Improvements in Devices for Clamping Suspended Articles.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 4th May, 1891-Accepted, 6th June, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Devices for Clamping Suspended Articles.
I, LUDWIG KASPAREK, of 23A Igelgasse, Vienna IV in the Austrian Empire,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to means for suspending flat bodies such for instance as
sheets of millboard or paper, for drying, exhibiting or other purposes, and it has for
its object to provide a device by which a flat body shall be automatically clamped
on its being inserted from below into the said device and subsequently let loose or
relinquished.
According to the invention, the said device comprises a hollow body, the hollow
space of which tapers towards its lower end, and contains a loose gravitating body,
that bears against at least two opposite sides of the hollow space when at rest
in its lowermost position. Parallel to either of these two supporting sides, and
immediately in front of it, is formed a slot or incision through the hollow body, so
as to open on both lateral sides and on the bottom side of the said hollow body.
It will be readily understood that, when the upper edge of a sheet of millboard or
other flat body is pushed from below upward into the said slot, the loose gravitating
body contained in the tapering hollow will first be raised sufficiently to let the sheet
pass, and will afterwards fall down again and bear against the inserted sheet, thereby
pressing the same against the outer side of the slot, and holding it fast by friction,
as soon as the said sheet is relinquished. For removing the said sheet or body
from the automatic clamping device, it suffices to move it in an inclined direction
sideways & upwards, until either lateral edge of the sheet has passed through
the slot.
The said hollow space is by preference so shaped that the slot can be rectilinear
and vertical; it suffices to support the gravitating body on two opposite sides, but
the side of the hollow in front of that near the slot may be made inclined, while the
two lateral sides may be made vertical.
The said gravitating body may be in various forms, such for example as a ball,
a cylindrical disc, or a prism, and its dimensions are by preference such that it is
guided in its movements by the vertical sides on either side of the inclined side of
the hollow space.
Clamping devices of the kind described may be formed in the shape of small
sheet metal boxes having three vertical lateral sides and an inclined one and
containing a ball; a suspension hook or eye being provided at the upper end of the
middle vertical side, along the lateral edges of which the slots are formed. This
form of the device is especially adapted for use in shop fronts for the exhibition
of goods.
For drying chambers, horizontal laths may have a number of -shaped recesses.
formed in their underside, balls, discs or prisms being inserted into these recesses,
and the lateral openings of the recesses being closed by sheet metal plates.
According to another method, either of two parallel laths of square cross section
has a number of diagonal grooves cut across its surface that faces the other lath,
and the loose bodies are placed into the said grooves from above, after which the
mouths of the grooves may be closed by sheet metal plates.
A. double row of clamping devices may be provided by inserting into a longitudinal
groove of square cross section, formed in the underside of a lath, a second lath, the
breadth of which is smaller than that of the groove and which has inclined
transverse grooves cut in both lateral sides.
Dated this 2nd day of August 1890.
LUDWIG KASPAREK,
By L. W., per F. B. .

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Devices for Clamping Suspended Articles.
I, LUDWIG KASPAREK, of 234 Igelgasse, Vienna, IV in the Austrian Empire,
Engineer, 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 means for clamping suspended articles, the onc
dimension of which in comparison to both of the other dimensions is very small, as
for instance sheets of paper, card-board, textile fabrics and other flat bodies,
intended to be maintained in a suspended position either for drying the same in an
extended condition or for exhibiting them in show-windows etc."
The object of the invention is to provide a device adapted to clamp articles and
hold them suspended by merely inserting them into the device by a simple movement,
whilst a contrary movement suffices to render them free again.
This is attained according to the invention by the aid of loose gravitating bodies
of a certain weight, resting loosely on two supporting surfaces inclined towards one
another, and towards a horizontal line, so that the bodies can be removed from
them. These surfaces leave a cleft or slot open below, the width of which must be
somewhat smaller than the diameter of the gravitating body in order to prevent its
falling out through this cleft or slot; the article to be suspended is inserted so as to
pass between the clamping body and one of the supporting surfaces. By the
insertion the clamping body is raised to a certain extent, depending on the
thickness of the article to be suspended; the weight of which imparts to it a
tendency to fall and this tendency is transferred by friction to the clamping body,
which is thus subjected to a downward strain, and is thus wedged in between the
inclined surfaces; the greater the weight of the suspended article, the tighter the
article will be clamped. To remove the clamped article from the clamping device,
it is sufficient to impart to it an upward movement in a slanting direction so
that the clamping body will be thereby also pushed upwards and cease to be
wedged in place.
The annexed drawings shew various constructions of such a self-acting clamping
device.
Figs. 1 to 4 are sectional diagrams shewn in vertical and horizontal section of the
devices with differently formed clamping bodies.
Fig. 5 illustrates in side elevation and cross section a construction of device
adapted for suspending sundry articles in show-windows.
Fig. 6 shews in elevation at right angles to each other a self-acting clamping
device with a double wood frame attached to a supporting bar for use in drying
chambers.
Fig. 7 illustrates a similar arrangement to that shown in Fig. 6 excepting that
the sides of the frame are made of sheet iron.
Fig. 8 shews a double clamping device made of wood.
Fig. 9 illustrates the construction of a double clamping mechanism of laths, or
bars, which for this purpose are provided with grooves having inclined surfaces.
Fig. 10 represents a clamping device formed of two laths or bars.
Fig. 11 shews a series of clamping devices formed by the connection of two laths
or bars formed with suitable grooves.
Fig. 12 shews a similar arrangement formed by only one lath or bar, the lateral
walls of the cases containing the clamping bodies being made of sheet-iron.
Figs. 13 and 14 shew an arrangement by which the clamping and suspending of
articles is effected by two clamping bodies.
The clamping body a, which is preferably made of glass, porcelain or other
ceramic material, may have the form of a ball, a disc, a prism etc.
To prevent
its falling out laterally between the slanting wedging surfaces and c, the device is
further provided with two lateral surfaces or walls d which in conjunction with the

