Clamp with magnetic spindle positioner
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsBill Colburn, Robert Allard, Robert Dixon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A clamping apparatus includes a clamp arm that is pivotable between a raised position and a lowered position, and a clamp spindle assembly that is adjustably positionable along the length of the arm. A magnet in the clamp spindle assembly magnetically engages the clamp arm with sufficient magnetic force to maintain the spindle assembly in a selected position as the clamp arm is moved between its raised and lowered positions, while allowing the position of the clamp spindle assembly to be manually adjusted.
Claims14
An improved clamping apparatus, of the type including a clamp arm that is pivotable between a raised position and a lowered position, and a clamp spindle assembly that is adjustably positionable along the length of the arm, wherein the improvement comprises:
- a magnet in the clamp spindle assembly that magnetically engages the clamp arm with sufficient magnetic force to maintain the clamp spindle assembly in a selected position as the clamp arm is moved between its raised and lowered positions, while allowing the position of the clamp spindle assembly to be manually adjusted.
A clamping apparatus, comprising:
- a clamp arm pivotable between a raised position and a lowered position, the clamp arm comprising a hollow tube of ferrous metal having a pivoting end and an open end, and upper and lower longitudinal slots;
- and
- a clamp spindle assembly, comprising:
- a spindle block dimensioned to fit slidably into the tube through the open end;
- a spindle threaded through the spindle block and dimensioned and located so as to pass through the upper and lower slots in the tube of the clamp arm;
- and
- a magnet disposed in the spindle block so as to engage magnetically the tube of the clamp arm when the spindle block is situated in the tube with sufficient magnetic force to maintain the clamp spindle assembly in a selected position as the clamp arm is moved between its raised and lowered positions, while allowing the position of the clamp spindle assembly to be manually adjusted.
In a clamping apparatus having a clamp arm that is pivotable between a raised position and a lowered position, and a clamp spindle assembly that is mounted for longitudinal movement in the clamp arm, a method of maintaining the longitudinal position of the clamp spindle assembly in the clamp arm as the clamp arm is pivoted between the raised position and the lowered position, comprising the step of magnetically engaging the spindle assembly with the clamp arm with sufficient magnetic force to maintain the clamp spindle assembly in a selected longitudinal position as the clamp arm is moved between its raised and lowered positions, while allowing the longitudinal position of the clamp spindle assembly to be manually adjusted.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.