GB2267674A

GB2267674A - Clamping work table

Info

Publication number: GB2267674A
Application number: GB9212455A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tai-Her Yang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-06-11
Filing date: 1992-06-11
Publication date: 1993-12-15
Also published as: GB9212455D0

Abstract

A work table composing a folding support having fixed and movable clamp plates (106) mounted thereon, each side of the clamp plate having an independently driven worm set to drive the movable clamp plate in relation to the fixed clamp plate so as to drive the movable clamp plate in parallel or non-parallel chucking with the fixed clamp plate, the clamp plates also having positioning holes (108) for mounting rotatable clamping jaw sets (107), the work table also having height adjustment means and a storage box (114). <IMAGE>

Description

WORK TABLE The present invention relates to a Work Table.

The conventional universal type work table has been widely applied due to its convenience and there are a variety of devices made available on the market place.

United States Patent 3,841,619 disclosed a work table comprising a folding support for mounting a fixed clamp plate and a movable clamp plate thereon. Each side of the movable clamp plate has an independently-driven worm set to drive the movable clamp plate and fixed clamp plate in parallel or nonparallel chucking; the clamp plates also have positioning holes for mounting rotatable clamps. This known type of work table device suffers from the following problems: the height of the clamp plate is not adjustable; the rotatable clamps cannot be divided into two groups for respectively chucking the workpiece independently; it does not have auxiliary metal jaws for chucking the workpiece; it does not have a storage box attached to the work table.

The present invention relates to an improved work table which overcomes some or all of the above mentioned problems.

According to the present invention there is provided a work table comprising a folding support having a fixed clamp plate and a movable clamp plate mounted thereon, each side of the clamp plate having an independently driven worm set to drive the movable clamp plate in relation to the fixed clamp plate so as to drive the movable clamp plate in parallel or non-parallel chucking with the fixed clamp plate, the clamp plates also having positioning holes for mounting rotatable clamps, the work table also having height adjustment means.

The height adjustment means can comprise a central height adjustment means and a setting slot to provide flexible height adjustment according to the height of the workpiece.

The work bench can also comprise removable auxiliary metal clamping jaws for chucking metal workpiece when necessary; The work bench can also comprise: Double-acting auxiliary clamping jaws to provide sideways chucking together with flexible position adjustment for split gluing; The work bench can also comprise an auxiliary storage box fixed to the support for storage of tools and parts.

One or more of the above-mentioned auxiliary features can be incorporated in the work table according to requirements.

The conventional work table is widely used by those amateur persons who enjoy 'do it yourself', or craftsmen who are engaged in light-weight working. The present invention can provide a greater degree of convenience and ease of working for them.

The invention will now be illustrated by way of example with reference to Figures 1 to 8 in which: FIG. 1 is a view of an embodiment of a work table according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a detailed view of a lateral support guide having a toothed slot for height adjustment.

FIG. 3 is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention showing the height adjustment for the work table.

FIG. 4 is a side diagrammatic view of one type of doubleacting auxiliary clamping jaws for use with the work table of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an embodiment of the present invention with three clamping jaw sets for independent travel adjustment plus one rotatable clamping jaw set with travel not adjustable.

FIG. 6 is a plan view from above of an embodiment of the present invention showing the double-acting auxiliary clamping jaws functioning to give lateral chucking and position adjustment for split gluing.

FIG. 7 is an embodiment of the present invention with a storage box having side-lift type lid.

FIG. 8 is an embodiment of the present invention with a storage box having withdrawal type drawer.

Certain embodiments of the work table according to the present invention are described below: (1) When a workpiece is chucked onto a conventional work table, height adjustment may be required because the height of workpiece is often different in each case. As shown in FIG. 1, and referring to FIG. 2, the lateral support guide (101) has a concave-convex toothed slot (102) providing height adjustment. Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the guide slot (102) in lateral support guide 101 of the universal work table is formed in a concave-convex shape at least two positions to provide for the adjusting support pin (103) that supports the work table in position to slide therein. The elevation adjustment can be accomplished by virtue of pushing the setup rod (104).

(2) The clamp plates of conventional work tables are made of wooden plates to provide for repairing household articles such as furniture, doors or windows. However, they are not practical for use with tubular or sheet type workpieces. The present invention can be fitted with removable auxiliary metal clamping jaws comprising lengths of metal channel, (105) into which can be inserted the chuck face of sheet type clamp plates. This allows them to be used for chucking light-weight metal workpieces while protecting the clamp plates against damage from the harder workpieces. Referring to (105) on FIG.

1, this particular embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that: the metal channel is of a square C shape in crosssection. The forward and vertical outer surface of the channel can be made concave so as to facilitate chucking a tubular workpiece; Its inner concave section is provided for releasable inserting the chuck face of clamp plate 106, and its upper and lower fitting face with the clamp plates can optionally be further provided with anti-slip concave-convex strips or dots.

(3) Rotatable clamping jaws on the conventional work table do not permit independent adjustment or in general unilateral driving. When the work table is used for chucking two workpieces for gluing, bilateral alignment and counter chucking of the two workpieces after chucking up are required.

Referring to 107 shown in FIG. 1, the acting- type auxiliary clamping jaws of the present invention provide the function of both lateral chucking and of position adjustment for gluing. Referring to FIG. 4, a side view of the double-acting auxiliary clamping jaws is shown.

Two clamp plates 106 can be provided for relative chucking and each clamp plate 105 has at least two positioning holes 108 for inserting rotatable clamping jaw sets.

