US1949123A - Toggle clip - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 27, 1934. 1 M, JONES 1,949,123

`TOGGLE CLIP Filed sept. 11, 1931 /N VEN fof? @fm/magma Patented Fei?. 27, 1934 UNTE STATES TOGGLE CLIP Ira Milton Jones, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application September 11, 1931 Serial No. 562,286

6 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in toggle clips for use with leather stretching devices and the like.

Toggle clips herebefore in use have been complicated in design and consequently costly. 1t is, therefore, an object of this invention to greatly simplify the construction of toggle clips 'of the character described, and thereby eect a substantial saving in manufacturing cost.

Another object of this invention is to provide a toggle clip of the character described which may be easily and quickly repaired at a minimum cost. Clips of this character comprise a pair of jaws 1 for gripping the material to be stretched, a spring for opening the jaws, and a suitable handle by which manual tension may be applied, and it is another object of this invention to provide a clip in which a single spring member provides all of these elements.

And a further object resides in the provision or" a toggle clip which consists of two detachably connected units to facilitate repair in the event of breakage.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement oi parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, is illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment ci the invention constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a toggle clip 40 embodying this invention and illustrating the same in its clamping position;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure l, but illustrating the clip in its open position;

Figure 3 is a cross section taken through Figure 2 on the plane of the line 3 3;

Figure 4 is a perspective View of the spring member which forms the jaws of the device, and

Figure 5 is a perspective View of the supporting frame.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing in which like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral 6 represents a frame member which comprises a bottom wall 7 and spaced parallel side walls 8. The side walls 8 have their front edge 9 cut out at the medial portion to provide clearance for the edge of the material to be stretched, and the outer extremities of the side walls have axially aligned apertures 10 which (Cl. 2li-84) lie in a plane perpendicular to the bottom wall 7 and inwardly of its forward end 11.

Positioned between the outer extremities of the side walls is a bell crank lever 12. This lever is preferably stamped from bendable metal and has a short arm 13 formed by down turned side walls at one end of the lever, and is pivotally mounted by a pin 14 passed through these down turned side walls and through the openings 10.

The long arm 15 of the bell crank lever provides convenient means for moving the bell crank to and from an operative position closing the jaws of the clip, as will be later described.

The jaws of the clip are formed by the ends of a substantially U shaped spring member 16. The lower, or fixed jaw, comprises a substantially cylindrical portion 17 formed by curling over one end of the spring member and the other movable jaw comprises the straight other end 18 of the spring member.

The cylindrical portion 17 forming' the lower fixed jaw has a plurality of teeth 19 formed by striking a plurality of tangs outwardly from the outer cylindrical surface and the other movable jaw which comprises the straight end 18 of the fi spring member is movable toward the cylindrical portion 17 against the normal resiliency of the spring member to clamp the edge of the leather L or other material being stretched between it and the cylindrical portion 17, causing the teeth 19 to bite therein. v

The end 18 of the spring member which forms the movable jaw is movable to its operative clamping position by downward movement of the long arm 15 of the bell crank lever 12, and it will be observed that such movement causes the point of contact of the bell crank short arm 14 to move beyond a plane passing through the axis of the pin 11i and perpendicular to the bottom wall 7 of the frame, and inasmuch as `further downward movement of the long arm 15 of the bell crank lever is prevented by its engagement with the loop 20, formed by the closed end of the U shaped spring member, the jaws become locked in closed position.

It is of course understood that the spring member 16 is suiiiciently strong to prevent deformation of its cylindrical portion 17 by the application of tension on the material being stretched.

During use, the loop 20 provides a convenient if handle to permit the application of tension on the material being stretched, and a hook 21 projecting from the bottom wall 7 of the frame is engageable with a suitable support to maintain the material under tension. The hook 21 is preferably formed by striking down two tangs which -leave openings 22 in the bottom wall of the frame.

In stretching hides or leather, the hooks 21 or the clips are engaged with recesses or openings formed in the surfaces of stretching frames and after the hide or leather has been thus applied to the frames, the frames are actuated to further stretch the material.

It is observed that the spring member 16 provides the two jaws between which the material to be stretched is gripped, the spring action for opening the jaws, and also the loop or handle by which manual tension may be applied; and an important feature of this invention is the fact that this spring member is quickly detachably connected with the frame.

