Patent ID: 6764258
Filing Date: 2004-07-20
Classification: B23Q,B25B,Y10T

Abstract:
A vacuum clamp comprising:a. a base plate, the base plate having a top planar surface and a bottom surface; b. a combined top plate and center plate, the combined top plate and center plate including: (1) an upper surface on the top plate; (2) a lower planar surface on the center plate; (3) a cavity within the combined top plate and center plate; and, (4) a vacuum passage extending from the cavity to the lower planar surface; c. a retainer, the retainer captured in the cavity, extending through the vacuum passage, and affixed to the base plate, such that lower planar surface of the combined top plate and center plate is slidingly aligned to the top planar surface of the base plate and may be slidingly azimuthally positioned and slidingly rotationally positioned relative to the top planar surface of the base plate; and, d. means for communicating vacuum from the bottom surface of the base plate to the vacuum passage and the cavity, and means for communicating vacuum from the cavity to the top surface of the combined top plate and center plate.