Multi-use clamp for electrical conduits

The disclosed multi-use clamp consists of a unitary body having an elongated pointed shank and a hook cantilevered off of the shank opposite the pointed end. The hook has first and second concavely curved portions located outwardly adjacent the shank. These curved portions having curvatures corresponding to the outside surface of two differently sized conventional conduits, and the centers of these respective curvatures are spaced from the shank a distance corresponding to the curvature itself. A commercial version of the clamp would have the curvature of the inner curved portion correspond to a 1/2" size conduit, and would have the curvature of the outer curved portion correspond to a 3/4" size conduit. The clamp can thus be used with either size conduit, being driven into and be rigidly secured to a support structure, with the hook overlying the conduit for holding it relative to the support structure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
In the electrical industry, it is common to run ground wires and/or 
electrical wires housed in conduits along and against support surfaces, 
and to use clamps as one means for securing them relative to these support 
surfaces. When the support is formed of wood, concrete, masonry or the 
like, the clamps can be formed of reasonably strong metal structures and 
can be driven directly into the support to become rigidly connected 
thereto. The clamp may further snuggly overlie the conduit or ground wire 
for holding the same tightly against the underlying support surface. 
One form of clamp may be as a U-shaped staple, having two generally 
parallel shank portions and a curved interconecting cross portion. The 
spacing of the shank portions is selected to fit on opposite sides of the 
electrical conduit or ground wire; and these shank portions are pointed at 
their free ends adapted to be driven into the structural support until the 
interconnecting cross portion fits snuggly against the electrical conduit 
or ground wire. 
Another form of clamp may be somewhat J-shaped, having a shank portion with 
one pointed end and having a hook portion cantilevered off of the shank 
portion near its opposite end. The shank portion is adapted to be driven 
into the structural support next to the electrical conduit or ground wire; 
and the hook portion is adapted then to overlie and be snugged against the 
electrical conduit or ground wire. 
In each general type, the clamp is sized to fit or cooperate with one size 
of electrical conduits, which most commonly may come as a 1/2" or 3/4" 
size conduit. Thus, with the U-shaped staples, the shank portions may be 
spaced apart by the needed distance, and the interconnecting cross portion 
may be curved between these shank portions at a curvature corresponding 
generally to the outside of either the 1/2" or 3/4" size conduit. 
Likewise, the hook portion of the J-shaped clamps may be shaped to engage 
the outside of either the 1/2" or 3/4" size conduit. 
One problem with this approach is the increased needed inventory of 
different staples and clamps suited to cooperate properly with each common 
size of conduit. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a J-shaped type clamp, and an object of this 
invention is to provide a clamp with an improved hook having spaced curved 
portions respectively adapted to cooperate with electrical conduits of 
different common sizes, thereby reducing the inventory needs of its user.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT 
FIGS. 1 and 2 show the improved multi-use clamp 10 in operative association 
holding a conduit 12 against the surface 14 of a structural support 16. It 
will be appreciated that the support 16 can be part of wooden stud or 
framing or wall of a building or the like, or can be concrete, masonry or 
the like, such that the clamp can be driven into the structure. 
The clamp 10 is formed as a unitary body, having a shank 20 and a hook 22 
cantilevered off of the shank 20 near one end 24 thereof. The shank 20 is 
elongated and has a sharp point at its end 26 opposite the hook 22, 
adapted to be driven into the support structure 16 tangentially adjacent 
the conduit 12 to be rigidly secured relative to the support structure. 
The hook 22 overlies and fits snuggly against the conduit 12, and this 
serves to hold the conduit snugged against the support surface 14. 
The shank 20 and hook 22 generally lie in a single plane, and the clamp is 
adapted to cooperate with the held conduit 12 so that this plane would 
typically end up substantially perpendicular to the length of the conduit. 
Barbs 28 may be formed on the shank 20, for improving the ability of the 
shank when once driven into the structural support 16 of being axially 
held there within. 
FIG. 4 shows the same multi-use clamp 10 greatly enlarged, and shows in 
phantom how it functions to hold different typically sized electrical 
conduits 12-S and 12-L relative to the support structures 16-S and 16-L 
respective. It can be appreciated that the support surfaces 16-S and 16-L 
would in fact be the same, but as the different conduits 12-S and 12-L 
engage the clamp 10 and the surfaces 16-S and 16-L at slightly different 
locations, different numbers are being used for them for clarity of the 
disclosure. 
