A sucker includes: a main body having a bottom face formed with an annular abutment; a disc body made of a flexible material having a tapered annular wall, the disc body being disposed under the bottom face of the main body, an outer circumference of the annular wall being formed with a lip edge positioned below the annular contact area; an air chamber being formed in the disc body; an air-sucking passage and a fast flow way; the air-sucking passage having a first end in communication with the air chamber of the disc body and a second end passing through the disc body and the main body to communicate with the fast flow way. When the sucker sucks a surface of an object, the air in the air-sucking passage is sucked into the fast flow way.

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 suction-type hand according to the present invention includes a base part, a plurality of linear drive devices successively arranged in the base part, a plurality of link parts, which are each connected to the corresponding one of movable parts of the linear drive devices and which are moved closer to or moved away from the base part in response to the movement of the movable parts, a plurality of joint parts for connecting the plurality of link parts in series, and rotatably supporting the link parts, and a plurality of suction parts for drawing and holding a workpiece, which are each supported by the corresponding one of the plurality of link parts.

A truck-mounted vacuum material handler and quick disconnect for use on a truck with a with a boom for handling plate steel. The handler includes a coupler [32] that has a boom connector [44], a removable carrier [36, 38] with a carrier connector [60], and a base [34] located between the boom connector and the removable carrier. A locking mechanism [66] located in the base is arranged to move between an unlocked position and a locked position relative to the carrier connector. In the unlocked position the carrier connector is removable from the base. In the locked position the carrier connector is secured in the opening and opposing face surfaces [48, 50, 62] of the base and removable carrier are mated to one another. The removable carrier may include a rotator-receiving recess [42] or a rigging hardware eyelet [40] arranged opposite the carrier connector.

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.

In one or more arrangements, a system for installation of photovoltaic panels is presented. In one or more arrangements, the system includes a suction head assembly and a lift assembly operably connected to a mobile platform. In one or more arrangements, the suction head assembly is configured to selectively connect with a photovoltaic panel held in a rack on the mobile platform. In one or more arrangements, the lift assembly is configured to facilitate movement of the suction head to facilitate movement and positioning of the photovoltaic panels from the rack to a position for installation.

Lifting yoke for lifting a building element (2) used for building a rotor blade of a wind turbine, wherein the lifting yoke (1) comprises a main body (3) and at least one attachment device (6), wherein the main body (3) is arrangeable hanging on a hoisting means and wherein the attachment device (6) comprises at least one attachment means (7) attachable to a surface (11, 16) of a building element (2) to be lifted, wherein the attachment device (6) is pivotable with and without attached building element (2) at least between a first position and a second position, wherein the attachment means (7) is pointing downwards in the first position for attachment to a top side surface of a building element (2) and upwards in the second position for attachment to a bottom side surface of a building element (2).

Generally, a transportable lift system operable to capture and raise materials from a first height to a second height. Specifically, a lift having first and second length adjustable supports having second ends pivotally coupled to allow opposite first ends to be secured to a surface a distance apart to allow a line pay-out device coupled to the first length adjustable support to pay out a line proximate the first length adjustable support second end, whereby materials attached to the line can be raised from a first height to a second height.

Generally, a transportable lift system operable to capture and raise materials from a first height to a second height. Specifically, a lift having first and second length adjustable supports having second ends pivotally coupled to allow opposite first ends to be secured to a surface a distance apart to allow a line pay-out device coupled to the first length adjustable support to pay out a line proximate the first length adjustable support second end, whereby materials attached to the line can be raised from a first height to a second height.

A precast structure handling system includes at least two vertically parallel members having top ends and bottom ends. The top ends are mechanically coupled with a longitudinal rail at a bottom of a horizontal member. The precast structure handling system further includes at least two adjustable gripper units coupled with opposite bottom ends of the at least two vertically parallel members. Each adjustable gripper unit includes a suction pad configured for coupling with a surface of a precast structure based on a pressure difference generated by a vacuum system. The precast structure handling system further includes a control system that controls a plurality of systems to handle the precast structure based on a plurality of settings in alignment with properties of the precast structure.