A universal gripper is disclosed for transferring totes and sub-totes, for example in an order fulfillment center. The universal gripper includes adjustable tines and pins capable of being positioned to engage within slots in the different configurations of totes and sub-totes.

An apparatus and method for lifting and collapsing a collapsible cargo container includes a frame, and vertical guides for aligning the actuator with the cargo container. First and second pusher assemblies engage the end walls of the container to pivot the end walls against the ceiling of the container, where uplocks retain the end walls in a stowed away position. Foldable side walls are then buckled by the weight of the ceiling with assistance from the actuator, until the side walls occupy a predominantly horizontal position between the ceiling/end wall combination and a floor of the cargo container, resulting in a compact configuration. The actuator unfolds the container using steps discussed above in a reverse order.

A spreader for lifting an intermodal transport container includes a main beam extending in a longitudinal direction, the main beam formed of a first, upper C-beam of a relatively thicker material thickness and a second, lower C-beam of a relatively thinner material thickness; and an indicator configured to provide an indication if a distance in a transversal direction between a pair of twist-locks is set in a wide-body position when lowered onto respective lifting castings provided with top openings separated by a transversal distance corresponding to a standard position.

The present invention discloses a pressing and stretching structure and a clamping structure of a container spreader, and belongs to the technical field of crane accessories. The pressing and stretching structure comprises a telescopic rod, a rotating mechanism and a guiding cylinder which is arranged vertically; a radially telescopic pin is arranged in the guiding cylinder and stoppers are arranged at a lower end; a first annular lug boss and a second annular lug boss are arranged at an interval from top to bottom on an outer wall of the telescopic rod; a sliding bush is sleeved between the first lug boss and the second lug boss; and the rotating mechanism is used for making the telescopic rod and the guiding cylinder to move relatively so that the limiting rod on the telescopic rod reaches the positions of the lower end surface and the upper end surface of the stoppers.

A gripper for latching to a storage container is disclosed which includes: a gripper housing; a pair of gripper arms held in the gripper housing, wherein the gripper arms have cooperating shapes; and a movable rotatable actuator held in a channel between the pair of gripper arms for moving the gripper arms between closed and open positions. A load handling device for lifting and moving storage containers can include one or more grippers. A method of using a gripper, and a grid-based storage and retrieval system which can include at least one load handling device containing one or more grippers are also disclosed.

A method for transferring a container configured to hold at least one article used in semiconductor fabrication is provided. The method includes moving a transferring mechanism to a first position that is adjacent to the original space; producing an image of an edge of the container that is adjacent to the original space using an optical receiver before the container is moved to a destination space; and performing an image analysis of the image to determine whether to move the container to the destination space.

A lifting assistance apparatus includes a vertically-suspended lift control device configured to selectively linearly retract, linearly extend, or hold a retractable load-bearing feature, a lifting attachment attached to the retractable load-bearing feature, where the lifting attachment includes an angled portion having two horizontally opposed lifting arms connected via a member and configured to fit to a container with a protrusion, such that the two lifting arms when positioned directly below the protrusion are configured to selectively contact and lift the container as the lifting attachment is at least partially lifted by a retraction of the load-bearing feature, and a graspable portion configured to permit a user to select a horizontal position and height of the container using the control device by moving the container vertically and/or horizontally, where the control device operates to provide assistance to the user when moving the container in the vertical direction.

The present invention provides a lid (400) for an open container (100, 13.10), a lid lifting system (13.100), a tippler (13.200) with the improved lid lifting system (13.100) and a method of lifting a container. The lid and lifting arrangement includes an apertured receiving formation (401) on an upper side of a lid (100) to receive a lift member (13.40). The lift member (13.40) can do one or more than one of the following: engaging the formation (401) will unlock a locking mechanism (13.42,458) holding the lid (400) to a container (100); or allow the lift member (13.40) to be rotated to thereby unlock the locking mechanism (13.42, 458) which locks the lid (400) to the container (100), while simultaneously locking the lift member (13.40, 458) to the lid (400). A lifting device which is able to perform such actions is also disclosed, and a method to operate the lifting device.

A device for installing and handling a module of a subsea processing station, comprises a frame, and a hydraulic system comprising hydraulic cylinders each comprising a cylinder body, and a piston intended to be put into contact with a foot and movable inside the cylinder body between a first mechanical abutment corresponding to a deployed position of the piston and a second mechanical abutment corresponding to a retracted position of the piston. The piston divides the internal volume of the cylinder body into a first chamber and a second chamber. The first chamber is supplied with hydraulic fluid by two independent hydraulic circuits comprising a shock-absorbing circuit able to move the piston between the deployed and intermediate positions located between the deployed position and the retracted position defined by a hydraulic abutment, and a controlled-lowering circuit able to move the piston between the intermediate position and its retracted position.

An adaptor including a pair of lifting beams for lifting two or more shipping containers in a side by side configuration, each container having corner fittings provided with lifting/fastening sockets. Each lifting beam is designed to extend across one end of the top of the containers to be lifted and has pairs of connectors designed to connect to the lifting sockets provided in the tops of the containers. Each lifting beam, or connecting beams extending between the lifting beams, have sockets for detachable connection with an associated crane or lifting machine to lift the adaptor and containers. Each lifting beam is also a continuous extendable component having first and second portions which are movable relative to each other.