Apparatus for supporting and positioning of a work-piece during welding

Claim 1

Apparatus for supporting and positioning of a work-piece during welding, including a base plate having a transverse drive means, a secondary plate carried by said base plate and having at least one drive element engaged by said transverse drive means and a vertically and laterally adjustable mechanism carried by said secondary plate and providing means for engaging a workpiece during welding, said base plate having opposed guide rails with slots for mating engagement with rib areas on said secondary plate to slidably secure said secondary plate on said base plate and to prevent vertical movement of said secondary plate relative to said base plate, said transverse drive means comprising an elongate drive screw rotatably supported by said base plate, each drive element being located on the underside of said secondary plate and having a threaded bore therethrough for threaded engagement by said drive screw, whereby said secondary plate will slide relative to said base plate upon actuation of said drive screw, said secondary plate having therebeneath dual guide ways for slidably receiving guide keys on said base plate and guiding the sliding movement of said secondary plate relative to said base plate, said base plate having dual elongated tracks thereon in aligned relation to bearings housed beneath said secondary plate for rolling movement of said secondary plate on said base plate, said mechanism comprising a saddle carried above said secondary plate, said saddle having an upper portion telescopically received by a lower portion, said upper portion being vertically adjustable by a lifting means housed within said lower portion, the upper portion of said saddle including a track for slidably carrying the work-piece engaging means and rotatably carrying a second elongate drive screw having double and opposite hand threaded portions, said work-piece engaging means comprising opposed movable jaws positioned for sliding movement on said track, each jaw having therethrough a threaded bore for engagement by the threaded portions of said second drive screw, whereby said opposed jaws will slide laterally toward or away from one another on said track upon actuation of said second drive screw.