Self-locking and adjustable dual ratchet clamping apparatus

A single rail self-locking and adjustable dual ratchet clamping apparatus comprising:

• a frame having a longitudinal body comprising a clamping end and a spacing end, thereof said frame further comprises a ratchet rack disposed on a longitudinal edge of said frame and is integral to said longitudinal edge;
• a fixed jaw having an elongated body, wherein said fixed jaw comprises at least a fixed jaw section connected by a tube section, thereof said at least a fixed jaw section further comprises at least a griping face;
• thereof said tube section is sized and shaped to circumscribe said frame;
• a movable jaw having an elongated body, wherein said movable jaw comprises a least a movable jaw section, a ratchet housing section and a tube section;
• thereof said a least a movable jaw section further comprises a least a griping face;
• thereof said tube section is sized and shaped to circumscribe and slidably receive said frame;
• thereof said ratchet housing section comprises a recess having a pivoting means adjacent to said tube section, and is back-to-back oriented to said at least a movable jaw section;
• an integrated ratchet trigger having a curvy longitudinal body, wherein said ratchet trigger comprises a transversely protruding ratchet head section having an integral arc ratchet face and a first pivoting means on one end, a pivot section having a second pivoting means, and a trigger arm section on the other end;
• thereof said arc ratchet face is coaxial to the axis of said first pivoting means;
• thereof the axis of said second pivoting means is significantly parallel to the axis of said first pivoting means;
• thereof said ratchet head section is sized and shaped to be rotatably received into said ratchet housing section of said movable jaw;
• a locking pawl comprising a pawl head section, a support section and a release section, thereof said pawl head section is sized and shaped to be movably received into said ratchet housing section of said movable jaw;
• thereof said pawl head section further comprises an integral pawl face sized and shaped to engage with said arc ratchet face of said ratchet trigger;
• a cascading driving pawl system comprising a driving pawl to engage with said ratchet rack of said frame and a cascading linkage system having at least a pivoting means to connect said ratchet trigger and said driving pawl;
• at least an elastic member;
• wherein a clamping configuration is formed when said fixed jaw is mounted on and secured to said clamping end of said frame via said tube section having said at least a griping face facing inwards lengthwise to said frame;
• wherein a spacing configuration is formed when said fixed jaw is mounted on and secured to said spacing end of said frame via said tube section having said at least a griping face facing outwards lengthwise to said frame;
• wherein said frame is slidably received into said tube section of said movable jaw having said at least a griping face of said at least a movable jaw section pair up with and oppose to said at least a griping face of said at least a fixed jaw section in said clamping configuration to form at least a pair of jaws to clamp on a plurality of workpieces;
• thereby said movable jaw is slidably carried by said frame and is slidable along said frame;
• wherein said ratchet trigger is rotatably received into said ratchet housing section of said movable jaw via pivotally connecting said first pivoting means of said ratchet head section with said pivoting means of said ratchet housing section and forming a first pivot;
• thereof said ratchet trigger is rotatable within a limited range defined by an initial position and a final position;
• whereas after being assembled said trigger arm section is exposed outside of said ratchet housing section alongside said frame, such that a user may use finger(s) to operate said trigger arm section to rotate said ratchet trigger within said limited range;
• wherein said pawl head section of said locking pawl is movably received into and supported by said ratchet housing section of said movable jaw, having said pawl face engaged with said arc ratchet face of said ratchet trigger to form a first ratchet system;
• wherein said at least an elastic member provides a first elastic force between said movable jaw and said support section of said locking pawl to urge the engagement of said first ratchet system;
• wherein said at least an elastic member further provides a second elastic force between said ratchet trigger and said frame to urge said trigger arm section of said ratchet trigger to rotate away from said frame;
• wherein said first ratchet system is configured in such a way that when an overcoming force is applied to said trigger arm section to counter said second elastic force and rotate said trigger arm section in a direction closer to said frame, said force also counters said first elastic force by driving said arc ratchet face to rotate about said first pivot and push away said pawl face of said locking pawl to disengage said first ratchet system, thereby allowing said ratchet trigger to continue to rotate in said direction until reaching said final position;
• whereas when said force is removed, said first elastic force urges the engagement of said first ratchet system, self-locking said ratchet trigger in a fixed position and preventing said ratchet trigger from being driven by said second elastic force to rotate in counter said direction, thereby forming a directional self-locking mechanism;
• wherein when an overcoming force is applied to said release section of said locking pawl to counter said first elastic force and move said locking pawl apart from said ratchet trigger, said first ratchet system disengages and said second elastic force urges said trigger arm section to rotate away from said frame until reaching said initial position, thereby resetting said first ratchet system;
• wherein said at least an elastic member further provides a third elastic force between said driving pawl of said cascading driving pawl system and said frame to urge said driving pawl to engage with said ratchet rack of said frame, thereby forming a second ratchet system;
