DESC:BACKGROUND
Technical Field
[0001] The embodiments herein generally relate to fixtures, more particularly to a fixture clamp tool for bearing caps with zero offset.
Description of the Related Art
[0002] A bearing that touches a shaft is secured in position by bearing caps. In vehicles, these caps are used to secure wheel bearings in a wheel assembly and connect axles to the car's frame. Additionally, the bearing caps can be utilized in various types of machinery, including engines, to hold crankshaft bearings in place. Typically, the bearing caps have a semi-circular body and flanges for attaching bolts, allowing them to be connected to other components of a bearing retention assembly. The bearing caps need to be produced with exact tolerances to avoid assembly complications and unnecessary waste and repair costs.
[0003] The bearing caps are manufactured through casting processes, with the angle of the draft included to facilitate removal from the casting molds. However, due to the unique shape of the bearing caps, it can be difficult to properly position them during machining. To maintain consistency across parts, it is often necessary to machine the bearing caps after casting. This may involve securing the cap in place at one machining center while drilling bolt holes, counterboring, and creating fastener shoulders on the cap. The end faces of the cap may also be machined to specific tolerances.
[0004] Fixturing the cast of the bearing caps for initial machining can be difficult because the tolerance for a cast bearing cap is generally larger, about three times the tolerance for machined surfaces. However, after the initial machining operations are completed, the bearing cap can be accurately positioned for additional machining operations.
[0005] Accordingly, there is a need for a fixture that stops the bearing cap's movement in all directions and allows the machined surfaces to be precisely positioned during the machining of a bearing cap at a work centre.
SUMMARY
[0006] Embodiments herein provide a fixture clamp tool that includes a base plate, one or more clamp supports, one or more top cover plates and one or more sliding assemblies. The base plate mounts one or more brackets. The one or more brackets include one or more sliding platforms and one or more hollows. The one or more hollows accommodate at least one sliding assembly. The one or more clamp support clamps a bearing cap on the fixture clamp tool. The one or more top cover plates that accommodate one or more components using one or more resting plates. The one or more sliding assemblies that is mounted with the one or more brackets using the one or more hollows of the one or more brackets. The sliding assembly includes a cylinder with piston, a cylindrical wedge and a pair of jaws. The cylinder with piston is mounted with a cylindrical wedge. The cylindrical wedge is coupled with the shaft of the piston and the pair of jaws. The pair of jaws are mounted on the one or more brackets. The pair of jaws are sliding on the at least one platform. When in operation, the cylinder with piston moves (a) upward to move the pair of jaws outward equally with zero offset using the cylindrical wedge and (a) downwards to move the pair of jaws inward equally with zero offset to arrest a movement of the bearing cap on the fixture clamp tool.
[0007] In some embodiments, the base plate mounts the one or more brackets using one or more sealing plugs or bolts. The base plate is coupled with at least one of hydraulic systems or electrical actuators and cylinders to move the cylinder with piston.
[0008] In some embodiments, the one or more brackets include a first bracket that accommodates the one or more sliding assemblies and a second bracket that accommodates the pair of jaws. The second bracket is mounted on the first bracket.
[0009] In some embodiments, the one or more clamp supports arrest at least two movements of the bearing cap using a solid body or a button.
[0010] In some embodiments, the top cover plate includes the one or more resting plates that are mounted on a top side. The top cover plate includes a jaw-sliding platform and a cylindrical wedge slot at the bottom side.
[0011] In some embodiments, the top cover plate arrests the movement of the bearing cap using the one or more resting plates and a pair of jaws.
[0012] In some embodiments, the first bracket accommodates the sliding assembly. The second bracket accommodates the cylindrical wedge.
[0013] In some embodiments, the cylindrical wedge includes a jaw-sliding slot that arrests the jaw-slipping movement and provides zero offset to the movement of the pair of jaws.
[0014] In some embodiments, the pair of jaws are mounted with at least one jaw pin to arrest the bearing cap movement. The at least one jaw pins are adapted to arrest the movement of the bearing cap that is in different shapes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The embodiments herein will be better understood from the following detailed description with reference to the drawings, in which:
[0016] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a fixture clamp tool for bearing caps according to some embodiments herein; and
[0017] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary view of a fixture clamp tool for bearing caps to arrest a movement of the bearing caps in all directions according to some embodiments herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
[0019] An objective of the current invention is to provide a fixture clamp tool for bearing caps that is superior to existing systems and that removes or at least lessens the limitations mentioned above. These goals are accomplished using the method described in the appended description. As mentioned, there remains a need for an improved fixture clamp tool for restricting a movement of bearing caps in all directions when machining. Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1 through 2, where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures, preferred embodiments are shown.
