US3097553A - baustert - Google Patents

Description

y 1953 G. N. BAUSTERT 3,097,553

FAST ACTION TOGGLE HAND CLAMP Filed Aug. 9, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l 6 INVENTOR.

F. g 1 7 BY Gecv e' N. 5 05767? Kara/ July 16, 1963 N. BAUSTERT FAST ACTION TOGGLE HAND CLAMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 9, 1961 INVENTOR. @ewgs N. Ems BET BY W United States atent Ofiice 3,097,553 FAST ACTION TQGQLE HAND C1AMP George N. Baustert, Dearhorn, Mich, assignor to {he Ford Motor Company, Dearhorn, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 9, 1961, Ser. No. 130,384 1 Claim. (til. 81- 351) This invention relates to a quick action hand toggle clamp, and more particularly to an improved form of toggle clamp.

Heretofore in toggle clamp constructions, the relative pivotal connections between the clamp arms, the pivotal connections between the handles, the pivotal connections respectively of the handles with each of the said clamp arms was such that for maximum clamp arm opening movements, there was a corresponding maximum handle opening movement.

It is the object of the present invention to so form the clamp arms and so arrange the pivotal connections there- .between, as well as the pivotal connections between the handles and the said clamp arms, that positive locking action is provided, but at the same time a maximum arm opening movement is achieved with a minimum handle opening movement.

It is the further object of the present invention to provide in conjunction with a hand toggle clamp a maximum arm movement of 90 degrees with a corresponding maximum handle opening movement of 120 degrees.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide in a toggle clamp a maximum arm opening move ment, which is substantially greater than arm opening movements on conventional hand clamps, but wherein the handle opening movement is the same, or less, than the handle opening movement on conventional clamps.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specification and claim in conjunction with the ap pended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the present quick action hand toggle clamp in positive locking position.

FIG. 2 is a similar view showing maximum arm opening movement with corresponding handle opening movement.

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2, and showing an intermediate relative arm opening movement and a corresponding relative handle opening movement.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view in locking position of a right angle type of toggle clamp with its release position shown in dotted lines.

It will be understood that the above drawings illustrate merely a preferred embodiment of the invention, and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scone of the claims herein set forth.

lefening to the drawings, and particularly, FIGS. 1 through 4, the present versatile quicloaction hand toggle clamp, generally speaking, comprises a pair of opposed elongated clamp arms 11 and 19, which are pivotally interconnected at their one ends by the rivet 28. There are provided also a pair of opposed elongated handles 36, which are pivotally interconnected by the rivet 33, and with each handle respectively connected to one of the clamp arms 11 and 19 respectively by the additional r-Iets 34, as best shown in FIG. 1.

This much of the description corresponds to a convent onal toggle clamp.

The invention in the present construction is directed to the oft-center location of the pivotal connection 28, between the respective one ends of the clamp arms 11 and 19. By this construction, as will be hereafter shown for a maximum relative arm opening movement of 90-degrees as shown in FIG. 2, there is a minimum relative handle opening movement of degrees.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, FIGS. 1 through 4, clamp arm 11, which may be referred to as the action arm has a boss 12 at its free ends terminating in the anvil surface 13, and at its opposite end terminates in the laterally displaced base 14, whose end is curved as at 15, extending downwardly and again curved upwardly as at 16, FIG. 1.

A pair of apertures 17 and 18 are formed through the base 14.

A second clamp arm 19, referred to as a base arm includes at one end the boss 20 in opposing registry with boss 12, which has an interiorly threaded bore 21 to adjustably receive the bolt 22, Whose head 23 is adapted for cooperative registry with the anvil surface 13, with a form of work normally interposed therebetween, there being a suitable lock nut 24 employed.

In the normal operation of the toggle clamp, if a workpiece, or workpieces to be clamped between the jaw elements 13 and 23 are of an appreciable width, then in that case, the bolt 22 would be threaded downwardly inasmuch as the parts as shown in FIG. 1 are in fully locked position.

For the purpose of this description, the base 14, to the extent that it projects inwardly at one end, may be regarded as a short boss. An inwardly directed long boss 25, as compared with boss 14, is provided at the inner end of the clamp arm 19, being ofiset with respect to the longitudinal axis of said arm, and arranged in overlapping registry with the short boss 14, and pivotally connected thereto as by the rivet 28.

