Patent Publication Number: US-6220589-B1

Title: Dual action clamp

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,601 dated Dec. 16, 1997 a two-way dual action clamp is disclosed for securing two or more workpieces together in a precise relationship until they can be permanently secured together and the clamp(s) removed. The particular embodiment of the invention disclosed in the patent is designed to fasten face frame cabinets. The present invention relates to similar two-way dual action clamps which are designed and adapted to fasten frame-less cabinets which are known as European style cabinets. Whereas the jaws of the clamp disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,601 have rigid inwardly directed and longitudinally aligned workpiece retaining projections on their distal ends, which are not useful in clamping European style frame-less cabinets together, the dual action clamps of the present is invention have spring actuated cams pivotally mounted on the distal ends of the jaws for gripping together workpieces such as the abutting sides of a frame-less European style cabinet. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention, generally stated, is the provision of two-way dual action clamps which may be used by skilled and unskilled workers to accurately assemble and install frame-less (European style) cabinets in a relatively short period of time. Except for the addition of the spring actuated workpiece gripping cams pivotally mounted on the distal ends of the opposing jaws and the omission of the drill guide the clamps of the present invention may otherwise correspond to the clamp disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,601. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of two European style faceless cabinet units fastened together with a clamp of the present invention prior to being permanently fastened together and installed in a desired location; 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the clamp as shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a front view of the clamp as shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 but illustrating the clamp engaging the abutting sides of the two cabinet units of FIG. 1 before they have been completely aligned in the front-to-rear direction; 
     FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the abutting sides accurately aligned and clamped together as shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 6 is an elevational view taken on line  6 — 6  of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 7 is an elevational view of the inner side of the left hand jaw of the clamp as shown in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view on enlarged scale taken on line  8 — 8  of FIG. 2; and 
     FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view on enlarged scale, partially broken away, of the right hand cam shown in FIG.  2 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In FIG. 1 a frame-less or European style cabinet is indicated generally at  5  formed of left and right hand conventional frame-less cabinet units  6  and  7 . The abutting side walls or uprights A and B of the cabinet units  6  and  7  are to be joined together as shown in FIG. 1 prior to installation of the assembled double unit cabinet  5  against a kitchen wall, for example. From FIG. 1 it will be apparent that the front vertical edges of the side walls A and B must be aligned in flush relationship before the units  6  and  7  are permanently joined together into the cabinet  5 . Using one or more of the two-way dual action clamps of the present invention indicated generally at  8 , the front vertical edges of the walls A and B are first accurately joined together in side by side and front-to-rear relationship as shown, and while being so clamped, holes are drilled such as at locations  10 ,  11  and  12  for installing screws for holding the units  6  and  7  together. The screws installed at locations  10  and  11  pass through wall B and enter wall A. The screw entering at location  12  passes through wall A and enters wall B. It will be understood that after screws have been installed such as in locations  10 ,  11  and  12  a number of additional screws can be installed at other locations so as to permanently secure the cabinet units  6  and  7  together. 
     Referring to FIGS. 2-9 the clamp  8  comprises seven main components, namely, jaws indicated generally at  13  and  14 , operating hand screws indicated generally at  15  and  16 , a pressure plate  17  and a pair of spring actuated pivotally mounted cams  18  and  20 . 
     The jaw  13  is generally L-shaped while the jaw  14  is generally I-shaped. When assembled in clamp  8  the jaws  13  and  14  form a generally U-shaped assembly with one leg  21  of jaw  13  forming the bight of the U-shape. The other leg  22  of jaw  13  and jaw  14  form the opposing legs of the U-shape. The cams  18  and  20  are pivotally mounted on the distal ends of the jaws  22  and  14 , respectively. In use, the cams  18  and  20  engage the sides A and B of the cabinet units  6  and  7  as shown in FIGS. 1,  4  and  5 . 
     The operating screw  15  comprises a screw  23  having a handle  24  secured to its outer end and with its opposite end rotatedly secured in a socket  25  formed in the distal end of the bight forming leg  21  of the jaw  13 . In order to secure the end of the screw  23  for rotation in the socket  25  it is provided with a circumferencial groove and a pin  26  is inserted in a hole drilled in the jaw leg  21  so as to engage the groove on one side. It will be seen that the pin  26  prevents axial movement of the screw  23  relative to the jaw  13  while allowing the screw to be freely rotated in the smooth walled socket  25 . 
