EP3652446A1

EP3652446A1 - A clamping mechanism for releasable attachment to a truss

Info

Publication number: EP3652446A1
Application number: EP18831817.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Sami YLIKAHRI; Leon Schadvoyn; Niklas Kaarla
Original assignee: Grip Rose Oy
Current assignee: Grip Rose Oy
Priority date: 2017-07-09
Filing date: 2018-06-21
Publication date: 2020-05-20
Also published as: FI20177083A1; EP3652446A4; FI127754B; WO2019012177A1

Abstract

The invention is related to a clamping mechanism (100) for releasable attachment to a truss (10), and for mounting objects thereto. The clamping mechanism (100) comprises a first member (102), a second member (104) and a sliding member (122).

Description

A CLAMPING MECHANISM FOR RELEASABLE ATTACHMENT TO A TRUSS

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention is related to mechanisms for attachment to truss structures or the like. Especially, this invention is related to quick-releasable clamping mechanisms for attachment to truss structures and further allowing equipment to be mounted thereto.

2. Description of Related Art

Truss structures are commonly utilized in stage, concerts, clubs and theatre arrangements for supporting a variety of stage accessories, e.g. lighting fixtures, loud speakers, etc. Mounting such equipment to the truss structures can be time-consuming, especially in setting up larger installations with dozens or hundreds of lamps, loudspeakers or other pieces of equipment. For example, many prior art clamping mechanisms utilize nuts and bolts as the basic fastening elements which can easily take several minutes, especially if the piece of equipment requires attachment to more than one point of the truss structure.

Moreover, these known prior art clamping mechanisms have either multiple parts or a design which are usually not suitable for easy and quick use in such settings.

Further, constructions made with truss structures are typically temporary, built for one event or show, and dismantled afterwards. In such situations time is critically important as during installation or assembly and disassembly when sets are changed during a theatre production or where displays are set up or removed at trade shows, each time such equipment have to removed and then re-mounted. However, known solutions are slow, especially in setting up and dismantling of larger structures with dozens or hundreds of pieces of equipment where lot of man-hours are spent in only fixing and removing such equipment to trusses. Some known clamping mechanisms allow for quick attachment to truss structures. One such solution is described in Chinese Utility Patent No. 204201809, which discloses a lamp hook for a lamp capable of being quickly dismantled and installed. Such clamping mechanism can work fine if the piece of equipment is to be hanged just from one spot. However, if the piece of equipment needs a sturdier attachment to more than one point as would be required in some cases for mounting a piece of equipment on a truss structure, such clamping mechanism could not be implemented for quick mounting of the equipment.

Therefore, it is desired to have simple mechanisms which are quick and easy to deploy, and reliable, without requiring many sophisticated tools. That is, a clamping mechanism should be easy to use and allow fast, quick installation of the desired equipment to the truss structure. Further, a desirable feature of a clamping mechanism would be high load bearing capacity as well as general robustness in withstanding rough handling. Furthermore, it is important that a clamping mechanism be safe, so the supported equipment is sturdy, and must withstand vibration and loads without failing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The current invention aims to correct these problems of prior art solutions by providing a clamping mechanism for releasable attachment to a truss, which is quick to deploy and can safely withstand high loads. In general terms, the clamping mechanism according to the invention comprises a first member having a fork at its first end for mating with a first tube of the truss and a second member having at least one fork for mating with a second tube of the truss. In some examples, the said second member, preferably, have two forks for mating with the second tube at two different locations for sturdier grip. The first member and second member are rotatably coupled with each other. A sliding member is attached to a second end of said first member for sliding under the second tube of the truss for locking the clamping mechanism to the truss. In the clamping mechanism of the current invention, the first member and the second member are coupled to each other by a hinge joint. The hinge joint is located proximal to said first end of the first member. The clamping mechanism further comprises a biasing member coupled with the sliding member. The biasing member is arranged to push the sliding member to slide under the second tube of the truss. The biasing member constrains the clamping mechanism against the truss and thereby prevent accidental removal of the clamping mechanism from the truss. The clamping mechanism further comprises an adjustment screw provided with the said first end of the first member. The adjustment screw is configured to adjust an angle at which the first member is engaged with the first tube therein. Further, the clamping mechanism preferably provides an attachment member arranged on either of said first member or second member to allow for at least one object or equipment to be mounted thereon.

