US2234029A - Clamp - Google Patents

Description

BEST AVAILABLE cow March 1941- A. F. HECKENDORF 2,234,029

CLAMP Filed April 5, 1940 Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLAMP poration of Illinois Application April 5, 1940, Serial No. 327,964

8 Claims.

This invention relates to clamps, and with regard to certain more specific features, to guy clamps. I

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a simple and inexpensive form of clamp which will provide for substantial alignment between opposed pulling forces; the provision of a guy clamp of the class described in which the clamping means is latl0 erally operative and which, while it provides an offset for such alignment, also places the operating means ina position where it may easily be reached from the side; the provision of a device of this class in which the torque for tightening is applied in a direction to be resisted automatically; and. the provision of a clamp of the class described in which is integrated a connector to receive a neutral ground wire so that the associated anchor rod may be used as a ground without additional and separate clamps. Other objectswill be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which are illustrated several of various possible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the unattached clamp;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2-2 5 of Fig. 1 but showing the clamp applied to an anchor rod and connected with a guy wire;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing a jaw and its clamp screw removed;

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the jaw per se; and,

40 Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing an alternative form with an integral ground-wire connector.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1, there is shown at numeral l a body portion in the lower end 3 of which is a threaded opening 5 for threading attachment to an anchor rod 50 I, such as shown in Fig. 2. At the lower end of the anchor rod 1 are the usual flukes or the like (not shown) which serve ground anchoring purposes.

Extending from the lower end 3 are spaced 55 sides 9 of the'body portion l which slope to one or strand passes.

side, as shown at numeral II in Fig. 2. At their midportions these side walls 9 are joined by an integrally formed bridge member I3, the upper surface of which slopes as shown at [5 and the sides of which continue as sloping shelves or 5 guides I I (see Fig. 3). At the guides l1 the side-wall members 9 bulge outwardly as indi cated at l9 to provide in connection with a top 2i, an eye 23. The top of the eye 23 is formed as a curved seat 25 for the reception of a loop 1'0 21 of the guy wire 29. One side 3| of the eye 23 is arranged so that the center line of the adjacent tangent tensioned guy wire 29 is approximately coaxial with the anchor rod 1, as indicated in Fig. 2. 15

In Fig. 4, there is shown a wedge or jaw 32 removed from the body (as shown in Fig. 3) and turned through 180. This jaw 32 consisting of a pad 33 which has a sloping bottom 35 to match the sloping surfaces 15 and I! of the body' l. 2 Protruding downwardly from the pad 33 is a lug 3! in which is a hole forming an eye 39; and protruding upwardly therefrom is curved cradle 4| which complements the curved portion 25 of the eye 23 to produce a substantially round 5 section through which the loop 21 of the cable Grip portions 43 are included in the cradle 4|, but may be dispensed with if desired.

The bridge 13 is provided with a threaded open- 30 ing for receiving a threaded draw bolt 45, an unthreaded portion 41 of which passes loosely through the opening 39, The head 49 of the bolt is adapted to be engaged by a wrench for rotating the bolt and forcing the jaw 32 against 35 the loop 2'! to hold its clamp against the curved portion 25. The opening 39 is substantially larger than the shank 41 in order to permit the vertical component of motion of the jaw which is necessitated by the sloping portions 45, ll and 35. For example, when the jaw is in clamping position as shown in Fig. 2, the opening 39 is relatively high with respect to the shank 41, and when the jaw is loose, after having been backed off, the opening 39 is relatively low.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The ground anchor with its'anchor rod 1 may be driven or otherwise placed in the ground, with or without the clamp in position. If it is placed without the body I, the body I is then 50 threaded to the top of the anchor rod 1. The cable 29 is then looped as at 21 through the eye 23 and the loose endis attached to a puller. The cable is then stretched tight, and while under tension the cradle clamp 32 is forced against the loop 21 by rotating the head 49 of the bolt with a wrench. Thereafter the guy wire puller is released and the free end of the loop 21 may be bound against the taut portion of the guy wire 2!] as indicated at It will be seen that the reactive force of the anchor 1 along its center line coaxially meets the pull of the guy wire 29. This constitutes one of the advantages of the invention.

Another advantage is that the rotary moment of force which is applied by a wrench to the head 49 of the bolt 41 is around an axis which is substantially normal to the axis of pull between the cable 29 and the anchor rod 1. This is an advantage over constructions wherein the moment of force for tightening up the device is around an axis parallel to the line of force. In the latter case there is little initial reacting moment and there is a tendency to twist the anchor and the guy wire unless provision is made against this. In the present improvedconstruction there is no such tendency, and the reactive force is promptly automatically applied.

Another advantage of the invention is that the parts I3, 32 and 41, for clamping purposes, are all located compactly below the loop 21 and substantially within the confines of the side walls 9. This enhances the compactness of the device, and

at the same time the bridge part I3 functions as cross brace, along with the cross bracing functions of the lower part 3 and the part 2| above the eye 23.

It will be understood that the guy 29 is preferably of the metallic type, that is, a guy wire made up of one or more twisted wires or the like. However, the application is applicable to guys made of other material, such as hemp rope, solid bendable wires, and the like.

