GB2366593A

GB2366593A - Springless holding-device

Info

Publication number: GB2366593A
Application number: GB0022162A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Leslie Maidment
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-09-11
Filing date: 2000-09-11
Publication date: 2002-03-13
Anticipated expiration: 2020-09-11
Also published as: GB2366593B; GB0022162D0

Abstract

A plastic holding device moulded in a ready-for-use condition, comprising two plastically-hinged clamps and a jaw-pressure setting-prop; wherein the lever of one of the clamps has a paw and the pressure-setting prop has a ratchet, so that, after the clamps, have been forced on to the object placed between them, by means of the clamp levers, the resulting clamp-pressure is retained by means of the device's ratchet mechanism. Also wherein, one of the jaws is provided with a hinged pressure-pad which is sensitive to movement of the held object out of the jaws and makes the jaw-grip proportional to the removal force applied to the object.

Description

1 2366593 SPRINGLESS HOLDING-DEVICE This invention relates to a

springless, hinged holding-device that is mouldable; and, in particular, to a clothes peg, general purpose clamp or a tethering clip.

The present plastic holding-devices require a manual operation after moulding, either for the fitting of a metal spring, or for the preloading of an integral spring member. And the metal spring is subject to detachment'and rust, while the plastic member is excessively strained.

Also the grip provided by the present spring-loaded devices is not as good as desirable, particularly for large, thin objects. This is so because the preloading deflection of the spring is small compared to its Jaws-fully-open' deflection, and the jaw-pressure produced by the spring is, therefore, approximately proportional to the thickness of the object held. However, the jaw-pressure cannot be significantly increased without an unacceptable increase in the force required to fully open the jaws; or an- unacceptable increase in the lever-ratio of the clamping memberswhich would unduly increase the device's size and cost and make it less convenient to use.

The present spring-loaded devices are also deficient in respect of their grip upon a stepped, or compressible, object because the grip not only depends upon the jawpressure applied to the object but also upon the rate at which the pressure increases with jaw-deflection, when an object removal force is applied. Unfortunately, this rate is fixed at a value which is low, since its value is equal to the maximum allowable force to fully open the jaws (which is already at the limit of acceptability for the average user) divided by the jaw-grip, 'fully-open' dimension-which cannot be effectively decreased below its present value, without seriously reducing the usefulness of the device. Also when applied to objects that are not wrapped around a clothes-line giving grip enhancement, the present devices are even moredeficient in respect of jaw- pressure and jaw-rate.

The purpose of this invention is, consequently, to provide a holdingdevice which is opened and closed by hand-forces; and, consequently, which can be given a better jaw-force/deflection-rate and a jaw-pressure which is independent of the object thickness; which has more than one selectable jaw-pressure and which requires no greater hand-force, from the user, than that required for the maximum opening of the present devices. It is also to provide a jaw which, for a given set jaw-pressure, gives a better grip, particulady on thin, flat objects, but which is also suitable for clothes peg use.

In accordance with the purpose of the invention, there is provided a mouldable holding-device comprising two hinged clamps and a hinged, jawpressure settingprop with which the clamps are pushed apart at one side of the hinge to cause the jaws to move towards each other, at the other side of it; means upon the pressuresetting prop and the adjacent clamp lever with which the jaws can be stationed wideopen, for their placement over the object; means by which the jaws can then be pushed together, against the object as firn-fly as possible, With one hand, and by which the resulting jaw-pressure is retained; means by which, with the action of one hand on the setting-prop and one on the adjacent clamp lever, the jaw-pressure can be increased by one or more fixed increments-as the clamps are thereby strained; means by which that strained condition and concomitant jaw-pressure are retained, when the said hand-forces are removed; and means by which the jaw-pressure(obtained as stated) is automatically increased, as a result of a compressive movement of a dedicated jaw part upon the object, which is induced by movement of the object towards the mouth of the jaws.

By way of example only, three embodiments of the invention will now be described With reference to the following figures, in which;- Fig. I shows the first embodiment with the device in its 'as moulded' condition.

