Machinable supports for close tolerance edge support
US6286822A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 20, 1999 |
| Grant date | Sep 11, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 20, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB25B11/005
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
The devices and systems encompass the provision of a plurality of supports specially designed to closely support a work piece immediately adjacent the edge being worked, ground or polished. The top surfaces of the supports are machineable in place on the working table to insure that all are brought to exactly the same height to prevent adjacent supports from creating uneven support and adjacent shear forces. The top members of the supports are a hardened plastic which will not enable the work piece to displace downwardly but which will provide a vacuum downward force. The hardened plastic top of the edge hold down are machineable without losing the ability to act as a vacuum hold down. The shape of the hardened plastic top portions of the edge hold downs are complementary to each other and provide gently interlocking support and can be placed closely enough to eliminate the possibility of any significant amount of work piece area exposure which could produce shear forces. The gently interlocking shape of the edge supports facilitates their arrangement in a shape matching complex edge shapes of the work piece, including sharp corners and the like.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.