Portable wedge clamp device

A portable wedge clamp device, comprising:

• cooperating rigid base wedge and drive wedge members that are moveable relative to a wedge drive axis slidably along a mutual wedge interface that is inclined therebetween at an angle of about fifteen degrees plus or minus about five degrees relative to the drive axis, wherein:
• the base wedge member further comprises a generally wedge shaped body comprising a load application surface with a wedge interface surface opposite therefrom and inclined at an angle of about fifteen degrees plus or minus about five degrees relative thereto, a substantially circular load application passage formed through the base wedge member along a load application axis approximately midway between opposing thick and thin ends thereof and communicating between the load application and wedge interface surfaces, and an anchor collar adjacent to the thin end thereof opposite from the thick end and further comprising a female thread formed therethrough, and
• the drive wedge member further comprises a generally wedge shaped body comprising a load reaction surface with a wedge interface surface opposite therefrom and inclined at an angle of about fifteen degrees plus or minus about five degrees relative thereto, an oblong load application passage formed through the drive wedge member adjacent to a thin end thereof and communicating between the load reaction and wedge interface surfaces and comprising an elongated dimension extended substantially along the drive axis between the thin end of the wedge shaped body and a thick end thereof opposite from the thin end, an actuator reaction portion adjacent to the thick end of the wedge shaped body and further comprising an actuator drive passage formed therethrough oriented substantially along the drive axis and communicating between an exterior expansion drive surface and an interior contraction drive surface thereof that are oriented substantially crosswise of the drive axis, and clearance formed between the load application passage and the interior contraction drive surface of the actuator reaction portion and sized to accommodate substantially linear movement of the anchor collar of the base wedge member therein substantially along the drive axis,
• the respective wedge interface surfaces of the drive wedge member and the base wedge member being slidably mated along at least a portion of the wedge interface with the load reaction surface of the drive wedge member being substantially parallel with the load application surface of the base wedge member and spaced apart therefrom, and
• the drive wedge member and the base wedge member are relatively slidably movable along the wedge interface that is inclined therebetween between an initial collapsed configuration wherein the load reaction surface of the drive wedge member is spaced apart along the load application axis at a minimum distance from the load application surface of the base wedge member and the load application passage of the base wedge member is substantially aligned with the oblong load application passage through the drive wedge member adjacent to the thin end of the wedge shaped body thereof, and a final expanded configuration wherein the load reaction surface of the drive wedge member is spaced apart along the load application axis at a maximum distance from the load application surface of the base wedge member and the load application passage of the base wedge member is substantially aligned with the oblong load application passage through the drive wedge member adjacent to the thick end of the wedge shaped body thereof;
• a load application member comprising a shaft portion that is slidably movable along the load application axis in the aligned load application passages through the respective base wedge member and drive wedge member, the load application member further comprising:
• a threaded end portion extended from the shaft portion thereof and further extended externally of the load application surface of the base wedge member, and a load application portion extended from the shaft portion thereof opposite from the threaded end portion thereof and sized larger than a width of the load application passage of the drive wedge member and further extended externally of the load reaction surface of the drive wedge member;
• and
• an actuation member coupled between the anchor collar of the base wedge member and the actuator reaction portion of the drive wedge member and operable through the actuator drive passage of the drive wedge member for slidingly moving the drive wedge member relative to the base wedge member along the inclined mutual wedge interface alternately between the collapsed configuration and the expanded configuration.

A method of clamping utilizing a portable wedge clamp device, the method comprising:

• forming cooperating rigid base wedge and drive wedge members that are moveable relative to a wedge drive axis slidably along a mutual wedge interface that is inclined therebetween at an angle of about fifteen degrees plus or minus about five degrees relative to the drive axis, wherein:
• forming the base wedge member further comprises forming a generally wedge shaped body comprising a load application surface with a wedge interface surface opposite therefrom and inclined at an angle of about fifteen degrees plus or minus about five degrees relative thereto, a substantially circular load application passage formed through the base wedge member along a load application axis approximately midway between opposing thick and thin ends thereof and communicating between the load application and wedge interface surfaces, and an anchor collar adjacent to the thin end thereof opposite from the thick end and further comprising a female thread formed therethrough, and
• forming the drive wedge member further comprises forming a generally wedge shaped body comprising a load reaction surface with a wedge interface surface opposite therefrom and inclined at an angle of about fifteen degrees plus or minus about five degrees relative thereto, an oblong load application passage formed through the drive wedge member adjacent to a thin end thereof and communicating between the load reaction and wedge interface surfaces and comprising an elongated dimension extended substantially along the drive axis between the thin end of the wedge shaped body and a thick end thereof opposite from the thin end, an actuator reaction portion adjacent to the thick end of the wedge shaped body and further comprising an actuator drive passage formed therethrough oriented substantially along the drive axis, and clearance formed between the load application passage and the actuator reaction portion and sized to accommodate substantially linear movement of the anchor collar of the base wedge member therein substantially along the drive axis,
• slidably mating the respective wedge interface surfaces of the drive wedge member and the base wedge member along at least a portion of the wedge interface with the load reaction surface of the drive wedge member being substantially parallel with the load application surface of the base wedge member and spaced apart therefrom, and
• slidingly moving the drive wedge member relative to the base wedge member substantially along the wedge interface that is inclined therebetween between an initial collapsed configuration wherein the load reaction surface of the drive wedge member is spaced apart along the load application axis at a minimum distance from the load application surface of the base wedge member and the load application passage of the base wedge member is substantially aligned with the oblong load application passage through the drive wedge member adjacent to the thin end of the wedge shaped body thereof, and a final expanded configuration wherein the load reaction surface of the drive wedge member is spaced apart along the load application axis at a maximum distance from the load application surface of the base wedge member and the load application passage of the base wedge member is substantially aligned with the oblong load application passage through the drive wedge member adjacent to the thick end of the wedge shaped body thereof;
• providing a load application member comprising a shaft portion that is longer than the maximum distance between the load reaction surface of the drive wedge member and the load application surface of the base wedge member in the final expanded configuration, and is further slidably movable in the aligned load application passages through the respective base wedge member and drive wedge member, wherein providing the load application member further comprises providing:
• a threaded end portion extended from the shaft portion thereof, and a load application portion extended from the shaft portion thereof opposite from the threaded end portion thereof and sized larger than a width of the load application passage of the drive wedge member;
• inserting the load application member through the aligned load application passages through the respective base wedge member and drive wedge member with the load application portion positioned externally of the load reaction surface of the drive wedge member and the threaded end portion extended from the load application surface of the base wedge member;
• coupling an actuation member between the anchor collar of the base wedge member and the actuator reaction portion of the drive wedge member in a fashion operable through the actuator drive passage of the drive wedge member for slidingly moving the drive wedge member relative to the base wedge member along the inclined mutual wedge interface alternately between the collapsed configuration and the expanded configuration.