Abstract:
Flexible material clamp discloses two parts, triangular bar and rigid clamp having congruent triangular channel. The bar has base and two major inclined surfaces meeting at acute angle, length of the major surfaces being at least three times base height. Clamp has internal triangular channel whose major surfaces are congruent to major surfaces of triangular bar. One clamp end opens into apex of the channel and at least one side of clamp opens to triangular channel. One end of flexible material to be clamped is wrapped about triangular bar and overlapped upon itself. The wrapped bar is inserted into clamp channel though the at least one open side of clamp and flexible material is passed through clamp opening at channel apex. Assembled wrapped bar and clamp connect to tensioning means causing clamp and bar to move relative to one another to lock flexible material between major surfaces of triangular bar and corresponding major surfaces of triangular clamp channel, locking flexible material in channel.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The invention relates to a clamp assembly for releasable securing a flexible material within the clamp assembly and the use of this clamp assembly to tension or support the flexible material and is particularly useful in the tensioning of flexible material signs, awnings, screens, etc. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   This invention is an improvement to the tensioning assembly utilized in Coleman U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,388 to make a sign facing formed of flexible material tight against a sign frame. 
   It is known in this art to provide a means for securing the edges of flexible material, be it a sign, an awning, a screen, a silkscreen etc., to some form of clip or clamp and then to use the clips with a frame structure to tension the flexible material across the frame. All these clips are provided with some form of cavity that is designed to receive the edge of the flexible material and retain the material therein. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,335,361, the flexible material is physically crimped in the clip channel. Although the material is secured, such physical deformation clearly could damage the flexible material. A number of other patents wrap the flexible material about a bar and use tabs in the clip cavity or use the edges of the clip cavities to secure the wrapped bar within the cavity (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,928, U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,216, U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,388 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,546). The wrapped bar in each of these instances was secured in the cavity only at the points where the tabs or cavity edges engaged the wrapped bars. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,928 the wrapped bar was secured by small outer legs  54  and  42  at the cavity opening. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,216 the wrapped bar was secured by prongs  60  and  70  at the rear of the clip. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,388 the wrapped bar was secured by leg  36  at the cavity opening. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,546 the edge of the flexible material was wrapped about a U-shaped spline, which defined a trough, and the wrapped spline was inserted into the clip cavity which contained detents which snapped into the trough thereby deforming the fabric in the trough. In this manner the fabric margin was grasped or secured in the clip cavity by the detents interaction with the trough. Although the flexible material was secured in the cavity in all these patents, the only physical grip on the flexible material was at very small points or areas on the cavity wall where the wrapped bar was engaged when tensioned. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,546, for example, which secured the wrapped bar in the cavity by detents, when the fabric was tensioned, the fabric pulled the wrapped spline to pinch it at a pinch point  24  on only one side of the clip cavity. This means for securing as well as the other prior art, which secure at only small points or areas are substantially different from applicant&#39;s means for securing, which secures and locks the flexible material simultaneously to approximately 90% of the cavity&#39;s surface. Although the above prior art means for securing grip the fabric in the cavity, they do it in an entirely different manner with an entirely different result. 
   There are still other patents that describe wrapping the flexible material about a bar and placing the wrapped bar in a clip or clamp cavity. The bars utilized in these patents are in the form of circular, square or elongated bars that are placed in cavities that are complimentary in shape to the bars so that when the fabric is tensioned a larger surface area of the fabric is clamped in the cavity (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,485,165, U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,039, U.S. Pat. No. 4,409,749. U.S. Pat. No. 4,554,754, U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,182, U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,447 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,339,889). Although these references appear to provide a stronger grip on the fabric than the previous references, the grip was only either a portion of an arc of a circle, one side of a square or two sides of a four side element. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,409,749 a wrapped four sided bar with two tapered sides was placed in a tapered channel. When the fabric was tensioned it was gripped in the channel by the tapered sides of the bar. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,485,165, 4,265,039, 4,554,754, 5,042,182, 5,301,447 and 6,339,889 wrapped circular bars were placed in circular channels. When the fabric was tensioned, it was gripped at a small arc of the channel. Reference U.S. Pat. No. 6,339,889 also taught a wrapped rectangular bar placed in a rectangular channel. When the fabric was tensioned, it was gripped at only one side of the rectangular channel. 
   None of the above cited references teaches wrapping the flexible material about a triangular bar with two major surfaces joined at the apex by an acute angle and whose major surface lengths are at least three times the height of its base and the insertion of the wrapped bar into a clamp channel that has a base and two sloping side walls that are congruent to the sides of the triangular bar within the channel. This latter structure provides an almost 90% gripping surface area for the flexible material, which far exceeds the gripping surface area of the prior art. An even larger gripping surface area could be obtained by further reducing the acute angle of the triangular bar. 
