Davy-loewy Limited

Anthony E Middleton

Brian McQuillin

Trevor Hemingway

An installation for handling a workpiece, particularly a workpiece to be forged includes a manipulator and an overhead crane, the controls of the manipulator and the crane form part of an integrated system so that movement of the crane and the manipulator are controlled together when they are handling a workpiece. Apparatus is disclosed for ensuring that the crane and the manipulator remain in step.

Crane and manipulator integration

A manipulator comprises a carriage on which is mounted a peel having jaws for gripping a workpiece. The peel can move relative to the carriage longitudinally vertically and in tilt. Detectors give signals representing parameters on which the position of the peel depend and a circuit derives from those signals an indication of the position of the jaws, taking into account the angular attitude of the peel. The position indication can be used to control the peel jaws to a required position relative to the carriage.

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Rotherham, United Kingdom

Anthony E Middleton