What are the parts of a locking clamp?
What are the parts of a locking clamp? |
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A locking clamp’s main parts consist of two jaws, a handle, a pressure screw and an adjusting lever. These parts, however, can vary depending on the model. | |||
Jaws |
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The jaws are long, curved pieces of metal, which together form a C-shape. A locking clamp has one fixed jaw, which stays static, and a moveable jaw, which can be adjusted.
The moveable jaw is controlled by the lever. When the lever is pushed away from the handle the moveable jaw will move away from the fixed jaw, opening the clamp. |
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When the lever is brought towards the handle, the moveable jaw closes on the fixed jaw. | |||
Lever |
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The lever is the part which can either open or close the jaws. This feature is ideal for quick and efficient clamping, as it enables the clamp to grab an item in one movement, without any additional fuss. | |||
Handle |
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The handle is a long piece of metal which the user can grip on to during work use. It also connects all the other parts together. | |||
Pressure screw |
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When the jaws are closed, the screw can be used to adjust the amount of pressure that the jaws place on a workpiece. Once the screw has been adjusted the clamp will stay at that pressure for next time. This means that if the clamp is used to hold a workpiece of the same width, the pressure will not need to be adjusted. However, if the workpiece is narrower, there will be less (or even no) pressure. In contrast, if the next workpiece is wider, there will be greater pressure, or it may prove impossible to close the jaws, so the screw will have to be adjusted. | |||
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The position of the pressure screw can vary, depending on the model. On some locking clamps the pressure screw is situated at the end of the handle, for easy rotation. | |||
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Some models will also have a slot in the end of the screw, whereby a hex key can be inserted to tighten the screw and apply greater pressure. | |||
Additional parts |
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Clamping padsSome locking clamps can have pads attached to the ends of their jaws, to give better grip. These pads are usually flat and have a wider surface area, in order to avoid leaving a dent in the material. |
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Some models have pads which can swivel to various angles, for clamping tapered or irregularly shaped objects with ease. | |||
