SYSTEM, APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR MANIPULATING A GROUND COVER ATTACHMENT PIN
First Claim
1. A power tool useful for securing an attachment pin into and out of locking engagement with at least first and second ground covers, the attachment pin extending at least partially through aligned holes in the first and second ground covers and including at least first and second portions, the second portion of the attachment pin being selectively rotatable relative to the first portion between at least one locked position and at least one unlocked position relative to the ground covers to lock and unlock the attachment pin from the ground covers, respectively, the power tool comprising:
- a carrier having an upper end and a lower end and being selectively positionable over the attachment pin and ground covers;
at least one gripper carried by the carrier and positioned proximate to the lower end of the carrier, at least one of the grippers being selectively moveable relative to the carrier between at least one engaged position and at least one disengaged position, the gripper(s) in at least one engaged position(s) gripping at least the first portion of the attachment pin and the gripper(s) in the disengaged position(s) not gripping the attachment pin;
at least one rotator carried by the carrier and positioned proximate to the lower end of the carrier, engageable with the second portion of the attachment pin and selectively rotatable relative to the carrier, the gripper(s), the first portion of the attachment pin and the ground covers to rotate the second portion of the attachment pin from at least one unlocked position to at least one locked position relative to the ground covers to releasably couple the ground covers together and from at least one locked position to at least one unlocked position relative to the ground covers to unlock the attachment pin from the ground covers; and
at least one power-driven actuator associated with the carrier and operatively coupled to the at least one rotator to selectively rotate the at least one rotator.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A power tool for unlocking a releasable attachment pin from at least two ground covers includes at least one gripper carried by a carrier and selectively moveable relative to the carrier to grip a first portion of the attachment pin. At least one rotator also carried by the carrier is selectively rotatable relative to the first portion of the attachment pin to rotate a second portion of the attachment pin to unlock the attachment pin from the ground covers. A power-driven actuator associated with the carrier is operatively coupled to the rotator(s) and configured to selectively rotate the rotator(s).
5 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A power tool useful for securing an attachment pin into and out of locking engagement with at least first and second ground covers, the attachment pin extending at least partially through aligned holes in the first and second ground covers and including at least first and second portions, the second portion of the attachment pin being selectively rotatable relative to the first portion between at least one locked position and at least one unlocked position relative to the ground covers to lock and unlock the attachment pin from the ground covers, respectively, the power tool comprising:
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a carrier having an upper end and a lower end and being selectively positionable over the attachment pin and ground covers; at least one gripper carried by the carrier and positioned proximate to the lower end of the carrier, at least one of the grippers being selectively moveable relative to the carrier between at least one engaged position and at least one disengaged position, the gripper(s) in at least one engaged position(s) gripping at least the first portion of the attachment pin and the gripper(s) in the disengaged position(s) not gripping the attachment pin; at least one rotator carried by the carrier and positioned proximate to the lower end of the carrier, engageable with the second portion of the attachment pin and selectively rotatable relative to the carrier, the gripper(s), the first portion of the attachment pin and the ground covers to rotate the second portion of the attachment pin from at least one unlocked position to at least one locked position relative to the ground covers to releasably couple the ground covers together and from at least one locked position to at least one unlocked position relative to the ground covers to unlock the attachment pin from the ground covers; and at least one power-driven actuator associated with the carrier and operatively coupled to the at least one rotator to selectively rotate the at least one rotator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A power tool useful for unlocking a releasable attachment pin from at least first and second ground covers, the attachment pin extending at least partially through aligned holes in the first and second ground covers and including at least first and second portions, the second portion of the attachment pin being selectively rotatable relative to the first portion from at least one locked position to at least one unlocked position relative to the ground covers to unlock the attachment pin from the ground covers, the power tool comprising:
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a carrier having an upper end and a lower end and being selectively positionable over the attachment pin and ground covers; at least one gripper carried by the carrier and positioned proximate to the lower end of the carrier, at least one of the grippers being selectively moveable relative to the carrier between at least one engaged position and at least one disengaged position, the gripper(s) in at least one engaged position(s) gripping at least the first portion of the attachment pin and the gripper(s) in the disengaged position(s) not gripping the attachment pin; at least one rotator carried by the carrier and positioned proximate to the lower end of the carrier, the rotator(s) being distinct from the gripper(s), engageable with the second portion of the attachment pin and selectively rotatable relative to the carrier, the gripper(s), the first portion of the attachment pin and the ground covers to rotate the second portion of the attachment pin from at least one locked position to at least one unlocked position relative to the ground covers to unlock the attachment pin from the ground covers; and at least one power-driven actuator associated with the carrier and operatively coupled to the at least one rotator to selectively rotate the at least one rotator. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A power tool useful for securing an attachment pin into locking engagement with at least first and second ground covers, the attachment pin extending at least partially through aligned holes in the first and second ground covers and including at least first and second portions, the second portion of the attachment pin being selectively rotatable relative to the first portion from at least one unlocked position to at least one locked position relative to the ground covers to secure the attachment pin into locking engagement with the ground covers and thereby releasably couple the ground covers together, the power tool comprising:
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a carrier having an upper end and a lower end and being selectively positionable over the attachment pin; at least one rotator carried by the carrier and positioned proximate to the lower end of the carrier, the rotator(s) being engageable with the second portion of the attachment pin and selectively rotatable relative to the carrier, the first portion of the attachment pin and the first and second ground covers to rotate the second portion of the attachment pin from at least one unlocked position to at least one locked position relative to the ground covers and releasably couple the ground covers together; at least one gripper carried by the carrier and positioned proximate to the lower end of the carrier, at least one of the grippers being selectively moveable into engagement with at least the first portion of the attachment pin to retain the first portion of the attachment pin in a substantially fixed position relative to the second portion of the attachment pin during rotation of the second portion of the attachment pin by the at least one rotator; and at least one power-driven actuator associated with the carrier and operatively coupled to the at least one rotator to selectively rotate the at least one rotator. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A power tool useful for securing an attachment pin into and out of locking engagement with at least first and second ground covers and extracting the attachment pin from the ground covers, the attachment pin extending at least partially through aligned holes in the first and second ground covers and being selectively rotatable relative to the first and second ground covers between at least one locked position and at least one unlocked position to respectively couple and uncouple the ground covers together, the power tool comprising:
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a carrier having an upper end and a lower end and being selectively positionable over the attachment pin; at least one gripper carried by the carrier and positioned proximate to the lower end of the carrier, at least one of the grippers being selectively moveable into and out of gripping engagement with the attachment pin, rotatable relative to the first and second ground covers and moveable away from the first and second ground covers, whereby when the at least one gripper is in gripping engagement with the attachment pin, the at least one gripper is rotatable to rotate the attachment pin between locked and unlocked positions and when the at least one gripper is in gripping engagement with the attachment pin and the attachment pin is in an unlocked position, the at least one gripper is moveable axially away from the first and second ground covers to remove the attachment pin therefrom; and at least one power-driven actuator carried by the carrier and operatively coupled to at least one of the grippers to selectively rotate the at least one gripper relative to the first and second ground covers and selectively move the at least one gripper up and away from the first and second ground covers.
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Specification