Handle for exothermic mold with spring connectors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11724327-B2
Application number	US-202117551744-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2021
Priority date	Aug 21, 2017
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

Disclosed is a handle clamp for an exothermic mold. The clamp includes a pair of legs, each having a plurality of rods that are shaped to fit into engagement holes on sections of the mold. The rods of each leg engage with one section of the mold. Engagement brackets are rotatably disposed on one or more or the rods. The brackets each have a thumb bolt that can be extended toward a mold section connected with the clamp. When engaged with the mold section, the thumb bolt stabilizes the mold section on the handle. A detent mechanism is provided between the bracket and the leg of the handle. The detent mechanism releasably holds the bracket in one of a selected plurality of rotational positions with respect to the rod. By selecting different rotational positions for the brackets, the handle can be configured to engage with different configurations of mold. The thumb bolts that are biased toward the mold section by a spring. The bolts include a key that can be aligned or misaligned with a key slot on the bracket. By aligning the key with the key with the key slot, the bolt can be moved toward or away from the mold section under the biasing force of the spring. By misaligning the key and key slot, the bolt can be locked into engagement with the mold section or else held in a disengaged position.

First claim

We claim:

1. A handle clamp for an exothermic mold comprising: a pair of grips; a pair of legs, each leg in said pair of legs connected with a respective grip of the pair of grips, the legs arranged to move toward and away from one another in response to motion of the grips; a plurality of engagement rods disposed on each of the legs, wherein the engagement rods on each said leg are adapted to engage with respective sections of the exothermic mold; one or more brackets, each said bracket rotatably disposed on one of the engagement rods, wherein each said bracket comprises a bolt hole through the bracket; one or more bolts, each said bolt disposed in the bolt hole of a respective bracket and movable toward and away from a surface of the mold, wherein each said bolt comprises a shaft, a pin hole in the shaft, and a pin fitted into the pin hole; and a detent mechanism to releasably hold each said bracket in one of a plurality of angular positions with respect to a respective one of the engagement rods.

2. The handle clamp of claim 1 , wherein the detent mechanism comprises a convex feature and a plurality of concave features arranged radially about the respective engagement rod, the convex feature disposed on a first leg of the pair of legs or the one or more brackets and the concave features disposed on a second leg of the pair of legs or the one or more brackets, the concave and convex features shaped to engage with one another and positioned so that when a selected one of the concave features is engaged with the convex feature, the one or more brackets is positioned in a respective one of the plurality of angular positions about the respective rod.

3. The handle clamp of claim 2 , wherein the detent mechanism further comprises a force applying member adapted to apply a force to hold the engaged said convex and concave features against one another.

4. The handle clamp of claim 3 , wherein the force applying member is one of a coil spring, a spring washer, an elastomeric washer, and a magnetic insert.

5. The handle clamp of claim 2 , wherein the concave feature is a hole or dimple on the leg or the one or more brackets.

6. The handle clamp of claim 2 , wherein the convex feature is a peg extending from one of the first or second legs or the one or more brackets and the plurality of concave features is a hole in the other of the first or second legs or the one or more brackets.

7. The handle clamp of claim 1 further comprising a locking mechanism, the locking mechanism releasably locking the grips in a closed position.

8. The handle clamp of claim 1 , wherein the bolt and the bolt hole are in threaded engagement with one another.

9. The handle clamp of claim 8 , wherein the bolt hole further comprises a key slot, wherein the pin extends from the shaft, wherein the bolt is rotatable in the hole, and wherein, when the pin is aligned with the key slot, the bolt can slide through the bolt hole.

10. The handle clamp of claim 9 , wherein the pin engages a distal surface of the bracket when a tip of the bolt engages with the mold section.

11. The handle clamp of claim 1 , wherein the bolt comprises a bolt-driving spring arranged to bias the bolt in a direction toward or away from the mold.

12. The handle clamp of claim 11 , wherein the bolt-driving spring comprises a coil spring, wherein the bolt further comprises a spring retaining feature, and wherein the coil spring is disposed between a surface of the bracket and the spring retaining feature.

13. The handle clamp of claim 1 , wherein the bolt further comprises a threaded portion adapted for threaded engagement with a threaded hole of the mold section.

14. The handle clamp of claim 1 , wherein the bolt hole further comprises an inner threaded portion, wherein the bolt further comprises an outer threaded portion, and wherein rotation of the bolt in the bolt hole engages the outer threaded portion with the inner threaded portion.

15. A handle clamp for an exothermic mold comprising: a pair of grips; a pair of legs, each leg in said pair of legs connected with a respective grip of the pair of grips, the legs arranged to move toward and away from one another in response to motion of the grips; a plurality of engagement rods disposed on each of the legs, wherein the engagement rods on each said leg are adapted to engage with respective sections of the exothermic mold; a bracket rotatably disposed on at least one of the engagement rods, wherein the bracket comprises a bolt hole through the bracket and the handle clamp further comprising a bolt, said bolt disposed in the bolt hole and movable toward and away from a surface of the mold, wherein the bolt comprises a shaft, a pin hole in the shaft, and a pin fitted into the pin hole; and a detent mechanism to releasably hold the bracket in one of a plurality of angular positions of the bracket with respect to the at least one engagement rod, wherein the detent mechanism includes a force applying member configured to bias the bracket towards a leg of the pair of legs.

16. The handle clamp of claim 15 , wherein the bolt hole further comprises a key slot, wherein the pin extends from the shaft, wherein the bolt is rotatable in the hole, and wherein, when the pin is aligned with the key slot, the bolt can slide through the bolt hole.

17. The handle clamp of claim 16 , wherein the pin engages a distal surface of the bracket when a tip of the bolt engages with the mold section.

18. The handle clamp of claim 15 , wherein the bolt further comprises a threaded portion adapted for threaded engagement with a threaded hole of the mold section.

19. The handle clamp of claim 18 , wherein, the bolt hole further comprises an inner threaded portion, wherein the bolt further comprises an outer threaded portion, and wherein rotation of the bolt in the bolt hole engages the outer threaded portion with the inner threaded portion.

Assignees

• Hubbell Inc

Inventors

• Ruland Rodd R
• STILWELL Charles Mitchell
• Schroeder David Lee

Classifications

• B23K3/087 Primary

  Soldering or brazing jigs, fixtures or clamping means · CPC title

• B22D19/04

  for joining parts · CPC title

• B22D33/00 Primary

  Equipment for handling moulds · CPC title

• B23K1/0006

  Exothermic brazing · CPC title

• B23K20/26

  Auxiliary equipment · CPC title