An apparatus for fetching a component part, with the apparatus including a finger unit pivotally supporting a plurality of fingers adapted to catch a component part. A first detection unit detects a catch of a component part and a first drive opens or closes the fingers. A holding unit swingably supports the finger unit and has a slider which is slidable in a horizontal direction by a drawback force. A second detection unit detects the slider at an end of the sliding motion. A moving unit supports the holding unit and moves the holding unit at least in the vertical direction by a second drive. A drive control is provided for controlling the first and second drives in accordance with signals produced by the first and second detection units so as to enable a catching of the component part.

The picker includes an open frame carrier secured to a molding machine for linear movement along support rods in the direction of movement of one of the mold platens, i.e., a Y-axis direction, under control of a first fluid cylinder. The carrier, in turn, mounts a carriage for linear movement in a direction normal thereto, i.e., an X-axis direction, also under the control of a second fluid cylinder. Depending from the carriage is a picker arm under control of a third fluid cylinder for movement in the X-axis direction and which picker arm terminates at its inner end in a pair of jaws or fingers, the opening and closing of which are under control of a fourth cylinder. A limit switch is mounted on the mold machine for actuation when the movable mold platen obtains its open position. A pair of air switches are carried by the carrier. When the mold is fully open, the limit switch is closed by the movable platen to actuate the first air switch which, in turn, actuates the second and third cylinders for movement of the jaws along the X-axis and between the mold faces. Toward the end of the movement in the X-direction, the first cylinder is actuated to move the jaws in the Y-direction. At the end of the carriage movement, the carriage actuates an air switch which closes the jaws about the article. The carrier is then automatically retracted after a time delay in the X and Y-directions. The second air switch is then reset and opens the jaws whereby the article grasped is dropped onto a chute.

A gripper arrangement for a lifting or hoisting apparatus serves to transport workpieces having a journal or plug-like end. This gripper arrangement or gripper contains a housing in which two slides are essentially symmetrically arranged and radially displaceably guided with respect to a primary or main axis. At each of the slides there is supported a respective clamping or chucking jaw by means of a related guide device which is connected with the related clamping jaw by means of a radial inner hinge joint and with the related slide by means of a radial outer hinge joint which is arranged further towards the outside in axial direction than the radial inner hinge joint. Within the housing there is rotatably mounted a control body member which is operatively coupled with a drive motor. At the control body member there are formed control cams which, during rotation of the control body member, displace the slides. The axial symmetrically displaceable slides render possible, on the one hand, an accommodation of the gripper to workpieces having different journal or plug diameters and, on the other hand, a rapid, rigid or firm and exactly central clamping or chucking of the journal or plug-like end of each individual workpiece which is handled.

A transfer means including a work gripping arm for moving the work to selected positions, the transfer means having stop or positioning shock absorbers. There can be shock absorbers for either direction of movement, and there can be a plurality of settable stops and adjustable positioners so that various selected positions can be achieved.

An industrial robot well suited for handling heavy work pieces comprises a base; a vertically oriented main support shaft rotatably mounted in the base on a radial thrust bearing; a support frame mounted on the support shaft; a flat-sided extendable main extend shaft mounted on the support frame; and a tooling assembly mounted on the outer end of the main extend shaft. The main extend shaft is a hollow, rectangular tubular member and rides on a simplified bearing assembly consisting of two sets of adjustable cam followers that ride on all four walls of the shaft. The tooling assembly comprises cam-operated, adjustable force grab jaws that hold the work piece; and separate means for raising and lowering and extending and retracting the grab jaws with respect to the main extend shaft. The whole system is operated hydraulically by solenoid actuated valves which control hydraulic motors or cylinders, with the cylinders functioning on a full extend or full retract basis. Limit switches and a programed sequence controller control the sequence and operation of the apparatus.