Flexible fixturing apparatus

摘要

A flexible fixturing apparatus for securely holding and positively locating a workpiece for manufacturing operations. The apparatus includes a two-dimensional pin array comprising parallel pins movably supported on a housing for individual reciprocal axial motion toward contact with a workpiece to be supported. A pin locking mechanism releasably locks the pins of the first pin array against axial motion relative to the housing once the pins have contacted and conformed to the shape of a workpiece. The pin locking mechanism includes a first clamp supported in the housing for reciprocal motion toward and away from the pin array such that panel motion towards the pin array presses the pins of the array against a pin retaining wall of the housing. A second clamp is supported in the housing for reciprocal motion toward and away from the pin array. Motion of the second clamp towards the pin array locks the pins more securely by further crowding the pins. Motion of both the first and second clamps away from the array more fully releases the pins for subsequent axial repositioning than moving only a single clamp.