ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 5 -- United States Patent no. 12,240,073, issued on March 4, was assigned to Stabilus Motion Controls GmbH (Langenfeld, Germany).
"Tool changer" was invented by James W. Geary (Pawcatuck, Conn.), Benjamin J. Jennings (Kent, Wash.) and Jeffery J. Mruzik (Livonia, Mich.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A tool changer 30 with a master half 32 and tool half 34. A securing mechanism has a clasp 70 and a cam 72. The clasps 70 move between a release position and a grasping position. In the grasping position, the master 32 and tool halves 34 are secured together with one another. The cam 72 moves the clasps 70 between the release and grasping positions. From a release position, t...