Patent Publication Number: US-2009230264-A1

Title: Cantilever tension clamp and bracket

Description:
PRIORITY UNDER 35 U.S.C. §119(e) and 37 C.F.R. §1.78 
     The present application claims the benefit of and priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. US61/036,473 entitled CANTILEVER TENSION CLAMP AND BRACKET filed on Mar. 14, 2008. 
    
    
     CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     None. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a clamp in which two clamping arms are disposed on an extending member that positions the arms apart from each other to fit the object or objects to be held, with a tension element that draws the clamping arms against the objects to be held by the clamp. The tension element and the extending member may then operate as a bracket for attaching or mounting other objects to or on that which is held by the clamp. 
     As tools clamps are well known and generally operate to force a pair of jaws against a workpiece. Typical of such clamps is the C-clamp, which utilizes a pad attached to a screw which engages threads in one of the jaws to force the object to be clamped with the pad against the other jaw. Such devices are generally covered by United States Class 269, “work holders”, and United States Class 248, “supports”. Almost all of such devices employ a screw mechanism to compressively drive at least one of the jaws against the object to be clamped, such as the Clamp Tool disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,328,891, the J-Clamp For Woodwork And Method Of Use disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,134,651, the Clamp Jaw disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,935,628, the Clamp Fixtures disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,338,478, and the Clamp Mechanism disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,345. Although some other devices employ tension in one or more of their elements to make the clamp operable, the present invention appears to be unique in the employment of a tension element in the form of a rod or cable which draws cantilevered clamping arms (analogous to jaws in the above-mentioned patents) against the object or objects to be held. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is contrived in view of the above-mentioned points. One object of the invention is to provide a clamp tool for the usual purposes of holding a workpiece in a particular position, or of holding objects together. However, the principal object of the invention is to serve as a bracket for attaching other objects to the object or objects held in the clamping arms, such as attaching reflective panels against the screen of a television set where the television set is held in the clamping arms. The present invention achieves these objectives as a clamp in which two clamping arms are disposed on an extending member that positions the arms apart from each other to fit the object or objects to be held, with a tension element and tensioner that draws the cantilever clamping arms against the objects to be held by the clamp. The tension element and the extending member may then serve as a foundation for attaching or mounting other objects to or on that which is held by the clamp. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the fundamental embodiment of the cantilever clamp and bracket with integrated arms and extending member. 
         FIG. 2  is a second perspective view of the cantilever clamp and bracket shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the cantilever clamp and bracket with one complex arm and one simple arm and non-integral extending member. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the cantilever clamp and bracket with two complex arms and a non-integral extending member. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the cantilever clamp and bracket with two complex arms and a non-integral extending member. 
         FIG. 6  is a first perspective view of a binder clip assisted support disposed on a tension element. 
         FIG. 7  is a second perspective view of a binder clip assisted support disposed on a tension element. 
         FIG. 8  is a third perspective view of a binder clip assisted support disposed on a tension element. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a cantilever clamp and bracket (hereinafter referred to simply as “clamp” and/or “bracket”) in which two clamping arms are disposed on an extending member that positions the arms apart from each other to fit the object or objects to be held, with at least one tension element that draws at least one cantilever clamping arm (hereinafter referred to simply as “arm”) against the object or objects to be held by the clamp. A tension element may be a rod, a cable, or two connected rods or cables. The tension element is caused to draw an arm against the object to be held by a tensioner operating on the tension element that pulls one clamping arm toward the other. A tensioner may be a threaded nut screwed onto a tension element that is a threaded rod, or another well known device for creating tension along cables or rods, such as a racheting tensioner. Drawing one of the arms against the object to be held causes the other arm to be drawn against the object to be held from the opposite direction, thus clamping the object. The clamp may have a single tension element with a tensioner connected to one or both of the arms, or may have two tension elements, each connected to one arm with a tensioner. Where only one arm of the clamp is connected to a tension element, the other end of the tension element must be connected to the extending member either directly (not shown in the drawings) or to a tension stop attached to the extending member or integral with the arm via a cantilever brace. 
     The aspect of the invention which provides a bracket for attachment of objects to the object held by the clamp may be carried out with supports held in position on either the tension elements or the extending member. Such objects maybe attached to such supports with any means of attachment, such as clips, bolts, adhesive, etc. 
