Hydraulic line mounting clamp
First Claim
1. A bolt-on clamp assembly for mounting a hydraulic line to a support structure, said clamp assembly comprising:
- upper and lower clamp members, said upper clamp member having a downwardly facing jaw portion and said lower clamp member having an upwardly facing jaw portion, so that said jaw portions define a receiving area for engaging said hydraulic line therein;
a mounting portion formed on a first side of said receiving area for passage of a mounting bolt therethrough;
and a hinge structure interconnecting said upper and lower clamp members so as to form an upwardly directed fulcrum on a second side of said receiving area opposite said mounting portion, said hinge structure comprising;
an upwardly projecting flange portion formed along an edge of said upper clamp member; and
an inverted channel portion formed along an edge of said lower clamp member for receiving said flange portion in pivoting engagement therewith, so as to form said upwardly directed fulcrum while preventing said upper member from twisting relative to said lower clamp member;
so that said upper clamp member pivots downwardly about said upwardly directed fulcrum in response to tightening of said mounting bolt as said lower clamp member is held stationary by said support structure, so that said upper clamp member exerts a downwardly directed clamping force against said hydraulic line in said receiving area between said clamp members.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A bolt-on clamp assembly for mounting a hydraulic line to a support structure, such as a boom or articulated arm. There are upper and lower clamp members having jaw portions that define a receiving area for the hydraulic line. The clamp members are joined by a hinge structure on one side of the receiving area, which forms a fulcrum for downward pivoting motion of the upper clamp member while the lower clamp member rests on the underlying structure. A mounting area is formed on the opposite side of the receiving area, and includes coaxially aligned bores for passage of a mounting bolt through a upper and lower clamp members. As the mounting bolt is tightened, the hydraulic line is gripped between the jaw portions of the clamp members. Opposing stop faces are formed on the mounting portions of the upper and lower clamp members to limit the pivoting motion and thereby prevent crushing or deformation of the hydraulic line. A depending flange may also be provided on the upper clamp member to form a pivot point that enables the upper clamp member to be used separately as a one-piece clamp, without the lower clamp member.
56 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A bolt-on clamp assembly for mounting a hydraulic line to a support structure, said clamp assembly comprising:
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upper and lower clamp members, said upper clamp member having a downwardly facing jaw portion and said lower clamp member having an upwardly facing jaw portion, so that said jaw portions define a receiving area for engaging said hydraulic line therein;
a mounting portion formed on a first side of said receiving area for passage of a mounting bolt therethrough;
and a hinge structure interconnecting said upper and lower clamp members so as to form an upwardly directed fulcrum on a second side of said receiving area opposite said mounting portion, said hinge structure comprising;
an upwardly projecting flange portion formed along an edge of said upper clamp member; and
an inverted channel portion formed along an edge of said lower clamp member for receiving said flange portion in pivoting engagement therewith, so as to form said upwardly directed fulcrum while preventing said upper member from twisting relative to said lower clamp member;
so that said upper clamp member pivots downwardly about said upwardly directed fulcrum in response to tightening of said mounting bolt as said lower clamp member is held stationary by said support structure, so that said upper clamp member exerts a downwardly directed clamping force against said hydraulic line in said receiving area between said clamp members. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
first and second coaxially aligned bores formed in said upper and lower clamp members for passage of said mounting bolt therethrough.
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3. The bolt-on clamp assembly of claim 1, further comprising:
means for limiting downward pivoting motion of said upper clamp member so as to prevent said hydraulic line having a predetermined diameter from being crushed or deformed between said jaw portions of said upper and lower clamp members.
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4. The bolt-on clamp assembly of claim 3, wherein said means for limiting downward pivoting motion of said upper clamp member comprises:
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a first stop face formed on a lower surface of said upper clamp member; and
a second stop face formed on an upper surface of said lower clamp member in opposition to said first stop face;
said first and second stop faces being spaced apart by a pinch gap of predetermined width when said hydraulic line having said predetermined diameter is received between said jaw portions of said upper and lower clamp members.
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5. The bolt-on clamp assembly of claim 4, wherein said pinch gap is formed on said first side of said receiving area, opposite said hinge structure interconnecting said upper and lower clamp members.
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6. The bolt-on clamp assembly of claim 1, further comprising:
a downwardly projecting flange portion formed on an edge of said upper clamp member on a side of said mounting portion thereof opposite said receiving area and said upwardly projecting flange portion, for forming a fulcrum against an underlying support surface, so that said upper clamp member pivots downwardly in response to tightening of said mounting bolt so as to create a clamping force against said hydraulic line in said jaw portion thereof when said upper clamp member is used as a single piece clamp without said lower clamp member.
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7. The bolt-on clamp assembly of claim 6, wherein said lower clamp member further comprises:
a recess formed in an edge of said lower clamp member on a side of said mounting portion thereof opposite said receiving area and said channel portion for receiving said downwardly projecting flange portion of said upper clamp member therein.
