Machine tool spindle actuated workpiece clamping system

A fixture assembly for holding a workpiece during machining operations performed on the workpiece by a powered spindle of a machine tool, the machine tool having a coolant fluid supply for supplying coolant fluid to the spindle for a tool being held by the spindle, the fixture assembly comprising:

• (a) clamping means actuated by pressurized fluid for holding the workpiece during the machining operations performed on the workpiece;
• (b) means for activating said clamping means utilizing the power obtained from the spindle to supply pressurized fluid to said clamping means;
• (c) adapter means for interconnecting the spindle of the machine tool with said activating means to transmit power from the spindle to said activating means for operating said clamping means, said adapter means being detachably connectable to the machine tool spindle to receive the coolant fluid supplied to the spindle, said adapter means also being detachably engageable with said activating means to transmit the coolant fluid from the spindle to said power supply means;
• and,
• (d) said activating means including a fluid pressure intensifier disposed in fluid flow communication with said clamping means to increase the pressure of the coolant fluid received from the spindle.

A portable fixture assembly for holding a workpiece during machining operations performed on the workpiece by powered spindles located at spaced-apart work stations, said portable fixture assembly comprising:

• (a) a base;
• (b) clamping means mounted on said base for holding on the workpiece during machining of the workpiece;
• (c) a power conversion system for actuating said clamping means;
• (d) adapter means for detachably interconnecting the power conversion system with the powered spindles to transmit supply power from the spindles to the power conversion system, said power conversion system converting the supply power received from the spindles into a form usable to actuate said clamping means;
• and,
• (e) wherein the supply power from the spindles is in the form of pressurized fluid.

A portable fixture assembly for holding a workpiece during machining operations performed on the workpiece by powered spindles located at spaced-apart work stations, said portable fixture assembly comprising:

• (a) a base;
• (b) clamping means mounted on said base and actuated by pressurized fluid for holding on the workpiece during machining of the workpiece;
• (c) a power conversion system utilizing the power obtained from the spindles to supply pressurized fluid to the clamping means for actuating the said clamping means;
• (d) adapter means for detachably interconnecting the power conversion system with the powered spindles to transmit supply power from the spindles to the power conversion system, said power conversion system converting the supply power received from the spindles into a form usable to actuate said clamping means;
• (e) wherein said power conversion system including a fluid pump in fluid flow communication with said clamping means;
• (f) wherein said adapter means detachable connecting the spindles to said fluid pump to utilize the rotary torque of the spindles to operate the fluid pump for supplying pressurized fluid to said clamping means;
• and,
• (g) wherein said power conversion system further comprises at least one control valve disposed in fluid flow communication with said fluid pump and said clamping means to control the direction of fluid flow to and from said clamping means, said control valve having switch means operable by the spindles.

A portable fixture asmembly for holding a workpiece during machining operations performed on the workpiece by powered spindles located at spaced-apart work stations, said portable fixture assembly comprising:

• (a) a base;
• (b) clamping means mounted on said base for holding on the workpiece during machining of the workpiece;
• (c) a power conversion system for actuating said clamping means;
• (d) adapter means for detachably interconnecting the power conversion system with the powered spindles to transmit supply power from the spindles to the power conversion system, said power conversion system converting the supply power received from the spindles into a form usable to actuate said clamping means;
• (e) wherein the spindles having a cooling fluid supply;
• and,
• (f) said adapter means detachably connecting said spindles to said power conversion system to transmit cooling fluid from the spindles to said power conversion system.

A machining system, comprising:

• (a) at least one machine tool having at least one powered spindle for receiving various tools utilized by the machine tool, the tools having a standard holder portion engageable with the spindle of the machine tool;
• (b) a portable fixture assembly, comprising:
• a base;
• clamping means mounted on said base for holding a workpiece during machining of the workpiece;
• and,
• a power conversion system for actuating the clamping means;
• (c) an adapter detachably interconnecting the spindle of the machine tool to said power conversion system to transmit supply power from the spindle to said power conversion system, said power conversion system converting the supply power from the spindle to a form usable to actuate said clamping means;
• and,
• (d) wherein the supply power is in the form of pressurized fluid.