For attachment to the truss, the clamping mechanism is initially sited against the truss such that the engaging surfaces of the said forks in the first member and second member are catching the corresponding first tube and the second tube, respectively, of the truss. Thereafter, the said sliding member is pushed against the truss such that it slides under the second tube of the truss. The biasing member keeps the sliding member constrained under the second tube for locking the clamping mechanism to the truss. Also, in order to remove the clamping mechanism from the truss, the sliding member is pulled away from the truss against the biasing force of the biasing member, and afterwards the first and second members are disengaged from the corresponding tubes of the truss.

The above summary relates to only one of the many embodiments of the invention disclosed herein and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is set forth in the claims herein. These and other features of the present invention will be described in more detail below in the detailed description of the invention and in conjunction with the following figures. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments of the invention will be described in detail below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which

Figure 1 illustrates a clamping mechanism according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention,

Figure 2 illustrates an exemplary stage in the attachment of the clamping mechanism to the truss according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention,

Figure 3 illustrates another exemplary stage in the attachment of the clamping mechanism to the truss according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, and

Figure 4 illustrates the clamping mechanism releasable attached to the truss according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS

The following embodiments are exemplary. Although the specification may refer to "an", "one", or "some" embodiment(s), this does not necessarily mean that each such reference is to the same embodiment(s), or that the feature only applies to a single embodiment. Single features of different embodiments may be combined to provide further embodiments.

In the following, we provide a more detailed description of the main components of the clamping mechanism. In the following, we describe an advantageous embodiment of the invention in which a clamping mechanism for releasable attachment to a truss is provided. The clamping mechanism comprises a first member, a second member and a sliding member. The sliding member is configured for sliding under a tube of the truss for locking the clamping mechanism to the truss. The truss, typically, comprises tubes welded to each other to form a structure which can be utilized to support multiple mounted equipment in stage settings or the like. Most commonly, the truss structures comprise a combination of two or more tubes which are arranged parallel to each other along their length. To securely mount any object or equipment, such as lights, speakers, etc. to the truss, it is desired that the attachment means used for clamping have multiple points of contact and with more than one tube of the truss in order to attain stronger clamping support.

In an advantageous embodiment of the current invention, the clamping mechanism comprises two members, namely the first member having a fork at its first end for mating with a first tube of the truss, and the second member having at least one fork for mating with a second tube of the truss. Preferably, the second member has two forks for mating with the second tube of the truss. The two forks of the second member can be branching out from its end and grip the tube of the truss at two different locations spaced apart from each other. This allows the second member to have a better grip against the second tube of the truss by minimizing the resistance to rotational forces, thus reducing the risk of sliding out of the said tube. In some examples, the first member can also have more than one fork (e.g. two forks) formed at its first end, in order to have a better grip against the first tube of the truss. The number of forks associated with each member shall not be limiting to the disclosure in any manner.

Generally, the forks, in the first member and the second member, are shaped to correspond to an outer periphery of the tubes of the truss. Since, the tubes of the trusses are typically circular in cross-section, the forks are also correspondingly shaped to be able to grip such round outer peripheries of the tubes. In one advantageous embodiment of the invention, the forks have C-shaped engaging surfaces in order to enable the first member and the second member of the clamping mechanism to properly grip and snugly fit around the round outer peripheries of the first tube and the second tube, respectively. However, in other examples, the engaging surfaces of the forks can have any other suitable shape based on the shape of the outer periphery of the tubes of the truss to which the clamping mechanism of the current invention needs to be attached to. In one embodiment, the forks are formed as a part or an extension of the first member and the second member of the clamping mechanism. However, in alternative embodiments, the forks can be separate members which are pivotally connected to the respective ends of the said first and second members. The said pivot connection for forks can be a simple nut and bolt fastening arrangement or the like. It may be understood that such pivot connection allows for the forks to be rotated at an appropriate angle to aid with proper engagement with the outer periphery of the tubes of the truss.

