Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention concen~ a new olamp, espeoially suitable for
use in the olamping of di~play panels.
It is well known in the fields of displays and exhibitions
to position and support large panels on which are mounted artwork,
photographs, ~amples etcetera, in a way designed to make maximum
impaot on the public. A variety of systems ha~e been designed,
including the "3tructural" systems whioh use expensive heavy gauge
aluminium extrusions with framed panels, whioh yield a rigid semi-
pe~manent display area whioh is perhap3 rather inflexible. Other
systems oan be termed "post and panel", in whioh round,or square
seotion posts aot as supports for panels whioh are olamped or
otherwise fixed thereon. Suoh "post and panel" sy3tem~ are
oheaper than the "structuxal" systems and offer a certain amount
of greater flexibility in ease of a~sembly and dism~ntlin~ and
some systems marketed offsr the ability to position adjaoent
panels at ~arying a~gles. ~owe~er, it i9 highly desirable that
clamp unit~ should be able to cope with panels of a wide ~ariety
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of different materials and different thicknesses. Some commercial systems
endeavour to cope with different panel thicknesses by having gripping inserts
with slots of a variety of sizes to receive the panel edges. Such a system is
described in British Patent No. 1,320,689. It is thus necessary for each user
to stock a number of inserts and it is relatively easy for the inserts to drop
out during assembly or dismantling.
The present invention is intended to give a highly flexible clamp
system ideally suited to display systems, capable of clamping panels of
different thicknesses at continuously variable angles.
The present invention provides a clamp for a panel or the like, having
first and second jaw portions in spaced apart relationship, each jaw portion
having a planar jaw face and at the end remote therefrom a part-cylindrical
face with its cylindrical axis paTallel to the plane of the jaw face, a sleeve
member retained between the part-cylindrical faces, which sleeve member has a
bore adapted to accept a hinge pin, and a threaded member adjustably connecting
the jaw portions whereby the jaw portions may be moved together and apart to
permit the jaw faces to grip the panel or the like therebetween and to permit
the part-cylindrical faces to grip the sleeve member.
Preferably, the hinge pin and the corresponding bore are not circular,
but areelliptical, or provided with faces, e.g. hexagonal or square, since this
has been found to prevent slippage between the sleeve member and the pin.
Preferably, the part-circular faces are biased
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together, for example by a spring metal clip, to enable them to
loosely grip or contact the hinge member.
The invention will now be described with reference to the
aocompanying drawins in which:
Fisure 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of a cl~p
according to the invention, and
Fi~ure 2 i9 a side view in the direction of arrow ~ of the
¢lamp of Figure 1.
~ he clamp ha~ two identical jaw portions 1, 2, conveniently
made of aluminium or alloy extrusion, and each jaw portion has
a jaw fa¢e 3 and a part-cylindrical fa¢e 4. A bore 5 extends
through each jaw portion, intersectins cross-bores 6. ~otatably
positioned within each cross bore ar- pins 7a and 7~. Pin 7a
has a threaded cross bore and pin 7b has an unthreaded cross bore,
enabling bolt ~ to pass throu~h bores 5, throu6h pin 7b and engage
pin 7a. Bolt 8 is suitably provided with a head which accepts an
allen key.
- Mounted between the part-cylindrical faces 4 is a bobbin-
shaped sleeve member 9 conveniently of plastics, e.g. nylon, with
a hexagonal bore, arld the part-cylindrical faces are biased against
the sleeve member by a spring steel clip 10.
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4.
It is desirable that the jaw faces 3 are capable of firmly
gripping a smooth-faced panel, and they may be providsd with
serrations to act as teeth, but preferably they are provided with
fa¢ings 11. The facings ll are suitably of natural or synthetic
rubber or plastics material, e.g. plasticised PVC, and may be
provided with corr~gations as shown. Conveniently, the facings
are retained on the jaw faces by bonding with an adhesive and/or
with a mechanical joint such as a dove-tail joint. It is
preferred to extend the facings or part of the facings towards
the part-cylindrical faces, 30 that they assist in locating the
bolt 8 and help Eeep the clamp as a firm unit.
It will be seen that a hexagonal hinge pin can be fitted
into the bore in sleeve member 9. Preferably the pin is an
interference fit to prevent it falling out during operation as
described hereafter. A variety of leDgths of hinge pin may
provide special effects in displayin~ panels using the clamps of
the invention. A pin of length double that of the bore in the
sleeve member will enable two adjacent panels to be joined and
hinged to any desired angle, a triple length pin will enable
three panels to be clamped and hinged about the common hinge axis,
etcetera. When the clamps are positioned towards the bottom of
panels, the pin may extend to adjacent the floor or ground and be
provided with an internally threaded sleeve into which an
adjustable foot may be screwed.
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In use, a desired unit is assembled, for example from a double
length pin and two clamps. The jaw faces of one clamp are piaced
on either side of a display panel and the bolt 8 is tightened until
the jaw faces firmly hold the panel. Further tightening of bolt 8,
acts to clamp part-cylindrical faces 4 onto the sleeve member and
rotation of the clamp is prevented. The second clamp is then
roughly positioned, a panel clamped into position, then the panel
may be mo~ed relative to the other to the final desired position.
Final tightening of the bolt of the second clamp provides a rigidly
locked unit.
Although it is the general rule that the jaw faces will grip
a panel before it grips the hinge member, if a thin panel is used,
- the clamp will grip the hinge member first.
- The clamps of the invention offer a flexibility of angular
adjustment never before achieved in commercially marketed units,
bounded only by interference of adjacent panels or in fact by
aesthetic considerations. Assembly is simple and quick and the
clamps are readily re-used.
5ince in the preferred embodiment, pins 7a and 7b do not extend
to the ends of the cross-bores 6, each clamp can also serve as a
support for accessories which clip into the recesses remaining.
Thus, for example, a spotlight fitting may be clipped into the
recesses on one side, while the recesses on the other side may
locate a bracket for a shelf unit.
While the clamp of the invention has been described with
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especial reference to use for display panels, it is to be understood
that the in~ention is not limited to such use and may find
application in other constructional uses.
