IMPROVEMENTS IN CLAMPS OR CLAMPING PRESSES
Year: 1885

page_text: «
I THOMAS NIGHTINGALE PALMER, of 62 Lansdowne Road, Dalston in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN CLAMPS OR CLAMPING PRESSES," a communication to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to a clamp or press and the object in view is to provide
an instrument, press, clamp or tool for compressing and holding certain materials
in desired positions while certain work is performed thereon, and which at the
same time will be capable of presenting said materials in different positions so that
work may be carried on or effected at different points, or different parts of the
material.
So far as holding the work is concerned the tool implement or device is a clamp
and being provided with means for compressing the material clamped, it may also
be denominated a press. It is capable of use as a compressing clamp in assembling
the parts of articles, such as boxes made of wood metal or other material, when
said parts are to be joined together by means of nails, glue, solder or other
connecting means or devices, and it is also capable of use in the process of
manufacturing tablets, or pads of bill-beads, letter-heads, memorandums, blanks &c
and can also be advantageously used in clamping any material to be made into any
article which comprises several parts, which are to be united, and I therefore do
not limit my invention to its use in any particular art, but it comprehends any
and all uses of the clamp, constructed as hereinafter described.
My improved clamp is provided with two end castings or standards which by
means of horizontal flanges perforated, for the passage of screws or bolts, may be
secured upon any suitable bench or table. Each of the standards is bifurcated and
each of the bifurcations is arranged at a right angle to the other, and is provided
with inwardly projecting flanges, on which rest the bottom boards which are held
in place by screws passing through the said flanges into the under surface of each
of the bottom boards.
A space is left between the lower edges of the bottom boards, and extends from
end to end of the foundation or frame, for a purpose hereinafter mentioned.
One of the bifurcations of each of the standards is provided with a bearing
for a rod passing from end to end of the foundation or frame and forming in
[ Duins O17

page_text: connection with a similar rod a portion of the clamp proper the remaining, portions
of said clamps consisting of two cross-bars. Each of the cross bars is provided
with an integrally projecting arm adapted to come in contact (when the clamp is
swung to an open position) with stops on the bifurcation of the standard, which is
provided with the above mentioned bearing the object of the said arm and stop
being to maintain the clamp proper in a substantially horizontal position when
open. At the middle of each of the cross bars is a bearing, one for the clamping
screw provided with a crank or handle outside of the arm, and with a rotatably
mounted bearing block at the inner end. In the opposite cross bar is a bearing
block which may be cast integrally with the arm or provided with a spindle
mounted in the bearing of the arm which is also provided with a thumb or set
screw. The spindle of the bearing block is reduced in size to form a shoulder to
bear against the inner face of the cross bar so that when the thumb screw is
loosened, the spindle of the bearing block may be rotated in the bearing. By this
construction one or both of the bearing blocks. may be rotated.
In the cross bar which carries the clamping screw is au adjusting screw and
upon the standard is a step against which the end of the adjusting screw rests.
By means of this adjusting screw the clamping frame is raised or lowered so as to
bring the bearing blocks further from or nearer to the bottom boards. In this
manner the frame is adapted to support work of different sizes, transversely at the
centre thereof, and centrally therein. Following boards. are used to be intercepted
between the bearing blocks and any work held within the clamp to prevent
marring the work.
The manner of using the clamp and press is as follows:-for instance in the
manufacture of boxes, a rectangular block of a size equaling the interior dimensions
of the box is first laid upon the bottom board the end boards of the box are then
placed, one at each end of the frame and the two side boards are placed upon the
form so that these parts shall rest within the bottom of the box, that is, cornerwise
when the clamp screw is revolved, forcing the bearing blocks either against the
ends of the box or against the following board which may be used if desired, and
the parts are firmly bound in their designed relative position, when they may be
fastened by any suitable device. Now, by lifting the frame and turning the work
as it is held therein by the pressure of the bearing blocks the thumb screw being
raised, the work may be reversed, and the frame again dropped, when the
remaining sides may be secured to the ends and the work removed.
Another instance in using the clamp and press is in binding and otherwise
ornamenting cigar boxes the boxes being held in the clamping frame with or
without the following-boards, while successive edges of the same are covered with
the binding, previously provided with paste. The frame is lifted for the successive
turning of the box to expose new edges for binding. Another instance of the use
of the clamp and press, is the formation of bill-heads letter-heads blanks and such
like papers into tablets or blocks, in which case the right angular disposition of the
bottom boards again serve the purpose of arranging the separate sheets or blanks
in due regularity with each other, and, by means of the following-boards aud
clamping screw, they are compressed, and the frame is opened outwardly when
paste or any other suitable cement may be applied to the edge of the sheet and
the binding sheet, if used placed on the pasted edges, when the frame is again
turned over on the bottom boards where the work may be allowed to rest in
contact therewith, to assure the smooth application of the binding sheet to the
edges of the blanks.
Each of the bearing blocks may be mounted on a tightening screw and an
adjusting screw may be provided in each cross bar of the clamp.

