Claims
- 1. An apparatus for grippingly supporting a plurality of workpieces to permit machining operations to be carried out thereon, comprising:
- a horizontally-enlarged support pallet defining thereon enlarged and generally parallel top and bottom surfaces, said support pallet having a height which is a small fraction of the horizontal width and length dimensions thereof;
- said support pallet defining therein a plurality of horizontally elongate guide channels which open upwardly through said top surface and are disposed in generally sidewardly spaced relation;
- a pair of elongate ways fixedly secured to said support pallet for association with each of said guide channels, said pair of ways being disposed on and projecting upwardly from said upper surface and being positioned on opposite sides of and extending generally parallel with the respective channel, said pair of ways being positioned so as to partially overlap said channel so that said channel and the pair of spaced ways cooperate to define a horizontally elongated inverted T-shaped guide passage;
- a plurality of vise arrangements mounted on said support pallet, each said vise arrangement cooperating with a respective one of said inverted T-shaped guide passages;
- said vise arrangement including at least first and second jaws which are disposed in longitudinally spaced relation along the respective guide passage, at least one of said jaws including a bottom jaw member which is of generally inverted T-shaped configuration and is slidably positioned for longitudinal displacement within the respective inverted T-shaped guide passage, and a top jaw member extending transversely across said guide passage and being slidably supported on said ways, said top jaw member being releasably mounted on said bottom jaw member; and
- each said vise arrangement including an actuator assembly for effecting movement of said movable jaw longitudinally along said ways, said actuator assembly including an elongate and rotatable actuator shaft extending longitudinally along said guide passage, said actuator shaft projecting downwardly at least partially into the respective guide channel, said actuator shaft having a rotatable threaded engagement with the bottom of one or both jaw members, and actuator shaft having an end part which permits engagement with a suitable tool for effecting rotation of the actuator shaft.
- 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second jaw is fixedly secured relative to said support pallet and projects upwardly from the respective ways.
- 3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second jaw is movably supported on said ways and includes a top jaw member slidably supported on the ways and releasably joined to a bottom jaw member which is longitudinally slidably disposed within the respective guide passage and is threadably coupled to the rotatable actuator shaft, the threaded coupling of the actuator shaft to the first and second jaws being of opposite hand so that the first and second jaws move in opposite directions in response to rotation of the actuator shaft in a predetermined direction.
- 4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein at least one said vise arrangement includes a third jaw which is fixed to said support pallet and projects upwardly from said ways, said third jaw being positioned longitudinally between said first and second jaws.
- 5. An apparatus for grippingly supporting a plurality of workpieces to permit machining operations to be carried out thereon, comprising:
- a horizontally-enlarged support pallet defining thereon enlarged and generally parallel top and bottom surfaces, said support pallet having a height which is a small fraction of the horizontal width and length dimensions thereof;
- said support pallet defining therein a plurality of horizontally elongate guide channels which open upwardly through said top surface and are disposed in generally sidewardly spaced relation;
- a pair of elongate ways fixedly secured to said support pallet for association with each of said guide channels, said pair of ways being disposed on and projecting upwardly from said upper surface and being positioned on opposite sides of and extending generally parallel with the respective channel, said pair of ways being positioned so as to partially overlap said channel so that said channel and the pair of spaced ways cooperate to define a horizontally elongated inverted T-shaped guide passage;
- a plurality of vise arrangements mounted on said support pallet, each said vise arrangement cooperating with a respective one of said inverted T-shaped guide passages;
- each said vise arrangement including first and second longitudinally-spaced jaw assemblies slidably mounted on respective said ways for movement longitudinally of a respective said guide passage;
- an elongate actuator shaft rotatably and axially movably supported on said support pallet and extending in the longitudinal direction of said guide passage, said shaft having one or both threaded shaft portions respectively disposed in threaded engagement with said one or both jaw assemblies, said first and second threaded portions being reversely threaded to cause said first and second jaw assemblies to move in opposite directions in response to rotation of said shaft in one rotational direction; and
- a releasable restraining member engaged between said support pallet and said second jaw assembly for increasing the resistance of said second jaw assembly against movement relative to the resistance of said first jaw assembly against movement.
- 6. An apparatus according to claim 5, including adjusting means cooperating between the support pallet and shaft and movable between a first position permitting axial floating movement of the shaft through at least a predetermined amount and a second position preventing axial movement of the shaft.
- 7. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein at least one said vise arrangement includes a third jaw which is fixed to said support pallet and projects upwardly from said ways, said third jaw being positioned longitudinally between said first and second jaw assemblies.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 08/447 764 filed May 23, 1995, and entitled "MULTIPLE JAW VISE WITH FLOATING ACTUATOR".
US Referenced Citations (13)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
SMW "SETUP.multidot.SWITCHER.TM." Brochure, SMW Systems, Inc., Santa Fe Springs, California, Jul. 1994, (10 pages). |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
447764 |
May 1995 |
|