Year: 1886

page_text: I, JOSEPH HAMPTON of Franchise Street King's Hill Wednesbury in the County
of Stafford Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows:-
My invention consists of the improvement or improvements hereinafter described
in cramps or clamps whereby the cost of the instrument is reduced and its action
is made more rapid than that of an ordinary cramp or clamp.
An ordinary cramp consists of a strong bar of iron the ends of which are turned
at right angles the said ends turned at right angles constitute two parallel arms.
One of these arms carries a fixed gripping plate and the other carries a screw
box or screw nut in which a long screw works. The inner end of this screw
carries a gripping plate between which and the fixed gripping plate the article or
articles to be held or cramped are gripped. The outer end of the screw carries a
thumb plate by which the screw is turned. By the turning of the screw the
gripping plate carried by it can be made to approach to and recede from the fixed
gripping plate. The action of this the ordinary cramp is slow as the motion of the
moveable gripping plate can only be effected by turning the screw.
In making a cramp or clamp according to my invention I make at one end only
of the bar constituting the body of the instrument a fixed arm at right angles to
the body. This arm carries the fixed gripping plate. On the body of the
instrument I place a sliding bracket through the base of which the body of the
instrument passes. This bracket is capable of sliding on the body of the cramp
from end to end and may be fixed in any position on the body by a set screw.
The said sliding bracket is at right angles to the body and of a length equal to the
fixed arm.
The end of the said bracket carries a screw box or screw nut in which
a short screw works. The inner end of this screw carries the moveable gripping
plate and the outer end of the said screw has a thumb plate for turning it.
The action of the cramp or clamp made according to my invention is as
follows: The set screw of the sliding bracket being slackened and the screw
carrying the moveable gripping plate being withdrawn to the full extent the
article or articles to be cramped are introduced into the cramp between the fixed
and moveable gripping plates or the cramp is made to embrace the article or articles,
between its two gripping plates. The sliding bracket is passed along the body
towards the fixed gripping plate as far as the article or articles in the cramp will
ΓΙ
'

page_text: permit. The bracket is fixed by its set screw and by turning the thumb plate of
the screw at the end of the sliding bracket the article or articles within the cramp
are gripped or compressed with the desired pressure. The set screw for fixing the
sliding bracket may be dispensed with without affecting the gripping power of the
cramp but I prefer to employ a set screw. As the screw carrying the moveable
grip need not be more than one sixth the length of the screw ordinarily employed
cramps made according to my invention are less costly than cramps of the ordinary
kind.
Although for ordinary purposes it is sufficient to make one only of the arms
moveable as described yet in some cases as for example when it is desired to grip
an article at the middle of the cramp both arms may be made capable of sliding
on the body of the cramp which in this case is a straight bar.
"
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement or Improvements in Cramps or Clamps.
I JOSEPH HAMPTON of Franchise Street, King's Hill, Wednesbury, in the
County of Stafford, Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of the said
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 consists of the improvement or improvements hereinafter described
in cramps or clamps, whereby the cost of the instrument is reduced and its action
is made more rapid than that of an ordinary cramp or clamp.
An ordinary cramp consists of a strong bar of iron the ends of which are turned
at right angles; the said ends turned at right angles constitute two parallel arms.
One of these arms carries a fixed gripping plate and the other carries a screw box
or screw nut in which a long screw works. The inner end of this screw carries
a gripping plate between which and the fixed gripping plate the article or articles
to be held or cramped are gripped. The outer end of the screw carries a thumb
plate by which the screw is turned. By the turning of the screw the gripping
plate carried by it can be made to approach to and recede from the fixed gripping
plate. The action of this the ordinary cramp is slow as the motion of the moveable
gripping plate can only be effected by turning the screw.
In making a cramp or clamp according to my invention, I make at one end only
of the bar constituting the body of the instrument a fixed arm at right angles to
the body. This arm carries the fixed gripping plate. On the body of the instru-
ment I place a sliding bracket through the base of which the body of the instrument

