US357387A

US357387A - Clamp

Info

Publication number: US357387A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1887-02-08
Anticipated expiration: 1904-02-08

Description

(No Model.)

F. F. HOUSTON.

CLAMP.

No. 357,387. Patented Feb. 8, 1887.

WITNESSES INVENTOR @Mx/ JiBY ATTORNEYS. I

N. PETERS, Phbl0-Lilh0gmph2n Waahingiom n. a

FREDERICK FREEMAN HOUSTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CLAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,387, dated February 8, 1887.

Application filed June 5, 1886. Serial No. 204,255. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK FREEMAN HOUSTON, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and Improved Clamps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Myinvention relatcsto clamps adapted more especially for the use of carpenters, cabinetmakers, frame and box makers, and woodworkers in general, while clamping or gluing their work; and the invention .has for its object to provide an efficient and durable device of this character.

The invention consists in certain novel fea. tures of construction and combinations of parts of the clamp, and in an arrangement of a series of clamps on a frame for effect on all four sides of framed work at once, all as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a series of my improved clamps arranged on a frame, partly broken away, and within which a piece of work-such as a picture-frame, sash, blind, or door-may be clamped Fig. 2 is a side view of one of the clamps, showing the wedgeblocks as adjusted prior to clamping an object. Fig. 3 is a like view, but shows the wedgeblocks as adjusted for clamping the work. Fig. 4 is an edge view of one of the clampheads as applied to a clamp-bar carrying a foot-block; and Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation through one of the clamps, taken on the line 00 m, Fig. 2.

The clamp ismade with two metal plates, A B, the opposingfaces of which are bent or flared at opposite end parts of the plates, as at we and b b, respectively, and from the ends of these parts a b flanges a a b 1) project about parallel with the bar 0, to which the clamp is held in working position by metal grip-plates D D and E E and bolt-sF G, as next described. The plates D D are laid at their one ends over the flanges c a of the clamp-plate A, and extend over opposite edges of the clamp-bar O. The bolt F is then passed through the plates D D and the flanges a. a at oneface of the bar 0, and is held to place by its not f, and the bolt G is passed through the opposite ends of the plates D D and at the other face of the clamp-bar G, and is held by its nut g.

The clamp-plate A is provided with an outturned flange, a", which lies flat against one face of the bar 0, and the grip-plates D D are provided with shoulders (I d,which rest against the opposite face of the bar 0, whereby the clamp is guided as it is shifted along the bar into proper position to act on the work.

The grip-plates E E are shown as backward extensions of the flanges b b" of the clampplate B, and these plates E have extremities c, which are bent over upon the back face of the clamp-bar O, and aid the shoulders dof plates D in holding the clamp to andguidingit along the bar; I

To the plates E E there is held by bolts or screws h the presser-lolock H of the clamp, which block may consist of a short piece of wood fitted to the outer faceof the bent clampplate B, or the presser may consist of a long sliding head block or bar, as at H, Fig. 1, held at opposite ends between the plates E E of two clamps, which are held to clamp-bars 0 G which are fixed at their one ends to the opposite ends of a clamp-bar, O, and at their other ends are connected together by a crossbar, 0*. These bars G H C (3 C constitute a frame in which any piece of square or rectangular work may be clamped by two clamps holding the slide-bar H, and by two other clamps, one on each of the bars 0 H, and as presently explained. The edges of the clamp-barsO G H 0 G on which the clampplates D E act, are faced with metal plates 0, to prevent undue wear of the bars and provide for a firm hold of the clamps to the bars.

Between the opposing flared faces a b a b of the clamp-plates A B there are placed opposite wedge-blooks, I J, which are held against the face of the clamp-bar by lips orlugs K on the plates A B, and through these wedges I J a headed bolt, L, is passed loosely, and is provided with a nut, M, outside of one of the wedges. I make the Wedges I J preferably of a wood block, as at ij, covered at the edges by a metal frame or facing, as at ij, to resist wear and promote durability.