A machining system, comprising:

• (a) at least one machine tool having at least one powered spindle for receiving various tools utilized by the machine tool, the tools having a standard holder portion engageable with the spindle of the machine tool;
• (b) a portable fixture assembly, comprising:
• a base;
• clamping means mounted on said base and actuated by pressurized fluid for holding a workpiece during machining of the workpiece;
• and,
• a power conversion system for actuating the clamping means by utilizing the power obtained from the spindle of the machine tool to supply pressurized fluid to said clamping means;
• (c) an adapter detachably interconnecting the spindle of the machine tool to said power conversion system to transmit supply power from the spindle to said power conversion system, said power conversion system converting the supply power from the spindle to a form usable to actuate said clamping means;
• and,
• (d) wherein said power conversion system further comprises valve means disposed in fluid flow communication with said clamping means to control the direction of flow of pressurized fluid to and from the clamping means, said valve means being actuated by the spindle of said machine tool.

A method for machining a workpiece, comprising:

• mounting a workpiece on a portable clamping fixture having a base and clamping means mounted on the base for holding the workpiece during the machining of the workpiece;
• positioning the fixture at the work station of a machine tool having a powered spindle;
• actuating the clamp means of the portable fixture assembly with the spindle of the machine tool;
• and,
• utilizing pressurized fluid from the spindle to actuate the clamping means.

A fixture assembly for holding a workpiece during machining operations performed on the workpiece by a powered spindle of a machine tool, comprising:

• (a) clamping means on the fixture assembly for holding the workpiece during the machining operations performed on the workpiece;
• (b) means on the fixture assembly for activating said clamping means;
• (c) adapter means for interconnecting the spindle of the machine tool with said activating means to transmit power from the spindle to said activating means for operating said clamping means;
• (d) said clamping means being actuated by pressurized fluid;
• and,
• (e) said activating means utilizing the power obtained from the spindle to supply pressurized fluid to said clamping means, said activating means further comprises control valve means disposed in fluid flow communication with said clamping means to control the direction of fluid flow to and from said clamping means, said control valve means having switching means operable by the spindle of the machine tool.

A portable fixture assembly for holding a workpiece during machining operations performed on the workpiece by powered spindles located at spaced-apart work stations, said portable fixture assembly, comprising:

• (a) a base;
• (b) clamping means mounted on said base for holding on the workpiece during machining of the workpiece;
• (c) a power conversion system on said base for actuating the said clamping means;
• (d) adapter means for detachably interconnecting the power conversion system with the powered spindles to transmit supply power from the spindles to the power conversion system, said power conversion system converting the supply power received from the spindles into a form usable to actuate said clamping means;
• (e) said clamping means being actuated by pressurized fluid;
• and,
• (f) said power conversion system utilizing the power obtained from the spindles to supply pressurized fluid to said clamping means, said power conversion system further comprises control valve means disposed in fluid flow communication with said clamping means to control the direction of fluid flow to and from said clamping means, said control valve means having switching means operable by the spindles.

A machining system, comprising:

• (a) at least one machine tool having at least one powered spindle for receiving various tools utilized by the machine tool, the tools having a standard holder portion engageable with the spindle of the machine tool;
• (b) a portable fixture assembly, comprising:
• a base;
• clamping means mounted on said base for holding a workpiece during machining of the workpiece;
• and,
• a power conversion system for actuating the clamping means;
• (c) an adapter detachably interconnecting the spindle of the machine tool to said power conversion system to transmit supply power from the spindle to said power conversion system, said power conversion system converting the supply power from the spindle to a form usable to actuate said clamping means;
• (d) said clamping means being actuated by pressurized fluid;
• and,
• (e) said power conversion system utilizing the power obtained from the spindle of the machine tool to supply pressurized fluid to said clamping means, said power conversion system further comprises control valve means disposed in fluid flow communication with said clamping means to control the direction of fluid flow to and from said clamping means, said control valve means having switching means operable by the spindle of said machine tool.

