Patent ID: 7415912

Claim:
A locking clamp device, comprising a handle assembly, having a first handle portion and a second handle portion, said handle portions suitably adapted to be held and manipulated by a human hand; a clamping assembly attached to and actuated by the handle assembly to an opened position or a closed position, said clamping assembly having a first jaw portion having a clamping end distal to the handle assembly, said first jaw portion comprised of a proximate arm and a distal arm, said proximate arm located proximate to the handle assembly and said distal arm located proximate to said clamping end of the first jaw portion, with said proximate arm and said distal arm suitably adapted to movably engage each other along their respective longitudinal axes such that said first jaw portion may be lengthened or shortened depending on the positions of said proximate arm and said distal arm in relation to each other, wherein the proximate arm of the first jaw portion is substantially hollow and has an aperture at an end distal from the handle assembly and the distal arm of the first jaw portion is suitably adapted to fit within the aperture of proximate arm of the first jaw portion in a telescoping manner, such that the distal arm of the first jaw portion is slidably positionable relative to the proximate arm of the first jaw portion, and the distal arm of the first jaw portion is frictionally secured in a desired position relative to the proximate arm of the first jaw portion; and a second jaw portion having a clamping end distal to the handle assembly, and a locking means integrated with the handle assembly and the clamping assembly, said locking means suitably adapted to hold the clamping ends of the respective jaw portions in the closed position; whereby the closed position of the clamping assembly comprises a relative orientation of the clamping end of the first jaw portion with the clamping end of the second jaw portion in which said clamping ends are sufficiently engaged with a work piece to hold the work piece securely within the locking clamp device or to hold the locking clamp device securely to the work piece, and the opened position of the clamping assembly comprises a relative orientation of the clamping end of the first jaw portion with the clamping end of the second jaw portion in which said clamping ends are sufficiently disengaged from a work piece to permit removal of the work piece from the locking clamp device or to permit removal of the locking clamp device from the work piece.