• Wherein said cascading driving pawl system is pivotally connected to said second pivoting means of said ratchet trigger via said at least a pivoting means to form a second pivot and a cascading mechanism between said first and second ratchet systems, such that the rotation of said second pivot about said first pivot drives the linear movement of said driving pawl along said frame, and when said trigger arm section of said ratchet trigger is rotated closer to said frame, said driving pawl is driven to move apart from said movable jaw;
• Wherein said second ratchet system is configured in such a way that when said movable jaw is slid forward closer to said clamping end of said frame, said ratchet rack pushes away said driving pawl to disengage said second ratchet system, thereby allowing said movable jaw to continue to be slid forward until stopped by a work piece or said fixed jaw in said clamping configuration;
• whereas when said movable jaw stops being slid forward, said third elastic force urges the engagement of said second ratchet system, self-locking said driving pawl in a fixed position and preventing said movable jaw from being slid backward;
• thereby forming another directional self-locking mechanism
• wherein when said second ratchet system is engaged, and a subsequent force is applied to drive said trigger arm section to rotate closer to said frame, the rotation of said ratchet trigger is translated into the linear movement of said movable jaw forward closer to said clamping end of said frame;
• wherein when said fixed jaw is in said clamping configuration the gap(s) between said at least a pair of jaws is(are) reduced incrementally, thereof when the gap reduction of said at least a pair of jaws is stopped by a plurality of workpieces placed in-between, further gap reduction effort from said subsequent force is translated into an increasing clamping force on said plurality of workpieces to clamp said plurality of workpieces in a fixed relative position;
• whereas when said fixed jaw is in said spacing configuration the space between said at least a pair of jaws is increased incrementally, thereof when the space increase of said at least a pair of jaws placed in-between said plurality of workpieces is stopped by said plurality of workpieces, further space increase effort from said subsequent force translates into an increasing spacing force on said plurality of workpieces to support and space apart said plurality of workpieces in a fixed relative position;
• whereas when said subsequent force is removed said locking pawl self-locks said ratchet trigger in a fixed position, thereby the majority of said clamping force or said spacing force is retained via the elastic deformation of all components involved;
• and
• wherein when an overcoming force is applied to counter said third elastic force and disengage said second ratchet system, said movable jaw is slidable between said clamping end and said spacing end of said frame.

A dual rail self-locking and adjustable dual ratchet clamping apparatus comprising:

• a frame having a U shape longitudinal body comprising a first rail, a second rail and a bridging section, thereof said first rail is significantly parallel to said second rail lengthwise and in conjunction with said second rail form a dual rail system;
• thereof said bridging section bridges said first and second rails on one end, leaving an opening between a pair of open ends on the other end;
• thereof said first rail further comprises a ratchet rack disposed on an inward longitudinal edge of said first rail facing said second rail, and is integral to said longitudinal edge;
• a fixed jaw comprising an elongated fixed jaw section having a griping face and an elongated support section side-by-side oriented;
• thereof said support section further comprises a pair of significantly parallel tube sections on both ends;
• thereof said pair of tube sections are sized, spaced and shaped to circumscribe and receive said pair of open ends of said frame;
• a movable jaw comprising an elongated movable jaw section having a griping face and an elongated support section side-by-side oriented, thereof said support section further comprises a pair of significantly parallel tube sections on both ends connected by a ratchet housing section in the middle;
• thereof said pair of tube sections are sized, spaced and shaped to circumscribe and slidably receive said first and second rails of said frame;
• thereof said ratchet housing section comprises a slotted cutout oriented lengthwise to said frame between said pair of tube sections when assembled and a pivoting means;
• an integrated ratchet trigger having a curvy longitudinal body, wherein said ratchet trigger comprises a ratchet head section having an integral arc ratchet face and a first pivoting means on one end, a pivot section having a second pivoting means in the middle, and a trigger arm section having an opening generally along the longitudinal direction and adjacent to said pivot section on the other end;
• thereof said arc ratchet face is coaxial to the axis of said first pivoting means;
• thereof the axis of said second pivoting means is significantly parallel to the axis of said first pivoting means;
• thereof said ratchet head section is sized and shaped to be rotatably received into said ratchet housing section of said movable jaw;
• thereof said opening of said trigger arm section is sized to receive said second rail of said frame and have room to allow said trigger arm section to swing laterally closer to or away from said second rail;
• a locking pawl comprising a pawl head section, a support section and a release section, thereof said pawl head section is sized and shaped to be movably received into said ratchet housing section of said movable jaw;
• thereof said pawl head section further comprises an integral pawl face sized and shaped to engage with said arc ratchet face of said ratchet trigger;