A fixture assembly for holding a workpiece during machining operations performed on the workpiece by a powered spindle of a machine tool, comprising:

• (a) clamping means actuated by pressurized fluid for holding the workpiece during the machining operations performed on the workpiece;
• (b) means for activating said clamping means by utilizing the power obtained from the spindle to supply pressurized fluid to said clamping means, said activating means comprising a fluid pump in fluid flow communication with said clamping means;
• (c) adapter means detachably interconnecting the spindle of the machine tool with said activating means to utilize the rotary torque of the spindle to operate said fluid pump for supplying pressurized pressure fluid to said clamping means for operating said clamping means;
• and,
• (d) wherein said activating means further comprises a control valve disposed in fluid flow communication between said pump and said clamping means to control the direction of fluid flow to and from said clamping means, said control valve having switching means operable by the spindle of the machine tool.

A fixture assembly for holding a workpiece during machining operations performed on the workpiece by a powdered spindle of a machine tool, comprising:

• (a) clamping means on the fixture assembly for holding the workpiece during the machining operations performed on the workpiece;
• (b) means on the fixture assembly for activating said clamping means;
• (c) adapter means for interconnecting the powered spindle of the machine tool with said activating means to transmit torque from the spindle to said activating means for operating said clamping means;
• (d) said clamping means being actuated by pressurized fluid;
• (e) said activating means comprising a fluid pump in fluid flow communication with said clamping means;
• and,
• (f) said adapter means detachably connecting the spindle to said fluid pump to utilize the rotary torque of the spindle to operate said fluid pump for supplying pressurized fluid to said clamping means.

A portable fixture assembly for holding a workpiece during machining operations performed on the workpiece by powered spindles located at spaced-apart work stations, said portable fixture assembly comprising:

• (a) a base;
• (b) clamping means mounted on said base for holding on to the workpiece during machining of the workpiece;
• (c) a power conversion system on said base for actuating the said clamping means;
• (d) adapter means for detachably interconnecting the power conversion system with the powered spindles to transmit supply torque from the spindles to the power conversion system, said power conversion system converting the supply torque received from the spindles into a form usable to actuate said clamping means;
• (e) said clamping means being actuated by pressurized fluid;
• (f) said power conversion system including a fluid pump in fluid flow communication with said clamping means;
• and,
• (g) said adapter means detachably connecting the spindles to said fluid pump to utilize the rotary torque of the spindles to operate the fluid pump for supplying pressurized fluid to said clamping means.

A machining system, comprising:

• (a) at least one machine tool having at least one powered spindle for receiving various tools utilized by the machine tool, the tools having a standard holder portion engageable with the spindle of the machine tool;
• (b) a portable fixture assembly, comprising:
• a base;
• clamping means mounted on said base for holding a workpiece during machining of the workpiece;
• and,
• a power conversion system mounted on said base for actuating the clamping means;
• (c) an adapter detachably interconnecting the spindle of the machine tool to said power conversion system to transmit supply torque from the spindle to said power conversion system, said power conversion system converting the supply torque from the spindle to a form usable to actuate said clamping means;
• (d) said clamping means being actuated by pressurized fluid;
• (e) said power conversion system comprising a fluid pump in fluid flow communication with said clamping means;
• and,
• (f) said adapter detachably connecting the machine tool spindle to said fluid pump to utilize the rotary torque of the spindle to operate the fluid pump for supplying pressurized fluid to said clamping means.

A machining system, comprising:

• (a) at least one machine tool having at least one powered spindle for receiving various tools utilized by the machine tool, the tools having a standard holder portion engageable with the spindle of the machine tool;
• (b) a portable fixture assembly, comprising:
• a base;
• clamping means mounted on said base and actuated by pressurized fluid for holding a workpiece during machining of the workpiece;
• and,
• a power conversion system utilizing the power obtained from the spindle of the machine tool to supply pressurized fluid to the clamping means;
• (c) an adapter detachably interconnecting the spindle of the machine tool to said power conversion system to transmit supply power from the spindle to said power conversion system, said power conversion system converting the supply power from the spindle to a form usable to actuate said clamping means;
• (d) wherein the spindle having a cooling fluid supply;
• and,
• (e) wherein said adapter detachably connecting said spindle to said power conversion system to transmit cooling fluid from the spindle to the power conversion system.