Wedge-activated rod clamp assembly

A rod clamp assembly adapted to secure a concrete form, the rod clamp assembly comprising:

• a rod having a cross-sectional size and shape and configured as a form tie of a concrete form;
• a housing adapted to be assembled with the rod, the housing having sidewalls and endwalls disposed transverse to the sidewalls, the sidewalls being arranged to define at least first and second pairs of sidewalls and the endwalls being arranged to define at least one pair of endwalls, the sidewalls of the first pair of sidewalls being oppositely-disposed from each other, the sidewalls of the second pair of sidewalls being oppositely-disposed from each other, the endwalls of the pair of endwalls being oppositely-disposed from each other, each of the first and second pairs of sidewalls having a side passage that passes entirely through the housing, the side passages having congruous cross-sectional shapes and intersecting each other to define an interior cavity within the housing, the pair of endwalls having an end passage that passes entirely through the housing and through the cavity within the housing to define an intersection with the cavity, the end passage comprising two end passage walls within the housing, each of the end passage walls being between the cavity and one of the pair of endwalls, the end passage having a cross-sectional size and shape defined by two opposing series of holes that increase in diameter toward the cavity resulting in each of the end passage walls comprising a series of steps and the end passage being larger at the intersection with the cavity than at the endwalls of the housing;
• and
• a wedge member having a first longitudinal end, an oppositely-disposed second longitudinal end, and at least a first ramp feature at the second longitudinal end that defines an edge that is not parallel to a longitudinal axis of the wedge member, the wedge member having a cross-sectional shape congruous to the cross-sectional shapes of the side passages of the housing, the wedge member having a longitudinal length that is sufficient so that the first ramp feature enters the intersection between the end passage and one of the side passages when the wedge member is inserted through the one of the side passages of the housing.