US3051028A - Toggle clamp opening mechanism - Google Patents

Toggle clamp opening mechanism Download PDF

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Publication number
US3051028A
US3051028A US813127A US81312759A US3051028A US 3051028 A US3051028 A US 3051028A US 813127 A US813127 A US 813127A US 81312759 A US81312759 A US 81312759A US 3051028 A US3051028 A US 3051028A
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United States
Prior art keywords
jaw
handle
clamp
pivot
spring
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Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US813127A
Inventor
Ralph E Kreger
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Detroit Stamping Co
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Detroit Stamping Co
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Publication date
Application filed by Detroit Stamping Co filed Critical Detroit Stamping Co
Priority to US813127A priority Critical patent/US3051028A/en
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Publication of US3051028A publication Critical patent/US3051028A/en
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    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B25HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
    • B25BTOOLS OR BENCH DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, FOR FASTENING, CONNECTING, DISENGAGING OR HOLDING
    • B25B5/00Clamps
    • B25B5/06Arrangements for positively actuating jaws
    • B25B5/12Arrangements for positively actuating jaws using toggle links
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B25HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
    • B25BTOOLS OR BENCH DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, FOR FASTENING, CONNECTING, DISENGAGING OR HOLDING
    • B25B7/00Pliers; Other hand-held gripping tools with jaws on pivoted limbs; Details applicable generally to pivoted-limb hand tools
    • B25B7/12Pliers; Other hand-held gripping tools with jaws on pivoted limbs; Details applicable generally to pivoted-limb hand tools involving special transmission means between the handles and the jaws, e.g. toggle levers, gears
    • B25B7/123Pliers; Other hand-held gripping tools with jaws on pivoted limbs; Details applicable generally to pivoted-limb hand tools involving special transmission means between the handles and the jaws, e.g. toggle levers, gears with self-locking toggle levers

Definitions

  • This invention relates to an improved means for unlocking and opening the jaws of a toggle clamp of the conventional double jaw, dou-ble handle type.
  • the invention consists in the provision of an improved form and mounting of a release lever, which is positioned between the clamp handles when the clamp is locked, and in improved reaction surfaces on the handles which are engaged by the lever when it is moved toward either one of the handles to produce unlocking movement of the locked toggle joint.
  • Another feature of the invention is the provision of a simple form of spring which is employed to normally urge the clamp jaws to open position so that once the toggle joint is unlocked by the release lever the spring imparts further opening movement to the clamp jaws to urge and hold them in open position until returned to locked position by manipulation of the handles.
  • reaction surfaces provided on the clamp handles define, when the clamp is closed, the sides of a slot located centrally of the handles and extending from adjacent the common pivot between the handles towards their outer ends.
  • the inner end of the release lever is provided with an enlarged nose portion to fit in the slot and is held in position therein by link means connecting the inner end of the lever to the handle pivot.
  • Fulcrum points for the lever are defined by the outer ends of its enlarged nose portion.
  • FIGURE 1 a side elevation showing a toggle clamp in locked position
  • FIGURE 2 a side elevation corresponding to FIG. 1 showing the same clamp with the toggle joint thereof moved to unlocked position;
  • FIGURE 3 a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1 showing the mounting of the release lever.
  • the clamp illustrated is a conventional double jaw, double handle type having a pair of jaws and 11 which are interconnected by a jaw pivot 12.
  • a handle 14 is pivotally connected to the jaw 10 at 15 and a complementary handle 16 pivotally connected to the jaw 11 at 17.
  • the two handles 14 and 16 are pivotally connected to each other by a handle pivot pin 18.
  • Jaw 11 is provided with the usual adjustable threaded jaw member 20 and a lock nut 21 for securing it in desired position so that the pieces 22 to be clamped are held between the pad 23 oi jaw 10 and the end of the jaw member 20.
  • a release lever 26 has a nose portion provided on the inner end 27 thereof by a U-shaped member 28 which is 3,951,928 Patented Aug. 28, 1962 rigidly secured to the handle and projects beyond the end 27 thereof to define a transverse aperture 29.
  • Link means in the form of a bail member 30 is employed to position the release lever 26 between the handles 14 and 16 with the inner end and nose portion of the lever adjacent the handle pivot 18, the bail member 30 being pivotally connected to the pivot pin 18 and to the release lever by engagement in the aperture 29 thereof.
  • Each of the handles 14 and 16 is provided with -a reaction surface 32 and 33 respectively, these reaction surfaces being in spaced opposed relation to each other; and, when the clamp is in locked position as shown in FIG. 1, the reaction surfaces are parallel to each other and form the sides of a slot which extends outwardly from the handle pivot 18 along a center line drawn through the center of this pivot and the center of the jaw pivot 12.
  • each leg of the spring is provided at its end with an integral clip consisting of two right angularly disposed portions 42 and 43.
  • the clip portion 42 extends across the inner surface 44 of a jaw while the other portion 43 engages the side face of the jaw opposite to that engaged by its respective spring leg.
  • FIG. 2 illustrates the unlocking action as the release lever 26 is moved toward the handle 16.
  • the U-shaped nose portion 28 is made only long enough to give opening movement of the handles to an unlocked relation of the toggle pivots. Any excess length of the nose portion reduces the mechanical advantage of the lever and is unnecessary because of the spring 36.
  • a toggle clamp of the type having a pair of jaws pivotally connected by a jaw pivot and a pair of handles each of which is pivoted to one of the jaws and to the other handle at a common handle pivot to form a toggle joint which when locked retains said jaws in closed position; means whereby said toggle may be released and the jaws completely opened by a one-hand operation comprising a toggle release lever and a detachable jaw opening spring adapted, when said toggle joint is unlocked, to drive said clamp jaws to open position and hold them there; said spring having a pair of legs and a substantially straight central portion extending transverse thereto, said central portion having a length in excess of the thickness of said clamp in a direction parallel to and adjacent the jaw pivot thereof, means for detachably connecting said spring to said clamp comprising a notch in the edge of one of the jaws between the jaw and handle pivots thereof, said spring being adapted to be threaded through said notch to place the central portion of said spring in said notch, with one of said spring legs

