Abstract: A workholding fixture for clamping a workpiece for rotation about a selected axis comprising at least one throwblock for receiving a workpiece portion to be clamped, a clamp arm associated with the throwblock including a jaw at one end and a control surface at the other end, means for pivotally supporting the clamp arm intermediate the ends, means for selectively displacing the pivotally supporting means along an arc from a predetermined advanced position to a predetermined retracted position, means for pivotally displacing the clamp arm about the pivotally supporting means including cylinder means having bearing surface means selectively displaceable from a retracted position to an advanced position, the bearing surface means having a selected length to permit engagement with the control surface means as the pivotally supporting means and the bearing surface means are displaced between the advanced and retracted positions, and means for maintaining the bearing and control surfaces in engagement.

Abstract: A gantry loader comprising a horizontally disposed support beam, a railway rail secured to the support beam, the rail including a head, a loader assembly including a carriage selectively displaceable along the beam, the carriage having a first pair of wheels for rollingly engaging the face of the rail head, a second pair of wheels for rollingly engaging one projecting portion of the head, a third pair of wheels for rollingly engaging the other projecting portion of the head, each of the third pair of wheels including a peripheral step selectively facing the first pair of wheels and having a beveled side wall surface, the third pair of wheels being selectively displaceable from a retracted position remote from the rail to an advanced position whereat the base and the beveled side wall surface of the step engage the other projecting head portion, and means for selectively maintaining the third pair of wheels at the advanced position.

Abstract: A chuck for rotatably supporting a bearing of a workpiece comprising a clamping fixture including a base member having a bearing surface selectively configured for matingly supporting a portion of the workpiece bearing, a jaw having a selectively configured bearing surface for matingly engaging with another portion of the workpiece bearing, means for displacing the work engaging jaw from a first position whereat the workpiece bearing will be forcefully clamped intermediate the base member and the jaw whereby rotation of the chuck will effect rotation of the workpiece, to a second position whereat the workpiece can be displaced relative to the base member and the jaw, at least one air pocket in the base member bearing surface, and means for directing pressurized fluid to the air pocket whereby when the jaw is at the second position the force required to displace the workpiece relative to the base member and the jaw will be reduced.

Abstract: A cylindrical grinding machine comprising means for supporting a workpiece for rotative displacement about the axis thereof, a grinding wheel assembly including at least one grinding wheel and means for rotatively displacing the grinding wheel about the axis thereof, means for advancing the grinding wheel to a selected first position whereat further advancement of the rotating grinding wheel will effect stock removal from a rotating workpiece, a workrest jaw, means for advancing the workrest jaw along a predetermined path from a retracted position to a forward position where the workrest jaw non-deflectively contacts the rotating workpiece, means for advancing the grinding wheel from the first position and conjointly advancing the workrest jaw along the predetermined path, from the forward position at predetermined rates of advance to advanced positions substantially equidistant from the non-deflected axis of the rotating workpiece, and means for locating the workrest jaw at any selected position, along the p

Abstract: A loader assembly for use with a machine tool comprising a drum-shaped carrier including a plurality of equispaced workpiece receiving recesses, means for selectively indexing the drum-shaped carrier, a workloading chute including means for sequentially advancing a plurality of workpieces to a selected one of the plurality of carrier recesses, and a loader mechanism including a housing supporting a pair of rams having gripper means at one end thereof, means for selectively displacing the rams intermediate retracted and advanced positions, the rams being selectively angularly related so that the center points of the gripper elements coincide at the advanced ram positions, and means for selectively displacing the gripper elements intermediate open and gripping positions, and means for selectively pivotally displacing the housing from a first position, whereat the coincident center points coincide with the centerline of the stocks of the machine tool to a second position, whereat the coincident center points coi