Hydraulic indexing and clamping fixtures

Claim 1

A FIXTURE FOR INDEXING AND HOLDING WORKPIECES TO BE MACHINED BY A TOOL OF A METAL-WORKING MACHINE, SAID MACHINE HAVING A FIXED TABLE FOR MOUNTING THE FIXTURE, THE FIXTURE BEING CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF HYDRAULIC FLUID UNDER PRESSURE, SAID FIXTURE COMPRISING: (A) A BASE MEMBER HAVING AN UPSTANDING ANNULUS AT ITS UPPER PORTION AND A LOWER PORTION EXTENDING FROM THE ANNULUS FOR SECURING TO THE TABLE AND INCLUDING PAIR OF INLETS AND OUTLETS FOR CONNECTION TO SAID SOURCE; (B) INDEXING MEANS HAVING AT LEAST ONE WORKHOLDER ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID ANNULUS FOR POSITIONING SAID WORKHOLDER ADJACENT A TOOL; (C) DRIVING MEANS CONNECTED TO AN INLET AND AN OUTLET AND WITHIN THE LOWER PORTION OF THE BASE MEMBER, AND DRIVING MEANS BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID INDEXING MEANS, AND DRIVING THE INDEXING MEANS IN RESPONSE TO THE MAGNITUDE AND DIRECTION OF FLUID OF PRESSURE INTRODUCED TO THE DRIVING MEANS AT THE INLET; AND (D) MEANS FOR CLAMPING A WORKPIECE IN SAID WORKHOLDER, SAID CLAMPING MEANS BEING CONNECTED TO A SECOND INLET AND OUTLET AND OPERABLE IN RESPONSE TO THE POSITION TO THE DRIVING MEANS RELATIVE TO THE POSITION OF THE INDEXING MEANS SUCH THAT WHEN A WORKHOLDER CARRYING A WORKPIECE IS ADJACENT A TOOL, SAID CLAMPING MEANS OPERATES TO ENGAGE THE WORKPIECE.