Worm drive clamp with band guide channels

• US 5,315,737 A
• Filed: 06/29/1992
• Issued: 05/31/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Royal Bank of Canada (The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Serge Ouimet
• Inventors: Ouimet, Serge
• Primary Examiner(s): Brittain, James R.
• Application Number:
  US07/905,680
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 24/19, 24/274 R, 24/274 P, 24/279
• US Class Current: 24/274.00R
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 33/08 in which a worm coacts with a part of the hose-encircling member that is toothed like a worm-wheel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/1427 Worm and tooth

Abstract

An improved worm drive clamp comprised of a flexible metal clamping band and a housing containing a tightening screw is secured to one end of the band. The tightening screw is axially and angularly displaceable within the housing for engagement and disengagement from an engageable free end of the band which is passed through the housing to form a band loop for securement about an object. The housing is comprised of opposed guide channels through which opposed edge portions of the free end portion of the band is caused to pass to position the free end portion in a fixed arcuate plane for engagement and disengagement with the displaceable tightening screw which is located thereabove in a screw retention portion of the housing. The tightening screw pivots in a slot formed in an end wall of the housing and displaced outwardly in a further slot formed in the opposed end wall of the housing. The housing is also formed from a unitary metal piece.

Claims

1. A worm drive clamp comprising a flexible metal clamping band having a housing secured to a securing end thereof, said band having a plurality of spaced apart engageable openings in at least a free end portion thereof, said housing having a screw retention portion and a lower band receiving portion, said band receiving portion having opposed guide channels through which opposed edge portions of said free end portion of said band is caused to pass to position said free end portion for engagement and disengagement with a displaceable axially rotatable tightening screw located thereabove in said screw retention portion;

said screw having a screw thread portion, a pivoting end portion, an engageable head at an opposed end to said pivoting end portion, and an annular groove intermediate said engageable head and said thread portion;

said screw retention portion of said housing having an end wall with a retention opening for receiving said screw pivoting end portion captive therein but providing longitudinal axial displacement and pivotal displacement thereof, said screw retention portion of said housing having an opposed end wall with a head receiving slot;

said head receiving slot having a first portion with opposed arcuate side walls disposed about a center point which lies on a central axis of said retention opening, said first portion accommodating the passage of said head therein, and a second portion which is a U-shape slot disposed above said head receiving slot for receiving said annular groove closely spaced therein but preventing the passage of said head when said screw is displaced outwardly to a disengaged angular position;

said opposed arcuate side walls providing a frictional abutment for said head to retain said screw thread portion in an engageable position with said spaced apart openings in said band free end portion, said band free end portion remaining substantially in a fixed arcuate plane by said opposed guide channels during engagement and disengagement thereof from said housing, said guide channels being formed integrally with said housing and extending outwardly from opposed side walls of said screw retention portion of said housing to define wing portions, said guide channels further being of rectangular cross-section and arcuately extending and further having a top and bottom arcuate wall and an outer interconnecting side wall, an arcuate tab is punched in said arcuate top wall to define a restricted throat section in said arcuate channels at mid-length thereof to maintain said band free portion in said fixed arcuate plane spaced from said tightening screw a predetermined distance.

2. A worm drive clamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein said arcuate bottom wall of said arcuate channels have an extension wall portion disposed in a common plane and forming a bottom support wall of said housing, said bottom support wall having attachment means formed in opposed side edges thereof for securing said housing to said securing end of said clamping band.

3. A worm drive clamp as claimed in claim 2 wherein said attachment means are integrally formed tongues for attachment in connecting holes formed in said securing end of said clamping band.

4. A worm drive clamp as claimed in claim 3 wherein said housing, tightening screw and clamping band are formed of metal, said worm drive clamp being a hose clamp.