Self-aligning detachable jaw or fixture plate for vise-like workholding apparatus

A removable jaw assembly for a workholding apparatus, said workholding apparatus comprising a base comprising a width, a length, and a height, thereby defining a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system having orthogonal x axis, y axis, and z axis, wherein the x axis is disposed substantially along the length and at ½ the width, wherein the y axis is disposed substantially along the width and at ½ the length, and wherein the z axis is disposed substantially along the height and at the intersection of the x axis and the y axis, said base comprising a channel along the x axis, said removable jaw assembly comprising:

• (a) a first unitary lower member comprising a first protrusion wherein the first protrusion comprises:
• (i) a first-lower-member planar top surface whose normal vector is substantially parallel to the z axis, said first-lower-member planar top surface comprising a substantially triangular first-lower-member region having two first-lower-member edges oriented substantially symmetrically at an edge angle with respect to the x axis;
• and
• (ii) two first-lower-member planar side surfaces along the two first-lower-member edges tilted inwardly by a tilt angle with respect to the z axis;
• (b) a second unitary lower member comprising a second protrusion wherein the second protrusion comprises:
• (i) a second-lower-member planar top surface whose normal vector is substantially parallel to the z axis, said second-lower-member planar top surface comprising a substantially triangular second-lower-member region having two second-lower-member edges oriented substantially symmetrically at the edge angle with respect to the x axis;
• and
• (ii) two second-lower-member planar side surfaces along the two second-lower-member edges tilted inwardly by the tilt angle with respect to the z axis;
• (c) a first upper member comprising a first cavity wherein the first cavity comprises:
• (i) a first-upper-member planar bottom surface whose normal vector is substantially parallel to the z axis, said first-upper-member planar bottom surface comprising a substantially triangular first-upper-member region having two first-upper-member edges oriented substantially symmetrically at the edge angle with respect to the x axis;
• and
• (ii) two first-upper-member planar side surfaces along the two first-upper-member edges tilted inwardly by the tilt angle with respect to the z axis;
• (d) a second upper member comprising a second cavity wherein the second cavity comprises:
• (i) a second-upper-member planar bottom surface whose normal vector is substantially parallel to the z axis, said second-upper-member planar bottom surface comprising a substantially triangular second-upper-member region having two second-upper-member edges oriented substantially symmetrically at the edge angle with respect to the x axis;
• and
• (ii) two second-upper-member planar side surfaces along the two second-upper-member edges tilted inwardly by the tilt angle with respect to the z axis;
• and
• (e) an actuator disposed slidably removably within the channel and coupled with the first unitary lower member and the second unitary lower member;
• wherein the first upper member releasably engages the first unitary lower member by inserting the first protrusion in the first cavity;
• wherein the second upper member releasably engages the second unitary lower member by inserting the second protrusion in the second cavity;
• and
• wherein the actuator is configured to move the second lower member toward the first lower member along the x axis.

A mounting apparatus, comprising:

