Adjustable clamp

Claim 2

An adjustable clamp comprising: (a) a mounting bar; (b) a first clamping jaw fixedly mounted on said mounting bar comprising an arm having a clamping pad associated therewith adapted to contact a workpiece; and (c) a second clamping jaw slidably mounted on said mounting bar comprising an arm having a first channel for slidable mounting of the jaw on said mounting bar, a clamping pad mounted on a rod for linear reciprocal motion in a second channel through said arm, said rod operatively connected to a toggle mechanism adapted to reciprocably move said rod and thereby advance or retract said clamping pad into or out of clamping contact with said workpiece said toggle assembly comprising a handle attached to the arm of said second clamping jaw, a toggle link bar having first and second ends, said first end being carried in and movable along a slot in said handle, a lever arm connected intermediate its ends to said toggle link bar at its second end to form a flexible joint, a pivotable connector link operatively connecting said rod to the toggle assembly, said connector link being pivotably connected to said lever arm at one end and pivotably connected to said handle such that raising or lowering of said lever arm causes said connector link to pivot, said connector link and said rod being joined by means adapted to translate the pivotal motion of said connector link to the linear motion of said rod such that raising of said lever arm retracts said rod and lowering of said lever arm advances said rod.

Claim 3

A clamp according to claim 1 wherein said second clamping jaw further comprises means for engaging said mounting bar to prevent displacement away from the workpiece when the toggle assembly is operated to move the clamping pad into contact with the workpiece.

Claim 4

A clamp according to claim 2 wherein the engaging means is a bearing disposed between the mounting bar and the clamping jaw in the space defined by said channel.

Claim 5

A clamp according to claim 2 wherein the engaging means are a plurality of teeth carried by said clamping jaw adapted to contact the bar.

Claim 6

A clamp according to claim 2 wherein the engaging means are an edge of the portion of said clamping jaw defining the channel.

Claim 7

A clamp according to claim 1 wherein the translating means comprise a pin on said rod received in a slot on said connector link.

Claim 8

A clamp according to claim 1 wherein means are provided for movably positioning said toggle link bar in the slot of said handle.

Claim 9

A clamp according to claim 7 wherein said positioning means is a screw mating with a hole in said handle adapted to contact said toggle link bar.

Claim 10

A clamp according to claim 1 wherein the maximum advance of said rod occurs when the toggle bar, the point of attachment of said toggle link bar to said lever arm and the point of attachment of said connector link to said lever arm form a straight line.

Claim 11

A clamp according to claim 9 wherein means are provided to prevent said lever arm from being lowered past the position at which the maximum advance of said rod occurs.

Claim 12

A clamp according to claim 10 wherein said preventing means is a shoulder on said toggle link arm adapted to contact said lever arm.

Claim 13

An adjustable clamp comprising: (a) a mounting bar; (b) a first clamping jaw fixedly mounted on said mounting bar comprising an arm having a clamping pad associated therewith adapted to contact a workpiece; and (c) a second clamping jaw slidably mounted on said mounting bar comprising an arm having a first channel for slidable mounting of the jaw on said mounting bar, a clamping pad mounted on a rod for linear reciprocal motion in a second channel through said arm, said rod operatively connected to a toggle mechanism adapted to reciprocably move said rod and thereby advance or retract said clamping pad into or out of clamping contact with said workpiece, said toggle assembly comprising a handle attached to the arm of said second clamping jaw, a toggle link bar having first and second ends, said first end being carried in and movable along a slot in said handle, a lever arm connected intermediate its ends to said toggle link bar at its second end to form a flexible joint, a pivotable connector link operatively connecting said rod to the toggle assembly, said connector link being pivotably connected to said lever arm at one end and pivotably connected to said handle such that raising or lowering of said lever arm causes said connector link to pivot, said connector link and said rod being joined by means adapted to translate the pivotal motion of said connector link to the linear motion of said rod such that raising of said lever arm retracts said rod and lowering of said lever arm advances said rod, and means for engaging said mounting bar to prevent displacement of the clamping jaw from the workpiece when the toggle assembly is operated to move the clamping pad into contact with the workpiece, said means comprising an edge of the portion of the clamping jaw defining the first channel, said second jaw being adapted to tilt back when clamping contact is made with the workpiece to engage said mounting bar.

Claim 14

An adjustable clamp comprising: (a) a mounting bar; (b) a first clamping jaw fixedly mounted on said mounting bar comprising an arm having a clamping pad associated therewith adapted to contact a workpiece; and (c) a second clamping jaw slidably mounted on said mounting bar comprising an arm having a first channel for slidable mounting of the jaw on said mounting bar, a clamping pad mounted on a rod for linear reciprocal motion in a second channel through said arm, said rod operatively connected to a toggle mechanism adapted to reciprocably move said rod and thereby advance or retract said clamping pad into or out of clamping contact with said workpiece, said toggle assembly comprising a handle attached to the arm of said second clamping jaw, a toggle link bar having first and second ends, said first end being carried in and movable along a slot in said handle, a lever arm connected intermediate its ends to said toggle link bar at its second end to form a flexible joint, a pivotable connector link operatively connecting said rod to the toggle assembly, said connector link being pivotably connected to said lever arm at one end and pivotably connected to said handle such that raising or lowering of said lever arm causes said connector link to pivot, said connector link and said rod being joined by means adapted to translate the pivotal motion of said connector link to the linear motion of said rod such that raising of said lever arm retracts said rod and lowering of said lever arm advances said rod, and means for engaging said mounting bar to prevent displacement of the clamping jaw from the workpiece when the toggle assembly is operated to move the clamping pad into contact with the workpiece, said means comprising an edge of the portion of the clamping jaw defining the first channel, said second jaw being adapted to tilt back when clamping contact is made with the workpiece to engage said mounting bar.