page_text: passes. This bracket is capable of sliding on the body of the cramp from end to
end and may be fixed in any position on the body by a set screw. The said sliding
bracket is at right angles to the body and of a length equal to the fixed arm.
The end of the said bracket carries a screw box or screw nut in which a short
screw works. The inner end of this screw carries the moveable gripping plate and
the outer end of the said screw has a thumb plate for turning it.
The action of the cramp or clamp made according to my invention is as follows:
The set screw of the sliding bracket being slackened and the screw carrying the
moveable gripping plate being withdrawn to the full extent, the article or articles
to be cramped are introduced into the cramp between the fixed and moveable
gripping plates, or the cramp is made to embrace the article or articles between its
two gripping plates. The sliding bracket is passed along the body towards the
fixed gripping plate as far as the article or articles in the cramp will permit.
The bracket is fixed by its set screw and by turning the thumb plate of the screw
at the end of the sliding bracket the article or articles within the cramp are
gripped or compressed with the desired pressure.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in side elevation (partly in
longitudinal section) and Figure 2 in end elevation a cramp or clamp constructed
according to my invention: Figure 3 represents an end elevation of the sliding
bracket of the clamp detached.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the
drawing; a is the bar constituting the body of the cramp the said bar having at
one end a fixed arm b at right angles to it. On the upper end of the said arm b is
the fixed gripping plate c; d is the sliding bracket having at its base a loop or
eye e through which the bar or body a passes. The bracket d is capable of sliding
from end to end of the bar or body a the said bracket being prevented from being
removed from the bar a by the cross stop f at one end against which stop the loop
or eye e abuts when the bracket d is moved to its full extent in one direction.
Working in the underside of the bracket d is a set screw g by driving home which
the said bracket may be fixed in any position on the said bar or body a.
screw g does not bear directly upon the bar or body a but against a steel block g
working in a recess in the bracket so that on driving home the screw g the said
block g³ is pressed forcibly into contact with the lower edge of the bar or body a
and the bracket thus held very securely in its place.
The set
The upper end of the bracket d carries the clamping screw h which works in
a screw box at i in the said bracket. The inner end of the screw h carries the
moveable gripping plate h³ and the outer end a thumb plate h³ for turning it.
In using the cramp the parts are brought to the positions represented in
Figure 1 and the article or. articles to be clamped is or are introduced into the
cramp and placed between the fixed and moveable gripping plates c and h². The
set screw g being relaxed the sliding bracket d is passed along the bar or body a
towards the fixed gripping plate c until it has nearly reached the articles when the
sliding bracket dis fixed by driving home the set screw g. The clamping screw h
is now advanced by turning its handle h³ until the article or articles is or are
gripped or compressed with the desired pressure between the fixed and moveable
gripping plates c and h³ as will be understood by an examination of the drawing.
The set screw 9 for fixing the sliding bracket d may be dispensed with without
affecting the gripping power of the cramp but I prefer to employ a set screw.
As the screw h carrying the moveable gripping plate h* need not be more than
one sixth the length of the screw ordinarily employed, cramps made according to
my invention are less costly than cramps of the ordinary kind and the time
occupied in the manipulation of my improved cramps for the purpose of gripping
the article or articles is much reduced.
Although for ordinary purposes it is sufficient to make one only of the arms
moveable as described and represented yet in some cases, as for example, when it
is desired to grip an article at the middle of the cramp, both arms may be made
capable of sliding on the body of the cramp which in this case is a straight bar.

page_text: That is to say, the fixed arm b at the end of the bar or body a is replaced by.
a sliding bracket similar to the bracket d, the screw gripping plate on the second
sliding bracket being turned towards that represented in the drawing; or the
screw gripping plate on the second described sliding bracket may be dispensed
with and a gripping plate similar to that marked c substituted for it..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that
I claim as my invention of "An improvement or improvements in cramps or
clamps"
"
First The combination in a cramp or clamp of a sliding arm
or bracket
carrying at one end the moveable gripping plate and cramping screw, the opposite
end sliding on the bar or body of the cramp, between which moveable gripping
plate on the sliding arm or bracket and the fixed gripping plate on the end of the
bar or body of the cramp the article or articles is or are gripped substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly The combination in a cramp or clamp of two sliding arms or brackets
of the kinds described, between which the article or articles is or are gripped.