System and method for gripping and centering workpieces for subsequent processing

A device for gripping and centering a workpiece, comprising:

• an internal housing defining a radial cutout configured to receive a workpiece and a pair of diametrically opposed slider slots;
• an outer collar rotatably mounted around the internal housing, the outer collar including a radial cutout and a helical actuation track formed on an inner surface of the outer collar;
• a pair sliders, each slider positioned within a corresponding slider slot and including an engagement element configured to engage the helical actuation track, such that rotation of the outer collar relative to the internal housing causes axial translation of the sliders;
• a pair of diametrically opposed clamping jaws, each clamping jaw movably positioned in a clamping slot in the internal housing and having a workpiece-engaging surface at a first end and a force-receiving surface at a second end;
• an adjusting screw disposed within each slider and threadedly engaged with a force-transferring element configured to adjust the position of the corresponding clamping jaw;
• wherein each slider is in operable communication with a corresponding clamping jaw, and axial translation of the sliders in a first direction radially displaces the clamping jaws toward each other.

A method of gripping and centering a workpiece, comprising:

• inserting the workpiece laterally into a radial cutout defined in an internal housing of a clamping device;
• rotating an outer collar mounted around the internal housing, the outer collar having a radial cutout aligned with the radial cutout of the internal housing and an inner surface defining a helical actuation track;
• wherein rotation of the outer collar causes axial translation of a pair of diametrically opposed sliders engaged with the actuation track;
• wherein axial translation of the sliders causes radial displacement of a pair of diametrically opposed clamping jaws;
• wherein an adjusting screw is disposed within each slider and is threadedly engaged with a force-transferring element such that rotation of the adjusting screw alters the position of a corresponding clamping jaw;
• and
• wherein the radial displacement of the clamping jaws grips the workpiece within the radial cutout of the internal housing.