The hook 22 actually has a substantially straight inner portion 30 
immediately adjacent the shank; a first concavely curved portion 32 
outwardly adjacent the straight portion 30; a second concavely curved 
portion 34 outwardly adjacent the first concavely curved portion 32; and a 
substantially straight outer portion 36 outwardly adjacent the second 
concavely curved portion 34. 
The first curved portion 32 has a concave curvature at face 33 
corresponding to the outside surface of the conduit 12-S, and the second 
curved portion 34 has a concave curvature at face 35 corresponding to the 
outside surface of the larger conduit 12-L. 
The center 33-C of the curved face 33 on the first curved portion 32 is 
spaced from the near surface 38 of the shank 20 a distance approximately 
that of the first section curvature itself; or approximately one-half the 
OD of the conduit 12-S. 
The center 35-C of the curved face 35 on the second curved portion 34 is 
spaced from the near surface 38 of the shank 20 a distance approximately 
that of the second section curvature itself; or approximately one-half the 
OD of the conduit 12-L. 
In a preferred commercial utilization of this invention, the curvature of 
face 33 on the first curved section 32 would corresponds to the outside 
curvature of a 1/2" size conduit, and the curvature of face 35 on the 
second curved section 34 would corresponds to the outside curvature of a 
3/4" size conduit. 
The substantially straight outer portion 36 is angled slightly out of 
parallel with the shank 20, by only a few degrees. Also, the hook end 40 
will be at the approximate location where the support surface 14-S will be 
when the clamp is fitted over the smaller conventional conduit 12-S. As 
measured in the direction of the shank 20, this will be spaced from the 
center 33-C of the curved face 33 on the first portion 32, a distance 
approximately that of the first section curvature itself or approximately 
one-half the OD of the conduit 12-S. 
Also in a preferred commercial utilization of this invention, the 
cross-section of the unitary body would be substantially symmetrical 
axially of the body, and of a multi-sided, multi-cornered shape. This may 
be of a triangular shape, or of a square shape as illustrated in FIG. 3. 
Further, the unitary body would be bent to the desired clamp shape by 
bending it across one pair of the corners, to have one of the body corners 
disposed adjacent the conduit and serving as the contacting surfaces 33, 
35 and 38 of the clamp. 
Thus, when the clamp 10 is operatively snugged against the conduit 12, the 
conduit is thus held along three spaced locations: by the near side corner 
38 at the shank 20; by the respective engaged curved face 33 or 35; and by 
the support surface 14-S or 14-L. The corner cooperation of the clamp may 
tend to dig into the conduit slightly as the clamp is driven against the 
conduit, to hold the conduit against movement. 
In actual practice, in securing a typical conduit of an elongated 
configuration, several clamps will be used at axially separated locations 
along the conduit. 
Still further in a preferred commercial utilization of this invention, the 
substantially straight portion 30 of the hook 22 immediately adjacent the 
shank 20 and between the first concavely curved section 32 and the shank 
is angled relative to the shank slightly in excess of a right angle. Thus, 
the high point of the unitary clamp body is at the one end 24 of the shank 
20 and is substantially on and coaxially of the shank 20. This allows the 
clamp to be driven by a hammer or like tool coaxially of the shank and 
into the suructural support 16, without bending the hook 22 significantly 
out of its designed configuration. 
The unitary clamp body may be made of a structural material, such as steel; 
and it may further be heat treated for added strength and durability. For 
improved durability against corrosion, the body may be zinc plated; or to 
meet specific code standards, it may be hot-dipped galvanized. 
Although the disclosed clamp physically would be effective for holding both 
ground wires and/or conduits, existing local utility and/or building codes 
may limit its use to certain applications: be it for outdoor or indoor use 
and/or use by an electrical utility or a licensed house builder. 
Correspondingly, the following claims mention the multi-use clamps being 
for holding electrical conduits, although ground cables or the like could 
also be held. 
Also, while only a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated, 
it is apparent that variations may be made therefrom without departing 
from the inventive concept. Accordingly, the invention is to be limited 
only by the scope of the following claims.