US 11,673,782 B2
Apparatus and method for lifting an elongated container
Wesley O'Shea, Cork (IE); Andrew Donnelly, Cork (IE); Padraig Cahalane, Cork (IE); and Cathal Owens, Cork (IE)
Assigned to Pilz GmbH & Co. KG, Ostfildern (DE)
Filed by PILZ GMBH & CO. KG, Ostfildern (DE)
Filed on Sep. 30, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/38,545.
Claims priority of application No. 19200594 (EP), filed on Sep. 30, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0107777 A1, Apr. 15, 2021
Int. Cl. B66F 9/18 (2006.01); B65D 8/00 (2006.01)
CPC B66F 9/187 (2013.01) [B66F 9/181 (2013.01); B65D 9/04 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for lifting an elongated container including a circular top surface, a circular bottom surface parallel to the top surface, and a convex outer surface that connects the top surface and the bottom surface, the elongated container defining a first direction perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the convex outer surface forming a bulge at a center portion of the elongated container along the first direction between the top surface and the bottom surface, an exterior dimension, in the second direction, of the convex outer surface at the bulge defining a width of the elongated container, the apparatus comprising:
a gripper configured to engage the elongated container and including a pneumatic vacuum gripper; and
a mount configured to couple the gripper to a lifting device,
wherein:
the gripper is configured to be actuated for a pick operation in which the gripper engages the elongated container and, by movement of the lifting device, lifts the elongated container,
throughout the pick operation, a maximum dimension of the gripper in the second direction is smaller than the width of the elongated container,
the mount includes:
a plate,
a tube coupled to the plate and parallel to the first direction,
a clamp coupled to the tube, and
a pipe including a first portion parallel to the first direction and a second portion parallel to the second direction,
the pneumatic vacuum gripper is coupled to the tube,
the second portion is coupled to the clamp, and
the first portion is coupled to the pneumatic vacuum gripper by a ball joint.