US1472619A - Clamp - Google Patents

Description

octl so, 1923.

H. F. STARRETT CLAMP Filed Dec. 30 1920 Patented Get. 30, 1923.

" OT-FFVICEE...

HENRY F. STABRETT, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TOSTA'BRETT'MFGi (10., OE

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS. p

CLAMP.- 7

Application filed December 30, 1920, Serial No. 134,3169.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY SrARRn'rr,

a citizen or" the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Clamps, of whlch the following 1s a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accom panying drawing forming a part of this SPQCllICZLtlOD. I This invention relates to a clamp andfmore particularly to a reta ning clamp which 1s used to secure the top or trim of a panelboard cabinet in proper position .on said cabinet.

In the assembly of panel board cabinets that it will securely hold the trim in the de sired position. 7 I I One of the objects of th1s.invent1on,therefore, resides in the production of a cabinet or trim clamp whichcan be quickly secured in position to hold the trim or cover in place and which presents a pleasing appearance for that portion of the clamp which. extends beyond the exterior of thecabinet.

Another object of the. invention resides in the production of a clamp which islfitted with means which will automatically turn the clamp into the clamping position when the clamp is tightened from the exterior of the cabinet.

A further object consists in the production of a clamp which will compensate for variin tions in the respective horizontal lanes of the clamping surfaces, and whereby the clamp securing means extending to the exterior ot the cabinet will not be shifted oi tcenter and thereby present an unsightly appearance on the exterior of the cabinet. I

An additional object of the invention're sides in the production of a clamp whichwill consist of a .few parts that can becheaply manufactured and readily assembled. Otherobjects of the invention will be apparent from the following descriptiom the I accompanying illustrations and% the append fed claims. i

For the purpose ofi desjcription the pre-i,

ferred embodiment of the invention is illus- 'trated, in the accompanying drawings in which 2 V Fig. 1 is a plan viewof the top portion of the cabinetwith the trim clamp in position, a portion of the trim or cover being broken away to more clearly show the position of the clamp;

- Fig. 2 is a transverse section of th cabineton the plane represented by the. line 2-2 showing theclamps in the clamping position' 7, i

Fig. 3 is a transverse seotion through the clamp proper;

Fig is a VIQW' in perspective of the clamping member; Figs. 5 and 6 are views in perspective of the two parts of the nut; and

Fig. 7 is a. plan view of the rear face of theqparts of the clamp just prior to the final i I forming operation which interconnectsthe various parts of thecclamp in their operating positionsp I p The clamp herein illustrated and: de-

scribed-canobviously be'nsedtor a large Va ,riety otpurposes, but for the purpose of.v description, the clamp has been shown as used with the trim or cover of-the ordinary commercial form. of panel-board cabinet- When clamps are used. for this purpose, as illustrated in the drawings, one .of these clamps is ordinarily.andpreferably posi tioned in :each corner of the trim.

Fig. 1 shows the top portion8 of an ordinary oommercial'panel-board cabinet; secured to this panel-board cabinet, by means of the clamps, is the cover 9 which is ordinarily fitted .with' a door 10, preferably hinged as; at 11, so as to give access to electrical equipment positioned insideof abarrier-trame .12; The cover or trim 9 is pro vided with perforationsat each corner to receive asorew l3 used totighten the clamp from the exterior of the. cabinet when. the clamp is drawnup into its holding position as shown vingFigxQ. r The clamp consists of theclamping member 14 which has a fiat top surface 1 5 provided at each-end with upwardly projecting clamping surfaces 17 and 18, and with clownwardly projecting parts such as 19. The top portion 15 of the clamping member is perforated at 20, and the side members are perforated as shown at 21.

Cooperating with the clamping member 14 is a two-part nut 22. The two-part nut comprises a top bowed section 23 which is fitted with a threaded perforation 24; and the projecting tangs 25 and 26. The top portion 23 is made of rel'ativelyheavy stock 7 as compared with the lower portion of the two-part' nut 27, which is constructed of The lower por-' comparatively light stock. tion 27 of the nut is fitted with a threaded perforation 28 and with the upwardly projecting ends 29 and 30 which serve as pockets to receive the ends ofthe bowed portion 23, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3.

