Claims
- 1. A low profile clamp comprising:
- an elongated clamp body with at least one flat surface, said clamp body having a longitudinal bore;
- a cylinder having a fluid chamber therein and removably attached to said clamp body along the longitudinal axis, said cylinder including a pair of fluid ports longitudinally spaced from one another in fluid communication with said fluid chamber;
- a clevis bracket slidingly held within the bore of said clamp body, said clevis bracket including two arms extending longitudinally, each arm having a slot opposing and parallel to the other, said slots angled relative to the longitudinal motion of said clevis bracket, said clevis bracket further including a first longitudinal opening;
- a piston rod longitudinally disposed in said bore and having a first end removably secured to said clevis bracket;
- a piston removably attached to the piston rod opposite the first end, said piston is sealingly disposed for slidable, longitudinal movement within said fluid chamber between said fluid ports in order to selectively extend and retract said piston rod longitudinally in response to respective greater and lesser fluid pressures in one of said fluid ports with respect to the other of said fluid ports;
- a clamp block slidingly held within the bore of said clamp body, said clamp block having a first end with pins slidingly held within the slots of said clevis bracket, said clamp block including a clamp arm extending from a second end and a portion protruding outside the clamp body, said clamp block further including a second longitudinal opening;
- a tension spring securely held in said first and second openings of said clamp block and clevis bracket to force both longitudinally apart; and
- a pivot rotatably held inside the clamp body and sealing the bore at the end of said clamp body opposite the cylinder, said clamp arm is slidingly held in said pivot perpendicular to the rotation axis.
- 2. The low profile clamp of claim 1 wherein said piston is pneumatically powered.
- 3. The low profile clamp of claim 1 wherein said clamp arm includes a vertical and horizontal clamping surface.
- 4. The low profile clamp of claim 1 further including a clamp adaptor removably secured to said clamp arm, said clamp adaptor having a horizontal clamping surface which is at a predetermined distance relative to the surface of the clamp body.
- 5. A low profile clamp comprising:
- a cylinder defining a fluid chamber for reciprocating a piston therein, said piston connected to a piston rod extending from said cylinder;
- a clamp body axially aligned and secured to said cylinder, said clamp body defining a longitudinal bore with a first end receiving said piston rod;
- a clevis bracket slidingly held in the longitudinal bore of said clamp body and secured to said piston rod, said clevis bracket having two arms extending axially away from said piston rod and each arm including a slot symmetrically opposing the other and angled at least once relative to the longitudinal axis of said bore;
- a clamp block having a first end with a transverse opening to receive a pivot pin, the ends of said pivot pin slidingly cooperating in said slots of the clevis bracket, a second end of the clamp block defining a clamp arm projecting from the longitudinal bore at a second end of the clamp body; and
- a biasing means to force the clevis bracket and clamp longitudinally block apart inside the longitudinal bore, said clamp block having at least one surface to halt the longitudinal motion of the clamp block.
- 6. The low profile clamp of claim 5 wherein said cylinder and clamp body have generally the same cross sectional dimensions and said clamp body has generally a square cross-section.
- 7. The low profile clamp of claim 5 wherein said biasing means is a tension spring having ends secured in generally opposed openings in said clevis bracket and clamp block, the orientation of said tension spring is below the longitudinal axis with the tension spring and longitudinal axis establishing a vertical plane relative to the clamp body, said tension spring a pre-determined distance from the pivot pin of said clamp block to pivot the clamp block and angle the clamp arm relative to the longitudinal axis.
- 8. The low profile clamp of claim 5 wherein said clamp arm has a range of motion within the cross-sectional dimensions of the clamp body.
- 9. The low profile clamp of claim 7 wherein the surface to halt the longitudinal motion of the clamp block is a first surface oriented generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the clamp arm and said first surface positioned outside the clamp body, said clamp arm further including a horizontal surface adjacent the first surface to provide a downward clamping force.
- 10. The low profile clamp of claim 5 further including a seal pivot rotatably secured at the second end of the clamp body and fluidly sealing this end of the longitudinal bore, said seal pivot further including a central portion with an opening aligned to receive the clamp arm, said seal pivot rotates about a transverse axis of the bore, and said cylinder fluidly seals the longitudinal bore at the first end of the clamp body.
