This application pertains to mechanical clamps for machining on a CNC slat cutting table.
Plasma or water-jet cutting is a popular method in industrial manufacturing for fabricating parts that require highly accurate dimensions. Almost all industrial machining, including plasma or water-jet cutting is done with computer numerical control (CNC) automating the machine. Plasma or water-jet cutting is done on a slat cutting table, which frequently contains a water bath underneath the slats for temperature controlling. The basic methodology of this practice is to place an object on the slats of the slat cutting table, and then cut the object from above using a plasma or water-jet cutter.
The slats and water bath provide numerous benefits, such as support, temperature control, and debris control; however, wear and tear on the slats makes them razor sharp, and the water bath becomes very dirty. Razor sharp slats and dirty water are both safety risks on their own, but in combination they become even more dangerous when the razor-sharp slats cut an operator, who subsequently reaches into the dirty water, exposing a cut the dirty water, increasing the risk of harm.
It is best for the machine operator to keep their hands away from the razor-sharp slats and dirty water, even in gloves; however, the currently used method of clamping the objects to be cut to the machine require the operator to reach below the slats, into the dirty water, to tighten the clamp.
The disclosure provides, in one aspect, a method of clamping an object to a CNC slat cutting table, wherein a CNC slat cutting table clamp includes two or more clamping arms, the method comprising, positioning a first clamping arm below one or more slats of a CNC slat cutting table and a second clamping arm above the one or more slats, adjusting the position of the first clamping arm from above the one or more slats until the CNC slat cutting table clamp is secure on the CNC slat cutting table.
In some embodiments, the first clamping arm includes a threaded hole, where the threaded bolt is configured to engage the threaded hole.
In some embodiments, the first clamping arm is placed in a water bath below the one or more slats.
In some embodiments, adjusting the position of the first clamping arm from above the one or more slats includes turning a threaded bolt until the CNC slat cutting table clamp is secure on the CNC slat cutting table.
In some embodiments, adjusting the position of the first clamping arm includes turning a threaded bolt by turning a head of the threaded bolt, where the head of the threaded bolt is positioned above the second clamping arm.
In some embodiments, the first clamping arm is positioned below the one or more slats without an operator reaching below the one or more slats.
In some embodiments, an operator can safely position the CNC slat cutting table clamp on the CNC slat cutting table and adjust the position of the first clamping arm without reaching below the one or more slats.
In some embodiments, the position of the first clamping arm is adjusted, and the first clamping arm is secure on the one or more slats.
In some embodiments, adjusting the position of the first clamping arm from above the one or more slats secures an object on the CNC slat cutting table, where the object is positioned between the second clamping arm and the one or more slats.
In some embodiments, the object is a piece of metal.
The disclosure provides, in another aspect, a CNC slat cutting table clamp for securing metal to a CNC slat cutting table, including, two or more clamping arms, where a first clamping arm and a second clamping arm are positioned perpendicular to each other, a bottom plate, one or more support rods positioned between the bottom plate and the second clamping arm, with the one or more support rods passing through the first clamping arm, and a threaded bolt positioned passing through the first clamping arm, where a head of the threaded bolt is positioned above the second clamping arm, and where the first clamping arm is adjustable by rotating the threaded bolt.
In some embodiments, a length of the first clamping arm is 5.5 inches, a width of the first clamping arm is 0.50 inches, and a thickness of the first clamping arm is 0.25 inches.
In some embodiments, a length of the second clamping arm is 5.5 inches, a width of the second clamping arm is 0.50 inches, and a thickness of the second clamping arm is 0.25 inches.
In some embodiments, a length of the bottom plate is 1.25 inches, a width of the bottom plate is 0.50 inches, and a thickness of the bottom plate is 0.25 inches.
In some embodiments, a length of the support rods is 6.75 inches, and a diameter of the support rods is 0.3125 inches.
