Workholding wedge clamp

• US 5,718,420 A
• Filed: 07/11/1996
• Issued: 02/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kurt Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Kurt Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Bernstein, Leon M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Watson, Robert C.
• Application Number:
  US08/678,112
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 269/99, 269/100, 269/153, 269/224, 269/234, 269/157, 269/254 R, 269/303, 269/305, 269/315, 269/317, 269/136, 269/138, 269/137
• US Class Current: 269/138
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 5/08 using cams
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 5/10 using screws
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 5/163 Jaws or jaw attachments

Abstract

A wedge workholding clamp has a clamp body that is adapted for mounting onto a table and is used for holding various objects, and specifically for holding piece parts in machining. The clamp body slidably mounts a movable jaw that is actuated with a wedge using a clamping screw. When a single jaw is actuated, the clamp body has one reaction surface that is square with the direction of clamping and parallel to the axis of the screw. The wedge has an end surface that engages and moves along the reaction surface of the clamp body as the wedge is tightened so there are no bending loads on the screw. The wedge also has a wedge surface that engages a surface of the movable jaw and which acts to move the movable jaw from a released position to a position clamping a workpiece. The clamp body carries a resiliently movable pin projecting into a receptacle in the movable jaw to provide a spring force tending to move the movable jaw and wedge to the released position, and to retain the movable jaw in position on the clamp body during normal operations. The movable jaw and wedge have guide flanges or mating slot walls to guide the movable jaw and wedge and protect the work holding clamp from chips.

Claims

1. A wedge clamp comprising a clamp body, a movable jaw mounted on the body, and a wedge-movable in a first direction and having a surface operable for creating a force for moving the movable jaw in a second clamping direction from an unclamped position along the clamp body, the body having a bore, a pin mounted in the bore of the clamp body, and a resilient material surrounding the pin in the bore to provide a spring force for permitting the pin to be resiliently movable, and a receptacle in the movable jaw for receiving a portion of the pin protruding into the receptacle, said portion of the pin received in the receptacle being resiliently movable in the second direction when the movable jaw is moved in the second direction from the unclamped position, thereby tending to move the movable jaw to an unclamped position as the pin is resiliently moved in the second direction.

2. The wedge clamp of claim 1, wherein the wedge surface engages a mating surface on the movable jaw, the wedge surface overlying the mating surface relative to the clamp body, and wherein the pin protrudes into the receptacle sufficiently far so that the movable jaw is retained on the clamp body until the wedge is moved in opposite direction from the first direction a selected distance after the movable jaw is unclamped, and then the movable jaw can be removed from the pin.

3. The wedge clamp of claim 1, wherein the resilient material comprises an elastomeric material surrounding the pin and retaining the pin relative to the clamp body.

4. The wedge lock clamp of claim 3, wherein the elastomeric material mounts the pin with an axis of the pin inclined from a plane parallel to the first direction and perpendicular to the second direction in a rest position.

5. The wedge clamp of claim 1, wherein the clamp body has two movable jaws mounted thereon and the wedge has surfaces for simultaneously operating both movable jaws.

6. The wedge clamp of claim 1, the wedge surface directly engaging a mating surface on the movable jaw and inclined to overlie the mating surface, the movable jaw thus being urged under a force component parallel to the first direction as the movable jaw is moved in the second direction.

7. The wedge clamp of claim 6, the clamp body having a planar support surface on which the movable jaw slides, the wedge being moved toward the support surface as the wedge moves in the first direction and a reaction surface perpendicular to the support surface and parallel to the first direction for engaging a portion of the wedge to react loads on the wedge.

8. The wedge clamp of claim 1, wherein the clamp body has side surfaces, and a support surface extending between the side surfaces for supporting the movable jaw, the movable jaw having flanges that fit along the side surface to shield the support surface.

9. The wedge clamp of claim 1 wherein the clamp body comprises a body having receptacles for receiving workpieces therein, and a slot in the clamp body for receiving and guiding the movable jaw and wedge.

19. The wedge clamp of claim 1, wherein the receptacle has an axis generally perpendicular to the second direction, and wherein the pin is inclined relative to the receptacle axis in a direction opposite from the second direction, to increase the distance that the portion of the pin can be moved as the movable jaw is moved to a clamping position.

10. A clamp comprising a clamp body having a planar support surface, a movable jaw mounted on the clamp body for sliding movement along the support surface, and a member movable relative to the clamp body for creating a force for moving the movable jaw in a direction along the support surface of the clamp body for clamping, a pin mounted on the clamp body and protruding beyond the support surface, and a receptacle in the movable jaw for receiving a head of the pin protruding beyond the support surface, said pin being resiliently movable from a rest position in the direction of movement of the movable jaw when the movable jaw is moved by the member movable for creating a force.