The offset portion of the long boss 25 is indicated by the dotted lines 26, said long boss adjacent its opposite ends having a pair of apertures 18 and 27 therethrough, apertures 18 in the said bosses 14 and 25 receiving the rivet 28 providing the pivotal connection between the respective one ends of the clamp arms 11 and 19.

The stop 29 projects rearwardly from the rear edge portion of the long boss 25 for limiting pivotal opening movements of the handles 34), as shown in FIG. 2, where it is seen that one of the handles 30 at its pivotal connection with the clamp arm 11 operatively engages the boss or stop 29 at a point which is past dead center with respect to a line between the pivotal connection between the clamp arms and the pivotal connection between the respective handles 30.

The pair of elongated opposed handles 30, each have laterally displaced oppositely arranged inwardly directed end portions 31 which are overlapped and pivotally interconnected by the rivet 33, the said otfsets on the end portions of said handles being indicated by the dotted lines at 32 to facilitate the type of assembly shown in FIG. 3 with the parts in compact relationship.

Each of the said handles 30 at its said one ends adjacent, but spaced from their pivotal connection 33, is pivot-ally connected respectively to the one end portions of the clamp arms 11 and 19 by a rivet 34 to complete the normal clamp assembly.

The important factor, in distinguishing applicants structure from prior art structures, is that there is provided a non-symmetrical pivotal connection between the respective clamp arms. This is accomplished by the short boss 14, and the long boss 25, which respectively project inwardly from the clamp arms 11 and 19 and in oven lapped relation are pivotally connected as by the rivet 28.

For this purpose, it is noted that the rivet 28 or pivotal connection is laterally displaced with respect to the longitudinal center line between the pivotal connection 33 between the handles 30. It is this relationship of the pivotal connection 28 between the said. clamp arm- s 11 and 19, and with respect to the other pivotal connections, which provides for the maximum 90-degree opening movement between the clamp arms 11 and 19, shown in FIG. 2, and with a corresponding minimum handle opening movement of 120 degrees shown in FIG. 2, which would not otherwise be possible, if a symmetrical mounting was employed between the clamp arms 11 and 19.

The pair of opposed cam surfaces, or projections 35 extend inwardly from adjacent the pivotal ends of handles 30 in a normally arranged spaced relation, as shown in FIG. 1.

An elongated trigger lever is normally interposed between the handles 30 longitudinally thereof, and over one end is secured at 38, a stirrup or looped portion 37 which provides the pivotal mounting for the said trigger lever upon the bight portion 39 of the U-shaped pivot wire 40, whose respective ends have eyes 41 for mounting upon opposite sides of the rivet 33, which pivotally interconnects the handles 30.

When the toggle clamp is in the locked position shown in FIG. 1, it is frequently difiicult to release the clamp arms 11 and 19 merely by an outward releasing movement applied to the respective handles 30. For this purpose, the trigger arm is employed which by pulling the trigger lever 36 in one direction relative to one of the handles 3%, it cams against the corresponding cam projections 35 of the said handles 30 for forcing the handles apart to facilitate opening movement of the clamp arms 11 and 19.

Actually what is accomplished is that the pivotal connection 33, which in the locked position is past dead center with respect to pivotal connections 34, is forced past dead center to the right side, FIG. 1, with respect to the pivotal connections 34, thus facilitating further opening movements of the handles 30 and corresponding opening movements of the clamp arms 11 and 19.

In the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, actually neither of the clamp arms 11 and 19 stay stationary. However, for purpose of illustration, and to show the relative movement between the two clamp arms 11 and 19, the arm 19 is shown in a stationary position with all movement being designated as a relative movement between the two arms, as shown in FIGS, 2 and 4.

In FIG. 2, the relative opening movement between the arms 11 and 19 is at a maximum of 90-degrees, and at the same time, the maximum opening movement of the handles in an amount of 120 degrees therebetween is shown. For intermediate relative opening movement between the clamp arms of 45-degrees as shown in FIG. 4, the said handles are open an angular extent therebetween of 81% degrees, which is considerably less than the angular handle opening movement of other types of toggle clamps.

Normally, as shown in the table set out hereunder, for 45 degree opening of the clamp arms in conventional types of toggle clamps, there would necessarily be a handle opening movement of 114 /2 degrees. This is actually as far open as conventional hand clamps open, i.e., to say with a maximum arm opening movement of 45-degrees the handle opening movement is 114 /2 degrees.

