GB2206298A - Cross rail multifunctional clamping device - Google Patents

Abstract

The device, for use with machine tools or other general machinery, has a plurality of cross-intersection grooves 14 defining orthogonal rows of rails 9 which act as guides to guide clampable slides 3A, 3B with clamping elements. Each slide 3A, 3B is movable backwards and forwards or to the left and to the right to accurately position the work piece 2 by bolting the slide to the base using holes 10 in the grooves. The rails and slides are precisely machined to ensure accuracy of location and smoothness of sliding movement. One slide 3B has an adjusting clamp mechanism. Alternatively, the clamping mechanism is found on both sides or four sides of a single clamping slide for clamping work pieces therebetween. The clamping mechanism clamping surfaces can be shaped to the form of the work piece. In a further form the clamping slides have pivotable clamping pieces. <IMAGE>

Description

CROSS RAIL MULTIFUNCIIONAL CLAMPING DEVI This invention relates to a clamping device for holding work pieces in production machinery with the clamping device being mounted on a rail of a work table.

It is customary for machine tool work tables to generally use a single direction rail as the means for clasping the work piece to fix it in position and to prevent up or down movement, possibly with the use of other clamping means which wastes working time and otherwise has limited scope of use. If parallel cuts are to be made, it is not enough to depend only upon frictional forces to resist the cutting force, and the adjustment of the position of the work piece can only be made on one side, with insufficient precision. Furthermxe, it is difficult to clamp more than two work pieces at one time for working on simultaneously.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide a clamping device which eliminates or substantially eliminates the disadvantages referred to above.

According to the present invention there is provided a clamping device ccmprising intersecting grooves in a base defining therebetween a plurality of guides aligned in at least two directions, a plurality of spaced holes located in the grooves for fixing the slide relative to the guides, and clasping means located on the top of each clasping slide, wherein the base guides and slides have precisely machined interengaging surfaces for minimising frictional forces between the base and slide.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in Which:- Fig. 1 shows a cross sectional view of a clasping device according to the present invention clasping a work piece, Fig. 2 shows a top view of the clamping device of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a part sectional side view of various jaws usable with a clamping slide of the clamping device, Fig. 4 shows another construction of the clamping slide, Fig. 5 illustrates a part sectional view of a clamping slide for holding smaller work pieces a disclosed in Figures 1 to 4, Fig. 6 shows an alternative construction of a clamping slide, and Figure 7 shows a clasping slide used with a lathe clamp.

Referring to the drawings in more detail, Fig. 1 shows a clasping device in which the surface of a base 1 comprises a plurality of intersecting grooves between them defining cross rails 9 each having a T- shaped cross section. As shown in Fig. 2, the groove 14 is between the rails disects the rails into a plurality of aligned lands which serve as guides for a clampable slide 3 to slide in a straight line therebetween across the base in one direction or another direction perpendicularly thereto. Holes 10 are provided through the base 1 centrally between the rails or lands and a threaded hole 11 is provided centrally through each land. The holes 10 in the grooves are provided with a screw thread to fix the slide on base 1 once it is in position.

In addition, the rail portions or lands are precisely machined to provide accurate surfaces for the top, lateral side, and front parts of these rails, to ensure precise location for the slide 3.

There are maw types of slide and slide portion 3A has the simplest construction in which there are two outwardly directed L-shaped feet 4 at the base of the slide which are each slidable in one of the grooves 14 of the base 1 of the clasping device. The slide portion is fixed relative to the base with screw 12 through hole 10. A second clamp slide 3B has similarly constructed feet as the slide 3 of Figure 1 slidably engageable with grooves 14 and is fixed in position by bolts 12 in holes 10 and 11.The upper part of the slide 3B comprises a clasping mechanism having an adjusting bolt 7 for adjusting a clamping element 8 slidable in a groove in slide 3B and movable by a guide bar 8-1 connection directly to the distal end of bolt 7 from that end thereof extending externally of the slide 3B and having a resolvable graduation for reference of regulating distance of travel, that is a micrometer.

The surfaces of a work piece differ from one work piece to the next and therefore it is necessary to provide the clamping slides 3A and 3B or indeed any other clasping surfaces with intercnangeability to a selective one of the forms shown in Fig. 3 for example. Here, the work piecell9, 120 and 121 is shown to have differing cross-sectional shapes with ccmplementary shaped clamping pads 110, 117 and 118 respectively.

Fig. 4 shows a clamping slide for use with a base I sudh as that described with reference to Fig. 1. In Fig. 4 the clasping device is used for relatively small sized work pieces with opposed clamping elements 108 which are both movable to clamp the work piece in a specific position on the clamping slide. At least one or possibly both the clamping elements 108 is provided with a micrometer guage to accurately adjust the position of the clasping element. In an alternative construction to that shown in Fig. 4 clamping elements identical to the elements 108 may be mounted at right angles to the clasping elements shown in Fig. 4 so that a work piece can be clamped on all four sides.

Fig. 5 illustrates the clamping device of Fig. 4 on base 1 and with a work piece 2 fixed between opposed clasping elements 108.

