US 12,122,005 B2
Tooling base
Chris Taylor, San Diego, CA (US); Steve Grangetto, San Diego, CA (US); and Adam Lane, San Diego, CA (US)
Assigned to 5th Axis Inc., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed by 5th Axis Inc., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed on Jul. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/812,548.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/222,512, filed on Jul. 16, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0017767 A1, Jan. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. B23Q 1/46 (2006.01); B23Q 3/10 (2006.01); B25B 5/00 (2006.01); F16B 2/18 (2006.01)
CPC B23Q 1/46 (2013.01) [B23Q 3/102 (2013.01); B23Q 3/103 (2013.01); B25B 5/006 (2013.01); F16B 2/185 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A tooling base for removably aligning and attaching a tooling fixture to a work surface of a machine comprising:
a) a base housing having an interior and tooling holes, the tooling holes being configured to receive alignment studs attached to the tooling fixture, wherein each of the alignment studs comprise an indentation;
b) a first clamping fixture that is fit inside a first hollowed region within the base housing and including a first threaded hole, and a second clamping fixture that is fit inside a second hollowed region within the base housing and including a second threaded hole;
c) a shaft having a length and an axis along the length of the shaft, the shaft situated inside the base housing and the shaft having a first threaded region and a second threaded region, wherein the first threaded region fits inside the first threaded hole of the first clamping fixture, and the second threaded region fits inside the second threaded hole of the second clamping fixture, whereby:
rotation of the shaft in a first direction causes the first clamping fixture and the second clamping fixture to move towards each other along the axis of the shaft; and
rotation of the shaft in a second direction causes the first clamping fixture and the second clamping fixture to move away from each other along the axis of the shaft, the second direction being different from the first direction; and
d) each of the first clamping fixture and the second clamping fixture comprising one or more securing mechanisms configured to:
engage the indentation on the alignment studs of the tooling fixture upon rotation of the shaft in the first direction, thereby securing the alignment studs within the tooling holes and clamping the tooling fixture to the base housing; and
disengage the indentation on the alignment studs of the tooling fixture upon rotation of the shaft in the second direction, thereby releasing the alignment studs within the tooling holes and unclamping the tooling fixture from the base housing;
wherein the one or more securing mechanisms are clamping levers and wherein the clamping levers are rotatably attached to each of the first clamping fixture and the second clamping fixture via a lever hinge and wherein one or more biasing devices of the first clamping fixture and the second clamping fixture are connected to the one or more securing mechanisms to apply a biasing force to a distal end of the clamping levers.