US2188450A

US2188450A - Device for clamping together pieces of sheet material to facilitate riveting and the like operations

Info

Publication number: US2188450A
Application number: US207172A
Authority: US
Inventors: Verdon-Roe Alliott
Original assignee: Aviation Developments Ltd
Current assignee: Aviation Developments Ltd
Priority date: 1937-05-14
Filing date: 1938-05-10
Publication date: 1940-01-30
Anticipated expiration: 1957-01-30

Description

Jim. 30, 1940. A VERDON.RQE 2,188,450

DEVICE FOR CLAIPING TOGETHER PIECES 0F SHEET MATERIAL To EACILITATE RIVETING ANDTHE LIKE OPERATIONS Filed ay 10)1938 Illlll Patented Jas. 30, 1940 UNITED STATE DEVICE Eon CLAMPING TOGETHER PIECE oF snEET MATERIAL To FAoILITATE RIVETING AND THE LIKE orEnATIoNs Alliott Verdon-Roe, Southampton, England, as-

signor to Aviation4 Developments Limited, London, England, a joint-stock company of England Application May l0, 1938, Serial No. 207,172 In Great Britain Ma'y 14, '1937 6 Claims.

The present invention refers to improved devices for clamping together pieces of sheet material, especially to facilitate riveting and the like operations.

When light metal sheets have to be riveted together the hitherto usual practice is to use ordinary bolts and nuts for securing the sheets together and much time is lost in threading the. nuts on the bolts, especially in the case of closed structures such as the hull of a flying boat or the fuselage or wing of an aeroplane of the kind having Va metal skin. In such an operation a second person is usually required to thread the nuts on the bolts and the operation frequently presents great diiculty, e. g., in awkwardly placed corners, and in some cases the inside end of the bolt may be completely inaccessible. The present invention affords a means by which one person can quickly clamp sheets together using only one hand and without the aid of any tools.

The improved device according to the present invention comprises an internally threaded tubular member, a claw member externally threaded for engagement with -the internally threaded tubular member and an apertured vabutmentmember, through which the claw member passes, being slidable and non-rotatable therein, and which is rotatablyl and non-slidably retained on one end of the tubular member.

Preferably the abutment member is provided with a central projecting spigot (adapted to enter an aperture inthe workpieces) said spigot being apertured .to allow the claw member to pass' through it.

By relatively rotating the tubular member and the abutment member the claw member is ex'- tended or is withdrawnfrom the abutment member according to the direction of rotation. In

using the device the abutment and tubular members are rotated until the claw is extended to a distance depending on the number and thickness of sheets to be riveted together. The claw is then inserted in a hole passing through all the .sheets until its claw end is clear of the inner face of the inner sheet. The abutment memberv 'being against the outer face of the outer sheet, the tubular member is screwed in the direction to withdraw the claw and cause it to engage the inner sheet; further rotation of the tubular member causes all the sheets to be clamped together.`

The provision of a spigot on the outer face of the abutment member ensures that the device is suiciently centralised with respect to'the hole in the sheets to prevent the claw end from slipping back through the hole when the claw member is retracted to tighten the device.

In a preferred form of construction the shank of the clawmember is fiat and passes through a prevent free rotation of the tubular member in slot in the abutment member to prevent relative movement of these parts.

Preferably also one end of the internally threaded tubular member is outwardly iianged and is embraced by the abutment member which is cup-shaped and has its free edge loosely closed,

-in over the flanged end of the tubular member to retain it thereon while allowing it to turn.

It is further advantageous to provide the abutment member with a ring of rubber o ra like or the surface of the workpiece will be marked by the abutment member. v

The present invention and a manner of performing the same will be more fully understood from the following description of an embodiment of the invention having reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: I

Fig. 1 is a View in elevation of the device assembled. f

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the same, in side elevation,'partly in section, the parts being separated from one another.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. l. Y

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the showing of Fig. l.

Referring to thev drawing:

A tubular member 5 internally threaded at 6 is provided with a flange -1 presenting a shoulder s'where it joins the main body of the member, which is of lesser diameter. 'I'he claw member comprises an externally 4threaded part I0 engageable in the thread 6 of the tubular part 5 and a flattened shank II terminating in a claw l2. The abutment member is of cupshaped form comprising a .disc I3 and a skirt I4. In the centre of the face of thedisc part I3 is a vspigot I5 and a slot I6 is formed through the` spigot and the disc part I3 so that the spigot is constituted by two half-round parts as shown in Fig. 4. The device is assembled by inserting the shankll of the claw member through the slot I6 of the abutment member which is then seated on the end of the tubular member 5 so that the skirt I4 of the abutment member surrounds the flange 1. The free edge I 4b of the skirt I4 is then spun or pressed in over the shoulder 8 of the ange 1 so as to retain the abutment the abutment member and to assist this lthe shoulder 8 should be formed with a generous radius.