Fig. 6 illustrates a clamping slide constructed in a manner which will engage the base 1 of Fig. 1 but Which is adapted to clamp work pieces of irregular shapes, such as the trapizoidal shape of the work piece illustrated in Fig. 6. Each slide is provided with a clasping element 8 pivotally mounted on the slide by a revolving pivot 17 the clamping elements 18 rotate with the pivot 17 by rotating the adjustment knob on top of the element until the clasping elements engage the surfaces of the work piece. Bolts 26 mounted in the clasping slide are rotated to adjust the angle of contact of the clamping element 18 and to act as a stop when the two clasping elements push the work piece to reposition it as the clasping elements are pushed or moved together.

Accordingly, the bolts 26 coordinate the clasping elements with the processing angle of the work piece to ensure equal pressure on the sides of the work piece.

Turning to Fig. 7 there is a shown a top view of a base 1 in the form of a circular disc and which is to be used with a lathe to securely support work pieces when these are irregularly shaped and are to be lathe cut. The clasping slides have been omitted from the drawing for the sake of clarity but there are shown the lands or guide rails 9 defined by the grooves 14 machine out into the bore 1 and the holes 10 located between the lands in the grooves and the holes 11 through the lands. The external shape of the work piec,e may take any form.

Such clamps as have been described above in connection with this invention are ideally suited for clamping more than two pieces at the same time in a much more secure manner than hitherto known.

Therefore, there has been described a clamping device constituted by T-shaped crosssectional rails which intersect on the bed of the clamp. The rails are used to guide a clampable slide and to fix it to support and clasp one or more work pieces. The surfaces of the top, lateral sides, and front parts of the T'shaped cross-sectional rails are all completed by precise machining and at the centre point of each rail there is provided a hole.

Further holes 10 are located in grooves between adjacent rails.

The surface at the bottom of the groove is also formed by precise machining to ensure free movement of a clamping slide between the rails and accurate fixing of the slide. The screw holes in the grooves are located at equal distances between each other. The clampable slide conveniently possesses Lrshaped cros#sectional feet complementary with the shape of the groove to facilitate sliding and fixing. Furthermore, clamping elements are provided at the top of the clasping slide and such elements comprise a bolt which is movable in and out to regulate the position of the clasping element and to fix the work piece. In an alternative clampable slide movable clamping elements are provided on bath sides of the work piece to independently clamp smaller work pieces.

Alternatively, the clasping element at the top of the slide is constructed to revolve about a revolving pivot to adapt to the turning direction of the work piece. The top surface of the clamping slide can be provided with four bolts one on each side, with a hole provided centrally thereof. In the holes are provided bolt regulation devices which may be used independently to clasp very small work pieces at least four opposite points.

The clamping device of the present invention is particularly useful when applied as a lathe clamp since it is easier to position the clamping slide on the circular lathe base thus saving time in setting up the lathe whilst accurately securing the work pieces in position on the base.

Conveniently, a plurality of clamping slides are mountable on the lathe base so that maw work pieces can be lathe cut at the same time.

However, individual lathe cutting can be effected where work pieces demand it.

The clamping device of the present invention can be used with a mirror, planar, or grinder, and can clasp any number of work pieces at the same time as disclosed above.

When used for discharge processing clamping devices, many electric poles may be clamped at the same time, in whidn the distance may be adjusted. \hen the electric poles are externally shaped according to various moulds or work pieces the mechanical processing and bench work can be performed. Conveniently, a supporting pillar is provided at the centre of gravity at the back of the clamping device. The discharge processing machine for processing work pieces, and all work pieces requiring discharge processing of eacn angle side slant groove etc. may use this clamping device and various parts may proceed with discharge processing at the same time.

The clasping device can be used in coordination with hardware tools (discs) graduation dials, platterns, vices and other tools.

Claims (9)

#A1#:

1. A clamping device comprising intersecting grooves in a base defining therebetween a plurality of guides aligned in at least two directions, a plurality of spaced holes located in the grooves for fixing the slide relative to the guides, and clamping means located on the top of each clamping slide, wherein the base guides and slides have precisely machined interengaging surfaces for minimising frictional forces between the base and slide.

2. A clamping device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clampable slide comprises two L-shaped crcrss-sectional feet engageable with complementary cros#sectional shaped grooves in each rail.

3. A clamping device as claimed in 1 or 2, wherein the clasping means comprises two oppositely disposed clamping elements at least one of which is adjustable for clasping a work piece between the clamping elements.

4. A clamping device as claimed in claim 3, in which both the clamping elements include adjusting means.

5. A clasping device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein clamping elements are located on each of four sides of the top surface of each clamping slide for clamping a work piece at four opposite points.

6. A clasping device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clasping element of the clamping slide is pivotally mounted on the slide about a revolving pivot.

7. A clamping device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the base is rectangular.

8. A clamping device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, the base is circular.

9. A clasping device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Figs. 1 and 2, or these Figures as modified by Fig. 3 or Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, Fig. 6; or all Figures 1 to 6 as modified ty Fig. 7.