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 suction device includes an adapter having in the interior thereof a supply passage to which a negative pressure fluid is supplied, a bellows connected to a distal end of the adapter, and a pad member disposed at a distal end of the bellows and to which a workpiece is attracted under suction. In addition, the suction device attracts the workpiece under suction by a negative pressure fluid which is supplied to the pad member through the supply passage and the bellows. An attachment which is capable of being tilted with respect to the axis of the bellows is provided in the interior of the bellows. In the attachment, a main body portion thereof is disposed in facing relation to a suction surface of a skirt, and a shaft portion is inserted into the supply passage at a time that the workpiece is attracted under suction.

The invention relates to an operating device for a tube lifter having a suction grip device arranged on one end of the lifting tube, the operating device having a suction port for fluid communication with the suction grip device, a lifting tube port for fluid communication with the tube interior of the lifting tube, and a valve means for controlling the fluid communications, the valve means comprising a blocking member, a ventilation valve and a control valve, the valve means being designed such that the control valve is adjustable independently of the position of the blocking member and the valve means being designed such that when the ventilation valve is shifted into the ventilation position the blocking member always closes off the flow path between the tube interior and the suction grip device. The invention also relates to a tube lifter comprising an operating device of this kind.

The invention relates to an operating device for a tube lifter having a suction grip device arranged on one end of the lifting tube, the operating device having a suction port for fluid communication with the suction grip device, a lifting tube port for fluid communication with the tube interior of the lifting tube, and a valve means for controlling the fluid communications, the valve means comprising a blocking member, a ventilation valve and a control valve, the valve means being designed such that the control valve is adjustable independently of the position of the blocking member and the valve means being designed such that when the ventilation valve is shifted into the ventilation position the blocking member always closes off the flow path between the tube interior and the suction grip device. The invention also relates to a tube lifter comprising an operating device of this kind.

The invention relates to a handling system comprising a tube lifter with a lifting tube which has a tube interior, and with an end effector, which is mounted on the lifting tube so as to be rotatable about an end effector axis of rotation, a manipulator for displacing the end effector, a coupling device for coupling the tube lifter to the manipulator, wherein the coupling device has a first tube lifter coupling portion and a second manipulator coupling portion, wherein the first and second coupling portions can be connected to one another by means of a connecting device, wherein the manipulator has a driven rotary element which is rotatable about a manipulator axis of rotation, wherein the coupling device comprises a gearbox which is designed to translate a rotary movement of the rotary element about the manipulator axis of rotation into a rotary movement of the end effector about the end effector axis of rotation in the connected state of the first and second coupling portions.

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.

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 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.