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8. The bolt-on clamp assembly of claim 1, wherein said jaw portions of said upper and lower clamp members each have a generally hemicylindrical contour, so that said jaw portions define a generally cylindrical receiving area engaging said hydraulic line about substantially the entire circumference thereof.
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9. The bolt-on clamp assembly of claim 1, wherein said upper and lower clamp members each have a substantially uniform cross section in a direction parallel to a cylindrical axis of said receiving area, so that said clamp members are readily formed of an extruded material.
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10. The bolt-on clamp assembly of claim 9, wherein said extruded material is extruded aluminum alloy.
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11. A hydraulically-operated apparatus, comprising:
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a support structure;
a hydraulic line; and
a bolt-on clamp assembly mounting said hydraulic line to said support structure, said bolt-on clamp assembly comprising;
upper and lower clamp members, said upper clamp member having a downwardly facing jaw portion and said lower clamp member having an upwardly facing jaw portion, so that said jaw portions define a receiving area for engaging said hydraulic line therein;
a mounting portion formed on a first side of said receiving area and having of a mounting bolt passing downwardly therethrough into said support structure; and
a hinge structure interconnecting said upper and lower clamp members so as to form an upwardly directed fulcrum on a second side of said receiving area opposite said mounting portion;
so that said upper clamp member pivots downwardly about said upwardly directed fulcrum in response to tightening of said mounting bolt as said lower clamp member is held stationary by said support structure, so that said upper clamp member exerts a downwardly directed clamping force against said hydraulic line in said receiving area between said clamp members. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
a segment of an articulated arm of said hydraulically-operated apparatus.
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13. The hydraulically operated apparatus of claim 11, wherein said support structure comprises:
an outwardly extending bracket for supporting said hydraulic line a spaced distance from a surface of said apparatus.
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14. The hydraulically-operated apparatus of claim 11, wherein said hinge structure interconnecting said upper and lower clamp members of said assembly comprises:
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an upwardly projecting flange portion formed along an edge of said upper clamp member; and
an inverted channel portion formed along an edge of said lower clamp member for receiving said flange portion in pivoting engagement therewith.
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15. The hydraulically-operated apparatus of claim 14, wherein said mounting portion of said clamp assembly further comprises:
first and second coaxially aligned bores formed in said upper and lower clamp members for passage of said mounting bolt therethrough, so as to form said upwardly directed fulcrum while preventing said upper clamp member from twisting relative to said lower clamp member.
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16. A hydraulic line assembly mounted to a hydraulically operated apparatus, said hydraulic line assembly comprising:
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a hydraulic line; and
a bolt-on clamp assembly mounting said hydraulic line to a support structure, said bolt-on clamp assembly comprising;
upper and lower clamp members, said upper clamp member having a downwardly facing jaw portion and said lower clamp member having an upwardly facing jaw portion, so that said jaw portions define a receiving area for engaging said hydraulic line therein;
a mounting portion formed on a first side of said receiving area and having a mounting bolt passing downwardly therethrough into said support structure;
and a hinge structure interconnecting said upper and lower clamp members so as to form an upwardly directed fulcrum on a second side of said receiving area opposite said mounting portion, said hinge structure comprising;
an upwardly projecting flange portion formed along an edge of said upper clamp member; and
an inverted channel portion formed along an edge of said lower clamp member for receiving said flange portion in pivoting engagement therewith, so as to form said upwardly directed fulcrum while preventing said upper clamp member from twisting relative to said lower clamp member;
so that said upper clamp member pivots downwardly about said upwardly directed fulcrum in response to tightening of said mounting bolt as said lower clamp member is held stationary by said support structure, so that said upper clamp member exerts a downwardly directed clamping force against a hydraulic line in said receiving area between said clamp members. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
a segment of an articulated arm of said hydraulically-operated apparatus.
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18. The hydraulic line assembly of claim 16, an outwardly extending bracket for supporting said hydraulic line a spaced distance from a surface of said hydraulically-operated apparatus.
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19. The hydraulic line assembly of claim 16, wherein said hinge structure interconnecting said upper and lower clamp members of said assembly comprises:
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an upwardly projecting flange portion formed along an edge of said upper clamp member; and
an inverted channel portion formed along an edge of said lower clamp member for receiving said flange portion in pivoting engagement therewith, so as to form said upwardly directed fulcrum while preventing said upper clamp member from twisting relative to said lower clamp member.
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20. The hydraulic line assembly of claim 19, wherein said mounting portion of said clamp assembly further comprises:
first and second coaxially aligned bores formed in said upper and lower clamp members for passage of said mounting bolt therethrough.
