Billet manipulator

Claim 2

Mechanism for supporting and turning a rectangular workpiece, comprising an upright frame, a recess in the top surface of said frame into which the workpiece may be lowered to turn the same, means for supporting the workpiece above said recess to enable an operation to be performed thereon, said frame having means forming an abutment adjacent the top of said recess, and clamping means for holding the workpiece in said recess up from the bottom thereof against said abutment in a position such that a corner of the workpiece projects above the top surface of said frame in position to enable an operation to be performed thereon.

Claim 3

Mechanism as defined in claim 1, wherein said recess has a workpiece-supporting surface inclined in one direction and said abutment has a surface against which the workpiece may be held as aforesaid which is inclined in the opposite direction.

Claim 4

Mechanism as defined in claim 2, wherein said inclined surfaces form substantially a right angle.

Claim 5

Mechanism for supporting and turning a rectangular workpiece, comprising a frame having a pair of laterally spaced upright sidewalls, aligned identical recesses in the top surfaces of said sidewalls into which the workpiece may be lowered to turn the same, means for supporting the workpiece above said recesses to enable an operation to be performed thereon and for lowering the workpiece into the recess as aforesaid, said sidewalls having means forming abutments adjacent the tops of said recesses, and clamping means for holding the workpiece in said recesses up from the bottoms thereof against said abutments in a position such that a corner of the workpiece projects above the top surfaces of said sidewalls in position to enable an operation to be performed thereon.

Claim 6

Mechanism for supporting and turning a rectangular workpiece, comprising a frame having a pair of laterally spaced upright sidewalls, aligned identical recesses in the top surfaces of said sidewalls into which the workpiece may be lowered to turn the same, means for supporting the workpiece above said recesses to enable an operation to be performed thereon and for lowering the workpiece into the recess as aforesaid, said sidewalls having means forming abutments adjacent the tops of said recesses, and clamping means for holding the workpiece in said recesses up from the bottoms thereof against said abutments in a position such that a corner of the workpiece projects above the top surfaces of said sidewalls in position to enable an operation to be performed thereon.

Claim 7

Mechanism as defined in claim 4, wherein each recess is defined by inclined workpiece-supporting surfaces forming a V, and each shoulder overlies the upper end portion of one of said inclined work-supporting surfaces against which the workpiece may be held as aforesaid.

Claim 8

Mechanism as defined in claim 5, wherein each shoulder has an inclined surface forming substantially a right angle with said one inclined surface of the associated recess.

Claim 9

Mechanism as defined in claim 6, wherein said holding means includes a lever pivoted on said frame and engageable with the workpiece to clamp it against said shoulders, and power means for pivoting said lever.