[0020] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a fixture clamp tool 100 for bearing caps according to some embodiments herein. The fixture clamp tool 100 includes a base plate 102, a top cover plate 104, one or more brackets 106A-N, one or more clamp supports 108A-N, one or more sliding assemblies 110A-N, one or more jaw covers 112A-N, one or more jaws 114A-N and one or more cylindrical wedges 116A-N. The base plate 102 is mounted with at least one bracket 106. The top cover plate 104 accommodates one or more resting plates on a top side. A bottom side of the top cover plate 104 includes a jaw-sliding platform and a cylindrical wedge slot on a bottom. In some embodiments, the one or more resting plates accommodate one or more components for machining. In some embodiments, the one or more components for machining the bearing caps include at least one of yoke blocks, coolant dispensers, resting pads or dowel pins. The one or more brackets 106A-N include one or more slots or one or more hollows to accommodate the one or more sliding assemblies 110A-N and one or more cylindrical wedges 116A-N. The one or more clamp supports 108A-N arrests at least two movements of the bearing caps using a solid body or a button. The one or more sliding assemblies 110A-N include a cylinder with piston. In some embodiments, the cylinder with piston is mounted with the cylindrical wedge 116. The one or more cylindrical wedges 116A-N is mounted with the one or more jaws 114A-N. In some embodiments, the one or more jaw covers 112A-N act as a sliding platform for the one or more jaws 114A-N. In some embodiments, the one or more brackets 106A-N act as a sliding platform for the one or more jaws 114A-N. The sliding assembly 110 is actuated to move the piston upwards using at least one air or hydraulic pressure. The piston moves the cylindrical wedge 116 upward and the one or more jaws 114A-N slide on the at least one bracket 106 or the jaw cover 112 and slide outward to capture the bearing caps. The piston is actuated to move downward to move the cylindrical wedge 116 downward. The downward movement of the cylindrical wedge 116 actuates the one or more jaws 114A-N to slide inward to arrest the movement of the bearing caps in all directions.
[0021] With reference to the FIG. 1, FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary view of a fixture clamp tool 100 for the bearing caps to restrict the movement of the bearing caps in all directions according to some embodiments herein. The fixture clamp tool 100 includes the base plate 102, the top cover plate 104, the one or more sliding assemblies 110A-N, a pair of jaws 114A and 114B, the one or more clamp supports 108A-N, a first bracket 202, a second bracket 204. The one or more sliding assemblies 110A-N includes a cylinder with piston 206 and a cylindrical wedge 116. In some embodiments, the cylindrical wedge 116 is coupled with a shaft of the piston of the cylinder with piston 206. The first bracket 202 accommodates at least one sliding assembly 110. In some embodiments, the first bracket 202 is mounted on the base plate 102. The second bracket 204 accommodates the pair of jaws 114A and 114B. In some embodiments, the second bracket 204 includes a sliding platform for the pair of jaws 114A and 114B to move outward and inward. In some embodiments, the second bracket 204 is mounted with the top cover plate 104. The sliding assembly 110 moves the cylindrical wedge 116 upward to release the bearing cap and downwards to arrest the bearing caps. In some embodiments, the pair of jaws 114A and 114B move outward to release the bearing caps when the cylindrical wedge 116 is actuated to move upward by the sliding assembly 110. In some embodiments, the pair of jaws 114A and 114B moves inward from the outward position to lock or arrest the bearing caps when the cylindrical wedge 116 is actuated to move downward by the sliding assembly 110. In some embodiments, the base plate 102, the one or more clamp supports 108A-N, the first bracket 202, the second bracket 204 are mounted using one or more sealing plugs or bolts. In some embodiments, the one or more clamp supports 108A-N arrest at least two movements of the bearing cap using at least one solid body or a button. In some embodiments, the top cover plate 104 arrests at least one movement of the bearing cap using at least one resting plate. In some embodiments, the cylindrical wedge 116 includes jaw-driving slots. The sliding assembly 110 is actuated using at least one hydraulic systems or electrical actuators to move the piston upwards using at least one air or hydraulic pressure. The piston moves the cylindrical wedge 116 upward and the pair of jaws 114A and 114B slide on the at least one bracket 106 or the jaw cover 112 and slide outward to capture the bearing caps. The piston is actuated to move downward to move the cylindrical wedge downward. The downward movement of the cylindrical wedge 116 actuates the pair of jaws 114A and 114B to slide inward to arrest the movement of the bearing caps in all directions.
[0022] The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
,CLAIMS:We Claim:
1. A fixture clamp tool (100) for comprising
a base plate (102) that mounts a plurality of brackets (106A-N), wherein the plurality of brackets (106A-N) comprises
a plurality of sliding platform; and
a plurality of hollow to accommodate at least one sliding assembly (110A-N);
a plurality of clamp supports (108A-N) that clamps a bearing cap on the fixture clamp tool (100);
a plurality of top cover plate (104) that accommodates a plurality of components using a plurality of resting plate;
characterized in that,
the plurality of sliding assembly (110A-N) that is mounted with the plurality of bracket (106A-N) using the plurality of hollow of the plurality of bracket (106A-N), wherein the sliding assembly (110A-N) comprises
a cylinder with piston (206) that is mounted with a cylindrical wedge (116);
the cylindrical wedge (116) that is coupled with the shaft of the piston and a pair of jaws (114A and 114B); and
the pair of jaws (114A and 114B) that is mounted on the plurality of bracket (106A-N), wherein the pair of jaws (114A and 114B) are sliding on the at least one platform,
wherein when in operation, the cylinder with piston (206) moves (a) upward to move the pair of jaws (114A and 114B) outward equally with zero offset using the cylindrical wedge (116) and (a) downwards to move the pair of jaws (114A and 114B) inward equally with zero offset to arrest a movement of the bearing cap on the fixture clamp tool (100).

