Assembly for clamping a workpiece

An assembly for clamping a workpiece, the workpiece comprised of two pieces. The assembly includes a clamp having an L-shaped member. The L-shaped member has a leg and foot portion. The clamp also has an upright extending generally perpendicularly to the leg and the upright has a threaded portion. The clamp includes a threaded adjuster having a head, a threaded body, and a base. The base includes outer walls defining a polygon shape and handle. The handle has removed ends thereon. The handle has outer walls and inner walls, the inner walls are dimensioned to removably, slideably and snugly engage the outer walls of the base. The handle has more than one set of walls and so can be positioned to apply different torque to the base. A drill, a drill bit, and a socket may also be included in the assembly, to engage the handle and drive the threaded adjuster.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Assembly for clamping a workpiece, more specifically an assembly, typically comprising a clamp, a drill bit, and a socket, that will rapidly apply compression to a workpiece such as two pieces of wood being glued together.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Clamps are used, typically, to apply compression to a workpieces. For example, it is well known to use F-clamps or C-clamps to apply compression to a workpiece, the workpiece comprising two or more pieces of a material, such as wood. In the assembly of wood products, such as furniture, for example, clamps such as C-clamps can be used to hold two or more pieces together, which pieces have been glued, while the glue is setting.

Often, many clamps are required to glue an article together. Prior art clamps require manual closing which is often time consuming.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Applicant provides an assembly for clamping a workpiece, for example, two pieces of wood, together. The assembly includes a clamp. The typical clamp includes an L-shaped member, which L-shaped member has a leg portion and a foot portion. The clamp typically has an upright extending generally perpendicular to the leg, the upright including a threaded portion. The clamp includes a threaded adjuster, typically an elongated member having a head, a threaded body, and a base. The body threadably and adjustably engages the threaded portion of the upright.

Turning now to the threaded adjuster, Applicant's invention typically includes a threaded adjuster having a body, a base, and a head. The threaded adjuster typically engages the threaded portion of the upright so that its longitudinal axis is parallel to the leg portion of the L-shaped member. The base of Applicant's threaded adjuster is typically elongated and polygonal with the handle removably engaged to the polygon which handle slidably engages the polygon of the base with walls shaped to fit snuggly adjacent the polygon.

It is seen with respect toFIG. 1that the upright member may be slidably and lockingly engaged with leg18. However, in an alternate preferred embodiment, leg18and upright22may be integral.

Applicant's invention further includes a handle whose inner walls are dimensioned to receive a polygon along the longitudinal axis of the handle, and/or one or more inner walls in the handle that are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the handle.

Applicant's invention allows for slidable removal of the handle with the polygonal shaped base such that the handle is aligned longitudinally with the base or may be removed and placed so such longitudinal axis is perpendicular to the base while allowing engagement of the handle with the base and rotation of the threaded adjuster to the perpendicular alignment of the handle with respect to the base.

Applicant's invention further includes the dimensioning of the base to accommodate a socket, such as a six-sided socket, for example, a half-inch socket. Thus, Applicant's invention provides for the removal of the handle from the base of the threaded adjuster, which removal provides access for a drill, bearing a socket, to engage the base, and thus electrically rotate, for or aft the threaded adjuster, allowing rapid securing of the workpiece between the removed end of the foot portion between the foot portion of the L-shaped member and the head of the threaded adjuster.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Structurally, the clamp12includes an L-shaped member16, which L-shaped member has an elongated longitudinal leg18and generally perpendicular thereto a foot20having a removed end28thereon. It may also be seen that Applicant's clamp12includes an upright22spaced apart but generally parallel to the foot, the upright having a first end22A and second end22B, the second end22B including a threaded portion23. Upright22with the threaded portion is spaced apart but longitudinally aligned with the removed end of foot20. Thus, when a threaded adjuster24such as that illustrated is threadably engaged with threaded portion23of the upright, means are provided for applying compression to a workpiece.

It is seen that threaded adjuster24has a longitudinal axis and includes a threaded body26, a head28, and a base30. It is seen that the head28is on the foot side of the threaded portion23of upright22and that base30is opposite. Moreover, Applicant's base30includes outer walls dimensioned in a generally polygonal shape. Furthermore, Applicant's assembly10includes a handle14, the handle14includes handle body30. It is seen that Applicant's handle has outer walls32. Applicant's handle includes one or more sets of inner walls, which sets of inner walls define cavities and which inner walls are designed to slidably and snuggly engage base30of threaded adjuster24.

It is seen with reference toFIGS. 1 and 6, for example, that Applicant's handle includes inner walls36A and/or inner walls36B and/or inner walls36C.

Inner walls36A and36B define cavities that have longitudinal axis generally perpendicular to longitudinal axis of the handle and may engage the base so that the longitudinal axis of the handle is perpendicular to the base as illustrate, for example, inFIG. 5. This provides a means to slidably, toollessly engage the handle to the base so that the handle may be positioned in up to three different positions.

In a first position where the handle engages the base through the engagement of inner walls36A as illustrated inFIG. 5, it is seen that the handle can be easily grasped and torque can be provided to the handle to rotate the threaded adjuster. However, it is also seen that the handle may engage the base at inner walls36B and thus provide greater torque (greater moment arm) on the threaded adjuster and may be used where greater torque is required. Finally, walls36C may be utilized to slidably engage the base and thus align the longitudinal axis of the cavity defined by inner walls36C with the longitudinal axis of the base. This position would provide, however, less torque than that provided in the engaged positions of the handle with the base illustrate for inner walls36A and36B.

Thus, Applicant's invention can provide for a combination of one or more of up to three sets of walls and a handle, which handle may be made of, for example, steel, wood, plastic, nylon, or any other suitable material.

In addition, Applicant's assembly10may include a drill38such as a cordless drill, drill bit40, and a socket42, which socket is dimensioned to receive the drill bit when the drill bit is seated in the drill and which includes inner walls than can slidably and snuggly engage the base, so that electrical power may drive the threaded adjuster towards the closing or opening position. Use of a drill, socket, and drill bit including a drill with a torque adjustment feature thereon, may allow one to rapidly secure a number of clamps, with the handle removed therefrom, which handle may then be slidably engaged in one of the three positions to make final “fine” torque adjustments to the workpiece.

FIG. 6is a cross-section of the handle. It shows the position of Applicant's body inner walls36A,36B, and36C, along with the use of a magnet49near the end of the inner walls, which magnet will help hold the handle to the base when the handle is engaged with the base along inner walls.