Variable contour securing system

A variable contour securing system has a retaining structure for a member whose surface contains a variable contour. The retaining mechanism includes a spaced array of adjustable spindles mounted on a housing. Each spindle has a base member support cup at one end thereof. A vacuum source is applied to the cups for seating the member adjacent to the cups. A locking mechanism sets the spindles in a predetermined position once the member has been secured to the spindle support cups.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The field of art to which the invention pertains includes the field of 
adjustable securing bases, particularly with respect to a spaced array 
which can be adjustably positioned and locked to support a surface having 
a variable contour. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
In U.S. patent application No. 721,150, filed Sept. 7, 1976 now U.S. Pat. 
No. 4,066,039 (NASA case number MSC-19666) there is described an 
adjustable securing base having a surface radius of curvature which can be 
adjusted to support an adjacent member on the base surface. The securing 
base comprises a flexible free plate with an adjustment mechanism 
connected on opposite edges of the base for adjusting the plates's 
curvature. An opening in the center of the plate is coupled to a vacuum 
source for securing the member adjacent to the plate's surface. It has 
been found that with such a securing device, and using a central source of 
air that the member being held would bend. In addition, the edges of the 
member, where there was only a minimum vacuum force present, would not be 
adequately held for further processing of the member. Moreover, the vacuum 
source which was greatest in the center would tend to bend the member at 
the central securing point. Moreover, where the member's surface was 
compound or variable the prior art securing systems were not satisfactory. 
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,593,983; 2,203,572; 3,581,228; 
and 3,460,822. 
The present invention utilizes a spaced array which can readily conform to 
the contour of the member having a variable surface and support the member 
along the entire surface. The member can then be duplicated while held in 
such operations as master/slave operation or in combination with a tracing 
machine to duplicate a surface contour. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A securing system for retaining a member along a surface having a variable 
contour. The system comprises a spaced array of adjustable spindles 
mounted on a housing having base member supporting cups at one end of the 
spindles. A vacuum source is coupled to the cups for seating the member 
adjacent to the cups. A locking mechanism sets the spindles in a 
predetermined position once the member is vacuum secured to the spindle 
cups.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to the drawings there is shown in FIG. 1 a top plan view of 
the variable contour securing system constructed in accordance with 
principles of the invention. The securing system is formed of a housing 12 
having a generally square top surface 14. The housing is formed of a 
plurality of rectangular shaped housing blocks 16(a-g) having a row of 
vacuum cups 18 extending upwardly from the top surface thereof and which 
are used to secure a member 22 whose bottom surface 23 contains a variable 
contour to the housing 12. 
In the illustration shown each housing block contains a row of seven vacuum 
cups 18 with the exception of the second housing block 16b and the sixth 
housing block 16f. The second housing block 16b contains a hard point 24 
in place of the central or fourth vacuum cup and the sixth housing block 
16f contains a pair of hard points 26 and 28 in place of the respective 
vacuum cups which would normally be positioned next to the ends of the 
vacuum cups of the row. The hard points are not moveable in a vertical 
direction once they are adjusted to a predetermined height, and form a 
reference plane as will be explained in greater detail hereinafter. 
A vacuum coupling inlet 32 is secured to a side of the housing 12 and it is 
used to introduce a vacuum source (not shown) to the securing system. The 
vacuum source is coupled to the bottom surface 23 of the member 22 through 
central passageways 34 in cylinders 36 which are positioned in the center 
of each of the vacuum cups 18. The vacuum path from the cylinder 36 will 
be described in greater detail hereinafter. 
Once the vacuum source is actuated through the vacuum coupling, the member 
22 is held adjacent the vacuum cups 18. The cylinders 36 are moveable 
along their axis and once the member 22 has been secured, the position of 
the cylinders 36 are locked by introducing a source of pressurized air 
into a locking inlet 38 coupled to the side of the housing 12. The 
operation of the locking mechanism of the cylinders will be described in 
greater detail hereinafter. 
To secure each of the housing blocks 16 together to form the housing 12, a 
plurality of bolts 42 pass through the housing blocks in planes transverse 
to the rows of the vacuum cups and are secured at the end of the housing 
adjacent the outer surface of the housing block 16g by means of nuts 44. 
As can be seen in FIG. 2 the member 22 bottom surface 23 is curved, so that 
the plurality of vacuum cups 18 abut the surface as the cylinders 36 rise 
varying distances from the top surface 14 of the housing 12. 
Referring now to FIG. 3 the interior construction of the securing system is 
shown in greater detail. Each of the vacuum cups 18 are formed of a 
flexible material, such as rubber, and have a central top recess 48 
therein. A downwardly extending bore 50 of the cup 18 fits over the top 
end 51 of the cylinder 36. The bore 50 terminates at a flange 52 having a 
central opening 53 therein. 
The cylinders 36 central passageway 34 enables the cup opening 53 to 
communicate with a lower vacuum cavity 58 formed in the lower portion of 
the housing blocks 16. With the housing blocks 16 connected together, the 
lower cavity 58 is in communication with all of the housing blocks 
comprising the housing 12. 
