Clamp for milling machines or the like

Claim 1

A clamping assembly for clamping a workpiece to a work table, said clamping assembly comprising: A. a one-piece clamping member having a substantially semi-cylindrical body that extends along a first, longitudinal axis between first and second axial ends and terminates circumferentially with lip portions for directly abutting the workpiece and work table thereby to exert normal clamping force components on the workpiece and the work table, said body having concentric concave and convex surfaces between said lip portions, a circumferential slot formed through said body at a longitudinally central position thereon and located asymmetrically with respect to a second axis that is normal to the longitudinal axis and that bisects said body and a pair of parallel planar reinforcing ribs extending between the concave surface of said body and a chord that is transverse the second axis, the cord lying between the first longitudinal axis and a point midway between the first longitudinal axis and the intersection of the second longitudinal axis and said concave surface, said ribs being parallel and transverse to the first longitudinal axis, each said rib being positioned intermediate said slot and one of said axial ends, B. a bolt having a head for capture by the work table and a threaded shank for extending from the worktable through said clamping member slot, C. a washer member having an aperture therethrough for receiving said threaded shank and having a concave surface that corresponds to the convex surface of said clamping member body, and D. a nut for being threaded onto said threaded shank to force said washer member against said clamping member to clamp the workpiece to the work table.