Fig.2 shows the same embodiment with the device made ready for use.

Fig.3 shows the same embodiment with the device closed down tightly onto the object.

Figs. 4,5 & 6 and Figs. 7, 8 & 9 show the second and third embodiments, respectively, in the same three conditions stated for Figs. 1,2 & 3.

Referring to Fig. 1, the device 1,which is most suitable for use as a clothes peg, comprises two plastically-hinged clamps 2 and 3 and a hinged prop 4 which controls the pressure with which the jaws 5 and 6 are held in contact with the object placed between them. It can seen that the device I is moulded with a small gap between the jaws 5 and 6 and between the lever 7 of the clamp 2 and the end of the prop 4. Also that the prop 4 is joined to the end of the lever 88 of the clamp 3, by means of a small arch-section 9 which provides it with the necessary -flexibility for its deflection into and out of engagement with the ratchet 10 attached to the lever 7, by means of the pawl 11.

Referring to Fig.2, it can be seen that the device I is brought to a usable condition by closing the jaws 5 and 6 together and then forcing the prop 4 past the body of the ratchet 10, to allow the lever 7 to be pushed down and the jaws to be fully opened. Release of the prop 4 causes the pawl I I to engage with the top notch of the ratchet 10 and keep the jaws in that condition.

Referringto' Fig.3, with the jaws held fully open, the device I can be positioned upon the object 12 and the jaws 5 and 6 closed down on to it, by the application of a force F, across them. On removal of the force Fi, the pawl I I is automatically engaged with the nearest available notch of the ratchet 10, to leave the object 12 held between the jaws 5 and 6, with a pressure equal to, or slightly less than, that produced by the force Fl. This pressure may produce a grip upon the object 12 which is sufficient for the purpose concerned, but if not, the pressure can be significantly increased by a force F2 across the levers 7 and 8 which increases the compression of the object 12 and/or strain the levers 7 and 9, sufficiently for the adjacent ratchet 10 notch to be engaged by the pawl 11; and for the resulting increased jaw-pressure to be retained. Also, if the compressibility of the object is high and the maximum possible pressure is required upon it, then the force F2 may be increased sufficiently for the pawl I I with one of the other notches available. Release of the jaw-pressure from the object and removal of the device ftom it is obtained, simply by applying a sufficient force F3 to the prop 4.

For the second embodiment of the invention (shown in Figs. 4,5 & 6), the jaw arrangement gives a greater grip upon the object, for a given applied jaw-pressure, wwr,,b makes it highly effective for clamping two object together, for the tethering of an object, or for simply applying a sustained pressure to an object.

Referring to Fig.4, the device I consists of two plasfically-Ifinged clamps 2 and 3, the ratcheted, jaw-pressure prop 4 and the hinged pressure-pad 20 which is flexibly attached to the end of the jaw S. This jaw has no recess and the jaw 6 has only one recess. The figure shows that the device I is moulded with the jaws 5 and 6 almost fully-open and with the pawl 11, of the clamp lever 7 just clear of the notched portion of the prop 4. In this condition, the device is made ready for use, simply by pressing the jaws towards each other sufficiently for the pawl 11 to engage with the first notch of the ratchet I O-as shown in Fig. 5.

With the jaws 5 and 6 held wide-open, the device I can be placed over the object 12 and the jaws pressed down on to it, witli one hand, and then forced into tighter contact, using both hands-as shown in Fig. 6 and as already described in embodiment 2. However, for the same jaw-pressure obtained in this way, the grip on the object is greater, because the ffiction-force applied to the pressure-pad 20 by the object, causes it to move with the object, if a movement of the object towards the jaws occurs. This movement causes rotation of the pad 20 about its anchorage point 21 which forces the jaw 5 away from the jaw 6, thereby increasing the pressure applied to the object, because the action of the prop 4 prevents such relative movement of the jaws, unless it is accompanied by additional strain of the levers 7 and 8.

