Index table and indexing control therefor

Claim 1

APPARATUS OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A WORKPIECE CARRYING MEMBER, A SUPPORT FRAME FOR SAID WORKPIECE CARRYING MEMBER, MEANS CONNECTING SAID WORKPIECE CARRYING MEMBER TO SAID FRAME FOR MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID FRAME IN A GIVEN PATH, MEANS DEFINING A BEARING SURFACE EXTENDING GENERALLY PARALLEL TO SAID PATH AND FACING SAID WORKPIECE CARRYING MEMBER, LOCK MEANS. MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID LOCK MEANS FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID WORKPIECE CARRYING MEMBER AND SAID FRAME TO ALTERNATIVELY ASSUME A FIRST POSITION PROVIDING A LOCK CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID WORKPIECE CARRYING MEMBER AND SAID FRAME TO HOLD SAID WORKPIECE CARRYING MEMBER AGAINST MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID FRAME AND A SECOND POSITION RELEASING SAID WORKPIECE CARRYING MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT ALONG SAID PATH, CONTROL MEANS FOR SAID LOCK MEANS INCLUDING AN OPERATING PORTION DISPOSED IN SAID PATH AND OPERATIVE WHEN ACTUATED TO EFFECT MOVEMENT OF SAID LOCK MEANS TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS, DRIVE MEANS FOR MOVING SAID WORKPIECE CARRYING MEMBER ALONG SAID PATH, SAID LOCK MEANS INCLUDING MEANS CONNECTED TO AND OPERATIVE TO ACTIVATE SAID DRIVE MEANS WHEN SAID LOCK MEANS ASSUMES SAID SECOND POSITION AND TO DE-ACTIVATE SAID DRIVE MEANS WHEN SAID LOCK MEANS ASSUMES SAID FIRST POSITIONM A PLURALITY OF MEANS EACH CORRESPONDING TO A PRESLEECTED POSITION OF SAID WORKPIECE CARRYING MEMBER AND CONNECTED TO AND MOVABLE WITH SAID WORKPIECE CARRYING MEMBER AND ARRANGED FOR SELECTIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID OPERATING PORTION OF SAID CONTROL MEANS TO ACTUATE SAID CONTROL MEANS, CLAMP AND LIFT MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID WORKPIECE CARRYING MEMBER AND SAID BEARING SURFACE AND OPERATIVE TO EFFECT RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID WORKPIECE CARRYING MEMBER AND SAID SURFACE IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO SAID PATH OF MOVEMENT TO MOVE SAID WORKPIECE CARRYING MEMBER AND SAID BEARING SURFACE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID CLAMP AND LIFT MEANS TO AND FOR RESPONSE TO ACTIVATION OF SAID LOCK MEANS TO EFFECT SAID RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID BEARING SURFACE AND WORKPIECE CARRYING MEMBERS IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM EACH OTHER WHEN SAID LOCK MEANS ASSUMES SAID SECOND POSITION AND IN A DIRECTION TOWARD EACH OTHER TO CLAMP SAID BEARING SURFACE AND SAID WORKPIECE CARRYING MEMBER TOGETHER AS SAID LOCK MEANS ASSUMES ITS FIRST POSITION.