Method for positioning a panel

Claim 1

A method for positioning a panel on a work surface, with a fixed point and a selected axis of the panel passing through the fixed point being in register with an origin point and a reference axis passing through the origin point of the work surface, comprising the steps of: preparing a panel to be positioned with tooling features within the periphery of the panel that permit engagement by localized area contact in at least four designated locations, engaging the tooling features at the four designated locations with localized area contact engagement elements by moving the localized area contact engagement elements synchronously and equidistantly such that the motions of the four localized area contact engagement elements are symmetrical with respect to the origin point and the reference axis passing through the origin point.

Claim 2

A method for positioning a panel on a work surface, with a fixed point and a selected axis of the panel passing through the fixed point being in register with an origin point and a reference axis passing through the origin point of the work surface, comprising the steps of: preparing a panel to be positioned with tooling features within the periphery of the panel that permit engagement by localized area contact in at least four designated locations, engaging the tooling features at the four designated locations with localized area contact engagement elements by moving the localized area contact engagement elements synchronously and equidistantly such that the motions of the four localized area contact engagement elements are symmetrical with respect to the origin point and the reference axis passing through the origin point.

Claim 10

A method for positioning a panel on a work surface, with a fixed point of the panel and an axis of the panel passing through the fixed point of the panel being in register with an origin point of the work surface and a reference axis of the work surface passing through the origin point, comprising: the step of providing features in the panel within the periphery of the panel permitting a localized area contact engagement at four distinct localized area contact locations, the step of locating the features dimensionally symmetrical about the fixed point of the panel and the axis of the panel, the step of moving four localized area contact engagement elements synchronously and equidistantly with respect to the origin point and the reference axis to engage the four distinct localized area contact locations, each localized area contact location being in a different orthogonal quadrant defined by orthogonal axes originating at the origin point and aligned with the reference axis.

Claim 11

A method for positioning a panel on a work surface, with a fixed point of the panel and an axis of the panel passing through the fixed point of the panel being in register with an origin point of the work surface and a reference axis of the work surface passing through the origin point, comprising: the step of providing features in the panel within the periphery of the panel permitting a localized area contact engagement at four distinct localized area contact locations, the step of locating the features dimensionally symmetrical about the fixed point of the panel and the axis of the panel, the step of moving four localized area contact engagement elements synchronously and equidistantly with respect to the origin point and the reference axis to engage the four distinct localized area contact locations, each localized area contact location being in a different orthogonal quadrant defined by orthogonal axes originating at the origin point and aligned with the reference axis.

Claim 18

A method for positioning a panel on a work surface such that a fixed point and an axis of the panel are in register with an origin point and reference axis of the work surface, comprising: the step of defining a fixed point and an axis passing through the fixed point of the panel, the step of providing panel aperture features on opposite sides of the fixed point and which are mirror symmetrical about the axis passing through the fixed point of the panel, the step of engaging the panel apertures at a single localized area associated with each panel aperture with localized area contact mechanisms which are moved symmetrically and equidistantly with respect to the origin point.

Claim 19

A method for positioning a panel on a work surface such that a fixed point and an axis of the panel are in register with an origin point and reference axis of the work surface, comprising: the step of defining a fixed point and an axis passing through the fixed point of the panel, the step of providing panel aperture features on opposite sides of the fixed point and which are mirror symmetrical about the axis passing through the fixed point of the panel, the step of engaging the panel apertures at a single localized area associated with each panel aperture with localized area contact mechanisms which are moved symmetrically and equidistantly with respect to the origin point.