Clamp for securing shuttering panels

The clamp comprises two substantially L-shaped members, arranged opposite each other, articulated on an intermediate support on which rest the lateral profile sections of the frames of the panels to be clamped, one of the arms of each of the L-shaped members having an end profile adapted for its coupling to the profile sections to be clamped, while the other arm of each of said L-shaped members receives a displacement action in order to effect its rotation from a mechanism incorporated in the intermediate support, intended to effect the opening and closing of the L-shaped members of the clamp.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a 371 National Phase of International Application No. PCT/ES2006/000171, filed Apr. 10, 2006, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Spanish Application No. 200500832 filed Apr. 11, 2005, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is intended to disclose a clamp for securing shuttering panels which has substantial characteristics of novelty and inventive step.

As is known, in order to produce shuttering surfaces for walls it is necessary to place shuttering panels for walls one beside the other, securing them to one another by means of clamps of various types.

Clamps are known which are of the type that use wedges which are fitted by pressure, and other types of clamps in which, for the arrangement of inclined planes, there are members which produce a compressing action between the adjacent members of the frames of two adjacent shuttering panels.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is intended to disclose a clamp for securing shuttering panels for walls which is functionally highly efficient and simply constructed, simultaneously obtaining a simple, solid and economic construction, and also being very effective in its application.

Basically, the clamp of the present invention consists fundamentally of two parts forming the securing arms of the clamp which are identical to each other, generally L-shaped, an intermediate support and rotation member and a threaded tensioning rod with which is associated a quick-fix butterfly nut, or alternatively a transverse displacement wedge.

All the parts, except for the threaded rod and the rotation pivots, are produced by pressing and cutting methods, so that great manufacturing economy is obtained.

The two parts forming the arms of the clamp are generally L-shaped, articulated with each other by the ends of the horizontal arms and rotatable about respective points close to the vertices of the L-shape on pivots which pass through an intermediate support member, preferably tubular. The opening and closing of the arms of the L-shaped members is achieved by the screwing or unscrewing of a wing nut coupled on the threaded rod, or by the introduction of a transverse wedge.

The L-shaped parts have double arms, defining an intermediate space for receiving the intermediate articulation support.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As can be seen in the drawings, the clamp of the present invention comprises two approximately L-shaped members1and2, each of which has pairs of active arms, respectively3and4, carrying the protuberances5and6intended to fit into the recesses7and8of the profile sections, customarily tubular, which form the frames for respective adjacent shuttering panels9and10which are to be joined by means of the clamp. The double arm structure on each member of the L-shape can be seen more easily inFIGS. 3 and 5.

In a first embodiment, both members1and2have respective joining arms11and12articulated with one another by means of a transverse pin13and articulated by means of pins14and15with an intermediate support member of preferably tubular structure16,FIG. 2, contained within the space defined by the double parallel arms of the L-shaped members.

The rotation of the members1and2on the transverse pins14and15makes it possible to tighten and release the clamp, thereby securing the profile sections9and10of the shuttering panels or releasing same for their dismantling.

The displacement of the members1and2of the clamp is effected by means of the actuation of a threaded rod17on which acts a quick-action butterfly nut18. The threaded rod17surrounds with its end or head19the pivot pin13which is also articulated on the intermediate tubular member16.

The openings20and21of the intermediate support16on which the pins14and15are articulated are slightly elongated, in order to permit not only the rotation of the clamp members1and2, but also the satisfactory alignment of the points of attack of the protuberances5and6with respect to said pivot pins, thus avoiding offset stresses.

Likewise, the opening of the intermediate support16in which the pin13is articulated and which is designated by the number22inFIG. 4, is likewise elongated vertically in order to permit slight displacement and the action of compression of the rod17.

As can be seen inFIG. 6, the rod17has its end head19equipped with an opening for the pin13and respective lateral expansions substantially T-shaped in cross-section23and24.

By means of the explained constitution of the clamp of the present invention, the result obtained is that the clamp is produced simply by three basic members, that is, the L-shaped double arms1and2and the inner tubular support member16, being complemented simply by the threaded rod17and the butterfly nut18. The transverse pivot pins13,14and15are clinched for the purpose of greater simplicity, providing a clamp which requires a minimum number of parts for its operation and which does not require any welding of parts such as is customary at present. This latter characteristic, besides simplifying and reducing the cost of the manufacture of the clamp, permits the manufacture of same by means of sheet-metal members which may previously have been provided with an anti-corrosion surface treatment, since, not having had any welding work, it does not subsequently require specific anti-corrosion treatment.

In addition, the members1and2are identical and are simply displaced on their articulation, which means no functional inconvenience. For this the end regions of the arms11and12are overlapped as can be seen inFIG. 5, in which it can be seen that one of the arms, for example the arm12, has a slight end pressing25so as to overlap with the coincident end of the other articulated arm11.

In the variant shown inFIGS. 7 to 9, the L-shaped members26and27have transverse openings for respective pivot pins28and29, there being no elongated holes. The ends of the arms30and31are simply overlapped and the actuation thereof in order to effect the rotation of said arms26and27and, therefore, the actuation of the clamp, is carried out by means of a transverse wedge32which acts by its lower inclined plane33on the upper edges of said arms30and31, effecting their vertical displacement, the result of which is the rotation of the members26and27respectively on the pins28and29.

In order to prevent the wedge32from coming out, it may have a stop of some type on its end34, produced after its introduction into the clamp.