Patent ID: 7634853

Claim:
A device for aligning and clamping together two or more mateable objects where said objects have corresponding alignment holes defined in said objects, the device comprising: (a) a plurality of movable aligning fingers; (b) retraction means for causing the aligning fingers to move into a retracted state where they occupy a first volumetric space sufficiently small to allow two or more of the mateable objects to be moved over the retracted fingers so as to have the respective alignment holes of the moved objects surrounding the retracted aligning fingers; (c) expansion means for urging the fingers to expand outwardly to occupy a second volumetric space greater than the first volumetric space such that the fingers begin to contact and begin to improve co-alignment between surfaces of the surrounding alignment holes, where substantial outward expansion of the fingers is to occur after the objects have been moved over the retracted fingers; and (d) clamping means for applying a clamping force for clamping the two or more mateable objects together as their respective alignment holes remain in alignment or continue to improve in said co-alignment between the surfaces of the surrounding alignment holes, where the clamping force is to be applied after the alignment holes of said objects have begun to come into said improved co-alignment.