Workpiece hold-down jaws with constant dimension

Claim 2

A workpiece hold-down device comprising a bed, a pair of opposed jaws associated with and extending upwardly from said bed with at least one of said jaws being movable for gripping and releasing a workpiece positioned between gripping surfaces thereon, at least one of said jaws including a movable component supported for downward movement in relation to the jaws and bed when exerting a clamping force against the workpiece thereby exerting a downward force on the workpiece in response to a gripping force being exerted on the workpiece by said jaws, means for causing downward movement including cam means operative in response to lateral force being exerted on the workpiece to move the movable component downwardly, and means limiting downward movement of the movable component to a predetermined position for providing a predetermined constant total thickness of said jaw, said cam means including a pair of vertically spaced transversely extending inclined surfaces on the movable component, said jaw including a stationary component having a pair of vertically spaced mating inclined surfaces engaged with the inclined surfaces on the movable component whereby the movable component is urged downwardly and toward the stationary component when clamping force is exerted on the workpiece by the jaws, said means limiting downward movement of the movable component including coacting flat vertical surfaces between the inclined surfaces on the movable and stationary components of the jaw for engagement when the movable component moves downwardly and toward the stationary component a predetermined distance thereby providing a constant predetermined total thickness of the movable and stationary components of the jaw, resilient means interconnecting the movable component and the stationary component for biasing the movaBle component upwardly and retaining the mating inclined surfaces in constant contact with each other, and means interconnecting the movable component and the stationary component including a tension spring member interconnecting the components at the end edges thereof and applying a force to the movable component for moving it upwardly and maintaining the mating inclined surfaces in engagement and being disposed between the vertically spaced, mating inclined surfaces thereby leaving the inclined surfaces uninterrupted.

Claim 3

The structure as defined in claim 1 together with means interconnecting the movable component and the stationary component for limiting the upward movement of the movable component gripping surfaces when not gripping a workpiece.

Claim 4

The structure as defined in claim 2 wherein said means limiting upward movement of the movable component includes a pin rigid with one of the components and a blind bore larger than the pin in the other component with the pin and bore being dimensioned sufficient to enable completely free movement of the movable component in a downward direction but limiting the upward movement of the movable component.

Claim 5

A workpiece hold-down device comprising a bed, a pair of opposed jaws associated with and extending upwardly from said bed with at least one of said jaws being movable for gripping and releasing a workpiece positioned between gripping surfaces thereon, at least one of said jaws including a movable component supported for downward movement in relation to the jaws and bed when exerting a clamping force against the workpiece thereby exerting a downward force on the workpiece in response to a gripping force being exerted on the workpiece by said jaws, means for causing downward movement including cam means operative in response to lateral force being exerted on the workpiece to move the movable component downwardly, and means limiting downward movement of the movable component to a predetermined position for providing a predetermined constant dimension between the gripping surfaces of the jaws, said cam means including a pair of vertically spaced transversely extending inclined surfaces on the movable component, said jaw including a stationary component having a pair of vertically spaced mating inclined surfaces engaged with the inclined surfaces on the movable component whereby the movable component is urged downwardly and toward the stationary component when clamping force is exerted on the workpiece by the jaws, said means limiting downward movement of the movable component including coacting flat vertical surfaces between the inclined surfaces on the movable and stationary components of the jaw for engagement when the movable component moves downwardly and toward the stationary component a predetermined distance thereby providing a constant predetermined total thickness of the stationary and movable components of the jaw, resilient means interconnecting the movable component and the stationary component for biasing the movable component upwardly and retaining the mating inclined surfaces in constant contact with each other, means interconnecting the movable component and the stationary component for limiting the upward movement of the movable component to provide a predetermined dimension between the jaw gripping surfaces when not gripping a workpiece, said means limiting upward movement of the movable component including a pin rigid with one of the components and a blind bore larger than the pin in the other component with the pin and bore being dimensioned sufficient to enable completely free movement of the movable component in a downward direction but limiting the upward movement of the movable component, and a parallel positioned between the bed and workpiece and including precision surfaces engaging the bed and workpiece, means connecting the parallel to the movable component alongside the workpiece gripping surface, the parallel having a vertical dimension less than the movable component when in its gripping position, the tWo vertically spaced inclined surfaces and vertical surfaces on the movable and stationary components stabilizing the movable component to enable gripping of the workpiece at the extreme upper edge of the movable component without tipping of the movable component in relation to the stationary component.

