Hughes Aircraft Company

Danny R Chandler

Matthew G Driggs

David M Zehnpfennig

A reconfigurable clamping and supporting apparatus. The inventive apparatus (20) includes first and second arrays (32, 34) of elements (30) and a mechanism for activating same (60, 62, 64-49). The first array (32) comprises at least two rows of elements (30) extending along a first axis and at least two columns of elements extending along a second axis substantially transverse to the first axis. The second array (34) comprises at least two rows of elements (30) extending along the first axis and at least two columns of elements extending along the second axis. Each of the elements (30) is adapted to reciprocate from a first position to a second position along a third axis substantially transverse to the first and second axes. The first position is a home position and the second position is a retaining position. The second array (34) is mounted in opposing face-to-face relation relative to the first array (32) to retain an object therebetween when at least one element of each array is disposed at the second position.

Growing community of inventors

Redondo Beach, CA, United States of America

Danny R Chandler