Cylinder gripping apparatus

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Turning now to the drawings in FIG.
20, there is depicted a side view of a portion of a cylinder gripping apparatus 200.
The cylinder gripping apparatus 200 comprises a body 201, a jaw 202 and an interfacing assembly 203.
The body 201 is only partially shown in FIG.
20.
As best shown in FIG.
21, the jaw 202 has a friction surface 204 adapted for gripping a cylinder 205.
The friction surface 204 may comprises serrations, teeth, a smooth friction surface, or other conventional friction surfaces.
With reference to FIG.
20, the interfacing assembly 203 may comprise floating force translation lugs 206.
The interfacing assembly also comprises a resilient member, elastic member or spring 207.
The elastic member 207 is connected to the jaw 202 at a first spring anchor point 208.
The elastic member 207 is connected to the body 201 at a second spring anchor point 209.
The floating force translation lugs 206 are floating in the sense that the lugs 206 are unconnected to either the body 201 or the jaw 202.
The lugs 206 fit into first bearing grooves or sockets 210 formed in the jaw 202.
The other end of the lugs 206 fit into second bearing grooves or sockets 211.
As shown in FIG.
21, the lug 206 has a first arcuate end or curved end 212 and a second arcuate or curved end 213.
The first arcuate end 212 is adapted to fit into the first bearing groove 210.
Similarly, the second arcuate end 213 is adapted to fit into the second bearing groove 211.
As best shown in the side view depicted in FIG.
20, the forced translation lugs 206 are angularly disposed between the body 201 and the jaw 202.
The first bearing groove 210 has a first arcuate or curved bearing surface 214 which tapers to a sloped forward surface 215.
The sloped forward surface 215 allows the lug 206 to rotate in a first sense inside the first bearing groove 210.
In FIG.
20, the first sense of rotation is clockwise with respect to the jaw 202.
Similarly, the second bearing groove 211 comprises a second arcuate or curved bearing surface 216 which tapers to a sloped or planar rearward surface 217