US3704014A

US3704014A - Quick adjusting c-clamp

Info

Publication number: US3704014A
Application number: US113557A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert F Keene
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-02-08
Filing date: 1971-02-08
Publication date: 1972-11-28
Anticipated expiration: 1989-11-28

Abstract

A C-clamp comprising a C-shaped frame embodying a pair of arms having similar ends joined by a bight portion. One of the arms, similar to an ordinary C-clamp, has a terminal anvil constituting a stationary clamping jaw. The other arm has first and second slots to accommodate an elongated screw. This screw has the usual swivelly mounted head on one end adapted to be lined up with and moved toward and from the stationary jaw and it in effect is a movable jaw. A screw mounting and end thrust nut is threaded on the median portion of the screw and is shiftably, adjustably and operatively mounted in one of the slots by way of a nut receiving and keying pocket. A notched wall of the pocket receives and permits the screw to be positioned for adjustment or release for quick manual adjustment of the nut on the screw.

Description

Umted States Patent 1151 3,704,014

Keene [451 Nov. 28, 1972 QUICK ADJUSTING C-CLAMP [57] ABSTRACT Inventor; Roller! Keene, BOX C001, A C-clamp comprising a C-shaped frame embodying a Callfi 95614 pair of arms having similar ends joined by a bight por- 22 Filed: Feb. 8, 197 tiOIl. One Of the arms, to an ordinary C-clamp,

[21] Appl. No.: 113,557

521 US. Cl ..269/249, 269/172 51 Int. c1 ..B25b 1/12, B25b 5/10 581 Field of Search ..269/143, 172, 179, 180, 189,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,156,195 4/1939 Robillard ..269/249 x 3,147,003 9/1964 Johnson ..269/249 x Primary Examiner-Travis S. McGehee Assistant ExaminerNeil Abrams AttorneyClarence A. OBrien and Harvey B. Jacobson has a terminal anvil constituting a stationary clamping 1 jaw. The other arm has first and second slots to accommodate an elongated screw. This screw has the usual swivelly mounted head on one end adapted to be lined up with and moved toward and from the stationary jaw and it in effect is a movable jaw. A screw mounting and end thrust nut is threaded on the median portion of the screw and is shiftably, adjustably and operatively mounted in one of the slots by way of a nut receiving and keying pocket. A notched wall of the pocket receives and permits the screw to be positioned for adjustment or release for quick manual adjustment of the nut on the screw.

PATENTEU N UV 28 I972 Fig. 2

III

animal! Robert E Keene 1.\'I.\'TOR.

BY @Maaiu QUICK ADJUSTING C-CLAMP The present invention relates to a C-clamp of the type wherein the laterally directed ends of the frame are fashioned into and provide jaws which straddle the workpiece and wherein a screw is adjustably mounted on one of the jaws and pertains more particularly to a construction and an arrangement wherein the screw is threaded through a nut and the nut is adjustable for quick adjusting purposes.

Persons conversant with the state of the art to which the present invention relates are aware that rapid adjusting and quick acting work clamping screws are old and well known. While several exemplary patents could be cited here for background purposes it will suffice, it is submitted, to mention but two prior patents, that is, the William C. Kenworthy et al. C-clamp US. Pat. No. 2,576,904, and the quick acting screw actuated clamping device disclosed in a U.S. Pat. No. 2,463,263 issued to William Gordon. Gordon is cited because of the fact that, similar to the disclosed invention, it has a conventional stationary jaw and an opposed jaw construction which has slot means and nut means cooperable with the slot means to accommodate a quick acting screw, that is one which can be rapidly set and adjusted for time and labor savingpurposes.

An object of the present invention, generally stated,

is to improve upon prior art C-clamps in that novel means is provided for reliable and quick-change results.

Briefly the C-frame resembles similarly constructed performing frames in the C-clamp art and, as above suggested, one arm is fashioned into and provides a more or less common stationary jaw. The other am is unique in that it has longitudinal slot means therein, more particularly, an upper or inner first slot which is shorter than and narrower than the second or bottom slot. The bottom slot is such that it permits the nutequipped screw to be quickly shifted and moved into a non-captive position in such a manner that the then accessible nut on the median portion of the screw can be quickly adjusted and set and then returned to and lodged in a keying pocket provided therefor at one end of the second or wide slot. To the ends desired the pocket snugly receives and firmly holds an ordinary square nut and one wall of the pocket has a kerf or notch formed therein which serves to accommodate the coacting threaded portion of the screw.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a quick adjusting C- clamp constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and showing the aforementioned nut-equipped screw in its Work clamping position.

FIG. 2 is a view on an enlarged scale and in side elevation with parts in section and elevation showing the details and their construction and arrangement and showing the screw in adjusting position in full lines and in freed or idle position in phantom lines.

FIG. 3 is a section taken approximately on the plane of the horizontal section line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

And FIG. 4 is a similar horizontal section taken approximately on the plane of the line 4--4 of FIG. 2.