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Clamps And Clips (AREA)

Description

Aug. 28, 1962 R. E. KREGER TOGGLE CLAMP OPENING MECHANISM Filed May 14, 1959 ATTORA/EFS 1 Claim. (Cl. 81--351) This invention relates to an improved means for unlocking and opening the jaws of a toggle clamp of the conventional double jaw, dou-ble handle type.
The invention consists in the provision of an improved form and mounting of a release lever, which is positioned between the clamp handles when the clamp is locked, and in improved reaction surfaces on the handles which are engaged by the lever when it is moved toward either one of the handles to produce unlocking movement of the locked toggle joint. Another feature of the invention is the provision of a simple form of spring which is employed to normally urge the clamp jaws to open position so that once the toggle joint is unlocked by the release lever the spring imparts further opening movement to the clamp jaws to urge and hold them in open position until returned to locked position by manipulation of the handles.
In the present construction, reaction surfaces provided on the clamp handles define, when the clamp is closed, the sides of a slot located centrally of the handles and extending from adjacent the common pivot between the handles towards their outer ends. The inner end of the release lever is provided with an enlarged nose portion to fit in the slot and is held in position therein by link means connecting the inner end of the lever to the handle pivot. Fulcrum points for the lever are defined by the outer ends of its enlarged nose portion. When the lever is actuated, this construction and mounting of the lever results in one of the fulcrum points engaging the reaction surface of the handle toward which the lever is moved and pivoting thereon while simultaneously sliding toward the handle pivot as the opposite side of the end of the lever nose portion engages the reaction surface of the other handle with an opposite pivoting and sliding movement. Unlocking of the toggle joint is produced by the combination of separating movement of the handles augmented by an opening force applied to the handle pivot through the link connecting this pivot to the end of the release lever.
A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings which consist of the following views:
FIGURE 1, a side elevation showing a toggle clamp in locked position;
FIGURE 2, a side elevation corresponding to FIG. 1 showing the same clamp with the toggle joint thereof moved to unlocked position; and
FIGURE 3, a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1 showing the mounting of the release lever.
The clamp illustrated is a conventional double jaw, double handle type having a pair of jaws and 11 which are interconnected by a jaw pivot 12. A handle 14 is pivotally connected to the jaw 10 at 15 and a complementary handle 16 pivotally connected to the jaw 11 at 17. The two handles 14 and 16 are pivotally connected to each other by a handle pivot pin 18.
Jaw 11 is provided with the usual adjustable threaded jaw member 20 and a lock nut 21 for securing it in desired position so that the pieces 22 to be clamped are held between the pad 23 oi jaw 10 and the end of the jaw member 20.
A release lever 26 has a nose portion provided on the inner end 27 thereof by a U-shaped member 28 which is 3,951,928 Patented Aug. 28, 1962 rigidly secured to the handle and projects beyond the end 27 thereof to define a transverse aperture 29. Link means in the form of a bail member 30 is employed to position the release lever 26 between the handles 14 and 16 with the inner end and nose portion of the lever adjacent the handle pivot 18, the bail member 30 being pivotally connected to the pivot pin 18 and to the release lever by engagement in the aperture 29 thereof.
Each of the handles 14 and 16 is provided with -a reaction surface 32 and 33 respectively, these reaction surfaces being in spaced opposed relation to each other; and, when the clamp is in locked position as shown in FIG. 1, the reaction surfaces are parallel to each other and form the sides of a slot which extends outwardly from the handle pivot 18 along a center line drawn through the center of this pivot and the center of the jaw pivot 12.
The clamp jaws 10 and 11 are normally urged in a direction of opening movement about the jaw pivot 12 by a spring member 36 which in the form shown con- =sists of a generally U-shaped, torsion type of spring having a pair of legs 37 and 38 and a central portion 39 which extends transversely to each of the legs and has a length slightly greater than the thickness of the clamp. The
