GB2249985A

GB2249985A - Workpiece clamping apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2249985A
Application number: GB9121129A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Adrian Bone
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-10-23
Filing date: 1991-10-04
Publication date: 1992-05-27
Anticipated expiration: 2011-10-04
Also published as: GB9121129D0; GB9023024D0; GB2249985B

Abstract

Workpiece clamping apparatus (10) comprises two sets of legs (16, 17), each including means to clamp to a scaffold pole, two clamping moans (11, 12) including mounting means to clamp said clamping means to said scaffold pole (13), at least one of said mounting means being arranged so as to be able to move the clamping means to any desired position along said scaffold polo, said clamping means including a clamping surface between which a workpiece may be clamped, whereby, in use, the sets of legs are each clamped to said scaffold pole, said two clamping means are mounted on said scaffold pole and adjusted in position so as to enable a workpiece to be clamped between their clamping surfaces. <IMAGE>

Description

WORKPIECE CLAMPING APPARATUS The present invention relates to a workpiece clamping apparatus. Apparatus for clamping work pieces are well known from a simple vice to the well known "Workmate".

Nevertheless, none of the readily available workpiece clamping apparatus are suitable for clamping widthwise large workpieces such as panels, floor panels or doors. In most cases, the workpiece clamping apparatus is arranged to clamp a panel in a vertical orientation, that is clamp the thickness of the panel but it would be convenient to be able to clamp the workpiece horizontally.

The present invention provides workpiece clamping apparatus comprising two sets of legs, each including means to clamp to a scaffold pole, two clamping means including mounting means to clamp said clamping means to said scaffold pole, at least one of said mounting means being arranged so as to be able to move the clamping means to a desired position along said scaffold pole, each clamping means including a clamping surface between which a workpiece may be clamped, whereby, in use, the sets of legs are each clamped to said scaffold pole, said two clamping means are mounted on said scaffold pole and adjusted in position so as to enable a workpiece to be clamped between their clamping surfaces.

Thus the apparatus may comprise two legs supporting a scaffold pole, the scaffold pole mounting clamping means, whereby a panel of at least 0.75 metres width may be mounted and clamped between the two clamping means by its edges.

Different lengths of scaffold pole are frequently available around a building site or on a farm where this apparatus may be particularly useful and so by utilising a scaffold pole of the desired length, the workpiece clamping apparatus may be readily assembled from legs and clamping means. On the other hand, it may be preferred to provide the workpiece clamping apparatus with a scaffold pole ready assembled.

The clamping means may each comprise a cylindrical or circular mounting portion which may be arranged to clamp on the scaffold pole.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of workpiece clamping apparatus according to the invention, Figure 2 is a side view of the legs of one of the leg units of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a perspective view of one clamping means of the workpiece clamping apparatus of Figure 1, Figure 4 is a perspective view of the other clamping means, and, Figure 5 is a vertical section of the clamping means of Figure 4.

Referring to Figure 1 there is shown a workpiece clamping apparatus 10 according to the invention which comprises a first and second clamping means 11, 12, the first clamping means 11 comprising a fixed clamping means and the second clamping means 12 comprising an adjustable clamping means as will be described hereafter. The two clamping means 11,12, are mounted on a scaffold pole 13, the scaffold pole 13 being mounted adjacent each end on two sets of legs 14.

Each set of legs 14 comprises two legs 16,17 of generally rectangular cross section steel, the upper ends or the ends of the two legs 16,17 being pivotally joined together by means of cross pieces 18 of steel so that, in use, the legs are splayed apart from one another at an angle, as shown in Figure 2, of approximately 25 to 300. The cross pieces 18 are rigidly attached to one, 16 of the legs, and pivotally connected to the other, 17, of the legs. The cross pieces 18 are joined at their ends remote the leg 16 by a plate 20. The plate 20 includes a hole around which is welded a nut 19 to mount a threaded shaft 21 rotatable by means of a handle 22. The free end of the threaded shaft 21, the inside surface of the leg 16 and the cross piece 18 act to rigidly clamp therebetween the scaffold pole 13 as shown in Figure 2.

We now refer to the first clamping means, the fixed clamping means 11. This is illustrated in more detail in Figure 3. As can be seen the first clamping means 11 comprises an upstanding "U" channel bracket 23 to the outer part of which comprises a first clamping surface 24 which is thereby spaced from the scaffold pole 13 by the bracket 23. The first clamping means 11 is formed of folded, cut and welded steel sheet.

The bracket 23 is carried by a cylindrical clamp means 26 which is in two parts. The upper part 27 of the cylindrical clamp means 26 is welded to the bracket 23 and is generally semi-cylindrical. One side of the upper part 27 is hinged by means of a hinge 28 to a lower part 29 of the cylindrical clamp means. Opposite the hinge 28, the upper and lower parts 27,29 include outwardly radially disposed respective lips 31,32 and a connecting means 33 is provided between the two lips 31,32 so as to move the lips 31,32 towards one another or away from one another as desired. The connecting means 33 comprises a hole in the lip 32, and aligned with that hole, in the lip 31, there is provided another hole 34. A threaded shaft 36 passes through the hole 34 to engage a nut 35 with handle 37.

