Automatic alignmant vise

An automatic alignment vise, comprising:

• (a) a plurality of alignment jaws, each of said alignment jaws having workpiece support surfaces for supporting a workpiece and positioning it along a Z-axis;
• (b) a scissor alignment mechanism capable of gripping said workpiece and positioning said workpiece along a Y-axis, wherein said scissor alignment mechanism, in response to an actuation signal, positions said workpiece supported by said alignment jaws along said Y-axis without substantially changing said Z-axis position, said scissor alignment mechanism comprising a plurality of scissor arms pivotally connected, wherein one end of each scissor arm is connected to scissor actuation means for moving said scissor arms relative to one another, said portion of each of said scissor arms located on the opposite side of the pivot connection from said scissor actuation means supporting said alignment jaws, whereby said scissor actuation means upon actuation moves said ends of said scissor arms it is connected to away from each other causing said portion of each of said scissor arms located on the opposite side of the pivot connection from said scissor actuation means to move toward each other and causing said alignment jaws supported by said scissor arms to grip said workpiece and position it along said Y-axis;
• (c) X-axis positioning apparatus comprising a linear motion device capable of moving said workpiece along an X-axis in response to an actuation signal without substantially changing said Z-axis and Y-axis positions, wherein said workpiece comes in contact with a fixed pressure plate which stops motion of said workpiece along said X-axis in response to said linear motion device moving said workpiece along said X-axis, whereby said workpiece is pressed between said fixed pressure plate and said linear motion device;
• and
• (d) rotational apparatus capable of rotating said workpiece around said X-axis in response to an actuation signal, said rotational apparatus comprising rotating means, affixed to said fixed pressure plate, for rotating said fixed pressure plate around said X-axis, said fixed pressure plate being capable of freely rotating around said X-axis, said rotational apparatus further comprising a linear motion device pressure plate, said linear motion device pressure plate being capable of freely rotating around said X-axis, whereby rotation of said rotational apparatus rotates said workpiece pressed between said fixed pressure plate and said linear motion device pressure plate.