GB2252354A

GB2252354A - Clamp assemblies for clamping elongate members in hollow members

Info

Publication number: GB2252354A
Application number: GB9126523A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Melvyn Wilde
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-02-01
Filing date: 1991-12-13
Publication date: 1992-08-05
Anticipated expiration: 2011-12-13
Also published as: GB9126523D0; GB2252354B; GB9102241D0

Abstract

A clamp assembly 10 has two plastics shells 11, 12 with respective formations 28, 24 which can be received in corresponding apertures 22, 23 in opposed walls of tube 17. The shells form a passage within which is clamped an elongate member 33. The formation 28 is on a cantilever part so that it can be depressed out of the aperture 22 to allow the part 11 to be removed axially from the tube whereafter part 12 can be removed. Formation 24 has a captive nut 27 receiving a stem 32 of an operating knob 31 to allow the stem to hold an elongate member 33 at a desired position in the assembly 10 and tube 17. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO CLAMP ASSEMBLIES This invention relates to clamp assemblies and in particular clamp assemblies for association with a hollow member.

According to one aspect of this invention a clamp assembly for location in a hollow member having opposed walls each having an aperture therein comprises first and second parts respectively having locating formations for receipt in the apertures, the formation of the first part being movable in relation to a wall of the first part to allow the formation to be moved out of the aperture to permit the first part to be removed from the hollow member, the assembled parts defining a passage for receipt of an elongate member.

The formation of the first part may be formed on a cantilever wall portion of the first part. The formations may be aligned in the assembled condition.

Each part may have an end flange for engaging the hollow member when the formations are in the apertures. The hollow member may be a tube. The tube may be square section. The parts may have wall surfaces which are adapted to engage the inner surfaces of the walls of the tube. Some of the surfaces may be on webs.

The formation on the second part may be shaped to receive an internal nut co-operable with a stem on an operating knob so that the inner end of the stem may be brought into gripping engagement with the elongate member.

From another aspect the invention provides a clamp assembly for adjustably supporting an elongate member in a hollow member, the clamp assembly comprIsIng two parts having formations for engaging in apertures in the hollow member, the formation on one part being mounted on a spring element for releasable engagement in the respective aperture and the formation on the other part having a nut receiving a stem on an operating knob for bringing the stem into gripping engagement with the elongate member. The cations may be aligned.

The invention may be performed in various ways and one specific embodiment with possible modifications will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is an exploded view of elements of a clamp; Fig. 2 is a perspective view part in section of the clamp in association with a tube; Fig. 3 is a side view of assembled clamp elements; Fig. 4 is a view on the arrow A of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a view on the arrow B of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is an end view on the arrow C of Fig.3; and Fig. 7 is an end view on the arrow D. of Fig. 3.

A clamp assembly 10 has two moulded plastics parts or elements 11,12. The parts 11, 12 have flat parallel side faces 13, 14 and 15, 16 respectively which in the assembled condition abut.

The clamp 10 is for ins ert ion in a hollow member for example a hollow tube 17 of square crosssection with opposed walls 18,19 and 20, 21. The wall 18 near one end of the tube 17 has a circular aperture 22 and the wall 19 has a larger diameter circular aperture 23 aligned with the aperture 22.

To assemble the clamp, the part 12 is inserted into the tube 17 from the end until a circular boss 24 on the outer surface of the part 12 is opposite the aperture 23, and an end flange 12a abuts the end face 13a of the tube 17. The part 12 is then moved sideways to bring the boss 24 into the aperture 23 with a close fit. The boss 24 is formed with a through bore 25 which at its inner end is formed with a hexagon section recess 26 for receipt of a captive internally threaded nut 27.

The part 11 has a boss 28 at an end of a cantilever wall part or spring element 29, extending from the end opposite an end flange Ila, formed by U-shaped cut out or slot 30. The part 29 biases the boss 28 to the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3.

The coss 28 is manually depressed to allow the part 11 to be slid into the end region of the tube 17, until the flange lla abuts face 13a, with the side faces 13, 14 abutting faces 15, 16. The boss 28 snaps outwards into the aperture 22 (Fig.2) with a close fit.

A knob 31 has an externally threaded stem 32 which is removably threaded into the nut 27 and has an inner end which can engage a rod 33. The rod 33 extends axially of the tube 17 and can be adjusted in and out of the tube 17 to a selected position and held in place by rotating the knob 31 to cause the inner end of the stem 32 to engage and clamp the rod 33 against the part 11.

The part 11 has walls 40, 41, 42, 43, 44 and part 12 has walls 45, 46, 47, 48, 49. The faces 13, 14 are on walls 40, 44 and the faces 15, 16 on walls 45, 49. The inner surfaces of the walls 40-49 define an octagon or hexagon section to co-operate with a corresponding octagonal section rod 33. The walls 40, 42, 44, 45, 47, 49 slidably engage the inner surfaces of the respective walls of the tube 17 in the assembled condition.

The part 11 has bosses 50,51 on wall 41 and similar bosses 52, 53 on wall 43. Bosses 50, 52 are in the centre transverse plane of the boss 28 and bosses 51, 53 are at the axially inner faces of the flange lla. These bosses provide flat surfaces 50a, 51a and 50b and 51b which engage the inner surface of the respective associated wall of the tube 17.

Thus faces 50b, 51b engage inner surface 18a of wall 18. Part 12 has similar bosses 60-63. The bosses 50-53 and 60-63 resist deformation of the tube 17 when the knob 31 is tightened.

The cantilever web 29 could extend from the otheTend of the part 11.

The interior surfaces of the walls of the parts 11, 12 could define a section other than octagonal, with the number of the walls being adjusted correspondingly.

The clamp can be removed from the tube by depressing the boss 28 and, possibly with a tool, urging the part 11 slidably axially out of the tube 17, and the part 12 can then be removed by reversing the steps by which it was inserted.

The tube 17 could be of other section e.g.

rectangular.

Claims

1. A clamp assembly for location in a hollow member having opposed walls each having an aperture therein comprising first and second parts respectively having locating formations for receipt in the apertures, the formation of the first part being movable in relation to a wall of the first part to allow the formation to be moved out of the aperture to permit the first part to be removed from the hollow member, the assembled parts defining a passage for receipt of an elongate member.

2. A clamp assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which the formation of the first part is formed on a cantilever wall portion of the first part.

3. A clamp assembly as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the formations are aligned in the assembled condition.

4. A clamp assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, in which each of the first and second parts has an end flange for engaging the hollow member when the formations are in the apertures.

5. A clamp assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the formation on the second part is shaped to receive an internal nut co-operable with a stem on an operating knob so that an inner end of the stem can be brought into gripping engagement with the elongate member.

6. A clamp assembly for location in a hollow member having opposed walls substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

7. A clamp assembly for adjustably supporting an elongate member in a hollow member, the clamp assembly comprising two parts having formations for engaging in apertures in the hollow member, the format ion on one part being mounted on a spring element for releasable engagement in the respective aperture and the formation on the other part having a nut receiving a stem on an operating knob for bringing the stem into gripping engagement with the elongate member.

8. First and second parts for assembly into a clamp assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7.

9. A hollow member having opposed walls each having an aperture therein and a clamp assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7 located in the hollow member with the formations respectively received in the apertures.

10. A hollow member as claimed in claim 9, in the form of a tube.

11. A hollow member as claimed in claim 9 or claim 10, in which the parts have wall surfaces engaging the inner surfaces of the walls of the tube.

12. A hollow member as claimed in claim 11, in which some of the wall surfaces are on webs.

13. A hollow structure as claimed in any of claims 9 to 12, with an elongate member received in the assembly.