Sucker for plate glass

• US 5,184,858 A
• Filed: 09/17/1991
• Issued: 02/09/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TOYO Sangyo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: TOYO Sangyo Company Limited
• Inventors: Arai, Toshimitsu
• Primary Examiner(s): CHERRY, JOHNNY DAN
• Application Number:
  US07/761,245
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 294/64.1-64.3, 294/65, 294/907, 29/743, 116/67 R, 116/68, 116/70, 414/627, 414/737, 414/752, 901/40
• US Class Current: 294/185
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2249/045 Details of suction cups suction cups
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 49/061 Lifting, gripping, or carrying means, for one or more sheets forming independent means of transport, e.g. suction cups, transport frames suction means as load-engaging elements attached to the lifting or lowering gear of cranes B66C1/02; suction cups for attaching purposes F16B47/00; suction cups on gripping heads B25J15/0616; suction cups in general B65G47/91; suction cups combined with cutting means on vertical conveyors C03B33/00 - C03B33/10; devices for turning sheets B65G49/067; suspending devices B65G49/066
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/12 Alarms or signals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 294/907 Sensor controlled device

Abstract

A sucker for suctioning and lifting a sheet of plate glass has a sucker body defining a suction hole at a suction surface of the body. The sucker body carries a manual vacuum pump formed with a suction hole, a sensor for detecting the degree of vacuum and a sound generator. The sensor is provided in a suction channel connecting the suction hole at the suction surface of the sucker body with the suction hole in the vacuum pump. The sound generator is turned on when the sensor detects a predetermined degree of vacuum.

Claims

1. A sucker comprising:

a sucker body having a suction surface and defining a suction hole at said suction surface;

a pair of support plates disposed on said sucker body;

a manually operatable vacuum pump extending between said support plates, said vacuum pump defining a suction hole therein through which air is evacuated when the pump is manually operated;

a suction channel placing the suction hole of said vacuum pump in communication with the suction hole of said sucker body;

a sensor communicating with said suction channel, said sensor including a piston lever which moves in proportion to the degree of vacuum in said channel;

a switch operatively connected to said piston lever so as to be closed by said piston lever when the degree of vacuum sensed by said sensor reaches a predetermined value;

a power source; and

a sound generator in circuit with said power source via said switch, said sound generator generating sound when power is supplied thereto, and said sound generator being operatively electrically connected to said power source when said switch is closed so as to receive power therefrom and generate sound.

2. A sucker as claimed in claim 1, wherein said switch comprises two limit switches in circuit with said sound generator and said power source, said two limit switches having different working strokes.