Sliding clamp
AssigneeVolvo Truck Corporation
InventorCarl Bjoerk
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Aspects of the disclosure relate to a sliding clamp including a first arm with a first jaw attached to the first arm, and a second arm with a second jaw attached thereto. The first jaw includes at least one first clamping ball freely rotatable relative to the first arm, and the second jaw includes at least one second clamping ball freely rotatable relative to the second arm. The second arm is configured to move relative to the first arm to adjust a jaw opening between the at least one second clamping ball of the second jaw and the at least one first clamping ball of the first jaw. The sliding clamp is configured to constrain a workpiece to a clamping plane while permitting translation of the workpiece within the clamping plane.
Claims21
A sliding clamp, comprising:
- a first arm;
- a first jaw attached to the first arm, the first jaw including at least one first clamping ball freely rotatable relative to the first arm;
- a second arm mechanically connected to the first arm;
- and
- a second jaw attached to the second arm, the second jaw including at least one second clamping ball freely rotatable relative to the second arm;
- wherein the second arm is configured to move relative to the first arm to adjust a jaw opening between the at least one second clamping ball of the second jaw and the at least one first clamping ball of the first jaw;
- and
- wherein, in a clamped orientation, the sliding clamp is configured to:
- constrain translation of a workpiece in one translational direction by clamping pressure applied to the workpiece by the at least one first clamping ball and the at least one second clamping ball;
- and
- permit translation of the workpiece in two translational directions by rotation of the at least one first clamping ball and the at least one second clamping ball.
(canceled)
A method of making a sliding clamp, comprising:
- attaching a first jaw to a first arm, the first jaw including at least one first clamping ball freely rotatable relative to the first arm;
- attaching a second jaw at a second arm, the second jaw including at least one second clamping ball freely rotatable relative to the second arm;
- and
- attaching the first arm to the second arm such that the second arm is moveable relative to the first arm to adjust a jaw opening between the at least one second clamping ball of the second jaw and the at least one first clamping ball of the first jaw;
- wherein, in a clamped orientation, the sliding clamp is configured to:
- constrain translation of a workpiece in one translational direction by clamping pressure applied to the workpiece by the at least one first clamping ball and the at least one second clamping ball;
- and
- permit translation of the workpiece in two translational directions by rotation of the at least one first clamping ball and the at least one second clamping ball.
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.