Vacuum fixture
OwnerDavid Wilkinsinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vacuum fixture table is set up to establish a vacuum with the surface of the table so one side of a workpiece can be subject to a cutting operation. It also holds wooden panels in conjunction with a template holding frame without nailing or clamping, thus preventing damage to template and speeding up the cutting operation.
Claims9
A vacuum fixture having a flat work surface on which a flat workpiece is adapted to be clamped while tracing a template pattern thereon comprising:
- a sealing bead defining a vacuum chamber under a portion of the workpiece when placed thereon;
- a source of vacuum connectable to the chamber capable of generating a negative pressure therein sufficient to hold the workpiece against movement under working conditions;
- and
- a plurality of template indexing elements adjustable relative to the work surface adapted to be set into position to removably hold a template in fixed relationship above the workpiece without directly being attached to the workpiece, the template indexing elements preventing relative movement of the template and workpiece while the vacuum chamber prevents relative movement of the workpiece and work surface as a tool is moved relative to the template in tracing a pattern onto the workpiece underneath.
A vacuum fixture having a flat work surface on which a flat workpiece is adapted to be clamped while tracing a template pattern thereon with a series of templates successively developing the completed pattern on the workpiece comprising;
- a sealing bead fastened to the work surface defining a vacuum chamber with a portion of the workpiece when it is placed thereon;
- a source of vacuum connectable to the chamber capable of generating a negative pressure therein sufficient to hold the workpiece against movement relative to the work surface under working conditions;
- and
- a template holding frame indexing structure associated with the work surface adapted to hold a template holding frame in fixed relation to the workpiece while the workpiece is in turn held in fixed relationship to the work surface by the vacuum chamber, said template holding frame being adapted to position a series of templates in repeated relationship to said workpiece for rapidly developing a pattern therein without having to permanently secure the template holding frame on templates while working on the workpiece.
A vacuum fixture having a rectangular table providing a work surface on which a grid pattern is inscribed to aid in positioning a flat workpiece equidistant from the sides and ends of the table comprising:
- a pair of rails, one on each side of the table, projecting above the work surface, at least the thickness of the workpiece;
- a pair of indexing beams adapted to be adjustably secured equidistant from each other in a first indexing direction on the rails, each indexing beam adapted to prevent movement longitudinally and laterally of a template holding frame, said template holding frame adapted to position successively a series of templates over the workpiece to rapidly develop a complex pattern therein by tracing the template patterns, and
- a vacuum clamp for holding the workpiece on the worksurface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.