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21. A clamp assembly for mounting a hydraulic line to a support structure, said clamp assembly comprising:
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an upper clamp member for exerting downward clamping force against said hydraulic line, said upper clamp member comprising;
a downwardly facing, generally hemicylindrical jaw portion;
an upwardly projecting flange portion along an edge of said upper clamp member on a first side of said jaw portion, said flange portion extending generally parallel to a cylindrical axis of said jaw portion;
a mounting portion on a second side of said jaw portion, said mounting portion having a generally vertical bore for passage of a mounting bolt therethrough; and
a generally horizontal stop face formed in a lower surface of said mounting portion; and
a lower clamp member for resting against said support structure, said lower clamp member comprising;
an upwardly facing, generally hemicylindrical jaw portion that cooperates with said jaw portion of said upper clamp member to define a generally cylindrical receiving area for receiving and engaging said hydraulic line therein;
an inverted channel portion along an edge of said lower clamp member on a first side of said jaw portion for receiving said flange portion of said upper clamp member in pivoting engagement therewith, so as to form a fulcrum for downward pivoting movement of said upper clamp member on response to tightening of said mounting bolt while preventing said upper clamp member from twisting relative to said lower clamp member;
a mounting portion on second side of said jaw portion, said mounting portion having a generally vertical bore that aligns coaxially with said bore in said mounting portion of said upper clamp member for passage of said mounting bolt therethrough; and
a generally horizontal stop face formed on an upper surface of said mounting portion, said stop face on said lower clamp member being spaced apart from said stop face on said upper clamp member by a pinch gap of predetermined height when said hydraulic line having a predetermined diameter is received between said jaw portions of said upper and lower clamp members, so that said stop faces limit downward pivoting motion of said upper clamp member so as to prevent said hydraulic line from being crushed or deformed between said jaw portions of said members. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
a downwardly projecting flange portion formed on an edge of said upper clamp member on a side of said mounting portion opposite said receiving area and said upwardly projecting flange portion, for forming a fulcrum against an underlying support surface so that said upper clamp member pivots downwardly in response to tightening said mounting bolt so as to create a clamping force against said hydraulic line in said jaw portion thereof when said upper clamp member is used as a single piece clamp without said lower clamp member.
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24. The bolt-on clamp assembly of claim 23, wherein said lower clamp member further comprises:
a recess formed in an edge of said lower clamp member on a side of said mounting portion opposite said receiving area and said channel portion for receiving said downwardly projecting flange portion of said upper clamp member therein.
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25. A bolt-on clamp assembly for mounting a hydraulic line to a support structure, said clamp assembly comprising:
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(a) a lower clamp member, comprising;
a generally rectangular body having first and second ends;
a generally flat base on a lower side of said body for resting on a surface of said support structure in load-bearing engagement therewith;
a concave, generally hemicylindrical lower jaw portion on an upper side of said body for receiving a hydraulic line therein, said jaw portion being formed proximate said first end of said body;
an unthreaded bore for passage of a mounting bolt therethrough, said bore being formed proximate said second end of said body;
a web portion extending outwardly and upwardly at said first end of said body;
an inverted channel portion extending inwardly from an upper end of said flange portion and facing downwardly therefrom, said channel portion extending generally parallel to an axis of said jaw portion; and
(b) an upper clamp member, comprising;
a generally rectangular body having first and second ends;
a concave, generally hemicylindrical upper jaw portion on a lower side of said body for receiving a hydraulic line therein, said jaw portion being formed proximate said first end of said body;
an unthreaded bore for passage of a mounting bolt therethrough, said bore being formed proximate said second end of said body;
a flange portion extending outwardly and upwardly from said first end of said body;
a rounded tip formed on an upper edge of said flange portion and facing upwardly therefrom for being received in said downwardly facing inverted channel on said lower clamp member in pivoting engagement so as to form an upwardly directed fulcrum therewith, said rounded tip extending generally parallel to an axis of said concave jaw portion;
a flange portion projecting downwardly from said second end of said body; and
a rounded tip formed on a lower edge of said flange portion and facing downwardly therefrom for bearing against said surface of said support structure in pivoting engagement so as to form a downwardly directed fulcrum therewith, when said upper clamp member is installed without said lower clamp member, said rounded tip extending generally parallel to an axis of said concave jaw portion. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
a downwardly extending recess formed in said second end of said body for receiving said downwardly projecting flange portion of said upper clamp member, said recess having a bottom surface that faces upwardly towards said lower edge of said flange portion so as to form a stop that prevents overtightening of said clamp assembly against said hydraulic line.
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27. The clamp assembly of claim 25, wherein said tip of said flange portion of said upper clamp member comprises:
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an upwardly extending outer surface that is spaced from an adjoining surface of said inverted channel by a predetermined clearance gap; and
an upwardly and outwardly extending inner surface that is spaced from an adjoining surface of said inverted channel by a predetermined angular gap;
so that said upper clamp member can be placed over said hydraulic line and then pivoted and slid into engagement with said lower clamp member.
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28. The clamp assembly of claim 27 wherein said predetermined angular gap is an angular gap of about 5°
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Specification