Patent ID: 7815176

Claim:
A pin clamp assembly for holding a workpiece, the pin clamp assembly comprising a movable locating pin with a finger that is extendable therefrom, a housing that receives a portion of the locating pin and has a workpiece support adjacent the extended finger, and a lock assembly which comprises a hook and a catch that selectively engages and holds each other to restrict movement of the locating pin, and further comprising an unlock bracket; wherein the unlock bracket includes an angled surface configured to engage a pin extending from the hook to cause the hook to pivot and unlatch from the catch; the hook and catch are configured to maintain a hold with each other under loss of actuation force, or if the locating pin is pulled on; wherein the hook and catch are further configured such that the hook, using a spring, is biased against an angled surface of the catch as the locating pin moves in a first direction; wherein as the locating pin continues to move in the first direction, the hook latches with the catch to hold the locating pin in place; to release the lock assembly, the unlock bracket is movable in a second direction such that a surface on the unlock bracket engages a pin coupled with the hook; movement of the unlock bracket in the second direction pivots the hook against the bias of the spring; wherein pivoting of the hook begins unlatching it from the catch; continued movement of the unlock bracket unlatches the hook from the catch.