US2553088A - Clamping device - Google Patents

Description

M. HOAG CLAMPING DEVICE May 15, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 18, 1946 Inventor CLAMPING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet g Filed Nov. 18, 1946 Inventor Patented May 15, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLAMPING DEVICE Melray Hoag, Parkwater, Wash.

Application November 18, 1946, Serial No. 710,615

4 Claims. 1.

This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements and structural. refinements in clamp.- ing devices and the principal object of the invention is to provide a device of thecharacter herein described, which may be conveniently and, effectively employed during the. cutting of patches used in the fabrication. of. so-called patch work quilts! Quilts of this character are usually composed. of aseries of individual pieces or patches Of material, connected together by stitching or other means. These patches. may be square shaped, diamond shaped, or the like, but in order to assure symmetry and pleasing appearance of the finished article, the patches should be substantially equal in size. Accordingly, apaper-patt'ern is: usually employed during the patch cutting operation, such pattern being: applied to thematerial While the patches arebeing individually cut.

Asoutlined at the commencement of thisspecification, the instant invention is particularly adapted for clamping the paper pattern to the material and for releasably retaining the, same thereon in such manner as. to facilitate convenient and rapid cutting of the patches.

A further object of the invention is toprovide.

a clamping device in whichthe material and pattern may be readily applied and'removed'.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clamping device which may be employed in association with materials of different thicknessand for cutting patches of various sizes and shapes.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a clamping device in which the clamping block may assume theconfiguration, of the patches, thereby completely eliminating the use of the paper pattern conventionally required.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a clamping device which is simple in construction, convenient in manipulation, and which will not easily become damaged.

With the above morerimportant objectsin view,

and such other objects as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the. invention consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-z Figure 1. is a top planview of" the invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof, showing the-same in the closed position;

Figure 3 isaiurther side elevational view, similar toy-that shown in. Figure 2', but showing the invention in the open position;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view, taken sub- 2 stantially in the plane of the line 4-4 in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 5-5 of Figure Figur 6 is a cross sectional View, taken. substantially in the plane of the line 6-4 in Figure 2, and

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view, taken substanztially in the plane of the line '!-1 in Figure Like characters of reference are used to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention consists of a clamping device designated generally by the reference character It), the same embodying in its construction a pair of arms I I and i2, including the levers I3, I 4 respectively. A pair of side plates l5 are secured. at one end of the lever l4 by suitable screws [6 and one end portion of the lever I3 is pivot'ally mounted between the side plates l-5- by means of a suitable bolt IT, as shown in Figure '7;

A leaf spring I8 is secured by suitable screws- Ill to. the lever IS, the spring engaging the ad'- jacent surface of the lever l4, whereby the two levers are normally urged apart, as will be clearly understood. Excessive spreading of the levers is prevented by means of a yoke 20, the latter straddling the. two levers and being formed from a suitable wire-like rod. The end portions 21 ofthe yoke 28 rotatably engage suitable apertures provided in the lever l4 and it will be noted that the. yoke also straddles a pad 22 secured to the lever l3.by. a pair of screws 23.

An extension 24 is provided adjacent one end thereof with a longitudinal slot 25, and a bolt'2-6, secured in the free end portion of the lever l3- passes through this slot and carries a wing nut A further extension 28 is adjustably attachedto thefree end portion of the lever [4 by means of suitable screws and wing nuts 29 and 3!! respectively, a fulcrum 3| being interposed between the extension 28- andthe lever I4, as will beclearly understood. The fulcrum 3| may SiIl'l-- ply assume the form of a short strap secured to the extension 28 by the screws 32, the strap being provided with an arcuate mid-portion which engages arecess or groove 33' formed in the lever The free-endportions. of the extensions 24 and 28 are enlarged to form a pair of mutually opposed jaws 34, the same being provided with opposing arcuate surfaces 35 and each being longitudinally slotted as at 36.

The jaws 34 are also provided with axially aligned bores 31, each of which rotatably receives a pin 38. The slots 36 extend through the bores 31 and it will be noted that the jaws are also equipped with suitable clamping bolts 39 whereby the pins 38 may be adjustably secured in position.