For the third embodiment of the invention (shown in Figs. 7, 9 & 9), the device has one of the clamps modified so that the position of its jaw portion, on one side of the plastic hinge, can be altered relative to the lever portion of the clamp, on the other side of the hinge. This allows the position of the contact of the jaw-pressure prop upon the clamp lever at which the lever becomes strained, to be the same for all thicknesses of the object between the jaws; and, consequently, allows the same hand action and same magnitude of hand-force to be required to produce a given jawpressure.

Referring to Fig.7, the device I comprises the plastically-hinged clamps 2 and 3, a hinged, jaw-pressure prop 4, a hinged, clamp-adjustment-bearn 30 and a beam catch 3 1. The figure shows the device I to be moulded with the pointed end I I of the lever 7, just clear of the lever 8 and the protrusion 32, on the prop 4, and that the jaws 5 and 6 are fully opened, The size-ad ustment beam 30 is also just clear of the lever 7 and the beam catch 3 1.

Referring to Fig.8, the device I can be brought to a usable condition for thick objects, by raising the shape-adjustment beam 30 sufficiently for the setting-catch 31 to be engaged with the slot 33; and then by applying a hand force F2 to the beam 30. The latter action cause the pressure-prop 4 to be deflected sufficiently to allow the point 11 to pass by the protrusion 32.

Referring to Fig.9, after the jaws have been placed over the object they can be pressed down on to it by the application of a hand-foTce F I. This force also causes the end of the lever 7 to be raised above the top of the prop 4, allowing the pointed end 34 of the prop 4 to be forced over the ramp 35-by means of a force F4, applied to the prop 4. Consequently, the clamp 2 is forced to rotate so that the jaws are pressed on to the object and the clamp lever 7 and 8 are strained; and, for that condition, the thrust applied to the ramp surface is near enough to the normal of that surface to cause the prop 4 to remain at that position, when all hand forces are removed. However, a shallow notch in the ramp surface at that point positively ensures that the jaw-pressure is retained. Also, a second notch 36 is provided further up the ramp which allows a greater jaw-pressure to be produced and retained, if required. Release of the jawpressure from the object is obtained, simply by pulling the prop 4 with a force F5 which is sufficient to cauw it to disengage from the ramp notch concerned.

