Phillip A Bojda

US Patent:

6877729, Apr 12, 2005

Filed:

Sep 4, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/655548

Inventors:

Yhu-Tin Lin - Rochester Hills MI, US
Mark A. Kramarczyk - Westland MI, US
Gary Lee Jones - Farmington Hills MI, US
Andrew Leslie Bartos - Clarkston MI, US
Phillip A. Bojda - Macomb MI, US
Chi-Hung Shen - Troy MI, US
John Stilianos Agapiou - Rochester Hills MI, US

Assignee:

General Motors Corporation - Detroit MI

International Classification:

B23Q003/08

US Classification:

269 25, 269289 R, 269 8

Abstract:

A reconfigurable fixture for workpieces is disclosed. It utilizes a flat surface magnetic chuck with modular workpiece supporting, locating and clamping elements that are carefully located on it and held by magnetic attraction to it. These elements are precisely located to hold the workpiece in spaced relation to the chuck surface. Some locating elements are mechanically fixed to the chuck for securing the workpiece from transverse movement on the chuck surface. Preferably, each of the supporting, locating and clamping members are fixed to separate steel bases for magnetic attraction to the chuck. Each base may also carry its own hydraulic actuator for height adjustment of a support element or for height adjustment and closure of a clamping element. These modular elements have locating slots or grooves or the like so that they can be selected from a storage magazine and located on a chuck by numerically controlled mechanisms.

US Patent:

6644637, Nov 11, 2003

Filed:

Sep 13, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/243860

Inventors:

Chi-Hung Shen - Troy MI
Yhu-Tin Lin - Rochester Hills MI
John Stilianos Agapiou - Rochester Hills MI
Phillip A. Bojda - Macomb MI
Gary Lee Jones - Farmington Hills MI
John P. Spicer - Plymouth MI

Assignee:

General Motors Corporation - Detroit MI

International Classification:

B25B 100

US Classification:

269152, 269289 R, 269 8

Abstract:

A reconfigurable fixture for workpieces is disclosed. It utilizes a flat surface magnetic chuck with modular workpiece supporting, locating and clamping elements that are carefully located on it and held by magnetic attraction to it. These elements are precisely located to hold the workpiece in spaced relation to the chuck surface. Some locating elements are mechanically fixed to the chuck for securing the workpiece from transverse movement on the chuck surface. Preferably, each of the supporting, locating and clamping members are fixed to separate steel bases for magnetic attraction to the chuck. Each base may also carry its own hydraulic actuator for height adjustment of a support element or for height adjustment and closure of a clamping element. These modular elements can be selected from a storage magazine and located on a chuck by numerically controlled mechanisms.