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US 4,892,020 AGranted
Workpiece support system for cutting machine
AssigneeThe Fletcher-Terry Company
InventorsVincent T. Kozyrski, Alan R. Peters
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wall-mounted support system for a sheet-cutting machine employs a workpiece clamping unit, and a set of rack units to provide endwise support for the workpiece. The clamping unit is comprised of confronting, elongated members of U-shaped cross section, connected by pairs of identical pivot arm components which are, in turn, assembled with pins that provide bearing elements. The rack units incorporate leveling bars, the attitudes of each of which is adjusted by use of an eccentric fixture.
Claims20
A wall-mounted support system for a sheet-cutting machine, comprising:
- a frame having backing structure providing contact surfaces disposed in a generally vertical plane with said system in its normal, wall-mounted orientation;
- an elongated clamping unit disposed on said frame forwardly of said generally vertical plane with its longitudinal axis vertically oriented, said clamping unit comprising:
- (a) an elongated, rectilinear housing member of generally U-shaped cross-section, as taken in planes transverse to its longitudinal axis, comprised of a top wall and two spaced, parallel, coextensive sidewalls extending along the length thereof;
- (b) an elongated, rectilinear clamp member assembled with said housing member and having a portion, extending along its entire length, that is of generally U-shaped cross-section, as taken in said transverse planes, said portion being comprised of a bottom wall and two spaced, parallel, coextensive sidewalls extending along the length thereof, the spacing of said clamp member sidewalls being less than that of said housing member sidewalls, and said clamp member sidewalls being received between said housing member sidewalls in edgewise confronting relationship, said clamp member having a clamping contact surface outwardly disposed on said bottom wall;
- (c) a plurality of rigid pivot arms disposed in the space between said sidewalls of said clamp member at spaced locations along the length of said unit, each of said arms being pivotably attached to said housing member and said clamp member to permit parallel movement of said clamp member between a retracted position, substantially within said housing member, and positions extended therefrom;
- (d) a like plurality of guide pins extending transversely between said sidewalls of said clamp member and inserted through said pivot arms for pivotable attachment thereof, each of said pins having a shaft element and a head element on at least one end thereof, said head elements having low-friction outer surfaces thereon, and at least one of said head elements being interposed between the adjacent sidewalls of said clamp and housing members on each side of said unit;
- (e) a handle member pivotably mounted on said housing member and having an inner end portion therewithin and an outer end portion accessible for manual operation;
- and
- (f) a rigid link member effectively interconnecting said handle member to said clamp member, so as to enable said handle member to effect movement of said clamp member between said retracted and extended positions thereof;
- and
- an elongated rack unit mounted on said frame forwardly of said vertical plane with its longitudinal axis horizontally oriented and parallel to said plane, said rack unit comprising:
- (g) an elongated channel member attached to said frame and comprised of spaced, upstanding forward and rearward walls defining an upwardly opening channel therebetween, said rearward wall having at least one circular opening therein and said forward wall having an upper edge and a window therethrough below said upper edge and in general alignment with said opening of said rearward wall;
- (h) an elongated leveling bar pivotably attached at one end, operatively to said frame, and contained within said channel of said channel member, said bar having a flat upper surface at a level below said upper edge of said forward wall and an upper marginal edge defining said forward wall window, and having at least one aperture therethrough spaced from said one end of said bar and in general alignment with said window and opening of said forward and rearward walls, respectively;
- and
- (i) an eccentric mounting fixture, including a first part rotatably seated in said circular opening of said rearward wall for rotation about an axis through the center of said opening, and a second part having opposite ends and a shaft therebetween extending through said aperture of said leveling bar on an axis parallel to said axis of rotation, said second part being engaged at one end with an inner end portion of said first part at a point offset from the axis of rotation thereof, and having means at its other end for cooperating with said first part to clamp said bar against said rearward wall;
- whereby rotation of said first part will raise and lower said shaft of said second part to pivot said bar, and whereby said bar can be clamped in selected positions against said rearward wall by coaction of said first and second parts.
13 more elements
A self-contained clamping unit, adapted for installation in a wall-mounted cutting machine for cooperatively securing sheet-like workpieces therein, said clamping unit comprising:
- (a) an elongated, rectilinear housing member of generally U-shaped cross-section, as taken in planes transverse to its longitudinal axis, comprised of a top wall and two spaced, parallel, coextensive sidewalls extending along the length thereof;
- (b) an elongated, rectilinear clamp member assembled with said housing member and having a portion, extending along its entire length, that is of generally U-shaped cross-section, as taken in said transverse planes, said portion being comprised of a bottom wall and two spaced, parallel, coextensive sidewalls extending along the length thereof, the spacing of said clamp member sidewalls being less than that of said housing member sidewalls, and said clamp member sidewalls being received between said housing member sidewalls in edgewise confronting relationship, said clamp member having a clamping contact surface outwardly disposed on said bottom wall;
- (c) a plurality of rigid pivot arms disposed in the space between said sidewalls of said clamp member at spaced locations along the length of said unit, each of said arms being pivotably attached to said housing member and said clamp member to permit parallel movement of said clamp member between a retracted position, substantially within said housing member, and positions extended therefrom;
- (d) a like plurality of guide pins extending transversely between said sidewalls of said clamp member and inserted through said pivot arms for pivotable attachment thereof, each of said pins having a shaft element and a thin, flat head element on one end thereof with a low-friction outer surface thereon, at least one of said head elements being snugly interposed between the adjacent sidewalls of said clamp and housing members on each side of said unit;
- (e) a handle member pivotably mounted on said housing member and having an inner end portion therewithin and an outer end portion accessible for manual operation;
- and
- (f) a rigid link member effectively interconnecting said handle member to said clamp member, so as to enable said handle member to effect movement of said clamp member between said retracted and extended positions thereof.
4 more elements
A rack unit for a wall-mounted cutting machine, adapted for supporting sheet-like workpieces therein, said rack unit comprising:
- (a) an elongated channel member comprised of spaced, forward and rearward walls defining a channel therebetween, said rearward wall having at least one circular opening therein and said forward wall having an upper edge and a window therethrough below said upper edge and in general alignment with said opening of said rearward wall;
- (b) an elongated leveling bar having means at one end for pivotably attaching said bar to a frame, and contained within said channel of said channel member, said bar having a flat upper surface at a level below said upper edge of said forward wall and an upper marginal edge defining said forward wall window, and having at least one aperture therethrough spaced from said one end of said bar and in general alignment with said window and opening of saidforward and rearward walls, respectively;
- and
- (c) an eccentric mounting fixture, including a first part rotatably seated in said circular opening of said rearward wall for rotation about an axis through the center of said opening, and a second part having opposite ends and a shaft extending therebetween through said aperture of said leveling bar on an axis parallel to said axis of rotation, said second part being engaged at one end with an inner end portion of said first part at a point offset from the axis of rotation thereof, and part having means at its other end for cooperating with said first part to clamp said bar against said rearward wall, whereby rotation of said first part will raise and lower said shaft of said second part to pivot said bar, and whereby said bar can be clamped in selected positions against said rearward wall by coaction of said first and second parts.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.