A seal for a vacuum lifter and method of manufacture wherein the seal has a continuous unbroken outer fluid resistant skin of elastomer which forms a boundary around a homogeneous cellular structure with no interior seams or joints.

A system including a programmable motion device and an end effector for grasping objects to be moved by the programmable motion device is disclosed. The system includes a vacuum source that provides a high flow vacuum such that an object may be grasped at an end effector opening while permitting a substantial flow of air through the opening, and a dead-head limitation system for limiting any effects of dead-heading on the vacuum source in the event that a flow of air to the vacuum source is interrupted.

A system including a programmable motion device and an end effector for grasping objects to be moved by the programmable motion device is disclosed. The system includes a vacuum source that provides a high flow vacuum such that an object may be grasped at an end effector opening while permitting a substantial flow of air through the opening, and a dead-head limitation system for limiting any effects of dead-heading on the vacuum source in the event that a flow of air to the vacuum source is interrupted.

A vacuum lifting device to facilitate the lifting and/or repositioning of an article having an external surface as set out herein comprises at least one pair of handles and a base having opposed first and second surfaces, the base having an aperture arranged through the base. The second surface is arranged is provided with a continuous sealing joint projecting downwards from the second surface defining an enclosed area which includes the aperture on the bottom surface of the base. The vacuum lifting device also comprises a suction conduit arranged to be connected to a vacuum generating member and configured to be in fluid connection with the second surface of the base through the aperture. The vacuum lifting device further comprises an extendable lifting member arranged between the at least one pair of handles and the first surface of the base, the lifting member is actuated by a lift actuating member for shifting the base in a vertical direction transferring said vacuum lifting device (10) between an extended and a compressed state. A method for using the vacuum lifting device is also disclosed.

A holding head is provided for a vacuum holding device for handling a plate-shaped workpiece about an axis. An arrangement of operating elements on a base body of the holding head includes at least three operating elements connected as actuating elements in a double actuation circuit for releasing the plate-shaped workpiece. Two of the actuating elements are arranged on sides of the arrangement opposite to one another with respect to the position of the axis and the third actuating element is designed ring-shaped and surrounds the axis circumferentially.

Solar panels are prepared for installation on an array frame by initially tipping packages of palletized, bundled, vertically-oriented panels in a preparation area to form a vertical stack of horizontally oriented panel separated from the pallet and packaging material for placement on the upper supporting surface of the transport deck. The transport deck is displaced longitudinally alongside a rack of the array frame, together with a lifting machine having a lifting head on a lifting arm for transferring solar panels from a longitudinal row of stacked solar panels on the transport deck to the array frame. The lifting head may be adapted to support one panel from each of the stacks on the transport deck for simultaneous transfer from the transport deck to the array frame.

Solar panels are prepared for installation on an array frame by initially tipping packages of palletized, bundled, vertically-oriented panels in a preparation area to form a vertical stack of horizontally oriented panel separated from the pallet and packaging material for placement on the upper supporting surface of the transport deck. The transport deck is displaced longitudinally alongside a rack of the array frame, together with a lifting machine having a lifting head on a lifting arm for transferring solar panels from a longitudinal row of stacked solar panels on the transport deck to the array frame. The lifting head may be adapted to support one panel from each of the stacks on the transport deck for simultaneous transfer from the transport deck to the array frame.

A material lifter comprising a vacuum pump, a frame containing the vacuum pump, an arm located on each of two opposing sides of the frame, each arm including an upper end pivotally connected to the frame, a cylinder located on each of the two opposing sides of the frame including an end connected to the frame and an end connected to a respective arm, a vacuum pad located on each of the two opposing sides of the frame and removably connected to a respective arm, the vacuum pads being moveable along the arm to a first location and a first orientation and a second different location and a second different orientation, wherein as the cylinders extend and retract the arms pivot toward and away from one another between a first position and a second different position and the vacuum pads remain in a same orientation during the pivot.

A pipe laying device (T) connected to the jib (F) of a transport machine and carrying the pipe to be laid (T) to tight-fit it into a laid pipe (To). This coupling head (1) comprises a vertical axis (YY) swiveling link (11) and a horizontal axis (Z) tilting link (12). It comprises a guide rail (2) with a bearing (21) for positioning and attachment to the end of the laid pipe (To) and aligning the pipe to be laid (T) with the laid pipe (To) and a carrier (3) forming a telescopic tube (30) tight-fitted to the guide rail (2) and operating in relation to it; the carrier (3) carries the pipe to be laid (T) and tight-fitted to the laid pipe (To). The guide rail (2) is connected to the coupling head (1) through the telescopic tube (30).

The invention relates to a device (1) for controlling the function of a vacuum lifting device, the device (1) having an in particular neck-shaped distributor block (2) with a first port (3) and a second port (4), a first flow duct (6) being formed in the distributor block (2) via which duct the first port (3) can be fluidically-connected to the second port (4) as required with the aid of a first valve means (12), a second flow duct (7) being formed in the distributor block (2) via which duct the first port (3) can be fluidically-connected to the external atmosphere (50) as required with the aid of a second valve means (13), and a third flow duct (8) being formed in the