Patent ID: 8307849
Filing Date: 2012-11-13
Classification: B23Q,F16L,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A system for selectively directing a fluid flow between a supply of pressurized fluid, a plurality of fixtures and a fluid tank, the plurality of fixtures being rotatable about a fixture axis and each fixture of the plurality of fixtures being selectively actuateable between an opened condition and a closed condition wherein the plurality of fixtures selectively secure work pieces when in the closed condition, said system comprising: a coupler and a manifold plate, said coupler having a spindle including a base portion and a shaft portion and which extends in an axial direction from a mounting end on said base portion and a distal end on said shaft portion, said base having a mounting face and a securing arrangement configured to secure said mounting face to a manifold surface of said manifold plate such that said mounting face sealingly engages with said manifold surface of said manifold plate and is fixed relative to said manifold plate, said shaft portion defining a coupler axis and having a shaft surface generally coaxial to said coupler axis, said shaft surface including an annular pressure zone and an axially spaced annular tank zone, said spindle further including an internal pressurized fluid passage and an internal tank fluid passage, said pressurized passage extending within said spindle between a pressurized face opening in said mounting face and a pressurized shaft opening in said pressure zone, said tank passage extending within said spindle between a tank face opening in said mounting face and a tank shaft opening in said tank zone, at least one of said manifold surface and said mounting face including an annular tank recess and said tank face opening being disposed within said tank recess such that fluid flow reaching said tank recess is directed into said tank passage; said coupler further including a hub having a shaft opening shaped to receive said shaft portion of said spindle such that said spindle is rotatable within said hub about said coupler axis relative to said hub, at least one of said hub and said shaft including an annular pressure zone channel in said pressure zone allowing the pressurized fluid to flow about said shaft in said pressure zone, at least one of said hub and said shaft including an annular tank zone channel in said tank zone allowing the tank fluid to flow about said shaft in said tank zone, said coupler further including a seal separating said tank zone from said pressure zone, said hub having a pressure port and a tank port, said pressure port being in fluid connection with said pressure zone and said tank port being in fluid connection with said tank zone; said coupler further including a bearing arrangement between said spindle and said hub; said manifold plate having a manifold inlet in fluid communication with said pressurized face opening when said coupler is mounted to said manifold plate in a mounted condition for receiving an associated pressurized fluid from said pressurized face opening and said manifold plate further including a plurality of manifold outlets spaced from one another about said fixture axis, said plurality of manifold outlets being in fluid connection with said annular tank recess when said coupler is mounted to said manifold plate in said mounted condition, said manifold plate further including a control valve for the each associated fixture of the associated plurality of fixtures, said control valve configured for the selective directing of the associated fluid flow to actuate the each associated fixture between the opened condition and the closed condition.