Improvements in Clamps for Holding Table Cloths on the Table.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Clamps for Holding Table Cloths on the Table.
I, HEINRICH WEYERMANN of Mettmann, Rhenish Prussia Germany manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in means for securing table cloths to the
table from being torn off inadvertently or blown away by the wind; such clamps or
clasps having the quality of being readily put on without injuring the table cover or
being a hindrance in any way on the top of the table or at its side edges. My object
in view is to construct the clamps in such a manner that they will give a good
parallel surface grip, both at the top and bottom side of the table and not only in one
point only, as is the case with the articles of this class known and in use hitherto.
My new clamps therefore consist of a U shaped strap laid sideways and having
one of its parallel legs shorter than the other; a sliding piece or bracket being
arranged between the two parallel legs, which is guided on the side connecting the
two parallel legs and pressed against the upper and longer one of the two by a suit-
able spring standing upon the shorter leg and bearing with its other end against the
lower side of the sliding bracket. Sufficient space being left free between the said
upper leg or arm and the sliding bracket, that the table board, with the cloth laid on
it, can be clasped between them and be held fast in this manner.
I carry out these clamps in various manners; the leading feature in all designs
being that the sliding bracket will stand parallel to the upper shank of the strap, that
this will be quite flat and flush with the upper side of the table and that there shall
be no parts projecting from the edge of the table in a horizontal direction and that
the sliding bracket will be pressed upwards by a suitable helical or spiral spring,
which is securely sheldered in a sort of a housing formed by the front connecting
piece of the two parallel shanks of the strap and the sliding bracket.
Dated this 25th day of June 1896.
HEINRICH WEYERMANN,
Per Karl S. Mayer, Agent.
Improvements in Clamps for Holding Table Cloths on the Table.
I, HEINRICH WEYERMANN, of Metmann, Rhenish Prussia, Germany manufacturer
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:
My invention relates to improved means for holding table cloths on the table and
to prevent their being torn off inadvertently, or blown away by the wind; such
clamps or clasps having the quality of being readily put on without injury to the
table cover, and they do not project above the surface of the table nor at its side
edges. The clamps must therefore be so constructed that they will give a good
parallel grip, both at the top and bottom side of the table and not at one point only.
ונה.

page_text: I attain these objects by making the clamps in the main of a rectangular U shaped
strap laid horizontally and carrying between its two parallel legs an arm or bracket,
which can be pressed against the upper leg and is so guided that it will keep a
parallel position with regard to the upper leg and therefore will cause that the table
cloth on the table, when put between the upper leg of the strap and said movable
bracket, will be held at the top and bottom side of the table between the clamps with
a parallel surface grip.
I can carry out the idea in various manners, which are shown on the accompanying
drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side view of one manner of carrying out my invention;
Fig. 2 is a front view of the same; Fig. 3 is a view of the same seen from the back;
Fig. 4 is a view seen from below; Fig. 5 is a variation showing a differently shaped
and guided middle bracket; Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9, are other modifications differing
from the preceding ones by the manner of constructing and guiding the middle
bracket and lodging therein the pressure spring; Fig. 10 shows a further modifica-
tion in which the middle bracket is carried in parallel motion by being guided in the
vertical stay and in the lower horizontal stay by a pin, which also guides the spring.
The gist of the invention in all manners of execution is, that the middle bracket
shall be guided and moved in parallel motion to the upper leg of the U strap, so that
both will give a complete surface grip upon the table cloth.
According to Figs. 1-4 A is the shaped strap, the upper leg A being longer
than the lower one B; the vertical stay is reduced at B and on the lower narrowed
part slides a box shaped bracket C, which is thrust upwards by a conical spiral plate
spring D, which however may be 'replaced by an ordinary spiral spring. It will be
seen that the spring has the tendency to press the bracket C upwards towards the leg
A and the manner in which it is guided by the vertical stay of A will secure its
parallel position with regard to the leg A, and therefore a table cloth clamped
between it and the table will be held on the whole surface of the bracket and not in
one point only, as is the case with ordinary spring clamps.
In the example shown by Fig. 5 the strap A¹ is exactly of the same design as the
one described before; the middle bracket C however is of different shape, being bent
of a piece of hoop iron of trapeze shape and having notches at the open ends, by
means of which it is guided upon the narrowed lower part of the stay A'. The lower
part of the bracket C has a circular hole cut in it to allow the spring D¹ to pass
through.
