US562862A - Clamping device - Google Patents

Description

- (Model.)

J. H. STOGKHAM.

GLAMPING DEVICE.

No. 562,862. Patented June 30, i896.

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JAMES nT sTooKHAM, or nEs MOINES, IowA.

CLAM PING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 562,862, dated June 30, 1896.

Application tiled December 23, 1895. Serial No. 573,134. (Model.)

To o-ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, JAMES H. STOCKHAM, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Bedclothes-Clamp, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a cheap, simple, and durable clamp adapted to be secured to the side pieces of a bed or crib and to admitbedclothes to be clamped therein.

A further object is to provide a ,clamp that is automatically adjustable, so that clothes of any thickness may be clamped therein, and which will automatically lock itself in any posit-ion in which it is placed.

To this end my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a top View of the clamp. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same shown in an open position by dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a top View of a modified form of clamp, its operation also being illustrated by dotted lines.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the reference-letter A is used to designate the block upon which the device is secured. Said block may be secured in any ordinary manner to the side pieces of a bedstead or the device may be secured directly to said side pieces without the use of a block.

The part designated by the reference-letter B is composed of two parallel side pieces with their ends bent iirst inwardly, then at right angles at B2, extending beneath the said side pieces,which side pieces are inclined upwardly from their forward ends toward their rear ends, for purposes hereinafter explained. Staples B3 secure the end portions of the parts B to the block, the right-angled portion B2 on the ends of said part being allowed a slight vertical ilexion. The central portion of this The forward end of said lpart C is designed to just clear said central portion B4. It will now be seen that the pivotal point of the part C is somewhat beneath the rear ends of the parallel side pieces of the part B, and that the forward end of the part C will pass below the forward end of the part B when in a closed position, and that they will form two jaws adapted to admit bedclothes between them. rlhese jaws are operated by the following device:

D designates a piece of wire bent in a form convenient to be grasped by a persons hand, and having the loops D2, formed in its ends, adapted to encircle the side pieces of both of the aforesaid jaws, so that when the part D is drawn forwardly the jaws will be drawn together and firmly held, and when at the rearward limit of its stroke the jaws will be forced apart, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, by means of the upward incline of the sides of the part B. It will also be obvious that the device will be practically locked when in any position, as pressure applied to the ends of the jaws will not be sufficient to separate them, as they can only be separated or drawn together by moying the-loops D2 longitudinally, and thus compeiling the sides C to follow the upward inoline of the sides B.

The operation of the jaws will be more readily understood by'reference to Fig. 2, which shows a side elevation of the clamp with the jaws in a closed position and by dotted lines in an open position.

It will be understood that the side pieces B of the fixed jaw incline from the jaw proper upwardly and that the side pieces C of the movable jaw arestraight and are pivoted at their ends to swing in a vertical plane. The handle D, having two loops D2, is slidingly mounted with its loops overlapping the said side pieces B and C. Therefore said side pieces will be held close together at the point where the loops encircle them, although they cannot at any time lie in the same horizontal plane. The forward ends of the side pieces B of the fixed jaw are close tothe block or base. Therefore when said loops are at their forward limits the hinged jaw mus-t be close to the base, that is, in the position shown in solid lines. Then when said loops are moved rearwardly they follow the upward incline of the fixed side pieces B and are elevated above the block or base. The side piecesCof the hinged jaw are pivoted at their rear ends and extended through said loops. Hence When the loops are in an elevated position said side pieces must be elevated in order to assume aposition in line with the pivotal point of the side pieces Q and the elevated position of the loops D2, that is, in the position illustrated by dotted lines.

By attaching the ends of the movable jaw to the ends B2 it willbe obvious that by reason of the resilience of the metal forming said ends a slight movement of said jaws relative to each other is permitted, so that when clothes of dierent thicknesses are admitted between the jaws they Will automatically adjust themselves.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 3 the part D is extended rearwardly from the loops D2, so that when used in a horizontal plane the jaws may be separated by pulling'rearwardly upon the said part and be brought together by pushing it forwardly.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is-

l. A bedclothes-clamp, comprising a fixed and a hinged jaw each having parallel side pieces, the one fixed to a stationary support and the other hinged to a like support the side pieces of one jaw being inclined upwardly relative to the other side pieces, and a handle having the loops formed therein adapted to encircle said side pieces, to operate substantially as, and for the purposes, stated.

2. A bedclothes-clamp, comprising a piece of wire having parallel side pieces, its ends bent at right angles at B2 and its central porparallel side pieces and its ends extended at right angles to the side pieces, for the purposes stated, a second part having its ends hinged to said straight ends and its sides extended parallel With the aforesaid side pieces but in divergent planes, and loops to overlap said side pieces, substantially as, and for the purposes, stated.

JAMES H. STOCKHAM.

lVitnesses:

J. RALPH ORWIG, THOMAS G. ORWIG.

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