Clamp stand

Abstract

A clamp stand for supporting a clamp in an elevated position above a fixture base comprises an extruded support column having upper and lower ends and an interior that is at least in substantial part open. The clamp stand includes longitudinally extending fastener attachment openings, which are attachable by threaded fasteners to a base at the lower end and to a clamp base an upper end. Flat and angled adapter plates are used to attach clamps having bases with different hole patterns. The support column can be mounted to a fixture base by a base bracket. Clamps can be mounted for vertical movement in key slots in the sides of the support column.

1 . A clamp stand for supporting a clamp in an elevated position above a fixture base, the clamp stand comprising an extruded support column having upper and lower ends and an interior that is at least in substantial part open, the clamp stand including longitudinally extending fastener attachment openings in the upper and lower ends, the lower end being attachable to a base by threaded fasteners, the upper end being attachable by threaded fasteners to a clamp base having fastener openings therein. 
   
   
       2 . A clamp stand as in  claim 1  wherein the support column has fastener attachment openings positioned in a rectangular pattern adjacent the periphery of the column. 
   
   
       3 . A clamp stand as in  claim 2  wherein the support column comprises a side wall extending around at least a portion of the periphery thereof. 
   
   
       4 . A clamp stand as in  claim 3  wherein the clamp stand has a generally central portion that is spaced from the side wall by ribs extending therebetween, with the stand including longitudinally extending open channels between the ribs and the side wall, the stand being formed such that the support column is lightweight but sufficiently rigid to support the clamp during operation. 
   
   
       5 . A clamp stand as in  claim 4  wherein the side wall has one or more longitudinal grooves therein that reduce weight while maintaining sufficient strength in the columns. 
   
   
       6 . A clamp stand as in  claim 5  wherein the grooves include at least one keyway slot that runs longitudinally along an outer side of the side wall, a key being slidably mounted for longitudinal movement in the slot, a side mounting bracket being mounted to the side of the support column by a threaded fastener that engages the key, a clamp being attachable by threaded fasteners to the side mounting bracket. 
   
   
       7 . A clamp stand as in  claim 1  wherein at least some of the fastener openings in the support column are formed so as to receive both metric and English standard fasteners. 
   
   
       8 . A clamp stand as in  claim 1  wherein the clamp stand includes one or more adapter plates for attaching a clamp base to the upper end of the clamp stand, the adapter plate having at least one support column mounting opening that mates with a mounting opening in the support column and having at least one clamp opening that mates with a mounting opening in the clamp base, such that a clamp base can be mounted on the support column even though the clamp base hole pattern does not necessarily match the hole pattern in the support column. 
   
   
       9 . A clamp stand as in  claim 8  wherein the adapter plate has a single mounting hole for attaching the stand to the support column and has a plurality of separate mounting holes for attaching the clamp to the adapter plate, such that the adapter plate is mounted in a fixed position on the adapter plate, but the adapter plate position on the support column can be rotationally adjusted by rotating the adapter plate around the axis of the single mounting hole and then locking the adapter plate in position by tightening the fastener that engages that hole. 
   
   
       10 . A clamp stand as in  claim 8  wherein at least one adapter plate is wedge shaped so as to position a clamp base on an inclined angle with respect to the support column. 
   
   
       11 . A clamp stand as in  claim 1  wherein the support column is attached by threaded fasteners to a base bracket, which is in turn attached by threaded fasteners to a fixture base. 
   
   
       12 . An adjustable clamp stand comprising an extruded clamp stand support column having a longitudinal keyway slot in at least one outer side thereof, the column having upper and lower ends, each end having extruded fastener openings for receipt of threaded fasteners, the lower end of the support column being mounted on a base by threaded fasteners that extend through openings in the base and engage the openings in the column, a clamp being mounted on the upper end of the column by threaded fasteners that extend through openings in a base of the clamp and engage the openings in the upper end of the column, a clamp being mountable on the side of the support column by means of a key that is slidably disposed into the keyway slot, the key having a threaded opening therein that is accessible through the keyway slot, a side mounting bracket being mountable to the key, the side mounting bracket having a side mounting opening that is alignable with the key opening, the side mounting bracket being mounted to the key by a threaded side bracket fastener that extends through the side mounting opening into threaded engagement with the key opening, the fastener having an enlarged head thereon that does not fit completely through the opening in the side mounting bracket, such that tightening the side bracket fastener into the key opening clamps the side mounting bracket in its desired position in the longitudinal slot in the support column, the side mounting bracket having fastener openings therein that permits a clamp to be mounted on the side mounting bracket by threaded fasteners. 
   
   
       13 . An adjustable clamp according to  claim 12  wherein the side mounting bracket is formed from a section of the support column. 
   
   
       14 . An adjustable clamp according to  claim 13  wherein the support column is an extrusion formed from an extrudable metal. 
   
   
       15 . An adjustable clamp according to  claim 14  wherein the extrudable metal includes aluminum or an alloy thereof. 
   
   
       16 . An adjustable clamp according to  claim 13  wherein the column is rectangular and there are longitudinal slots for side brackets on at least two sides of the column. 
   
   
       17 . An adjustable clamp according to  claim 16  wherein two slots are on opposite sides of the column. 
   
   
       18 . An adjustable clamp according to  claim 16  wherein there are slots in all four sides of the column. 
   
   
       19 . An adjustable clamp according to  claim 13  wherein the column has clamp mounting openings in a rectangular pattern in the end of the column, the column further having a fastener opening in a substantially centered portion of the column for attaching the side bracket to the key in the slot. 
   
   
       20 . An adjustable clamp according to  claim 19  wherein the interior of the support column includes longitudinally extending open portions that reduce the weight of the support column by at least fifty percent over a solid column, while maintaining sufficient strength to support a clamp for normal applications.