GRIPPING DEVICE FOR MANIPULATING FLEXIBLE ELEMENTS

The invention relates to a gripping device for manipulating flexible elements, coupleable to a robot arm as an end effector, comprising a main rack (14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25) and a plurality of gripping elements (1- 9) coupled in the main rack by means of respective operating mechanisms (1a-1f; 2a-2e; 3a-3f; 4a-4g; 5a-5d; 6a-6g; 7a-7f; 8a-8e; 9a-9f) for gripping a flexible element (10), characterized in that it comprises at least four gripping elements (1-9) for gripping the flexible element (10); at least one gripping element (5) is a multiposition gripping element independently displaceable with respect to the other gripping elements (1-4, 6-9) in at least one direction parallel to the plane defined by the other gripping elements (1-4, 6-9) by means of a displacement system (16, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 45) assembled in the main rack (14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25) and in a perpendicular direction (Z) to said plane by means of a vertical operating mechanism (5b); at least two of the other gripping elements (1-4, 6-9) defining the aforementioned plane are independently displaceable in any direction (X, Y) within said plane by means of respective two-way additional displacement systems assembled in the main rack (14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25); the gripping elements (1-9) are automatically adjustable in their respective positions such that they are arranged in one and the same plane for capturing the flexible element (10) in a flat two-dimensional configuration and, once the flexible element (10) is captured, moving to generate a three-dimensional configuration in the flexible element (10) without generating stretching forces on the flexible element (10).