   In many of the prior art tensioning devices noted above, the entire securing means of the fabric takes place within the clip itself. If the clip fails for whatever reason, and they are known to do so, it could result in slippage of the material from the cavity, severe stress to the material resulting in deformation of the material, and in some instances tearing of the material. Since many of these prior art clips are made from flexible material, particularly in the area where they secure the fabric, when this part of the clip fails, so does its grip on the fabric. For example in U.S. Pat. No. 2,335,361 the fabric margin is secured to the clip by crimping the fabric between two flexible legs. Should either leg break, the fabric will pull free. Similarly in U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,546, the fabric margin is secured to the clip by flexible legs having detents that grasp the fabric margin to the clip. If either of these legs fail, the uniform grip on the fabric is lost and the stress in the fabric will cause slippage of the fabric or, at the very least, distortion of the fabric being tensioned. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,216 the fabric retaining clip is made of flexible sheet metal with the fabric margin being retained in the clip by very small prongs. Should this clip fail or just the small prongs of the clip fail, the fabric would slip or deform and the uniform tensioning would be lost. 
   The present invention&#39;s clamping means eliminates all these problems by not only providing a more secure means of internal clip flexible material retention but also additionally providing an external clamping of the flexible material. Applicant&#39;s solution to this problem consists of two features. First, the clip or clamp that grasps the marginal edge of the fabric internally of the clip is made of a rigid nonflexible material. Because of this rigidity, it is highly unlikely that the clip itself will fail and loose its grip on the fabric. Additionally applicant&#39;s unique triangular internal clamping design provides maximum surface area gripping force on the flexible material. Secondly, in addition to the securely clamping the fabric margin internally of the clip, the fabric margin is extended out of the clip and is additionally externally clamped to the clip receiving channel wall as a result of pivotal movement of the tensioning clip as the fabric is tensioned. In a first embodiment, the fabric margin is wrapped about a triangular bar and secured within the clip with the fabric margin extending out of the clip. As the fabric margin extends from the interior of the clip, it overlaps the main body of the fabric and this double layer of fabric is then clamped between an external edge of the clip and the receiving channel wall when the clip pivots as a result of the fabric tension. In a second embodiment, the fabric margin is wrapped about a triangular bar and secured within the clip with the apex of the wrapped bar extending externally of the clip. Again, as in the first embodiment, as the fabric margin extends from the interior of the clip, it overlaps the main body of the fabric and this double layer of fabric is clamped between an external edge of the clip and the receiving channel wall when the clip pivots as a result of the fabric tension. In one version of this embodiment, however, the apex of the wrapped triangular bar additionally clamps a single layer of the fabric to the receiving channel wall in addition to the double layer clamping when the clip pivots as a result of the fabric tension. 
   In alternate versions of the above mentioned embodiments, the fabric margin is wrapped about the triangular bar and overlapped upon itself with its free end secured within the clip so that only a single layer of the fabric extends from the interior of the clip. In this alternative to the first embodiment, the single layer is clamped between the external edge of the clip and the receiving channel wall when the clip pivots as a result of the fabric tension. In this alternative to the second embodiment, when the free end of the fabric margin is secured within the clip and a single layer of the fabric extends from the clip, the single layer is clamped between the external edge of the clip and the channel wall. In this embodiment, however, a double layer of fabric is clamped between the apex of the triangular bar and the channel wall upon clip rotation. 
   The only prior art fabric tensioners that formed any type of external clamping in addition to internally securing the fabric margin within the clip were U.S. Pat. No. 5,255,459 and applicant&#39;s own Patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,388. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,255,459, only a single layer of fabric is clamped between an external edge of the clip and the receiving channel wall, not the overlapped double layer clamping taught by applicant. Furthermore, this reference fails to teach the unique additional external clamping or locking of the fabric margin between the external portion of the clamp as well as the clamping or locking by the apex of the triangular bar. In addition, this reference also differs from applicant in that it secures a single layer of the fabric within the clip by physically puncturing the fabric to retain it within the clip. There is no internal channel or recess within the clip that interacts in any way with a bar or spline wrapped with the fabric. Although applicant&#39;s above noted patent performs a double layer external clamping, it does not employ the novel and efficient internal clip clamping achieved by the triangular shaped bar of all the embodiments of the present invention nor does it teach the additional external clamping between the triangular bar apex and the receiving channel wall of one of the embodiments. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved clamp assembly for retaining a flexible material in a cavity with maximum gripping properties while applying minimal strain on the flexible material. 
