Press brake clamp incorporating tool-seating mechanism

A tool holder for a press brake, the tool holder being adapted to move a press brake tool along a pressing axis when the tool is operatively mounted on the tool holder, the tool holder having two spaced-apart confronting walls bounding a tool-mount channel configured for receiving a shank of the tool, the tool holder having first and second moveable seating members disposed on opposite sides of the tool-mount channel, and the first and second seating members lift the tool's shank in response to the tool holder closing on the tool's shank.

A tool holder for a press brake having a pressing direction, the tool holder having two spaced-apart confronting walls bounding a tool-mount channel configured for receiving a shank of a press brake tool, the tool holder having a moveable seating member mounted on one of said confronting walls, the seating member having a contact surface that comes into direct contact with a side of the tool's shank when the shank is received in the tool-mount channel and a first of said two walls is moved toward a second of said two walls, wherein the contact surface is a planar vertical surface that is the only surface of the seating member that engages the tool's shank when the shank is received in the tool-mount channel and the first of said two walls is moved toward the second of said two walls, wherein the contact surface once moved into direct contact with the side of the tool's shank delivers a frictional force to the tool's shank, the frictional force being oriented in a seating direction at least generally opposed to the pressing direction, wherein the frictional force is the only force oriented in said seating direction applied by the seating member to the tool when the tool's shank is received in the tool-mount channel and the first of said two walls is moved toward the second of said two walls.

A tool holder for a press brake having a pressing direction, the tool holder having two spaced-apart confronting walls bounding a tool-mount channel configured for receiving a shank of a press brake tool, the tool holder having a moveable seating member mounted on one of said confronting walls, the seating member having a contact surface that comes into direct contact with a side of the tool's shank when the shank is received in the tool-mount channel and a first of said two walls is moved toward a second of said two walls, wherein the contact surface once moved into direct contact with the side of the tool's shank delivers a frictional force to the tool's shank, the frictional force being oriented in a seating direction at least generally opposed to the pressing direction, wherein the frictional force is the only force oriented in said seating direction applied by the seating member to the tool when the tool's shank is received in the tool-mount channel and the first of said two walls is moved toward the second of said two walls, wherein a plurality of seating members are mounted along a longitudinal length of the first of the tool holder's confronting walls, and a plurality of seating members are mounted along a longitudinal length of the second of the tool holder's confronting walls.