Improvements in Clamps for Crossed Wires.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 9th Mar., 1895
Improvements in Clamps for Crossed Wires.
I, AXEL LEVEDAHL, of 325 Spring Street, in the City of Aurora, County
of Kane and State of Illinois, United States of America, Machinist, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained, in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to an improved metal clamp for use in rigidly securing
together rods or wires in crossed relation, and it has for its object to provide a
device of the character referred to simple in construction, convenient of application,
and which forms a more rigid, durable and better finished fastening than those
heretofore employed for similar purposes.
The invention is especially adapted for use in forming a rigid and durable
connection between the crossed spokes of light steel or iron wheels, as bicycle wheels,
and the like, but may also be advantageously used to fasten together intersecting
wires of metal net or grill work, and for various other analogous purposes.
The invention consists in the matter hereinafter described and more particularly
pointed out in the appended claims, and the same will be more readily understood
by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which,-
Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the clamp as formed ready for
application.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the same.
Figure 3 is a top plan view.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the clamp applied to a pair of crossed rods.
Figure 5 is a plan view of the same.
Referring to said drawings, A designates the clamp or clip as a whole. It may
be formed of sheet metal, cut into suitable blanks and struck up by means of a
suitable die. As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, which illustrate the form of the
clamp before application, it has oppositely arranged side walls a a¹ which diverge
from each other from the middle portion of the clamp towards each end thereof,
the diagonally opposite portions of which, as a² a³ and a a³, are arranged to stand
in parallel planes. The side walls a a' are joined by an irregular shaped convex
bottom portion a, the unclosed clamp having the form as a whole of two open
ended, U-shaped channels a' a arranged to intersect each other at the desired
angle, and one of which, as a', is deeper or has its bottom arranged in a plane below
that of the other a distance equal to the diameter or thickness of one of the rods
designed to be clamped therein. The other or shallower channel as is, therefore,
interrupted by the deeper channel, its bottom comprising only end portions a³ a³.
The depth of the channels a' and a8 and the contour of the margins of the sides a a¹
forming said channels are such that, when applied in the first place to the
wires B B to be clamped, it fits against one side of both wires, and, when wrapped
or formed about the wires, the edges meet, and it thus forms a clamp or X-shaped
sleeve which completely embraces the intersecting rods throughout the length of
said clamp.
It will be obvious that the contour of the meeting edges of the clamp may be
varied somewhat, it being of course understood that whatever is taken off or
deducted from one margin must be added on the opposite margin, but I have found
in practice that the form herein illustrated is the preferable one. As herein shown,
one of the diagonally opposite portions, or those which are arranged to stand in
parallel planes, as a' a', are somewhat wider at their outer ends than the opposing

page_text: portions a² a³ and slightly rounded or convex at their upper margins. Both the
portions a² a3 and a a³ are wider at their ends than at the middle portion of the
clamp in order to compass the diverging wires, and it is to be noted that the form
of the clamp may be varied considerably to suit the requirements of the divergent
angles of intersection of the rods or wires to be clamped, it being obvious that the
greater the angle at which the rods cross the longer must be the end margins or
greater the circumference of the ends of the clamp in proportion to the circumference
of the center thereof.
The clamp in its open form having been placed upon the crossed wires so that the
latter rest in the bottoms of the channels a' as, the opposing edges of the clamp
are brought together or formed over them by any suitable tool or die, thus forming
a complete clasp, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. After having been properly
applied, the clamp may be plated or otherwise finished if desired. For neatness
of appearance the end margins of the clamp are herein shown as slightly rounded
or chamfered.
A clamp constructed in accordance with my invention may be applied with the
geatest facility, is extremely simple and cheap of construction, and forms a strong,
neat and rigid fastening peculiarly adapted to successfully withstand the severe
strains to which a fastening of this character is subjected, especially when applied
to the spokes of bicycles or similar wheels.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination with wheel spokes which cross each other at an acute angle,
of a connecting clamp for uniting the same, consisting of a single piece of sheet
metal which is bent to form two intersecting tubular parts or sockets located in
different planes, both of which sockets embrace the spokes at both sides of the
intersection of the same, and which also has connecting webs which extend between
and rigidly unite the end portions of said tubular parts or sockets, substantially as
described.
2. A sheet metal clamp, comprising opposite sides diverging from the center
towards each end thereof, joined by an irregular shaped convex botton portion,
forming in conjunction with said divergent sides two U-shaped channels of unequal
depth intersecting each other at an acute angle and adapted to be clamped about,
and when so clamped to fit and retain, two crossed wires or rods at their intersections,
substantially as described.
Dated at Chicago, Illinois, this Twelfth day of January, Eighteen hundred
and ninety-five.
AXEL LEVEDAHL.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.