Machine tool rotary table locking apparatus

A rotary table locking apparatus comprising:

• a table assembly having a rotatable central portion having a work surface, the assembly further having a peripheral portion for communicating with clamping means, the peripheral portion hingeably attached to the central portion;
• a base having a reference surface adapted for securing the peripheral portion there to, the base further having a bore for receiving a shaft, the bore having a race within a side wall portion for receiving bearings;
• clamping means for removably securing the table assembly peripheral portion to the base reference surface for locking the table assembly in a rigid position during a clamped position thus preventing rotation of the table assembly, the clamping means permitting table assembly rotation during an unclamped position;
• a shaft extending from the table assembly and received within the bore for rotating the assembly about a longitudinal axis of the shaft, the shaft having a race positioned for communicating with the bore side wall race through a bearing operating within the races;
• and
• a bearing slidable within the races for providing smooth rotation of the shaft about the axis within the bore, the bearing generally slidable within race center portions for shaft rotation during the unclamped position, the bearing movable to a position biasing diagonally against opposing shaft and bore race sides for providing further table rigidity during the clamped position.

A rotary table locking apparatus comprising:

• a circular table having a center portion and peripheral portion surrounding the center portion, the table having a top surface for placing a workpiece thereon and an opposing bottom surface having a shaft extending therefrom for rotation of the table about a longitudinal axis of the shaft, the shaft having a cylindrical side wall;
• a disk rotor flexibly extended from the table peripheral portion, the rotor hingedly flexible about the table peripheral portion for movement from a position out of contact with a base contact surface for rotation of the table to a position in contact with the base reference surface for locking the rotor against the base reference surface, the rotor having a first surface for making frictional contact with the base reference surface and a second surface for making frictional contact with a plunger surface;
• a base having a reference surface for biasing the rotor first surface thereto, the base having a bore for closely receiving the shaft for movement of the shaft within the bore, the bore having a cylindrical side wall for receiving the shaft cylindrical wall, the base having a peripheral portion proximate the table peripheral portion, the base peripheral portion formed for receiving the rotor therein, the base peripheral portion having a cavity opposing the rotor second surface, the cavity having a top wall and side walls, the side walls dimensioned for receiving a plunger therebetween;
• a plunger defined by opposing first and second surfaces and opposing side surfaces, the plunger second surface dimensioned for making frictional contact with the disk rotor second surface, the plunger side surfaces positioned for slidable movement along the cavity side walls, the plunger first surface in combination with the cavity top and side walls defining a chamber;
• and
• a flexible member in sealable contact with a plunger side surface and cavity side wall, the flexible member sufficiently flexible for elastically deforming from a first sealable position during a first pressure level within the chamber to a second sealable position during increased pressure within the chamber for biasing the plunger second surface against the rotor second surface for placing the plunger second surface in frictional contact with the rotor second surface and the rotor first surface into frictional contact with the reference surface for locking the rotor and thus the table in a rigid position, the plunger retracting from frictional contact with a return to the first pressure level within the chamber.

A rotary table useful with a computer controlled dicing saw, the rotary table comprising:

• a table base having a vertical cylindrical bore for receiving a shaft for rotation within a bore side wall, the bore side wall having a first race positioned for communicating with a shaft first wall race through ball bearings operating within the first races, the bore further having a second race positioned for communicating with a shaft second race through ball bearings operating within the second races, the base further having a reference surface within a plan perpendicular to a longitudinal bore axis;
• a cylindrical shaft having an axis or rotation coincident with the bore axis for shaft rotation within the bore, the shaft outside wall dimensioned for free rotation along the bore side wall, the shaft extensively within the bore, the shaft having one end extending outward from the bore for attaching to a table;
• the shaft wall having a first race positioned proximate a shaft table end for communicating with the bore first side wall race through ball bearings operating within the first races and a second race positioned at an opposing shaft end for communicating with the bore second race through ball bearings operating within the second races;
• ball bearings slidable within the races for providing smooth rotation of the shaft about the axis within the bore, the bearings generally slidable within race center portions for shaft rotation during a table unclamped position, the bearings movable to a position biasing against opposing shaft and bore race sides for providing further table rigidity during a table clamped position;
• a cylindrical table attached at a table bottom side to the shaft extended end for rotation of the table about the axis of the shaft, the table having an opposing table work surface for placing a workpiece upon the surface, the work surface generally parallel to the reference surface during free rotation of the shaft within the bore;
• a circular disk rotor attached along a peripheral portion of the table within a plane parallel to the work surface, the disk hingably attached for movement from a first position distant the base reference surface for free rotation of the shaft and thus table about the axis to a second position wherein the rotor is biased against the reference surface for locking the rotor and pulling the table into a rigid position having the work surface parallel to the reference surface;
• and
• means for biasing the rotor against the reference surface, the biasing sufficient for providing frictional contact between the rotor and reference surface for preventing rotation of the table and further for moving the bearings to the position biased against opposing shaft and bore race sides, thus providing table rigidity for operation on the workpiece attached to the work surface.

A rotary table locking apparatus comprising:

• a table assembly having a rotatable work surface, the assembly further having a peripheral portion hingeably attached thereto;
• a base having a surface portion for clamping the table assembly thereto, the base further having a bore for receiving a shaft;
• clamping means carried by the base, the clamping means for placing the table assembly peripheral portion in frictional contact with the base for locking the table assembly in a rigid position;
• a shaft extending from the table assembly for rotating the table assembly about a longitudinal axis of the shaft, the shaft closely received within the bore for rotation about the axis;
• and
• bearing means carried within the bore for providing rotation of the shaft, and thus the table, about the axis, the bearing means comprising a first race carried by the shaft and a second race carried by the base, the bearing means further comprising a bearing slidable between the first and second races, the bearing generally slidable within race center portions during shaft rotation about the axis for rotating the table assembly, the bearing biasing against first and second race diagonally opposing race portions during longitudinal displacement of the shaft along the axis, the biasing providing sufficient force for rigidly securing the table to the base.

A rotary table locking apparatus comprising:

• a table assembly having a central portion for providing a work surface, the assembly further having a peripheral portion hingeably attached to the central portion;
• a base having a surface portion for positioning the table assembly thereto;
• and
• clamping means for clamping the table assembly peripheral portion to the base surface portions, the clamping means locking the table assembly in a rigid position during a clamped position for preventing rotation of the table assembly.

A rotary table locking apparatus comprising:

• a table having a disk rotor hingeably attached along a table peripheral portion;
• a shaft extending from the table for rotating the table about a longitudinal axis of the shaft;
• a base having a bore for receiving the shaft therein;
• clamping means cooperating with the base for securing the table to the base to thereby longitudinally displace the shaft along its axis;
• and wherein the clamping means cooperates with the disk rotor for deflecting the disk rotor and placing the rotor in frictional contact with the base for the locking of the table to the base;
• bearing means carried within the bore for providing the rotation of the shaft about the axis, the bearing means comprising a first race carried by the shaft and a second race carried by the base, the bearing means further comprising a bearing slidable between the first and second races, the bearing generally slidable within race center portions during shaft rotation about the axis for rotating the table assembly, the bearing operatively biasing against first and second race diagonally opposing race portions during the longitudinal displacement of the shaft along the axis, so that the biasing thereof cooperates with the clamping means for locking the table to the base.