IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FLOORING CRAMPS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Wilson Riley, of Keighley, in the County of York,
Machine Maker, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF FLOORING CRAMPS."
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Wilson Riley at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th September 1880.
WILSON RILEY, of Keighley, in the County of York, Machine Maker.
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FLOORING CRAMPS."
The object of my Invention relates to the construction of cramps used for forcing
flooring boards together when laid upon the joists, and firmly holding the same in
position until nailed down.
I construct my improved cramp somewhat in the following manner :-I form a
bed plate having projections on one side, which project downward when the
plate is placed upon the joist. On the other side of plate is secured an adjustable
eccentric, arranged that the same grips the joist when pressure is applied to the
cramp. The top side of this plate is grooved, in which I place a slide or cramp
head having a series of ratchet teeth on the top, and near the full length of the
same. Acting upon this ratchet is a pawl attached to a lever secured to bed
plate by a pin passing through lugs and end of lever. By actuating this lever
the before mentioned pawl propels the slide forward and forces the floor boards
into position, which are held by means of another pawl acting upon the said
ratchet teeth.
My object can also be accomplished by forming the centre of the before
mentioned slide with teeth of the ordinary description, into which is geared a
pinion that is mounted between upright lugs forming part of bed plate. On one
or both sides of this pinion I form ratchet teeth, in which work one or two pawls
attached to a lever mounted as before described. By actuating the lever, the
pawl or pawls cause the pinion to revolve, propels the slide, and cramps the
floor boards together, which are held in position by pawls acting upon ratchet
teeth at each side of the toothed rack formed in slide.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Wilson Riley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th March
1881.
WILSON RILEY, of Keighley, in the County of York, Machine Maker.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FLOORING CRAMPS."
The object of my Invention relates to the construction of cramps used for forcing
flooring boards together when laid upon the joists, and firmly holding the same in
position until nailed down, and consists in a bed plate having projections on one
side, and an adjustable eccentric on the other, by which the cramp is secured to the
joists; and the top of the said plate is arranged with a slide in which works a
sliding ram or cramp bead having ratchet or rack teeth of the ordinary description.
This ram is actuated by a lever and pawl, or lever and pawl in conjunction with a
pinion which propel the ram, force the boards into position, and hold them secure
until nailed down.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is an elevation (partly in section) of my
improved cramp, the sliding ram or cramp head being arranged with ratchet teeth;
Figure 2 is a plan of the same; Figure 3 is an elevation of the cramp arranged
with ordinary rack teeth in the sliding ram; this view is also in partial section;
Figure 4 is a plan of the same, and Figure 5 is a detail plan of adjustable eccentric.
Similar letters represent similar parts in all the Figures. The base or bed plate A
is arranged with projections B on one side, and on the other is an adjustable
eccentric C, which, when the cramp is placed upon the joist, the same is gripped
between the eccentric and projections B, and held secure whilst the boards are
being forced home.
The top side of the bed plate A is grooved, and in the grooves is placed a sliding
ram or cramp head D, having on the top surface a series of ratchet or rack teeth.
At each side of the slide and forming part of the bed plate are cast the projectious F
and G; between the projections F when the sliding ram is arranged with ratchet
teeth, as in Figure 1, I mount lever H, at the bottom end of which is jointed a
pawl J having ratchet teeth on the underside corresponding to the teeth E in the
sliding ram. When this lever is actuated in the direction of the arrow, the pawl J
will force the sliding ram in the opposite direction, and the same is held in position
whilst the lever H and pawl J are reversed to have another pick, by means of
pawl K mounted between projections G, and having ratchet teeth on the underside
as in pawl J; thus by working the lever H to and fro, the pawl J propels the
sliding ram or cramp head D and forces the floor boards home, the eccentric
holding the cramp in position, as before described.
When the sliding ram or cramp head D is arranged with ordinary rack teeth,
as in Figure 3, I form ratchet teeth L at each side of the rack teeth; those in the
sliding ram are for the purpose of holding the same in position by means of pawl M,
and those in pinion for moving the ram in the manner hereafter described.
According to this arrangement the lever H is mounted differently to that before
described and illustrated in Figure 1; a pin passes through the projectious F and
pinion N, and through ends of lever H, thus forming the axis on which the pinion
revolves, and the fulcrum for lever. In the said lever at P I mount a double
pawl R fitting in ratchet teeth at each side of pinion N, and when the lever is
actuated to and fro, the double pawl causes the pinion N to revolve; the teeth of
the pinion gearing into the teeth of sliding ram propel the same, thus cramping
the floor boards home, the eccentric holding the cramp in position, as before
described.
What I claim as my Invention is,--
The arrangement and combination of the lever and pawl acting direct on the
sliding ram with ratchet teeth, substantially in the manner and for the purposes

page_text: The arrangement of the lever in combination with the paw] jointed to the said
lever for actuating the pinion and sliding ram having ordinary and ratchet teeth,
substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein set forth.
The arrangement of the stationary pawl in combination with the sliding rain,
substantially for the purposes herein set forth.
The arrangement and combination of parts for actuating direct acting clamps,
substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described, and as
illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Wilson Riley, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty third day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
JOHN WAUGH,
Engineer and Patent Offices,
Bradford.
WILSON RILEY. (L.S.)