US 2026/0257307 A1Published application

Spherical clamp

OwnerKlaus Hofmanninventor

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Abstract

The invention relates to a spherical clamp fixable in a machine bed for releasably clamping workpieces, wherein a shaft guided in the spherical clamp remains connected to the workpiece via a fastening means, while a clamping joint formed with a spherical socket and a spherical fastener receiving the shaft can be selectively fixed or released in order to allow a relative movement of the workpiece in the released state and, by subsequent clamping, its fixation in the newly occupied position.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A spherical clamp (T) for releasably clamping workpieces (U), including a housing that is provided around a central axis Z0, and

a) including a shaft (W) that is provided around an axis (Z) and that has fastening means(S) at one end for fastening to the workpiece (U),
b) and including a ball clamp (K) which rests via clamping jaws, against a cylindrical section of the shaft (W), and the outer side (A) of the ball clamp facing away from its inner side has a spherical shape about a midpoint (M) situated on the axis (Z),
c) wherein a clamping mechanism having a ball socket (P) is provided, which at an inner side rests against the spherical outer side (A) of the ball clamp (K),
d) and wherein the ball socket (P) is movable from a clamped state in which it acts with a clamping force on the spherical outer side (A) of the ball clamp (K), in or opposite from a radial clamping direction (X) extending orthogonally with respect to the central axis (Z0), into a released state in which the clamping force is reduced or eliminated,
e) wherein the shaft (W)
i) is displaceable relative to the ball socket (P) in the axial direction (Z) and/or rotatable about its axis (Z) and
ii) is swivelable about the midpoint (M)
in the released state but not in the clamped state,
f) and wherein the ball socket with a spherically shaped inner side rests against the spherical outer side of the ball clamp (K), and
g) wherein during the transfer between the clamped state and the released state, the ball socket (P) slides along at least one stop surface (H) that extends along the clamping direction (X) and that is preferably provided orthogonally with respect to the central axis Z0, so that in the clamped state, the ball clamp (K) that is clamped by the ball socket (P), together with the shaft (W), is fixed, free of play, against movement perpendicular to the stop surface (H),
characterized in that
h) the ball socket has multiple ball socket elements (Pa, Pb . . . ) that are superposed in the direction of the housing axis (Z0), and
i) the ball socket is designed to simultaneously act on the ball clamp above and below an equatorial plane.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A spherical clamp (T) for releasably clamping workpieces (U), including a housing that is provided around a central axis Z0, and

a) including a shaft (W) that is provided around an axis (Z) and that has fastening means(S) at one end for fastening to the workpiece (U),
b) and including a ball clamp (K) which rests via clamping jaws, against a cylindrical section of the shaft (W), and the outer side (A) of the ball clamp facing away from its inner side has a spherical shape about a midpoint (M) situated on the axis (Z),
c) wherein a clamping mechanism having a ball socket (P) is provided, which at an inner side rests against the spherical outer side (A) of the ball clamp (K),
d) and wherein the ball socket (P) is movable from a clamped state in which it acts with a clamping force on the spherical outer side (A) of the ball clamp (K), in or opposite from a radial clamping direction (X) extending orthogonally with respect to the central axis (Z0), into a released state in which the clamping force is reduced or eliminated,
e) wherein the shaft (W)
i) is displaceable relative to the ball socket (P) in the axial direction (Z) and/or rotatable about its axis (Z) and
ii) is swivelable about the midpoint (M)
in the released state but not in the clamped state,
f) and wherein the ball socket with a spherically shaped inner side rests against the spherical outer side of the ball clamp (K), and
g) wherein during the transfer between the clamped state and the released state, the ball socket (P) slides along at least one stop surface (H) that extends along the clamping direction (X) and that is preferably provided orthogonally with respect to the central axis Z0, so that in the clamped state, the ball clamp (K) that is clamped by the ball socket (P), together with the shaft (W), is fixed, free of play, against movement perpendicular to the stop surface (H),
characterized in that
h) the ball socket has multiple ball socket elements (Pa, Pb . . . ) that are superposed in the direction of the housing axis (Z0), and
i) the ball socket is designed to simultaneously act on the ball clamp above and below an equatorial plane.

10 more elements