US2648242A - Gripping device with pivoted actuator and having pawl and rack locking means - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 11, 1953 L. M. WALTER GRIPPING DEVICE WITH PIVOTED ACTUATOR AND HAVING PAWL AND RACK LOCKING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 22, 1952 INVENTOR. Lou s N War/fer BY flTTOR/VE) Aug. 11, 1953 M, WALTER 2,648,242

GRIPPING DEVICE WITH PIVOTED ACTUATOR AND HAVING PAWL AND RACK LOCKING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 22, 1952 5 mu H a w u A 3 a n. n 6 W H n w 4 umflw u 1"" *7 w a 0 -v a a w Patented Aug. 11, 1953 UNITED STA-res PATENT OFFICE GRIPFING DEVICE WITH .PIVOTED ACTU- ATOR AND HAVING 'PAWL AND RACK LOCKING 'MEAN S e Milton Walter, Biepublicfwa sh. Application-May 22, 1952 Serial*No. 289,-306

.eo a'imjs. (01. 31 -19) .,';Th. .$.;inventin ..;rel a t.es to, ;an,impro ved pressure applying means which may beincorpor-ated in am vi e, ou war .m or c amp smoth devices in which pressure must be applied in order to .firmly grip an object.

Qne object of the invention is to providea pressure applying. device .of such construction that .a pressure applying arm may be very easily moved to 'a pressure applying position where it isheld by'action of :a wedge under control of a handle .slidably. mounted .for movement along h rr su pplyin arm,

.Another object of theinvention is to so mount the wedge. and so connect it with the handle that when thehandle is pressed upon to tilt the arm and slidfalong the arm, ,a .springbetween the handle and .the wedge will be tensionedby longitudinal pressure and vthus caused to firmlybe held inengagement with teeth of a rack and prevented from slipping out of'a position in which it has firm gripping engagement with ,therack. .Another object of .the invention, is to provide improved pressure applying means which is particularlyadapted. for use in connection with a. vise havin a p -en a in chain i ngs m which. p o ect .fromane d of t ha n and is tiltably engaged. with an arm pivoted to abase carrying stationary jaws with which the chain cooperates to tightly grip a pipe.

The. invention is illustratedin the accompanying drawings wherein: t v a Figure 1 is aside elevation of .a pipe vise provided withpressure applying means of the im- Drovedconstructionl 7 it Figure .2 is a fragmentary view inside elevation of the pressure applying means shown in 'Figure 1.

Fieur .3 i j to p an view. o th p p v s shpwninEigure 1, a portion of the handle being r k npfiv Figure 4 is a fragment ary sectional view taken longitudinally through the handle and the sleeve in which the handle is mounted.

t Figure 5 is a view in elevation showing the pressure applying means incorporated in a clamp for an outboard motor.

. Figure 6 is-a modification of -the bolt or plunger shown in Figure 35.

Thepipe vise with'which the improved pressure applying means has been .shownincorporated in Figures 1 and '3 has a baseplate l, and

referringto Figure '3,it;wi1l be seenthat one end portion of this base plate is formed with openings, 2 to receive bolts or screws by means of which the vise is secured upona workbench B. A tongue 3 extends from a side ofqthfiz ther end portion of the base plate. Thisrtqngue projects from an edgeof the work bench upon which the base plate is secured and the under face of the tongue iisqformed-with a plurality of transversely extending teeth forming a rack- -4. Stationary jaws :5 are mounted upon thewbase plate and are spaced transversely :irom each other. Between these jaws the base plate-is formedwith a slot .6. leading fromga sideedge of the base plate and there has also been provided an opening 7 which is formedthronghathe plate and spaced from the slot :6 'the width of the stationary .jaws. The under :face of the base plate is formed at opposite sides of the slotrwith recesses 8 to receive endportions of pins 9 ;by means of which links JD-ofa chain I i are piyqtally connected with-each other; The slot ,fii is of such width that the chain may befreely passed through theslot and as each pin has its end portions projecting from opposite sides of the chain a ;selected, pin;may be fitted into.;the recesses and :the chainadjusted to. accommodate itself to the diameterof the pipe P-which' is to besecured'in'thevise. 1 p Abolt or stem 43 ispivotedat.oneend to an end of the chain, and v thisuboltis passeddownwardly through the opening .The bolt is threaded fron its lower end andrcarries a nut 1.4 having a hemispherical convexed portion I Sserving as an abutment 'for engagement by an .arm 16, ..'I'l1i ,arm is .formediof resilientmetal -and extends longitudinally of the tongue 3 in downwardly spaced. relation thereto and has :its inner end ,pivotally connected with a bearing bracket or .ear 1] carried .by and extending (downwardly fromthe base .plate I. ,The arm .16 is straight throughout practically its entire length but :has its free outervend portion bent upwardly it rotn opposite sideedges to form a seat 18 upon-which isweldedthe sleeve [3. This sleeve-is'openat both ends and hasoppositeside portions formed with longitudinally extending slots 20 to slidably receive .ends of a .pin .2 I mounted transversely through a-tubular handle 22 formed from a piece of .stiff pipe .of suitable length. .A cap 23 closes .the outerlfree end of the handle.

