Apparatus, system, and method for installing clamps

A system for installing clamps that are formed of a looped band having opposing perforated ears for receiving an elongated fastener therethrough comprising:

• an elongated fastener having a threaded shaft and a head;
• a clamp having opposing ears, each said ear having a hole therethrough;
• an awl for aligning said hole in a first said ear of said clamp with said hole in a second ear of said clamp and removal prior to insertion of said shaft of said fastener therethrough;
• a tool for holding said ears of said clamp, the tool including;
• spaced first and second bifurcated jaws for drawing said ears more closely together and holding said ears substantially in place between said jaws, said first jaw pivotally mounted in relation to said second jaw such that a space between furcations of said first jaw substantially aligns with a space between furcations of said second jaw with said alignment of said spaces substantially persisting as said jaws are opened and closed, and said furcations of said jaws spaced sufficiently wide to permit insertion of said shaft and not said head of said fastener therebetween as well as a shaft of said awl therebetween;
• said furcations of said laws being substantially equal in thickness and substantially equal in width;
• a spaced pair of handles, each said handle attached to a proximate end of each said jaw such that urging said handles together urges said jaws together and urging said handles apart urges said jaws apart;
• and wherein
• said head of said fastener being located generally adjacent to and engaging an outer surface of one of said jaws opposed to an inner surface thereof where said inner surface is proximate to an inner surface of another said jaw, and said shaft of said fastener passes through said hole in each said ear aligned by said awl and held in place by said jaws.

A method for installing clamps that are formed of a looped band having opposing perforated ears for receiving an elongated fastener therethrough comprising the steps of:

• A) providing a clamp with a pair of spaced ears, each ear having a centrally-located hole;
• B) providing an elongated fastener having a head and a threaded shaft and providing a threaded member for receiving the threaded shaft of the fastener, the fastener and threaded member fastening together the ears of the clamp;
• C) providing a tool for drawing ears of a clamp more closely together and holding the ears substantially in place, the tool having a spaced pair of bifurcated jaws with a handle attached to a proximate end of each of the jaws, and a first jaw pivotally mounted in relation to a second jaw such that a space between furcations of the first jaw substantially aligns with a space between furcations of the second jaw with the alignment of the spaces substantially persisting as the jaws are opened and closed;
• D) positioning the clamp around a member to which the clamp is to secure;
• E) placing a first jaw of the tool on an outer surface of a first ear and a second jaw on an outer surface of a second ear such that the ears lie between the laws, with a space between furcations of each jaw substantially aligned with the holes of the ears of the clamp;
• F) compressing the jaws of the tool to draw the ears of the clamp more closely together;
• and then
• G) inserting the fastener through the holes in the ears of the clamp with the head engaging the outer surface of one of the laws and threadedly securing the threaded member onto the threaded shaft of the fastener to hold the clamp in place;
• and then
• H) releasing the jaws of the tool from the clamp and removing the tool from the clamp.