Patent ID: 7159858

Claim:
A bar clamp comprising: a bar; a first clamping jaw mounted on said bar; a second clamping jaw slidingly mounted on said bar, at least one of said clamping jaws comprising a double-faced clamping jaw comprising one face facing one end of said bar and another face facing an opposite end of said bar, wherein centers of both faces of said double-faced clamping jaw are positioned at substantially equal heights from said bar; and a jaw-advancing mechanism coupled to said second clamping jaw and adapted to move said second clamping jaw selectively towards or away from said first clamping jaw, wherein said jaw-advancing mechanism comprises: a pair of trigger handles arranged to be squeezed towards each other; first and second gripping elements mounted on said bar, wherein said first gripping element is free to slide over said bar in a first direction, but in a second direction, opposite to said first direction, said first gripping element binds against said bar and prevents said bar from moving with respect to said first gripping element in said second direction, and wherein said second gripping element is free to slide over said bar in said second direction, but in said first direction, said second gripping element binds against said bar and prevents said bar from moving with respect to said second gripping element in said first direction; and a selector gripping element mounted on said bar and coupled to a stub, wherein in a first position, said selector gripping element is positioned relative to said bar such that said stub abuts against a first of said handles, preventing said first handle from being squeezed, and squeezing a second of said handles moves said first gripping element together with said bar and said first clamping jaw in said second direction, wherein said bar passes through said second gripping element and said selector ripping element and said first and second clamping jaws are brought closer together; and wherein in a second position, said selector gripping element is positioned relative to said bar such that said stub abuts against the second handle, preventing said second handle from being squeezed, and squeezing the first handle moves said second gripping element together with said bar and said first clamping jaw in said first direction, wherein said bar passes through said first gripping element and said selector gripping element and said first and second clamping jaws are brought further apart.