6

Claims

I A moulded holding-device comprising two plastically-hinged clamps and a jawpressure-setting prop; wherein, gripping jaws, suited to the main purpose of the device, are provided at one side of the hinge, and levers for control of the size of the jaw-gap are provided at tire- other side wherein the said setting prop is flexibly attached to the end the lever of one clamp and makes contact with the lever of the other clamp ( hereinafter referred to as the 'second lever'), at a position and with a pressure, which varies as the jaw-gap is changed, by means of said levers; wherein means are provided upon the second lever and the setting prop, by which that contact which causes strain of the clamp levers and, consequently, the required Jaw-pressure, is self-sustaining, when the hand-forces which produced it are removed from the device.
2. A holding device as in claim 1, provided with recessed jaws suitable for clothesfine appfication; wherein the means for the production and the retention of the required jaw-pressure is a curved ratchet bar placed at the end of the 'second lever' and a mating pawl placed at the end of the pressure-setting prop; and wherein, 'as moulded', the setting-prop pawl is located just clear of the ratchet bar and the jaws are slightly open; and so that, to make the device ready for use, the setting-prop has only to be pushed past the ratchet bar, so that the pawl engages with the last available notch of the ratchet bar and holds the jaws wide open.
3. A holding device as in claim 1, provided with recessed jaws suitable for clothesline application; wherein the means for holding the jaws wideopen is a protrusion located near to the base of the pressure-setting prop, with which the end of the 'second lever' lightly engages; wherein the means for the production and retention of the required jaw-pressure is a ramp surface an the underside of the 'second lever', over which the tip of the pressure-setting prop is forced, by hand, into engagement with one, of the one or more, notches in the said surface; wherein a variable linkage is provided on one clamp, for the step-changing of the position of the jaw section of that clamp relative to its lever section; in order that the strain caused to the clamp levers by engagement of the pressuresetting prop at a given point on said lever is approximately constant for all thicknesses of the object held by the jaws, and consequently so that the hand-action and hand-force required upon the prop is nearly constant; wherein the device is mouided with a small gap between the jaws and between the ramp surface of the 'second levefand the pressure-setting prop, and with the clamp shape-changing linkage disconnected; wherein, consequently, to bring the device to a usable condition, the shape-changing linkage is connected so as to suit the thickness of the object on which the device is to be used (i.e. small, medium or large) and by the pressing down of the 'second lever' so that it engages with the protrusion on the pressure-setting prop, and, consequently, holds the jaws wide-open.
4. A holding device as in claim 1, suitable for clothes-line use and other clamping purposes; wherein one of the jaws is not recessed but has a hinged pressure-pad attached to it which is drawn to press the ol:ject down more tightly into to recess of the second jaw, if the object moves towards the mouth of the jaw; wherein the same means are used for holding the jaws wide-open, for straining of the clamp levers to produce the required jaw-pressure, and for the retention of both that strain and that pressure, when the necessary hand-forces are removed from the device; wherein the said same means is a ratcheted, hinged, pressure-setting prop which engages with a pawl on the end of the 'second levee - wherein the device is moulded with the jaws wide-open and with the 'second lever' pawl just clear of the first vk<tch so that, consequently it is ready-for- use.
5. A holding device as in Claim 1, wherein the means for holding the jaws fully open is a protrusion located near to the base of the prop with which the end of the upper lever lightly engages, wherein the means for the production and retention of the required jaw pressure is a ramped surface on the underside of the upper lever down which the tip of the prop is forced into engagement with one of the one or more notches provided in the ramped surface wherein the upper clamp is comprised of a jaw sections and a lever section which are hinged and can be moved relatively to each other, in order that a given position of the upper lower relative to the lower lever can be maintained over the required range of jaw openings; and wherein a hinged beam is attached to the front of the upper clamp jaw with which a linkage of variable length is q provided between the jaw and lever sections of the upper clamp, by means of which the relative positions of said sections can be adjusted according to the thickness of the object to be held so that the prop contact upon the ramp required to produce a given jaw pressure remains nearly constant for all objects held.

5. A holding device as in claim 1, having any combination of the jaw features and the means for keeping the jaws wide-open, or held pressed onto to the object placed between, which are as stated in claims 2, 3 and 4.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows CLAIMS 1. A mouldable holding device comprising of a jaw pressure setting prop and two plastically hinged clamps (hereinafter referred to as upper and lower clamp) each having a gripping jaw located on one side of the hinge and a lever on the opposite side; wherein the said prop is flexibly attached to the end of one of the said levers (hereinafter referred to as the lower lever) and, thereby, can be brought to a condition of contact with the other said lever (hereinafter the upper lever) which causes the said jaws to close down onto an object placed between them, at the degree of pressure required, wherein means are provided upon the upper lever and the setting prop which causes the said prop/lever contact and its concomitant jaw pressure to be maintained after the removal of the hand forces upon the levers and the prop required to produce it; and wherein means are provided with which the jaws of the clamps are held at their 'Ailly open' condition when the hand forces applied to the levers and the prop to cause that condition are removed.

2. A holding device as in Claim 1, wherein the means for holding the jaws fully open prior to closure onto an object and for the production and retention of the required holding pressure is ratcheted and hinge prop attached to the lower lever which engages with a pawl located on the free end of the upper lever.

3. A holding device as in Claim 1, wherein the means for holding the jaws fully open and the production and retention jaw pressure is a ratchet bar located upon the end of the upper lever and a prop attached to the end of the lower lever and having a ratchet pawl located at the free end of it.

4. A holding device as in Claim I and 2 and Claims I and wherein the arrangement of the clamping jaws is one in which only one of the jaws is recessed and the other is provided with a pressure pad which projects backwards from the end of it onto the jaw recess, so that the action of the object held between the pad and the recess is to cause the pad to rotate deeper into the recess and to increase the jaw pressure,'if there is a movement of the object towards the mouth of the jaws.