Toggle clamp with detent open guided arm

Claim 2

A toggle clamp comprising a pivot base mountable upon a support; a pair of upright parallel spaced guide plates secured upon said pivot base in a pre-selected angular position; a pivot arm guidably positioned between said plates and at one end pivotally mounted upon said plates and terminating in a clamp arm adapted to retainingly engage a work piece on said support; a U-shaped handle link overlying said guide plates and at its free ends, pivotally mounted upon said side plates; said handle link terminating in a handle; a pair of spaced arm links at their one ends pivotally mounted upon said handle link coplanar with said guide plate, and at their lower ends engaging opposite sides of and pivotally connected to said pivot arm; a latch between said arm links at their upper ends and pivotally mounted thereon; said latch having a transverse detent notch; and a latch pin transversely spanning and connected to the outer side edges of said guide plates; said latch notch on retracting movement of said handle yieldably receiving said pin anchoring the handle in a release position.

Claim 3

In the toggle clamp of claim 1, resilient means biasing said latch against said handle link.

Claim 4

A toggle clamp comprising a pivot base mountable upon a support; a pair of upright parallel spaced guide plates pivotally adjusted at a first pivot point adjacent one side edge upon said base and secured in a pre-selected angular position thereon; a pivot arm guidably positioned between and engaging said plates and at one end pivotally mounted at a second pivot point upon said plates adjacent their opposite side edges, and terminating in a clamp arm adapted to retainingly engage a work piece on said support; a U-shaped handle link overlying said guide plates and at its free ends pivotally mounted upon said side plates at said first pivot point; said handle link terminating in a handle; a pair of spaced arm links at their one ends pivotally mounted at a third pivot point upon said handle link, coplanar with said guide plates; and at their lower ends engaging opposite sides of and pivotally connected to said pivot arm at a fourth pivot point; a latch between said arm links at their one ends and pivotally mounted thereon and upon said handle link at said third pivot point; said latch having a transverse detent notch; a latch pin transversely spanning and connected to the outer side edges of said guide plates; and a resilient means biasing said latch against said handle link; said latch notch on retracting movement of said handle yieldably receiving said pin anchoring the handle in a release position.

Claim 5

A toggle clamp comprising a pivot base mountable upon a support; a pair of upright parallel spaced guide plates pivotally adjusted at a first pivot point adjacent one side edge upon said base and secured in a pre-selected angular position thereon; a pivot arm guidably positioned between and engaging said plates and at one end pivotally mounted at a second pivot point upon said plates adjacent their opposite side edges, and terminating in a clamp arm adapted to retainingly engage a work piece on said support; a U-shaped handle link overlying said guide plates and at its free ends pivotally mounted upon said side plates at said first pivot point; said handle link terminating in a handle; a pair of spaced arm links at their one ends pivotally mounted at a third pivot point upon said handle link, coplanar with said guide plates; and at their lower ends engaging opposite sides of and pivotally connected to said pivot arm at a fourth pivot point; a latch between said arm links at their one ends and pivotally mounted thereon and upon said handle link at said third pivot point; said latch having a transverse detent notch; a latch pin transversely spanning and connected to the outer side edges of said guide plates; and a resilient means biasing said latch against said handle link; said latch notch on retracting movement of said handle yieldably receiving said pin anchoring the handle in a release position.

Claim 6

In the toggle clamp of claim 3, said guide plate outer side edges being arcuate at a fixed radius to said first pivot point; there being a series of opposed pairs of angularly spaced notches in said outer side edges; said latch pin being selectively nested and secured within one of said pairs of notches depending upon the desired arc of release retraction of said handle.

Claim 7

In the toggle clamp of claim 3, said third pivot point passing dead center with respect to said first and fourth pivot points when said handle has moved the clamp arm to work piece securing position.