,AwedgeZA whichiis formedof stifi metal has a base portion 25'which isislidablealong the arm .[6 and this wedgehas its ,upperend engaging the rack when thechain is properly..,adjusted after being disposedaboutthe pipe. The thickness of the metal from which the wedge and ,its base portion areformed is such that i when the handle is thrust forwardly its .frontend portion which protrudes from the sleeve may overlap the base, as shown in Figure 1. the handle is guided and limited by engagement of end portions of the pin 2| in the slots 20. A compression spring 26 of the helical type extends longitudinally through the forward portion of the handle and this spring has its rear end anchored to the pin 2! and its front end secured to the wedge by a bolt 21. After the chain is adjusted to a position in which it fits snugly about the pipe the handle is grasped and thrust forwardly from the position shown in Figure 2 towards the position shown in Figure 1 and the spring 26 will be compressed whereupon downward pressure applied to the handle shifts the wedge below the edge of tongue 3 and spring 28 shifts it forwardly to a position in which it has wedging fit between the arm and rack 4. Downward pull will thus be applied to the bolt and pull exerted upon the chain. Gripping action of the wedge with the rack will prevent it from slipping rearwardly along the arm and the chain will be held in tight gripping engagement with the pipe.

When the pipe is to be released, the handle is shifted rearwardly through the sleeve and then downward pressure is applied to the handle and the resilient arm will be flexed downwardly a sumcient distance to free the wedge from the rack and spring 28 will move the wedge out of gripping engagement with the rack and allow the handle and the arm to move upwardly to a position in which pull upon the bolt I3 will cease and the chain allowed to be disconnected from the pipe.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 5 there has been shown a clamp 28 by means of which an outboard motor is mounted upon a boat 29. This clamp straddles the board 30 extending across the stern of the boat and has inner and outer arms 3! and 32. At its lower free end the arm 3! is formed with teeth constituting a rack 33; through this end of the inner arm is formed an opening to slidably receive a stem 34. An arm 35 corresponding to the arm I8 is pivoted at its upper end to the clamp 28 by a pin 36. This arm extends longitudinally of the arm 3| of the clamp and is formed with an opening through which the bolt 34 slidably passes.

A nut 31 corresponding to the nut I4 is threaded 0 upon the inner end portion of the bolt and at its inner end of the bolt carries a plate 38 which is swiveled to the bolt, as shown at 39, so that it may have flat contacting engagement with the board 30. A wedge 40 corresponding to the wedge 24 has a base 4| which is slidable along the arm 35, and this wedge engages teeth of the rack 33. At its lower end the arm 35 carries a sleeve 42 through which a tubular handle 43 slidably passes and this handle carries a transversely extending pin 44 which corresponds to the pin 2| and has protruding ends which fit into slots 45 formed along opposite side portions of the sleeve. A helical compression spring 46 extends longitudinally in the upper end portion of the handle and has one end anchored to the pin 44 and its other end connected with the wedge 40 by a bolt 41. When pressure is applied to the handle to force it towards the board 30 the arm 35 acts against the nut 31 to force the plate or shoe 38 into tight gripping engagement with the board and by shifting the handle upwardly through the sleeve 42 the springs will be compressed and thus cause it to exert pressure upon the wedge and hold the wedge in gripping en- This movement of gagement with the teeth of the rack 33. After the handle has been thrust upwardly through the sleeve to the position shown in Figure 5 it is turned slightly in the sleeve and ends of the pin 44 will enter the offset recesses 45 at upper ends of the slots and the handle will be prevented from accidentally slipping downwardly through the sleeve.

