Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
192 words
A clamping fixture comprising, an angularly advanceable table having a plurality of fixtures thereon movable to a loading and working station, each of said fixtures having a base containing a central threaded aperture, a collet body having an external thread connected to the thread of the aperture, a truncated conical head on the end of said body having a central aperture communicating with slots through the head to form sections, a collet sleeve about said collet body having a truncated conical recess which receives said collet head, and means to advance and retract said sleeve to clamp and unclamp the collet head, said means including an actuating pin movable normal to the collet, a transverse pin through said actuating pin extending through diametrical slots in said base and through diametrical disposed slots in the collet sleeve which are positioned at a small angle to provide a lock for securing the collet sleeve in locked engagement with the collet head when a workpiece is disposed therewithin, and an actuating device provided at the loading station which moves the actuating pin of the fixture thereat longitudinally in both directions to unlocked and locked positions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
192 words
A clamping fixture comprising, an angularly advanceable table having a plurality of fixtures thereon movable to a loading and working station, each of said fixtures having a base containing a central threaded aperture, a collet body having an external thread connected to the thread of the aperture, a truncated conical head on the end of said body having a central aperture communicating with slots through the head to form sections, a collet sleeve about said collet body having a truncated conical recess which receives said collet head, and means to advance and retract said sleeve to clamp and unclamp the collet head, said means including an actuating pin movable normal to the collet, a transverse pin through said actuating pin extending through diametrical slots in said base and through diametrical disposed slots in the collet sleeve which are positioned at a small angle to provide a lock for securing the collet sleeve in locked engagement with the collet head when a workpiece is disposed therewithin, and an actuating device provided at the loading station which moves the actuating pin of the fixture thereat longitudinally in both directions to unlocked and locked positions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
In a fixture as recited in claim 1, wherein the actuating device has a finger pivoted to an advanceable element which provides spaced pull and push faces for operating the actuating pin longitudinally.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
In a fixture as recited in claim 2, wherein the pushing face has a deflecting arm disposed in the direction of the advancing movement of the table and fixtures which returns the actuating pin of the approaching fixture to its normal position should it become extended.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
In a fixture as recited in claim 3, wherein the actuating device has a transversely disposed element on the finger which has a forward and rearward sloping surface to cause the finger to be raised should either surface engage a projecting portion of the actuating pin.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
In a fixture as recited in claim 4, wherein the actuating pin has a slot therein which is advanced to have the transversely disposed element extend therein when the fixture reaches the unloading station.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
61 words
In a fixture as recited in claim 5, wherein the advancement of the actuating device to the left moves the sleeve downwardly and unclamps the collet so that the finished workpiece can be removed and when advanced to the right moves the pin to the right to thereby raise the sleeve and clamp a workpiece to be machined within the collet.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
In a fixture as recited in claim 6, wherein the device is advanced and retracted by a double acting cylinder through the reversal of the flow of fluid therein.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
40 words
In a fixture as recited in claim 1, wherein means is provided for advancing the table the distance between the fixtures, and means providing a dwell time in which the work operations are performed before the table is again advanced.