US 7,066,459 B2Granted

Toggle clamping device

AssigneeTunkers Maschinenbau GmbH

InventorJosef-Gerhard Tunkers

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Abstract

The invention relates to a toggle lever clamping device, specifically, for use in vehicle body manufacturing in the automobile industry, wherein the rod acting as a piston rod is provided at its end section facing a toggle joint system with a thread by which the rod may be screwed a greater or lesser distance within a sleeve-like component of a linkage element, specifically, a fork head, in order to change the opening angle of a clamping arm. Adjustment of the opening angle may be effected without disassembling the toggle lever clamping device, specifically, for example, by inserting a tool, especially a screwdriver, through a hole in the base cover so as to rotate the piston rod left or right about its longitudinal axis in order to adjust the opening angle. Undesirable rotation is prevented by using a guide plate. A ball screw may also be employed in place of the thread.

Claims13

Dependent claims

Toggle lever clamping device, comprising:

a clamping head and a drive unit connected in the axial direction to the clamping head which drive unit drives a rod back and forth in the longitudinal direction of the rod which is coupled to a toggle joint system by a linkage element, the toggle joint system driving a clamping arm pivotably back and forth, and the rod being connected to the linkage element by a thread so as to be longitudinally adjustable in both directions, wherein
a) the rod which is provided on its end section facing the toggle joint system with an external thread is screwed into a hole of the linkage element, which hole is provided with an internal thread;
b) the rod is rotatable in both directions about the longitudinal axis of the rod through a hole in a base cover at the end opposite the clamping head for the purpose of axially adjusting the rod;
c) a guide plate is located on the rod, which guide plate engages diametrically opposing projections in guide grooves of the clamping head which guide guide rollers of a bolt in the longitudinal direction of the clamping head;
d) a free space is located in the end section facing the drive unit, the extensions of which free space measured perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the rod are greater than the transverse dimensions of the guide plate measured in this direction.

2 more elements

Toggle lever clamping device, comprising:

a clamping head and a drive unit in the form of an electric motor connected in the axial direction to the clamping head, which drive unit drives a rod in the form of a ball screw back and forth in the longitudinal direction of the rod which is coupled to a toggle joint system by a linkage element, the toggle joint system driving a clamping arm pivotably back and forth, the ball screw being connected to the linkage element so as to be longitudinally adjustable in both directions, wherein
a) the ball screw meshes with a screw nut located so as to be locally immovable within the stator, and wherein the ball screw is adjustable in both directions at the end of the ball screw opposite the clamping head, by rotating the ball screw for the purpose of adjusting the opening angle of the clamping arm;
b) a guide plate is located on the rod, which guide plate engages diametrically opposing projections in guide grooves of the clamping head which guide guide rollers of a bolt in the longitudinal direction of the clamping head;
c) a free space is located in the end section facing the drive unit, the extensions of which free space measured perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the rod are greater than the transverse dimensions of the guide plate measured in this direction.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.