Patent ID: 6474129
Filing Date: 2002-11-05
Classification: B21J,B25B,Y10T

Abstract:
A setting gripper for an anchor device, the anchor device having two co-axial components of which each has a head and of which the heads are spread apart co-axially during setting, the setting gripper comprising:a gripper body with a slotted aperture formed therethrough, the gripper body having a handle and a flat body jaw, the flat body jaw being disposed generally perpendicular to a predetermined axis, the slotted aperture being generally aligned generally parallel the predetermined axis; a slider having a flat slider jaw that is disposed generally perpendicular to the predetermined axis and opposite the flat body jaw of the gripper body, the slider being guided so as to translate relative to the flat body jaw along the predetermined axis between a first position of relative rest, wherein the flat body jaw and the flat slider jaw are capable of being inserted together between the heads of the two components prior to setting the anchor device, and a second position, wherein the flat slider jaw is spaced axially apart from the flat body jaw along the predetermined axis; a lever having a handle and a nose, the nose being spaced apart from the handle; a notch being formed in one of the slider and the nose of the lever; a first connection member disposed in the notch and coupling the nose of the lever and the slider, the first connection member coupling the lever and the slider such that the lever is rotatable relative to the slider and the lever is movable relative to the slider in a direction that is generally parallel an axis of the notch; a second connection member coupled to the nose of the lever and disposed in the slotted aperture in the gripper body, the second connection member coupling the lever and the gripper body such that the nose of the lever is rotatable relative to the gripper body and the nose of the lever is movable relative to the gripper body in a direction that is generally parallel the predetermined axis; a cam coupled to one of the gripper body and the lever; and a cam follower coupled to the other one of the gripper body and the lever; wherein rotation of the handles of the gripper body and the lever toward one another permits the cam and the cam follower to cooperate to define a first outboard pivot point and a second outboard pivot point about which the lever pivots relative to the gripper body, the first outboard pivot point being positioned at a first distance from the second connection member, the second outboard pivot point being positioned at a second, greater distance from the second connection member; wherein the point about which the nose of the lever pivots about the gripper body changes from an axis of the second connection member to the first outboard pivot point and then to the second outboard pivot point as the handles of the gripper body and the lever are rotated increasingly closer toward one another; and wherein the slider travels along the predetermined axis in response to the pivoting of the lever relative to the gripper body, and the leverage that is applied to the slider changes based upon the point about which the lever is pivoting relative to the gripper body.