     The present invention will be further described in detail with reference to the drawings.  FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate the fundamental embodiment of the invention, where two clamping arms  1  are integral to an extending member  2 , and are connected by a single tension element  3  that is a rod or cable  3  with provision for a threaded end and a single threaded nut  4  as the tensioner  4 . The clamp operates to hold the clamped object  5  by the rotation of the threaded nut tensioner  4  on the threaded end of the tension element, which draws the arms  1  against the object  5  to be clamped. This operation of the clamp is the same as the fundamental embodiment for all of the various embodiments of the invention. One such embodiment is shown in  FIG. 3 , where the arms  1  are not integral with the extending member  2 , but are attached to the extending member  2  via a cantilever brace  7 , either permanently as with welding or rivets, or adjustably along the extending member as with bolts (neither means being shown in  FIG. 3 ). In  FIG. 3  the extending member  2  is shown as a channel to providing stiffness between the arms  1 , but may have other configurations for that purpose, such as with an angle or a “T” cross section. Although in  FIG. 3  the arms  1  are shown at the ends of the extending member  2 , the clamp may operate with the arms  1  either positioned beyond the end of the extending member  2 , or within the extent of the extending member  2 , as long as the cantilever braces  7  can be securely attached to the extending member  2 . The clamp may be adjustable within the limits afforded by the dimensions of the extending member  2  and the cantilever braces  7  with either multiple holes or slots for bolts in either or both the cantilever brace  7  or the extending member  2 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3  the cantilever arm  1  maybe either simple, comprised of an arm  1  with an integral cantilever brace (as shown on the second segment  10  of the extending member  2 , hereinafter referred to as a simple arm), without any attached tension element; or complex, comprised of a arm  1  with an integral cantilever brace  7  and integral tension stop  6 , and a tension element  3  connecting the arm  1  and tension stop  6  (as shown on the first segment  9  of the extending member  2 , hereinafter referred to as a complex arm assembly). ( FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5  show a break  8  in the extending arm  2  that is intended to show that both the first segment  9  and the second segment  10  are segments of the same integral extending arm  2 . The brackets with the reference numbers  9  and  10  are intended to apply across the entire drawing sheet to  FIGS. 4 and 5  as well as  FIG. 3 .) The tension stop  6 , is a restraint that checks the motion of the end of the tension element  3  as the nut tensioner  4  is tightened to draw the arm  1  connected to the first segment  9  against the object to be held in the clamp. The action of the complex arm assembly on the first segment  9  as a result of the tension drawing it against the object to be held cooperates with the action of the simple arm on the second segment  10  and also draws it against the object to be held. Of course, the clamp will operate in the same manner if the configuration of the simple arm and the complex arm assembly is inverted on the extending member  2 , so that the simple arm is on the first segment  9 , and the complex arm assembly is on the second segment  10 . 
     The same operation is also obtained from the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5  using a complex arm assembly on the first and second segments. That is, the action of one of the complex arm assemblies of these embodiments in drawing the included arm  1  against the object to be held would also cause the arm  1  of the other complex arm assembly of the embodiment to be drawn against the object to be held. The only difference between these embodiments and that shown in  FIG. 3  is that the tension that is holding the arms  1  against the object to be held is being generated by two complex arm assemblies rather than one, and may thus be shared by the tension elements  3  of both. The difference between the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4  from that shown in  FIG. 5  is that the complex arm assemblies are located inside the channel configuration of the extending member  2  in the latter. Such location of the complex arm assemblies results in greater stability of the complex arm assemblies in the operation of the clamp, and is therefore the preferred embodiment. 
     Service of the invention as a bracket for attaching other objects to the object held in the clamping arms is accomplished with the means of a support attached to either the tension element  3  or the extending member  2 . One such support is shown in  FIGS. 6 ,  7  and  8  in various perspective views in relation to a tension element  3 , which may be used for the purpose of attaching a panel against the screen of a television set where the television set is held in the clamping arms  1 . The point of attachment of the support to the tension element  3  is the support tab  12 , which may be secured in any convenient way, one of which is a standard binder clip (not shown in the Figures) applied from the direction of the support connecting plate  11  so that the support tab  12  enters the binder clip before the tension element  3 . An object (not shown in the figures) such as a panel may then be secured to the support connecting plate  11  in any convenient way, one of which is also a standard binder clip. Another type of support may have two integrated clips, one for gripping the panel and the other for gripping the tension element, thereby attaching the panel to the tension element. 
     While the invention has been disclosed in connection with a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that there is no intention to limit the invention to the particular embodiment shown, but it is intended to cover the various alternative and equivalent constructions included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.