With reference now to the views of the drawing singly and collectively the aforementioned C-shaped frame is of one piece construction and is denoted by the numeral 6 and, generally stated, resembles the C- frame of clamps in this field of endeavor and which are commonly in use. The upper stationary jaw or arm is denoted at 8 and has a terminal end portion 10 fashioned into a disk-like anvil 12 which constitutes the aforementioned stationary jaw. The bottom laterally. directed arm, also sometimes referred to as the second jaw is here designated by the numeral 14 and is relatively heavy and of elongated block-like form and has an upper or inner surface 16 and a bottom or outer surface 18. It is this part of the frame which embodies the structural features which function as is perhaps best shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. The slot means comprises a first relatively narrow elongated slot 20 one closed end portion of which is denoted at 22 and is located so that it is in alignment with the anvil or jaw 12. The slot 20 is of requisite length and of a width to properly orient with and accommodate the adjusting and clamping screw 24. This screw is of requisite length and has an upper swivelly mounted disk 26 thereon which opposed to the jaw 12 and in effect constitutes the adjustable or relatively movable jaw. The aforementioned end thrust nut on the intermediate threads is denoted at 28. The lower end 30 of this screw is provided with a passage or hole 32 to accommodate the rod portion 34 of the screw turning handle. It will be noted that the nut 28 is square and of requisite size. In actual practice this nut could be of some shape other than that shown and would accomplish the same purposes under which circumstances the cooperative features would vary to accommodate the shape and size of the nut. The second or bottom slot is denoted at 36 and is significantly wider than the top slot and is in effect slightly longer at the right hand end, that is, the end portion 38.

It will be evident that the two

slots

20 and 36 permit the nut equipped screw 24 to be adjusted lengthwise in the slot and at right angles thereto in a manner to achieve the full line position shown in FIG. 2 as well as the phantom line nut adjusting position shown in the same view. Then too it will be evident that the width of the first slot 20 is such that it snugly embraces the screw but allows the screw to be shifted and adjusted from right to left and vice versa. The relatively wide slot 36 serves to permit adjustment not only of the screw but also the nut 28 which is carried by the screw in a manner to accomplish the in-use and out-of-use positions illustrated in FIG. 2. For best results it has been found practical and desirable to provide the right hand end portion of the second slot 36 with a substantially rectangular or square receiving and keying pocket for the nut 28, that is, a pocket in which the nut 28 can be lodged in the manner illustrated with particularity in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. With the nut nested or lodged in the pocket it is held against rotation and consequently the screw can be adjusted by the handle means to move the movable jaw 26 toward and from I the stationary jaw 12. It should be noted that one wall of the pocket, for example the wall 40 is forked, that is, is provided with a notch whose arms are denoted at 42. This notched construction serves to permit the screw to be fully nested in the closed end of the notch while the end thrust nut is lodged in the pocket 38. It follows that when the nut is in the pocket as shown in full lines the screw 24 can be adjusted to regulate and maintain the position of the jaws l2 and 26 in a generally well known manner. When one desires to make a rapid or quick adjustment all that is necessary is to bodily shift the nut and screw from the fullline position to the phantom line position shown in FIG. 2. The swivelly mounted head 26 is wider than the slot so that it cannot pass through the

slots

20 and 36. On the other hand the screw can drop down to the position shown to render the nut available for quick manual adjustment needs after which the nut can be slipped back into the pocket and two .or three turns can be imparted to the screw to achieve the work clamping result (not shown).

Novelty is predicated, in part, on the specially constructed arm 14 and the screw mounting and end thrust nut 28 threaded on and carried by the screw 24 and with the combination nut and screw shiftably and adjustably and operatively mounted in the slot means, that is, in a manner which permits the screw and the nut thereon to be retentively keyed in the captive position shown for clamping use in FIG. 2 and then bodily shifted to a free or non-captive position as shown at the left in phantom lines so that quick adjustment of the nut on the screw can be accomplished, after which the nut can be readily restored to its captive state for clamping purposes.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A C-clamp comprising a rigid C-shaped frame embodying a pair of spaced opposed arms having like ends cooperatively joined by a complemental bight portion, one of said arms having a terminal anvil constituting a stationary workpiece abutting and clamping jaw, said other arm having slot means, an elongated screw having a median portion cooperable with said slot means, said screw having a swivelly mounted head on one end which is designed and adapted to be moved toward said stationary jaw and which constitutes a movable jaw and having handle means at its other end, and a screw mounting and end thrust nut threaded on and carried by said screw and shiftably, adjustably and operatively mounted in said slot means in a manner permitting the screw and the nut thereon to be retentively keyed in a captive position for clamping use or, alternatively, bodily shifted to a free non-captive position so that quick adjustment of the nut on the screw can be acparallel to said first slot, the width of said first slot being slightly greater than the transverse cross-sectional dimension of said screw and permitting the screw to be snugly fitted but manually slid from one to the other end of said first slot, said second slot being of a width capable of being (1) selectively nested and firmly lodged to permit the screw to be turned relative to said nut and thus adjusted and (2) bodily freed in a manner to permit the nut to be quickly screwed by hand to a desired place on said screw and then replaced for retention in said keying pocket.

