Patent ID: 8820690
Filing Date: 2014-09-02
Classification: A42B,F16B,F16M,F21V,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A force-spreading clamp comprising: a tubular body having a longitudinal opening for receiving at least a portion of a generally cylindrical object and a wall encircling the longitudinal opening, the wall including a gate wall portion having guide holes and a mounting wall portion, the gate wall portion and the mounting wall portion being joined by a pair of side portions, the gate wall portion surrounding a recess in the longitudinal opening; a gate including a longitudinal clamping member having an outer wall and an inner contact wall for distributing clamping force along an outer surface of the generally cylindrical object so as to inhibit damage to the object, the gate being movable with respect to the body to enable the clamping member to be extended radially inward into the longitudinally opening and to be retracted radially outwardly to be positioned at least partially within the recess in the longitudinal opening, the gate further including a pair of guide elements protruding from the outer wall of the clamping member and extending through the guide holes in the gate wall portion to maintain alignment between the gate and the tubular body as the gate is moved radially inwardly and outwardly, each guide element including a pair of tines separated by a longitudinal slot, each tine having a shank protruding from the clamping member and a tapered enlarged head distal from the clamping member to facilitate installation of each guide element into and to inhibit removal of each guide element from a corresponding guide hole; and an actuator threadingly engaging the gate wall portion of the tubular body wall such that rotating the actuator in a first direction with respect to the tubular body actuates the gate in a radially inward direction from the tubular body wall to cause the clamping member to increase a clamping force applied to the generally cylindrical object and rotating the actuator in a second direction causes the clamping member to decrease the clamping force applied to the generally cylindrical object.