Figure 6 shows a clamp differing only slightly from the two first ones so far as the
bracket A is concerned; the middle bracket C being of exactly the same shape as
the strap A, only shorter and it is held against and guided by the vertical stay of the
strap A by an eye or ring E which holds both together and allows the bracket to be
moved up and down as desired.. The spring D2 is held therein and acts in the same
manner as in the case of Fig. 5.
The example shown by Fig. 7 has a middle sliding bracket C3 rivetted together at
one end of two pieces of hoop iron, the upper part being kept straight, the lower one
bent in Z shape; the free ends of these two pieces have notches filed therein, by
means of which they are guided in a slot in the strap A³, and the spring D³ is
held in the bracket 03 in the same manner as in Fig. 5; a hole being provided in the
lower arm of the bracket. In order to fit the notched ends of the bracket arms into
the slit As they are turned at right angle, and after having been inserted, set right
again.
The sliding bracket C of Fig. 8 is similar to that of Fig. 6, but it is guided in and
held differently on the vertical stay of the strap A', namely by a pin passing through
a slit a, and a cap or flange plate E outside of the stay.
In the example shown by Fig. 9 the middle bracket is of similar make as that used
by Fig. 1; it is of box shape, but its connection with the shape A and the way it is
guided thereon is different; the upper part being guided in a slot as in Fig. 7, the
lower part of the bracket being arranged like both arms of the example shown by Fig. 5.
Finally Fig. 10 shows a variation differing from the preceding example in two
main points: the middle or sliding bracket consists of a single plate Co guided in a

page_text: ot a, in the vertical stay and by means of a pin E³ rivetted to
sses through a corresponding hole in the lower leg of the strap A it is held in
rallel position. The pin E³ serves at the same time to hold the spring De in place.
his modification has the disadvantage that, according to the thickness of the table,
e pin Es projects more or less out at the bottom, but its holding effect is exactly
he same as in the other cases: the table cloth is held between the surfaces of the
pper leg of the strap and the bracket on their whole surface.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
nd in which manner the same is to be performed, I declare that, what I claim
S-
1) An improved clamp for holding table cloths on the table consisting of an U
shaped strap carrying a spring and a movable arm or bracket and guided thereon so
that this will be pressed by the spring towards the upper leg of the strap in parallel
motion and so that a table cloth held by the clamp will be griped by the complete
surfaces of the upper arm of the strap and the movable bracket with their lower and
upper surfaces respectively.
2) In an improved clamp for holding table cloths on the table as described in
claim one, the combination of the strap A having an upper long leg a and a lower
short leg b, with a box shaped bracket C and a conical plate spring D, pressing said
bracket towards the upper leg a. (Fig. 1-4).
3) In an improved clamp for holding table cloths on the table as described in
claim one, the combination of the strap A¹ with a trapeze shaped bracket C held by
notches to the strap, and with a spring D¹ passing through a hole in the lower part
of the bracket C¹. (Fig. 5).
4) In an improved clamp for holding table cloths on the table as described in
claim one, the combination of an Ụ shaped strap A2 with a similarly shaped bracket
C2 connected to the strap by a ring E, and with a spring D2 passing through the
lower arm of the bracket C2. (Fig. 6).
5) In an improved clamp for holding table cloths on the table as described i
0 claim one, in combination with a strap A3 having a slit a 3 in its vertical stay,
bracket C³ guided therein and a spring D³ pressing said bracket upwards. (Fig. 7
6) In an improved clamp for holding table cloths on the table as described i
claim one, in combination with a strap A a similarly shaped bracket C held an
guided on said strap by a pin passing through a slit a, in its stay and a plate E³,
35 that a spring D₁ can press it upwards in parallel motion. (Fig. 8).
7) In an improved clamp for holding table cloths on the table as described
claim one, a strap A5 combined with a box shaped bracket C5 and with a spring
carried therein. (Fig. 9).
8) In an improved clamp for holding table cloths on the table as described
40 claim one an U shaped strap having a slit a 6 in its stay and a hole in its lower leg
combination with a plate Co guided in said slit a 6 and having a pin E³ rivet
thereto that passes through said hole in the lower leg of the strap, and a spring
placed round said pin as shown in Fig. 10.
War of Mech 1897
HEINRICH WEYERMA
Per Karl S. Mayer, Agent.