Instead of forming the bolt as shown in Figure 5, it may be formed as shown in Figure 6. This bolt 48 carries a nut 49 corresponding to the nut 31 and within the bolt is formed a pocket 50 extending longitudinally of the bolt and leading from the inner end thereof. The plate or shoe 5!, which corresponds to the shoe 38, is provided with a stem or shank 52 to which it is connected by a swiveled joint 53. The shank is slidably received in the pocket or socket 50 and its inner end engages a helical spring 54 which urges the shank outwardly and presses the shoe towards a. position for contacting engagement with the board 30 of the boat.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. A device of the character described comprising a base plate, a stationary jaw carried by said base plate, said base plate being formed with a slot and with hooks at opposite sides of the slot, the base plate being also formed with an opening, a chain constituting a movable jaw and consisting of links pivotally connected with each other by pins having end portions projecting from opposite sides of the chain and selectively engageable with the hooks to hold the chain in an adjusted position with a portion passing through the slot, a bolt pivoted to an end of said chain and passing downwardly through said opening and threaded from its lower end, a nut screwed upon said bolt and having a convexed upper bearing surface, a resilient arm pivotally mounted under said base plate and formed with an opening through which said bolt slidably passes, said arm restin upon the bearing surface of said nut, a tongue projecting from the base plate and having its under surface formed with a rack having transversely extending teeth, a wedge slidable along said arm and pivotally upwardly therefrom with its upper end engaging said rack, a sleeve carried by and extending longitudinally from the free end of said arm and formed with longitudinally extendin slots in op posite side positions, a tubular handle bar slidable longitudinally through said sleeve and carrying a transverse pin having end portions slidable longitudinally in the slots of the sleeve, and a compression spring extending longitudinally in the handle bar and secured at its ends to the wedge and the pin carried by the handle.

2. A device of the character described comprising a base, stationary jaws carried by said base, a gripping chain cooperatin with the stationary jaws and having a portion adjustably engaged with the base, a bolt carried by said chain and slidably passing through said base, a portion of the base having its under face provided with a rack, an arm pivoted at one end to said base and extending under the rack longitudinally thereof, a Wedge slidable along said arm and extending upwardly therefrom and engaged with the rack, a sleeve carried by and extending longitudinally from said arm, a tubular handle slidable longitudinally through said sleeve, and a compression spring'extending longitudinally of said arm and having one end secured tosaid wedge'and its other end portion extending into the handle and secured therein.

3. A device of the character described comprising a base, a stationary jaw carried thereby, a movable gripper cooperating with the stationary jaw and including a stem slidably passing through the base, a rack carried by said base, an arm pivoted to the base and formed with an opening through which the stem passes, an abutment upon the stem engaged by said arm, a wedge slidable along said arm and engaging the rack, a guide carried by said arm, a handle slidable longitudinally in said guide, and a compression sprin between the wedge and the handle.

4. A device of the character described comprising a stationary member, a movable member slidable through the stationary member, an arm pivoted to the stationary member and through which the movable member passes, an abutment upon the movable member engaged by the arm, a rack upon the stationary member, a wedge slidable along said arm and engaging said rack, a handle shiftable longitudinally of said arm, and a compression spring between the wedge and the handle.

5. A device of the character described comprising a gripper having a stationary jaw and a rigid portion formed with an opening and carrying a rack, an arm pivoted to the gripper and formed with an opening, a stem slidable through the openings and carrying an abutment engaged by the arm, a sleeve carried by said arm, a Wedge slidable along said arm and engaging said rack, a handle shiftable longitudinally through said sleeve, and a compression spring between the wedge and the handle.

6. The structure of claim 5 wherein the sleeve is formed at opposite sides with longitudinally extending slots having side extensions, the spring having one end connected with a pin passing transversely through the handle and having protruding end portions passing through the slots and engagable in the side extensions of the slots to hold the handle in a longitudinally adjusted position with the spring compressed.

LOUIS MILTON WALTER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,807,917 Jones June 2, 1931 2,692,358 Lile July 8, 1952 2,603,994 Norton July 22, 1952

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