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This is a record of a document published elsewhere, first published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, as US-4946149-A, on 7 August 1990. OpenTechnical did not first disclose it. The identifier, hashes and timestamps below record what this library served and when, not when the material became public. View the original.

OT-2026-000003445

Programmable bed for machine tools and the like

Published
Permanent URL
Classification
Tools & Tooling › Clamping Tools
Inventors
GREENE DAVID G
Assignee
STEELCASE INC
Original source
US-4946149-A, the United States Patent and Trademark Office, 7 August 1990
Document SHA-256
53f0207e700c14a48190b404d14647d9bea28b168180d12c7b8e09ff1c227605

A programmable bed is provided for machine tools and the like, such as routers, boring tools, and other powered cutters and shapers. The programmable bed has a platen shaped to support differently sized workpieces thereon, and includes a plurality of retractable stops slidably mounted in the platen. The stops are selectively and individually shifted vertically between extended and retracted positions in response to the identification of a particular workpiece, so as to automatically locate or index the same on the platen at a preselected position relative to the machine tool. A plurality of pop-up suction chucks are also slidably mounted in the platen, and are selectively communicated with a source of vacuum. The suction chucks are reciprocated vertically between a retracted disengaged position, and an extended engaged position abutting an adjacent surface of the workpiece, so as to securely retain the workpiece in its preselected position during the machining operation.

Sheet 1
Sheet 1
Sheet 2
Sheet 2

Abstract

A programmable bed is provided for machine tools and the like, such as routers, boring tools, and other powered cutters and shapers. The programmable bed has a platen shaped to support differently sized workpieces thereon, and includes a plurality of retractable stops slidably mounted in the platen. The stops are selectively and individually shifted vertically between extended and retracted positions in response to the identification of a particular workpiece, so as to automatically locate or index the same on the platen at a preselected position relative to the machine tool. A plurality of pop-up suction chucks are also slidably mounted in the platen, and are selectively communicated with a source of vacuum. The suction chucks are reciprocated vertically between a retracted disengaged position, and an extended engaged position abutting an adjacent surface of the workpiece, so as to securely retain the workpiece in its preselected position during the machining operation.

1. Drawings

[0001]Sheet 1.

[0002]Sheet 2.

Publication information

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Citation

OpenTechnical Publication OT-2026-000003445, “Programmable bed for machine tools and the like,” published September 15, 2026 at 20:28:30 UTC, https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000003445.

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This record reproduces a document published elsewhere and is provided for reference and study. Rights in the original remain with its owner. See the publication policy.