page_text: sides or surfaces b and c form a case or chamber. Of the two surfaces b and c,
one will usually be arranged vertically, as in most cases it is preferable to give the
portion of the suspended flat article, clamped between one of these lateral walls
and the body a a vertical direction. In the annexed drawings the lateral
walls is arranged vertically and close to it the lateral walls d d are provided
with vertical notches or grooves ff in which the article to be suspended is
inserted.
According to the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 5 and intended for show-
windows, the sides bedd are constructed of sheet iron and the case is provided at
the top with a suspension hook h for attaching the whole device to a bar,
nail etc.
Fig. 6 shews an arrangement of clamping device intended to be used in drying
rooms, warehouses etc. In this modified arrangement the device is formed by a
combination of two wooden plates ii nailed together, the adjoining inner surfaces of
these two plates being so cut out as to form each one half of the tapering hollow
space of the device. One of these plates is formed with an eye which admits of the
device being suspended upon a bar j.
The arrangement shewn in Fig. 7 differs somewhat from that last described. The
wooden pieces and c', which form the slanting surfaces and c, are laterally
connected together by metal plates & d, which are each formed with an eye
suspending the device upon the bar j.
for
For constructing the double clamping device shewn in Fig. 8 two rectangular
wooden plates kk are used each formed with notches at their bottom edges,
which form, when the plates are put together, a rectangular hollow space. The
lateral walls of this hollow space are provided on both sides with the above
mentioned notches and after the insertion of the two clamping bodies a, a
lath or bar of a triangular cross section is inserted, which supplies the
requisite two supporting surfaces b. In this case also an eye ¹ can be provided
for attaching the clamping device to a bar j.
Fig. 9 shews an arrangement of double clamping device formed partly by a
lath or bar of rectangular cross section and which may form part of a number
of clamping devices. For this purpose both lateral surfaces of the lath or bar
are formed with inclined grooves, which extend from the lower edge to the
upper surface of the lath or bar and after the insertion of the clamping bodies,
a metal plate m, both longitudinal edges of which are bent down rectangularly,
is nailed to the lath or bar above the grooves.
Fig. 10 illustrates an arrangement in which two parallel laths or bars n n-are
used, maintained at a certain distance from each other by a metal plate o that is
nailed to both; the inner surface of one of these laths is formed with a slanting
groove n for the reception of the clamping body a.
Figs. 11 and 12 illustrate the arrangement in which a series of clamping devices
like those represented in Figs. 6 and 7 respectively, are used. In Fig. 11 two
laths or bars pp are shown, the notches of which form the tapering spaces for
the reception of the clamping bodies, while in the lath q Fig. 12 the notches
or incisions forming the tapering hollows extend through the lath or bar, the
two lateral tin plates forming the lateral walls d d of the device.
The clamping devices illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14 are also suitable for drying
chambers and warehouses. In these arrangements, the clamping of the inserted
articles is effected by two loose clamping bodies a a¹, movable on slanting surfaces,
but are so guided by the slotted lateral walls, that they bear with a uniform pressure
from both sides upon the inserted article, clamping it between both loose
bodies a a¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. For clamping the upper edge of flat articles to be suspended, a clamping

page_text: device constructed with a hollow or space open at the bottom, having two
opposite walls inclined towards each other and to the bottom end, and containing
a loose gravitating body resting on the slanting walls the connecting sides of
which are formed with notches or openings to admit of the insertion of the
article to be suspended, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. A clamping device for suspending flat bodies in shop-windows, consisting
of a case or box, open at the bottom and formed with two parallel and two
convergent sides, the parallel sides being provided with notches extending from
_ below upward along the connecting edges of one of the other sides, and a. loose
gravitating body arranged in the tapering space within the case or box and of
such dimensions that it rests on the slanting lateral walls thereof, the said case
or box being provided with a hook or an eye by which it can be suspended
substantially as herein before described.
3. For clamping the upper edge of flat bodies to be suspended, a clamping
device constructed with a hollow or space open at the bottom, having two
opposite walls converging towards the bottom, and containing two loose gravi-
tating bodies that rest against the slanting walls; the walls which laterally
connect the slanting walls and which are provided with apertures for the inser-
tion of the articles to be suspended, serving to guide the gravitating bodies so
that the inserted articles will be clamped between them substantially as herein-
before described.
4. The improved clamping devices substantially as hereinbefore described and
shown in the drawings annexed.
Dated this 4th day of May 1801
L. KASPAREK,
By L. W., per F. B.