US1021986A - Clamping device. - Google Patents

Description

LA-LJOHNSON- 4 GLAMPING'DEVIGE. I

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 21, 1911.

1,021,986. Patented Apr. ,1912.

- 105291 55613: fzvnim? UNITED STATES JOHN A. JOHNSON, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

cLAMPINe DEVICE,

Specification of Letters Patent.

, Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

Application filed August 21, 1911. Serial No. 645,155.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. J oHNsoN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clamping Devices, of which the following is a specification. V This invention relates to clamping devices. A clamping device involving my invention can be employed with advantage in a great many different connections, for'example for clamping a rope, a belt, a cableor something of an equivalent nature.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective article of this character by which a rope or like object can be substantially and solidly held when desired but which when required can be easily and quickly released and said device is shown in the accompanying drawings formingpart of the present specification.

Referring to said drawings. Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of a clamping device involving my invention showing the same in its released position. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the clamp in a locking posi-- tion. Fig. 3 is a like view showing one way of operating the clamp to free a rope or equivalent part.

Like characters refer to like partsthroughout the several figures of the drawings.

The device preferably involves in its make-up a channeled body which can be made in several ways, for instance by stamping fromsheet metal, casting or otherwise. The rope or other object to be clamped fits between the side walls or flanges of the body, and when held immovable is adapted to be pressed against the bottom of said body. A body such as satisfactorily answers my requirements is that denoted in a general way by 5. Preferably the side walls or flanges of the body have inclined ways which can be conveniently secured by forming slots as 6 in the side walls or flanges of said body 5, said slots being elongated in the direction of the length of the body and as shown extending at a forward downward inclination. These slots are adapted to receive a looking or clam ing member which consists of an approximately rectangular loop 7. This inner cross bar of said loop extends through the two slots and across the body member 5. When the said inner cross bar of said loop is at the rear ends of the transverse member of the loop is at the forward portion of the slots as indicated in .Fig. 2, said inner cross bar will most firmly press the rope against the bottom of the body 5 and the stronger the pull or strain upon the rope toward the left in Fig. 2, the greater will be the locking effect, the action being a wedge one as is evident owing to the disposition of the two slots. During the back and forth motion of this loop the side bars thereof will be in proximity or contiguous to the outer faces of the side walls or flanges of the body 5.

The locking member 7 is in the form of a loop, the front cross bar thereof constituting locking means and the rear cross bar, detent means as will hereinafter ap-. pear. The locking member, therefore, has a detent portion for engaging a part of the body to hold the inner cross bar or active portion of the loop 7 in its inoperative position as indicated in said Fig. 1..

Oneof the principal points is to provide a rope locking member with means for holding said rope locking member in its inoperative position so that the rope can be freely inoved when desired either for tightening up or for paying off the same. The outer cross bar or transverse portion of the loop or locking member 7 holds said locking member in its inoperative position as will be understood by engaging the rear portion of the body member 5. The rope passes through this locking member or loop 7 in view of which fact said locking member can by grasping the free portion of the rope be moved from releasing position shown in Fig. 2 to locking position illustrated in Fig.1.

The body member 5 may as shown in Fig. 1 be provided with a second loop 8 swiveled thereto and through which the end portion of a rope or the like can be passed and then knotted to prevent its accidental withdrawal. To tighten the rope the latter will be grasped at the right of the body member 5 at which time the rope will be doubled or bent on itself and tightened. The loop 7 will then be swung up out of engagement with the rear part of the body member 5 so that the pull on the rope in the act of tightening the same will draw the loop or like member 7 forward and consequently cause the inner cross bar or working portion of said loop to bind the rope firmly and tightly against the bottom of the body portion 5 and as already indicated the greater the pull on the rope, the greater will be the locking eifect.

The body portion 5 is shown provided at its forward end with a finger piece 9 which is usually but not necessarily made integral therewith. This provides an effective means for facilitating the freeing of the clamp from the rope, a finger or the thumb being introduced into the space between said finger piece 9 and the rope. To aid this action said finger piece is preferably made curved. When the rope has been tightened and it becomes necessary to free the same, the finger piece 9 will be pulled downward as shown in Fig. 3, the pull initially disengaging the inner transverse port-ion or the cross bar of the loop 7 from the rope, and as the finger piece 9 is pulled. downward and the rope pulled toward the left, the said inner cross bar is caused positively or automatically to move rearward in the two slots 6, and when the end of the slots is reached by said cross bar the loop 7 of which said cross bar forms a part swings rearward over the back of the body 5 as shown in Fig. 3.

What I claim is:

A clamping device of the class described comprising a channel-like body, the side walls of which have slots inclined in a forward, downward direction, and a substantially rectangular loop adapted for the passage therethrough of an object to be clamped, the inner cross bar of said loop being adapted to traverse said slots and also to lock said object against the bottom of said channel-like body when at the forward portion of said slots, being adapted to release said object when at the rear portion of said slots, the sides of said loop being in proximity to the outer side faces of said bodyduring the back and forth movement of said cross bar and the rear cross bar of the loop being adapted to swing behind the back of the body from the upper side thereof to hold said inner cross bar in its object releasing position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

HEATH SUTHERLAND, L. L. MARKEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

Images