US3111159A - Clamp - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 19, 1963 v. J. JENKINS 3,111,159

CLAMP Filed Ju1y 11, 1961 22 y if* v )lV/ INVENTOR. u

24- Vancc ./,Jwkum ATTORNEY.

United States Patent iitice 3,1 l l, l 59 Patented Nov. 19, 1963 Vance J. Jenkins, 2341i E. h Ave., Hiaieah, Fla. Filed July 11, 1961, Ser. No. 123,249 3 Ciaims. (Ci. 153-32) This invention relates to a means for repairing damaged automobile bodies whereby the dents in the sheet metal may be restored to their original shape and appearance, and, in particular, this invention relates to a clamp which is especially useful in removing dents from damaged automobile doors.

Because of the labor involved in removing damaged doors from automobiles, the repair of dents therein is unduly expensive in garages and repair shops. The present invention provides a means whereby the dents can be removed by standard tools without the necessity of removing a dented car door from the automobile.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a. novel clamp for repairing dents in automobile car doors and which is also useful for repairing dents in other parts of automobiles, which is simple in construction, economical in cost and manufacture, and efficient in operation.

It is another object of this invention to provide a clamp which will make it possible to repair dents in automobile doors without the necessity of removing the doors from the automobiles.

In accordance with these and other objects which Wiil become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be descriebd with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective side elevation View of an automobile having a door slightly aj ar;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one of a pair of clamp units, constructed according to the invention, and

FIG. 3 is an end view of the device shown in FlG. 2 taken along the plane indicated by the line 3 3 of FG- URE 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different views, and referring particularly to FIG. l, 11 designates generally the side of an automobile and 12 designates generally a door which is slightly ajar and which has been dented as at 13, 14 and 15. Mounted to said doors there are clamps 16 and 17, the former of which is shown more fully in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, and disposed between said clamps there is provided a jack 18 having an arm protruding on each side thereof. The jack 1S is operated by uid pressure which is directed thereto through suitable means such as an air hose 19.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the clamp is seen to com* prise a J-shaped piece of metal of uniform thickness having a bight portion 20 disposed between a relatively long rst plate 21 and a relatively short second plate 22. The second plate 22 is provided with a series of conical recesses, or dimples, 24 on the interior face 25 thereof. In axial alignment, or registration, with said series of recesses there is provided, in the long plate 21, a series of threaded holes 26. Mounted perpendicular to said long plate and arranged transversely thereof, there is provided a lateral thrust plate 27 having affixed thereto a centering pin 28 surrounding which there is concentrically disposed a cylinder 29, said pin and said cylinder being secured to said block, as by welding, and extending away from the concave side of said bight portion. There are provided a series of bolts 33 for threaded engagement with said series of holes 26 and having tapered, sharp ends 34 for engagement in said recesses 24.

In use, a pair of clamps is hooked over the lips on the sides 35 and 37 of a car door and the series of bolts 3.3 tightened down so that the metal lip portion of the door is deformed into the recesses 24, and thus clamped tightly into the bight portion 21B between said rst and second plates 21 and 22 respectively. Pipes 38 and 39 are receivable over the centering pin 28 of each clamp and the jack arms are arranged in engagement with said pipes, said jack being disposed between said clamps. Fluid pressure is supplied through the hole 19, forcing the arms outwardly and transmitting force through the pipes which pushes the clamps outwardly on either side of the jack whereby the sheet metal of the door is stretched back into its original shape as the dents 13, 14 and 15 are drawn out.

While the instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is therefore not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent apparatus and articles.

What is claimed is:

1. For use in pairs, in co-operation with a medially located spreading means, a clamp unit having particular application to vehicle doors having relatively thin, marginal, flange portions, said unit comprising a hook-form plate, of substantially uniform thickness throughout, and generally J-form in longitudinal cross section, with a long side, a bight portion, and a short side, said short side having a plurality of dimples linearly arranged in spaced relation across its width, said long side having threaded openings axially registering with said dimples, screws having conical ends carried in said openings, a plate perpendicularly extending from said long side, on the surface thereof opposite from said short side, arranged in perpendicular relation to the length direction of said long side, and located between said openings and the free end of said long side, a cylindrical rod carried by said plate, centrally thereof, perpendicular thereto, and on the surface thereof opposite from said openings, and a cylindrical tube carried by said plate, in surrounding, concentric relation to said rod.

2. For use in pairs, in co-operation with a medially located spreading means, a clamp unit having particular application to vehicle doors having relatively thin, marginal, flange portions, said unit comprising a hook-form plate, of substantially uniform thickness throughout, and generally J-form in longitudinal cross section, with a long side, a bight portion, and a short side, said short side having a plurality of dimples linearly arranged in spaced relation across its width, said long side having threaded openings axially registering with said dimples, screws having conical ends carried in said openings, a plate perpendicularly extending from said long side,

on the surface thereof opposite from said short side, ar-

Y ranged in perpendicular relation to the length direction of said long side, and located between said openings and the free end of said long side, and guide means for reception of said spreading means, carried by said plate.

3. For use in pairs, in co-operation with a medially located spreading means, a clamp unit having particular application to vehicle doors having relatively thin, marginal, liange portions, said unit comprising a hook-form plate, of substantially uniform thickness throughout, and generally J-form in longitudinal cross section, With a long side, a bight portion, and a short side, means for gripping one of said marginal, flange portions between said long side and said short side, a plate perpendicularly '4 extending from said long side, on the surface thereof opposite from said short side, arranged in perpendicular relation to the length direction of said long side, and located between said openings, and guide means for reception of said spreading means, carried by said plate.

References Cited in the lile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,274,881 Bolston Mar. 3, 1942 2,606,467 Desjarlais et al. Aug. 12, 1952 2,734,549 Thorley Feb. 14, 1956 2,845,983 Hanson Aug. 5, 1958 2,855,972 Greider Oct. 14, 1958

Claims (1)

1. FOR USE IN PAIRS, IN CO-OPERATION WITH A MEDIALLY LOCATED SPREADING MEANS, A CLAMP UNIT HAVING PARTICULAR APPLICATION TO VEHICLE DOORS HAVING RELATIVELY THIN, MARGINAL, FLANGE PORTIONS, SAID UNIT COMPRISING A HOOK-FORM PLATE, OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM THICKNESS THROUGHOUT, AND GENERALLY J-FORM IN LONGITUDINAL CROSS SECTION, WITH A LONG SIDE, A BIGHT PORTION, AND A SHORT SIDE, SAID SHORT SIDE HAVING A PLURALITY OF DIMPLES LINEARLY ARRANGED IN SPACED RELATION ACROSS ITS WIDTH, SAID LONG SIDE HAVING THREADED OPENINGS AXIALLY REGISTERING WITH SAID DIMPLES, SCREWS HAVING CONICAL ENDS CARRIED IN SAID OPENINGS, A PLATE PERPENDICULARLY EXTENDING FROM SAID LONG SIDE, ON THE SURFACE THEREOF OPPOSITE FROM SAID SHORT SIDE, ARRANGED IN PERPENDICULAR RELATION TO THE LENGTH DIRECTION OF SAID LONG SIDE, AND LOCATED BETWEEN SAID OPENINGS AND THE FREE END OF SAID LONG SIDE, A CYLINDRICAL ROD CARRIED BY SAID PLATE, CENTRALLY THEREOF, PERPENDICULAR THERETO, AND ON THE SURFACE THEREOF OPPOSITE FROM SAID OPENINGS, AND A CYLINDRICAL TUBE CARRIED BY SAID PLATE, IN SURROUNDING, CONCENTRIC RELATION TO SAID ROD.

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