AU2004237803A1

AU2004237803A1 - Clamping hand tool

Info

Publication number: AU2004237803A1
Application number: AU2004237803A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Lloyd Linson-Smith
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-12-18
Filing date: 2004-12-09
Publication date: 2005-07-07

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: "CLAMPING HAND TOOL" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 01

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STITLE: CLAMPING HAND TOOL CBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention 0 THIS INVENTION relates to a clamping hand tool.

en o 5 The invention is particularly suitable for, but not limited to, a 00

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clamping hand tool for use in forming wire clamps for joining sections of ci So flexible pipe to similar pipe, or to rigid or semi-rigid pipe after removal of c damaged sections (for repair), or to connect respective links of such pipe).

The invention also relates to a method of forming a wire clamp; a wire clamp made by the method; and a pipe joint incorporating the clamp.

Throughout the specification, the term "wire" shall include mono-filament or multi-filament wires, finely woven cables (preferably under mm diameter) and the like.

The term "pipe" shall include pipe, conduit, line, tube and equivalents thereof.

The term "flexible pipe" shall include pipe manufactured of plastics material PVC, polythene, polypropylene, ABS), elastomeric materials natural rubber, synthetic rubber; relatively soft (or deformable) metal; and combinations of same, which may or may not include reinforcing fibres, cords, layers or the like; and equivalents thereof.

2. Prior Art Polythene pipe (so-called "poly pipe") has found ready acceptance, especially in rural areas, for distribution systems for water and other liquids. As the pipes can be positioned in long lengths, drawn from 2

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0 N reels and laid in trenches which are dug and filled as the pipe is laid, they are C particularly suitable for connecting water sources, junctions and equipment animal watering troughs) which are spaced apart.

Polythene pipe has also found ready acceptance in garden O 5 installations, eg., for micro-irrigation systems.

00 n Typically, sections of pipe are connected to the irrigation fittings by forcing the ends of the pipes over one or more peripheral flanges on the N fittings to achieve a seal therebetween. To improve the sealing, different types of clamps may be applied about the pipe ends, but the clamps presently available are either relatively expensive and/or subject to failure.

AU-2001-28125 (Linson-Smith) discloses its pipe joining method and apparatus where a pipe joiner and wire clamps enable a pair of pipe lengths to be joined together when their free ends are spaced apart a distance within an allowable range, eg., 5-150mm. The document discloses forming the wire clamps where the wire is tensioned by the "CLAMP-IT" (Trade Mark) tools sold by Super Drill Sales (Oakey, Queensland, Australia).

While the method and apparatus has achieved commercial success, it is possible to provide a simpler tool to tension the wire forming the clamps.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a clamping tool suitable for tensioning the wire forming wire clamps used to join sections of pipe together.

It is a preferred object of the present invention to provide such a tool which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and which is easy to *3 0 0use, while ensuring an effective wire clamp is formed.

oIt is a further preferred object of the present invention to provide a simple method of forming a wire clamp for joining sections of pipe 0 together.

S5 Other preferred objects of the present invention will become

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apparent from the following description.

ci In one aspect, the present invention resides in a clamping 0 0hand tool for tensioning wire forming a wire clamp, about a pipe joint or the like, the tool including: a pair of jaws, pivotally connected together; at least one wire guide at or adjacent a distal end of each of the jaws; at least one wire anchor on each jaw operable to releasably engage the wire; and handle means connected to the jaws, and operable to move the jaws from a first, relatively closely-spaced, position to a second, relatively distant, position, to cause the wire, wrapped at least once around the pipe joint or the like, to be tensioned.

Preferably, rotation of the handles, through at least 180 about a longitudinal axis of the tool, causes end portions of the wire to be locked together to maintain the tension applied to the wire by the tool.

Preferably, the wire guides are slots or recesses in the distal ends of the jaws, preferably respectively inclined to the axis of the pivotal connection between the jaws, so that the guides form a (preferably shallow) 1" 4 0 V-shape in end view.

ci C Preferably, the wire anchors include convergent slots on the Couter side faces of the jaws, or on extensions on the jaws, for releasable 0 wedging engagement with respective end portions of the wires. The S5 extensions may comprise replaceable wedge plates releasably attached to

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the jaws.

Preferably, the handles are formed integrally with the jaws; and 0 0 each jaw/handle pair may be provided with a lug, so arranged that the pair of lugs are connected together to provide the pivotal connection. Preferably, the handle means are outwardly divergent from the pivotal connection, in plan view, so that the handles can be squeezed (or drawn) together to cause the jaws to move from the first position to the second position to tension the wire.