- 11. The low profile clamp of claim 10 wherein the seal pivot further including cylindrical ends with the center of each end establishing the transverse axis on which the seal pivot rotates, said cylindrical ends having peripheral grooves with at least one groove receiving an end of a bolt secured inside the clamp body to stabilize the seal pivot at the second end of the clamp body.
- 12. The low profile clamp of claim 9 wherein the slots in said clevis bracket are positioned generally above a plane passing through the longitudinal axis and horizontal relative to the clamp body, and said slots establishing parallel planes perpendicular to said horizontal plane, said slots each having a first end nearer the cylinder and a greater distance from the longitudinal axis then the second end, each slot establishes two angles relative to said horizontal plane.
- 13. The low profile clamp of claim 12 having a release position established by the clevis bracket generally adjacent the first end of the clamp body, the tension spring forcing the clevis bracket and clamp block longitudinally apart with the pivot pin ends positioned in the second end of the slots and the clamp arm angled upward relative to the longitudinal axis of the bore.
- 14. The low profile clamp of claim 12 having a clamp position established by the pivot pin ends positioned in the first end of the slots to pivot the clamp arm generally downward relative to the longitudinal axis.
- 15. A low profile clamp comprising:
- a cylinder defining a fluid chamber for reciprocating a piston therein, said piston connected to a piston rod extending from said cylinder;
- a clamp body axially aligned and secured to said cylinder, said clamp body defining a longitudinal bore with a first end receiving said piston rod;
- a clevis bracket slidingly held in the longitudinal bore of said clamp body and secured to said piston rod, said clevis bracket having two arms extending axially away from said piston rod and each arm including a slot symmetrically opposing the other and angled at least once relative to the longitudinal axis of said bore;
- a clamp block having a first end with a transverse opening to receive a pivot pin, the ends of said pivot pin slidingly cooperating in said slots of the clevis bracket, a second end of the clamp block defining a clamp arm projecting from the longitudinal bore at a second end of the clamp body;
- a biasing means to force the clevis bracket and clamp block longitudinal apart inside the bore, said clamp block having at least one surface to halt the longitudinal motion of the clamp block; and
- a seal pivot rotatably secured at the second end of the clamp body and fluidly sealing this end of the longitudinal bore, said seal pivot further including a central portion with an opening aligned to receive the clamp arm, said seal pivot rotates about a transverse axis of the bore, and said cylinder fluidly seals the longitudinal bore at the first end of the clamp body.
- 16. The low profile clamp of claim 15 wherein said biasing means is a tension spring having ends secured in generally opposed openings in said clevis bracket and clamp block, the orientation of said tension spring is below the longitudinal axis with the tension spring and longitudinal axis establishing a vertical plane relative to the clamp body, said tension spring a pre-determined distance from the pivot pin of said clamp block to pivot the clamp block and angle the clamp arm relative to the longitudinal axis.
- 17. The low profile clamp of claim 15 wherein the surface to halt the longitudinal motion of the clamp block is a first surface oriented generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the clamp arm and said first surface positioned outside the clamp body, said clamp arm further including a horizontal surface adjacent the first surface to provide a downward clamping force.
- 18. The low profile clamp of claim 15 wherein the seal pivot further including cylindrical ends with the center of each end establishing the transverse axis on which the seal pivot rotates, said cylindrical ends having peripheral grooves with at least one groove receiving an end of a bolt secured inside the clamp body to stabilize the seal pivot at the second end of the clamp body.
- 19. The low profile clamp of claim 17 wherein the slots in said clevis bracket are positioned generally above a plane passing through the longitudinal axis and horizontal relative to the clamp body, and said slots establishing parallel planes perpendicular to said horizontal plane, said slots each having a first end nearer the cylinder and a greater distance from the longitudinal axis then the second end, each slot establishes two angles relative to said horizontal plane.
- 20. The low profile clamp of claim 19 having a clamp position established by the pivot pin ends positioned in the first end of the slots to pivot the clamp arm generally downward relative to the longitudinal axis and a release position established by the clevis bracket generally adjacent the first end of the clamp body, the tension spring forcing the clevis bracket and clamp block longitudinally apart with the pivot pin ends positioned in the second end of the slots and the clamp arm angled upward relative to the longitudinal axis of the bore.
Parent Case Info
This is a Continuation of the prior provisional application Ser. No. 60/024,819, filed Aug. 28, 1996.
US Referenced Citations (6)