In the present construction, the maximum relative clamp arm movement of QO-degrees is achieved, and wherein the total relative handle opening movement does not exceed 120 degrees. Accordingly, it can be seen from the table attached hereunder that the offset pivotal connection provided at 28 between the respective clamp arms 11 and 19, and the associated structure including the long and short bosses above described provides for such maximum relative clamp arm opening movement with corresponding reduced handle o ening movements.

Operzing Ratio Comparison Chart Quick Action Hand Olamp Hand Clamp Arm Opening Both Handles Both Handles In Degrees Opening In Opening In Degrees Degrees A slightly different construction is shown in FIG. 5, being the right angle toggle clamp construction which differs slightly from the toggle clamp above described, primarily in the formation of the two clamp arms. The construction otherwise in exactly the same and therefore its description is not repeated in detail.

Referring however, to FIG. 5, the toggle clamp includes the base 4 2, which extends forwardly and terminates in the right angularly extending clamp arm 43 with a boss 44 at its end, which has an interiorly threaded bore to adjustably receive the bolt or stud 45, whose head 46 provides an adjustable pressure means, and which bolt is secured in the desired adjusted position by the lock nut 47.

Secondary clamping portion of this toggle clamp is in the nature of a stub base arm 48, having along one upright edge an anvil surface 49 which extends at right angles to the axis of the pressure means 46 for registering therewith, and which at its one end is laterally displaced and overlaps and is p-ivotal-ly connected to the laterally displaced or oiiset portion of the base 42, and pivotally connected therewith as by the rivet 50'.

A stop or boss 51 projects rearwardly from the opposing edge of the stub base arm 48, is adapted for cooperative registry with a portion of one of the handles 30 at its pivotal connection 34 with respect to the clamp arm base 42 when the two handles 30 have been opened to maximum opening position, as indicated in dotted lines, as being at an angle of degrees.

The relative opening position of the clamp arm 42-43 is also shown in dotted lines as being a 90-degree opening movement with respect to anvil surface 49.

The trigger lever 36 and its pivotal mounting at one end to the pivotal connection 33 between the handles, is the same as above described and its cooperation with the cam surfaces 35 forming a part of the handles 30 is the same. Here also, as above described with respect to FIG. 1, the pivotal connection or rivet 50 between the respective clamping elements 42 and 48, substantially 01f center with respect to the longitudinal axis through the pivot 33 which interconnects the one ends of the handles 30.

It is this oii'set pivotal relationship between the clamp ing members relative to the pivotal connection between the handles which provides for the maximum relative clamp arm opening movement with a minimum handle opening movement, as above described.

Having described my invention, reference should now be had to the following claim.

I claim:

In a hand toggle clamp comprising a pair of substan tially identical, generally L-shaped handles, a swinging clamp arm and a relatively non-swinging anvil arm, the clamp having a center axis, a forward clamping end and a rear, handle end; the two handles being arranged on opposite sides of said center axis with their short legs extending transversely to and overlapping and being pivotally interconnected at said center axis and their long legs normally extending rearwardly, alongside the center axis; with the two arms each being arranged on opposite sides of said axis and each having a base portion extending transversely relative to the center axis towards the other base portion; each base portion having an outer end an inner end, with the outer end of each base portion being pivotally connected to its respective adjacent handle at the juncture between the long and short legs of the respective handle; the two base portion-handle pivots being equidistantly spaced from the center axis and being normally aligned on an axis which is penpendicular to the center axis and which is approximately coaxial with the pivotal interconnection between the two handles; the clamp arm having a clamping portion, formed integral with its base portion, arranged to clamp against an anvil portion formed integral with the anvil arm base portion;

the improvement comprising the anvil arm base portion being considerably longer than the clamp arm base portion and crossing the center axis and with its inner end overlapping the inner end of the clamp arm base portion and being pivotally connected thereto at a point spaced, relative to the center axis, approximately midway between the hand-1e pivotal interconnection and the handle-clamp arm base portion pivotal con- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,736,221 Von Seggern Feb. 28, 1956 2,783,797 Blatt et al Mar. 5, 1957 2,937,677 Mcllwain May 24, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 947,150 Ger-many Aug. 9, 1956 OTHER REFERENCES Amenioan Machinist, Oct. 15, 1942.

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