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38. A device for handling a workpiece during a shaping process, in particular a forging process, comprising:
a) at least one gripping mechanism having at least two gripping elements that can move relative to one another for grasping a workpiece;
b) at least one conveying device for conveying one of:
i) the at least one gripping mechanism; or
ii) at least one support apparatus to which the at least one gripping mechanism is attached; and
c) at least one rotary drive for performing at least one of:
i) rotating the at least one gripping mechanism about a rotational axis that extends through the at least one gripping mechanism; and
ii) rotating at least one of the at least two gripping elements about a rotational axis that extends through the at least one of the at least two gripping elements;
wherein the at least one conveying device and the at least one gripping mechanism are connected to one another in a flexible manner in a flexible state while being connected to one another in a rigid manner:
i) in at least one direction in space; or
ii) in each rotational position of the at least one gripping mechanism.
39. A handling device as recited in claim 38, wherein the at least one gripping mechanism or the at least one support apparatus are connected to one another by at least one connecting element, the at least one connecting element being flexible in the flexible state and rigid in the rigid state.
40. A handling device as recited in claim 39, wherein the at least one connecting element is or may be adjusted in a flexible or rigid manner by hydraulic impingement at various internal pressures.
41. A handling device as recited in claim 38, wherein the at least one gripping mechanism or the at least one support apparatus are connected to the at least one conveying device by at least one flexible element, such that:
i) the flexible element connects the at least one gripping mechanism or the at least one support apparatus to the at least one conveying device in the flexible state; and
ii) at least one support device that bridges the at least one flexible element supports the at least one gripping mechanism or the at least one support apparatus on or against the at least one conveying mechanism.
42. A handling device as recited in claim 41, wherein at least one rotary drive for rotating the at least one gripping mechanism is situated on the side of the at least one connecting element or at least one flexible element facing away from one or both of the at least one gripping mechanism or the at least one support apparatus.
43. A handling device as recited in claim 42, wherein the at least one connecting element or the at least one flexible element transmits the torque of the at least one rotary drive for rotating the at least one gripping mechanism.
44. A handling device as recited in claim 42, wherein the at least one rotary drive for rotating the at least one gripping mechanism is situated between the at least one flexible element or at least one connecting element and the at least one conveying device.
45. A handling device as recited in claim 41, wherein the at least one rotary drive for rotating the at least one gripping mechanism is situated on the side of the at least one flexible element or at least one connecting element facing away from the at least one conveying device.
46. A handling device as recited in claim 38, wherein at least one rotary drive comprises at least one electric drive motor, in particular a servomotor.
47. A handling device as recited in claim 46, wherein a drive shaft of the at least one electric drive motor is connected in a rotationally fixed manner by means of a flange to the at least one flexible element or at least one connecting element.
48. A handling device according to one claim 38, wherein the at least one rotary drive comprises a hydraulic drive or at least one pneumatic drive.
49. A handling device as recited in claim 41, wherein the at least one support apparatus rotates along with the at least one gripping mechanism when the the at least one gripping mechanism rotates.
50. A handling device as recited in claim 41, wherein the at least one gripping mechanism andor the at least one support apparatus in the supported state are supported by a support bearing of the at least one support device.
51. A handling device as recited in claim 50, wherein the support bearing for the at least one support device forms a rotary bearing for the at least one gripping mechanism or the at least one support apparatus, in which the at least one gripping mechanism or the at least one support apparatus rotate or are rotatable when the at least one gripping mechanism rotates.
52. A handling device as recited in claim 50, wherein the support bearing has an essentially cylindrical inner surface, and the at least one gripping mechanism or support apparatus have a cylindrical outer surface.
53. A handling device as recited in claim 41, wherein the at least one support apparatus has a support shaft that can be supported in the support device.
54. A handling device as recited in claim 42, wherein the at least one gripping mechanism has an actuating device for moving the at least two gripping elements with respect to one another.
55. A handling device as recited in claim 54, wherein the at least one support apparatus has a carrier part in which the actuating device is mounted.
56. A handling device as recited in claim 55, wherein the carrier part of the at least one support apparatus is situated between the support shaft and the at least one flexible element or at least one connecting element.
57. A handling device according to claim 54, wherein the at least one gripping mechanism has at least two gripping levers that can be swiveled with respect to one another in a swivel bearing, such that each gripping lever supports at least one of the at least two gripping elements
58. A handling device as recited in claim 57, wherein one of the at least two gripping levers is directly connected to the at least one support apparatus, and the other of the at least two gripping levers is coupled to the actuating device, such that the other of the at least two gripping levers is able to swivel with respect to the first gripping lever in the swivel bearing.
