Apparatus and method for a releasable modular clamping system

A camlock for a modular clamping apparatus, the camlock comprising:

• a generally hollow cylindrical body having a sidewall, a closed end, and an open end defining an interior space;
• an access bore extending through said sidewall, said access bore being dimensioned to receive a head of an insert therethrough;
• a slot extending circumferentially from said access bore along said sidewall, said slot being narrower than said access bore and being dimensioned to receive a neck of the insert;
• and
• a contoured inner surface formed on an interior of said sidewall adjacent to said slot, said contoured inner surface configured to mate with an underside of the head of the insert when the neck is positioned in said slot.

A method of releasably clamping a workpiece, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a pillar having a first counterbore;
• providing a camlock rotatably disposed within the first counterbore, the camlock having a sidewall progressively increasing thickness and a contoured inner surface shaped to match an underside of a head of an insert, the sidewall further defining an interior space, an access bore, and a slot extending from the access bore;
• providing an insert having a workpiece-engaging end and a locking end, the locking end comprising a head and a neck;
• preparing a cavity in a workpiece;
• mating the workpiece-engaging end of the insert to the cavity in the workpiece;
• aligning the access bore of the camlock to an unlocked position and inserting the head of the insert through the access bore into the interior space of the camlock;
• and
• rotating the camlock to a locked position, thereby moving the slot into alignment with the neck and causing the contoured inner surface to engage the underside of the head while the progressively increasing thickness of the sidewall creates a wedging force against the head that tightens the engagement, and capturing the head within the interior space to secure the workpiece to the pillar.