Claim 6

A workpiece hold-down device comprising a bed, a pair of opposed jaws associated with and extending upwardly from said bed with at least one of said jaws being movable for gripping and releasing a workpiece positioned between gripping surfaces thereon, at least one of said jaws including a movable component supported for downward movement in relation to the jaws and bed when exerting a clamping force against the workpiece thereby exerting a downward force on the workpiece in response to a gripping force being exerted on the workpiece by said jaws, means for causing downward movement including cam means operative in response to lateral force being exerted on the workpiece to move the movable component downwardly, and means limiting downward movement of the movable component to a predetermined position for providing a predetermined constant dimension between the gripping surfaces of the jaws, said cam means including a pair of vertically spaced transversely extending inclined surfaces on the movable component, said jaw including a stationary component having a pair of vertically spaced mating inclined surfaces engaged with the inclined surfaces on the movable component whereby the movable component is urged downwardly and toward the stationary component when clamping force is exerted on the workpiece by the jaws, said means limiting downward movement of the movable component including coacting flat vertical surfaces between the inclined surfaces on the movable and stationary components of the jaw for engagement when the movable component moves downwardly and toward the stationary component a predetermined distance thereby providing a constant predetermined total thickness of the stationary and movable components of the jaw, resilient means interconnecting the movable component and the stationary component for biasing the movable component upwardly and retaining the mating inclined surfaces in constant contact with each other, means interconnecting the movable component and the stationary component for limiting the upward movement of the movable component to provide a predetermined dimension between the jaw gripping surfaces when not gripping a workpiece, said means limiting upward movement of the movable component including a pin rigid with one of the components and a blind bore larger than the pin in the other component with the pin and bore being dimensioned sufficient to enable completely free movement of the movable component in a downward direction but limiting the upward movement of the movable component, and a parallel positioned between the bed and workpiece and including precision surfaces engaging the bed and workpiece, means connecting the parallel to the movable component alongside the workpiece gripping surface, the parallel having a vertical dimension less than the movable component when in its gripping position, the tWo vertically spaced inclined surfaces and vertical surfaces on the movable and stationary components stabilizing the movable component to enable gripping of the workpiece at the extreme upper edge of the movable component without tipping of the movable component in relation to the stationary component.

Claim 7

The structure as defined in claim 4 wherein said mating inclined surfaces are continuous and uninterrupted completely from end to end of the movable and stationary components, said vertical surface between the inclined surfaces being disposed in a plane spaced laterally from the adjacent edge portions of the inclined surfaces whereby the vertical surfaces will be engaged before the mating inclined surfaces have moved downwardly and inwardly to the full extent that would be permitted by the inclined surfaces.

Claim 8

In a workpiece gripping and hold-down device, a jaw assembly comprising a base section and a workpiece gripping section, each of said sections having a pair of vertically spaced inclined surfaces extending continuously and uninterruptedly from end to end of the sections for causing downward movement of the workpiece gripping section in relation to the base section when clamping force is exerted on a workpiece engaged by the workpiece gripping section, each of said sections of the jaw assembly including a vertical surface oriented between the inclined surfaces with the vertical surface being spaced laterally of the adjacent edge portions of the inclined surfaces whereby the vertical surfaces will be engaged with each other prior to the inclined surfaces moving to the extreme position permitted thereby, resilient means interconnecting said sections exerting a force to bias the workpiece gripping section toward the base section and also bias the workpiece gripping section in a direction whereby the inclined surfaces move the workpiece gripping section so that the vertical surfaces are spaced from each other thereby enabling the vertical surfaces to limit lateral movement of the workpiece gripping section when exerting a gripping force on a workpiece to provide a precision dimension to the workpiece gripping surface of the jaw assembly.

Claim 9

In a workpiece gripping and hold-down device, a jaw assembly comprising a base section and a workpiece gripping section, each of said sections having a pair of vertically spaced inclined surfaces extending continuously and uninterruptedly from end to end of the sections for causing downward movement of the workpiece gripping section in relation to the base section when clamping force is exerted on a workpiece engaged by the workpiece gripping section, each of said sections of the jaw assembly including a vertical surface oriented between the inclined surfaces with the vertical surface being spaced laterally of the adjacent edge portions of the inclined surfaces whereby the vertical surfaces will be engaged with each other prior to the inclined surfaces moving to the extreme position permitted thereby, resilient means interconnecting said sections exerting a force to bias the workpiece gripping section toward the base section and also bias the workpiece gripping section in a direction whereby the inclined surfaces move the workpiece gripping section so that the vertical surfaces are spaced from each other thereby enabling the vertical surfaces to limit lateral movement of the workpiece gripping section when exerting a gripping force on a workpiece to provide a precision dimension to the workpiece gripping surface of the jaw assembly.

Claim 10

The structure as defined in claim 6 wherein said jaw assembly is self-contained and capable of use singly or in opposed pairs, the continuity of the force transmitting surfaces between the sections of the jaw assembly enabling the jaw assembly to be constructed with a minimum thickness thereby maintaining a greater workpiece receiving capacity.