page_text: stop being to maintain the clamp proper in a substantially horizontal position when
open. At the middle of the cross bars E, E¹ is a bearing E2, one for the clamping
screw H provided with a crank or handle H outside of the arm, and with a
rotatably mounted bearing block H' at the inner end. In the opposite cross bar is
a bearing block H³ which may be cast integrally with the arm, or, as shown in
this case, provided with a spindle H', mounted in the bearing E2 of the arm which
is also provided with a thumb or set screw H³. The spindle H is reduced in size
to form a shoulder H to bear against the inner face of the cross bar E¹, so that
when the thumb screw is loosened, the spindle of the bearing block H³ may be
rotated in the bearing E. By this construction, one or both of the bearing blocks
may be rotated.
In the cross bar E is an adjusting screw I and upon the standard A is a step I¹
against which the end of the adjusting screw rests. By means of this adjusting
screw I the clamping frame is raised or lowered, so as to bring the bearing blocks
further from or nearer to the bottom boards. In this manner the frame is adapted
to support work of different sizes, transversely at the centre thereof, and centrally
therein. JJ represent following boards which in this instance are rectangular,
and are used to be intercepted between the bearing blocks, and any work held
within the clamp to prevent marring the work.
The manner of using the clamp and press is as follows:-For instance in the
manufacture of boxes, a rectangular block, of a size equaling the interior dimensions
of the box is first laid upon the bottom board B the end boards of the box are then
placed, one at each end of the frame, and the two side boards are placed upon the
form, so that these parts shall rest within the bottom of the box, that is, cornerwise,
as shown in Figures 2 and 3 when the clamp screw H is revolved, forcing the
bearing blocks, either against the ends of the box, or against the following board J,
which may be used, if desired, and the parts are firmly bound in their designed
relative position; when they may be fastened by any suitable device. Now by
lifting the frame and turning the work, as it is held therein by the pressure of the
bearing blocks, the thumb screw H³ being raised, the work may be reversed, and
the frame again dropped, when the remaining sides may be secured to the ends, and
the work removed.
Another instance in using the clamp and press is in binding and otherwise
ornamenting cigar boxes, the boxes being held in the clamping frame, with or
without the following boards, while successive edges of the same are covered with
the binding, previously provided with paste. The frame is lifted for the successive
turning of the box, to expose new edges for binding. Another instance of the use
of the clamp and press is the formation of bill-heads, letter-heads, blanks and such
like papers into tablets or blocks, in which case the right angular disposition of the
bottom boards again serve the purpose of arranging the separate sheets or blanks,
in due regularity with each other, and, by means of the following boards and
clamping screw, they are compressed and the frame is opened outwardly as shown
in Figure 1 when paste or any other suitable cement may be applied to the edge of
the sheet, and the binding sheet, if used, placed on the pasted edges, when the
frame is again turned over on the bottom boards, where the work may be allowed
to rest in contact therewith to assure the smooth application of the binding sheet
to the edges of the blanks.
In the drawing Figures 1 and 2, K represents the work held between the
following boards as described.
It is apparent that each of the bearing blocks may be mounted on a tightening
Bcrew and that an adjusting screw may be provided in each cross bar of the clamp.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. A clamp comprising cross bars united by tie rods and provided with
bearing blocks and a tightening screw, and pivottally mounted upon a base having

page_text: a bed, the walls of which are arranged at right angles to each other, substantially
as specified.
Second. A clamp comprising cross bars each provided with a rotatable bearing
block and tightening screw centrally arranged therein and pivotted to a frame or
bed having walls arranged at right angles to each other substantially as specified.
Third. A clamp comprising cross bars having bearing blocks, a tightening
screw and tie rods, one of which forms a pivot for the frame, said cross bars having
projecting arms at their pivotted ends, in combination with a frame or bed having
walls arranged at right angles to each other, and having stops to limit the
movement of the clamping frame when open, substantially as specified.
Fourth. A clamp comprising a frame of cross bars and tie rods, having bearing
blocks and a tightening screw, the frame being pivottally connected to a bed
provided with a lug arranged to support the clamp by means of an adjusting screw
projecting therefrom, substantially as specified.
Fifth. The frame comprising the bifurcated standards having inwardly
projecting flanges, and the bottom boards or walls secured to said flanges, and
arranged at a right angle to each other, in combination with a clamp pivotted to
said frame, substantially as specified.
Sixth. The frame comprising the bifurcated standards having inwardly
projected flanges, and the bottom boards or walls arranged at right angles to, aud
a distance from each other, substantially as specified.
Seventh. The bifurcated standards provided at one side thereof with projecting
stops, and at the other side thereof with projecting flanges, and at the top of one
of the bifurcations thereof with a hub or bearing, substantially as shown and
described.
Eighth. The clamp frame consisting of two cross bars, each having at one end
thereof a projecting arm, and a bearing for a tie rod, and each having at the
opposite end a similar bearing for a similar tie rod, and one of the said cross bars
having a bearing for a binding screw, substantially as shown and described.
Ninth. The combination of two standards A, inclined bottom boards B, spaced.
as at C, with the clamping frame provided with the rotatable bearing block H³,
and the tightening screw H provided with the rotatable bearing block H,
substantially as shown and described.
Tenth. The combination with the clamping frame comprising the bars E, E¹
rods D, D tightening screw H and adjusting screw I, with the bottom boards B,
and end standards A, one of which is provided with the lug 1, substantially as
shown and described.
Eleventh. The combination with the clamping frame provided with adjusting
screw I, bearing block H³, set screw and tightening screw H, bearing block H2, of
the standard A, having the lug 1, substantially as shown and described.
Twelfth. A clamp comprising a V-shaped trough, a frame pivotted thereto and
provided with a tightening screw substantially as specified.
Thirteenth. A clamp comprising a V-shaped trough, a frame pivotted thereto
and provided with a tightening screw, and with an adjusting screw, substantially
as specified.