In one advantageous embodiment of the current invention, the first member and the second member can be in the shape of two arms rotatably coupled with each other. In one example, the first member and second member are rotatably coupled to each other by means of a hinge joint. The said hinge joint can comprise a nut and bolt fastening arrangement or the like passing through the first member and the second member to couple each other. There are no strict limits where the hinge joint should be located between the two truss tubes; however, for simple mechanical reasons, to minimize direct loading of the sliding member, the hinge joint should preferably be close to the truss tube disposed opposite to the sliding member. Also, the hinge joint allows the first member to pivot at an angle with respect to the second member. Such configuration allows for the sliding member to be pushed downward against the second tube of the truss when required for tightly locking the clamping mechanism against the truss. Further, in one advantageous embodiment, the first and second members are complementary shaped so that when the two members are rotated with respect to each other during the engagement of the clamping mechanism to the truss, the two members do not interfere with each other's movement, even for higher degrees of relative rotation.

Also, since the specifications, specifically the diameters of the tubes for trusses are not generally standardized, often there is a need for adjustment so that the clamping mechanism fits snugly, and that the sliding member is able to tighten the clamping mechanism against the truss. Further, since the sliding member has a finite space in which to slide, the range of distances where the sliding member can wedge against the second tube of the truss is limited. To counter that, the clamping mechanism comprises an adjustment screw which advantageously allows for adjusting an angle at which the first member is engaged with the first tube, thereby ensuring that the sliding member can be wedged tightly against the second tube. This allows for the clamping mechanism to fit snugly between the two tubes of the truss, and thus the sliding member is able to securely attach the clamping mechanism to the truss. In other words, the adjustment screw can be used to counter these slight differences in tubes' diameter, and to ensure that the sliding member can be wedged tightly against the other tube. In one embodiment, the adjustment screw is provided with the said first end of the first member; however, in other examples, the adjustment screw could be provided with the second member without any limitations.

Next, we describe the sliding member in more detail using various advantageous embodiments of the invention as examples. The sliding member utilized in the clamping mechanism of the current invention is in the shape of a wedge which could easily slide behind or under a tube of the truss. In one example, the sliding member have a substantially rectangular or triangular shape. In one example, the sliding member is connected to the second end of the first member opposite to the end where the first member mates with the first tube of the truss. For this purpose, the sliding member can have a groove formed in a non-engaging face opposite to the face engaging with the second tube, and the second end of the first member can be locked inside the groove. Advantageously, this also makes the sliding member disposed proximal to the second tube of the truss, and thus the sliding member can be pushed to slide behind or under the second tube of truss with relative ease. Further, in one advantageous embodiment, the sliding member is arranged at an angle at the second end of the first member, with respect to the longitudinal length of the first member. In one example, the sliding member is disposed at an angle substantially orthogonal to the first member. It may be contemplated that the sliding member is angled downwards to allow for it to slide under the second tube of the truss during the attachment of the clamping mechanism with the truss.

Furthermore, the sliding member is connected to the first member in a manner such that the sliding member can be rotated with respect to the second end of the first member. Such configuration advantageously allows the sliding member to adjust its position when it is sliding under the second tube for better snug fit therewith. For this purpose, in one advantageous embodiment, the clamping mechanism comprises a biasing member coupled with the sliding member. The said biasing member is arranged to constrain the sliding member to slide under the second tube of the truss. The biasing member can possibly be disposed inside the said groove formed in the sliding member to achieve the said purpose. In one example, the biasing member comprises a spring, such as, but not limited to, a torsion spring or the like, wherein such spring mechanisms are known to rotate around its axis to create load and release their load in an arc around the axis. With such spring mechanism, the implemented biasing member could provide constant constrain to the sliding member to be pushed against the second tube for locking the clamping mechanism to the truss.

It may be contemplated by a person skilled in the art that the sliding member can be pushed downward against the second tube for engagement therewith. As the sliding member mates with the second tube, the clamping mechanism of the current invention is locked in place. Further for unlocking the clamping mechanism from the truss, the sliding member needs to be pulled outward for disengagement of the sliding member with the second tube. For such purpose, the sliding member can comprise a handle which provides the user with some grip to pull the sliding member out against the biasing force as and when desired, such as for removal of equipment mounted to the truss. The said handle can be in any possible shape, so long as it allows for the user to exert pulling force. In one example, the said handle can be in the form of a pin which passes and extends through a lateral length of the sliding member. The said pin can provide enough space for a user to insert two fingers across the opposing sides of the sliding member to pull it outwards for disengagement from the second tube.

Advantageously, there can be more than one mechanism for constraining the sliding member to be engaged with the tube of the truss. In other advantageous embodiments, the clamping mechanism could provide a ratchet arrangement, in place of the said basing member, to jam the sliding member for locking the clamping mechanism against the truss. In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the constraining rotation of the sliding member against the tube can be arranged by using electromechanical means such as an electronic motor, a solenoid or another electromechanical mechanism. In such an embodiment, the user can activate the electric motor or the solenoid to turn sliding member into its locked position and to release the clamping mechanism from the truss, activate the electric motor or solenoid to rotate the sliding member away from the tube back into its resting position. In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the electromechanical device such as the solenoid or the electric motor can be activated using a controller controlled switch mechanism so that the electromechanical device is automatically activated to rotate the sliding member to slide and wedge under the tube of the truss and lock the clamping mechanism against therewith.

Next, we discuss about an attachment member which enables for objects or equipment to be attached to the clamping mechanism of the current invention, and thereby enabling the clamping mechanism to mount the objects to the truss. It may be understood that the clamping mechanism only provides an anchor point that is easily attached to a truss; and then any equipment can quickly be latched to the attachment member therein. The attachment member could be in any suitable form, such as a lock ring, to which the objects and equipment could be mounted with ease. The attachment member could be arranged on either of said first member or second member of the clamping mechanism. In one embodiment, the attachment member is fixed to the first member at its top face, about substantially middle of its longitudinal length. The attachment member can be fixed to the first member by any suitable fastening method known in the art. In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the attachment member is in the way of the sliding member of the current clamping mechanism, thereby blocking any movement of the sliding member. Therefore, using the attachment member makes the clamping mechanism more securely locked to the truss structure.

Next, we will describe certain embodiments of invention in which conductors of electricity, electrical signals or other conduits are led through the clamping mechanism. The inventors have realized that since the nature of the clamping mechanism allows for very specific location of the object to be attached, wires or cables or even hoses can be led through the clamping mechanism. Further, the clamping mechanism can be fitted with connectors. These connectors and cables can be used for transferring electrical signals and/or electric power through the clamping mechanism or, for example, compressed air or fluids using hoses to power or operate the equipment mounted to the truss using the clamping mechanism of the current invention. This has the advantage of completing both mechanical and electrical connections of an object or equipment to the truss, for example.

Connections can be made in this way between many different types of connectors for installation of different types of equipment. For example, connectors can be for making optical fibre connections. For a further example, in the case that the clamping mechanism supports a lamp for installation at a ceiling truss, the plug for electrical connection to the lamp can advantageously be arranged in the clamping mechanism itself. The clamping mechanism can then be installed in the ceiling truss as a permanent installation position for lamps, which in turn could be fitted with edge plate corresponding to attachment member of the clamping mechanism.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the attachment member can come in various shapes and sizes for allowing attachment of different types of equipment. Further, the attachment member of the clamping mechanism can comprise a spirit level or a similar device in order to aid the installer in mounting the equipment accurately in the desired position and angle with respect to the attachment member. Further, the attachment member can have angle markings in order to make installation of the equipment at a desired angle easier. Many different details and parameters of angle markings and installation guides can be varied in different embodiments of the invention.

The clamping mechanism can be manufactured from a variety of materials based on the required load bearing capacity for mounting equipment to the truss, and the invention is not limited to use of any specific material. For example, the clamping mechanism can be manufactured from plastic. For example, injection moulded plastic in order to obtain a low price version of the mechanism. Manufacturing the clamping mechanism out of plastics is quite sufficient for many applications in which a high load bearing capacity is not needed. An example of such use would be, for example, to attach a small lamp to a ceiling truss. Also, the clamping mechanism can be manufactured out of metals, such as, but not limited to, aluminium or steel, for applications where high load bearing capacity is needed and where high durability is needed. The inventive clamping mechanism can be used in many different applications. For example, in applications where repeated attachment and removal is needed, especially in case where quick and easy attachment and removal is needed. The inventive clamping mechanism is very useful for use in constructions for shows, fairs, and booths, and especially for truss structures that need to be installed and taken down repeatedly. The clamping mechanism allows for quick attachment of equipment, like lamps, loudspeakers and other objects to trusses. It is able to carry heavy loads, at least when made of metal. It can also resist rotational forces. It is further resistant to vibration and shaking; since the sliding part is pushed by a spring towards the locked position, and therefore any vibration and shaking will only tighten the mechanism.

The inventive clamping mechanism has several advantages. The inventive mechanism is strong and has a high load bearing capacity, while still being quick to attach and release. The inventive mechanism is self-tightening in a vibrating and shaking environments, and therefore, avoids the danger of an attached object coming loose. The inventive mechanism can be used for installation of equipment to the truss without particularly requiring use of any tools.

In the following, we describe various embodiments of the invention with reference to a number of figures.

Figure 1 illustrates an advantageous embodiment of the invention. Figure 1 illustrates a top perspective view of a clamping mechanism 100. As illustrated in Figure 1, the clamping mechanism 100 comprises a first member 102 and a second member 104. Further, as illustrated, the first member 102 and the second member 104 are rotatably coupled to each other by a hinge joint 106. The hinge joint 106 comprises a nut and bolt based fastening arrangement to couple the first member 102 with the second member 104. It may be seen that the hinge joint 106 is located proximal to a first end 108 of the first member 102.

In one embodiment, the second member 104 comprises a central arm 110, and two side arms 112,114 connected to the central arm 110 at its two ends. In the illustrated example, the two side arms 112,114 are connected to the central arm 110 by using pins or the like. As may be seen, such configuration imparts the second member 104 with substantially U- shaped structure.

Further, as illustrated in Figure 1, the first member 102 comprises a fork 116 formed at its first end 108. Further, the second member 104 comprises forks 118, 120 formed at the ends of the two side arms 112, 114. In one embodiment, the forks 116, 118, 120 have substantially C-shaped engaging surfaces formed at the respective ends of the first member 102 and the second member 104. The forks 116, 118, 120 can be utilized for engaging the clamping mechanism 100 to tubes of a truss structure or the like, as will be discussed later in detail with the help of subsequent figures. For such cases, the curvature of the engaging surfaces of the forks 116, 118, 120 are designed to be substantially conforming to the accepted standards for the diameters of the trusses' tubes. It may be contemplated that while the shapes of the engaging surfaces, such as for the forks 116, 118, 120, are advantageously such as described above, the invention is not limited to only using engaging surfaces so shaped. The forks 116, 118, 120 can have engaging surfaces of different shapes and further with varying curvatures in different embodiments of the invention.

In one embodiment, the clamping mechanism 100 further comprises a sliding member 122 connected at a second end 124 of the first member 102. It may be seen that the sliding member 122 is in the shape of rectangular or triangular wedge block. Further, it may be seen that the sliding member 122 is disposed at a downward angle substantially orthogonal to the first member 102. In some embodiments, the clamping mechanism 100 comprises a handle 126 for the sliding member 122 to enable a user to exert pulling force thereto. In one example, the handle 126 can be in the form of a pin which passes and extends through a lateral length of the sliding member 122. The handle 126 is provided proximal to the second end 124, where the sliding member 122 is fixed to the first member 102.

In one advantageous embodiment of the current invention, the clamping mechanism 100 comprises a biasing member 128 coupled with the sliding member 122. In particular, the biasing member 128 provides an engagement between the sliding member 122 and the first member 102. Specifically, the biasing member 128 provides a biasing force to push the sliding member 122 to rotate away from the first member 102.

Figure 1 further shows that the present clamping mechanism 100 comprises an adjustment screw 130 provided with said first end 108 of the first member 102. The details about the functioning of the adjustment screw 130 is explained in the subsequent paragraphs.

Finally, as illustrated, the clamping mechanism 100 comprises an attachment member 140 which enables for objects or equipment to be attached to the clamping mechanism 100. In the illustrated embodiment, the attachment member 140 is fixed to a top face of the first member 102. As may be seen, the attachment member 140 is located substantially in the middle of the longitudinal length of the first member 102. The attachment member 140 shown in Figure 1 is exemplary only, and the design and specification of the attachment member 140 varies as per the types of equipment to be mounted thereto.