Preferably each work plate has at least two rotatable clamping jaw sets 107, and so, preferably, the two clamp plates have at least four rotatable clamping jaw sets in total for independent travel adjustment, or alternatively at least three rotatable clamping jaw sets 107 in total for independent travel adjustment plus one rotatable clamping jaw set 109 without adjustable travel as shown in FIG. 5. These jaw sets provide for sideways chucking up of two workpieces ready for gluing and for clamping the two workpieces for gluing together after adjusted and aligned. An embodiment with four rotatable clamping jaw sets is shown in FIG. 6; There are many possible means to support the clamping jaw sets of the present invention. The means can comprise a rotatable root portion 110 and, when the clamping jaw set is rotatable and adjustable movable clamping block 111. The means for driving the moveable clamping block can include worm drive, centrifugal drive structure and hydraulic drive. A rotatable and non-adjustable clamping jaw set can have a rotatable root portion 112 and at least one clamping surface 113.

(4) The stabilising step part of the conventional work table is often provided for the operator to maintain balance only.

However, the present invention provides the operator with a useful integral storage box for storing tools and parts, using limited additional materials while not increasing the size.

Its structure may include a lift type storage box or a withdrawal type drawer.

Referring to FIG. 1, reference number 114 is a lifting type storage box comprising a lifting lid 115 and a steady buckle 116.

Referring to FIG. 7, the side lifting lid type storage box also comprises a side lifting lid and a fastener? Referring to FIG. 8, the withdrawal type drawer with a storage box comprises a guide plate at each side under the pedal, a drawer and a steady buckle.

For practical application, the above-mentioned optional components can be partly or wholly incorporated, subject to individual requirements.

Further embodiments and features of the invention are described as follows: A work table comprising a folding support for mounting a fixed clamp plate and movable clamp plate thereon; each side of the movable clamp plate has an independently-driving worm set to drive the movable clamp plate and the fixed clamp plate in parallel or non-parallel chucking; the clamp plates also have positioning holes for mounting rotatable clamps, further including middle height adjustment and set up groove to provide a middle height for a flexible adjustment subject to the height of the workpiece; and flexibly loading/unloading auxiliary metal clamping jaws for chucking metal workpiece when necessary; and doubleacting auxiliary clamping jaws to provide sideways chucking function with flexible position adjustment for split gluing; and auxiliary store box in connection with the stabilising step for storage of tools and parts.

One or more of above-said auxiliary features can be attached to the work table subject to actual requirements.

A work table as described above wherein the structure of middle height adjustment and setting guidance relates to the guidance of sideways support guide having a concave-convex tooth groove with elevation adjustment, i.e. the guidance 102 of sideways support guide 101 of universal work table is made into concave-convex groove at a minimum of two positions to provide for the adjusting support pin 103 that supports the work table to slide thereon, the elevation adjustment can be made by virtue of pressing the set up rod 104.

A work table as described above, having flexibly load/unloaded auxiliary metal clamping jaws resembling an E type sectional long-bar sheet structure for inserting the clamp surface of sheet type clamp plates for chucking lightweight metal workpieces while protecting the clamp plates against damage from the harder workpiece, which is characterised in that: its section resembling an E shape, the forward and vertical inner concave is provided for chucking tubular workpiece; its inner concave section is provided for flexibly inserting at the clamp surface of clamp plate 106, and its upper and lower fitting face with the clamp plates may be further fabricated with anti-slip concave-convex strips or dots.

A work table as described above, the double-acting type auxiliary clamping jaws providing the function of sideways chucking and position adjustment for gluing, including: two work plates 106 being provided for relatively chucking and each work plate 106 having at least two holes 108 for inserting rotatable clamping jaw sets, and each work plate having at least two rotatable clamping jaw sets 107, in other words, the two clamp plates having at least total four rotatable clamping jaw sets for independent travel adjustment or at least three clamping jaw sets 107 for independent travel adjustment plus one rotatable clamping jaw set 109 while without adjustable travel, provided for sideways chucking up the two workpieces ready for gluing and for clamping the two workpieces for gluing together after adjusted and aligned; many compatible means to support necessary clamping jaw sets and basically comprising a rotatable root portion 110 consisted of rotatable and adjustable clamping jaw sets, movable clamping block 111, and the means of driving including worm, centrifugal structure and hydraulic structure, etc., while the rotatable and non-adjustable clamping jaw set having a rotatable root portion 112 and at least one clamping surface 113.

A work table as described above, the structure of the auxiliary storage box connected to the stabilising step include lift type storage box or withdrawal type drawer.

Claims

1. A work table comprising a folding support having a fixed clamp plate and a movable clamp plate mounted thereon, each side of the clamp plate having an independently driven worm set to drive the movable clamp plate in relation to the fixed clamp plate so as to drive the movable clamp plate in parallel or non-parallel chucking with the fixed clamp plate, the clamp plates also having positioning holes for mounting rotatable clamps, the work table also having height adjustment means.

2. A work table as claimed in Claim 1 which also comprises removable auxi8liary metal clamping jaws.

3. A work table as claimed in Claim 2 in which the jaws comprise lengths of metal channel.

4. A work table as claimed in Claim 3 in which the metal channel is of a square 'C' shape in cross-section.

5. A work table as claimed in Claim 4 in which the forward and vertical outer surfaces of the channel are concave.

6. A work table as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5 which also comprises independently positionally adjustable rotatable auxiliary clamping jaws.

7. A work table as claimed in Claim 6 having at least three auxiliary clamping jaws.

8. A work table as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 also comprising an integral storage box.

9 A work table as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8 in which the height adjustment means comprises a toothed slot in which slides an adjusting support pin that supports the work table in position.

10. A work table substantially as herein described with reference to the description and drawings.