In a second aspect, the present invention resides in a method of making a wire clamp for a pipe joint or the like using the tool hereinbefore described including the steps of: cutting a piece of wire, to form the wire clamp, to a desired length; engaging one end portion of the wire in one of the wire anchors and engaging the wire in the guide means of the adjacent jaw; winding the wire at least once around the pipes to be joined together; engaging the wire in the guide means of the second of the jaw with the jaws in the first position; engaging the other end portion of the wire in the second of the wire anchors;

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0 Noperating the handles to cause the jaws to move from the first o position to the second position to tension the wire about the pipe joint; and rotating the tool at least 1800 about the longitudinal axis of the 0 tool to cause the respective end portions of the wire to form hook-like formations to lock the end portions together and maintain the tension in the 00 wire clamp.

SPreferably, after the tool is released from the wire, any excess 0 wire in the end portions is removed, eg., by cutters or pliers.

In a third aspect, the present invention resides in a wire clamp formed by the method of the second aspect; and in fourth and fifth aspects, the present invention resides in a pipe joint where the pipes are connected by the wire clamp formed by the method of the second aspect and by the wire clamp of the third aspect, respectively.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS To enable the invention to be fully understood, preferred embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a plan view of the clamping hand tool shown with the jaws in the first position (solid lines); and with one of the jaws moved to the second position (broken lines); FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tool; and FIGS. 3 to 6 illustrate respective steps of the use of the tool to form a wire clamp joining two sections of pipe together.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE 6 0 SPREFERRED

EMBODIMENTS

C The clamping hand tool 10 has a pair of jaws 11 12, each integrally formed with a respective handle 13, 14, where each jaw/handle pair 11, 13 and 12, 14 has a respective lug 15, 16 pivotally connected together by a pivot pin 17.

00oO As shown more clearly in FIG. 2, each jaw 11, 12 has a wire en guide 18, 19 formed by a slot (or recess) at the distal end of the jaws 11, 12.

C The wire guides 18, 19 are angularly inclined so as to have a substantially shallow V-shape when viewed in end view.

A respective wire anchor 20, 21 is provided for each jaw 11, 12 and incorporates a wedge plate 22, 23, preferably of tool steel, with a convergent slot 24, 25 for wedging engagement with respective end portions of the wire to be tensioned. The wedge plates 22, 23 are releasabiy mounted on the jaws 11, 12 by locking studs 26.

Preferably, the tool is manufactured from mild steel and the tips (or distal ends) of the jaws 11 12 are case-hardened after the wire guides 18, 19 have been machined in the distal ends of the jaws.

The wedge plates are preferably annealed spring steel which are heat-treated to a hardness of 45-48 Rockwell C.

The operation of the tool will now be described with reference to the method of forming a sealed joint between two flexible polythene) pipe sections 101, 102.

A piece of wire 30, eg., stainless steel wire, of 0.9 to 2.Oillli diameter, is cut to t he desired length for the intended wire clamp to be 1" 7

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0 formed.

O Referring to FIG. 3, one end portion 31 of the wire 30 is bent N into a hook-like formation and engaged in, eg., slot 24 of the wedge plate 22 0 and then laid in the wire guide 18 of adjacent jaw 11.

o 5 Referring now to FIG. 4, and with the jaws 11, 12 in the first 00

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(relatively closely-spaced) position, the wire 30 is wrapped around the joint 100 between the overlapping pipes 101, 102 at least one turn. (It has been N found in practice that at least two turns are preferable; and that if the wire is wound three or more turns, the tension in the wire will pull the wire into an even winding pattern about the joint 100.) Referring now to FIG. 5, the other end portion 32 of the wire is engaged in the guide 19 in jaw 12 and then is engaged in the slot 25 in wedge plate 23 and is bent over to form a hook-like formation.

The handles 13, 14 are then squeezed (or drawn) together from the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 1 to the position where the handles 13, 14 are closely adjacent (see the broken line position of handle 14 in FIG. The movement of the handles causes the jaws 1 1 12 to move (apart) to the second (relatively distant) position to cause the wire about the pipe joint 100 to be tensioned (and clamp pipe 101 in sealing engagement with pipe 102).

As shown in FIG. 6, the tool 10 is raised to a position so that it is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pipes 101, 102 and is then rotated about at least 1800 about the longitudinal axis of the tool so that hook-like formations 33, 34 are formed in the wire to prevent the *8

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0 tension in the wire 30 being released.

ci C Handles 13, 14 are moved apart to enable the jaws 11, 12 to CT move towards each other to release the tension in the end portions 31,32 of 0 the wire 30 to enable the tool 10 to then be released from the end portions.

