Patent ID: 8770566

Claim:
A removably supporting mechanism for a workpiece holding device for holding and releasing a workpiece, the workpiece holding device being removably supported on a crossbar extending substantially orthogonal to a workpiece conveying direction of a press machine, the removably supporting mechanism comprising: one of at least one guide pin and at least one guide pin hole disposed on the workpiece holding device side, the at least one guide pin being fittable into and engageable with the at least one guide pin hole; and another of the at least one guide pin and the at least one guide pin hole disposed on the crossbar side corresponding to the one of the at least one guide pin and the at least one guide pin hole, wherein: the at least one guide pin is fitted into and engaged with the at least one guide pin hole to perform alignment between the workpiece holding device and the crossbar in a direction substantially orthogonal to an inserting direction of the at least one guide pin, the workpiece holding device abuts against the crossbar in the inserting direction of the at least one guide pin to perform alignment between the workpiece holding device and the crossbar in the inserting direction of the at least one guide pin, the removably supporting mechanism further comprises a latching mechanism for locking the workpiece holding device and the crossbar with each other at an alignment position in the inserting direction of the at least one guide pin through a relative movement between the workpiece holding device and the crossbar when the at least one guide pin is fitted into and engaged with the at least one guide pin hole, the removably supporting mechanism is configured to removably support the workpiece holding device on the crossbar by locking the workpiece holding device with the crossbar at the alignment position in the inserting direction of the at least one guide pin by the latching mechanism when supporting the workpiece holding device on the crossbar, and by releasing a locking between the workpiece holding device and the crossbar by the latching mechanism when enabling the workpiece holding device to be released from the crossbar, and the latching mechanism comprises an engagement portion which is disposed on one of the workpiece holding device and the crossbar, the engagement portion abutting against another of the workpiece holding device and the crossbar in accordance with an approach between the workpiece holding device and the crossbar through their relative movement so as to be retracted against an elastic biasing force, the engagement portion being moved to an engagement position by the elastic biasing force when the workpiece holding device and the crossbar approach each other up to the alignment position in the inserting direction of the at least one guide pin so that the workpiece holding device and the crossbar are locked with each other.