2. The fixture clamp tool (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base plate (102) mounts the plurality of brackets (106A-N) using a plurality of sealing plug or bolts, wherein the base plate (102) is coupled with at least one of hydraulic systems or electrical actuators and cylinders to move the cylinder with piston (206).

3. The fixture clamp tool (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of brackets (106A-N) comprises a first bracket (202) that accommodates the plurality of sliding assembly (110A-N) and a second bracket (204) that accommodates the pair of jaws (114A and 114B), wherein the second bracket is mounted on the first bracket (202).

4. The fixture clamp tool (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of clamp supports (108A-N) arrests at least two movement of the bearing cap using a solid body or a button.

5. The fixture clamp tool (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the top cover plate (104) comprises the plurality of resting plate that are mounted on a top side, wherein the top cover plate (104) comprises a jaw sliding platform and a cylindrical wedge slot at the bottom side.

6. The fixture clamp tool (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the top cover plate (104) arrests the movement of the bearing cap using the plurality of resting plate and the pair of jaws (114A and 114B).

7. The fixture clamp tool (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first bracket (202) accommodates the sliding assembly (110), wherein the second bracket (204) accommodates the cylindrical wedge (116).

8. The fixture clamp tool (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cylindrical wedge (116) comprises a jaw sliding slot that arrest the jaw slipping movement and provides zero offset to the movement of the pair of jaws (114A and 114B).

9. The fixture clamp tool (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pair of jaws (114A and 114B) are mounted with at least one jaw pins to arrest the bearing cap movement, wherein the at least one jaw pins are adapted to arrest the movement of the bearing cap that are in different shapes.

10. A method for arresting a movement of a bearing cap comprising
enabling at least one of hydraulic systems or electrical actuators and cylinders to move a cylinder with piston (206);
enable a pair of jaws (114A and 114B) to move outward equally with zero offset by moving the cylinder with piston (206) upward; and
enable the pair of jaws (114A and 114B) to move inward equally with zero offset by moving the cylinder with piston (206) downward.