Multi-station machine including workholding and positioning apparatus

Claim 1

IN A MACHINE FOR MACHINING A WORKPIECE, A TURRET, MEANS SUPPORTING THE TURRENT FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN UPRIGHT AXIS, A PLURALITY OF CHUCKS, SUPPORTING MEANS, RESPECTIVE TO THE CHUCKS, AND CARRIED BY THE TURRET AND SUPPORTING THE CHUCKS ON THE TURRET FOR ROTATION WITH THE TURRET AND FOR LIMITED UNIVERSAL FLOATING MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO THE TURRET IN VERTICAL PLANE, INDEXING POWER MEANS OPERABLE TO ROTATE THE TURRET TO INDEX THE CHUCKS SUCCESSIVELY TO DIFFERENT PRE-SELECTED MACHINGING STATIONS SPACED ABOUT THE UPRIGHT AXIS POWER DRIVEN POSITIONING MEANS AT THE STATIONS, RESPECTIVELY, ENGAGABLE WITH THE SUPPORTING MEANS OF THE CHUCKS WHEN THE CHUCKS ARE AT THE STATIONS, AND OPERATIVE WHEN SO ENGAGED TO MOVE THE SUPPORTING MEANS IN SAID PLANE RELATIVE TO THE TURRET AND TO HOLD THE SUPPORTING MEANS IN POSITIONS RESPECTIVELY, IN WHICH EACH CHUCK HOLDS ITS WORKPIECE PRECISELY IN THE MACHINING POSITION AT ITS ASSOCIATED STATION, PIVOT MEANS, RESPECTIVE TO THE CHUCKS, MOUNTING EACH CHUCK ON ITS SUPPORTING MEANS FOR ROTATION ABOUT A TRANSVERSE AXIS WHICH IS AT A RIGHT ANGLE TO THE AXIS OF THE CHUCK, WHEREFORE EACH CHUCK CAN BE ROTATED ABOUT ITS TRANSVERSE AXIS TO EXPOSE OUTWARDLY FROM THE TURRET, SELECTIVELY, DIFFERENT PARTS OF A WORKPIECE WHICH IT HOLDS, AN ADDITIONAL POWER MEANS, RESPECTIVE TO THE CHUCKS, EACH OPERABLE TO ROTATE ITS ASSOCIATED CHUCK INTO SELECTED ROTATED POSITIONS ABOUT SAID TRANSVERSE AXIS, AND POWER DRIVEN LATCH MEANS TO LATCH EACH CHUCK PRECISELY IN THE SELECTED ROTATED POSITION, AND TO RELEASE EACH CHUCK, SELECTIVELY.