Apparatus for retaining a workpiece, and methods of use and manufacture thereof

A pallet assembly for removably securing a workpiece, the pallet assembly comprising:

• a pallet including mounting surface facing the workpiece when the workpiece is secured to the pallet, and at least one hole in the mounting surface;
• an actuator;
• a collet assembly that is secured to the pallet, the collet assembly including:
• a threaded adaptor that is configured to be rotated by the actuator;
• an arbor including a flange portion and a shaft portion that defines exterior conical surfaces, the arbor defining a bore that extends through both the flange and shaft portions, the flange portion including a first surface, a second surface, and at least one mounting hole extending through the flange portion from the first surface to the second surface, the shaft portion extending from the first surface and away from the mounting surface of the pallet, and the second surface abutting the mounting surface of the pallet;
• a draw cylinder disposed in communication with the threaded adaptor such that rotation of the threaded adaptor moves the draw cylinder in axially upward and downward directions, the draw cylinder extending through the bore of the shaft portion of the arbor;
• a collet disposed around a periphery of the shaft portion of the arbor so as to be coaxial with the draw cylinder, the collet being disposed such that movement of the draw cylinder in the axially downward direction causes a flanged head of the draw cylinder to contact the collet and thereby cause the collet to also move in the axially downward direction, the collet including axially extending slots that define fingers therebetween and interior conical surfaces that are configured to communicate with the exterior conical surfaces of the shaft portion of the arbor such that axially downward movement of the collet moves the fingers in a radially outward direction to thereby increase an exterior diameter of the collet;
• a socket disposed around a periphery of the draw cylinder so as to be coaxial with the draw cylinder, the socket receives a portion of the draw cylinder therein as the draw cylinder moves axially upward and downward, and the socket extends outside of the arbor;
• and
• a bearing located between the arbor and the socket such that the bearing rotatably supports the socket on the arbor;
• and
• a mount extending through each of the mounting hole of the flange portion of the arbor and the hole in mounting surface of the pallet to mount the arbor to the pallet.

A method of manufacturing a fixing apparatus that is configured to removably fix a workpiece to a pallet using an actuator, the method comprising:

• configuring a threaded adaptor so as to be rotatable by the actuator;
• configuring an arbor so as to include a flange portion and a shaft portion that defines exterior conical surfaces, and so that the arbor defines a channel that extends through both the flange and shaft portions;
• disposing a draw cylinder so as to be in communication with the threaded adaptor, such that rotation of the threaded adaptor moves the draw cylinder in axially upward and downward directions;
• configuring the draw cylinder so as to include a draw shaft that is at least partially disposed within the channel of the shaft portion of the arbor;
• disposing a collet around a periphery of the shaft portion of the arbor so as to be coaxial with the draw shaft, the collet being disposed such that movement of the draw cylinder in the axially downward direction causes a flanged head of the draw cylinder to contact the collet and thereby cause the collet to also move in the axially downward direction;
• configuring the collet so as to include axially extending channels that define fingers therebetween and interior conical surfaces that are configured to communicate with the exterior conical surfaces of the shaft portion of the arbor, such that axially downward movement of the collet moves the fingers in a radially outward direction to thereby increase an exterior diameter of the collet;
• disposing a socket around a periphery of the draw cylinder so as to be coaxial with the draw cylinder such that the socket receives a portion of the draw cylinder therein as the draw cylinder moves axially upward and downward, the socket extends into the arbor, and the socket extends outside of the arbor;
• and
• disposing a bearing between the arbor and the socket such that the bearing rotatably supports the socket on the arbor.