To lugs 12 n on the back of the clamp-plateB there are connected the extremities of a bentwire clip, N, to which is connected one end of aspiral spring, 0, the other end of which is attached to the bolt F. The spring normally contracts and tends to draw the clamp-plates A B toward each other. Any other form of spring having a like effect may be employed. \Vhen the nut M is unscrewed toward the extremity of the bolt L, the spring 0, by drawing on the plates A B, separates the wedges I J, as in Fig. 2, and when the nut M is screwed onto or along the bolt L, when the bolts F G are tightened, the prcsser-block H or slide-bar H will be forced forward against the work to be clamped.

The plate A is provided with suitable slots or openings, through which the spring 0 and the sides of the clip N may pass.

\Vhen frames or other objects having moldings or projections on their outer sides are to be clamped, removable blocks of like shape may be interposed between the objects and the presser-bloeks of the clamp.

The operation is as follows: We will suppose a square or rectangular piece of joined work-such as a picture-framcis to be held by the clampframe and clamps shown in Fig. 1. The nuts M of all the clamps will be unscrewed to allow separation of the clampwedges I J, and the clamps on the frame-bars C C will he slid along them to cause two opposite sides of the picture-frame to be held between the fra1ne-bars C H, whereupon the bolts F G of theclamps on the bars 0 C will be tightened to hold these clamps against back movement. The two clamps on the frame-bars O H then will he slid along the bars until the other two sides of the pictureframe are confined between the bar 0 and the resser-blocks H H of these clamps. If, now, the nuts M of all four clamps are tightened, the slide-bar H and presscr-blocks H H will be forced inward, and the picture-frame will be clamped at all four of its sides simultaneously, as will readily be understood. The block H of the single clamp on the bar 0 in Fig. 4 will be pressed toward the foot-block H, fixed to the bar, when the nut M is tightened, to clamp work being glue-jointed or otherwise fastened between the blocks H H It is obvious that theclamps thus may be used on a barfrarne or on a single bar, and are adapted to clamp a large variety of work requiring joining or gluing in many branches of trade; but the clamps are designed more particularly for wood-workers use.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination, in,a clamp, of plates A B, having opposing inclined faces, as at a b a b, said plate A provided with means for binding it to a clamp-bar, and said bar and said plate B provided with a presser block or bar, wedges, as at I J, fitted between the plates A B, and a bolt, L, passed through the wedges and provided with a nut, M, substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, in a clamp, of a bar, as at 0, plates A B, having opposing inclined faces a b, grip-plates D D, and bolts F G, adapted to hold the plate A to bar 0, gripplates E, holding the plate B to bar 0. wedges, as at I J, fitted between plates A B, and a bolt, L, passed through the wedges and provided with a nut, M, substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination, in a clamp, of a bar, as at 0, plates A B, having opposing inclined faces a b, grip plates D D E E, and bolts F G, holding the plates A B to the bar 0, elastic or yielding connections-such as a clip, N, and spring O-arranged to draw the plates A B toward each other, wedges I J, fitted between plates A B, and a bolt, L, passed through the wedges and provided with a nut, M, substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

4. In combination, a clamp-bar, G, movable clamp-head H, held to the bar, a plate, A, having flanges "a grip-plates D D, having shoulders cl, bolts F G in the plates D A, beveled blocks I J, interposed between the opposing beveled faces of the plate A and head H, and a device for drawing the blocks I J toward each other, substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination, with a clamp-bar, as at O, a clamp-plate, A, held rigidly to the bar, a movable plate, B, opposite plate A, and adapted to hold a clamping-head, as at H, wedge-blocks I J, placed between plates A B, and a device for drawing the blocks I J toward each other, of block-retaining lips K on the plates A B, substantially as shown and described.

6. The combination, in a clamping device, of a series of bars, 0 H C" O O, clamps comprising pairs of plates A B, wedge-blocks I J, interposed between the plates, and bolts and nuts L M, substantially as specified, said bar H being attached to the plates B of opposite clamps on the bars 0" G to move with said plates, and said bars 0 H also carrying clamps having resser-blocks H H, adapted for movement toward the bar 0", substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

FREDERICK FREEMAN HOUSTON.

Witnesses:

MATT. \V. PINKERTON, JOHN J. Cnown.