3. The C-ciarnp defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein one end of the second slot is oriented and aligned with said clamping jaw and isprovided with a nut receiving and keying pocket in which said nut is capable of being (1) selectively nested and firmly lodged to permit the screw to be turned relative to said nut and thus adjusted and (2) bodily freed in a manner to permit the nut to be quickly screwed by hand to a desired place on said screw and then replaced for retention in said keying pocket, said pocket corresponding in sahpe and size to the shape and size of said nut.

4. The C-clamp defined in and according to claim 3, and wherein said pocket embodies a bottom wall having an open-ended notch in which a portion of said screw can be removably seated when the nut is lodged in said pocket for screw-adjusting purposes.

5. A C-clamp comprising a rigid C-shaped frame embodying a pair of spaced opposed arms having ends joined by a complemental bight portion, one of said arms terminating in an anvil like head constituting a stationary workpiece abutting and clamping jaw, the other arm having first and second slots formed therein,

complished and the nut can then be readily restored to the first slot being narrower and shorter than the second slot, the second slot being of the width to accommodate the size of the nut which is cooperable therewith, said second slot being provided at one end with a nut receiving, accommodating and keying pocket, an elongated screw having a median portion cooperable with said slots and passing operably through the slots and having a swivelly mounted head on one end which is designed and adapted to be moved toward and from the stationary jaw and which constitutes a movable jaw, and a screw mounting end thrust nut carried by the median threaded portion of said screw, saidnut being normally lodged and keyed for operation in a pocket at the end of the second slot, said pocket being substantially square in configuration and said nut being correspondingly square and nested retentive'ly in said pocketwhen the nut is being used, said pocket being provided with a wall and said wall having a notch therein aligned with said'pocket and adapted to accommodatingly receive that portion of the screw which is cooperable therewith.

Claims

1. A C-clamp comprising a rigid C-shaped frame embodying a pair of spaced opposed arms having like ends cooperatively joined by a complemental bight portion, one of said arms having a terminal anvil constituting a stationary workpiece abutting and clamping jaw, said other arm having slot means, an elongated screw having a median portion cooperable with said slot means, said screw having a swivelly mounted head on one end which is designed and adapted to be moved toward said stationary jaw and which constitutes a movable jaw and having handle means at its other end, and a screw mounting and end thrust nut threaded on and carried by said screw and shiftably, adjustably and operatively mounted in said slot means in a manner permitting the screw and the nut thereon to be retentively keyed in a captive position for clamping use or, alternatively, bodily shifted to a free noncaptive position so that quick adjustment of the nut on the screw can be accomplished and the nut can then be readily restored to its captive workpiece clamping position, wherein said slot means embodying a first inwardly disposed slot and a second outwardly disposed slot aligned with and parallel to said first slot, the width of said first slot being slightly greater than the transverse cross-sectional dimension of said screw and permitting the screw to be snugly fitted but manually slid from one to the other end of said first slot, said second slot being of a width which permits the screw and the nut thereon to be freely slid back and forth therein.

2. The C-clamp defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein one end of the second slot is oriented and aligned with said clamping jaw and is provided with a nut receiving and keying pocket in which said nut is capable of being (1) selectively nested and firmly lodged to permit the screw to be turned relative to said nut and thus adjusted and (2) bodilY freed in a manner to permit the nut to be quickly screwed by hand to a desired place on said screw and then replaced for retention in said keying pocket.

3. The C-clamp defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein one end of the second slot is oriented and aligned with said clamping jaw and is provided with a nut receiving and keying pocket in which said nut is capable of being (1) selectively nested and firmly lodged to permit the screw to be turned relative to said nut and thus adjusted and (2) bodily freed in a manner to permit the nut to be quickly screwed by hand to a desired place on said screw and then replaced for retention in said keying pocket, said pocket corresponding in sahpe and size to the shape and size of said nut.

5. A C-clamp comprising a rigid C-shaped frame embodying a pair of spaced opposed arms having ends joined by a complemental bight portion, one of said arms terminating in an anvil like head constituting a stationary workpiece abutting and clamping jaw, the other arm having first and second slots formed therein, the first slot being narrower and shorter than the second slot, the second slot being of the width to accommodate the size of the nut which is cooperable therewith, said second slot being provided at one end with a nut receiving, accommodating and keying pocket, an elongated screw having a median portion cooperable with said slots and passing operably through the slots and having a swivelly mounted head on one end which is designed and adapted to be moved toward and from the stationary jaw and which constitutes a movable jaw, and a screw mounting end thrust nut carried by the median threaded portion of said screw, said nut being normally lodged and keyed for operation in a pocket at the end of the second slot, said pocket being substantially square in configuration and said nut being correspondingly square and nested retentively in said pocket when the nut is being used, said pocket being provided with a wall and said wall having a notch therein aligned with said pocket and adapted to accommodatingly receive that portion of the screw which is cooperable therewith.