     The screw  23  has threaded engagement with a tapped or internally threaded bore  27  (FIG. 7) in what may be considered the proximal end of the jaw  14  in the U-shaped jaw configuration. The jaw  14  is maintained in its vertical oriented relationship with respect to jaw  13  by means of pins  30 — 30  press-fitted into openings  28 — 28  (FIG. 7) in the jaw  14  on opposite sides of the bore  27  with the protruding ends of the pins extending in sliding relationship into blind holes formed in the distal end of the bight  21  of the jaw  13  on opposite sides of the socket  25 . It will be seen that when the screw  15  is rotated in one direction the jaw  14  will be moved toward the jaw  13  while when the screw  15  is rotated in the opposite direction the jaw  14  will be retracted or moved away from the jaw  13 . 
     The pressure plate operating screw  16  comprises a screw  31  to the outer end of which a handle  32  is attached. The opposite end of the screw  31  has a tip  33  (FIG. 8) to which the pressure plate  17  is rotatably secured. The pressure plate has a shallow recess  34  formed in its upper side in which a washer  35  is located. The end of the tip  33  is offset over the washer  35  so as to secure the assembly together. When the screw  31  is rotated the washer  35  rotates in the recess  34  thereby retaining the pressure plate  17  in place on the end of the screw  31 . The screw  31  extends through an internally threaded opening in the bight  21  of the jaw  13 . It will be seen that by rotating the screw  16  the pressure plate  18  is advanced or withdrawn with respect to the bight  21  as well as with respect to the cams  18  and  20 . 
     Each of the cams  18  and  20  is spring actuated by means of a coil spring  37  (FIG. 9) surrounding the pivot pin  38  on which the cam is mounted. One end  40  of the coil spring  37  is secured to the distal end of the jaw  14  while the opposite end  41  of the spring engages the side of a pocket  42  in the side of the cam. 
     The pivotal movement of each cam  18  and  20  in opposite directions is limited by a pin  43  (FIGS. 2,  5  and  6 ) which engages the outer ends of the jaws  14  and  22 . When the clamp  8  is unengaged each pin  43  engages the outer end of its jaw as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6. When the jaws are tightened against workpieces the pins engage the jaws as shown in FIG.  4 . 
     Each of the cams  18  and  20  is mounted in the opening formed between the bifurcated ends of the jaws  13  and  14  as shown in FIG.  6 . The pins  38  on which cams  18  and  20  are mounted extend through bores in the bifurcated ends. 
     In operation, the separate cabinet units  6  and  7  will be placed together in approximately the position they will occupy when properly joined together to form the assembled cabinet  5 . One or more of the clamps  8  will then be applied over the front edges as shown in FIG.  1 . Prior to a clamp being applied the spring actuated cams  18  and  20  will occupy the positions shown in FIG. 2 in which they are closest together. 
     Upon a clamp  8  being applied over the vertical edges of the sides A and B the cams will be spread apart as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The pins  43  engage the ends of the jaws  13  and  14  as shown in FIGS. 4,  5  and  6  thereby arrest further pivoting of the cams and allow them to forcibly engage the sides A and B. Preferably each cam  18  and  20  is provided with a surface covering of tape or other material which has frictional engagement with the cabinet material. The tape or other surface covering is indicated at  44 — 44 . When the sides A and B are completely aligned and flush both edges will rest against the pressure plate  17  as shown in FIG.  5 . The pressure plate is also provided with a covering of tape  45 . 
     If both of the cabinet units  6  and  7  are resting on a level surface it may suffice to apply one or more clamps  8  to the front or vertical edges of the abutting sides A and B. Otherwise it may be desirable to apply a clamp to the upper edges whereby the cabinet units  6  and  7  will be properly oriented and joined both horizontally and vertically. After a sufficient number of screws have been installed with the clamp(s)  8  in place, the clamp(s) will be removed by manipulating the screws  15  and  16  in the appropriate directions. 
     While spring actuated clamps  18  and  20  have a desirable shape it will be understood that cams having different shapes can be used which function in substantially the same way as cams  18  and  20 .