Gripper for handling heavy products and specifically horizontal-axis coils

Claim 1

Handling gripper for rigid products such as coils having a horizontal axis, comprising a framework formed by a rigid hollow casing of a double T-shaped form, a fastening attachment to a lifting hook, a vertical suspension pivot carried by said fastening attachment and passing through a ball thrust bearing carried by said rigid hollow casing, horizontally telescopic arms housed in said hollow casing having two elements telescopic relative one to the other and relative to said hollow casing, vertical telescopic grasping arms suspended from the ends of said horizontally telescopic arms, a vertical hydraulic ram housed in each said vertical telescopic grasping arm, an oil accumulator receiving compressed oil from said vertical hydraulic ram, each said vertical arm having parts movable relative to each other when a load is lifted by said gripper, said relatively movable parts actuating said rams to send oil to said accumulator so as to recover a part of the potential energy of the handled load, a reserve tank containing oil under pressure, a horizontal hydraulic ram acting between said framework and one of said horizontally telescopic arms, means for supplying compressed oil from said accumulator to said horizontal hydraulic ram for actuating said horizontally telescopic arms, a rotating ram and means for supplying said rotating ram with compressed oil from said accumulator for rotating the gripper about said vertical suspension pivot.