In some embodiments, a length of the threaded bolt is 7.0 inches, and a diameter of the threaded bolt is 0.3125 inches.
In some embodiments, the threaded bolt includes one or more of ACME ⅜th×8 and UNC 5/16 18 threading.
In some embodiments, the threaded bolt includes a head of the threaded bolt, where the head of the threaded bolt is a nut size of 0.625 inches.
In some embodiments, the threaded bolt includes a threaded rod and a threaded nut, where the threaded nut is welded to one end of the threaded rod.
In some embodiments, the overall height is 7.25 inches, the overall width is 5.5 inches, and the maximum thickness is 5.5 inches.
The disclosure provides, in another aspect, a CNC slat cutting table system, including, a CNC slat cutting table for use in industrial metal cutting with a water bath positioned beneath the CNC slat cutting table and a high energy beam positioned above the CNC slat cutting table for cutting metal, and one or more CNC slat cutting table clamps for securing pieces of metal to the CNC slat cutting table, where the one or more clamps are adjustable from above the one or more slats.
In some embodiments, the CNC slat cutting table system comprises an actuator.
In some embodiments, the one or more CNC slat cutting table clamps are positioned by the actuator on the CNC slat cutting table.
In some embodiments, the position of the first clamping arm of one or more of the CNC slat cutting table clamps is adjusted by the actuator.
In some embodiments, the actuator is automated.
In some embodiments, the actuator is automated by a processor running a computer program product, including a non-transitory computer readable storage medium to store a computer readable program, where the computer readable program, when executed by the processor within a computer, causes the computer to perform operations for industrial CNC machining, the operations being the following steps: locating and positioning an initial object onto the one or more slats of a CNC slat cutting table, locating and positioning the one or more CNC slat cutting table clamps onto the CNC slat cutting table, where for each CNC slat cutting table clamps, the first clamping arm is positioned below the one or more slats, and the second clamping arm is positioned above the one or more slats and above the initial object, tightening the one or more CNC slat cutting table clamps, where tightening is performed by rotating the head of the threaded bolt on each of the CNC slat cutting table clamps, until the initial object is secure on the CNC slat cutting table, performing steps for industrial CNC machining, where the initial object is machined, and a final object has different dimensions than the initial object, loosening the one or more CNC slat cutting table clamps, where loosening is performed by rotating the head of the threaded bolt on each of the CNC slat cutting table clamps, until the final object is loose on the CNC slat cutting table, locating and removing the one or more CNC slat cutting table clamps from the CNC slat cutting table, and locating and removing the final object from the CNC slat cutting table.
Other aspects of the disclosure will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Before any embodiments are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. In case of conflict, the present document, including definitions, will control. Preferred methods and materials are described below, although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in practice or testing of the present disclosure. All publications, patent applications, patents and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. The materials, methods, and examples disclosed herein are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.
The terms “comprise(s),” “include(s),” “having,” “has,” “can,” “contain(s),” and variants thereof, as used herein, are intended to be open-ended transitional phrases, terms, or words that do not preclude the possibility of additional acts or structures. The singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The present disclosure also contemplates other embodiments “comprising,” “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of,” the embodiments or elements presented herein, whether explicitly set forth or not.
For the recitation of numeric ranges herein, each intervening number there between with the same degree of precision is explicitly contemplated. For example, for the range of 6-9, the numbers 7 and 8 are contemplated in addition to 6 and 9, and for the range 6.0-7.0, the number 6.0, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 6.7, 6.8, 6.9, and 7.0 are explicitly contemplated.
With reference to
With reference to
With continued reference to
With reference to
With reference to
With continued reference to
With reference to
With reference to
With continued reference to
With continued reference to
With reference to Table 1 and
With reference to
With reference to
With reference to
With reference to
With reference to
With continued reference to
With reference to
With continued reference to
Various features and advantages are set forth in the following claims.
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/387,029, filed Dec. 12, 2022, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
63387029 | Dec 2022 | US |