Abstract: The embodiments of the invention described relate to clamping apparatus for parts to be machined comprising cramps presenting elastically deformable fingers which engage the flanks of the part to be machined and rigid fingers which abut the part, a T-grooved bed-plate, sliders bearing the cramps, and locking braces for locking the sliders on the bed-plate. Eccentrics enable the cramps to be advanced on the slider to bend the deformable fingers and bring the rigid fingers into abutment with the part. The opposite cramps are secured to the bed-plate in alignment with a reference face perpendicular to the grooves. Lateral grooves are provided for engagement by clamps to fix the bed-plate to a table of a machine tool. Cramps are provided in recesses under the sides of the bed-plate for alternative engagement by the jaws of a vice. Variants are described, which enable parts with non-parallel sides to be clamped. The clamping apparatus is particularly suitable for repetitive use (mass production).
Abstract: A clamp for clamping parts on cutting machine tools includes a housing containing a rotary disc having a clamp arm and a toothed sector projecting from the disc which meshes with a tangential screw which rotates the disc to apply a clamping force to the clamp arm. The disc is journalled in a pair of cheek members that are fixed within the housing, and cooperate with the disc to present cylindrical radial bearing surfaces and planar annular lateral bearing surfaces. The annular lateral bearing surfaces of the disc are contiguous with the cylindrical outer surface of the disc on which a pair of scraper blades run, and the annular lateral bearing surfaces of the cheeks are substantially flush with the inner wall of the housing so as to protect the housing against ingress of foreign matter. The diameter of the outer cylindrical surface portion of the disc is less than the inner diameter of the toothed sector to enable a fixing screw to be accessible by a tool from the top of the housing.