Clamp for support and connection members

• US 6,634,826 B1
• Filed: 03/01/2000
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: System Plast S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: System Plast S.p.A.
• Inventors: Marsetti, Sergio
• Primary Examiner(s): Browne, Lynne H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garcia, Ernesto
• Application Number:
  US09/516,037
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 403/349, 403/348, 403/400, 403/325, 403/324, 403/109.6, 403/326, 248/354.4, 246/58, 241/15.G
• US Class Current: 403/325
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 21/2072 Laterial guidance means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/3984 Alignable aperture and spring pressed moving element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45754 having closed aperture therethrough alignable with parallel access opening
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/599 Spring biased manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/60 Biased catch or latch

Abstract

A clamp for locking at least one pin (30) or the like, comprising a hollow body (1) provided with coaxial apertures (9) and in which there is mounted, slidable but not rotatable, a member (11) loaded by a spring (10) and provided with a through hole (12) able to align with said coaxial apertures (9) for passage of said pin (30), and connected axially but not rotatably to an operating knob (18) able to assume and maintain two positions, namely one in which the pin (30) is released by moving said member against the action of the spring (10) and one in which the pin is locked by the action of the spring.

Claims

1. A clamp for locking at least one pin (30) comprising:

a hollow body (1) provided with coaxial apertures (9);

a slidable but not rotatable member (11) mounted in said hollow body (1), said slidable but not rotatable member (11) loaded by a spring (10) and provided with a through hole (12) able to align with said coaxial apertures (9) for passage of said pin (30), and

an operating knob (18) operably coupled to said slidable but not rotatable member (11), said operating knob (18) being able to assume and maintain two positions, namely one in which the pin (30) is released by moving said member against the action of the spring (10) and one in which the pin is locked by the action of the spring;

wherein the two positions of the knob (18) are achieved by cooperation between parts (19) associated with said knob (18) and guides (6, 7) provided within said body (1); and

wherein the parts (19) are represented by coaxial pegs mounted in the knob (18) and penetrating said guides (6, 7) provided within said body (1).

2. A clamp assembly, comprising:

a substantially cylindrical hollow body having a coaxial bore;

a first pin, said coaxial bore structured and arranged for receiving the pin;

a spring arranged within said hollow body,

a slidable but not rotatable member mounted within said hollow body being loaded by said spring, said member having a through hole aligning with the bore formed in said hollow body, said through hole being structured and arranged for receiving said at least one pin such that the pin is insertable through said member and said hollow body, and

a knob connected to said member, said knob having a first position in which said knob is moved against action of said spring such that the pin is released and a second position in which the knob is locked by the action of the spring such that the pin is locked.

3. A clamp assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein said hollow body further comprises:

an additional coaxial bore,

an additional spring arranged within said hollow body;

an additional slidable but not rotatable member mounted in said hollow body being loaded by said additional spring, said additional member having a through hole aligning with the additional bore formed in said hollow body, said through hole being structured and arranged for receiving a second pin such that the pin is insertable through said additional member and said hollow body, and

an additional knob connected to said member, said knob having a first position in which said knob is moved against action of said additional spring such that the second pin is released and a second position in which the additional knob is locked by the action of the additional spring such that the second pin is locked.

4. A clamp assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein said hollow body further comprises an additional coaxial bore displaced through 90°

relative to said coaxial bore structured and arranged for receiving said pin, said additional coaxial bore being structured and arranged to receive a section bar; and

a screw knob operably coupled to said hollow body for locking said section bar in said additional coaxial bore.

5. A clamp assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pin has a plurality of reference lines.

6. A clamp assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein said reference lines are equidistant.

7. A clamp assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the reference lines each have a recognition sign thereby distinguishable from each other.