Patent ID: 6115898
Filing Date: 2000-09-12
Classification: B25B,B30B,F16H,Y10T

Abstract:
An apparatus for clamping a workpiece, said apparatus comprising:an arm having an elongated arm slot, said arm being movable from a retracted position to a workpiece engaging position;a drive link having an elongated camming slot;a cam slide member movably coupling said arm slot to said camming slot, operable movement of said cam slide member along said slots causing said arm to initially move in a pivoting manner and then subsequently move in a first linear direction without pivoting when moving said arm from said retracted position to said workpiece engaging position;an automatically powered piston operable to drive said arm and said piston advancing in a second linear direction substantially opposite said first linear direction, said pivoting and linear arm movement multiplying the driving force of said piston;a stationary body, said drive link and said arm being pivotably coupled internal to said body, said piston being movable relative to said body;a pivot slide block linearly movable in the direction of travel of said piston and being coupled to said drive link, said pivot slide block acting as a common pivot for said drive link and said arm;a track fixed to said body and being linearly oriented in a third direction substantially perpendicular to said first direction; anda bearing coupled to said drive link for engaging said track thereby operably causing an adjacent portion of said drive link to linearly move in said third direction and causing a second portion of said drive link to linearly move in said first direction.