Patent ID: 6866500

Claim:
A clamping apparatus comprising: a fixed die plate fixed to a frame; a plurality of tie rods extending in the horizontal direction and respectively supported to said fixed die plate in parallel to each other; a moving die plate supported to said plurality of tie rods such that said moving die plate can slide freely; a clamping mechanism for moving said moving die plate forward and backward along said plurality of tie rods; a guide mechanism for downwardly or upwardly supporting said moving die plate and allowing said moving die plate to move in the opposite direction of gravitation; and wherein said guide mechanism includes two first guide means composed of a combination of a first member having a wedge-like or semicircular projection portion and a second member having a V-like or semicircular recess portion that engages with said projection portion and one of said first member and said second member of said first guide means is fixed to said moving die plate and the other is fixed to said frame.