• a cascading driving pawl system comprising a driving pawl to engage with said ratchet rack of said frame and a cascading linkage system having at least a pivoting means to connect said ratchet trigger and said driving pawl;
• at least an elastic member;
• wherein said fixed jaw receives and is affixed to said pair of open ends of said frame via said pair of tube sections having said griping face facing inwards lengthwise to said frame;
• wherein said first and second rails of said frame are slidably received into said pair of tube sections of said movable jaw having said griping face of said movable jaw pair up with and oppose to said griping face of said fixed jaw to form a pair of jaws to clamp on a workpiece, thereby said movable jaw is slidably carried by said frame and is slidable along said dual rail system;
• wherein said ratchet trigger is rotatably received into said ratchet housing section of said movable jaw via pivotally connecting said first pivoting means of said ratchet head section with said pivoting means of said ratchet housing section and forming a first pivot;
• thereof said ratchet trigger is rotatable within a limited range defined by an initial position and a final position;
• whereas after being assembled said trigger arm section is exposed outside of said ratchet housing section, and is disposed outwards alongside said second rail of said frame having said second rail going through said opening of said trigger arm section, such that a user may use finger(s) to operate said trigger arm section to rotate said ratchet trigger within said limited range;
• wherein said locking pawl is movably received into and supported by said ratchet housing section of said movable jaw, having said pawl face engaged with said arc ratchet face of said ratchet trigger to form a first ratchet system;
• wherein said at least an elastic member provides a first elastic force between said movable jaw and said support section of said locking pawl to urge the engagement of said first ratchet system;
• wherein said at least an elastic member further provides a second elastic force between said ratchet trigger and said frame to urge said trigger arm section of said ratchet trigger to rotate outwards away from said second rail of said frame;
• wherein said first ratchet system is configured in such a way that when an overcoming force is applied to said trigger arm section to counter said second elastic force and rotate said trigger arm section in a direction closer to said frame, said force also counters said first elastic force by driving said arc ratchet face to rotate about the axis of said first pivot and push away said pawl face of said locking pawl to disengage said first ratchet system, thereby allowing said ratchet trigger to continue to rotate in said direction until reaching said final position;
• whereas when said force is removed, said first elastic force urges the engagement of said first ratchet system, self-locking said ratchet trigger in a fixed position and preventing said ratchet trigger from being driven by said second elastic force to rotate in counter said direction, thereby forming a directional self-locking mechanism;
• wherein when an overcoming force is applied to said release section of said locking pawl to counter said first elastic force and move said locking pawl apart from said ratchet trigger, said first ratchet system disengages and said second elastic force urges said trigger arm section to rotate outwards away from said frame until reaching said initial position, thereby resetting said first ratchet system;
• wherein said at least an elastic member further provides a third elastic force between said driving pawl of said cascading driving pawl system and said frame to urge said driving pawl to engage with said ratchet rack of said frame, thereby forming a second ratchet system;
• Wherein said cascading driving pawl system is pivotally connected to said second pivoting means of said ratchet trigger via said at least a pivoting means to form a second pivot and a cascading mechanism between said first and second ratchet systems, such that the rotation of said second pivot about said first pivot drives the linear movement of said driving pawl along said dual rail system, and when said trigger arm section of said ratchet trigger is rotated closer to said second rail of said frame, said driving pawl is driven to move apart from said movable jaw;
• Wherein said second ratchet system is configured in such a way that when said movable jaw is slid forward closer to said fixed jaw, said ratchet rack pushes away said driving pawl to disengage said second ratchet system, thereby allowing said movable jaw to continue to be slid forward until stopped by a work piece or said fixed jaw;
• whereas when said movable jaw stops being slid forward, said third elastic force urges the engagement of said second ratchet system, self-locking said driving pawl in a fixed position and preventing said movable jaw from being slid backward, thereby forming another directional self-locking mechanism;
• wherein when said second ratchet system is engaged, and a subsequent force is applied to drive said trigger arm section to rotate closer to said second rail of said frame, the rotation of said ratchet trigger is translated into the linear movement of said movable jaw forward closer to said fixed jaw, thereby the gap between said pair of jaws is reduced incrementally;
• wherein when the gap reduction of said pair of jaws is stopped by a workpiece placed in-between, further gap reduction effort from said subsequent force translates into an increasing clamping force on said workpiece;
• whereas when said subsequent force is removed said locking pawl self-locks said ratchet trigger in a fixed position, thereby the majority of said clamping force is retained via the elastic deformation of all components involved;
• and
• wherein when an overcoming force is applied to counter said third elastic force and disengage said second ratchet system, said movable jaw is slidable relative to said fixed jaw to increase or reduce the gap between said pair of jaws.