Patent GB-1189112-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to Clamps
Inventor: ABBS JOHN ROBERT
IPC: F16L3/10
Filed: 1966-05-10
Abstract: 1,189,112. Band clips. CLARK STACATRUC Ltd. 5 July, 1967 [10 May, 1966], No. 20687/66. Heading E2B. A clamp comprises an open support to receive and partially to locate an article of appropriate size and a band 19 of flexible, substantially non-extensible material connected at one end portion to a position on the support and at its other free end portion carrying one part 27 of a releasably engageable catch, the other part of the catch being so located on the support that the band can partly encircle the article on the support and hold it in position thereon, the band incorporating or carrying, at one of its end portions, spring means 30 which can be extended to vary the distance between said position and the one part 27 of the catch so that when the article on the support is partially encircled by the band the spring means can be extended to enable the catch parts to be engaged, the spring means thereafter retracting and applying a tension force to the band to hold the article on the support. In the construction shown the support consists of two closed members 11 connected together by spacers 31 and 32 each member 11 consisting of two metal plates 12 arranged on it and having a spacer 13 welded between them, the spacer having a generally flat lower part 14 apertured for receiving fixing bolts. Each plate 12 has an arcuate edge for engaging the article to be clamped. The spacer 13 extends upwardly between the plates 12 to provide an anchorage 18 for the band 19 and as shown two bands are used in the clamp one connected to each member 11. One end portion of each band is anchored to the spacer 13 by a bolt and nut assembly and the other end portion of each band carries a mounting for the spring means comprising an L shaped member 20 which is bolted through its longer limb 22 to the free end portion of the band so that the shorter limb 23 of the member 20 projects outwardly. Secured to each L shaped member 20 is a tube 24, a helical compression spring 30 being disposed in the tube the spring being trapped between the lower end of the tube and a washer 28 carried by a pin 25 to which the catch part 27 is fixed. The catch part 27 is in the form of a rod which is common to the two bands, the rod being connected to the pin 25 carried by each band. Each of the members 11 carries a projecting catch member 33 the two members 33 constituting the other catch part and each member 33 has three downwardly facing notches 35, 36, 37 into any corresponding pair of which the rod 27 can be located to accommodate coarse variations in the diameter of the article, fine variations being taken up by the springs 30. The article for which the clamp is suitable is a gas bottle and a pin 40 is provided which can engage a hole in the bottle to prevent rotation of the bottle, the pin being carried by a member 37 fixed to the righthand member 11, the member 37 having two holes 38, 39 therein in either of which the pin can be disposed depending upon the type of bottle used. Instead of the springs 30 tension springs can be inserted between the end portions of  the bands remote from the catch and the anchorages 18; in this construction the free end portions of the bands are joined directly by the rod 27 alternatively the end portions of the bands connected to the rod 27 are spirally coiled to provide the spring means.