A linear transfer stroking boom has a housing suspended from a support which may be the travel carriage of an overlying longitudinally reciprocal shuttle. A cylinder assembly is mounted within the housing and includes a reciprocal piston rod on a longitudinal axis. A plurality of parallel spaced guide rods are slidably mounted upon and extend through the ends of the housing and outwardly thereof. Boom mount plates span the ends of the guide rods with the piston rod secured to one boom mount plate. A pair of parallel spaced boom extension arms are removably mounted upon the boom mount plates and extend forwardly of the housing. A workpiece gripping assembly spans and depends from the free ends of the boom arms. Reciprocal movement of the piston rod effects corresponding longitudinal movements of the boom arms in the same direction as and simultaneous with feed corresponding movements of the travel carriage.

Adapted to be mounted upon a vertically-movable and horizontally-rotatable support shaft is a head structure containing parallel horizontal lower and upper guide bores. Slidably mounted in the upper guide bores is an elongated guide rod from the rearward end of which depends a mounting plate carrying a fluid-operated rotary actuator with a hollow output shaft having a circumferentially-adjustable drive connection with an elongated hollow arm shaft slidably mounted in the lower guide bore and having a fixed workpiece-gripping jaw secured to its outer end. Mounted on the rearward end of the rotary actuator is a lower fluid-operated reciprocatory jaw-actuating motor, the lower piston rod of which is drivingly connected to a jaw-operating rod extending forward through the hollow output and hollow arm shaft to a movable workpiece-gripping jaw mounted thereon adacent the fixed workpiece-gripping jaw. Also mounted on the head structure is an upper fluid-operated reciprocatory reach motor, the upper piston rod of which is disposed parallel to the lower piston rod. Depending from the forward end of the upper piston rod is the upper end of a drag link, the lower end of which is operatively connected to the shaft arm to reciprocate the shaft arm while permitting relative rotation therebetween. In operation the reach motor moves the hollow shaft arm back and forth by means of the drag link, the rotary actuator rotates the shaft arm and workpiece-gripping jaws through a predetermined angle, and the jaw-operating motor moves the movable jaw toward and away from the fixed jaw to grip or release the workpiece respectively.

A mounting body containing a socket adapted to be mounted upon the upper end of the vertically-movable and horizontally-rotatable support shaft of a work-transfer device also contains a transverse bore in which is fixedly mounted a horizontal guide sleeve upon the opposite ends of which are mounted parallel supporting brackets for an upper fluid pressure first-reach reciprocatory motor containing a first-reach reciprocable piston with a forwardly-extending upper piston rod. Slidably mounted within the guide sleeve is a tubular outer shaft near the forward end of which is mounted an upwardly-extending cross head connected to the forward end of the upper piston rod. Slidably mounted within the longitudinal bore of the tubular outer shaft is an inner longitudinally-slotted inner shaft to the rearward end of which is connected the piston rod of a lower fluid pressure second-reach reciprocatory motor mounted on the rearward end of the tubular outer shaft for travel horizontally therewith. The tubular outer shaft near its forward end is provided with a cross-pin with the opposite ends seated therein and with its intermediate portion passing through the longitudinal slot in the inner shaft. Mounted on the forward end of the inner shaft is a head containing a vertical bore in which is freely slidably mounted a workpiece gripper including a vertical rod having a knob on its upper end and a frictional workpiece-grasping pad on its lower end. Also mounted on the head parallel to and below the outer and inner piston rods is a fluid pressure reciprocatory braking motor containing a braking piston, the piston rod of which carries a brake shoe selectively movable into and out of braking engagement with the vertical rod.

Material handling apparatus for transferring work pieces between different stations in the form of a compact assembly having one unit capable of movement in a plane parallel to its longitudinal axis and additional units for transferring the work pieces from one location to another and also being capable of both vertical and rotary movement whereby the articles can be moved at least in a horizontal plane. The apparatus is provided with adjustable, exchangeable holders for the additional units.

A material handling device of increased rigidity and carrying capacity which includes a travel cylinder assembly and actuator for a workpiece gripper. A hanger supports spaced bushing plates mounting parallel spaced bushings containing housings to slidably receive three guide rods. Two, thereof, are arranged laterally and a third therebetween and below. The one ends of the guide rods are bracketed together. The other ends of the guide rods are secured to the gripper actuator and movable therewith on activation of the travel cylinder. A modification provides for successive locating feed of the gripper actuating assembly with actuation of the gripper jaws thereafter. A further modification includes a further guide or carrier rod mounting the jaw actuating assembly for a more extended locating feed preceding actuation of the jaws.