US 5,192,061 AGranted

Clamp element, including a rapid feed device combined with a force amplifier

AssigneeGressel AG

InventorsThomas Schaublin, Heinrich Berchtold

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Abstract

The clamp element includes a rapid feed device combined with a force amplifier. The force amplifier is surrounded by a rotatable feed sleeve, which engages through an external thread in a female thread of a surrounding housing. A first tightening member is fixed and a tightening clamp member is rotatably arranged in the feed sleeve. Two tightening pins are arranged between the two tightening members. The tightening pins are supported on the second tightening member the smallest possible distance from the feed sleeve axis. An actuating and tensioning rod is passed either through a central aperture in the first tightening member (FIGS. 7-11) or through two diametrically opposite, lateral aperture of the first tightening member (FIGS. 1-6). The latter apertures are sufficiently large in the peripheral direction of the feed sleeve to allow a limited rotation of the actuating and tensioning rod relative to the feed sleeve sufficient for the rotation of the second tightening member relative to the first tightening member. On turning the actuating and tensioning rod in the tightening sense, this is first drawn axially into the housing by rotation of the feed sleeve.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A clamp element, including a rapid feed device combined with a force amplifier, having a rotatable feed sleeve surrounding the force amplifier and having an external thread engaging in a female thread of a housing surrounding the feed sleeve, the rotational movement of the sleeve relative to the housing being restricted by stop surfaces, a first tightening member fixedly arranged in the feed sleeve, a second tightening member arranged for limited rotation in the feed sleeve, a plurality of tightening pins arranged between the tightening members, which pins are inclined at an acute angle to a plane running through the feed sleeve axis in a relaxed position of the second tightening member and are arranged approximately parallel to this plane in the clamping position of the second tightening member, a compression spring biasing the two tightening members towards one another, and an actuating and tensioning rod extending through at least one aperture of the first tightening member and connected fast rotationally and in tension to the second tightening member, such that, on rotation of the actuating and tensioning rod in its tightening sense it is drawn axially into the housing in a feed stroke and a following tightening stroke, firstly by rotation of the feed sleeve relative to the housing and then by rotation of the second tightening member relative to the first tightening member, with consequent moving of the tightening pins into the clamping position parallel to the plane, wherein the tightening pins are supported on the second tightening member at the smallest possible distance from the feed sleeve axis, and wherein the actuating and tensioning rod is hollow and is passed through two diametrically opposite axial apertures provided between the first tightening member and the feed sleeve, the apertures being sufficiently large in the peripheral direction of the feed sleeve to allow a limited rotation of the actuating and tensioning rod relative to the feed sleeve sufficient for the rotation of the second tightening member relative to the first tightening member.

A clamp element, including a rapid feed device combined with a force amplifier, having a rotatable feed sleeve surrounding the force amplifier and having an external thread engaging in a female thread of a housing surrounding the feed sleeve, the rotational movement of the sleeve relative to the housing being restricted by stop surfaces, a first tightening member fixedly arranged in the feed sleeve, a second tightening member arranged for limited rotation in the feed sleeve, a plurality of tightening pins arranged between the tightening members, which pins are inclined at an acute angle to a plane running through the feed sleeve axis in a relaxed position of the second tightening member and are arranged approximately parallel to this plane in the clamping position of the second tightening member, a compression spring biasing the two tightening members towards one another, and an actuating and tensioning rod extending through at least one aperture of the first tightening member and connected fast rotationally and in tension to the second tightening member, such that, on rotation of the actuating and tensioning rod in its tightening sense it is drawn axially into the housing in a feed stroke and a following tightening stroke, firstly by rotation of the feed sleeve relative to the housing and then by rotation of the second tightening member relative to the first tightening member, with consequent moving of the tightening pins into the clamping position parallel to the plane, wherein the tightening pins are supported on the second tightening member at the smallest possible distance from the feed sleeve axis, and in that the actuating and tensioning rod is passed through a central aperture in the first tightening member.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.