# US 5,343,611 A · Method and a fixture system for positioning and fixing details for assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,343,611 A - Document ID: US5343611A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/050,063 - Filed: 1993-05-10 - Granted: 1994-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 1993-05-10 - Inventors: Goran Lager; Nils Eriksson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5343611A ## CPC - B25B 11/02: Assembly jigs - B23K 37/0426: {Fixtures for other work} - B23Q 3/103: {Constructional elements used for constructing work holders} - Y10T 29/49998: Work holding - B25B: TOOLS OR BENCH DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, FOR FASTENING, CONNECTING, DISENGAGING, OR HOLDING - B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM - B23Q: DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING (tools of the kind used in lathes or boring machines B23B27/00); MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract The present invention relates to a method and a fixture system for providing a fixture for the positioning and clamping of details to be assembled, preferably by welding. According to the method drawing information for the assembled product is provided in a computer program, a zero position on the product is established, an installation plan for the fixture to be built is provided by determining support positions in a system of coordinates, for the fixture relative to the product, based on the drawing information and starting from the zero position on the product, and the fixture is built up according to the established installation plan and from standard fixture components (1, 5, 7, 14) selectively interconnectable by means of hole systems (2, 6, 18, 15) extendable along the X-, Y- and/or Z-axes of the coordinate system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fixture system for the positioning and clamping of details to be assembled, characterized by selectively interconnectable standard fixture components (1, 5, 7, 14) provided with hole systems (2, 6, 8, 15) where the holes are provided in exact positions with predetermined pitch, tile standard fixture components being interconnectable in predetermined exact positions in the longitudinal, transversal and vertical direction with the hole systems (2, 6, 8) selectively extendable along the X-, Y- and/or Z-axis of a coordinate system, all of the holes of the hole systems having specified positions in tile coordinate system, said fixture system comprising a computer for storing drawing information regarding a product, for storing fixture standard component data and fixture means data and for establishing an installation plan for the specific fixture to be built in each case, based on the stored drawing information and the fixture component data. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A fixture system according to claim 1, characterized in that the standard fixture components consist of basic beams (1) interconnectable in the longitudinal, transversal and vertical direction by means of jointing means (5) and connecting means (7) and in that fixture means (9, 11, 13), and bridging plates (14) are connectable to the basic beams (1) in predetermined exact positions in the hole system of the basic beams (1). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A fixture system according to claim 1, characterized in that all sides of basic beams (1) form positioning and clamping surfaces and are provided with holes in one or several aligned rows. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A fixture system according to claim 1, characterized in that the standard fixture components (1, 5, 7) are interconnectable and that the fixture means (9, 11) and bridging plates (14) are attachable by means of expandable clamping means (16) in the shape of expansion-shell bolts. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A fixture system according to claim 1, characterized in that a first fixture means (9) is optionally positionable on the basic beams (1) or bridging plates (14), in exact position in the hole system (2, 15).and in that a second fixture means (11) is connectable to and supportable on the first fixture means (9). ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A fixture system according to claim 1, characterized in that the second fixture means (11) is provided with slits (12) allowing for a stepless movement in one direction and in that the first fixture means (9) is provided with a scale (10) for reading the position of the second fixture means (11) relative thereto. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A fixture system according to claim 1, characterized in that the basic beams (1) are provided as electrically conducting beams. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) A fixture system according to claim 2, characterized in that all sides of the basic beams (1) form positioning and clamping surfaces and are provided with holes in one or several aligned rows. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) A fixture system according to claim 2, characterized in that the standard fixture components (1, 5, 7) are interconnectable and that the fixture means (9, 11) and bridging plates (14) are attachable by means of expandable clamping means (16) in the shape of expansion-shell bolts. ### Claim 10 (depends on 3) A fixture system according to claim 3, characterized in that a first fixture means (9) is optionally positionable on the basic beams (1) or bridging plates (14), in exact position in the hole system (2, 15) and in that a second fixture means (11) is connectable to and supportable on the first fixture means (9). ### Claim 11 (depends on 4) A fixture system according to claim 4, characterized in that a first fixture means (9) is optionally positionable on the basic beams (1) or bridging plates (14), in exact position in the hole system (2, 15) and in that a second fixture means (11) is connectable to and supportable on the first fixture means (9). ### Claim 12 (depends on 4) A fixture system according to claim 4, characterized in that the second fixture means (11) is provided with slits (12) allowing for a stepless movement in one direction and in that the first fixture means (9) is provided with a scale (10) for reading the position of the second fixture means (11) relative thereto. ### Claim 13 (depends on 5) A fixture system according to claim 5, characterized in that the second fixture means (11) is provided with slits (12) allowing for a stepless movement in one direction and in that the first fixture means (9) is provided with a scale (10) for reading the position of the second fixture means (11) relative thereto. ### Claim 14 (depends on 4) A fixture system according to claim 4, characterized in that the basic beams (1) are provided as electrically conducting beams. ### Claim 15 (depends on 6) A fixture system according to claim 6, characterized in that the basic beams (1) are provided as electrically conducting beams. ### Claim 16 (depends on 2) A fixture system according to claim 2, characterized in that all sides of the basic beams (1) form positioning and clamping surfaces and are provided with one row of holes. ### Claim 17 A welding fixture system for the positioning and clamping of details to be assembled through welding, characterized by selectively interconnectable standard fixture components (1, 5, 7, 14) provided with hole systems (2, 6, 8, 25) where the holes are provided in exact positions with predetermined pitch, the standard fixture components being interconnectable in predetermined exact positions in the longitudinal, transversal and vertical direction with the hole systems (2, 6, 8) selectively extendable along the X-, Y-and/or Z-axis of a coordinate system, all of the holes of the hole systems having specified positions in the coordinate system, said welding fixture system comprising a computer for storing drawing information regarding a product, for storing fixture standard component data and fixture means data and for establishing an installation plan for the specific fixture to be built in each case, based on the stored drawing information and the fixture component data. ### Claim 18 A method for providing a fixture for the positioning and clamping of details to be assembled, comprising the steps of storing in a computer drawing information regarding a product, fixture standard component data and fixture means data; establishing a zero position on the product; providing an installation plan for the specific fixture to be built through determining, based on the stored drawing information and the fixture component data, support positions for the fixture relative to the product, in a system of coordinates and starting from the zero position on the product; and building up a fixture according to the installation plan, from standard fixture components selectively interconnectable by means of a hole system extendable in the direction of the X-, Y- and/or Z-axis of the system of coordinates. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, characterized by providing drawing information in a CAD computer program, by storing all fixture standard components in the CAD computer program and by establishing the installation program for the fixture in a computer, based on the drawing information and fixture standard components stored therein.