The threaded perforation 24 of'the bowed portion 23 of the two-part nut is in vertical alignment with the threaded perforation 28 of the part 27 of the nut when the two parts not take the'exact position vertically which said thread would assume if these threads were tapped simultaneously after the nut is assembled.

The perforation in the lower part 27 of the two-part nut is made so as to throw up the metal displaced for the purpose of perforation in the form of a burr around said perforation, and-this burr furnishes stock to obtain a substantial thread on the light piece of metal from which the part 27 is made.

Due to the separate threading ofthesetwo parts of the nut and the construction as shown, it will be evident that when the screw 13 is threaded into the nut, it will ad vance through the nut with substantially little friction through the threadedperfora: tion 2 1. However, when this screw strikes the threaded perforation of the part 27 considerable resistance will be offered to the further advance of the screw 13 because of the longitudinal displacement of the threads in these two parts. This longitudinal displacement, as the screw is advanced in the part 27 is compensated for by a slight displacement between the two partsof the nut, so as to bring these threads intouvertical alignment. The additional resistance offered to the advance of the screw 13 by the two of the bowedporton of the part 23 resting in the upturned end pockets 29 and 30 of the part 27. This assembled nut is then positioned in the clamping member 14 before the sides 19 are bent into their final position, as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 7. When the nut is thus positioned the tangs25 and 26 will rest in the perforation such as 21 in the sides 19 of the clamping member. lVhen the parts of the clamp are thus assembled the final forming operation is performed which bends the sides 19 at substantial right angles to the top 15, and thereby pivotally secures the two-part nut 22 in the perforations 21 of the clamping member 14:.

When the clamp is to be used for clamping the trim or cover 9 to the cabinet 8, the cover is placed in position on the cabinet 8 with the clamps in full line position 30, as indicated in Fig. 1, the clamps being secured to the underside of the cover by the screws 13, as shown in Fig. 2. iVhen the cover or trim has thus been placed on the box of the cabinet, the screw 13 is tightened. Because of the resistance offered to the screw 13 in passing through the two-part nut, the turning of the screw 13 from the outside of the cabinet will turn with it the nut 22 and the clamping member 14. This turning move ment' of the nut and clamping member will continue until the end of the clamping memmer strikes the side ofthe cabinet, as indicated in dotted lines at 31 in Fig. 1. When the clamping member assumes'this position further turning thereof'is prevented, and the screw 13 will therefore advance through the two-part nut until the clamping member 14 is drawntight against the flange 32 of the side of the box and the cover or trim 8, thereby securely and positively holding the trim or cover onto said flange.

As illustrated in Fig. 2 the horizontal plane of the lower surface of the cover 8 is slightly displaced from the horizontal plane of the lower surface of the flange 32. Due to this displacement of the horizontal planes on which the clamping surfaces 17 and 18 of the clamping member 14L rest, it is necessary to provide the pivotal movement 'of the cabinet; The pivotal interconnectionv between the two-part nut 22, resulting from the loose positioning of the tangs 25 and 26 in the perforations 21, will permit the clamping member 1 1 to tilt and assume the additional support for the cover or trim to compensate forthis difference in the.

horizontal positions of the surfaces on which the clamping is to be effected, and thus the screw 13 used to tighten the clamp will always retain its true vertical position. irrespective of the position of'the surfaces on which the clamping is effected. The lower surface of the head of the screw 13, because of thiscompensation, will always rest flat against the top surface of the cover or trim.

In clamping the cover or trim 9 on the lower section 8 of a cabinet in which a barrier, such as 12 is used, it is ordinarily advisable to adjust the height of the barrier so that the lower surface of the frame 32, which receives the door, will rest on the top edge of said barrier when the outer edge of the cover or frame rests on the top edge of the side walls of the cabinet. IVhen the barrier 12 is thus positioned, it acts as an when the cover is clamped in position on the lower port-ion of the cabinet 8.

It will now be evident from the foregoing description that by the use of the improved cabinet or trim clamp, as herein described, the trim or cover of a cabinet can be readily clamped into secure position on the cabinet by merely advancing the screws of the clamp positioned on the outside of the cabinet, so that the clamping member 1a of the clamp will be drawn forward and its clamping surfaces 17 and 18 drawn into firm contact with the flange on the side of the cabinet and the under surface of the trim or cover. It will also be apparent that the clamp is secured with means whereby the clamping member will automatically turn into the clamping position when the screw 18 is adanced to draw up the clamping member 14.

