Patent ID: 7377503

Claim:
A clamp device for clamping different blank pieces, comprising: a mounting table having first and second mounting surfaces for placing thereon first and second ones of the different blank pieces respectively; a first clamping unit having a clamp plate that is able to be put on the first blank piece while permitting a guided movement of the first blank piece on the first mounting surface; a first positioning unit that moves the first blank piece in a first direction to establish a positioning of the first blank piece in the first direction; a second positioning unit that moves the first blank piece in a second direction to establish a positioning of the first blank piece in the second direction; a first lock unit that applies a given force to the clamp plate of the first clamping unit for locking the first blank piece that has been positioned in the first and second directions; a second clamping unit having a clamp plate that is able to be put on the second blank piece while permitting a guided movement of the second blank piece on the second mounting surface; a third positioning unit that moves the second blank piece to a position where a given edge of the second blank piece is in contact with a given edge of the first blank piece that has been locked; and a second lock unit that applies a given force to the clamp plate of the second clamping unit for locking the second blank piece that has been positioned by the third positioning unit, wherein each of the first and second clamping units comprises: a hydraulic cylinder having a piston rod slidably disposed therein; and a link mechanism through which the piston rod is connected to the clamp plate of the respective clamping unit, so that energization of the hydraulic cylinder induces a downward pivoting of the clamp plate of the respective clamping unit onto the corresponding blank piece.