Flexible support assembly for vehicle tooling plates

A support pin assembly for locating and supporting a fixture on a tooling plate having a locating surface on one side thereof, the fixture defining at least one pinhole, and the tooling plate defining a plurality of fastening holes at preselected locations of the locating surface, the support pin assembly comprising:

• a stanchion member configured to fixedly secure the support pin assembly to the locating surface of the tooling plate at a predetermined location, said stanchion member defining a substantially cylindrical bore with an opening at one end thereof, said stanchion member having a first threaded portion on an inner-diameter surface thereof,
• a substantially cylindrical sleeve member at least partially disposed within said bore, and having a second threaded portion on an outer-diameter surface thereof that is threadably engaged with said first threaded portion whereby said sleeve member is operable to telescope with respect to said stanchion member between a first lowest position and a second highest position;
• a locking member configured to mate with and lock said sleeve member at any predetermined position between said first and second positions;
• and
• a locator pin releasably engaged with said sleeve member at one end thereof, and configured to engage the at least one pinhole in the fixture at an opposing end thereof.

A tooling plate assembly for locating and supporting a fixture for subsequent mounting to a vehicle frame, the fixture defining at least one pinhole, the tooling plate assembly comprising:

• a planar tooling plate including a locating surface on one side thereof, said tooling plate defining a plurality of fastening holes at preselected locations of the locating surface;
• and
• a plurality of support assemblies, each of said support assemblies including:
• a stanchion member defining a substantially cylindrical bore therein with an opening at one end thereof, said stanchion member having a first threaded portion on an inner-diameter surface thereof,
• a base plate member fixedly secured to said stanchion member, and positively attached to said locating surface of said tooling plate at a predetermined location in a repositionable manner;
• a substantially cylindrical sleeve member at least partially disposed within said bore, and having a second threaded portion on an outer-diameter surface thereof that is threadably engaged with said first threaded portion whereby said sleeve member is operable to telescope with respect to said stanchion member between a first lowest position and a second highest position, wherein said sleeve member defines an axially elongated blind internal slot therein;
• a nut defining a threaded bore therethrough and threadably engaged with said second threaded portion and configured to thereby lock said sleeve member at any predetermined position between said first and second positions;
• and
• a substantially cylindrical locator pin releasably engaged with said blind internal slot of said sleeve member at a first end thereof, said locator pin having a protrusion projecting axially outward from a second opposing end thereof, said protrusion configured to engage the at least one pinhole in the fixture.