Angle corner clamp

Abstract

A clamping device utilizing the mechanism of conventional locking plier comprises a swiveled V-shape convex clamping jaw and a V-shape concave clamping jaw. The V-shape convex clamping jaw is pivoted to one end of a straight shank slidably mounted to the fixed arm of the clamping device. The V-shape concave clamping jaw comprising two flat clamping surfaces of various forms including but not limited to rectangular form is mounted to the movable arm of the clamping device. A crank handle is provided at the end of the fixed handle of the clamping device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the present invention clamping two workpieces forming a right angle corner;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the present invention clamping two workpieces perpendicular to each other;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one of the alternative design of the V-shape concave clamping jaw;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the present invention with the alternative design V-shape concave clamping jaw attached; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the present invention (partly shown) clamping two workpieces perpendicular to each other using the alternative design V-shape concave clamping jaw.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With the help of the drawings and the detail description below, the features of the present invention will be apparent and fully understandable.

Referring to FIG. 1, the present invention 1 comprises a fixed handle 2 to which a L-shape fixed arm 3 is attached at one end and an adjustment screw 4 is inserted to the other end, a movable handle 5 to which a L-shape movable arm 6 is pivotally mounted, a toggling linkage mechanism 7 pivotally connected between the fixed handle 2 and the movable handle 5, a V-shape convex clamping jaw 8 pivotally mounted to a straight shank 9 which is inserted to a rectangular hole 10 at the free end of the fixed arm 3, a V-shape concave clamping jaw 11 mounted to the free end of the movable arm 6 with a screw 12, a crank handle 16 inserted to a hole at one end of the adjustment screw 4, and a lever linkage 13 pivotally mounted on the body of the fixed arm 3 for controlling the in and out of a spring loaded wedge shape plunger 14. The two clamping surfaces of the convex clamping jaw 8 are made to be at 90-degree spatial relationship. The two clamping surfaces of the concave clamping jaw 11 are made to be at 90-degree spatial relationship. The clamping surfaces of both the convex clamping jaw 8 and the concave clamping jaw 11 are made to be wider and longer to increase the clamping force on the workpieces with less clamping pressure. The convex clamping jaw 8 is mounted to the straight shank 9 through a pivot so that it can be swiveled in one direction or in all directions (the one direction design is shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 6 here). This will assure that the clamping surfaces will contact fully on the surfaces of workpieces of various thicknesses. The straight shank 9 is free to slide up and down inside the rectangular hole 10 so that the clamping gap between the convex clamping jaw 8 and the concave clamping jaw 11 is adjustable to suit various thicknesses of the workpieces. At the top end of the straight shank 9, a small pin 15 is inserted and fixed to prevent the straight shank 9 from falling off the fixed arm 3. Along one edge of the body of the straight shank 9, saw-teeth are equipped to engage with the wedge shape plunger 14. Thus the straight shank 9 is locked in a position relative to the end of the fixed arm 3. When the lever linkage 13 is pressed, the wedge shape plunger 14 is pulled away from the saw-tooth and the straight shank 9 is released for sliding up or down the rectangular hole 10. This enables quick and easy adjustment of the effective clamping gap between the clamping jaws. Once the desired clamping gap is achieved, the lever linkage 13 is released, the wedge shape plunger is pushed by a loaded spring into a saw-tooth and the straight shank 9 is locked in position. Then the present invention 1 can be used for clamping workpieces. The crank handle 16 provides a quick and easy means to fine adjust the clamping gap and clamping force on the workpieces.

FIG. 2 shows two workpieces 21 and 22 which are clamped with the present invention 1 to form a right angle corner.

Besides forming a right angle corner, one workpiece 32 can be clamped perpendicular to the other workpiece 31 at certain angle between one of the edges of workpieces 31 and one of the edges of workpiece 32 with the use of one set of the present invention 1 as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 shows one of the alternative designs of the V-shape concave clamping jaw 40. It comprises two flat clamping surfaces 41 and 42. Clamping surface 41 is in rectangular form and clamping surface 42 forms a J-shape. FIG. 5 shows the present invention with this alternative design V-shape concave clamping jaw 40 mounted on the movable arm 6. The application of this combination is shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 6 shows the alternative design V-shape concave clamping jaw 40 mounted on the movable arm 6 (partially shown) working with the V-shape convex clamping jaw 8 mounted on the straight shank 9 (not shown). In this application, the present invention 1 is clamping two workpieces 61 and 62 where workpiece 62 is perpendicular to workpiece 61 with its edge 64 at right angle to the edge 63 of workpiece 61. This is not possible using the V-shape concave clamping jaw 11 as shown in FIG. 3. If the V-shape convex clamping jaw 8 can be swiveled in all directions, the application is not limited to the condition shown in FIG. 6 here. Workpiece 62 can be clamped perpendicular to workpiece 61 with its edge 64 at a broad range of angles to edge 63 as needed.

Claims

1. An angle corner clamp having a fixed handle and a movable handle linked together by a toggling linkage mechanism similar to the design of a conventional locking plier comprising: a L-shape fixed arm with one end riveted to a first end of said fixed handle and the other end equipped with a rectangular hole;a L-shape movable arm with one end pivoted to one end of said movable handle and the other end equipped with a threaded hole;a straight shank inserted into said rectangular hole of said L-shape fixed arm;a lever linkage pivotally mounted on said L-shape fixed arm;a V-shape convex clamping jaw pivotally mounted to one end of said straight shank;a V-shape concave clamping jaw mounted on said L-shape movable arm with a screw through said threaded hole on said L-shape movable arm;an adjustment screw fed into a second end of said fixed handle, said adjustment screw having a cylindrical head with a cylindrical hole made perpendicular to its axis; anda crank handle inserted to said cylindrical hole of said cylindrical head of said adjustment screw.

2. The angle corner clamp according to claim 1, wherein said straight shank having saw-teeth along one of its edges is slidable through said rectangular hole of said fixed arm.

3. The angle corner clamp according to claim 1, wherein said lever linkage comprises a wedge shape plunger to be pushed in by a loaded spring or pulled out by finger to engage or disengage respectively with one of said saw-teeth.

4. The angle corner clamp according to claim 1, wherein said V-shape convex clamping jaw comprises two flat clamping surfaces at 90-degree spatial relationship.

5. The angle corner clamp according to claim 1, wherein said V-shape convex clamping jaw is made to be swiveled in one direction or in all directions.

6. The angle corner clamp according to claim 1, wherein said V-shape concave clamping jaw comprises two flat clamping surfaces at 90-degree spatial relationship.

7. The angle corner clamp according to claim 6, wherein said clamping surfaces of said V-shape concave clamping jaw comprise a plurality of design features in shape, including but not limited to rectangular, J-shape, etc.

8. The angle corner clamp according to claim 1, wherein said crank handle is L-shape.