Curved corner clamp

Abstract

A clamp for grasping a major extent of rounded corner of a vehicle hatch or door opening, and providing an anchor-like extended grip by which re-positioning forces are evenly applied to the rounded corner. This grip assures that the entire curved corner retains or is returned to its original shape as it is adjusted into alignment with the rest of the opening. This in turn facilitates smooth and continuous replacement of the elastomeric weather seal around the opening to restore a completely functional seal about the hatch or door when it is closed.

Description

PRIOR APPLICATION

This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/676,169 filed 29 Apr. 2005, and the entire content of that application is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a unique corner clamp apparatus that is useful in automotive body repair. There has always been some need for realigning and/or pulling the framework around door openings, and particularly hatchback openings, in various automotive vehicles. The location of hatchbacks at the rear of a vehicle, and generally above the rear bumper, is often exposed to “rear end” collisions during which all, or at least a corner, of the hatchback opening is damaged, displaced and/or deformed. The curved shape of these corners is formed by mated sections of metal sheeting, connected by what is commonly called a “pinch weld” which is formed to extend around and define the hatchback opening. The corners of such opening are formed in approximately a 90° curve of desired radius, and are part of a continuous aperture into which a door (usually termed a “hatch”) is mounted. Such a door, in most cases, is hinged at the top so as to swing vertically between closed and open positions. The edges of the pinch weld provide a spline-like shape extending about and outward from the hatchback opening.

A flexible seal (e.g. a weather seal that is usually elastomeric) is secured around the opening, usually surrounding the pinch weld, including the rounded corners of the hatch frame, and this configuration, when damaged, must be carefully restored at a body repair shop, to again achieve proper alignment and sealing of the hatchback door. The most common damage is displacement of a part of the hatchback frame inward of the opening it forms, and particularly at the corners that are difficult to grasp and pull in the direction(s) necessary to restore the shape of the hatchback aperture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a unique clamp for grasping a major extent of such a displaced rounded corner, and providing an anchor-like extended grip by which re-positioning forces are evenly applied to the rounded corner. This grip assures that the entire curved corner retains its shape as it is adjusted into alignment with the rest of the door aperture. This in turn facilitates smooth and continuous replacement of the elastomeric weather seal around the door aperture to restore a completely functional seal about the hatchback door when it is closed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a lower right corner of a typical hatchback aperture;

FIG. 2 is a pictorial view of the two curved plates making up the clamp of the invention, arranged side-by-side;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing the curved clamp plates arranged end-to-end;

FIG. 4 is a pictorial view of the clamp plates assembled and attached to a curved corner portion of a hatchback aperture, and including a portion of the hook of a pulling rig.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows a lower right corner (as viewed from a vehicle rear exterior) of a hatchback opening such as found on a modern Sports/Utility Vehicle. The corner includes a curved portion 10, usually of about 90° degrees of curvature and extent as shown, which is a so-called “pinch weld” 12 between adjoining upper and lower (or inner & outer) sheet metal parts 13, 14 of the rear of the auto body. These parts form the door or hatch frame 15, and present an outward protruding rim at the exterior of the opening. A weather seal, commonly an elastomeric length having a generally U-shaped cross-section, is fitted over and around the pinch weld 12 at the rim of the door frame, to present a seal which is pressed (usually all around) against the hatch interior when the hatch (or door) is closed. A portion of such a seal is seen pulled back from the rim in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the two plates of the unique clamp, which are preferred to be about the same in width. The longer or base plate 20 is curved such that its inner radius corresponds to the outer surface of the curved corner of the rim. The shorter or inner plate 22 is also curved, such that its outer surface corresponds to the curvature of the inner surface of the base plate. When the base plate and inner plate are fitted together (FIG. 4) a pair of through holes 20A and 22A in the plates are aligned, and will receive a bolt and nut fastener 35. Tightening of this fastener will cause the plates to exert a clamping force on the curved corner of the rim of hatch opening, if the clamp is fitted onto pinch weld 12.

A series of tapped holes 27 are formed through the inner edge of the inner plate, and a series of gripping set screws 28 with pointed tips are fitted into these holes. Preferably these set screws are of the socket head type, for ease of adjusting the pressure they exert. A corresponding set of conical bottom holes 30 are formed along the inner edge of base plate 20, in alignment with the pointed tips of the set screws, to accommodate the pointed tips of the set screws 28 if they pierce the pinch weld during application of the clamp. In addition a pair of flat-tipped socket head adjusting screws 33 are threaded through holes in plate 22, near the opposite edge of that plate from the gripping set screws 28.

As seen in FIG. 4, the outer end of the outer or base plate 25 extends beyond the inner plate 22, and in that outer end there is formed an elongated aperture 35, sized to receive the hook 37 of a pulling tool or rig, as shown in FIG. 4. The size and shaped of the elongated aperture is selected to accept any of various sizes and shapes of hooks commonly used with pulling rigs. In use the assembled clamp grasps the curved pinch-weld rim at the corner of a van, hatch, or door opening, extending this grip around the curve in a manner not possible with prior art clamps which are unable to attach because of the extended radius of the pinch-weld corners. The individually adjustable tips or teeth on screws 28 assure secure attachment of the clamp to the curved corner portions of the pinch weld. Using appropriate direction of pulling force through hook 37, the unique clamp of this invention pulls the pinch-welded rim back to its correct location so, when replaced on the rim, the weather strip seals correctly to the hatch. This procedure, enabled by the unique clamp can save hours of metal work.

While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention that is defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A clamp for gripping and pulling edges of sheet metal formed along a radius to define an opening of predetermined shape, said clamp comprising

a rectangular base plate having a longer surface curved along its length width such that the inner radius of the curved plate corresponds to an outer surface of a curved corner of the opening, one end of said base plate providing a first clamping surface,

a shorter inner plate also curved such that its outer surface corresponds to the inner curved surface of the base plate, said outer surface of said inner plate providing a second clamping surface opposite sid first clamping surface

aligned holes, one in each of said plates, and a bolt and nut fastener extended through said holes, whereby tightening of said fastener will cause the end edges of said plates to exert a clamping force on a curved corner of a hatch opening,

a series of tapped holes formed through the end edge of the inner plate, and a series of gripping set screws fitted into said tapped holes for individual adjustment against the pinch weld.

2. A clamp as defined in claim 1, wherein said set screws include socket heads for ease of manipulation, particularly in tightenng.

3. A clamp as defined in claim 1, further including a pair of socket head adjusting screws threaded through spaced apart holes in said inner plate, located on the opposite edge of said inner plate from said the gripping set screws, providing for adjustment of the spacing between said plates in the gripping position.

4. A clamp as defined in claim 1, further including pointed tipss on said gripping set screws.

5. A clamp as defined in claim 4, including corresponding set of conical bottom holes formed along the inner edge of the clamp plate, in alignment with the pointed tips of said gripping screws, to accommodate the pointed tips in the event they pierce the pinch weld during application of the clamp.