IMPROVEMENTS IN JOINERS' CLAMPS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN JOINERS' CLAMPS."-A communi-
cation from abroad by William Henry Goodchild, of Centreville,
New Jersey, United States of America.
Sealed the 7th July 1871, and dated the 27th April 1871.
5
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 27th April 1871, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEME˜TS
" and have notitioned Her Majesty to orånt unto me.

page_text: my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent
for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that it has been
communicated to me from abroad by William Henry Goodchild, of
Centreville, New Jersey, United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby.
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed in and by the following
statement:
The object of my Invention is to render more perfect the device long
in common use for drawing firmly together the parts of doors and other
articles in the process of manufacture.
My improved clamp is, like those before known, composed of two
principal parts, a head block and a tail block, working in connection
with a long piece of wood which I will designate the clamp stick. The
tail block is not capable of being moved forcibly, but may be adjusted
in position on various parts of the length of the stick. The head block
exerts the pressure on the object by means of a screw. In previous
joiners' clamps the screw traversed backward and forward and was
subject when much drawn back to be bent or otherwise injured by
reason of its extending beyond the clamp stick. It was furthermore
mounted in an unprotected position above the surface of the stick.
The changing of the position of the tail block also required much
labour.
My Invention overcomes these difficulties, and the parts while more
effective and convenient may be made much lighter than in the joiners'
clamps before uscd.
The following is a description of what I consider one of the best
means of carrying out the Invention. The accompanying Drawing
forms a part of this Specification.
Figure 1 is a perspective view; Figure 2 is a cross section through.
the tail block; Figure 3 is a plan view of the tail block; Figure 4 is a
cross section just behind the head block; Figure 5 is a longitudinal
section.
Figures 6 to 10 show modifications of the Invention; Figure 6 is a
perspective view; Figure 7 is a cross section through the clamp stick

page_text: in the plane of the locking pin of the tail block; Figure 8 is a horizontal
section through the tail block and locking pin alone; Figure 9 is a
cross section behind the head block; and Figure 10 is a longitudinal
section. The Drawing represents the novel parts with so much of the
clamp stick as is necessary to indicate their relations thereto. Similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A is the clamp stick, and a, a, are grooves extending along on
opposite faces thereof. A¹ is a rack of metal let into the upper face,
and A is a cap casting in which the screw B and the licad block D aro
supported. This casting A is held to the stick A by screws as indicated,
and is also strongly locked by cross ridges a² which are let into corre-
sponding recesses formed in the wood and defend it against any end
movement. The upper face of the cap casting A³ has a long rectangular
opening in which the head block travels. The wood is recessed under
it to a width greater than the opening in the casting, as indicated clearly
in Figure 4, and to a length a little greater than the length of the screw B
as shown in Figuro 5. The screw has a plain cylindrical bearing in the
end of the cap piece A³, and the turning of the screw B by means of the
lever moves the head block D slowly forward or backward. The screw
may be made as represented with the head or end collar welded or
forged in one therowith and with the other collar made separate and
screwed on and confined with a pin, or the inside collar here shewn
as made separate, may be forged in one therewith and the end collar
may be made separato and the form and arrangement of the operating
handle may have various forms as will be obvious.
I shall desiguato the head block when necessary by the single letter D,
but it is formed in fact of two separate and distinct pieces, or including
the small nut which locks them together, of three pieces. The large
nut D receives the screw B, which is preferably a left-handed screw,
as represented, and this portion D' performs several distinct functions.
It is held to the main part D by the nut D³, which turns on the stout
threaded part projecting up from the part D'. The main part D rests
fairly on the upper surface of the cap casting A², and travels back and
forward thercon, but with two stout portions projecting down into the
opening in the cap casting before and behind the large nut D', and
receiving the strain thereof. The latter is made wider than the aperture
in the casting A, and is finished with smooth shoulders, as represented,
•

page_text: which apply against the under face of the cap casting A³, and hold
the entire head block down to its proper position. The head block is
braced by webs d, d, which approach each other as they extend back-
ward and thus allow greater freedom of movement for the joiner's
hammer in operating on the work which is clamped. The tail block E,
bears fairly on the upper surface of the clamped stick, with wings E³, E³,
reaching down each side of the stick, and locking inward in the grooves
u, a, before referred to. These wings hold it down, but allow it. to be
moved forward and backward on the stick at pleasure. The braces
e, e, may converge like the braces d on the head block if preferred,
but I esteem them better capable of performing another function by
placing them exactly parallel. This additional function is the sup-
porting of the pin 9, which carries a stout finger lever G, which is
operated by a spring H, and stands ready to engage at any moment with
the teeth of the rack A¹
When it is desired to adjust the tail block in any new position it is
grasped by the thumb and fingers so as to draw forward the upper end
of the lever G. This movement tilts it sufficiently to lift the lower end
of the lever out of the rack A', and in this condition the entire tail
block may be moved with perfect ease in either direction; so soon as
it is liberated, the lever G engages with the rack A³ in the new position.
The acting faces of the head block D and tail block E. are exactly
similar in width and height. They are by preference of the same width
as the clamp stick A, and of a height nearly equal to the width. This
gives so great area that the interposition of a shield block is rarely
necessary in the most forcibly clamping even of the most delicately
surfaced work.
.
The modifications shown in Figures 6 to 10 relate to the means of
holding the adjustable tail block. These means correspond more nearly
than the other with those long in use, and comprise a pin which may
extend through any one of the series of holes in the clamp stick. As
heretofore operated the pin has been secured by nuts and much time
and labor have been involved in any adjustment of the tail block. My
improvement allows them to be adjusted instantly. It furthermore
avoids the risk of loss of the pin or nut which is involved in the use of
the ordinary devices. I employ a pin which is never entirely liberated;
it is drawn out sufficiently to liberate the tail block and rest it in the

page_text: same or another hole with a very simple movement, and is retained in
either position by a spring catch. Referring to Figures 6 to 10, A is
the clamp stick; D, the head block; B, the operating screw, and E, the
tail block. Wings E', E', forming a portion of the tail block extend
down each side of the clamp stick and receive the locking pin. M is
the locking pin; in its surface are two deep conical recesses m³, m³,
connected by a shallower V-shaped groove m. In one of the wings is
a spring n, secured by a screw head N', and acting to press constantly
towards the pin M, and a small stop piece N. This stop picce has a
conical end corresponding with the recesses m³, m³, in the holding pin
M. While the device is in use, the parts are in the position indicated
in the Figures. When it is desired to adjust the tail piece, the locking
pin M is seized and drawn forcibly outward. This movement lifts
or throws out the stop N and allows the pin M to be withdrawn until
the opposite recess m² is represented opposite the stop piece N, into
which it springs and holds the pin in its drawn out position, but without
liberating it entirely from the device. In this condition the tail block
may be adjusted backward and forward on the clamp stick, and when
in the right position the pin M, being again forced inward, enters
another one of the holes in the clamp stick, and the conical point of
the stop picce N traverses backward along the groove m, and again
engages in the same deep recess m¹ in which it is represented in the
Figures. This device reduces the consumption of time of the adjustment
of the tail block to an almost indefinitely small limit, and the pin M
being always kept in the tail block is not liable to loss or injury. It
will be observed that the arrangement of the parts causes the finger
lever G to bear at the base of the tail block E, and thus relieve the
ping almost entirely from strain when the device is in use.

page_text: tailblock E, and adapted to serve relatively to the clamp stick A,
head block D, D', and operating screw B, substantially as hercin set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Twenty-sixth day of April, in 5
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one..
Witness,
E. C. JACKSON.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)