Clip for fixing a part on a bar and document feeder comprising at least one such clip

Abstract: A clip for fixing a part on a bar (1), said clip comprising a first clip part (2) which is substantially form-retaining and comprises a bracket (4) slidable along the bar, a bracket arm (6) being connected to the bracket (4), the clip comprising a second clip part (3) having a flexible spring arm (7) whose first end (7a) is connected to a free end (6a) of the bracket arm (6) remote from the bracket, the spring arm (7) having such a length that in a clamping position, it is subjected to pressure and whose second end presses against the bar (1), so that the bracket (4) is not slidable along the bar (1), while the spring arm (7) can be bent by means of an operating lever (8), so that the bracket (4) is slidable along the bar (1).

Description: The invention relates to a clip for fixing a part on a bar according to the preamble of claim 1. Such a clip is known from FR-A-2 518 194. The clip known from this publication, especially the clip disclosed in figures 10-12 thereof, comprises five parts which have to be assembled to obtain the clip. In fact the bracket of the known clip consists of two parts 312, 332 which are pivotably connected to each other. With an operating lever 350 together with an eccentric shaft and a spring the clamping force which is exerted by the two bracket parts on the bar can be altered by bringing the operating lever from a clamping position to a release position. EP-A-0 061 257 discloses a scaffolding locking hook for connecting a first scaffold pole to a second scaffold pole. The known hook comprises a bracket whose inner profile connects around a portion of the circumference of the pole, such that the bracket is slidable along the pole. The bracket has a passage at the location of which passage the bracket leaves a portion of the circumference of the pole clear. Further a toggle mechanism is disclosed comprising an actuating lever and a locking lever pivoted to the actuating lever. Biasing means are provided biasing the locking lever either into the locked or the release position. In the locked position, the locking lever is biased to the tubular scaffold pole which is in the bracket. For a large number of apparatus, it is necessary that parts be temporarily fixed and positioned on a bar. For this purpose, clips are often used which comprise a bracket with a wing bolt or set bolt. The bracket extends at least partially around the bar and by means of the wing bolt or set bolt, the bar can be pressed on in the bracket. When the clip is to be displaced relative to the bar, the set bolt or wing bolt should be loosened, so that the bracket becomes slidable relative to the bar. When the desired position of the bracket relative to the bar has been reached, the wing bolt or set bolt can be tightened again for fixing the bracket relative to the bar. In particular in the case of apparatus comprising a large number of parts which each have to be positioned in a specific position, utilization of the known clip is very time-consuming. For instance, applicant markets a document feeder which forms part of a packaging line, where no fewer than 30 parts should be set in the above-described manner whenever a new type of document is to be processed with the document feeder. In respect of such parts to be set, one may think of nozzles, leaf springs, document guides and the like. The object of the invention is to provide a clip by means of which the clamping force can be removed by a simple manipulation, allowing the clip to be shifted relative to the bar and by means of which the clamping force can be re-established just as easily, so that the clip assumes a fixed position relative to the bar. To this end, the invention provides a clip according to claim 1. Since the spring arm is subjected to compression, a considerable clamping force can be realized, while only a very slight bending of the spring arm is necessary for removing the clamping force completely. In practice, the machine operator needs to press the operating lever only slightly towards the bracket arm, basically in the manner in which a clothes peg can be opened, so that the spring arm bends. The operating force to be exerted on the operating lever for bending the spring arm is relatively slight, because the clamping force is overcome in an efficient manner due to the lever action of the operating lever. The invention also relates to a document feeder comprising at least one clip according to the invention. Further elaborations of the invention are described in the subclaims and will hereinafter be specified with reference to the accompanying Figure 1. Figure 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a clip according to the invention. The clip, intended for fixing a part on a bar 1, comprises a first clip part 2 which is substantially form-retaining and a second clip part 3. The first clip part 2 is form-retaining in that it is manufactured from a rigid material. For this, aluminum, steel or fiber-reinforced rigid plastics can be considered. The first clip part 2 comprises a bracket 4 whose inner profile connects around a portion of the circumference of the bar 1, such that the bracket 4 is slidable along the bar 1. The bracket 4 has a passage 5 at the location of which the bracket 4 leaves a portion of the circumference of the bar 1 clear. In the present exemplary embodiment, the bar 1 is substantially rectangular and the bracket 4 is U-shaped and comprises a body 4a and two legs 4b, 4c. Connected to leg 4b of the bracket 4 is a bracket arm 6. The bracket 4 and the bracket arm 6 together constitute the first clip part 2 and are in the present exemplary embodiment designed as an integral, single part. The clip further has a second clip part 3 comprising a flexible spring arm 7. The flexible spring arm 7 has its first end 7a connected to a free end 6a of the bracket arm 6 remote from the U-shaped bracket. The spring arm 7 has such a length that in a clamping position, it is subjected to pressure and abuts by its second end 7b against the portion of the bar 1 which portion is left clear by the passage 5. This involves the pressure force exerted by the spring arm 7 being such that the bracket 4 is not slidable along the bar 1. The second clip part 3 further comprises an operating lever 8 which, in the present exemplary embodiment, is connected to the spring arm 7 adjacent the second end 7b, such that by means of the operating lever 8, the spring arm 7 can be bent, as a result of which it shortens and the pressure force exerted by the spring arm 7 on the bar decreases, so that the bracket 4 is slidable along the bar 1. In the present exemplary embodiment, the connection between the bracket arm 6 and the spring arm 7 is a hinged connection 9. Hence, when the spring arm 7 has been brought into the bent condition by means of the operating lever 8, the second clip part 3 can be pivoted relative to the bracket arm 6 around the hinged connection 9 in the direction of the arrow P. Thus, the passage 5 is released completely, enabling removal of the clip from the bar 1. In the present exemplary embodiment, the connection between the operating lever 8 and the spring arm 7 is a rigid connection, such that an angular displacement of the operating lever part 8b adjacent the second end 7b of the spring arm 7 results in a substantially corresponding angular displacement of the second end 7b of the spring arm 7. In that manner, the rigid connection promotes the bending of the spring arm 7. For further promotion of the bending of the spring arm 7 with minimal operating force, the side of the operating lever 8 facing spring arm 7 is provided with a convex surface 8c having such a shape that it guides the bending of the spring arm 7, so that a required shortening of the spring arm 7 is effected with a minimum operating force. Preferably, as shown in the present exemplary embodiment, the convex surface 8c is formed by a continuous curve whose curvature is smaller than or equal to the curvature to be adopted by the spring arm 7 in order to be brought from the clamping condition into a release condition in which the clip is slidable along the bar 1. The bar 1 can, for instance, be fixedly connected to a document feeder for a packaging line. A part which is to be positioned relative to the bar 1, such as, for instance, a nozzle, a leaf spring, a document lateral guide or a like part, is connected to the clip, in particular to the first clip part 2, such that through positioning of the clip, the relevant part can likewise be brought into a desired position. It may be understood that the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiment described, but that various modifications are possible. Thus, the bar may, for instance, have a triangular, round, ellipsoidal or like shape instead of a rectangular cross section, in which case the shape of the bracket 4 should of course be accommodated to the sectional profile of the bar 1. It is essential that with the clip according to the invention, a part connected to the clip can be positioned on a bar in a fast manner, while the clamping force of the clip is considerable and the force to be exerted by the machine operator for removing this clamping force is slight and, moreover, the operations to be performed for removing the clamping force are minimal.

