A profiled member for clamping plate-like elements, comprising:
- at least one slot means that extends in the longitudinal direction of said profiled member, with each of said slot means being defined by a first and a second stationary planar wall, with said first and second walls being disposed at an angle relative to one another, and with said second wall being in the form of a guide surface, with each of said slot means being further defined by a third wall that proceeds from said second wall and, remote from the latter, has a free edge that defines an introduction opening, for a plate-like element, remote from a base portion of said slot means that interconnects said first and second walls, with said third wall and said second wall defining a triangular-shaped, enlarged portion of said slot means, with said third wall being provided with threaded through-holes for accommodating pressure-applying screws;
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- respective profiled clamping strips that can be accommodated in respective ones of said enlarged slot portions and can be displaced by said pressure-applying screws, with each of said clamping strips having a fundamentally wedge-like cross-sectional shape which, when said clamping strip is installed in an enlarged slot portion, includes a wedge point region that faces said base portion of said slot means, a first wedge surface that is adjacent to said wedge point region and is displaceably supported on said guide surface, and a second wedge surface that is also adjacent to said wedge point region, extends parallel to said first wall, and defines wherein said slot means a parallel-walled slot of changeable width for accommodating and holding in place an edge portion of a plate-like element, with each of said clamping strips also including an abutment surface that interconnects said first and second wedge surfaces and is acted upon by said pressure-applying screws, with the pressure-application direction of each of said pressure-applying screws extending parallel to said guide surface;
- each of said clamping strips is furthermore provided with integral parts that project from said wedge-like cross-sectional shape and are disposed in said slot means to secure the position of said clamping strip in said enlarged slot portion, with at least a portion of one of said integral parts extending parallel to said guide surface and being accommodated, for effective guidance, in a complementary aperture that is provided in said third wall and also extends parallel to said guide surface;
- each of said clamping strips being provided with zones of materials that differ from one another, including a core zone of relatively hard material, and at least one edge zone, the material of which is softer than that of said core zone;
- said integral parts for securing the position of said clamping strip in said slot means including a flexible flap that projects beyond said wedge-like cross-sectional shape and, in the installed state of said clamping strip, has at least one part that extends transverse to said parallel-walled slot.