ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 30 -- United States Patent no. 12,428,801, issued on Sept. 30, was assigned to Curtis Industries LLC (West Boylston, Mass.).
"Variable grip grapple" was invented by Steven D. Smith Jr. (Templeton, Mass.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a grapple assembly that includes a grapple unit having a fixed assembly, an articulating assembly having a pivot point located at a proximal end of the articulating assembly, pivotably coupling the articulating assembly to the fixed assembly, and an articulation connection point distal to the pivot point along the articulating assembly, and a linear actuator ha...