US2705354A - Cable clamp - Google Patents

Description

April 5, 1955 J. s. PARSONS CABLE CLAMP Filed May 24, 1952 INVENTOR. JOHN 5. PA PSO/VS iY ATTO NE Y6 United States Patent CABLE CLAMP John S. Parsons, Forestville, Conm, assignor to The Stanley Works, New Britain, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application May 24, 1952, Serial No. 289,788

1 Claim. 01. 24-432 This invention relates to rope and cable tighteners or clamps and pertains more particularly to a device of this type wherein a spring strap serves as a clamping member.

One feature of the invention is to provide a cable tightener in which the cable can be pulled taut without having manually to release the clamp.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of a clamp of this character which is self-clamping, the gripping pressure on the cable increasing with any increase in tensional pull applied to the cable.

A further feature of the invention lies in the provision ofbzlt clamp capable of accommodating various diameter ca es.

Still another feature of the invention is to provide a clamp in which the clamping action is well distributed to avoid concentration of the clamping pressure in any one spot which might damage the cable or rope, particularly the latter, since ropes are composed of relatively soft, severable strands of fibers.

A still further feature is to provide a cable or rope clamp of simple and sturdy construction comprising only a few parts.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claim.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the clamping device showing a suggested use thereof;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken in the direction of the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken in the direction of the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 3 but showing the clamp in a cable releasing position.

To illustrate the invention, the clamping or tightening device, generally designated by the letter A in the drawing, is depicted as a clamp for maintaining a clothcsline taut, although it is suitable for many uses, the pictured use being only suggestive. Accordingly, Fig. 1 shows a pair of spaced, upstanding posts and 12, each provided with a hook 14 and 16. The clothesline to be supported by the posts constitutes a rope or cable 18 having one end 20 anchored to the hook 14, an intermediate portion 22 clampingly engaged by the device A, and a free end 24 which may be used in pulling the cable taut preparatory to clamping it.

The clamp A comprises a pair of lever members 26 and 28 pivotally connected together by a pin 30, the pin having an enlarged head 32 at one end and another head 34 at its other end by which the levers are retained in a side by side relation. The lever 26 includes a handle 36 provided with an aperture 38 for connection of the lever to the hook 16, an intermediate portion 40 through which the pin 30 extends, and an extension arm 42, these parts all being integral with each other. The lever 28 includes a handle 44 connected to a gripping disk 46, the disk having a peripheral groove 48 extending therearound for the accommodation of any selected portion, such as the portion 22, of the ca le t b? a p As shown, the disk 46 is integral with the handle 44 to form the lever 28.

Both the extension arm 42 and the handle 44 are equipped with laterally projecting lugs or pins 50 and 52, the two pins serving as anchoring means for the ends of a U-shaped strap 54, a pair of rivets 56 and 58 serving to retain the strap 54 in a partially encircling or embracing relationship with the disk 46. The strap 54 is desirably of high grade spring steel and in order for the strap to function as both a spring and clamping member the ends thereof are biased toward each other, this being accomplished by initially providing a set to the strap so that in an unrestrained state the strap is selfcontracting to bring the ends thereof relatively close together. By so setting the strap 54 the ends must be flexed apart to engage the pins 50 and 52, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and when so flexed these ends urge the levers 26 and 28 apart with the concomitant result that the strap is also forced in a direction toward the disk to clamp the cable 18 at any selected region therealong.

From Fig. 4 it will be seen that the cable 18 is very easily inserted between the disk 46 and the strap 54 by manually squeezing the handles 36 and 44 into the position shown. With the handles so positioned there exists sufficient space for the facile introduction of the cable and release of the handles permits them to assume the position illustrated in Fig. 3 with an accompanying gripping of the cable. To make the cable 18 taut it is only necessary to pull on the free end 24 of the cable without actually squeezing the handles 36 and 44 together, any pull in this direction tending to unwrap the strap from the disk 46 and the cable section 22 inserted therebetween. Of course, cessation of the pull exerted upon the free end 24 will permit the inherent setting of the strap 54 to clamp immediately the cable, thus maintaining the taut condition into which the cable has been pulled. Conversely, any pull on the end 20 of the cable will produce a tightening effect against the section 22 being clamped, since a pull in this direction tends to wrap the strap 54 more tightly about the disk 46.

Various sizes of cables may be readily accommodated inasmuch as there is an appreciable movement of the strap 54 outwardly relative to the disk. 46 when the handles 36 and 44 are squeezed together, as will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 4. When these cables are clamped, the spring strap 54 simply grips the larger cable earlier in its return travel toward the disk 46.

Also, while the foregoing description has referred to materials to be clamped having a circular cross section, it will be understood that any elongated, flexible material may be clamped, the clamping surfaces of the disk 46 and the strap 54 being desirably configured to best accommodate the particular material. For instance, the device could be used to clamp box strapping. Further, it will be appreciated that objects to be clamped, though perhaps circular in cross section, need not be braided, as the device effectively grips such material as piano w1re.

I claim as my invention:

A cable tightener comprising a pair of levers pivotally connected together at one end and being angularly related at a small angle so that the levers may be squeezed together in a one-handed operation, one of said levers having means at the outer end for attachment to a stationary support, the other of said levers having a disklike element fixed'thereto at the pivot and pivotal therewith, and an inherently contractile U-s'haped spring strap extending about the disk-like element and having its ends anchored to the respective levers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,161,461 Doherty June 6, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 627,178 Germany Mar. 10, 1936

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