11. The clamp of claim 10, wherein the member movable relative to the clamp body comprises a wedge movable in a first direction toward the support surface, the wedge having a wedge surface inclined relative to and facing toward the support surface and overlying and movable to engage a mating inclined surface on the movable jaw for creating the force for moving the movable jaw, the direction of movement of the movable jaw being a second direction, and wherein the receptacle in the movable jaw is a bore closely fitting the head of the pin and wherein the head of the pin protrudes into the receptacle sufficiently far so that the movable jaw is retained on the head of the pin by the overlying wedge surface until the wedge has moved in opposite direction from the first direction a selected distance.

12. The clamp of claim 10, wherein said pin is retained in a bore in the clamp body with a resilient material to provide a spring force tending to retain the movable jaw to position with the pin in its rest position.

13. The clamp of claim 12, wherein the resilient material comprises an elastomeric material surrounding the pin and retaining the pin relative to the clamp body.

14. The clamp of claim 11, wherein the clamp body has side surfaces, the support surface extending between the side surfaces, the movable jaw and the wedge both having flanges that overlap the side surfaces.

15. The clamp of claim 12, wherein the wedge and movable jaw are mounted in a slot in the clamp body, the slot having side surfaces for slidably guiding the movable jaw and wedge and fitting closely along the sides of the movable jaw and wedge to protocol from entry of chips into the slot.

16. A vise for use on a tooling plate having T-slots thereon for mounting a first movable jaw and a second fixed jaw, the movable jaw surface facing the fixed jaw, the table further having cross slots perpendicular to a length of the T-slots, a securing member for the fixed jaw comprising a serrated surface plate which has a main body fitting into an opening of the T-slot, and wings on opposite sides of the main body that fit in the cross slot, the wings being closer to a first end of the main body than to a second end to provide different lengths of extension of the main body in a direction along the T-slot from the cross slot when the main body is reversed in position.

17. A wedge clamp comprising a clamp body, a movable jaw mounted on the body, and a wedge movable in a first direction and having a surface operable for creating a force for moving the movable jaw in a second clamping direction from an unclamped position to a clamping position along the clamp body, a pin mounted on the clamp body, a receptacle in the movable jaw for receiving a portion of the pin protruding into the receptacle, said portion of the pin received in the receptacle being resiliently movable in the second direction when the movable jaw is moved in the second direction from the unclamped position, and a cap screw threaded into the clamp body and having a screw axis parallel to the first direction and being threaded for moving the wedge in the first direction, the wedge having an end surface opposite the wedge surface, and the clamp body having a reaction surface which is engaged by the wedge end surface, the reaction surface being substantially parallel to the screw axis.

18. A wedge clamp comprising a clamp body;

a movable jaw mounted on the clamp body;

a wedge movable in a first direction on the clamp body and having a surface operable for creating a force for moving the movable jaw in a second direction along the clamp body from an unclamped position to a clamped position, the clamp body having a movable jaw support surface extending between a pair of spaced side surfaces, both of the side surfaces being substantially parallel to the second direction;

the wedge being spaced from the support surface with the movable jaw in an unclamped position and the wedge surface engaging the movable jaw, the wedge being movable toward the support surface for moving the movable jaw toward the clamped position;

the wedge having a pair of depending flanges slidably mounted on the clamp body and overlapping portions of the side surfaces to shield a space between the support surface and the wedge;

the depending flanges slidably guiding the wedge as the wedge is moved to create the force moving the movable jaw toward a clamped position; and

a resilient spring member for urging the movable jaw actuator surface in direction to engage the wedge surface.

20. A clamp member having a clamp body and a movable jaw slidable on the clamp body;

the clamp body having generally parallel, spaced side surfaces extending parallel to a direction of slidable movement of the movable jaw;

a support surface on the clamp body for the movable jaw extending between the side surfaces, the movable jaw having a surface inclined relative to the direction of slidable movement of the movable jaw; and

a wedge member having a wedge surface engaging the inclined surface of the movable jaw, said wedge member being movable toward the support surface from a first position to provide a force tending to slidably move the movable jaw to a clamping position, said wedge member having a pair of spaced apart flanges overlapping the side surfaces of the clamp body when the wedge member is in its first position to slidably guide the wedge member and to shield a space between the wedge member and the clamp body as the wedge member is moved toward the support surface to slidably move the movable jaw.

21. The clamp member of claim 20, wherein the movable jaw has a pair of depending flanges that fit over and are slidable along the side surfaces of the clamp body to shield the support surface in portions supporting the movable jaw and to slidably guide the movable jaw on the clamp body when the movable jaw is supported on the support surface.