Tool with over pressure indicator and lockout

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9759617-B2
Application number	US-201514683369-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2015
Priority date	Apr 10, 2015
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

A tool is used in securing or clamping two or more workpieces together provides a visual indication to a user of the tool of an acceptable range of compression pressure exerted by the tool on a work surface of the workpieces and a visual indication of when a maximum compression pressure exerted by the tool on the work surface has been exceeded.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tool for exerting a compression pressure on a work surface, the tool comprising:
a body having a longitudinal length with opposite first and second ends and a lateral width, an interior bore extending through the longitudinal length of the body and a lock passage extending laterally from an end surface of the lock passage inside the body, through the body and across the interior bore to a lock passage opening in a side surface of the body;
a lock bolt in the lock passage of the body, the lock bolt having an end wall that opposes the end surface of the lock passage;
a lock spring in the lock passage between the end surface of the lock passage and the end wall of the lock bolt, the lock spring biasing the lock bolt laterally through the lock passage from the end surface of the lock passage toward the interior bore of the body;
a shaft extending through the interior bore of the body, the shaft being moveable through the interior bore between a first position of the shaft relative to the body and a second position of the shaft relative to the body, the shaft having a first portion extending from the first end of the body and the shaft having a second portion extending from the second end of the body, the shaft having an indent in the shaft between the first portion of the shaft and the second portion of the shaft, the shaft having first and second visual indicators on the second portion of the shaft adjacent the indent in the shaft and with the second visual indicator being positioned on the second portion of the shaft between the first visual indicator and the indent in the shaft, the first and second visual indicators being positioned inside the interior bore of the body when the shaft is in the first position of the shaft relative to the body;
a spring biasing the shaft toward the first position of the shaft relative to the body, wherein with there being no said compression pressure exerted by the first portion of the shaft on the work surface, the spring biases the shaft to the first position of the shaft relative to the body;
wherein with the first portion of the shaft exerting the compression pressure on the work surface, the compression pressure resists the spring biasing the shaft to the first position of the shaft relative to the body and moves the shaft toward the second position of the shaft relative to the body resulting in the first visual indicator to be visible from an exterior of the body; and,
wherein with the first portion of the shaft exerting a further compression pressure on the work surface that exceeds a maximum compression pressure, an increased compression pressure further resists the spring biasing the shaft toward the first position of the shaft relative to the body and moves the shaft to the second position of the shaft relative to the body where the second visual indicator is visible from the exterior of the body and the indent in the shaft is aligned with the lock passage in the body, enabling the lock spring to push the lock bolt laterally through the lock passage and into the indent in the shaft where the lock bolt locks the shaft in the second position of the shaft relative to the body and where the lock bolt locks the shaft against further movement in both a first direction relative to the body and a second direction relative to the body.

2. The tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
the first visual indicator is positioned on the second portion of the shaft relative to the body to emerge from the interior bore of the body at the second end of the body and be visible from the exterior of the body in response to the shaft being moved toward the second position of the shaft relative to the body.

3. The tool of claim 2 , further comprising:
the first visual indicator being positioned on the second portion of the shaft and the second visual indicator being positioned on the second portion of the shaft, wherein when the shaft is moved toward the second positon of the shaft relative to the body causing the first visual indicator to be visible from the exterior of the body the second visual indicator is positioned inside the interior bore of the body and is not visible from the exterior of the body.

4. The tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
the spring biasing the shaft is a coil spring on the first portion of the shaft and acting against the first portion of the shaft and the first end of the body; and,
an abutment on the second portion of the shaft, the abutment being positioned on the second portion of the shaft where the abutment engages against the second end of the body when the coil spring biases the shaft to the first position of the shaft relative to the body to hold the shaft in the first position of the shaft relative to the body.

5. The tool of claim 4 , further comprising:
the coil spring positioned on the first portion of the shaft engages with the first portion of the shaft and the first end of the body.

6. The tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
the lock passage opening providing access to the lock bolt with the lock bolt biased into the indent in the shaft to enable disengaging the lock bolt from the indent in the shaft.

7. The tool of claim 6 , further comprising:
a cap attached to the body, the cap covering over the lock passage opening in the body,
the cap being removable from the body to provide access to the lock bolt in the indent in the shaft.

8. The tool of claim 7 , further comprising:
the cap being a tamper evident barrier that requires breaking the cap to remove the cap from the lock passage opening in the body and access the lock bolt biased into the indent in the shaft.

9. The tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
the tool being a part of a manually operated clamp.

10. A tool for exerting a compression pressure on a work surface, the tool comprising:
a body having a longitudinal length and a lateral width, a body first end surface and a body second end surface at opposite ends of the longitudinal length of the body, an interior bore extending through the longitudinal length of the body and through the body first end surface and the body second end surface, and a lock passage extending laterally from an end surface of the lock passage inside the body, through the body and across the interior bore to a lock passage opening in a side surface of the body;
a lock bolt in the lock passage of the body, the lock bolt having an end wall that opposeses the end surface of the lock passage;
a lock spring in the lock passage between the end surface of the lock passage and the end wall of the lock bolt, the lock spring biasing the lock bolt laterally through the lock passage from the end surface of the lock passage toward the interior bore of the body;
a shaft having a length that extends through the interior bore of the body, a shaft first end surface and a shaft second end surface at opposite ends of the length of the shaft, the shaft having an exterior surface that extends along the length of the shaft with a shaft first exterior surface portion that extends from the body first end surface to the shaft first end surface and a shaft second exterior surface portion that extends from the body second end surface to the shaft second end surface, the shaft being received in the interior bore of the body for reciprocating movements of the shaft in a first direction of the shaft relative to the body where the shaft first end surface moves away from the body first end surface and in a second direction of the shaft relative to the body where the shaft first end surface moves toward the body first end surface, the first direction and the second direction being opposite directions, the shaft having an indent in the shaft between the shaft

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Schmier Ii Mark A
• Estevo Curtis R
• Delany David J

Classifications

• B25B5/163

  Jaws or jaw attachments · CPC title

• B25B5/04

  with pivoted jaws · CPC title

• G01L1/06 Primary

  by measuring the permanent deformation of gauges, e.g. of compressed bodies · CPC title

• B25B5/06

  Arrangements for positively actuating jaws · CPC title

• B25B5/125 Primary

  C-clamps · CPC title