central portion of the spring is located in a notch 49 in the jaw member 11 facing the handle 16 so that the leg 37 of the spring extends along one face of the jaw 14) while the leg 38 of the spring extends along the opposite face of the jaw 11. Each leg of the spring is provided at its end with an integral clip consisting of two right angularly disposed portions 42 and 43. The clip portion 42 extends across the inner surface 44 of a jaw while the other portion 43 engages the side face of the jaw opposite to that engaged by its respective spring leg.
In order to release the clamp from the locked position shown in FIG. 1, the release lever 26 is moved toward either one of the handles 14 or 16.. FIG. 2 illustrates the unlocking action as the release lever 26 is moved toward the handle 16. Upon initial movement of the lever from its position shown in FIG. 1 where the nose portion 28 thereof is rather snugly engaged in the slot formed by the handle reaction surfaces 32 and 33, the outer end corner 46 of the U-shaped nose portion 28 of the lever pivots or fulcrums on the reaction surface 33. At the same time, the opposite side of the end of the rounded nose of the lever at 48 reacts against the surface 32 of the opposite handle. As movement of the lever 26 toward the handle 16 continues, the link member 30 swings about the handle pivot 18 and the fulcrum point 46 slides along the reaction surface 33 toward the handle pivot while the other contact point 418 of the release lever slides along the reaction surface 32 away from the handle pivot. Simultaneous pivotal movement of each handle 14 and 16 about its respective pivot 15 and 17 is produced and this unlocking movement is augmented by tension imparted to the link 30 tending to draw the handle pivot 18 away from the jaw pivot 12.
Once the handle pivot 18 has moved slightly beyond a dead center position between the pivots 15 and 17, the spring 36 takes over the clamp opening function and quickly moves the jaws 10 and 11 to their wide open position. Thus, only a small amount of movement of the release lever 26 is required-only enough to actually unlock the joint.
Since the outer corners 48 of the nose portion define the fulcrums of the lever 26, the U-shaped nose portion 28 is made only long enough to give opening movement of the handles to an unlocked relation of the toggle pivots. Any excess length of the nose portion reduces the mechanical advantage of the lever and is unnecessary because of the spring 36.
While preferred embodiments have been described above in detail, it will be understood that numerous modifications might be resorted to without departing from the scope of my invention as defined in the following claim.
I claim: In a toggle clamp of the type having a pair of jaws pivotally connected by a jaw pivot and a pair of handles each of which is pivoted to one of the jaws and to the other handle at a common handle pivot to form a toggle joint which when locked retains said jaws in closed position; means whereby said toggle may be released and the jaws completely opened by a one-hand operation comprising a toggle release lever and a detachable jaw opening spring adapted, when said toggle joint is unlocked, to drive said clamp jaws to open position and hold them there; said spring having a pair of legs and a substantially straight central portion extending transverse thereto, said central portion having a length in excess of the thickness of said clamp in a direction parallel to and adjacent the jaw pivot thereof, means for detachably connecting said spring to said clamp comprising a notch in the edge of one of the jaws between the jaw and handle pivots thereof, said spring being adapted to be threaded through said notch to place the central portion of said spring in said notch, with one of said spring legs extending outwardly along one face of one clamp jaw and the other spring leg extending outwardly along the opposite face of the other clamp jaw, each of said spring legs having a terminal portion which extends across the clamp jaw inwardly thereof and into overlapping engagement with the jaw face opposite to that engaged by the leg.
References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,531,680 Stenerson Mar. 31, 1925 2,192,227 Hill Mar. 5, 1940 2,754,591 Schweizer July 17, 1956 2,783,797 Blatt et a1 Mar. 5, 1957 2,799,191 Barnes July 16, 1957 2,894,547 Lampe July 14, 1959
US813127A 1959-05-14 1959-05-14 Toggle clamp opening mechanism Expired - Lifetime US3051028A (en)

