DESC:FIELD
The present disclosure relates to the field of mechanical engineering. Particularly, the present disclosure relates to the field of clamps.
BACKGROUND
In conventional welding fixtures, a clamp is used to hold a component. The welding process is carried out on the component once it is firmly held by the clamp. Typically, the clamp is actuated by a toggle action. A human operator pushes a lever of the toggle clamp in a particular direction to facilitate firm holding of the component between clamping arms. To release the component from the clamping arms, the human operator needs to move the lever in the opposite direction to bring the clamping arms back in its original position. Such pushing and pulling of a lever to facilitate holding and releasing of the component between clamping arms is a continuous and tedious operation and causes fatigue to the operator. Further, the manual control and operation of the toggle clamping device is a time consuming activity and requires skilled manpower.
Conventionally, some pneumatic actuating mechanism exists for clamps which overcomes the drawback of manual toggle clamping mechanism, however such conventional actuating mechanism requires replacement of many parts of the clamp including, but not limited to, a dolly plate, clamp arms, and coupling elements. The designing and development of new clamp unit also takes a lot of time and is costly.
Therefore, there is felt a need for an actuating mechanism that actuates a clamp and alleviates the abovementioned drawbacks such as eliminating the need of manual toggling and/or redesigning and redevelopment of existing clamp structures.

OBJECTS
Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows:
An object of the present disclosure is to provide an actuating mechanism that can be retrofitted to a conventional clamp with minimum or no modifications therein.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide an actuating mechanism that requires lesser time to actuate a clamp as compared to conventional method used for the same.
Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide an actuating mechanism that reduces fatigue caused to operators.
Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide an actuating mechanism that reduces the designing and implementation cost.
Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
SUMMARY
The present disclosure envisages an actuating mechanism for a clamp having a movable jaw and a fixed jaw for clamping a component therewithin. The actuating mechanism requires a clamp actuator for actuating the clamp. The clamp actuator comprises: (i) a middle plate, (ii) at least one side plate, (iii) a swing arm, and (iv) a pneumatic cylinder. The at least one side plate is fitted to the middle plate and the clamp and is configured to hold the clamp against the middle plate. The swing arm is pivotally coupled with the middle plate and the movable jaw of the clamp. The pneumatic cylinder is coupled with the swing arm at an operative top end thereof and is further coupled with the middle plate at an operative middle portion thereof. The pneumatic cylinder is configured for generating a clamping force in an operative configuration such that the pneumatic cylinder pivotally displaces the swing arm under the clamping force, thereby facilitating an operative upward or downward movement of the movable jaw against the fixed jaw for respectively holding or releasing the component therebetween.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the clamp of the actuating mechanism includes a resilient fulcrum having one end connected to the fixed jaw and another end connected to the movable jaw, and is configured to facilitate movement of the movable jaw.
In another embodiment, the clamp of the actuating mechanism includes a fixture plate extending from a dolly plate of the clamp and fitted to the side plate for facilitating the side plate to securely hold the clamp.
In yet another embodiment, the actuating mechanism includes a first holding structure which is configured to couple the swing arm with the middle plate, a second holding structure which is configured to couple the cylinder with the swing arm at an operative end thereof, and a third holding structure which is configured to couple the cylinder with said middle plate at an operative middle portion thereof.
In still another embodiment, the side plate comprises a first plurality of holes and the middle plate comprises a second plurality of holes, which are configured to facilitate coupling between the side plate and the middle plate by means of a first set of fasteners.
In yet another embodiment, the middle plate comprises a first hole which is configured at an operative top end thereof to facilitate coupling of the middle plate with the swing arm by means of a second set of fasteners.
In another embodiment, the actuating mechanism includes a hinge pin that is configured to be inserted in the first hole to establish a hinged connection between the middle plate and the swing arm. The hinge pin may comprise a slot configured at an operative end thereof and a keep plate connected to the swing arm. The keep plate may be configured to be inserted within the slot to securely hold the hinge pin. The actuating mechanism may include a bush in conjunction with the hinge pin to reduce wear of the hinge pin.
