What are the parts of a lever clamp?
What are the parts of a lever clamp? |
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A lever clamp’s key parts are a bar, a pair of jaws, a lever, a trigger and a ratchet. | |||
Bar |
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The bar of a lever clamp is a long, straight piece of steel which supports the jaws. It is designed to be strong enough to withstand the pressure of clamping heavy workpieces. | |||
Jaws |
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The jaws are two parallel pieces of metal, one fixed and one moveable, which enclose a workpiece. They each have a clamping face at one end, which is the part responsible for gripping on to the workpiece and holding it securely in place.
The moveable jaw can slide along the bar, adjusting to the size of the workpiece. Once in place, the lever is used to tighten the clamping face connected to the moveable jaw, thus finishing the clamping process. |
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As the faces of the jaws are usually made from magnesium alloy or steel, the surfaces area often covered with pads to protect the workpiece from being damaged or indented during clamping. | |||
Lever |
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The lever is connected to the moveable jaw, and is used to tighten the jaws by pushing the clamping face closer. | |||
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When the lever is pushed downwards, the grip of the moveable jaw is tightened, as the clamping face pushes against the side of the workpiece. | |||
Trigger |
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To open the jaws, the clamp has a trigger which releases the ratchet when pressed. This allows for the quick-release of a workpiece, a useful time-saving feature. | |||
Ratchet |
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Many lever clamps use a ratchet device for holding the jaws in place. When the trigger is pressed the latch on the ratchet is released, which in turn releases the clamp.. | |||