Claims: A clip for fixing a part on a bar (1), said clip comprising a first clip part (2) which is substantially form-retaining and comprises a bracket (4) whose inner profile connects around a portion of the circumference of the bar (1), such that the bracket (4) is slidable along the bar (1), the bracket (4) having a passage (5) at the location of which passage (5) the bracket (4) leaves a portion of the circumference of the bar (1) clear, characterized by a bracket arm (6) being connected to the bracket (4), the clip comprising a second clip part (3) having a flexible spring arm (7) whose first end (7a) is connected to a free end (6a) of the bracket arm (6) remote from the bracket, the spring arm (7) having such a length that in a clamping position, it is subjected to pressure and whose second end (7b) presses against the portion of the bar (1) that is left clear by the passage (5), so that the bar (1) is pressed into the bracket (4) and the bracket (4) is hardly, if at all, slidable along the bar (1), the spring arm (7) having an operating lever (8) connected thereto, such that by means of the operating lever (8), the spring arm (7) can be bent, so that it shortens and the pressure force exerted on the bar by the spring arm (7) decreases, so that the bracket (4) is slidable along the bar (1). A clip according to claim 1, characterized in that the connection between the bracket arm (6) and the spring arm (7) is a hinged connection (9), so that when the spring arm (7) has been brought into the bent condition by means of the operating lever (8), the second clip part (3) is pivotable relative to the bracket arm (6). A clip according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the connection between the operating lever (8) and the spring arm (7) is formed adjacent the second end (7b) of the spring arm (7) and that said connection is a rigid connection, such that an angular displacement of the operating lever part (8b) adjacent the second end (7b) of the spring arm (7) results in a substantially corresponding angular displacement of the second end (7b) of the spring arm (7). A clip according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that on a side facing the spring arm (7), the operating lever (8) is provided with a convex surface (8c) having such a shape that it guides the bending of the spring arm (7), so that a required shortening of the spring arm (7) is effected with minimum operating force. A clip according to claim 4, characterized in that the convex surface (8c) is formed by a continuous curve whose curvature is smaller than or equal to the curvature to be adopted by the spring arm (7) in order to be brought from the clamping condition into a release condition in which the clip is slidable along the bar (1). A clip according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bracket (4) is U-shaped for connection to a substantially rectangular bar (1) and comprises a body (4a) and two legs (4b, 4c), the bracket arm (6) being connected to one of the legs (4b). A clip according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first clip part (2) is manufactured from metal, the second clip part (3) being manufactured from plastic. A document feeder comprising at least one clip according to any one of claims 1-7.

Inventors: POST VAN DER MOLEN MICHIEL, POST VAN DER MOLEN, MICHIEL
Applicants: BUHRS ZAANDAM BV, BUHRS-ZAANDAM B.V.
Application year: 2000
Main classification: F16B2
IPC codes: F16B2