Work holder

Abstract

An improved work holder for use with a shearing or cutting machine is provided which includes a heavy tray stationary base, two or more spaced fixed upright supports secured to the base, cross-braced to each other and bearing aligned support brackets and a forwardly extending generally horizontal support arm slidably disposed in the brackets for reciprocating into and out of a workpiece supporting position within the machine between the machine's cutter and backstop. A forwardly extending handle is secured to the upper end of a vertical rod spaced laterally of the arm and secured thereto by a cross-bar. The lower end of the rod holds a rotatable ground traversing wheel, so that reciprocation of the handle reciprocates the arm into and away from the workpiece supporting position. A workman is able to manipulate the handle while a workpiece, such as a thin flat flexible sheet of metal, is in place in the machine for cutting. The arm is alternately advanced to support the sheet against bending before and during cutting and retracted to allow the cut portion of the sheet to drop away from the cutting area. In order to increase the support efficiency of the arm, its end can include an adjustable extension. The holder is simple, durable, inexpensive, efficient and effective in operation.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.