   Another object of this invention is the utilization of a triangular bar in combination with a rigid nonflexibleclamp having a triangular channel to secure a flexible material wound about the triangular bar within the channel. When the wrapped bar is inserted in the triangular channel, the flexible material is passed outside the clamp through the apex of its channel. When tension is applied to the flexible material tending to pull it out of the clamp channel or when the clamp body is drawn in the opposite direction, the triangular bar will be drawn toward the apex of the channel with its major surfaces contacting the major surfaces of the channel. As it is so drawn, a gripping force is applied gradually and distributed evenly to the flexible material wrapped about the bar at every point on the major surfaces of the triangular bar. The major surfaces of the triangular bar distribute the tensile force to the major surfaces of the channel in the same manner as an inclined plane. That is, when a force acts on the triangular bar along a line from its apex to the center of its base, as would happen when tension is applied to the flexible material or when an opposite force is applied to the clamp body, this force would be distributed perpendicularly throughout the entire surface area of the bar&#39;s major surfaces toward the adjacent walls of the clamp channel resulting in a smooth application of the gripping force with minimal pulling on the material. This is especially important for flexible material that could be subject to tearing or deformation. The use of this triangular bar and triangular clamp channel provide outstanding hold performance, provides a more positive lock and as noted above a smooth gripping force that is spread out over the widest possible area. Theoretically, the smaller the acute angle of the triangular bar and channel cavity, the greater the surface area of the major surfaces and therefore the greatest distribution of the gripping force. 
   A further object of the invention is to use the improved clamp assembly with a tensioning means which is part of a frame that interacts with the bar and clamp to tension the flexible material to the frame. The tensioning means consists of teeth or grooves on a frame wall that interact with teeth or grooves on the clamp to tension the flexible material to the frame while at the same time locking the flexible material within the clamp&#39;s triangular channel. 
   A further object of the invention is to use the improved clamp assembly with a C-channel tensioning receiver with teeth or grooves on the inside of one of its walls. The improved clamp assembly is provided with teeth or grooves on one of its external walls. The clamp assembly is inserted into the C-channel tensioning means with the clamp assembly&#39;s opening at the channel apex facing the closed end of the C-channel and the flexible material passing between the non-toothed C-channel wall and non-toothed clamp exterior surface. As the clamp and C-channel ratchet relative to one another, the flexible material becomes tensioned and locks the material within the clamp channel. As the clamp continues into the C-channel, the tensioned material causes the clamp to rotate and further clamp the flexible material between the C-channel wall and the external surface of the clamp thereby providing a second locking action on the flexible material. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a better understanding of the nature and the objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a side view of a clamp with an internal triangular channel; 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a side view of a triangular bar wrapped with a flexible material to be clamped; 
       FIG. 2   a  illustrates a side view of a triangular bar with an alternate method of wrapping the bar; 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a pictorial view of the triangular bar; 
       FIG. 4  illustrates the wrapped triangular bar assembled into the clamp triangular channel prior to insertion of the clamp into a C-channel receiving means; 
       FIG. 4   a  illustrates an alternate method of wrapping the triangular bar shown in  FIG. 4  using the wrapping method taught in  FIG. 2   a;    
       FIG. 5  illustrates the increasing tension in the flexible material pulling the wrapped triangular bar into locking engagement with the clamp&#39;s internal triangular channel walls as the clamp begins to move into the C-channel means; 
       FIG. 6  illustrates the clamp, with the flexible material locked within its triangular channel, engaging its teeth with the C-channel teeth to rotate the clamp to further lock the flexible material between the bottom leg of the clamp and the C-channel wall. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a modified embodiment of the wrapped triangular bar and clamp assembly mounted in the C-channel with the apex of the triangular bar extending slightly beyond the apex of the clamp channel; 
       FIG. 7   a  illustrates an alternate method of wrapping the triangular bar of  FIG. 7  using the wrapping method taught in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a second modified embodiment of the wrapped triangular bar and clamp assembly mounted in the C-channel with the apex of the triangular bar extending beyond the apex of the channel and contacting the C-channel wall; 
       FIG. 8   a  illustrates an alternate method of wrapping the triangular bar of  FIG. 8  using the wrapping method of  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 9  illustrates a prior art bar and clamp tensioning assembly. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   The subject of the present invention is an improvement to the tensioning assembly utilized in the Coleman U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,388 incorporated herein by reference. In the latter patent, a straight line ratchet is created by virtue of a formed receiver C-channel open area  20  with grooves or teeth  22 , or a channel fitted with grooves may be incorporated as part of a sign embodiment or it may be provided as a part to attach to an existing sign embodiment or other structure. This prior art is shown in  FIG. 9 . 
