An apparatus for supporting a workpiece has a frame and a supporting field consisting of end faces of a plurality of supporting pins which are guided parallel to one another in their main extension directions in the frame and which can each be pushed in against a restoring force with respect to the frame. Further, the apparatus has a detection device including a light barrier in order to detect relative positions of at least some of the supporting pins with respect to the frame. A light source and a light sensor of the light barrier are facing one another across the main extension directions of the supporting pins. The light source is divided into a plurality of sub-sources along one side of the supporting field, and the light sensor is divided into a plurality of sub-sensors along another side situated opposite the aforementioned side of the supporting field.

Provided is a support device that supports an object to be supported, in a manner that allows the object to rotate, without rotation of the support device itself. The support device is provided with: a base part; pair of support members that are slidably provided with respect to the base part, and have arc-shaped cut-out portions which sandwich and hold a circumferential surface of an object to be supported, from both sides of the object; a plurality of first biasing members that bias the pair of support members in a direction toward each other; a plurality of bearing parts that are provided along the cut-out portions, and are for sandwiching and holding the object to be supported, in a manner that allows the object to rotate; and a plurality of second biasing members that bias the plurality of bearing parts in a direction toward the object to be supported. The plurality of first biasing members bias the pair of support members.

A workpiece holding apparatus includes: a main body; at least one shaft member capable of coming into contact with a workpiece; a clamping device into which the shaft member is inserted, the clamping device being attached to the main body and capable of switching between an unclamping state that releases the shaft member and a clamping state that clamps the shaft member; and a trigger member configured to switch the clamping device between the unclamping state and the clamping state. The trigger member comes into direct contact with the workpiece, or comes into indirect contact with the workpiece via at least a part of the shaft member, thus moving relative to the main body, and the clamping device switches from the unclamping state to the clamping state.

A work-holding device comprising a housing, at least one pin, a cover, and a flow regulation mechanism. The housing further comprising at least one chamber, the chambers having a first end, a second end, a fluid opening at the first end, and a pin opening at the second end. The pins having an actuating end and a base end. The pins are arranged in the chambers with the base end within the chamber and the actuating end extending through the pin opening. The flow regulation mechanism is attached to the cover and configured to regulate fluid flow into and out of the chambers.