59. A handling device as recited in claim 41, wherein the at least one support device is attached to the at least one conveying device.
60. A handling device as recited in claim 41, wherein the support device is attached to a drive housing of the at least one rotary drive.
61. A handling device as recited in claim 38, having at least one rotary drive for rotating the at least two gripping elements of the at least one gripping mechanism about a rotational axis of one or more components of the handling device.
62. A handling device as recited in claim 38, wherein at least one of the at least two gripping elements of the at least one gripping mechanism is rotatably mounted in an rotary bearing of the gripping mechanism about a rotational axis of the rotary bearing.
63. A handling device as recited in claim 62, wherein the at least one gripping mechanism or the at least two gripping elements rotate in a predetermined angular range.
64. A handling device as recited in claim 63, wherein the predetermined angular range is from at least 90\xb0 to at least 360\xb0.
65. A handling device as recited in claim 62, wherein the at least one gripping mechanism or the at least two gripping elements rotates at least one or more complete revolutions about an axis of rotation.
66. A handling device as recited in claim 65, wherein one or a plurality of rotational positions can be established for rotation of one or both of the at least one gripping mechanism or the two or more gripping elements, such that the rotary drive can be regulated in one or more of small steps or of continuous motion.
67. A handling device as recited in claim 49, further comprising at least one locking device, which in the rigid state interlocks the at least one support device with the at least one gripping mechanism, at least one support apparatus, or at least one conveying device, but does not interlock with the at least one support device with the at least one gripping mechanism, at least one support apparatus, or at least one conveying device in the flexible state.
68. A handling device as recited in claim 67, wherein the locking device is provided on the support bearing for the at least one support device, and surrounds or encloses the at least one gripping mechanism or the at least one support apparatus, thereby preventing the gripping mechanism from falling out of the support bearing in any rotational position.
69. A method for shaping a workpiece in a shaping machine, wherein the workpiece is handled by at least one handling device, the method comprising:
e) providing at least one gripping mechanism having at least two gripping elements that can move relative to one another for grasping the workpiece;
f) providing at least one conveying device for conveying the at least one gripping mechanism or at least one support apparatus to which the at least one gripping mechanism is attached;
g) providing at least one rotary drive for at least one of:
i) rotating the at least one gripping mechanism about a rotational axis that extends through the at least one gripping mechanism;
ii) rotating at least one of the at least two gripping elements about a rotational axis that extends through the at least one of the at least two gripping elements; and
h) connecting the at least one conveying device and the at least one gripping mechanism, or the at least one support apparatus to which the at least one gripping mechanism is attached to one another in a flexible manner in a flexible state while being positioning or connecting to one another in:
i) a rigid manner at least in one three-dimensional direction; or
ii) each rotational position of the at least one gripping mechanism or the at least two gripping elements in a rigid state.
70. A method as recited in claim 69, further comprising:
a) providing a workpiece;
b) grasping the workpiece;
c) conveying the workpiece to a shaping machine;
d) bringing the workpiece into a predetermined shaping position; and
e) shaping the workpiece in at least one shaping step in the shaping machine;
wherein the workpiece is rotated or swiveled, before by the handling device by rotating one or both of the at least one gripping mechanism or at least one gripping elements of the handling device.
71. A method as recited in claim 70, wherein the workpiece is shaped in a forging hammer or a screw press as the shaping machine.
72. A method as recited in claim 71, wherein the workpiece is rotated by a swivel angle in a predetermined angular range of between at least 90\xb0 and at least 360\xb0.
73. A method according to one of claim 72, wherein, during the shaping of the workpiece, the workpiece is held by at least one handling device.
74. A method as recited in claim 73, wherein the shaped workpiece is conveyed by the at least one handling device to a workpiece deposit station.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A system for separating a material from a fluid, the system comprising:
a. a housing including an inlet conduit for delivering the fluid to the both and an outlet conduit for transferring the fluid out of the housing; and
b. a spiral wound film element removably retainable in the housing, wherein the film element is selected to capture the material thereto.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the film element includes a first web that removably retains the material thereto and a second web that does not retain the material but establishes a passageway for the fluid to pass through the film element.
3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first plate and a second plate, wherein the first plate and the second plate are arranged to retain the film element in the housing.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first plate and the second plate are porous and permit bulk flow of the fluid therethrough while preventing telescoping of the spiral wound film media due to mechanical forces induced by hydraulic flow along the film element’s axis.