Thus if the threaded shaft 36 is engaged with the nut 35 and is rotated by means of its handle 37, the two lips 31,32 may be drawn towards one another or moved apart from one another. In this way the effective radius of the cylindrical clamp means 26 may be varied so as to cause it to clamp the scaffold pole 13.

The second clamping means, the adjustable clamping means 12 is illustrated in perspective in Figure 4 and in section in Figure 5. The second clamping means 12 includes a connecting means 33 similar to that for the first clamping means 11. The "U" channel bracket 38 is generally similar to the bracket 23, but mounted to the top is an adjustable second clamping surface 39 which is thereby spaced from the scaffold pole 13. This comprises a rectangular box 41 having an end wall 42, a further rectangular box 43 sliding within the rectangular box 41 and the end 44 of the rectangular box 43 forming the actual clamping surface. A threaded plate 46 is rigidly mounted within the rectangular box 43 by means of welding, and a threaded shaft 47 extends from the threaded plate 46 out through a hole 48 in the end wall 42 and has a handle 49 thereon.The shaft 47 includes, welded thereto, a washer 51 which bears against the inside surface of the end wall 42.

It will thus be understood that by rotation of the handle 49 (which is facilitated because the clamping surface 39 and hence the threaded shaft 47 is spaced from the scaffold pole 13) and the threaded shaft 47, the rectangular box 43 can be moved axially with respect to the rectangular box 41.

In use, the apparatus may be provided with or without the scaffold pole 13. In any case different lengths of scaffold pole 13 may be provided or used depending upon the width of the panel or other wide object to be supported.

Initially, therefore, a suitable length of scaffold pole 13 is selected and this is mounted to the legs 16,17 in the manner as shown in Figure 2. A rigid structure is provided by a suitable tightening of the handle 22 to clamp the scaffold pole 13 to the legs.

The first and second clamping means 11,12 may then be mounted to the scaffold pole by releasing the cylindrical clamp means 26, by disengaging the threaded shaft 36 from the nut 35, pivoting the lower part 29 away about the hinge 28, so as to be able to pass the cylindrical clamp means 26 over the scaffold pole 13, and then reengaging the upper and lower parts 27,29 by engaging the threaded shaft 36 with the nut 35. The position of each clamping means along the length of the scaffold pole 13 may be roughly set and the angular orientation of each clamping means may also be set and then the clamping means 11,12 tightened on to the scaffold pole 13 by tightening the handle 37.In the arrangement shown in Figure 1, the first and second clamping means 11,12 are shown with their clamping surfaces arranged vertically above the scaffold pole 13 but if, for example, a relatively thin panel is to be clamped, then it would be sensible to rest the panel on the scaffold pole itself, and then pivot the first and second clamping means 11,12 around the axis so that the clamping surfaces 44,39, are vertically only slightly above the scaffold pole 13 and can properly engage the edges of the panel.

The second clamping surface 44 is then clamped on to the edge of the panel by rotating the handle 49 which moves the inner rectangular box 43 axially with respect to the outer rectangular box 41.

We have thereby described a simple effective workpiece clamping apparatus which can clamp very wide workpieces such as panels and utilises readily available material, including a scaffold pole 13 of variable length.

The apparatus may be used without the sets of legs as a simple clamp and the first and second clamping means 11,12 may be reversed so that the clamping surfaces 39,44 face away from one another.

The invention is not restricted to the detail of the foregoing example.

Claims

1. Workpiece clamping apparatus comprising two sets of legs, each including means to clamp to a scaffold pole, two clamping means including mounting means to clamp said clamping means to said scaffold pole, at least one of said mounting means being arranged so as to be able to move the clamping means to a desired position along said scaffold pole, each clamping means including a clamping surface between which a workpiece may be clamped, whereby, in use, the sets of legs are each clamped to said scaffold pole, said two clamping means are mounted on said scaffold pole and adjusted in position so as to enable a workpiece to be clamped between their clamping surfaces.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said means to clamp each set of legs to a scaffold pole comprises a rotatable threaded shaft connected to one leg and said scaffold pole means is clamped between the threaded shaft and the opposite leg.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which in said clamping means are formed of folded metal.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, in which one clamping means includes a clamping surface which is adjustable, in use, parallel to said scaffold pole.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, in which said mounting means is of generally cylindrical form to clamp to the scaffold pole whereby the clamping means may be disposed at any desired position around the axis of the scaffold pole.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows

6. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, in which each set of legs comprises two legs.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 in which the two legs are pivotally mounted to one another.

8. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8 in which the clamping surfaces of each said two clamping means are spaced, in use, from said scaffold.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8 in which each mounting means includes an openable ring member whereby the clamping means may be, in use, attached to the scaffold pole after it has been attached to the two sets of legs.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.