• (a) a base comprising a width, a length, and a height, thereby defining a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system having orthogonal x axis, y axis, and z axis, wherein the x axis is disposed substantially along the length and at ½ the width, wherein the y axis is disposed substantially along the width and at ½ the length, and wherein the z axis is disposed substantially along the height and at the intersection of the x axis and the y axis, said base comprising a channel along the x axis;
• (b) a first unitary lower member comprising a first protrusion wherein the first protrusion comprises:
• (i) a first-lower-member planar top surface whose normal vector is substantially parallel to the z axis, said first-lower-member planar top surface comprising a substantially triangular first-lower-member region having two first-lower-member edges oriented substantially symmetrically at an edge angle with respect to the x axis;
• and
• (ii) two first-lower-member planar side surfaces along the two first-lower-member edges tilted inwardly by a tilt angle with respect to the z axis;
• (c) a second unitary lower member comprising a second protrusion wherein the second protrusion comprises:
• (i) a second-lower-member planar top surface whose normal vector is substantially parallel to the z axis, said second-lower-member planar top surface comprising a substantially triangular second-lower-member region having two second-lower-member edges oriented substantially symmetrically at the edge angle with respect to the x axis;
• and
• (ii) two second-lower-member planar side surfaces along the two second-lower-member edges tilted inwardly by the tilt angle with respect to the z axis;
• (d) an upper member comprising a first distal-end cavity and a second distal-end cavity;
• wherein the first distal-end cavity comprises:
• a first-upper-member planar bottom surface whose normal vector is substantially parallel to the z axis, said first-upper-member planar bottom surface comprising a substantially triangular first-upper-member region having two first-upper-member edges oriented substantially symmetrically at the edge angle with respect to the x axis;
• and
• (ii) two first-upper-member planar side surfaces along the two first-upper-member edges tilted inwardly by the tilt angle with respect to the z axis:
• wherein the second distal-end cavity comprises:
• (i) a second-upper-member planar bottom surface whose normal vector is substantially parallel to the z axis, said second-upper-member planar bottom surface comprising a substantially triangular second-upper-member region having two second-upper-member edges oriented substantially symmetrically at the edge angle with respect to the x axis;
• and
• (ii) two second-upper-member planar side surfaces along the two second-upper-member edges tilted inwardly by the tilt angle with respect to the z axis;
• and
• (e) an actuator disposed slidably removably within the channel and coupled with the first unitary lower member and the second unitary lower member;
• wherein the upper member releasably engages the first unitary lower member by inserting the first protrusion in the first distal-end cavity;
• wherein the upper member releasably engages the second unitary lower member by inserting the second protrusion in the second distal-end cavity;
• and
• wherein the actuator is configured to move the second unitary lower member toward the first unitary lower member along the x axis.

A mounting apparatus, comprising:

• (a) a base comprising a width, a length, and a height, thereby defining a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system having orthogonal x axis, y axis, and z axis, wherein the x axis is disposed substantially along the length and at ½ the width, wherein the y axis is disposed substantially along the width and at ½ the length, and wherein the z axis is disposed substantially along the height and at the intersection of the x axis and the y axis, said base comprising a channel and a plurality of threaded index holes along the x axis;
• (b) a first unitary lower member, coupled with the base via two of the plurality of threaded index holes, said first unitary lower member comprising a first protrusion wherein the first protrusion comprises:
• (i) a first-lower-member planar top surface whose normal vector is substantially parallel to the z axis, said first-lower-member planar top surface comprising a substantially triangular first-lower-member region having two first-lower-member edges oriented substantially symmetrically at an edge angle with respect to the x axis;
• and
• (ii) two first-lower-member planar side surfaces along the two first-lower-member edges tilted inwardly by a tilt angle with respect to the z axis;
• (c) a second unitary lower member, coupled with the base via another two of the plurality of threaded index holes, said second unitary lower member comprising a second protrusion wherein the second protrusion comprises:
• (i) a second-lower-member planar top surface whose normal vector is substantially parallel to the z axis, said second-lower-member planar top surface comprising a substantially triangular second-lower-member region having two second-lower-member edges oriented substantially symmetrically at the edge angle with respect to the x axis;
• and
• (ii) two second-lower-member planar side surfaces along the two second-lower-member edges tilted inwardly by the tilt angle with respect to the z axis;
• and
• (d) an upper member comprising a first distal-end cavity and a second distal-end cavity;
• wherein the first distal-end cavity comprises:
• (i) a first-upper-member planar bottom surface whose normal vector is substantially parallel to the z axis, said first-upper-member planar bottom surface comprising a substantially triangular first-upper-member region having two first-upper-member edges oriented substantially symmetrically at the edge angle with respect to the x axis;
• and
• (ii) two first-upper-member planar side surfaces along the two first-upper-member edges tilted inwardly by the tilt angle with respect to the z axis;
• wherein the second distal-end cavity comprises:
• (i) a second-upper-member planar bottom surface whose normal vector is substantially parallel to the z axis, said second-upper-member planar bottom surface comprising a substantially triangular second-upper-member region having two second-upper-member edges oriented substantially symmetrically at the edge angle with respect to the x axis;
• and
• (ii) two second-upper-member planar side surfaces along the two second-upper-member edges tilted inwardly by the tilt angle with respect to the z axis;
• wherein the upper member releasably engages the first unitary lower member by inserting the first protrusion in the first distal-end cavity;
• and
• wherein the upper member releasably engages the second unitary lower member by inserting the second protrusion in the second distal-end cavity.