It may be noted that the slot I6 must be long enough to allow the shank' II of the claw member to pass through it. If the slot I6 is located centrally oi' the abutment member and the claw I2 extends slightly to one side as shownfthe tip of the claw I2 will overlap the end of the slot I6 when the claw member is withdrawn into the barrel of the tubular member, thus limiting the inward movement of the claw member and preventing it from being lost by being screwed out of the other end of the tubular member.

To enable the abutment member to obtain a good grip on the surface of the sheet against which it abuts an annular groove is formed in the disc part I3.oi' the abutment member and in this groove is inserted` a rubber ring I1. In the embodiment illustrated the rubber ring I'I is of trapezoidal section, the base being wider than the top part so that it is irmly retained inthe annular groove. This however is not essential and a ring of rectangular section may be employed as an alternative.

Alternatively again, as hereinbefore stated, the rubber ring I'I may be omitted andthe face of the disc part IS milled or otherwise roughened out of sheet metal, in which case the part I0 will 0 4 the thread 8. of the tubular member by a secnot present a continuous thread -but two opposed sets of teeth, which after the flrst pressing operation 'resemble the teeth of a saw, being given the required angle to cooperate with ond pressing operation performed in a die.

In using the device as illustrated the spigot Il is inserted ina hole drilled through the sheets to'be clamped sothat 'the claw I2 enters the hole. 'I'he abutment member is then held up against the outer sheet` and the tubular member l rotated by means of the knurled end '9 until the claw I2 'engages behind the innermost sheet. The lmurled end 9 is then rotated in the opposite directionuntil-the sheets are gripped tlrmly between the claw I2 andthe rubber ring I'I of the abutment member. The sheets are now firmly heldtogether andthe operator has both hands free for riveting or drilling further holes or such 'What I clai'm is:

1. A device for clamping together pieces of sheet material, for example to facilitate riveting, including an internallyk threaded tubular member, a claw.member externally threaded forensagement with the internally threaded tubular member and an apertured abutment member, through which the claw member passes being slidable and non-rotatable therein, and which is rotatably and non-'slidably retained on one end of the tubular member and is provided with a central projecting spigot (adapted to enter an aperture in the workpieces), said spigot being apertured to allow theclaw member to pass through it.

2. A device for clamping together pieces of sheet material, for example to facilitate riveting, including an internally threaded tubular member, an abutment member rotatably and non-slidably retained on one end thereof and having a slot therein, and a claw member having a part externally threaded for engagement with the internally threaded tubular member and a iat part traversing the slot of said abutment member, being slidable but non-rotatable in said slot and terminating in a claw.

3. A device for clamping together sheet material, for example to facilitate riveting, comprising an internally threaded. tubular member, a claw member having a hook-like claw at one end, an externally threaded part for engagement with the internal thread of the tubular member and the claw and the abutment members.

4. A device for clamping together sheet mai terial, -for example to facilitate riveting, comprising an internally threaded tubular member outwardly flanged at one end, 4a claw meme ber having a hook-like claw at one end, an externally threaded part for engagement with the internal thread of the tubular member and having a non-circular shank between the claw'and the threaded part, and a cup shaped abutment member having a slot through which passes the shank of the claw member, said slot engaging the shank to prevent relative rotation between the claw member and the abutment member which latter ilts loosely over the flanged end of the tubular member, its free edge being closed in over said anged end to retain it swivelably thereon.

15. A .device for ,clamping -together sheet material, for example to facilitate riveting, comprising an internally threaded tubular member, a claw member having a hook-like claw at one end, an externally threaded part for engagement with the internal thread of the tubular member and having a non-circular shank between the claw and the threaded part, and an abutment member swivelably secured to the tubular mem# ber and having a slot through which passes the -shank of the claw member, said slot engaging the shank to prevent lrelative rotationv between the claw and abutment members and a ring of yielding friction material carried by said abut' ment member'to make contact with a workpiece.

8. A devicefor clamping together sheet material,` for example to facilitate riveting, comprising an internally threaded tubular member, a claw member having a hook-like claw at one end, an externallythreaded part for engagement with the internal thread of the tubular member and having a noncircular shankgbetween the claw and the threaded part, an abutment member swivelably secured to the tubular member and having a slot through which passes the shank pf the claw member, said slot engaging the shank to prevent relative rotation between the claw and the abutment members and a spigot, adapted to enter an aperture in the workpieces, mounted on the 'abutment member and apertured to allow the