Releasable clamp for modular connector

A releasable clamp for use with a system for coupling modular pressure fluid components. Each component is formed with a head or body which may contain appropriate conduits and passages. On each side of the body there is provided transversely extending, downwardly tapered flanges which are engaged by correspondingly tapered cam surfaces on the interior surface of depending legs on a clamping yoke. The releasable clamp is formed by a bolt extending between the depending legs of the yoke and mounting a wedge block having a wedging surface which cammingly engages with cooperative wedging surfaces on the fitting components. Upon rotation of the bolt, the wedging surfaces coact to clamp and secure the yoke tightly over the modular components and hold them firmly in pressure-tight relationship.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a releasable clamp for use with a system 
for connecting modular components in a pressure fluid system, and more 
particularly to a clamping device for releasably securing together two 
modular pressure fluid line components, such as filters, regulators, 
lubricators, dryers, drains and the like. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Fluid pressure systems, such as compressed air systems, require the use of 
a variety of devices such as filters, regulators, lubricators, drains, 
dryers and the like. These components have conventionally been connected 
in the system by means of standard threaded piping arrangements. Various 
improved separable connections have been proposed, such as the separable 
connection described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,045 issued Jan. 24, 1978 to J. 
S. Colter et al., or the connection arrangement disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 
4,082,324 issued Apr. 4, 1978 to R. E. Obrecht. An improved modular 
clamping system for pressure fluid components is disclosed in copending 
application of Joseph M. Olbermann, Ser. No. 111,350, filed Jan. 11, 1980 
now U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,335, for "Modular Clamping System for Pressure 
Fluid Components," the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference 
herein. 
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
It is the principal object of the present invention to provide an improved 
clamp device for securing coupled modular pressure fluid line components. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a simplified clamping 
device for securing joined modular components in a pressure fluid system. 
A further object of the present invention is to provide a clamping device 
of the foregoing type which is readily engageable and disengageable, and 
which, when mounted, results in a rigid, tightly secured, fluid-tight 
assembly. 
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent 
as the following description proceeds, taken in conjunction with the 
accompanying drawings. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the foregoing objects, the present invention is embodied 
in a modular component coupling system of the type disclosed in Olbermann 
application Ser. No. 111,350, in which each component, such as a filter, 
regulator, lubricator, drier, drain, manifold, union, or the like, 
includes a body having a conduit therethrough opening at either end 
through a port into a sealing surface, and having means adjacent the 
sealing surface for clamping engagement with a clamping yoke. Alternate 
ones of the sealing surfaces may include an appropriate groove and 
retained O-ring to provide a seal when two such surfaces are clamped in 
juxtaposed fluid-tight relationship. In order to provide for coupling 
engagement, each body is formed with transversely extending tapered 
flanges extending from either side of the sealing surface. The tapered 
flanges on two adjoining units are engaged by a yoke having downwardly 
depending legs bearing cam surfaces on their interior surfaces 
corresponding cooperatively to the tapered flanges. As the yoke is engaged 
over the aligned component units to be clamped, the units are tightly 
pulled together with their abutting sealing faces in tightly sealed 
relationship to each other. 
In accordance with the present invention, an improved clamping device is 
provided for tightly securing the yoke in place to hold the abutting 
fittings tightly together in pressure tight relationship. The improved 
clamping device comprises a bolt threadably mounted in and extending 
between the lower ends of the depending legs of the yoke. The bolt carries 
a wedge or cam block having an upwardly directed sloping cam surface 
adapted for camming engagement with cooperatively tapered downwardly 
facing wedging surfaces on the abutting fittings. As the bolt is turned, 
the wedge block moves transversely of the fittings with the corresponding 
cooperative wedge or cam surfaces of the block and the fittings in 
friction engagement. As a result, the yoke is pulled downwardly relative 
to the fittings, thereby tightly squeezing the fittings together. Upon 
reversal of the bolt rotation, the wedge surfaces separate to release the 
yoke form the fittings. The wedge block is slidingly retained in a 
corresponding aperture in one depending yoke leg in order to restrain the 
block against rotation with the bolt.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
A modular clamping system embodying the present invention for releasably 
coupling pressure fluid system components in fluid-tight relationship is 
shown in the accompanying drawings. As illustrated, the clamping system is 
utilized to connect a pressure fluid line component 20 which may be, for 
example, a filter, regulator, lubricator, drain, dryer or the like, to a 
union or manifold 21, or other similar component. Various permutations and 
combinations of units may be connected by utilizing the present invention, 
and the two elements shown are for purposes of illustration only. The 
modular coupling system is described in more detail in application Ser. 
No. 111,350, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,335, the disclosure of which is 
incorporated herein by reference. 
The pressure fluid line component 20 includes a head 22 to which is mounted 
a container and guard 24 enclosing a pressure fluid component such as a 
filter, lubricator, drain or the like (not shown). The head includes a 
body 25 formed with a depending skirt 26 to which the container and guard 
24 are mounted. Likewise, the union or manifold 21 is formed with a body 
28. Both the component body 25 and manifold or union body 28 define a 
conduit or passage having appropriate ports 29 at either end thereof. The 
union or manifold 21 may have two or more ports, and may be formed as a 
"T", "Y" or the like. The ports 29 may be interiorly threaded to provide 
for connection of the various components by means of threaded pipes as an 
alternative to the improved connection embodying the present invention. 
The bodies may be symmetrical, with each end being essentially a mirror 
image of the other, in order that various components, manifolds and the 
like may be serially connected. 