Finally, a clamp plate 40 is secured to each of the pins 38,'the plate 40 being preferably provided with beveled marginal edges, as will be clearly apparent.

Having thus described the construction of the invention, its method of operation will now be explained.

When the invention is placed in use, the plates 40 are spread apart by simply disengaging the yoke 20 from the pad 22 as shown in Figure 3, thus permitting the spring It to spread the levers l3; 14. The material (not shown) may then be inserted between the plates 40, whereupon the levers l3, [4 are compressed together so as to clamp the material between the plates. The device is releasably retained in this closed or clampedjposition by simply engaging the yoke 20 with the pad 22' and the patch may now'be out from the material by following the contour of the plate 40 with 'a suitable cutting instrument. It should, of course, be understood thatthe configuration of the plates 40 conforms in size and shape to the patch, and the cutting operation may be effectively carried out by'simply rotating the plates 40 and the pins 38 inthe bores s'l'of the jaws 34. v Sincethe mutual spacing of the plates 40 is predetermined and governed by the yoke 20 and pad 22, means are provided for varying this spacing so that material of different thickness maybe placed between the two plates. Said means includes the'aforementioned fulcrum 3| and the wing nuts 30, the loosening of one wing nut and a corresponding tightening of the other swinging the extension 28 about the fulcrum 3| in one direction, and vice versa. It will be apparent that in this manner, the relative spacing of the plates 40' may be varied as required and furthermore, by loosening the wing nut 27 and sliding the extension 24 with'respect to the lever I3, the extension 24 may be adjusted with respect to the extension 28 so that the plates 40 are aligned.

Loosening of the wing nut 21 will also permit the extension 24 to be swung laterally (in the di-' rection of the arrows 4|), thereby facilitating removal of the pins 38 and the associated plates 40' from the jaws 34.

ious shapes and sizes may be employed in asso l ciation with the device for the cutting of various In this manner, plates of varly sized and shaped patches. The clamping screws 39 are provided merely for the adjust-1 ment of the jaws 34, so that the pins 38 are rotatably yet firmly mounted in the bores 37;

Finally, the provision of the arcuate surfaces 35 on the jaws 34 facilitates what may be referred to as a rocking contact of the jaws withtheplates 40, assuring that equal and unre strainedpressure is applied to the clamping plates. a

. -It is believed thatthe advantages and use of the invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly, further de-' scription' thereof at this point is considered unnecessary.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A clamping device comprising in combination, a pair of levers pivotally connected together at one end thereof, an extension adjustably mounted at the remaining end of each of said levers, a pair of mutually opposed, arcuate jaws provided on said extensions, a pair of axially aligned pins each rotatably mounted in one of said jaws, a pair of mutually opposed clamp blocks each secured to one of said pins and engaging the associated jaw, the adjustment of one of said extensions varying the spacing of said blocks, resilient means. for urging said levers apart, and further means for releasably clamping said levers together. I 2. A clamping device comprising in combination, a pair of levers pivotally connected together atone end thereof, a longitudinally adjustable extension provided at the remaining end of one of said levers, a further extension fulcrumed upon the remaining lever, the free end portions of said extensions forming mutually opposed, arcuate jaws, a pair of axially aligned pins each rotatably mounted in one'of .said jaws, a'p'air' of mutually opposed clamp blocks each secured to one of said pins and engaging the associated jaw, means for adjusting the fulcrumed extension whereby the spacing of said blocks may be varied, a spring interposed between said levers, a

pad provided on one of said'levers, and a clamp-' ing yoke pivoted to the remaining lever, said yoke being engageable with said pad.

3. The device as defined in claim 2 wherein said means for adjusting said fulcrumed exten sion comprise a strap having an arcuate intermediate portion constituting a fulcrum member, end portions of said strap being secured to said fulcrumed extension, the lever carrying said fulcrumed extension being formed with a transverse groove rockably receiving said fulcrum MELRAY HOAG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Date I Name 113,093 Reding Mar. 28, 1871 322,070 Rutan July 14, 1885 556,239 Ashald et a1. Mar. 10, 1896 789,180 Spruce May 9, 1905 1,262,300 Blake Apr. 9, 1918 1,428,679 Caswell Sept. 12, 1922 1,897,142 Peterson Feb. 14, 1933

Images