A construction equipment accessory can include a construction equipment attachment portion, which can include a mechanical interface, a hydraulic interface, and a center section coupled to the mechanical interface, first and second support arms pivotably coupled to the construction equipment attachment portion's center section, and first and second finger grapples. The first and second finger grapples can each include two or more opposing fingers and can be hydraulically movable between open and closed positions. By attaching the construction equipment accessory to construction equipment with the construction equipment attachment portion, an operator can move elongate objects such as pipes, poles, and erosion control products.

A workpiece gripping device includes a base body and a pair of finger units configured to grip a workpiece. A first finger unit of the pair of finger units includes a scoop member configured to reciprocate in the direction of the arrow Z relative to the base body and rotate on a plane perpendicular to the direction of the arrow Z. A second finger unit of the pair of finger units includes a pressing member configured to reciprocate in the direction of the arrow X and rotate on a plane perpendicular to the direction of the arrow Z.

An apparatus for cutting involves a support configured to stably support the apparatus on a surface, an articulated boom rotatably mounted on the support proximate a first end of the boom, and a hydraulically operated end effector mounted on the boom proximate a second end of the boom. The end effector has a cutter configured to cut an object, and preferably also has an immobilizer (e.g. a gripper) configured to immobilize the object while being cut by the cutter. The end effector has a swivel between the cutter (and/or immobilizer) and the boom, the swivel rotatable continuously through 360 to rotate the cutter (and/or immobilizer) continuously through 360. The swivel has an internal fluid conduit through which hydraulic fluid may be transported from a hydraulic fluid reservoir to the cutter to hydraulically operate the cutter.

A universal gripper includes a set of pivoting fingers on pins mounted uniformly around a fixed ring. The fingers attached by springs to a movable ring are able to rotate inward, toward the center, until they meet an object and stop. Multiple universal grippers could be stacked to allow for different contours throughout objects and facilitate the pivoting fingers conforming and wrapping around a centerline of the objects. Once the universal gripper fingers are in contact with the surface of the object, they stop moving and springs attached to the fingers elongate as the movable ring continues to move over its full range of motion. An alignment tool can be used for staging and acquiring objects in a repeatable and consistent manner.

A universal gripper includes a set of pivoting fingers on pins mounted uniformly around a fixed ring. The fingers attached by springs to a movable ring are able to rotate inward, toward the center, until they meet an object and stop. Multiple universal grippers could be stacked to allow for different contours throughout objects and facilitate the pivoting fingers conforming and wrapping around a centerline of the objects. Once the universal gripper fingers are in contact with the surface of the object, they stop moving and springs attached to the fingers elongate as the movable ring continues to move over its full range of motion. An alignment tool can be used for staging and acquiring objects in a repeatable and consistent manner.

An end-effector may include a base, a plurality of underactuated fingers coupled to the base; and an adhesion gripper coupled to the base. An end-effector may include a base, an actuator, a first underactuated finger comprising a proximal link and a distal link, the proximal link including a distal end, a guide for a first tendon spaced a first distance away from the distal end of the proximal link and the distal link including a lever arm disposed on a proximal side to the distal pad and which extends in a volar direction from a first axis, and a node disposed on the lever arm sized and shaped to receive a first tendon. The end-effector may include a first revolute joint compliant in a first direction disposed between the base and the proximal link; and a second revolute joint compliant in the first direction disposed between the proximal link and the distal link.

A robotic tire mounter for mounting a tire to a wheel is disclosed. The robotic tire mounted comprises a robotic arm and a gripping unit. The gripping unit further comprises a plurality of gripping fingers that are selectively moveable between a releasing position and a gripping position. When in the gripping fingers are in the releasing position, the gripping fingers are positioned adjacent one another adjacent a center of the gripping unit. A method of mounting a tire to a wheel using a robotic tire mounter is also disclosed.

The present invention relates to an elastic corrugated pipe single-acting cylinder-driven mechanical gripper with a series-connection loose-leaf hinge framework. The mechanical gripper consists of a palm and two flexible fingers or a palm and three flexible fingers. The flexible fingers are identical in structure, and each one of the flexible fingers consists of an elastic corrugated pipe single-acting cylinder and a series-connection loose-leaf hinge. Each one of the series-connection loose-leaf hinges has a hinge mandrel equipped with a torsion spring, and the characteristic parameters and pre-tightening angle of the torsion spring are optimally designed according to the features of a grasped object. The mechanical gripper is driven by the elastic corrugated pipe single-acting cylinder to generate a grasping force. The mechanical gripper applies to the grasping of fragile brittle objects, or grasping of objects with varying shapes and dimensions.

A compliant adaptive robot grasper comprises a multi-bar finger linkage, including a fingertip link, at least one base link, and front and rear links joining the base link via a first set of joints with the fingertip links via a second set of joints. The base link includes a mounting structure, allowing it to be mounted on a mounting block for rotary actuation. Linear connections between the joints form a shape substantially in the form of a parallelogram allowing the linear connections across the front and rear links to remain substantially parallel to one another as the front and rear links pivot about the base link without substantially changing the orientation of the fingertip link until and unless the multi-bar finger linkage contacts an external object.

The automated gripping tool enables a user to move a food product from a first position to a second position while maintaining the integrity and appearance of the food product. The gripper tool makes use of flexible bands on a pair of gripping arms. The flexible bands are positioned to sandwich a food product between them with sufficient force to allow the food product to be repositioned and without damaging the integrity and appearance of the food product.