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Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3259001A (en) * 1965-03-18 1966-07-05 Lapeer Mfg Company Toggle device
US3261243A (en) * 1964-09-18 1966-07-19 Wallace D Ellison Toggle clamp having a lock mechanism engageable as an over-center position is approached
US3807718A (en) * 1972-04-10 1974-04-30 J Sendoykas Fast action clamps
DE4200930C1 (en) * 1992-01-16 1993-01-28 Deutsche Airbus Gmbh, 2000 Hamburg, De
US20060179912A1 (en) * 2005-02-16 2006-08-17 Emerson Electric Co. Compression tool jawset
US20140041507A1 (en) * 2010-10-22 2014-02-13 Drum Workshop, Inc. Pivot supports for drum rim

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1531680A (en) * 1924-05-15 1925-03-31 Julius S Stenersen Spring clothespin
US2192227A (en) * 1938-06-16 1940-03-05 John G Hill Tire antiskid device
US2754591A (en) * 1954-05-20 1956-07-17 Schweizer Louis Denture supporting clamp
US2783797A (en) * 1955-01-26 1957-03-05 Leland F Blatt Toggle actuated hand clamp with release trigger
US2799191A (en) * 1954-12-01 1957-07-16 Utica Drop Forge & Tool Corp Multiple range compound action hand tool
US2894547A (en) * 1957-05-01 1959-07-14 Lapeer Mfg Company Lever unlocking means in toggle action clamping devices

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1531680A (en) * 1924-05-15 1925-03-31 Julius S Stenersen Spring clothespin
US2192227A (en) * 1938-06-16 1940-03-05 John G Hill Tire antiskid device
US2754591A (en) * 1954-05-20 1956-07-17 Schweizer Louis Denture supporting clamp
US2799191A (en) * 1954-12-01 1957-07-16 Utica Drop Forge & Tool Corp Multiple range compound action hand tool
US2783797A (en) * 1955-01-26 1957-03-05 Leland F Blatt Toggle actuated hand clamp with release trigger
US2894547A (en) * 1957-05-01 1959-07-14 Lapeer Mfg Company Lever unlocking means in toggle action clamping devices

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3261243A (en) * 1964-09-18 1966-07-19 Wallace D Ellison Toggle clamp having a lock mechanism engageable as an over-center position is approached
US3259001A (en) * 1965-03-18 1966-07-05 Lapeer Mfg Company Toggle device
US3807718A (en) * 1972-04-10 1974-04-30 J Sendoykas Fast action clamps
DE4200930C1 (en) * 1992-01-16 1993-01-28 Deutsche Airbus Gmbh, 2000 Hamburg, De
US20060179912A1 (en) * 2005-02-16 2006-08-17 Emerson Electric Co. Compression tool jawset
US7260975B2 (en) * 2005-02-16 2007-08-28 Emerson Electric Co. Compression tool jawset
US20140041507A1 (en) * 2010-10-22 2014-02-13 Drum Workshop, Inc. Pivot supports for drum rim
US9240169B2 (en) * 2010-10-22 2016-01-19 Drum Workshop, Inc. Pivot supports for drum rim

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