Workpiece supporting and clamping apparatus

A workpiece supporting and clamping assembly adapted to be positioned on a support stand, table, bench, or the like, said assembly comprising:

• a substantially rigid base frame including a pair of spaced apart generally parallel frame members, and a pair of elongated top members lying generally in a common plane in side-by-side relation mounted to said pair of frame members such that each top member has one of its end regions supported by one of said pair of frame members and its other end region supported by the other one of said pair of frame members, both of said top members being movable along said generally parallel frame members toward and away from one another;
• extensible and retractible clamping means operatively interconnected between a first one of said top members and said base frame and operable to move said first one of the top members to an infinite number of positions along said parallel frame members, the movement being in a backward direction away from the second one of said top members to provide for tensioning a workpiece between said top members and in a forward direction toward said second top member for clamping a workpiece between said top members, index means operatively associated with the second one of said top members and said rigid base frame for indexing and locating the second top member at any one of a plurality of predetermined positions spaced along said generally parallel frame members whereby the second top member can be quickly positioned manually relative to the first top member approximately in accordance with the appropriate dimensions of a workpiece to be held by said top members with said clamping means being operative to move the first top member relative to the second top member to provide the required holding forces therebetween;
• and,
• positive securing means for positively securing said second top member at any one of said plurality of predetermined positions irrespective of which of said directions said first top member is moved along said frame members to hold the workpiece therebetween.

A workpiece supporting and clamping assembly comprising:

• a generally rigid base frame including a spaced apart pair of elongated frame members;
• a pair of elongated mutually adjacent top members mounted on said spaced frame members and disposed generally transversely thereto, said top members having respective upper work supporting surfaces lying generally in a common plane and respective longitudinally extending, mutually adjacent side portions defining clamping surfaces conjointly defining a longitudinally extending clamping gap therebetween;
• first and second clamping means interconnected between said base frame and one of said top members for moving said one top member over said pair of frame members in a direction toward or away from the other one of said top members to provide for tightly holding a workpiece between said top members, said first clamping means and said second clamping means being connected to said base frame and said one top member so as to be capable of being operated independently of each other whereby the width of said clamping gap can be adjusted to be greater at one longitudinal end thereof than at the other longitudinal end thereof;
• indexing means formed on said frame members for indexing said other one of said top members along said elongated frame members to any one of a plurality of selected positions whereby said other top member can be manually shifted and located laterally with respect to said one top member to rapidly adjust the coarse width of said clamping gap to accommodate varying sizes of workpieces whereby said first and second clamping means can be manually adjusted to fine adjust said width of said gap to tightly hold the workpiece between said top members;
• and,
• positive securing means for positively securing said other top member at any one of said plurality of selected positions.

A workpiece supporting and clamping assembly comprising:

• a generally rigid base frame including a spaced apart pair of elongated frame members;
• a pair of elongated mutually adjacent top members mounted on said spaced frame members and disposed generally transversely thereto, said top members having respective upper work supporting surfaces lying generally in a common plane and respective longitudinally extending, mutually adjacent side portions defining clamping surfaces conjointly defining a longitudinally extending clamping gap therebetween;
• first and second clamping means interconnected between said base frame and one of said top members for moving said one top member over said pair of frame members in a direction toward or away from the other one of said top members to provide for tightly holding a workpiece between said top members, said first clamping means and said second clamping means being connected to said base frame and said one top member so as to be capable of being operated independently of each other whereby the width of said clamping gap can be adjusted to be greater at one longitudinal end thereof than at the other longitudinal end thereof;
• indexing means formed on said frame members for indexing said other one of said top members along said elongated frame members to any one of a plurality of selected positions whereby said other top member can be manually shifted and located laterally with respect to said one top member to rapidly adjust the coarse width of said clamping gap to accommodate varying sizes of workpieces whereby said first and second clamping means can be manually adjusted to fine adjust said width of said gap to tightly hold the workpiece between said top members, said indexing means including a first plurality of position defining means and a second plurality of position defining means along said elongated frame members, respectively;
• positive securing means for positively securing said other top member at any one of said plurality of selected positions, said positive securing means including a pair of locator means on said other top member for engaging respective ones of said first and second position defining means;
• and,
• means for indexing one of said locator means along its associated frame member relative to the other one of said locator means so as to cause said other top member to be angularly adjusted with respect to said one top member about an axis extending normal to said common plane to further adjust said width of said gap.

A workpiece supporting and clamping assembly comprising:

• a generally rigid base frame including a spaced apart pair of elongated frame members;
• a pair of elongated mutually adjacent top members mounted on said spaced frame members and disposed generally transversely thereto, said top members having respective upper work supporting surfaces lying generally in a common plane and respective longitudinally extending, mutually adjacent side portions defining clamping surfaces conjointly defining a longitudinally extending clamping gap therebetween;
• clamping means interconnected between said base frame and one of said top members for moving said one top member over said pair of frame members in a direction toward or away from the other one of said top members to provide for tightly holding a workpiece between said top members;
• indexing means formed on said frame members for indexing said other one of said top members along said elongated frame members to any one of a plurality of selected positions whereby said other top member can be manually shifted and located laterally with respect to said one top member to rapidly adjust the coarse width of said clamping gap to accommodate varying sizes of workpieces whereby said clamping means can be manually adjusted to fine adjust the width of said gap to tightly hold the workpiece between said top members, said indexing means including a first plurality of position defining means and a second plurality of position defining means along said elongated frame members, respectively;
• positive securing means for positively securing said other top member at any one of said plurality of selected positions, said positive securing means including a pair of locator means on said other top member for engaging respective ones of said first and second position defining means;
• and,
• means for indexing one of said locator means along the frame member associated therewith relative to the other one of said locator means so as to cause said other top member to be angularly adjusted with respect to said one top member about an axis extending normal to said common plane whereby the width of said clamping gap can be adjusted to be greater at one longitudinal end thereof than at the other longitudinal end thereof.