The bottom end 62 of each of the cylinders 36 enter the cavity 58 and are 
biased upwardly by means of a spring 64 whose axis is aligned with the 
axis of the cylinders 36. Each of the springs 64 have their bottom end 
resting in a bore 66 formed in the lower wall of the housing cavity 58. 
When the vacuum source is introduced into the system through the vacuum 
coupling inlet 32 (FIG. 6), and a slight hand pressure applied to the top 
surface of the member 22, the member 22 is secured to the vacuum cups 18. 
The hard points 24, 26 and 28 are formed of a generally flat top surface 68 
of a swivable joint 72 connected to a head 74. The head 74 in turn is 
connected to an adjustable threaded member 76 enabling the hard point top 
surface 68 to be adjusted with respect to the housing top surface 14. 
Once the vacuum source has been used to secure the member 22 to the vacuum 
cups (FIG. 3), further downward pressure is applied to the member 22 top 
surface until portions of the member 22 bottom surface rest against the 
hard point flat top surface 68 to form a stop index or reference. The 
cylinders 36 are then locked in place by means of the pressurized air 
source connected to the locking inlet 38. 
As can be seen in FIG. 5, the locking inlet 38 is coupled to a passageway 
82 which is formed above the cavity 58 adjacent to the end wall 84 of the 
housing 12, and perpendicular to the housing blocks 16. Cavities 86 are 
cut in the housing blocks 16 from the side walls 88 thereof so that the 
cylinders 36 are spaced from the housing block surface 90 in the cavities 
86. 
The cavities 86 are formed above the vacuum chamber 58 and below the top 
surface 14 of the housing. Locking plugs 92 are slideably moveable in each 
of the cavities 86 and extend from adjacent the housing block side wall 88 
to the cylinders 36 in the cavities 86. The locking plug 92 wall adjacent 
the housing block side wall 88 is generally parallel thereto. The other 
end of the locking plug 92 contains a generally V-shaped surface 94 which 
when forced against the cylinder 36 prevents movement of the cylinder 36 
along its axis. 
A rubber diaphragm 96 is formed in a recess 98 in the housing block side 
wall 88 and is generally juxtaposed with the end wall of the locking plugs 
92 adjacent thereto. The diaphragms of adjacent housing blocks are 
positioned so that the adjacent surfaces can be held together by a bladder 
frame 102 and remain spaced apart. The bladder frame 102 (FIG. 4) in the 
housing block recess 102 perimeter is used for the additional purpose of 
interlocking and positioning adjacent blocks 16 together. Once the blocks 
16 have been correctly positioned, they can be locked together by means of 
the nuts 44 and bolts 42. 
An opening 104 in the bladder frame 102 end communicates with an 
intermediate passageway 106 which in turn is coupled to the main 
passageway 82. When air pressure (typically 80 P.S.I.) is introduced into 
the passageway 82 through the locking inlet 38, the diaphragm 96 exerts a 
force against the locking plugs 92 causing the cylinders 36 to remain in a 
fixed position. Simultaneously, the vacuum source retains the member 22 in 
a predetermined position. Additionally, it should be understood that the 
vacuum source used to secure the member 22 to the vacuum cups 18, and the 
pressure source used to lock the cylinders 36 in a predetermined position, 
can be used independently of each other. 
While the system has been illustrated utilizing seven blocks 16, each 
having seven of the vacuum cups 18 or hard points, it should be understood 
that more or less blocks could be used with the number of cups or hard 
points varied as well. Further, the hard points could be eliminated if no 
reference plane was needed. 
Further, the securing system can be used to machine substantially identical 
parts to a common desired thickness. The part to be machined is placed on 
the vacuum cups 18 and the vacuum source is activated. A force is then 
applied to the top surface of the part until the part bottom surface rests 
against the hard points top surface 68. The cylinders 36 are then locked 
in place by the air pressure source. After the part has been machined to a 
desired thickness, the part is released by removing the vacuum source, 
while retaining the cylinders 36 in their locked position. Then additional 
parts can be secured to the cups 18 by activating the vacuum source and 
the machining repeated. 
FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative arrangement for the vacuum cups 18 of 
FIG. 3. In FIG. 7, an inverted rigid plastic cup 112 is placed over the 
top end 51 of the cylinders 36. Openings 114 are formed in the side walls 
116 of the inverted cup 112 intermediate the cup end wall 118, and the 
cylinder top end 51. The openings 114 then form a continuation of the 
cylinder passageway 34. 
A flared rubber member 120 has a reduced diameter end 122 secured to the 
outer surface of the cup 112 below the openings 114. The member 120 flares 
upwardly to an upper annular surface 124 formed in a plane above the top 
surface of the cup end wall 118. The vacuum cups of FIG. 7 eliminate 
slight variations in positioning a member. The top surface of the inverted 
cup 112 forms a fixed reference plane as distinguished from the embodiment 
of FIG. 3 wherein the rubber vacuum cups 18 allow some slight variations 
in the positioning of a member against a wholly rubber cup. However, where 
brittle members are to be secured, the arrangement of FIG. 3 is preferable 
.