# US 10,117,427 B1 · Indexing sportman's clamp

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- Number: US 10,117,427 B1
- Document ID: US10117427B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 15/467,106
- Filed: 2017-03-23
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-05-04
- Assignees: Christopher M. Lott
- Applicants: Christopher M. Lott
- Inventors: Christopher M. Lott; Terry K. Robins
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10117427B1

## CPC

- A01M 31/00: Hunting appliances
- F16B 2/10: using pivoting jaws
- F16B 2/185: {using levers}
- F16M 13/022: {repositionable}
- F41B 5/143: {Arrow rests or guides}
- F41B 5/1449: {Bow tensioning devices; Bow presses; Rigs for bow assembly or maintenance}
- F16B 2/005: {Means to increase the friction-coefficient}
- A01M: CATCHING, TRAPPING OR SCARING OF ANIMALS (appliances for catching swarms or drone-catching A01K57/00; fishing A01K69/00 - {A01K99/00}; biocides, pest repellants or attractants A01N); APPARATUS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF NOXIOUS ANIMALS OR NOXIOUS PLANTS
- F16B: DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING (couplings for transmitting rotation F16D)
- F16M: FRAMES, CASINGS OR BEDS OF ENGINES, MACHINES OR APPARATUS, NOT SPECIFIC TO ENGINES, MACHINES OR APPARATUS PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE; STANDS; SUPPORTS
- F41B: WEAPONS FOR PROJECTING MISSILES WITHOUT USE OF EXPLOSIVE OR COMBUSTIBLE PROPELLANT CHARGE; WEAPONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (projectiles for fishing, e.g. fish-spears, A01K81/00; sports implements for throwing A63B65/00, e.g. boomerangs A63B65/08; stationary apparatus for projecting sports balls, e.g. tennis balls, A63B69/40; throwing or slinging toys A63H33/18; knives, axes B26B; projectiles or missiles other than those incorporating springs as projecting means F42B6/00)

## Abstract

One indexing clamp includes a mobile base having handle and fastening ends and locking jaws at the fastening end, an indexing post extending from the base, a shaft extending from the post, a primary prong having a cavity, and secondary prongs. A shaft diameter is smaller than a post diameter, and the shaft and post are coaxial at an axis. The primary prong is selectively positionable at first and second lowered positions and a raised position. The first and second positions are angularly offset from one another about the axis, and the primary prong is rotatable about the axis when at the raised position. A biasing member biases the primary prong away from the raised position. The post and the primary prong cavity are configured complementary to one another such that the primary prong is movable between the first and second positions only after moving to the raised position.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An indexing clamp, comprising:
a mobile base having a handle end and a fastening end, the mobile base having a pair of jaws at the fastening end, the pair of jaws being selectively lockable in place relative to one another;
an indexing post extending from the mobile base;
a shaft extending from the indexing post, a diameter of the shaft being smaller than a diameter of the indexing post, the shaft and the indexing post being coaxial at an axis;
a primary prong having proximal and distal ends; the primary prong having a cavity extending from the proximal end toward the distal end; the primary prong being selectively positionable at a first lowered position, a second lowered position, and a raised position; the first and second lowered positions being angularly offset from one another about the axis; the primary prong being rotatable about the axis when at the raised position;
a biasing member biasing the primary prong away from the raised position; and
a pair of secondary prongs, each secondary prong extending generally parallel to the primary prong, each secondary prong being positionally fixed relative to the primary prong;
wherein the indexing post and the primary prong cavity are configured complementary to one another such that the primary prong is movable from the first lowered position to the second lowered position only after the primary prong moves to the raised position.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The indexing clamp of claim 1, wherein the shaft is a bolt threaded into the indexing post.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The indexing clamp of claim 2, wherein the biasing member is a helical spring.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The indexing clamp of claim 3, wherein the primary prong cavity is a through hole extending from the proximal end to the distal end.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The indexing clamp of claim 4, wherein the mobile base is a pair of locking pliers.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The indexing clamp of claim 5, wherein the indexing post is welded to the pair of locking pliers.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The indexing clamp of claim 6, further comprising a stop extending from the indexing post, the primary prong abutting the stop when at the first and second lowered positions.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The indexing clamp of claim 4, further comprising a sleeve covering the through hole at the primary prong distal end.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The indexing clamp of claim 1, wherein the mobile base is a pair of locking pliers.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The indexing clamp of claim 9, wherein the primary prong cavity is a through hole extending from the proximal end to the distal end.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The indexing clamp of claim 1, wherein:
a diameter of the primary prong is about twice as large as a diameter of each of the secondary prongs;
each of the secondary prongs has a secondary prong axis extending generally parallel to the axis; and
each secondary prong axis is offset between two and three inches from the axis.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The indexing clamp of claim 1, wherein the primary prong cavity is shaped as an elongate twelve-pointed star, and wherein the indexing post is shaped as an elongate hexagon.

### Claim 13 (depends on 3)

The indexing clamp of claim 3, wherein:
the primary prong cavity is a through hole extending from the proximal end to the distal end, the through hole having a first diameter at the proximal end and a second diameter at the distal end, the second diameter being greater than the first diameter, transition of the first diameter to the second diameter defining a ledge;
a push plate is seated on the ledge; and
the helical spring abuts the push plate.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The indexing clamp of claim 13, wherein:
the shaft has a first end threaded into the indexing post and lateral projection spaced apart from the first end; and
the helical spring abuts the lateral projection.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The indexing clamp of claim 14, wherein the lateral projection comprises a bolt head and a washer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The indexing clamp of claim 1, wherein the primary prong is rotatable clockwise and counter-clockwise about the axis when at the raised position.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The indexing clamp of claim 1, wherein:
the first and second lowered positions are in a lowered plane that is generally perpendicular to the axis; and
the indexing post and the primary prong cavity are configured such that interference between the primary prong and the indexing post prevents the primary prong from moving in the lowered plane from the first lowered position to the second lowered position.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The indexing clamp of claim 17, wherein:
the primary prong is selectively positionable at a third lowered position; the third lowered position being angularly offset from the first and second lowered positions about the axis; the third lowered position being in the lowered plane; and
the indexing post and the primary prong cavity are configured such that interference between the primary prong and the indexing post prevents the primary prong from moving in the lowered plane from: (a) any of the first lowered position, the second lowered position, and the third lowered position; to: (b) any other of the first lowered position, the second lowered position, and the third lowered position.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The indexing clamp of claim 1, wherein:
the primary prong is selectively positionable at a third lowered position; the first, second, and third lowered positions being angularly offset from one another about the axis; the first, second, and third lowered positions being in a lowered plane that is generally perpendicular to the axis; and
the indexing post and the primary prong cavity are configured such that interference between the primary prong and the indexing post prevents the primary prong from moving in the lowered plane from: (a) any of the first lowered position, the second lowered position, and the third lowered position; to: (b) any other of the first lowered position, the second lowered position, and the third lowered position.