Clamp mechanism

A workpiece holder for clamping a plurality of elongate side-by-side abutting co-planar strips of wood to be joined, each of said strips including top and bottom surfaces spanned by lateral side edge surfaces which abut the adjacent side edge surfaces of adjacent strips, said holder comprising:

• transversely extending linear support means for supporting a plurality of longitudinally extending coplanar strips of wood in side-by-side relation;
• a pair of opposed, laterally spaced apart clamping blocks;
• means mounting said clamping blocks on said support means for relative lateral movement toward and away from each other between non-clamping positions, spaced apart a predetermined distance, and less spaced apart clamping positionss to exert edgewise pressure on said strips and to clamp said plurality of strips therebetween;
• means reacting between said support means and said clamping blocks for moving said clamping blocks between said clamping and non-clamping positions;
• anti-bowing means for precluding the upward bowing of said strips out of the plane of said strips when said clamping blocks are in said clamping positions exerting edgewise clamping pressure on said strips, comprising:
• laterally extending hold-down means disposed above and spanning said strips;
• means coupled to said clamping blocks for movement therewith and for movement relative thereto for vertically moving said hold-down means between a raised inoperative position and a lowered strip clamping position for exerting downward pressure on said hold-down means and said strips to clamp said strips to said support means and prevent them from moving upwardly out of the plane of said strips;
• said means movable with said clamps for vertically moving said hold-down means including a first portion laterally slidably coupled to said support means at the underside of the plane of said wood strips and a second laterally inwardly extending transverse portion on the upper side of the plane of the wood strips, and additional clamp means mounted on said second portion for exerting downward force on said hold-down means.

Wood clamp apparatus for preventing the bowing of wood stock during the process of joining a plurality of co-planar strips of wood stock, comprising:

• at least one underlying, longitudinally spaced, transversely extending, linear support bar for supporting a plurality of longitudinally extending strips of wood to be joined in abutting relation;
• first and second laterally spaced clamp means mounted atop said support bar for exerting sidewise clamping pressure on said strips to sidewisely clamp said strips therebetween;
• means mounting at least one of said first and second clamp means on said support bar for movement toward and away from the other of said clamp means between a laterally inner clamping position and a laterally outer, non-clamping position;
• anti-bowing mechanism for preventing relative vertical bowing movement of said strips and said support means, comprising:
• hold-down means spanning the upper faces of said wood strips;
• support mechanism, coupled to said clamp means for movement therewith and for movement relative thereto, including a transversely inwardly extending clamp bar having a portion overlying a portion of said wood strips;
• and
• additional clamp means reacting between said clamp bar and said hold-down means for moving said hold-down means toward said support bar to tightly clamp said wood strips between said hold-down means and said support bar.

Wood clamp apparatus for preventing the bowing of wood stock during the process of joining a plurality of co-planar strips of wood stock, comprising:

• at least one underlying, longitudinally spaced, transversely extending, linear support bar for supporting a plurality of longitudinally extending strips of wood to be joined in abutting relation;
• first and second laterally spaced clamp means mounted atop said support bar for exerting sidewise clamping pressure on said strips to sidewisely clamp said strips therebetween;
• means mounting at least one of said first and second clamp means on said support bar for movement toward and away from the other of said clamp means between a laterally inner clamping position and a laterally outer, non-clamping position;
• anti-bowing mechanism for preventing relative vertical bowing movement of said strips and said support means, comprising:
• hold-down means spanning the upper faces of said wood strips;
• support mechanism, coupled to said support bar, including a portion mounted on said support bar, laterally inwardly of said clamp means, for sliding movement relative to said support bar, and a transversely inwardly extending clamp bar having a portion overlying a portion of said wood strips;
• and
• additional clamp means reacting between said clamp bar and said hold-down means for moving said hold-down means toward said support bar to tightly clamp said wood strips between said hold-down means and said support bar.