The present invention relates to couplings and clamps, and has particular usefulness in relation to mounting assemblies for sensors and instrumentation.
Mounting assemblies for sensors and instrumentation commonly comprise a framework of tubular members or booms and rails and the like interconnected with various coupling devices. A wide variety of coupling and mounting clamps have been used to join rigid members at different angles, such as are used in the coupling of cross bars and supports, scaffolding members, and the like. A number of existing coupling or clamp constructions utilize a clamp element that clamps about a main support boom, with a side rail or rails also connected to the clamp. Commonly, the side rail will overlay the main support boom and will, thus, be offset to one side or another of the support boom. However, such offset may be undesirable in particular applications.
Further, in some prior couplings, a side rail or a pair of side rails may be clamped along a length of a main support boom with the side rail laying in generally the same plane as the support boom and having one end of the side rail abutting a side of the support boom. However, such couplings typically do not accommodate positioning the side rail at an end of the main support boom, but require positioning of the side rial along the length of the support boom. In some applications requiring close clearance along the side rail, such a situation may not be tolerable. In such an application, what may be referred to as an end clamp for coupling a side rail across an end of a support boom is required.
Some presently known end clamps clamp around the side rail and around the main support boom. However, such clamps are typically configured for a particular size of side rail and a particular size of support boom. Other known end clamps attach by inserting a stein or tang of the clamp into the interior cavity of a tubular support boom. Again, these clamps are commonly configured for a particular size support boom. When use of either of the two styles of end clamps, exterior or interior fitting, is attempted with a boom or rail size other than that for which the clamp is designed, the clamp will commonly either not be usable with that different size or will provide inadequate stability in the mounting assembly, resulting in unacceptable deflection or rotation of the side rail relative to the support boom.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds