GB2121865A

GB2121865A - Clamping devices

Info

Publication number: GB2121865A
Application number: GB08217740A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Jennings Hepworth
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-06-18
Filing date: 1982-06-18
Publication date: 1984-01-04

Abstract

A clamping device (10), for clamping to an article such as a pipe or a board, comprises a pair of clamp members (11, 12) which are secured to each other by a screw and nut (16, 17). Each clamp member (11, 12) has a groove (23) extending across one face so that the article or an insert (13) is received in the grooves (23) when the clamp members (11, 12) are secured in face-to-face relationship. Insert (13) has a slot (19) for receiving the article and its flexibility is increased by cuts 22. A groove (25) in each clamp member (11, 12) receives an attachment plate (14) which attaches like clamping devices (10) together, so that several articles can be clamped to each other to form a structure. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Clamping devices This invention relates to clamping devices and has particular application to devices for use in the erection of shelves, display constructions, partitions and the like as are customarily used in shops, exhibitions or the like. More particularly the clamping devices of the invention may be used for the above purposes by clamping together panels and/or tubes so as to form rigid structures.

The invention provides a clamping device for clamping to an article comprising a pair of clamp members each having a groove extending across one face thereof, means adapted to secure said clamp members together with said grooves in aligned and facing juxtaposition on opposed sides of said article, and attachment means adapted to be releasably secured to said pair of clamp members and to at least one like clamping device.

Preferably the attachment means is secured to the pair of clamp members by the clamp member securing means, which may comprise screw means passing through aligned apertures in the pair of clamp members and the attachment means. The attachment means may comprise a pair of rigid plates which may be plane or may be bent substantially centrally thereof whereby the ends on opposed sides of said bend are relatively inclined at an angle less than 1800, for example 1 200 or 900. Alternatively the plates may have a line of weakness extending substantially centrally thereacross whereby the ends on opposed sides of said line of weakness may be inclined relative to each other at any desired angle. Preferably each of the clamp members has a recess therein adapted to receive one of said plates.In that case the plate receiving recess may be in said one face and extend transversely of the groove therein.

The grooves may be part circular in crosssection whereby the clamping device may readily be clamped to pipes, tubes or the like.

The clamping device may also comprise a clamping insert adapted to be received in the grooves of the clamp members, the clamping insert having a slot extending therethrough for receiving the article to be clamped. Preferably the insert has an outer shape of which part at least is complementary to that of the grooves in the clamp members, which shaped part may be cylindrical, particularly in the case of part circular crosssection grooves. Preferably the slot extends longitudinally of such cylindrical shaped part. The clamping insert may also comprise a part adapted to be releasably secured to the clamp members when the latter are secured together, in which case the screw means may pass through a bore in the clamping insert which is aligned with the apertures in the clamp members when the shaped part of the insert is received in the grooves in the clamp members.Preferably each clamp member has a recess therein adapted to receive the securing part of the insert.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is an exploded view of one embodiment; Figs. 2 and 2a are respectively an elevation and an exploded view of a structure incorporating the clamping devices of the invention; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the clamping device in use with a tube or bar.

Referring now to Fig. 1, there is shown a clamping device 10 comprising a pair of clamp members 11, 1 2, a clamping insert 1 3 and a pair of attachment plates 14. A screw 1 6 and nut 1 7 secure the parts 11 to 1 4 together when the clamping device 10 is in use.

Insert 13 comprises a cylindrically shaped part 18 having a slot 1 9 extending longitudinally thereof, and a securing spigot 20 through which a bore 21 passes. The insert 13 may be of a plastics material and grooves 22 in the corners of slot 1 9 provide that a degree of flexibility of the cylindrical part 18 ensures good clamping of an article (not shown) within the slot 1 9.

The clamp members 11, 12 are preferably of metal and each has therein a groove 23 of partcircular cross-section so as to receive the cylindrical part 18 of the insert 1 3. Extending transversely of groove 23 in each clamp member 11, 12, is a recess 24 into which the securing spigot 20 of insert 1 3 is received. A further recess 25 in the base of recess 24 in each clamp member 11, 12 receives an attachment plate 14, the latter being plates, preferably of metal, of rectangular planform and each having two apertures 26 therein.On assembly of the insert 1 3 and attachment plates 14, between clamp members 11, 12, apertures 27 in the clamp members 11, 12 are aligned with corresponding ones of apertures 26 in plates 14 and with bore 21 in insert 13, whereby screw 1 6 may be inserted therethrough and engaged with nut 1 7. An article such as a board may be placed in slot 19 and nut 1 7 then tightened to effect clamping of the board.

Interengaging spigots 30 on clamp member 12 and recesses 31 on clamp members 11 further facilitate accurate location of the clamp members 11, 12 relative to each other. In like manner the exposed apertures 26 in plates 14 are engaged with a bolt of a second corresponding clamping device so as to secure two articles such as boards together in edge to edge coplanar disposition.

Referring now to Fig. 2, there is shown four clamping devices 10 of the type described above, each retaining a board 28 therein. The horizontally disposed boards 28 may be for example shelves of a bookcase or display unit, whilst the vertically disposed boards 28 may be the outer support panels or intermediate partitions of such bookcase or display unit. In this case the attachment plates 14 are bent at right angles along a transverse centreline.

in the case of a vertical support panel having a shelf to one side thereof only one horizontally disposed clamping device 10 of the Fig. 2 arrangement would not be required, and on that side of the support panel a single, plane attachment plate 14 connecting the upper and lower vertically disposed clamping devices 10 would replace the two bent plates 14 shown.

Other numbers of clamping devices 10 may be interconnecting at differing relative angular positions. For example three clamping devices 10 may be interconnected at a relative angular disposition of 1200. A clamping device 10 having attachment plates 14 suitable for such an arrangement is shown in Fig. 3. Furthermore in the arrangement shown in Fig. 3 the insert 1 3 has been omitted so that a bar or tube 29 may be clamped in the clamping device 1 0.

By means of the invention boards, tubes or other such articles may be readily clamped together to form a rigid structure. A stock of inserts 1 3 may be retained braving differing widths of slot 1 9 for use with differing thicknesses of board or other sheet material. Alternatively the slot 1 9 may be of a different cross-sectional shape from that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to accommodate articles of other than rectangular cross-section.

Furthermore inserts 13 may be provided having circular section slots therein for retention of bars or tubes of differing diameter. A stock of attachment plates 14 may be retained having differing angles of bend formed therein.

Alternatively each plate 14 may have a centrally disposed lateral groove extending thereacross so as to provide a line of weakness at which the plate may bent to the desired angle.

In order to prevent a tube or rod from rotating about its principal axis when clamped in a clamping device of the invention recesses 1 5 may be provided in the groove 23 of each clamp member 11, 12. Diametrically opposed spigots on the rod or tube, or a somali rod (not shown) passing transversely through the rod or tube and protruding a small way outwardly thereof, will be retained in the recesses 1 5.

Other embodiments of clamping device in accordance with the invention will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art. For example the grooves 23 may be of rectangular crosssection and the inserts 1 3 of correspondingly rectangular outer shape. In that case the slot 1 9 in the inserts 1 3 may be of circular cross-section as mentioned above.

An an alternative to the lateral groove in plates 14 as referred to above, such groove providing a line of weakness in the plate 14, a hinge may be provided the leaves of which form an attachment plate 14.

Referring now to Fig. 2a there is shown two vertically disposed boards 28 secured together by means of clamping devices as described in relation to Figs. 1 and 2. However, in addition to the clamping devices as already described there are disposed between each set of such clamping devices cover members 32. The cover members 32 are of I-section and have curved flanges 33, 34. The flanges 33 embrace the boards 28 whilst the flanges 34 on adjacent cover members 32 are in very close proximity to each other along their length, as at 35, so as to substantially cover the gap between adjacent boards 28. The cover members 32 are retained in position by means of retaining members 36 each of which is provided with tongues 37 for engagement in channels 38 in cover members 32 and a spigot 39 for engagement in a hole 40 provided in the insert 1 3 of the clamping device. The cover members 32 may be extruded sections of metal such as aluminium, or of a plastics material, and may be provided with slots 41 at predetermined relative spacings for the engagement of shelf-supporting brackets (not shown) therewith.

When a spigot 39 of a retaining member 36 is inserted into hole 40 of an insert 13 of the clamping device, a screw 1 6 is inserted through apertures 27 of clamp members 11, 12, bore 21 of the insert 13 and a bore 42 in spigot 39, thereby retaining all of these parts together.

Claims

1. A clamping device for clamping to an article comprising a pair of clamp members each having a groove extending across one face thereof, means operable to secure said clamp members together with said grooves in aligned and facing juxtaposition on opposed sides of said article, and attachment means adapted to be releasably secured to said pair of clamp members and to at least one like clamping device.

2. A clamping device according to claim 1 wherein said attachment means is secured to said pair of clamp members by said clamp member securing means.

3. A clamping device according to claim 2 wherein said clamp member securing means comprises screw means passing through aligned apertures in said clamp members and said attachment means.

4. A clamping device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said attachment means comprises a pair of rigid plates.

5. A clamping device according to claim 4 wherein said plates are planar.

6. A clamping device according to claim 4 wherein said plates are bent substantially centrally thereof whereby ends on opposed sides of said bend are relatively inclined at an angle between 900 and 1800.

7. A clamping device according to claim 4 wherein each of said plates has a line of weakness extending thereacross substantially centrally thereof to facilitate bending thereof.

8. A clamping device according to any one of claims 4 to 7 wherein each of said clamp members has a groove therein adapted to receive one of said plates.

9. A clamping device according to claim 8 wherein said plate receiving recess is in said one face and extends transversely of said groove therein.

10. A clamping device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein each of said grooves is part circular in cross-section.

11. A clamping device according to any one of claims 1 to 10 comprising a clamping insert adapted to be received in said grooves and having a slot extending therethrough for receiving said article.

12. A clamping device according to claim 11 wherein said insert has an outer shape of which at least a part is complementary to that of the grooves of said clamp members.

13. A clamping device according to claim 12 when dependent on claim 10 wherein said shaped part of said insert is cylindrical.

1 4. A clamping device according to claim 1 3 wherein said slot extends longitudinally of said cylindrical part.

1 5. A clamping device according to any one of claims 12 to 14 wherein said insert comprises a securing part adapted to be releasably secured to said clamp members when the latter are secured together.

1 6. A clamping device according to claim 1 5 wherein screw means passes through a bore in said insert securing part and aligned apertures in said clamp members when said shaped part of said insert is received in the grooves in the clamp members.

17. A clamping device according to claim 1 5 or claim 1 6 wherein each clamp member has a recess therein adapted to receive said securing part of said insert.

1 8. A clamping device according to any one of claims 11 to 17 wherein said insert is of a plastics material.

19. A clamping device according to any one of claims 11 to 1 8 wherein grooves are provided in the corners of said slot to provide flexibility of said insert.

20. A clamping device according to claim 13 or any claim dependent thereon wherein a spigot is provided on said shaped part and a recess is.

provided in said groove of each clamp member, said recess being adapted to receive said spigot and prevent rotation of said insert relative to said clamp members.

21. A clamping device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

22. An assembly comprising a plurality-of board members secured to each other by a plurality of clamping devices according to any one of claims 1 to 21.

23. An assembly according to claim 22 further comprising a plurality of cover members, each cover member being generally of I-shaped crosssection providing a first channel adapted to receive an edge of a board member therein.

24. An assembly according to claim 23 wherein flanges of each cover member defining said channel are curved inwardly towards the free ends of said flanges.

25. An assembly according to claim 23 or claim 24 wherein each cover member is secured to an adjacent clamping device by means of a retaining member having a tongue adapted to be received in a second channel of said cover member and a spigot adapted to be received in an aperture in an insert of said clamping device.

26. An assembly according to claim 25 wherein screw means pass through aligned apertures in said clamp members, said insert and said spigot of said retaining member to secure same together.

27. An assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Fig. 2a of the accompanying drawings.