In another embodiment, the actuating mechanism further comprises a second hole which is configured at an operative bottom end thereof and configured to facilitate a connection between the middle plate and the pneumatic cylinder by means of a third set of fasteners.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING
An actuating mechanism for a clamp, of the present disclosure will now be described with the help of the accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 illustrates an isometric view of the actuating mechanism, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 2 illustrates an isometric view of a side plate of the actuating mechanism of the figure 1;
Figure 3 illustrates an isometric view of a middle plate of the actuating mechanism of the figure 1;
Figure 4 illustrates an isometric view of a swing arm of the actuating mechanism of the figure 1;
Figure 5 illustrates an isometric view of a hinge pin of the actuating mechanism of the figure 1;
Figure 6 illustrates an isometric view of a keep plate of the actuating mechanism of the figure 1;
Figure 7 illustrates an isometric view of a pneumatic cylinder of the actuating mechanism of the figure 1; and
Figure 8 illustrates a side view of an assembly of a clamp and the actuating mechanism of the figure 1.
Reference numeral References associated with reference numeral
100 Actuating mechanism
105 Clamp Actuator
110 Side Plate
115 First Plurality of Holes
120 Middle Plate
122 Second Plurality of Holes
124 First Hole
126 Second Hole
130 Swing Arm
132 Third Hole
134 First Holding Structure
136 Fourth Hole
140 Hinge Pin
145 Slot
150 Keep Plate
160 Pneumatic Cylinder
162 Second Holding Structure
164 Third Holding Structure
200 Clamp
201 Dolly Plate
202 Fixture Plate
204 Clamping Arm
206 Fixed Jaw
208 Resilient Fulcrum
250 Component
300 Assembly

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In conventional welding fixtures, a clamp is used to hold a component. The welding process is carried out on the component once it is firmly held by the clamp. Typically, the clamp is actuated by a toggle action. A human operator pushes a lever of the toggle clamp in a particular direction to facilitate firm holding of the component between clamping arms. To release the component from the clamping arms, the human operator needs to move the lever in the opposite direction to bring the clamping arms back in its original position. Such pushing and pulling of a lever to facilitate holding and releasing of the component between clamping arms is a continuous and tedious operation and causes fatigue to the operator. Further, the manual control and operation of the toggle clamping device is a time consuming activity and requires skilled manpower.
Conventionally, some pneumatic actuating mechanism exists for clamps which overcomes the drawback of manual toggle clamping mechanism, however such conventional actuating mechanism requires replacement of many parts of the clamp including, but not limited to, a dolly plate, clamp arms, and coupling elements. The designing and development of new clamp unit also takes a lot of time and is costly.
The present disclosure envisages an actuating mechanism for a clamp, which is configured to actuate the clamp for securely holding or releasing a component therewithin, and is further configured to be able to get retrofitted to conventional clamps with minimum modifications. In an embodiment, the actuating mechanism of the present disclosure is pneumatically operated. The actuating mechanism, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure is now described with reference to the embodiments, which do not limit the scope and ambit of the disclosure. The description of the actuating mechanism is provided purely by way of example and illustration.
The actuating mechanism of the present disclosure is now described with reference to figure 1 through figure 8. Figure 1 illustrates an isometric view of an actuating mechanism 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 illustrates an isometric view of a side plate 110 of the actuating mechanism 100 of the figure 1. Figure 3 illustrates an isometric view of a middle plate 120 of the actuating mechanism 100 of the figure 1. Figure 4 illustrates an isometric view of a swing arm 130 of the actuating mechanism 100 of the figure 1. Figure 5 illustrates an isometric view of a hinge pin 140 of the actuating mechanism 100 of the figure 1. Figure 6 illustrates an isometric view of a keep plate 150 of the actuating mechanism 100 of the figure 1. Figure 7 illustrates an isometric view of a pneumatic cylinder 160 of the actuating mechanism 100 of the figure 1. Figure 8 illustrates a side view of an assembly 300 of a clamp 200 and the actuating mechanism 100 of the figure 1.
The present disclosure envisages the actuating mechanism 100 for a clamp 200. The clamp 200 comprises a movable jaw 204 and a fixed jaw 206 for clamping a component therewithin. The clamp 200 of the actuating mechanism 100 further comprises a resilient fulcrum 208 having one end connected to the fixed jaw 206 and another end connected to the movable jaw 204. The resilient fulcrum 208 is configured to facilitate movement of the movable jaw 204 towards or away from the fixed jaw 206.
The clamping operation of the clamp 200 is actuated by means of a clamp actuator 105. The clamp actuator 105 comprises: (i) a middle plate 120, (ii) at least one side plate 110, (iii) a swing arm 130, and (iv) a pneumatic cylinder 160.
