Adjustable clamp

• US 4,901,963 A
• Filed: 06/20/1985
• Issued: 02/20/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Univral Consolidated Methods Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Universal Consolidated Methods, Inc.
• Inventors: Yoder, Ronald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Ramon O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): OLSON, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US06/747,122
• Time in Patent Office: 1,706 Days
• Field of Search: 248/643, 248/72, 248/228, 248/231.5, 248/231.7, 248/316.5, 269/238, 269/239, 269/249, 24/513, 24/514, 24/569
• US Class Current: 24/489
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 5/103 with a hinge
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44291 including pivoted gripping member
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44504 Threaded cylindrical rod and mating cavity

Abstract

An adjustable clamp is formed of two extrusions pivotally joined together by retaining structures consisting of a web and bead extruded as part of one of the extrusions and a channel extruded as part of the other extrusion and having sufficient cross-sectional size to receive the bead longitudinally. Edge portions of the channel define a gap wider than the web but narrower than the bead to allow limited pivotal movement of one extrusion relative to the other about an axis in the channel and to prevent the bead from slipping transversely out of the channel. One extrusion has a body portion with an arm extending from the body portion and a pressure pad on the arm. The other extrusion has a generally U-shaped configuration consisting of a bight and two sides, one of which has an edge with an extruded pressure pad thereon facing the pressure pad on the arm. The other side, which is adjacent the pivot axis defined by the bead and the channel, is juxtaposed with respect to the body portion of the othe extrusion. A bolt extends through a clearance hole in the outer one of these two juxtaposed components and threadedly engages a threaded hole in the other of the juxtaposed components to draw the juxtaposed body portion and the other side of the U-shaped extrusion toward each other and thus force the pressure pads toward each other.

Claims

1. An adjustable clamp comprising:

a first extrusion comprising a body portion with a hole therethrough, an arm extruded along one edge of the body portion extending substantially perpendicular therefrom, and a first pressure pad on the arm;

a U-shaped second extrusion comprising a first side, a second side with a hole therethrough, a bight joining the first side to the second side, and a second pressure pad on the first side facing the first pressure pad;

a retaining structure comprising a first retaining member comprising a surface portion extruded along the body portion of the first extrusion adjacent the edge of the body portion remote from the arm, and a second retaining member extruded along the second extrusion, the second retaining member comprising an integrally extruded web terminating in an integrally extruded bead of greater thickness than the thickness of the web, the web of the second retaining member extending from the second extrusion near the intersection of the second side and the bight and substantially perpendicular to the second side, the other retaining member comprising a pair of integrally extruded portions partially enclosing a channel of larger cross-sectional size than the bead, the integrally extruded portions extending partially together and defining therebetween a gap having a width that is greater than the thickness of the web and less than the thickness of the bead, whereby the bead can be inserted lengthwise into the channel to join the first and second members together, the body portion and the second side thereby comprising juxtaposed members with said second side extending substantially perpendicular to said arm with the end of said second side being spaced from said arm thereby to provide a space for receiving a workpiece and the hole through the body portion being in alignment with the hole through the second side, the hole through the body portion being a clearance hole located between the first retaining member and the arm and the other of said holes being threaded and located in the second side of the second extrusion, the body portion of the first extrusion facing the second side of the second extrusion being generally flat and substantially coplanar with the deepest part of the channel;

a bolt comprising a head and a threaded shaft extending through the clearance hole and threadedly engaging the threaded hole to urge the juxtaposed members toward each other, whereby the first and second extrusions pivot relatively to each other about the bead, said arm of said first extrusion and said second side being transversely located and separated.

2. An adjustable clamp comprising:

a first extrusion comprising a body portion with a hole therethrough, an arm extruded along one edge of the body portion extending substantially perpendicular therefrom, and a first pressure pad on the arm;

a U-shaped second extrusion comprising a first side, a second side with a hole therethrough, a bight joining the first side to the second side, and a second pressure pad on the first side facing the first pressure pad;

a retaining structure comprising a first retaining member comprising a surface portion extruded along the body portion of the first extrusion adjacent the edge of the body portion remote from the arm, and a second retaining member extruded along the second extrusion, the first retaining member comprising an integrally extruded web terminating in an integrally extruded bead of greater thickness than the thickness of the web, the web of the first retaining member extending from the first extrusion near the end of the body portion remote from the arm and substantially perpendicular to the body portion, the other retaining member comprising a pair of integrally extruded portions partially enclosing a channel of larger cross-sectional size than the bead, the integrally extruded portions extending partially together and defining therebetween a gap having a width that is greater than the thickness of the web and less than the thickness of the bead, whereby the bead can be inserted lengthwise into the channel to join the first and second members together, the body portion and the second side thereby comprising juxtaposed members with said second side extending substantially perpendicular to said arm with the end of said second side being spaced from said arm thereby to provide a space for receiving a workpiece and the hole through the body portion being in alignment with the hole through the second side, the hole through the body portion being a clearance hole located between the first retaining member and the arm and the other of said holes being threaded and located in the second side of the second extrusion, the body portion of the first extrusion facing the second side of the second extrusion being generally flat;

a bolt comprising a head and a threaded shaft extending through the clearance hole and threadedly engaging the threaded hole to urge the juxtaposed members toward each other, whereby the first and second extrusions pivot relatively to each other about the bead, said arm of said first extrusion and said second side being transversely located and separated.