Quick action clamp
AssigneeWorkTools, Inc.
InventorJoel Marks
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bar clamp operates by squeezing a handle to close a jaw. The improvements of the present invention include: low actuation force, two speed action to provide both high speed closing and high force clamping, a removable bar to allow different length bars to be installed into one body, a side mounted bar release button which allows easy access and an increased handle stroke, and reinforced wedge elements.
Claims25
A quick action bar clamp including a housing, a clamping surface extending from the housing, a bar slidably disposed through openings in a front and a rear of the housing, an elongated handle pivotably attached to the housing toward the front of the housing at a handle pivot, the handle projecting away from the bar toward a bottom of the housing, a jaw end attached to a front end of the bar whereby rotating the handle toward the housing causes the jaw end to be drawn toward the housing, wherein:
- a drive wedge binds against the bar;
- a lever is pivotably attached to the housing near the bottom of the housing;
- the lever contacts the drive wedge at a lever upper end;
- a rear surface of the handle presses a front face of the lever at at least an upper and a lower fulcrum location along a length of the lever, the handle pressing the upper fulcrum location when the handle is in an extended position away from the housing, and the handle pressing the lower fulcrum location when the handle is in a retracted position near the housing;
- the upper fulcrum defining a high force operation mode wherein a large motion of the handle produces a small motion of the drive wedge, and the lower fulcrum defining a high speed operation mode wherein a small motion of the handle produces a large motion of the drive wedge.
A quick action clamp including a housing, a clamping surface extending from the housing, an elongated horizontal bar slidably disposed within the housing, a handle pivotably attached to the housing at a handle pivot, a drive wedge surrounding the bar, the handle linked to the drive wedge where rotating the handle causes the drive wedge to bind the bar and the drive wedge to move along with the bar in a first horizontal direction, a drive spring pressing the drive wedge at a drive spring pressing end and biasing the drive wedge in a second horizontal direction, the drive spring pressing end and the drive wedge moving in the second horizontal direction in a return stroke action, a lock wedge surrounding the bar, a lock spring pressing the lock wedge at a lock spring pressing end and normally biasing the lock wedge to bind against the bar to prevent the bar from moving in the second horizontal direction, wherein the bar is removable from the housing by sliding the bar out of the housing, and when the bar is removed from the housing:
- each of the drive wedge and the lock wedge is substantially fixed in a vertical direction within the housing by ribs of the clamp;
- the drive spring pressing end is held in a location against the drive wedge;
- and the lock spring pressing end is held in location against the lock wedge.
A quick action clamp including a housing, an elongated horizontal bar slidably disposed within the housing, a handle pivotably attached to the housing at a handle pivot, an elongated drive wedge surrounding the bar, the handle linked to the drive wedge where rotating the handle toward the housing causes the drive wedge to be pressed near one end to bind the bar and to cause the drive wedge to move along with the bar in a first horizontal direction, the drive wedge moving in a second horizontal direction in a return stroke action, an elongated lock wedge surrounding the bar and pivotably pressing the housing at one end of the lock wedge, the lock wedge normally binding against the bar to prevent the bar from moving in the second horizontal direction, at least one wedge being formed in an out-of-plane shape including a bent channel transverse cross section.
A quick action clamp including a housing, an elongated horizontal bar slidably disposed within the housing, a handle pivotably attached to the housing at a handle pivot, an elongated drive wedge surrounding the bar, the handle linked to the drive wedge where rotating the handle causes the drive wedge to be pressed near one end to bind the bar and to cause the drive wedge to move along with the bar in a first horizontal direction, the drive wedge moving in a second horizontal direction in a return stroke action, an elongated lock wedge surrounding the bar and pivotably pressing the housing at one end of the lock wedge, the lock wedge normally binding against the bar to prevent the bar from moving in the second horizontal direction, wherein the lock wedge is substantially enclosed by side walls of the housing, the lock wedge binds the bar rearward of the drive wedge, a release tab extends from the housing and is exposed on at least one side of the housing, the release tab being linked to the lock wedge such that moving the release tab causes the lock wedge to release from the bar.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.