The invention relates to a handling system comprising a tube lifter, having a lifting tube, an end effector and a valve device, a manipulator, and a coupling device for coupling the tube lifter to the manipulator, wherein the coupling device has a first coupling portion on the tube lifter side and a second coupling portion on the manipulator side, wherein the first coupling portion is mounted on the lifting tube so as to be axially displaceable along a control axis, wherein the first coupling portion interacts with the valve device in such a way that the valve device can be actuated by displacing the first coupling portion along the control axis.

Systems, methods, and vacuum chucks for transferring flexible elongate bodies are disclosed herein. The vacuum chucks include an elongate rigid support, a vertically oriented vacuum surface, a vacuum manifold, and a skirt seal. The systems include an elongate horizontal support structure, a transfer structure, a plurality of vertical linkages, which are operatively attached to the elongate horizontal support structure, and a plurality of vacuum chucks. Each of the plurality of vacuum chucks is operatively attached to a respective one of the plurality of vertical linkages. The methods include suspending an elongate horizontal support structure with a transfer structure, aligning each of a plurality of vacuum chucks with a respective portion of a vertical surface of a flexible elongate body, selectively actuating each of the plurality of vacuum chucks to retain the respective portion of the vertical surface of the flexible elongate body, and lifting the flexible elongate body.

A multi-port vacuum lifting attachment, with remote controlled release, including a dual port vacuum lifting attachment for use in the concrete and steel industries, the attachment includes flexible seals for each of its suction ports, that creates a tight vacuum seal on smooth steal, and also upon roughened surfaces such as concrete, allowing for the suction attachment of the device to these panels, to attain their lifting, transporting, and releasing, with the aid of the remote controlled release mechanism.

A vacuum lift attachment (10) for a hydraulic work machine, the hydraulic work machine including a control station, a lift arm to which the hydraulic work attachment can be coupled, an auxiliary hydraulic system for operating a coupled hydraulic work attachment and an auxiliary hydraulic actuator in the control station that upon actuation by an operator causes an auxiliary hydraulic control signal to generate. The vacuum lift attachment comprises a body (12) having an upper end (13) that is adapted to be coupled to the lift arm of the hydraulic work machine and for hydraulic fluid connection to the auxiliary hydraulic system of the hydraulic work machine, a vacuum pad (20) mounted to the lower end of the body (10), a hydraulic vacuum pump (34) fluidly connected to the auxiliary hydraulic system and an electronic controller (26) that is configured to receive an auxiliary hydraulic control signal and convert the auxiliary hydraulic control signal to an electronic signal for electronic control of the hydraulic vacuum pump (20) by an operator actuating the auxiliary hydraulic actuator in the control station.

An improved vacuum material handler having an onboard drive engine powering a vacuum pump and a hydraulic pump. The vacuum material handler also having a frame with integrated forklift lugs.

A vacuum lifting tube arrangement is disclosed comprising a lifting tool attached to a flexible lifting tube which is retractable from an extended state and extendible from a contracted state, respectively, and a controllable source of vacuum fluidly connected to an inner volume of the flexible lifting tube, and more particularly additionally comprising a locking mechanism preventing extension of the flexible vacuum lifting tube from a contracted state upon deactivation of the source of vacuum.

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 and method for moving objects such as drill, pipe with vacuum power. A vacuum beam (14) is mounted on a boom. A vacuum pad (12) is pivotally attached to the vacuum beam (14). A power device (18) is operatively connected to a vacuum pump (16) with a drive belt (32) for creating vacuum pressure. Vacuum pressure from the vacuum pad (12) is used to grasp and release the object, e.g., the drill pipe.

A vacuum gripper comprises a rigid base element and a loop-shaped vacuum seal element. The base element has first and second opposite sides. The seal element is attached at least indirectly to the second side and protruding therefrom in a direction away from the first side. The seal element comprises a contact surface that at least partially contacts with an object surface and an encircling surface oriented transversely to the contact surface so as to define a chamber. The seal element is elastically deformable at the contact surface to enable conforming to the object surface when pressed thereagainst. The vacuum gripper comprises an air extraction means mounted to the first side to be in fluid communication with the chamber through the base element, and configured to continuously extract air from the chamber to cause the contact surface to be urged towards and grip the object surface when pressed thereagainst.

A vacuum lifting tube arrangement is disclosed comprising a lifting tool attached to a flexible lifting tube which is retractable from an extended state and extendible from a contracted state, respectively, and a controllable source of vacuum fluidly connected to an inner volume of the flexible lifting tube, and more particularly additionally comprising a locking mechanism preventing extension of the flexible vacuum lifting tube from a contracted state upon deactivation of the source of vacuum.