Moment connection component gripping apparatus

1. A gripping apparatus, comprising:

a rigid housing having a slot with an engagement axis;

a shaft having a rotational axis extending parallel to the engagement axis;

a tab member on a distal end of the shaft; and

a rotational actuator on a proximal end of the shaft, the rotational actuator including a handle;

wherein rotation of the handle, shaft and tab member together through ninety degrees around the rotational axis of the shaft causes the tab member to move between a first position preventing removal of an object from the slot, and second position allowing the object to be removed from the slot.

2. The gripping apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actuator includes a trigger configured for manual manipulation to transition the shaft between a rotatable mode and a fixed mode.

3. The gripping apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the trigger includes a rod that is spring biased into a hole in the housing.

4. The gripping apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a projection with an aperture for attaching a lifting apparatus.

5. The gripping apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the slot is defined by two spaced-apart jaw portions.

6. The gripping apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes an assembly of sheet metal pieces.

7. The gripping apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shaft is spring biased to rotate the tab member to the second position.

8. The gripping apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rotational actuator includes a rotation stop configured to limit a rotational range of the shaft.

9. A gripping apparatus, comprising:

a rigid housing having a slot configured for receiving a crosspiece of a full moment collar flange member along an engagement axis;

a shaft extending parallel to the engagement axis;

a tab member on a first end of the shaft;

a rotational actuator on a second end of the shaft, the rotational actuator being configured to rotate the shaft, causing the tab member to move between a hooked position and an unhooked position;

wherein, in the hooked position the tab member traps a received crosspiece between the tab member and the rigid housing.

10. The gripping apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the actuator includes a handle which rotates with the shaft.

11. The gripping apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the actuator includes a trigger connected to a rod that is spring biased into a hole in the housing.

12. The gripping apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the housing includes a projection with an aperture for attaching a lifting apparatus.

13. The gripping apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the housing includes two spaced-apart jaw portions configured to extend on opposite sides of a bridging component of a full moment collar flange assembly when a flange member of the flange assembly is received by the slot of the housing.

14. A method of lifting a full moment collar flange member, comprising:

connecting a gripping apparatus to a lifting device;

receiving a crosspiece of the flange member in a slot of a rigid housing of the gripping apparatus; and

rotating a handle of the gripping apparatus in a first direction to rotate a tab member to a hooked position on a column-facing side of the flange member, such that the crosspiece is trapped between the tab member and the rigid housing.

15. The method of claim 14 , further including rotating the handle in a second direction to rotate the tab member to an unhooked position, prior to the receiving step.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein rotating the handle in second direction includes engaging a trigger to release the handle from a fixed mode.

17. The method of claim 16 , further including disengaging the trigger to return the handle to the fixed mode, subsequent to rotating the handle in the first direction.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the handle and the tab member are each fixed to a shaft extending through the housing, and the trigger includes a rod that is spring biased into a hole in the housing.