The at least one side plate 110 is fitted to the middle plate 120 and to the clamp 200. The at least one side plate 110 is configured to hold the clamp 200 against the middle plate 120. In an embodiment, the side plate 110 of the actuating mechanism 100 comprises a first plurality of holes 115. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the middle plate 120 comprises a second plurality of holes 122 such that the first plurality of holes 115 and the second plurality of holes 122 are configured on the surface of the side plate 110 and the middle plate 120 respectively to facilitate coupling therebetween. In another embodiment, the coupling between the side plate 110 and the middle plate 120 is facilitated by means of a first set of fasteners.
In an embodiment, the at least one side plate 110 is fitted to the clamp 200 via the fixture plate 202 which is extended from a dolly plate 201 of the clamp 200. The fixture plate 202 is further configured to facilitate the side plate for securely holding the clamp 200. In an exemplary embodiment, two side plates 110 are configured to hold the middle plate 120 and the fixture plate 202 therebetween. The middle plate 120 is further connected to the swing arm 130 and the pneumatic cylinder 160.
The swing arm 130 is pivotally coupled with the middle plate 120 via a first holding structure 134. In an embodiment, the middle plate 120 comprises a first hole 124 at an operative top end thereof, which is placed corresponding to holes provided in the first holding structure 134, thereby facilitating coupling of the middle plate 120 with the swing arm 130. The coupling of the middle plate 120 with the swing arm 130 may be facilitated by means of a second set of fasteners. In an embodiment, the first holding structure 134 has two arms. Each of the two arms has a hole that registers with the first hole 124 configured on the middle plate 120.
In an embodiment, the hinge pin 140 is provided and is configured to be inserted in the first hole 124 of the middle plate 120 to establish a hinged connection between the middle plate 120 and the swing arm 130. In another embodiment, the hinge pin 140 comprises a slot 145 configured at an operative end thereof to facilitate in establishing the hinged connection.
In yet another embodiment, the keep plate 150 which is connected to the swing arm 130 is inserted within the slot 145 of the hinge pin 140 for securely holding the hinge pin 140 therein.
In still another embodiment, a bush (not shown in the figures) is provided in conjunction with the hinge pin 140 to reduce or eliminate wear of the hinge pin 140.
The pneumatic cylinder 160 is coupled with the swing arm 130 at an operative top end thereof via a second holding structure 162 and is further coupled with the middle plate 120 at an operative middle portion via a third holding structure 164 respectively. The pneumatic cylinder 160 is configured to generate a clamping force under which the actuating mechanism is operated. In an embodiment, the second holding structure 162 includes two arms. Each of the two arms can have a hole that registers with a third hole 132 of the swing arm 130. The second holding structure 162 holds the swing arm 130 between the two arms.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the middle plate 120 further comprises a second hole 126 which is configured at an operative bottom end thereof. The second hole 126 is configured to facilitate a connection between the middle plate 120 and the pneumatic cylinder 160 by means of a third set of fasteners. In another embodiment, the third holding structure 164 can have two arms. Each of the two arms can have a hole configured to register with the second hole 126 of the middle plate 120.
In another embodiment, the swing arm 130 further comprises the third hole 132 and a fourth hole 136 which are configured to facilitate connection of the swing arm 130 with the pneumatic cylinder 160 and the movable jaw 204 respectively.
In an embodiment, each of the first, second, and third set of fasteners are selected from the group consisting of nuts and bolts, rivets, screws, and the like.
The coupling of the swing arm 130 with the movable jaw 204 is configured to facilitate movement of the movable jaw 204 under the clamping force generated by the pneumatic cylinder 160. In an operative configuration, the clamp actuator 105 of the actuating mechanism 100 is attached to the clamp 200. The at least one side plate 110 is connected to the fixture plate 202 of the clamp 200. The swing arm 130 is connected to the movable jaw 204 of the clamp 200. The pneumatic cylinder 160 is actuated such that the actuation of the pneumatic cylinder 160 pivotally displaces the swing arm 130 under the generated clamping force, thereby facilitating closing an operative upward and downward movement of the movable jaw 204 against the fixed jaw 206 for respectively holding or releasing a component 250 therewithin.
