An attachment for use on a fork lift truck includes a base portion, and stabilizer bars movable relative thereto, laterally of the truck. The attachment also includes a platform movable relative to the base means laterally of the truck, and actuating means, including pulley and cable means, are utilized to initially move the stabilizer bars laterally of the truck, for engagement with a storage rack for stabilizing the fork lift truck. The platform is then shifted laterally to shift the load thereon. When this operation is completed, the platform is initially retracted, with the stabilizer bars in their outward or extended positions, and then the stabilizer bars themselves are retracted.
A vacuum transfer device includes a central processing chamber and a plurality of additional chambers radially positioned around the central chamber and in vacuum-tight connection therewith. A rotatable coulisse arrangement in the central chamber is extendable so as to reach into the additional chambers when correctly aligned. The device can transfer objects among several work stations without intermediate venting and re-evacuation of the system of chambers.
A gripping tool assembly disposed on the wrist section of a robot for gripping and moving various objects between a pick-up zone and a drop-off zone. The gripping tool assembly includes a frame having a top portion and a bottom portion with a pair of parallel lift arms secured to the bottom portion of the frame and projecting outwardly from the frame for supporting the object. A clamp is movably mounted to the frame for vertical movement between the top and bottom portions relative to the lift arms to sandwich the object between the clamp and the lift arms. The gripping tool assembly is characterized by a pusher movably mounted to the frame along a hollow tine. The pusher is mounted to a lead screw disposed within the tine wherein the lead screw horizontally moves the pusher relative to the lift arms for pushing the object toward the distal ends of the lift arms.
