GB2394505A

GB2394505A - A slidable and rotatable clamp arrangement for an angler's seat box

Info

Publication number: GB2394505A
Application number: GB0323867A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Preston
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-10-11
Filing date: 2003-10-13
Publication date: 2004-04-28
Anticipated expiration: 2023-10-13
Also published as: NL1024474C1; GB0223685D0; FR2845740A3; GB0323867D0; ES1056906Y; ES1056906U; GB2394505B; BE1015711A6; DE20315516U1; ITTO20030153U1; FR2845740B3

Abstract

A clamp arrangement 26 comprises an inner clamp sleeve 34 having a polygonal internal passage with a slot 36 allowing expansion and contraction thereof. The outer surface of the clamp sleeve 34 is cylindrical and received in a cylindrical bore in an outer clamp member 38 so as to be rotatable. A hand-operated clamping arrangement 40-46 allows the clamp arrangement to be released, adjusted both longitudinally and rotationally, and then clamped. The sleeve is intended to receive an elongate element of polygonal cross-section, for example the leg of an angler's seat box. The clamp has means for attachment to further items of equipment, for example a rod rest or a bait holder. An arrangement for extending the length of a seat box leg is also disclosed, [figure 4].

Description

Slidable and Rotatable Clamp Arrangements This invention relates to

fittings for an angler's seat box and in particular, but not exclusively, to a clamp arrangement for allowing accessories to be attached to a part of the seat box structure and also to a seat box leg extender 5 arrangement for extending the effective length of a seat box leg. The invention also relates to clamp arrangements for general use where an item is to be longitudinally and rotationally adjustable with respect to a non-circular support element. An angler's seat box is an item of equipment which serves the functions 10 of providing a seat and foot support for an angler at the water's edge, storage of small items of tackle, and support for items such as the rod, bait container etc. A typical design of seat box includes an underlying chassis or frame with four or six adjustable legs which can be slidably adjusted and clamped in a particular position to allow for unevenness of the terrain on which the box is located. On 15 top of the chassis is a seat box comprising a padded seat and storage drawers underneath it for storage of tackle. The chassis may provide a foot rest in front of the box. There is a desire to use the free ends of the legs to support other items of equipment in the required position. However, due to the fact that the ground may slope steeply at the water's edge or be otherwise uneven, the free 20 end of the leg appears at different heights relative to the seat box. We have therefore developed a clamp arrangement which provides support for other equipment such as a rod rest etc., the clamp arrangement providing the dual functions of both being slidable vertically to allow the clamp (and the attached equipment) to be brought to a convenient level relative to the seat box and also

rotatable to allow the angular position thereof to be varied as required.

Accordingly, in one aspect, this invention provides a clamp arrangement for being slidably adjusted and clamped in use on an elongate element which includes a length of generally polygonal cross section, said clamp arrangement 5 including: a clamp sleeve having an internal passage of polygonal cross section generally matching that of the elongate element, said clamp sleeve being resiliently deformable to allow at least one of the transverse dimensions of the passage to be varied; 10 a clamp member having a clamp portion generally surrounding said clamp sleeve within which said clamp sleeve is mounted for rotation; compression means associated with said clamp member and operable in use to clamp said sleeve firmly against the elongate element, and said clamp member further having means for attachment to, or 15 supporting, a further item of equipment in use.

It will be appreciated that the clamp sleeve in the above arrangement may be slid along the elongate element to the required position and the clamp member may be rotated relative to the sleeve member to give rotational adjustment. 20 Preferably, said compression means performs the dual function of applying clamping to prevent both longitudinal and rotational movement of said clamp member relative to said elongate element.

Preferably, said clamp sleeve has an internal bore of generally rectangular cross section, and in a particular embodiment the cross section is

generally square. The clamp sleeve preferably includes a slot extending from an outer surface thereof to the internal passage, to allow the sleeve to be flexed to adjust at least one of the internal dimensions thereof.