5. A system for separating a material from a fluid, the system comprising:
a. a first inlet conduit for transferring the fluid;
b. a first housing coupled to the first inlet conduit for receiving the fluid;
c. a first spiral wound film element retainable in the first housing;
d. a first outlet conduit coupled to the first housing;
e. a second inlet conduit coupled to the first outlet conduit for receiving the fluid from the first housing;
f. a second housing coupled to the second inlet conduit;
g. a second spiral wound film retainable in the second housing; and
h. a second outlet conduit for transferring the fluid out of the second housing.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the each of the first film element and the second film element includes a first web that removably retains the material thereto and a second web that does not retain the material but establishes a passageway for the fluid to pass through the film.
7. The system of claim 5, further comprising for each film element a first plate and a second plate, wherein the first plate and the second plate are arranged to retain and maintain the spiral webs within the spiral film element.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first plate and the second plate are porous.
9. The system of claim 5, further comprising a first housing regeneration system fluidly connected to the first housing configured to release the material from the first film.
10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a second housing regeneration system fluidly connected to the second housing configured to release the material from the second film.
11. The system of claim 5, further comprising a first bypass fluidly connected to the first housing for diverting the fluid from the first inlet conduit directly to the second inlet conduit.
12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a second bypass fluidly connected to the second housing for diverting the fluid from the first outlet conduit directly to the second outlet conduit.
13. A system for separating a material from a fluid, the system comprising:
a. a first inlet conduit for transferring the fluid;
b. a first housing set coupled to the first inlet conduit for receiving the fluid, wherein the first housing set includes one or more housings;
c. a first spiral wound film retainable in one or more of the one or more housings;
d. a first outlet conduit coupled to the first housing set;
e. a second inlet conduit coupled to the first outlet conduit for receiving the fluid from the first housing set;
f. a second housing set coupled to the second inlet conduit, wherein the second housing set includes one or more housings;
g. a second spiral wound film retainable in one or more of the one or more housings of the second housing set; and
h. a second outlet conduit for transferring the fluid out of the second housing set.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein the each of the first film and the second film includes a first web that removably retains the material thereto and a second web that does not retain the material but establishes a passageway for the fluid to pass through the film.
15. The system of claim 13 further comprising for each housing including the film a first plate and a second plate, wherein the first plate and the second plate are arranged to retain the film in the housing.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first plate and the second plate are porous.
17. The system of claim 13, further comprising a first housing set regeneration system fluidly connected to the first housing set configured to release the material from the film of the one or more housings of the first housing set.
18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a second housing set regeneration system fluidly connected to the second housing set configured to release the material from the film of the one or more housings of the second housing set.
19. The system of claim 13, further comprising a first bypass fluidly connected to the first housing set for diverting the fluid from the first inlet conduit directly to the second inlet conduit.
20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a second bypass fluidly connected to the second housing set for diverting the fluid from the first outlet conduit directly to the second outlet conduit.
21. The system of claim 13, further comprising a set of parallel housings containing separation film elements of a common chemistry followed by a second set of parallel housings containing separation film elements with a common, but differing chemistry so as to effect the sequential removal of two or more target components form the feed solution.
22. The system of claim 13, further comprising a set of parallel housings containing separation film elements of a common chemistry followed by a second set of parallel housings containing separation film elements with a common, but differing chemistry so as to effect the sequential recovery of two target components, wherein one of the two target components is separated from the fluid in the first set of parallel housings and a second one of the two target components is separated from the fluid in the second set of parallel housings.
23. The system of claim 2, wherein the spiral film element includes a non-permeable center tube that allows the ends of the web to be attached.
24. The system of claim 1, wherein the film element is wrapped with a permeable, semi-permeable, or non-permeable material that encapsulates multiple webs, end caps, and center tube to ensure mechanical integrity of the film element.
25. The system of claim 2, wherein the film element includes multiple webs of similar performance as the first web and multiple webs of similar performance as the second web.
26. The system of claim 4, wherein the film element includes chromatographic film and fluid passage webs.
27. The system of claim 3, wherein the housing includes a plurality of film elements, the system comprising secondary plates between each of the plurality of film elements.
28. The system of claim 1, further comprising a seal located between the film element and an interior housing wall of the housing that substantially prevents fluid passing through the housing from bypassing the film element.
29. The system of claim 1, further comprising a permeablesemi-permeable material between the film element and an interior housing wall of the housing which aids in the mechanical integrity of the film element and substantially prevents fluid passing through the housing from bypassing the film element.