Further, the screw 13 will always retain its true vertical position when the clamping member 14 is drawn into its clamping position, irrespective of the displacement of the horizontal planes in which the surfaces used for clamping are positioned; The horizontal displacement of the surface used for clamping at times may be very considerable, especially in panel-board cabinet structures of the flush mounted type in which the lower section 8 of the cabinet is positioned in the wall and the cover or trim is positioned on the surface of the wall. In this type of construction, the box 8 might not be accurately positioned in the wall so that the outer edges of the side walls will be exactly flush with the wall surface and under these con mg claims.

liVhat I claim as new and desire to secure as Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described,

in combination, a clamping member, a nut secured'in said clampinginember, means to secure said clamping member to the surface to be clamped, said nut being provided with 1 means to efi'ectively increase thefresistance.

offered to the aforesaid means after it has been introduced into said nut an apprec1- able distance. r

2. In a device of the character described, in combination, a clamping member, a nut secured to said member, means for securing the clamping member to the surface to be clamped, and means associated with said nut whereby said clamping member and nut-will turn with said securing means until the clamping member strikes an effective resis ance. V 3. Ina device of thecharaeter described,

in combination, a clamping member, a twopart nut, a screw cooperating with said nut, and threads on each part of said nut, said threads on said parts being discontinuous and separately threaded.

4. In a device of the character described, in combination, a clamping member, a twopart nut, threads on each part of said nut, the threads on one part being slightly displaced longitudinally with respect to the threads on the other part. I

. 5. In a device of the character described, in combination, a clamping member, a twopart nut comprising a substantially heavy bowed part, and a comparatively light flat part, said fiat part fitted with upturned end pockets to receive the ends of said heavy bowed part, said two-part nut being fitted with aligned threaded perforations, and means for pivotally securing said nut in said clamping member.

6. In a device of the character described, in combination, a one-piece clamping member comprising a flat top section, downwardly extending sides on said clamping member having perforations positioned in said sides, and a two-part nut pivotally secured in said perforations.

7. In a device of the character described,

in combination, a one-piece clamping mem ber comprising a flat top section fitted with upwardly protruding end clamping surfaces and downwardly extending sides having per forations positioned in said sides, a perforation in said flat section in substantial alignment with said side perforations, a two-part nut, aligned threaded perforations in said nut, and a threaded screw extending through the perforation'in said flat section and into the threaded perforations of said two-part nut. V

8. In a device of the character described, in combination, a one-piece clamping member comprising a flat top section fitted with upwardly protruding end clamping surfaces and downwardly extending sides having perforations positioned in said sides, said flat section having a perforation in substantial alignment with said side perforations, a two-part nut comprising a flat nut fitted with upturned end receiving pockets and a bowed part, the ends of which ride in said pockets, said tworparts of said nut being fitted with aligned threaded perforations, laterally projecting tangs on said bowed part adapted to pivotally secure said two-part nut in the side perforations of said clamping member, and a threaded screw extending through the perforations in said flat section and into the threaded perforations of said two-part nut.

9. In a device of the character described, in combination, a clamping ineniber,a twopart nut secured to said clamping member having threaded perforations in each part of said nut, said threaded perforations being aligned but discontinuous and slightly displaced longitudinally, said clamping memher being fitted with a perforation substantially larger than the perforation in said nut, and a screw passing through the perforation in said clamping member and into the threaded perforation of said nut whereby said clamping member may be clamped onto surfaces positioned in different horizontal planes and the screw retain its true vertical position, said clamping member and nut turning with said screw when said screw enters the thread of the second part of said nut, said turning continuing until said clamping member strikes an effective resistance.

10. In a device of the character described, in combination, a clamping member, a twopart nut comprising a flat part fitted with upturned receiving pockets, and a bowed part the ends of which ride in said pockets, said two parts of said nut being fitted with aligned threaded perforations, the perforation in the flat part of said nut resulting in an upturned burr to provide additional stock for threading purposes, lateral tangs on said bowed part of said nut, and means provided in said clamping member to pivotally secure 7 said nut by means of said tangs in said clamping member.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

HENRY F. STARRETT.

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