In order to connect two fitting bodies together, each body is defined with 
a coupling section formed by a reduced end portion 30, through one end of 
which a passage 29 opens. On either lateral side of the passage 29, the 
reduced end section 30 is provided with a tapered flange 31. In the 
configuration shown in the drawings, the flanges 31 taper from a 
relatively narrow portion at the top to a wider portion at the bottom, 
thereby defining a sloping shoulder or cam surface 32 directed oppositely 
from the passage opening 29. On each end of the body, the cam surfaces on 
each flange 31 are parallel and coplanar. The face 34 of the flanged end 
portion through which the passage 29 opens defines a sealing surface and 
may be provided with an appropriate groove 35 surrounding the passage for 
containing an O-ring 36. Generally, one end surface 34 of a component or 
manifold body is provided with an O-ring seal while the opposite surface 
does not contain such a seal. In this way, when two surfaces 34 on 
adjacent components are placed together, a single O-ring seal 36 is 
provided between them. 
For holding two components together when their corresponding end surfaces 
34 are juxtaposed with the passages 29 in alignment, a yoke 40 is provided 
for engaging the tapered cam surfaces or shoulders 32 to pull and seal the 
components together. The yoke 40 is formed by a top web portion 41 with 
depending legs 42 spaced apart sufficiently to straddle the juxtaposed end 
portions 30 of the abutting connector bodies 25, 28. For engaging the 
tapered shoulders 32 and drawing the bodies tightly together, each leg 42 
is provided on its internal surface with a pair of spaced shoulders 44 
defining correspondingly tapered cam surfaces 45. As the yoke 40 is 
dropped over the juxtaposed connector bodies, the yoke shoulders 45 
cammingly engage the body shoulders 32 thereby to draw the bodies tightly 
together with their abutting surfaces 34 and seal 36 in snug sealing 
engagement. As the yoke is forced tightly down over the connectors, the 
respective cam surfaces 32, 45 are firmly engaged with each other. 
In order to clamp the yoke 40 tightly in place and thereby securely engage 
the fitting components 21, 22 in sealed relationship, the present 
invention is embodied in an improved clamping assembly 50. As shown in the 
drawing, the clamping assembly 50 is formed by a bolt and wedge device 
mounted on the yoke 40 at the lower ends of the depending legs 42 and 
wedgingly engageable with the fitting components 21, 22. As the bolt 
assembly 50 is rotated, the yoke is pulled downwardly tightly over the 
adjacent juxtaposed fitting components. 
The wedge bolt assembly 50 is formed by a bolt 51 having a threaded end 52 
and a knob end 54 with an enlarged knurled thumb knob 55. The knob end 54 
defines a shoulder 56 directed towards the threaded end 52. Intermediate 
its ends the bolt 51 carries a wedge block 58 rotatably mounted thereon 
adjacent the shoulder 56 and retained by a snap ring 59, engaged in an 
appropriate groove (not shown) in the bolt 51. The wedge block 58 defines 
a tapered nose or projection 60 having an upper tapered surface 61. The 
nose 60 further defines a concave bottom channel 62 adapted to receive and 
ride on the bolt 51 for supporting the wedge block. 
The wedge bolt assembly is releasably engaged with the yoke 40 which is 
provided in one depending leg 42 with an aperture 64 shaped to receive and 
guide the wedge block 58 and in the other leg with an internally threaded 
hole 65 for threaded engagement with the threaded end 52 of the bolt 51. 
With this construction, as the bolt 51 is threaded into the yoke 40, the 
wedge block 58 and hence the wedge surface 61 moves forward or back within 
the space defined between the yoke legs 52, depending upon the direction 
of rotation of the bolt. 
In order to clamp the yoke 40 to the fittings 21, 22, the yoke and fittings 
are assembled as described above with the yoke legs depending on either 
side of the fittings. The wedge bolt assembly 50 is then inserted in place 
and the bolt threadably engaged with the yoke leg. The fittings 21, 22 are 
provided with downwardly fitting wedge or tapered surfaces 66 
complementary with the wedge surface 61 of the wedge block 58, depending 
upon the orientation of the yoke. As the thumb screw is rotated, the wedge 
block 58 is traversed between the legs of the yoke, thereby moving the 
wedge surface 61 in a direction to wedge against the correspondingly 
tapered surface 66 on the fitting components and thereby draw the yoke 
tightly downwardly over the flanged ends of the connector fitting blocks. 
This action holds the fitting blocks tightly together in tightly pressure 
fluid-tight sealed relationship. The wedge block 58 is guided by the walls 
of the aperture 64 and is thereby prevented from rotating or twisting away 
from the camming position. 
The assembly is readily released by simply reversing the direction of 
rotation of the bolt which in turn separates the wedging surfaces 61, 66 
respectively. The wedge block bolt assembly 50 is completely removed from 
the yoke, which may then be lifted off of the fitting assembly and the 
fitting components separated. 
The yoke and wedge block assembly is symmetrical and, for this reason, may 
be mounted on assembled fitting components from either side, depending 
upon available access. Because of the thickness of the wedge block, the 
depending legs of the yoke are desirably trapezoidal in cross-section to 
provide an increased width and, at the same time, provide for a smoothly 
contoured, assembled fitting. 
While one illustrative form of the present invention has been shown in the 
drawings and described above in considerable detail, it should be 
understood that there is no intention to limit the invention to the 
specific form disclosed. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all 
modifications, alternative constructions, equivalents and uses falling 
within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended 
claims.