A workpiece supporting and clamping assembly comprising:

• a generally rigid base frame including a spaced apart pair of elongated frame members;
• a pair of elongated mutually adjacent top members mounted on said spaced frame members and disposed generally transversely thereto, said top members having respective upper work supporting surfaces lying generally in a common plane and respective longitudinally extending, mutually adjacent side portions defining clamping surfaces conjointly defining a longitudinally extending clamping gap therebetween;
• first and second clamping means interconnected between said base frame and one of said top members for moving said one top member over said pair of frame members in a direction toward the other one of said top members to provide for clamping of a workpiece between said top members or for moving said one of said top members over said pair of frame members in a direction away from said other one of said top members to provide for tensioning a workpiece between said top members, said first clamping means and said second clamping means being connected to said base frame and said one top member so as to be capable of being operated independently of each other whereby the width of said clamping gap can be adjusted to be greater at one longitudinal end thereof than at the other longitudinal end thereof;
• indexing means formed on said frame members for indexing said other one of said top members along said elongated frame members to any one of a plurality of selected positions whereby said other top member can be manually shifted and located laterally with respect to said one top member to rapidly adjust the coarse width of said clamping gap to accommodate varying sizes of workpieces whereby said first and second clamping means can be manually adjusted to fine adjust said width of said gap to tightly hold the workpiece between said top members;
• and,
• positive securing means for positively securing said other top member at any one of said plurality of selected positions irrespective of which of said directions said one top member is moved along said elongated frame members to tightly hold the workpiece.

A workpiece supporting and clamping assembly comprising:

• a generally rigid base frame including a spaced apart pair of elongated frame members;
• a pair of elongated mutually adjacent top members mounted on said spaced frame members and disposed generally transversely thereto, said top members having respective upper work supporting surfaces lying generally in a common plane and respective longitudinally extending, mutually adjacent side portions defining clamping surfaces conjointly defining a longitudinally extending clamping gap therebetween;
• first and second clamping means interconnected between said base frame and one of said top members for moving said one top member over said pair of frame members in a direction toward the other one of said top members to provide for clamping of a workpiece between said top members or for moving said one of said top members over said pair of frame members in a direction away from said other one of said top members to provide for tensioning a workpiece between said top members, said first clamping means and said second clamping means being connected to said base frame and said one top member so as to be capable of being operated independently of each other whereby the width of said clamping gap can be adjusted to be greater at one longitudinal end thereof than at the other longitudinal end thereof;
• indexing means formed on said frame members for indexing said other one of said top members along said elongated frame members to any one of a plurality of selected positions whereby said other top member can be manually shifted and located laterally with respect to said one top member to rapidly adjust the coarse width of said clamping gap to accommodate varying sizes of workpieces whereby said first and second clamping means can be manually adjusted to fine adjust said width of said gap to tightly hold the workpiece between said top members, said indexing means including a first plurality of position defining means and a second plurality of position defining means along said elongated frame members, respectively;
• positive securing means for positively securing said other top member at any one of said plurality of selected positions irrespective of which of said directions said one top member is moved along said elongated frame members to tightly hold the workpiece, said positive securing means including a pair of locator means on said other top member for engaging respective ones of said first and second position defining means;
• and,
• means for indexing one of said locator means along its associated frame member relative to the other one of said locator means so as to cause said other top member to be angularly adjusted with respect to said one top member about an axis extending normal to said common plane to further adjust said width of said gap.

A workpiece supporting and clamping assembly comprising:

• a generally rigid base frame including a spaced apart pair of elongated frame members;
• a pair of elongated mutually adjacent top members mounted on said spaced frame members and disposed generally transversely thereto, said top members having respective upper work supporting surfaces lying generally in a common plane and respective longitudinally extending, mutually adjacent side portions defining clamping surfaces conjointly defining a longitudinally extending clamping gap therebetween;
• clamping means interconnected between said base frame and one of said top members for moving said one top member over said pair of frame members in a direction toward the other one of said top members to provide for clamping of a workpiece between said top members or for moving said one of said top members over said pair of frame members in a direction away from said other one of said top members to provide for tensioning a workpiece between said top members;
• indexing means formed on said frame members for indexing said other one of said top members along said elongated frame members to any one of a plurality of selected positions whereby said other top member can be manually shifted and located laterally with respect to said one top member to rapidly adjust the coarse width of said clamping gap to accommodate varying sizes of workpieces whereby said clamping means can be manually adjusted to fine adjust the width of said gap to tightly hold the workpiece between said top members, said indexing means including a first plurality of position defining means and a second plurality of position defining means along said elongated frame members, respectively;
• positive securing means for positively securing said other top member at any one of said plurality of selected positions irrespective of which of said directions said one top member is moved along said elongated frame members to tightly hold the workpiece, said positive securing means including a pair of locator means on said other top member for engaging respective ones of said first and second position defining means;
• and,
• means for indexing one of said locator means along the frame member associated therewith relative to the other one of said locator means so as to cause said other top member to be angularly adjusted with respect to said one top member about an axis extending normal to said common plane whereby the width of said clamping gap can be adjusted to be greater at one longitudinal end thereof than at the other longitudinal end thereof.