When the pneumatic cylinder 160 is actuated, the pneumatic cylinder 160 pivotally displaces the swing arm 130 in an operative upward direction from the operative end connected to the pneumatic cylinder 160. As the swing arm 130 is hinged to the middle plate 120, another operative end of the swing arm 130 connected to the movable jaw 204 is displaced in an operative downward direction. This downward movement of the swing arm 130 displaces the movable jaw 204 towards the fixed jaw 206 closing the gap therebetween to hold the component securely. When the operative end of the swing arm 130, which is connected to the pneumatic cylinder 160, is displaced in an operative downward direction, the swing arm 130 displaces the movable jaw 204 away from the fixed jaw 206 thereby releasing the component held therebetween.
TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENTS
The present disclosure described herein above has several technical advantages including, but not limited to, the realization of an actuating mechanism that:
• can be retrofitted to a conventional clamp with minimum or no modifications therein;
• requires lesser time to actuate a clamp as compared to conventional method used for the same;
• reduces fatigue caused to operators; and
• reduces the designing and implementation cost.
The foregoing disclosure has been described with reference to the accompanying embodiments which do not limit the scope and ambit of the disclosure. The description provided is purely by way of example and illustration.
The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully revealed the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
Throughout this specification the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.
The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the disclosure to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form a part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.
The numerical values mentioned for the various physical parameters, dimensions or quantities are only approximations and it is envisaged that the values higher/lower than the numerical values assigned to the parameters, dimensions or quantities fall within the scope of the disclosure, unless there is a statement in the specification specific to the contrary.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.
,CLAIMS:WE CLAIM:
1. An actuating mechanism (100) for a clamp (200) having a movable jaw (204) and a fixed jaw (206), said actuating mechanism (100) comprising:
• a clamp actuator (105) for actuating said clamp (200), said clamp actuator (105) comprising:
o a middle plate (120);
o at least one side plate (110) fitted to said middle plate (120) and said clamp (200) and configured to hold said clamp (200) against said middle plate (120);
o a swing arm (130) pivotally coupled with said middle plate (120) and said movable jaw (204); and
o a pneumatic cylinder (160) coupled with said swing arm (130) at an operative top end thereof and further coupled with said middle plate (120) at an operative middle portion thereof, said pneumatic cylinder (160) configured for generating a clamping force;
wherein said pneumatic cylinder (160) pivotally displaces said swing arm (130) under said clamping force, thereby facilitating an operative upward or downward movement of said movable jaw (204) against said fixed jaw (206) for respectively holding or releasing a component (250) therewithin.
2. The actuating mechanism (100) as claimed in claim 1, which includes a resilient fulcrum (208) having one end connected to said fixed jaw (206) and another end connected to said movable jaw (204), and configured to facilitate movement of said movable jaw (204).
3. The actuating mechanism (100) as claimed in claim 1, which includes a fixture plate (202) extending from a dolly plate (201) of said clamp (200) and fitted to said side plate (110), said fixture plate (202) facilitating said side plate (110) to securely hold said clamp (200).
4. The actuating mechanism (100) as claimed in claim 1, which includes a first holding structure (134) configured to couple said swing arm (130) with said middle plate (120), a second holding structure (162) configured to couple said cylinder (160) with said swing arm (130) at an operative end thereof, and a third holding structure (164) configured to couple said cylinder (160) with said middle plate (120) at an operative middle portion thereof.
5. The actuating mechanism (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said side plate (110) comprises a first plurality of holes (115) and said middle plate (120) comprises a second plurality of holes (122), which are configured to facilitate coupling between said side plate (110) and said middle plate (120) by means of a first set of fasteners.
6. The actuating mechanism (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said middle plate (120) comprises a first hole (124) configured at an operative top end thereof to facilitate coupling of said middle plate (120) with said swing arm (130) by means of a second set of fasteners.
7. The actuating mechanism (100) as claimed in claim 6, which includes a hinge pin (140) that is configured to be inserted in said first hole (124) to establish a hinged connection between said middle plate (120) and said swing arm (130).
8. The actuating mechanism (100) as claimed in claim 7, which includes a keep plate (150) connected to said swing arm (130) and configured to be inserted within a slot (145) configured at an operative end of said hinge pin (140 for securely holding said hinge pin (140).
9. The actuating mechanism (100) as claimed in claim 7, which includes a bush in conjunction with said hinge pin (140) to reduce wear of said hinge pin (140).
10. The actuating mechanism (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said middle plate (120) further comprises a second hole (126) configured at an operative bottom end thereof and configured to facilitate a connection between said middle plate (120) and said pneumatic cylinder (160) by means of a third set of fasteners.