Flexible drive member for pulling and pushing and fluid-operated moving apparatus

摘要

A flexible drive member for pushing and pulling an article includes a toothed belt section and ridge members which are arranged on the opposite surface of the toothed belt section along the length direction of the toothed belt section. The ridge members abut adjacent ones when the toothed belt section extends straight. The ridge members include respective hold portions which hold an elongated member, such as a hose and a wire. The abutment of adjacent ridge members enables transmission of pushing force. A fluid-operated device moving apparatus utilizes the flexible drive member which is arranged to have a T-shaped transverse cross-section corresponding to a T-shaped groove in which the flexible drive member can be guided. A fluid-operated device, such as a hydraulically operated clamping device, is coupled to one end of the flexible drive member. A drive unit including a toothed pulley in mesh with the teeth of the flexible drive member drives the flexible drive member and, hence, the clamping device along the T-shaped groove.