim appendant thereto, wherein the gripping means is shaped as a generally rectangular ring.

23. A device as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 8 and any Claims appendant thereto, wherein vacuum is applied to the interior of the displacement member by a negative pressure source, e.g. a fan, venturi ejector, or vacuum pump, connected to the interiorby a conduit with an interposed on/off control valve to create or release a vacuum as and when required by the operator.

24. A device as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 9, and any Claims appendant thereto, wherein positive pressure is applied to the interior of the displacement member by a positive pressure source, e.g. a fan or pump, again with an interposed on/off control valve.

25. A device as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein after release of an article from the gripping device following release of the positive or negative pressure, the displacement member reverts from its expanded or contracted gripping dimension(s) to its original dimension(s) by the natural characteristics of the material from which it is produced and/or of its construction.

26. A device as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein after release of an article from the gripping device following release of the positive or negative pressure, the displacement member, is provided with additional means to ensure that the displacement member reverts to its original dimension(s).

27. A device as claimed in Claim 26, wherein the additional means is a soft coil spring provided within the displacement member, which spring is compressed when negative pressure is applied and expanded when positive pressure is applied.

28. A device as claimed in Claim 13 and any Claim appendant thereto, wherein multiple members of displacement members are lo cated one below the other on the lifting straps.

29. An air operable, article gripping device suitable for the handling of articles of random size and nature substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

30. An air operable, article gripping device suitable for the handling of articles of random size and nature substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.