S5 The end portions 31, 32 may then be cut, eg., with pliers or side cutters; and 00

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the hook-like portions 33, 34 may be bent down to complete the wire clamp SIt has been found from experimentation that the sharp bending of the hook-like portions 33, 34 in the wire clamp 35, prevents the tension in the wire clamp 35 from being released unless acted upon by some external tool.

It is preferable that the wire clamp 35 has at least two turns of wire 30 about the wire joint 100 as it generates two lines of seal between the pipes 101,102 one complete line of seal and one interrupted line of seal.

Where the pipes 101,102 are, eg., soft rubber, it is preferable that the wire clamp 35 has at least three turns of wire 30 to increase the number of lines of seal and testing has shown that the tension in each turn is very even.

In a modified embodiment of the tool (not shown), the wire can be fed from a wire spool rotatabiy mounted on one of the handles via a ratchet mounting. The wire 30 can be drawn from the spool, passed through one of the slots 24, 25 and located in the adjacent wire guide 18, 19 on the jaw 11 12; then wound around the pipes 101, 102; laid in the other wire guide 18, 19, and the free end engaged with the other slot 24, 25. The spool can be locked and the handles 13, 14 operated to tension the wire 30 in the 9 0 0 wire clamp 35. The wire clamp 35 is cut free from the wire on the wire spool, ci C) and the tool 10 is then ready for forming the next wire clamp C" It will be readily apparent to the skilled addressee that the 0 dimensions of the tool 10 can be varied to suit different intended operations; S5 and by varying the relevant effective distances of the Jaws 11, 12 from the 00

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pivot pin 17 relative to the lengths of the handles 13, 14, the range of tensions which may be applied to the wire 30 can be varied to suit different N intended installations (or different wire strengths for, eg., galvanised or plain wire).

The embodiments described and illustrated are by way of example only and various changes, modifications and variations may be made thereto without departing from the present invention.

Claims

2. A tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein: rotation of the handles, through at least 1800 about a longitudinal axis of the tool, causes end portions of the wire to be locked together to maintain the tension applied to the wire by the tool.
3. A tool as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein: the wire guides are slots or recesses in the distal ends of the jaws, respectively inclined to the axis of the pivotal connection between the jaws, so that the guides form a shallow V-shape in end view.
4. A tool as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: the wire anchors include convergent slots on the outer side faces of the jaws, or on extensions on the jaws, for releasable wedging engagement with respective end portions of the wires, and the extensions optionally comprise replaceable wedge plates releasably attached to the jaws. A tool as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 4, wherein: 11 0 0 the handles are formed integrally with the jaws; and each jaw/handle pair is provided with a lug, so arranged that the pair of lugs are connected together to provide the pivotal connection.
6. A tool as claimed in claim 5, wherein: the handle means are outwardly divergent from the pivotal 0 OO connection, in plan view, so that the handles can be squeezed or drawn together to cause the jaws to move from the first position to the second o position to tension the wire. S7. A method of making a wire clamp for a pipe joint or the like, using the tool of any one of the claims 1 to 6, including the steps of: cutting a piece of wire, to form the wire clamp, to a desired length; engaging one end portion of the wire in one of the wire anchors and engaging the wire in the guide means of the adjacent jaw; winding the wire at least once around the pipes to be joined together; engaging the wire in the guide means of the second of the jaw with the jaws in the first position; engaging the other end portion of the wire in the second of the wire anchors; operating the handles to cause the jaws to move from the first position to the second position to tension the wire about the pipe joint; and rotating the tool at least 1800 about the longitudinal axis of the tool to cause the respective end portions of the wire to form hook-like formations to lock the end portions together and maintain the tension in the wire clamp.
8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein: after the tool is released from the wire, any excess wire in the 12 0 c end portions is removed. C) 9. A wire clamp for a pipe joint or the like formed by the method of claim 7 or claim 8. A wire clamp for a pipe joint or the like formed using the tool of n 5 any one of claims 1 to 6. O 11. A pipe joint formed by the method of claims 7 or claim 8. N 12. A pipe joint formed using the tool of anyone of claims 1 to 6.
13. A pipe joint incorporating the wire clamp of claim 9 or claim
14. A clamping hand tool substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. A method of making a wire clamp substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
16. A wire clamp for a pipe joint substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
17. A pipe joint substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this Ninth day of December 2004. LLOYD LINSON-SMITH By his Patent Attorneys FISHER ADAMS KELLY