In Fig. 5 is shown the member '9 with an electric ground wire clamp thereon. This comprises a boss 5| in which is a threaded hole 53 for re ception of a threaded bolt 55. The bolt has a head 5! and passes through a jaw 58. Notches 59 (in the jaw 58 and in the boss 5|) serve to hold an electric wire 6|. This permits of using the anchor I as a ground from the wire 6| Without difficulty from loose or insulated connections above. I

The term anchor rod is used herein to designate generically various forms of the cylinder 1,

as for example a long rod leading to a ground anchor, a bolt for fastening to a wooden member,

and the like.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved 3 and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrated and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A guy clamp comprising a body having a ,umeans at one end adapted to be attached to an anchor rod, said body having an eye at the other end for receiving the loop of a guy strand, said 76iable in a direction which is lateral with respect eye being ofiset to effect a tangent to the rod axis where a tensioned part of the strand enters the eye and being thus adapted to make the tensioned parts of the guy and the anchor rod substantially coaxial when under tension and being located between spaced walls, a cradle shaped jaw for holding the guy in the eye, said jaw being slidto the anchor rod and cradling the strand within the eye at points to one side of said tangent, a screw for forcing the jaw into engagement with the guy, a bridge portion between said walls for slidingly supporting the jaw and into which said screw is threaded, and an operating head on the screw ofiset from said tangent in the same direction as the cradling points.

2. A guy clamp comprising a body portion consisting of spaced side walls, means joining said side Walls at one end and having an opening for attachment of an anchor rod, a headed bolt, a bridge portion joining said side walls at their midportions and having a threaded opening for said headed bolt, said side walls being joined at their upper ends with a portion to provide an eye for receiving the loop of a guy strand, the tensioned part of the strand being capable in at least one position of lying tangent to the axis of the rod by reason of said oiTset, and a jaw slidable laterally on said bridge portion, a lug on the jaw including an opening for receiving said bolt so that when the bolt is turned and threaded into the bridge its head controls the lateral movement of said jaw to clamp the loop in the eye.

3. A guy clamp comprising a body portion consisting of spaced side walls, means joining said side walls at one end and having a threaded opening for longitudinal attachment of an anchor rod, said side Walls being ofiset toward their other ends, a laterally directed headed bolt, a bridge portion joining said side Walls in their midportions and having a threaded lateral opening for said bolt, said side walls being joined at their upper ends with a portion to provide an eye for receiving the loop of a guy strand, the tensioned part of the strand being capable in at least one position of lying tangent to the axis of the rod by reason of said offset, and a'jaw slidable laterally on said bridge portion, a lug on the jaw including an opening for receiving said bolt whereby the bolt may be threaded into the bridge so that its head forces the jaw to clamp the strand in said eye.

4. A guy clamp comprising a body portion consisting of spaced side walls, means joining said side walls at one end and having an opening for attachment of an anchor'rod, said side walls being offset toward their other ends, a headed bolt, a bridge portion joining said side walls in their midportions and having a threaded opening for said bolt, said side Walls being joined at their upper ends with a portion to provide an eye for receiving the loop of a guy strand, the tensioned with an endwise component to clamp a portion of said loop to one side of said tangent.

5. A guy clamp comprising a body portion consisting of spaced side walls, means joining said side walls at one end and having an opening for attachment of a guy anchor, said side walls being offset toward their other ends, a headed bolt, a

bridge portion joining said side walls in their midportions and having a threaded opening for said bolt, said side walls being joined at their upper ends with an arcuate portion to provide an eye for receiving the loop of a guy strand, the tensioned part of the strand being capable in at least one position of lying tangent to the axis of the rod by reason of said offset, an arcuate jaw complementing the arcuate eye and slidable laterally on said bridge portion, a lug on the jaw including an opening for receiving said bolt whereby the bolt may be turned and threaded intothe bridge so that its head controls the lateral movement of said jaw, the top portion of the bridge and the bottom portion of the jaw sloping in a direction to force the clamp to move with an endwis'e component to clamp a portion of said loop to one side of said tangent, and lateral shelf-like portions in the plane of the upper surface of said bridge for laterally supporting the jaw.

6. A guy clamp comprising a body having a means at one end adapted to be attached to an anchor rod, said body having an eye at the other end for receiving a loop of a guy strand, said eye being ofiset to effect a tangent to the rod axis where a tensioned part of the strand enters the eye, the tensioned parts of the guy holding strand and the anchor rod being substantially coaxial when under tension, a clamp support at the eye, a clamp carried by the clamp support and wedging against the guy in the eye, and movable means engaging said clamp to force it into clamping engagement.

'7, A guy clamp comprising a body having a means at one end adapted to be attached to an anchor rod, said body having an eye at the other end for receiving the loop of a guy strand, said eye being offset to efiect a tangent to the rod axis where a tensioned part of the strand enters the eye, the tensioned parts of the guy and the anchor rod being substantially coaxial when under tension, a holding jaw engageable with the guy within the eye, means within the eye for supporting the jaw, and means for moving the jaw in a direction lateral to the axis-of the anchor rod and. within the eye.

8. A guy clamp comprising a body having a means at one end adapted to be attached to an anchor rod, said body having an eye at the other end for receiving the loop of a guy strand, said eye being ofiset to effect a tangent to the rod axis where a tensioned part of the strand enters the eye, the tensioned parts of the guy and the anchor rod being substantially coaxial when under tension, a cradle shaped jaw movable in a direction through the eye for wedging the guy in the eye, said jaw cradling the strand within the eye at points to one side of said tangent, a support within the eye for and below the jaw, and means for forcing the jaw into engagement with the guy.

ALBERT F. HE'CKENDORF.

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