   In place of the tensioning bar and clamp utilized in the above patent, the improved tensioning apparatus is made up of two parts as shown in  FIGS. 1–3 . The first part shown in  FIGS. 2–3  consists in a tapered triangular bar  24 , which has two major surfaces  27  and  29  meeting at an acute angle and a base  31 . Although the figures show the edges as sharp, they also could be slightly rounded to protect the flexible material. The major surfaces  27  and  29  of the bar may be smooth or serrated with the latter providing an additional gripping property. The bar can be made of any material, however, extruded aluminum is usually employed. The bar is cut approximately 4″ in length with a triangular cross section with the edges of the major surfaces  27  and  29  being of a length at least three times the height of the bar base. With this dimension of the bar, the major surfaces  27  and  29 , which are used to grip the flexible material, make up approximately 90% of the bar&#39;s total surface area. Depending on its use, the bar could be cut to other lengths. The smaller the acute angle of the bar is made, the larger the gripping area of surfaces  27  and  29  will become. 
   The second part of the tensioning apparatus is rigid nonflexible tensioning clamp  26  formed with an upper arm  28  and a lower arm  30  separated nearer one end of the clamp by a spacer bar  32 . At the other end of the tension clamp, the upper arm  28  and the lower arm  30  are formed so as to define between them a triangular channel  34  which, in one embodiment, is slightly larger than the triangular bar  24  but congruent to it. The major internal surfaces of the triangular channel may be smooth or serrated with the latter providing additional gripping property. Spacer bar  32  forms the base of this channel and an opening  25  is formed between the ends of arms  28  and  30  at the apex of the channel. In one embodiment this opening is sized to permit the passage of the flexible material but not the triangular bar, however, in other embodiments the opening could be large enough to permit the apex of the triangular bar to pass. Although it is preferred that the triangular channel  34  pass completely through the length of the clamp between arms  28  and  30 , as an alternative, one side of the channel could be closed if desired. 
   The external surface of the clamp could have different shapes as long as it contains an internal triangular channel and an external opening into the channel apex. In the illustrated preferred embodiment, the upper arm  28  of the clamp is provided with two or three grooves or teeth  38  adjacent one end, which teeth are angled away from the channel opening  34 . More teeth could be provided where a stronger grip is desired. As shown in  FIGS. 4–6 , the clamp has a thickness such that the clamp will be received in the receiver C-channel  20  tensioning means and, as it progresses into the C-channel, the teeth  38  of the clamp will engage the teeth  22  of the C-channel and lock the clamp in the receiver channel while at the same time tensioning the flexible material. 
   In tensioning a flexible material, for example a display face, an end portion  40  of the display face is wrapped around triangular bar  24 , as seen in  FIG. 2 , with the end of the material overlapping the main body of the flexible material beyond the bar&#39;s apex. The wrapped bar is then inserted into the triangular channel  34  of the tensioning clamp  26  with the two overlapped layers of the flexible material  40  passing out of the triangular channel  34  through channel opening  25 , see  FIG. 4 . Although  FIG. 2  shows a clockwise wrapping, the direction of wrapping the flexible material about the bar can be either clockwise or counter clockwise. 
   As seen in  FIG. 2   a , an alternative method of wrapping the triangular bar is shown which would result in only a single layer of the flexible material exiting the channel apex as apposed to the two layers shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     FIGS. 4  illustrates an end view of a sign frame with a wrapped triangular bar  24  assembled within the triangular channel  34  of the tensioning clamp  26  with the two overlapped layers of the flexible material  40  passing out of the clamp channel opening  25  and under the bottom leg  30  of the clamp  26  ready to be pushed into the C-channel  20  tensioning means of the frame. Note in the  FIG. 4   a  embodiment, only a single layer of the flexible material would pass out of the clamp opening  25  and under the bottom leg  30  of the clamp. The teeth or grooves  38  of the tensioning clamp  26  will engage the teeth  22  of the C-channel as the clamp is pushed into the C-channel. As the clamp teeth begin to engage the C-channel teeth as seen in  FIG. 5 , the flexible material will begin to tighten across the frame. As the flexible material begins to tension, the wrapped triangular bar will be pulled toward the clamp channel opening  25  and the entire area of major surfaces  27  and  29  of bar  24  will immediately engage the congruent major surfaces of the clamp channel and evenly distribute the tensioning pressure on the flexible material, firmly securing or locking it between the bar and clamp channel. In view of the fact that the length of the triangular bar&#39;s major surfaces are at least three times the height of the bar&#39;s base, approximately 90% of the bar&#39;s surface area will clamp or lock the flexible material to the clamp channel surfaces. As the clamp teeth continue to ratchet with the C-channel teeth, the flexible material tension continues to increase as does the uniform distribution of this tensioning pressure through the wrapped triangular bar&#39;s major surfaces onto the congruent major surfaces of the clamp channel. As the clamp continues into the C-channel, the increased tension in the flexible material and the interaction of the clamp teeth and the C-channel teeth will cause the clamp to rotate downwardly, see  FIG. 6 , so that the outside edge of the bottom leg  30  of the tensioning clamp pivots about the lower C-channel wall and presses against the overlapped double layer of flexible material thereby locking it against the bottom portion of the C-channel. Note, if the  FIG. 4   a  embodiment were employed, only a single layer of the flexible material would be locked between the clamp and the C-channel. This embodiment therefore provides a double clamping lock on the flexible material, first a lock between the triangular bar and clamp channel and then an additional second locking of the overlapped double layer of flexible material or, if  FIG. 4   a  is used, a single layer of flexible material between the bottom leg of the clamp and C-channel wall. 
