KudoZ: term help for translators

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

Italian term

Lydia Cleary

Italy

16 questions

riscontrare

Italian to English Law/Patents Mechanics / Mech Engineering

in a patent text: ganasce atte a riscontrare dall’alto e dal basso il manufatto (14).
my attempt: "the jaws are suitable for holding the manufactured item from above and below" - but I can't actually find any evidence that riscontrare could mean "hold"

any help much appreciated

Proposed translations (English)

abut

Luca Cremonini

Change log

Jul 12, 2012 09:49: Russell Jones changed "Term asked" from "riscontrare ( in questo contesto)" to "riscontrare"

Discussion

Luca Cremonini Jul 12, 2012: "I also found one translation for riscontrare as "abut" which is defined as "having a common boundary" with something." Definitely the right one in my opinion, though the exact term to be used in this case is not known to me. Perhaps "able to abut"
Vincent Lemma Jul 12, 2012: device What device is this please? I have a thought but need some basis.
Graham Reynolds Jul 12, 2012: Barbara is probably right with the idea of gripping. I was interpreting in Oregon some years ago and the device to locate, collect from storage and deliver a CD selected from 1000s by the user in front of the machine was definitely a "gripper". Riscontrare is probably "align with (and grip/pick up)" here. NB this is a patent text so precise but wide-ranging terms. more context please!
Barbara L Pavlik Jul 12, 2012: This is a tough one, but "dall'alto" and "dal basso" lead me to doubt that it can mean "hold." In this former kudoZ listing, it was used to mean "occur" http://www.proz.com/kudoz/english_to_italian/mechanics_mech_... and this reference gives one definition as "correspond" (essere uguale): http://www.wordreference.com/iten/riscontrare I also found one translation for riscontrare as "abut" which is defined as "having a common boundary" with something. http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/abut?q=abut All this leads me to think that it is talking about location rather than function, but still, with jaws, you would think it had something to do with gripping. Is there more context?