The clamp sleeve preferably has a generally cylindrical outer surface and 5 is conveniently mounted directly in a bore in said clamp portion. The clamp portion preferably includes a slot extending from an outer surface thereof to said bore. The compression means preferably urges said walls of said slot together, to effect clamping of said clamp portion relative to said sleeve and said sleeve 10 relative to said elongate element.

The clamp arrangement may be used in a wide variety of situations where adjustable longitudinal and rotational movement is required between a clamp arrangement and an elongate element of polygonal cross section. However in a particularly preferred arrangement the clamp arrangement is used in association 15 with a seat box leg or seat box leg extender, as to be described below.

On occasion, the profile of the ground at the water's edge may mean that the leg is downwardly extended by a substantial amount and therefore the upper end thereof is too low for practical use. We have therefore designed a seat box leg extender which overcomes this problem.

20 Accordingly, in a further aspect, this invention provides a seat box leg extender arrangement for extending the effective length of an elongate seat box leg of polygonal cross section, said arrangement comprising: a socket member for being connected in use to the upper end of said seat box leg, said socket member having an internal passage;

an extension leg slidably received in said internal passage; a clamp means for clamping the extension leg in use in a required position, and an end cap on the upper end of the extension leg remote from said socket 5 member, the end cap having a polygonal external cross section similar to that of said seat box leg.

Whilst the invention has been described above, it extends to any inventive combination set out above or in the following description.

The invention may be performed in various ways, and an embodiment 10 thereof will now be described by way of example only, reference being made to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a general perspective view of an angler's seat box and foot platform incorporating a clamp arrangement and a seat box leg extension in accordance with the invention; 15 Figure 2 is a detailed perspective view showing the clamp arrangement on a seat box leg; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the clamp sleeve of the clamp arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a detailed view of the seat box leg extension fitted to the upper 20 end of a seat box leg; Figure 5 is a cross sectional view through the arrangement of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a top view of a second embodiment of clamp arrangement in accordance with the invention; and Figure 7 is a side view of the clamp arrangement of Figure 6.

Referring to the Figures, the seat box and foot platform 10 consists of a main chassis frame 12 made up of square section tube welded together. In this example there are six adjustable legs 14 slidably mounted in the opposite ends of cross members 16 and each clampable by a hand wheel 18 to allow the 5 chassis to be kept horizontal irrespective of the terrain beneath. At the rear end of the main chassis 12, as viewed, there is a seat box 20 having storage drawers 22 and topped by a padded seat.

A clamp arrangement 26 is mounted on the upper end of a seat box leg extension 28 on the front left leg as viewed and also directly on the middle left 10 leg. The clamp arrangement supports a rod rest 30 and a bait holder 32.

Referring in more detail to Figures 2 and 3 the clamp arrangement 26 comprises an inner clamp sleeve 34 which has a generally square internal passage with a slot 36 extending through a wall of the sleeve so that it can be flexed to allow the internal dimensions thereof to be varied. The outer surface of the clamp sleeve 15 34 is cylindrical and is received in a cylindrical bore in the outer clamp member 38 so as to be rotatable therein. The outer clamp member 38 is also split at 40 to provide two lugs 42, and a bolt 44 extends to an aligned passage in the lugs 42 to carry a hand wheel 46 designed to allow a compressive force to be exerted on the clamp member. The inner clamp sleeve has raised circumferential ribs 20 48 at opposite ends which co-operate with similar relieved portions in the bore in the outer clamp member to prevent longitudinal movement of the inner clamp sleeve relative to the outer clamp member in normal use.

The outer clamp member 38 is provided with a fixture lug 50 having a vertical bore 52 and a horizontal bore (not seen) and an aperture 54 for a grub

screw or handwheel.

As seen in Figure 1 the stem of a rod rest 30 or the stem of a bait holder 32 may be secured in one of the bores as appropriate.

