Abstract: A system for positioning and holding workpieces for successive machining at several work stations or machining by several machines at a multi-tool cell incorporating a workpiece holding and transporting project plate and a self-centering support chuck at every machine for holding and automatically positioning the project plate and its workpiece with a repeatably high degree of accuracy using the axial centerline of the support chuck as the reference of concentricity by which the tool and workpiece are addressed to each other.

Abstract: A system for holding workpieces during machining utilizes a support chuck which may be mounted on a machine tool such as a lathe or it may be mounted on a support adjacent the machine tool such as a turnaround or carrousel. The invention utilized an adapter plate constructed to be gripped by the support chuck. The adapter plate in turn mounts the chuck which actually holds the workpiece. The support chuck has means to clamp the adapter plate to it and to precisely center the plate and its workpiece gripping chuck concentrically of the support chuck. The adapter plate is so constructed that the chuck manipulation rods and pulls conventionally used with chucks or various types can pass through it to actuate the workpiece holding chuck.