Next we describe a possible way of locking the clamping mechanism 100 of the current invention to a truss 10, with reference to the Figures 2-4. As illustrated, the truss 10 comprises at least two tubes, namely a first tube 12 and a second tube 14, which are disposed substantially parallel to each other and are connected by inter-connecting bars welded to the tubes 12,14, thus completing the structure of the truss 10. It may be contemplated that the structure and design of the truss 10 as shown in Figures 2-4 is only for the purpose of illustration and shall not be limiting to the disclosure in any manner. Figures 2-4 illustrate exemplary stages for releasable attachment of the clamping mechanism 100 to the truss 10, according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention. Specifically, Figure 2 shows a stage of initial engagement of the clamping mechanism 100 for attachment with the truss 10. As may be seen from Figure 2, firstly, the fork 116 of the first member 102 is engaged with the first tube 12 of the truss 100, such that the fork 116, with its C-shaped engaging surface, properly engages the round outer periphery of the first tube 12. Subsequently, the forks 118, 120 of the second member 104 are adjusted to engage with the outer periphery of the second tube 14. In some cases, because of non-standardized diameters of the tubes of the truss 10, some adjustment may be needed for the clamping mechanism 100 to engage within the limited space between the tubes of the truss 10. The adjustment screw 130 helps to adjust an angle at which the first member 102 is engaged with the first tube 12, thereby providing the second member 104 with some space to wiggle for its forks 118,120 to properly engage with the outer periphery of the second tube 14. It may be contemplated that the adjustment screw 130 directly engages with the outer periphery of the first tube 14 to fixedly support the first member 102, and thereby define its relative angle with the second member 104. Moving on to Figure 3, once the clamping mechanism 100 is sited and supported on the tubes 12,14 of the truss 10; afterwards the sliding member 122 is pushed downward, in respect of Figure 3, by the user against the biasing force of the biasing member 128 to engage with the second tube 14. The angled arrangement of the sliding member 122 due to the biasing force thereon, advantageously allows the sliding member 122 to reach under the second tube 14. Figure 4 shows the clamping mechanism 100 attached to the truss 10. It may be understood that the biasing member 128 constrains the sliding member 122 to be pushed against the second tube 14, thereby securely locking the clamping mechanism 100 in place. Also, as discussed above, the attachment member 140 allows for mounting various types of equipment to the clamping mechanism 100, and thereby indirectly to the truss 10. The design and implementation of the attachment member 140 is beyond the scope of the present disclosure, and thus has not been explained herein for the brevity of the disclosure.

We note that the example method described with reference to figures 2-4 is only one possible example of various ways to implement the clamping mechanism 100 with the truss 10, and the invention is not limited in any way to this particular way of implementing the mechanism.

The inventive clamping mechanism can be implemented in situations where quick, durable and easy attachment and release is needed. For example, the inventive clamping mechanism could be used, for example, attaching devices, such as lamps, speakers, etc. to truss structures in a stage, theatre, concert hall and other similar settings. The inventive clamping mechanism can further be utilized in vibrating or shaking environments, as with vibrations the inventive mechanism could further achieve a stronger engagement with the truss structure. The inventive clamping mechanism can be deployed without requiring the use of any particular tools, which could be really advantageous in time-limited installation requirements where large numbers of equipment needs to be installed. Thus compared to the prior known mechanisms, with the inventive clamping mechanism of the present disclosure, a durable attachment is achieved easily and in a releasable way. In view of the foregoing description it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention. While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in detail, it should be apparent that many modifications and variations thereto are possible, all of which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A clamping mechanism (100) for releasable attachment to a truss, characterized in that it comprises at least a first member (102) having a fork (116) at its first end for mating with a first tube of the truss; a second member (104) having at least one fork (118, 120) for mating with a second tube of the truss, said first member and second member being rotatably coupled with each other; and a sliding member (122) attached to a second end of said first member for sliding under the second tube of the truss for locking the clamping mechanism to the truss.

2. A clamping mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a biasing member (128) coupled with the sliding member, said biasing member being arranged to push the sliding member (122) to slide under the second tube of the truss.

3. A clamping mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises an adjustment screw (130) provided with the said first end of the first member for adjusting an angle at which the first member is engaged with the first tube therein.

4. A clamping mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the said first member and second member are coupled to each other by a hinge joint (106), said hinge joint being located proximal to said first end of the first member.

5. A clamping mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that it further provides an attachment member (140) arranged on either of said first member or second member, said attachment member allows for at least one object to be attached thereto.

6. A clamping mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the said sliding member having a handle (126) to pull it out from under the second tube of the truss, for un-locking the clamping mechanism from the truss.

7. A clamping mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the said second member having two forks (118, 120) for mating with the said second tube of the truss.

8. A clamping mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that the said biasing member (128) is a torsion spring.