Clamp assembly for mounting panels to I-beams
AssigneeLaydon Composites Ltd.
InventorsJoseph Mancina, James D. Haws, Miroslav Vukovic, Andriy N. Prokudin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A clamp assembly is provided for securing a panel or fairing to an I-beam, and comprises a pair of side blocks and a clamping block, together with a single bolt to secure them in place. Each of the side blocks as an inclined wedge surface, and the T-shaped clamping block has similarly sloped wedge surfaces along the sides of the leg of the T. When a bolt this passed through side legs of the side blocks, and through or under the clamping block, a sliding and wedging action between the inclined and sloped wedge surfaces occurs. Moreover, a clamping action between the top surface of the clamping block and the lower surface of the lower flanges of the I-beam is also induced.
Claims19
A skirt assembly for attaching to an I-beam of a trailer to improve the aerodynamic properties of the trailer, the assembly comprising:
- a flexible panel, the flexible panel having an upper edge;
- a clamp sub-assembly including first and second opposed clamping jaws and a clamping block, the clamping block having a first end, a second end and an intermediate portion connecting the first end to the second end and interposed between the first and second clamping jaws, the first end having a panel-mounting surface adapted to abut the flexible panel proximate to the upper edge of the flexible panel, the clamping jaws adapted to move inwardly toward each other to bring the clamping block toward the I-beam of the trailer until the clamping block intermediate portion is in close spaced relation relative to the I-beam;
- and
- a strut having a first end portion joined directly to the second end of the clamping block, a second end portion, disposed opposite the first end portion, including a panel mounting surface connecting to the flexible panel at a location spaced from the clamping block first end, and an intermediate portion disposed between the first end portion and the second end portion, the intermediate portion including a curvature formed therein and being flexible such that the intermediate portion is adapted to assist in maintaining the flexible panel in a position that improves the aerodynamic properties of the trailer and to assist in providing a restoring force to the flexible panel in response to an impact force impinging upon the flexible panel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.