'I'he spring member 16 is maintained assembled Iwith the frame by two tangs 23 which are struck downwardly from its bottom straight wall 24 between the cylindrical portion 17 and the loop 20, and extend into the openings 22 in the bottom wall of the frame. The tension of the spring member serves to hold the same in proper assembled relation.

The removability of the spring member greatly facilitates the repair of the clips in that invariably the jaws or some associated portion thereof become defective during use, and with the present invention it is only necessary to remove the defective spring member and insert a new one in its place.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which an invention of the character described appertains, that this invention provides a novel construction for toggle clips of the character de scribed and that it greatly reduces the cost not only of manufacture, but also of maintenance.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A toggle clip comprising a spring member bent medially upon itself to provide a ringer engagng portion and overlying end portions forming clamping jaws yieldably maintained open by the normal resiliency of the spring member, a supporting frame having spaced side walls connected by a third wall, the spring member belng disposed between the spaced side walls with one end portion engaging the third wall, lever means pivotally carried by the spaced side walls and engageable with the other of said overlying end portions to forcibly close the jaws, a hook struck from the third wall of the supporting frame, and a tang struck from the spring member and engageable in the opening formed by striking the hook from the third wall of the frame, for readily detachably maintaining the spring member assembled with the supporting frame.

2, In a toggle clip, a spring member bent medially upon itself to provide overlying end portions, one of said end portions being curled inwardly and backwardly toward the other to present a curved surface thereto and said other end portion being flat, one of said end portions being movable toward the other against the resiliency of the spring member to clamp material therebetween, and means engaging the end portions opposite their meeting portions to force the same together in a clamping action and provide unyielding supports spaced apart a distance such that the curled end portion is depressed with its 'inherent resiliency causing it to grip the material with a spring action.

porting frame having spaced side walls connected by a third wall, the spring member being disposed between the spaced side walls with one end portion engaging the third wall, a lever pivotally carried by the spaced side walls and engageable with the other end portion to forcibly close the jaws, and a tang struck from the spring member medially of its overlying ends and nger engaging loop and engageable in an opening formed in the third wall of the frame to project outwardly therethrough.

4. A toggle clip comprising, a supporting frame having spaced side walls connected by a third wall, the outer end portions of the spaced side walls being opposite one end portion of the third wall, a spring member formed of a continuous length of spring stock and bent medially upon itself to provide overlying end portions, one end portion of the spring member being flat and the other being curled inwardly to present a substantially cylindrical loop to the flat end portion, said spring member being disposed between the side walls of the frame with the looped end engaging the aforementioned end portion of the third wall, and a lever pivotally mounted from the outer ends of the side walls to force the iiat end portion of the spring member toward the looped end to clamp material therebetween.

5. In a toggle of the character described, a

frame having spaced side walls, a spring member carried by the frame and mounted between the side walls, said spring member comprising a continuous length of spring stock bent medially upon itself to afford a nger engaging loop and overlying jaws at its end portions, one of said jaws being substantially flat and the other being substantially a loop formed by curling the end portion of the spring member inwardly, a friction tooth struck outwardly from the looped jaw at its portion facing the substantially flat jaw, and

a bell crank lever pivotally mounted from the side walls with its short arm engageable with the iiat jaw adjacent its portion opposite the friction tooth and with its long arm adapted to overlie the linger engaging loop to provide means for swinging the lever about its mounting to cause the fiat jaw to move toward the other in clamping relation.

6. In a toggle of the character described, a frame having a fixed wall from which spaced side walls project, a bell crank lever, a pivot for the bell crank lever carried by the side walls, said side walls forming a rigid connection between the pivot and the Xed wall to hold the same at a xed distance from each other, a spring member carried by the frame and disposed between the side walls, said spring member comprising a continuous length of spring stock bent medially upon itself to provide overlying jaws at its ends and being so disposed in the frame that the jaws are Af between the pivot and the fixed wall portion opposite the pivot, one of said jaws being flat and the other being a loop formed by curling the end portion of the spring member, the short arm of the bell crank lever being engageable with one of the jaws to force the same toward the other in clamping relation upon actuation of the lever, and the combined length of the short arm of the bell crank lever, the thickness of the flat jaw,

and the diameter of the looped jaw being greater than the fixed distance between the bell crank pivotv and the xed wall portion opposite the pivot, so that the looped jaw is placed in compression when the jaws are in clamping relation.

f mai/ELTON Joints.

Images