In use, by unscrewing the handwheel, the clamp arrangement may be slid 5 vertically and rotated to present the rod rest etc at the required height and angle of orientation relative to the seat box. Whilst shown in use on an anglers seat box this clamp arrangement may be used in many different applications and its use is not limited to angling equipment.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 4, in certain circumstances, the seat box 10 leg to which it is intended to fix equipment such as the rod rest or bait box may need to be virtually fully extended downwardly as shown in the front legs in Figure 1. In order to overcome this problem, a seat box leg extension 28 has been designed as shown which comprises a socket 60 having an internal passage designed to receive the upper end of a seat box leg 14 and itself 15 defining an internal passage for receiving a telescopic leg tube 62. The socket also has a handwheel 64 to allow the telescopic leg tube to be clamped in the required position. On the upper end of the telescopic leg tube is an extending leg cap 66 which has substantially the same external cross sectional shape and dimensions as the upper end of the seat box leg 14. In this way devices 20 designed to fit on the seat box leg 14 may be secured to the extending leg cap 66 and the height thereof then adjusted by adjusting the position of the telescopic tube 62 with respect to the socket 60.

Referring now to Figures 6 and 7, the second embodiment of clamp arrangement is similar to that described above. The arrangement 126

comprises an inner clamp sleeve 134 defining an internal polygonal bore with a slot 136 to allow flexure as previously. The outer clamp member 138 has a cylindrical bore which receives the clamp sleeve 134 to allow rotation and clamping thereof, and a projecting fixture lug 150. The clamp member 138 is 5 split at 140 and the main difference between the clamping arrangements is that, in the second embodiment, it is designed such that a hand wheel 146 having a screw thread 147 and a co-operating threaded insert 144 are disposed at a position between the clamp sleeve 134 and the fixture lug 150. This provides a smoother external surface as the split at 140 is hidden from external access, 10 there being just a narrow slit 145 between the movable parts of the clamp member.

Claims

1. A clamp arrangement for being slidably adjusted and clamped in use on an elongate element including a length of generally polygonal cross section, said clamp arrangement including: 5 a clamp sleeve having an internal passage of cross-section generally matching that of the elongate element, said clamp sleeve being resiliently deformable to allow at least one of the transverse dimensions of the passage to be varied, a clamp member having a clamp portion generally surrounding said 10 clamp sleeve within which said clamp sleeve is mounted, compression means associated with said clamp member and operable in use to clamp said sleeve firmly against said elongate element, and said clamp member further having means for attachment to, or supporting a further item of equipment in use.

15

2. A clamp arrangement according to Claim 1, wherein said clamp sleeve has an internal bore of generally rectangular cross section.

3. A clamp arrangement according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein said clamp sleeve includes a slot extending from an outer surface thereof to the internal passage, to allow the sleeve to be flexed to adjust at least one of the 20 internal dimensions thereof.

4. A clamp arrangement according to any of the preceding claims wherein the clamp sleeve has a generally cylindrical outer surface.

5. A clamp arrangement according to Claim 4, wherein said clamp sleeve is mounted directly in a bore in said clamp portion.

6. A clamp arrangement according to Claim 5, wherein said clamp sleeve and said clamp member are configured to prevent longitudinal movement of the clamp sleeve with respect to the clamp member.

7. A clamp arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, 5 wherein said clamp portion includes a slot extending from an outer surface thereof to said bore.

8. A clamp arrangement according to Claim 7, wherein said compression means is operable to urge opposing walls of said slot towards each other. 10

9. A clamp arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, adapted for attachment to a leg of an angler's seat box.

10. A seat box leg extender arrangement for extending the effective length of an elongate seat box leg of polygonal cross section, said arrangement comprising: 15 a socket member for being connected in use to the upper end of said seat box leg, said socket member having an internal passage; an extension leg slidably received in said internal passage; a clamp means for clamping the extension leg in use in a required position, and 20 an end cap on the upper end of the extension leg remote from said socket member, the end cap having a polygonal external cross section similar to that of the upper end of said seat box leg.