   In tensioning the flexible material sign to a frame, oppositely disposed tensioning clamps will engage opposite C-channel tensioning means portions of the sign, i.e., top and bottom and left side and right side. The further the tensioning clamp is forced into the C-channel, the tighter the covering will become. 
     FIG. 7  illustrates an end view of an alternate embodiment of the sign frame with a wrapped triangular bar  24  inserted into the triangular channel  34  of the tensioning clamp  26 . In this embodiment the triangular bar has rounded edges to protect the flexible material. The tensioning clamp  26  of this embodiment has the channel apex opening slightly wider to permit the apex of the wrapped triangular bar to extend slightly beyond the channel apex opening. Aside from the above difference, this embodiment functions in the same manner as the embodiment of  FIGS. 4–6 . 
     FIG. 7   a  depicts an alternate version of  FIG. 7  that uses an alternate method of wrapping the flexible material about the triangular bar. This method results in only a single layer of the flexible material exiting the channel apex and being clamped or locked between the clamp and the C-channel wall as opposed to the two layers clamping or locking of  FIG. 7 . 
     FIG. 8  illustrates an end view of a second alternate embodiment of the sign frame with a wrapped triangular bar  24  inserted into the triangular channel  34  of the tensioning clamp  26 . In addition to having rounded edges, the triangular bar  24  of this embodiment is almost twice as long as the triangular clamp channel. The apex opening  25  of the clamp channel is wide enough to permit the triangular bar&#39;s apex  23  to extend well beyond the apex opening of the clamp channel. This embodiment functions in the same manner as the embodiments of  FIGS. 4–7  in that as the clamp begins to ratchet into the C-channel frame the tension in the flexible material will first cause the triangular bar to wedge or lock the flexible material uniformly to the clamp channel wall. Also as the ratcheting continues, the tension in the flexible material will cause the clamp to rotate downwardly so that the outside edge of the bottom leg  30  of the tensioning clamp pivots about the lower C-channel wall and presses against the overlapped double layer of flexible material thereby locking it against the bottom portion of the C-channel. Furthermore as the clamp continues to pivot about the outside edge of the bottom leg  30 , the wrapped apex  23  of the triangular bar  24  also presses a single layer of the flexible material against the lower C-channel wall and provides an additional third lock on the flexible material in addition to the second double layer fabric lock provided by the outer edge  30  of the clamp. 
     FIG. 8   a  illustrates an alternate version of  FIG. 8  in which the flexible material is wrapped about the triangular bar in such a way that only a single layer of the flexible material passes between the outer edge of clamp leg  30  and the C-channel wall and is locked thereto as opposed to the double layer locking of the  FIG. 8  embodiment. In addition, in view of the manner in which the bar is wrapped, a double layer of the flexible material wraps about the apex of the bar. Therefore, upon contact with the C-channel wall, the apex of the bar will lock two layers of the flexible material to the C-channel as opposed to a single layer as in the  FIG. 8  embodiment. 
   Removal of the tensioning clamps from the C-channels in the embodiments of  FIGS. 4–8  is achieved by inserting a bar or special tool into the tensioning clamp to push it away from the grooves or teeth to disengage the ratchet. Once disengaged, the elastic action of the tensioned flexible material allows the assembly to pop out. 
   Although the means for tensioning discussed in the  FIGS. 4–8  embodiments involved the ratcheting between the teeth on the C-channel and the clamp, the tensioning means could employ other forms of linear ratcheting other than the preferred C-channel embodiment.