Pin clamps which use movable locating pins to engage and grip a work piece are known. Characteristically, such pin clamps employ a reciprocally or rectilinearly moving locating pin with a movable finger or fingers positioned therein. The locating pin extends to engage a hole in a work piece such as a metal sheet. The locating pin then retracts causing the finger or fingers within the locating pin to extend and hold the work piece. Conventional pin clamps include an assembly of complicated cams, cam pins, slots, and finger mechanisms in order to accomplish this task. Some clamps use multiple cam followers or cam slots within their twist pin to move the fingers. This design requires specially made cam followers which limit available tolerances in the twist pin and in the over all design. In addition, using a single dowel in contrast to a plurality of cam followers in the twist pin, for example, is advantageous because the dowel can rotate reducing wear on the cams. Also, a single, inexpensive dowel can provide precise alignment within the single bore without fasteners being required, and removing the single dowel allows the pin to be disassembled without a complicated procedure.
Moreover, complicated pin clamp designs prevent the pin clamp from becoming adaptable to achieve additional functions useful on an assembly line. For example, unlocking mechanisms on a pin clamp when fluid power is lost can be useful in servicing applications on the assembly line. Adjustable collars or shrouds that adapt to the particular shape or thickness about the work piece can also be useful to prevent debris from contaminating the movable locating pin.
Accordingly, an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure provides a pin clamp assembly which comprises, a housing, a locating pin, a body, a twist pin, and a single cam pin. The body extends from the locating pin. Both the body and the locating pin include longitudinally extending cavities contiguously disposed therein. The body also includes longitudinally extending and opposed slots, each disposed from opposed exterior surfaces of the body and into the cavity. At least a portion of the locating pin and the body is located in a bore disposed through the housing. The twist pin is disposed in the longitudinally extending cavities of the locating pin and body. The twist pin includes a longitudinally extending cavity disposed therein, and longitudinally extending and opposed cam slots disposed from opposed exterior surfaces of the twist pin and into the cavity therein. The single cam pin is coupled to the housing within the bore and extending there across. The single cam pin is also disposed through the opposed slots and cavity in the body located within the bore of the housing, and disposed through the opposed cam slots and cavity of the twist pin.
In the above and other illustrative embodiments, the pin clamp assembly may further comprise: an actuator that moves the body and the twist pin in linearly reciprocal directions, causing the slots of the body to move with respect to the cam pin, causing the cam pin to move with respect to the cam slots causing the twist pin to rotate about an axis located perpendicular to the cam pin; the actuator being pneumatic; an electrically driven actuator that drives at least one carrier that drives a rod in communication with the body that moves the body and the twist pin in linearly reciprocal directions, causing the slots of the body to move with respect to the cam pin causing the cam pin to move with respect to the cam slots causing the twist pin to rotate about an axis located perpendicular to the cam pin; a locking mechanism that selectively restricts movement of the body; the locking mechanism comprising a first wedging surface located on the body, a second wedging surface located opposite the first wedging surface, a wedge member, and a bias member, wherein the wedge member engages the first and second wedging surfaces and is held by the bias; the locking mechanism preventing movement of the locating pin in one direction while allowing movement of the locating pin in an opposite direction; a sleeve located exterior of the housing and collaring a portion of the locating pin which also extends exterior of the housing; at least one shim located between the housing and the sleeve to increase the amount of collaring of the locating pin by the sleeve; and the shim being a plurality of shims to vary the mount of collaring of the locating pin by the sleeve.
Another illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure provides a pin clamp assembly which comprises a housing, a locating pin, an actuator and a locating mechanism. The housing forms an internal cavity and an opening from said cavity to the exterior of said housing. The locating pin is disposed in the cavity and extends out of the opening to a distal end. The actuator moves the locating pin into and out of the opening. The locking mechanism selectively restricts movement of the locating pin.
In the above and other illustrative embodiments, the pin clamp assembly may further comprise: the locking mechanism comprising a first wedging surface located on the locating pin, a second wedging surface located opposite the first wedging surface, a wedge member, and a bias member, wherein the wedge member engages the first and second wedging surfaces and is held by the bias; the locking mechanism preventing movement of the locating pin in one direction while allowing movement of the locating pin in an opposite direction; a sleeve located exterior of the housing and collaring a portion of the locating pin which extends exterior of the housing; at least one shim located between the housing and the sleeve to increase the amount of collaring of the locating pin by the sleeve; and the shim being a plurality of shims to vary the mount of collaring of the locating pin by the sleeve.
Another illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure provides a pin clamp assembly which comprises a body, a locating pin, fingers, a sleeve and at least one shim. The housing has a bore disposed therethrough. A portion of the locating pin is located interior of the housing and another portion extends exterior of the housing. The fingers selectively extend and retract from the locating pin exterior of the housing. The sleeve is located exterior of the housing and shrouds the portion of the locating pin that extends exterior of the housing. The shim is located between the sleeve and the housing to affect the amount of the locating pin is shrouded.
Additional features and advantages of the pin clamp will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrated embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the pin clamp as presently perceived.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplification set out herein illustrates embodiments of the pin clamp, and such exemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the pin clamp in any manner.