Lifting clamps and gripping pads therefor

Claim 1

IN A LIFTING CLAMP FOR ENGAGING AND LIFTING HEAVY ARTICLES SUCH AS STEEL PLATES AND THE LIKE INCLUDING A CLAMP BODY COMPRISING A PAIR OF SIMILARLY SHAPED PLATES RIVETED TOGETHER FACE-TO-FACE TO FORM THE CLAMP BODY, A PAIR OF SPACED FACING JAWS EACH INCLUDING PORTIONS OF SAID PLATES AND BETWEEN WHICH THE ARTICLE TO BE LIFTED IS HELD BY THE CLAMP, ONE OF SAID JAWS BEING PROVIDED WITH A BORE FACING TOWARD THE OTHER JAW AND LOCATED PARTLY IN EACH OF THE RIVETED PLATES AND PARALLEL TO THE ENGAGING SURFACES OF THE PLATES, AND A GRIPPING PAD HAVING A HEAD PROVIDED WITH A SERRATED GRIPPING SURFACE AND A SHANK PROJECTING FROM THE SIDE OF THE HEAD OPPOSITE ITS SERRATED SURFACE AND EXTENDING INTO SAID BORE, THE IMPROVEMENT IN WHICH SAID GRIPPING PAD IS A DRIVE-IN PAD THE SHANK OF WHICH INCLUDES A KNOB SLIGHTLY LARGER IN DIAMETER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE BORE WHICH, WHEN THE SHANK OF THE PAD IS DRIVEN INTO THE BORE SPREADS THE PORTIONS OF THE RIVETED PLATES AT THE LOCATION OF THE BORE SO THAT THE PLATES GRIP THE KNOB AND HOLD THE PAD FIRMLY TO THE JAW.