US1353981A - Fish-clamp - Google Patents

Description

C. A. H. BAHDE.

FISH CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED IUNEZI, 1919.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.l

IIUIIIIIIIIII UNITED STATES CARL A. H. BA1-IDE, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

FISH-CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

Application filed June 21, 1919. Serial No. 305,794.

To all whom t may concern.' Y

Be it known that I, CARL A. H. B Annr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fish- Clamps, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming apart thereof.

The main object of this invention is to firmly hold fish of various shapes and sizes in convenient position for scaling and dress- (lt consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter particularly described and pointed out in the claims.

ln the accompanying drawing like characters designate the same parts in the several figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a fish clamp embodying the invention as applied to a table or shelf and closed for scaling or dressing a fish; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1, of the clamp and table or shelf on which it is supported 5 Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the clamp as viewed from the left relative to Figs. 1 and 2: and F ig, -t is a cross section on the line 4-4, Fig. 1.

rlhe clamp comprises a supporting plate or member 1, which is preferably made of sheet metal with upturned sides 2, and a depending or downturned thrust flange or abutment 3 at one end. This abutment is preferably bent inward, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to hook underneath the edge of a table or shelf 41, on which the clamp is supported and prevents the abutment fi'om being tilted upward out of engagement with the table or shelf when the clamp is in use. A lip or projection 6, which may be struck from the abutment 3, extends obliquely downward and outward from the middle of the plate 1, which is also provided adjacent thereto with a thumb rest 7. This thumb rest like the lip 6, may be cut and bent outwardly from the sheet metal of the thrust abutment or end flange 3. The .end flange forming the thrust abutment 3 may be folded inward at the ends as shown, to stiffen and strengthen it and thus admit of the use of comparatively. thin, light sheet metal, in the construction of the clamp. The plate 1 is provided between its ends with one or more, preferably two, transverse rows of upwardly projecting jaw teeth 9, which may be eoliveniently struck up as shown.. from the sheet metal, the teeth being staggered, with those of one row alternating with those of the other row.

A forked arm preferably made of spring wire as shown, and formed with outwardly projecting fork ends 12 inserted through holes in the upturned sides 2 of the plate l adjacent the end opposite the abutment Il, is provided with a transverse jaw 13. T he jaw is preferably made as shown, of sheet metal, with upturned stiffening flanges 1-'1 along the sides, and is provided on the under side with one or more rows of teeth 15, in alinement and alternatirg` with the teeth 9 on the plate 1.

The branches of the forked arm 11 passing through one of the flanges 14 of the jaw 13, are preferably bent inward and brought together between said flanges, the double wire passing through a central opening in the other flange. The jaw 13 may be additionally secured on the arm 11 against displacement lengthwise of the arm by clips 17 cut from the jaw 13 and clasped around the iiiwardly bent portions of the branches of the arm. Adjacent the end opposite its pivot connections with the plate l, the arm 11 is bent downward and provided with a number of ratchet teeth 19,. adapted to engage with the lip 6 and hold the jaw 13 in adjustable clamping relation to the plate 1. T he ratchet teeth may be formed as shown. on a piece of sheet` metal 20, folded around the double wire of the downwardly bent portion of the arm 1l. At the lower end of the downward bend of the arm l1 the double wire is formed into a curved handle or linger grip 21, which in connection with the thumb rest 7 on the abutment end of the plate 1. facilitates disengaging the ratchet teeth lf) from the lip 6 and thereby releasing the jaw 13. Adjacent the downward bend therein` the wire of the arm l1 is formed into an upwardly projecting coil 23, which increases the elasticity of the arm and also facilitates engagement and disengagement coil 23, which serves also as a bearing or handle for pressing the jaw 13 down upon a fish placed below it on the plate 1, may be provided with a thumb piece 25. Between the coil 23 and the jaw 13 the double wire forming the arm-11 is preferably spread as shown in Fig. 1, to more effectively prevent twisting thereof and lateral displacement of the ratchet teeth 19 and handle or finger grip 21.

To more effectively engage and hold small fish, the plate 1 and jaw 13 of the clamp are formed or provided with opposing transverse blades 27 and 28:

For use in scaling or dressing fish, the plate 1 is placed on a table or shelf 4, with the fiange or abutment 3 at one end thereof in engagement with the edge of the table or shelf, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The jaw\ 13 being raised with the arm 11, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, the caudal fin of a fish is inserted between the jaw and plate 1, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The jaw is then turned down with the arm 11 and forced into engagement with the fish by pressure exerted on the thumb piece 25 or coil 23, one of the ratchet teeth 19, according to the size and thickness of the fish, being sprung into engagement with the lip 6, and thereby locking and holding the jaw in adjusted clamping relation tothe plate 1. The fish is thus grasped and firmly held in convenient position on the plate 1 and table or shelf 4, for scaling and dressing, the flange or abutment 3 receiving the thrust exerted in scaling the fish and preventing displacement thereby of the clamp on the table or shelf.

For scaling and dressing small or thin fish, which mightnot be firmly grasped and held by the teeth 9 and 15 alone, the opposing blades 27 and 28 are effective, the arm 11 being pressed farther down to bring the edges of the blades close together, as shown in Fig. 2.

Various changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made,

without departure from the principle and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a fish clamp the combination of a supporting member provided at one end with a depending thrust abutment having an inward, projection to hook under the edge of a table or shelf, a jaw member pivotally connected with the supporting member, and means for releasably and adjustably fastening the aw member in clamping relation to the supporting member.

2. In a fish clamp the combination of a supporting plate having a depending thrust abutment at one end, a forked arm pivotally connected by its branches with the plate adjacent the end opposite the abutment and provided at the opposite end with a handle and between its ends with a jaw movable toward and from the plate, and means for releasably fastening the arm to the plate to hold the jaw in clamping relation to the plate.

3. In a fish clamp the combination of a supporting plate provided at one end with a thrust abutment, a spring fork arm pivoted at its forked end to opposite sides of the plate and providedwi-th a jaw, and means for adjustably fastening the arm adjacent its other end to the plate to hold the jaw in clamping relation to the plate.

4. In afish clamp the combination of a supporting plate provided with an upwardly projecting transversely disposed jaw and at one end with a thrust abutment, a forked arm pivotally connected at its forked end with the plate adjacent opposite sides thereof and provided with a transversely disposed jaw arranged to coperate with the jaw on the plate, and means for fastening the arm adjacent its other end to the plate to hold the jaws in clamping relation to each other.

t 5. In a fish clamp the combination of a supporting plate provided with an upwardly projecting transversely disposed jaw blade and at one end with a thrust abutment, a forked arm pivoted at its forked end to opposite sides of the plate and provided with a jaw having a transversely disposed blade arranged to coperate with the blade on the plate, and means for detachably fastening the arm adjacent its other end to the plate to hold the jaw in clamping relation to the plate.

6. In a fish clamp the combination of a supporting plate provided at one end with a thrust abutment, a forked spring-wire arm pivoted at the fork ends to the plate at opposite sides thereof and formed with an upwardly bent coil adjacent the other end which is bent downward and provided with a handle and with ratchet teeth adapted to engage with a projecting part of the plate, and a jaw connected with the arm transversely thereto.

7. In a fish clamp the combination of a supporting plate provided at one end with a thrust abutment, a forked arm pivoted at the fork ends to the plate at opposite sides thereof, a jaw plate formed on the outer side transversely to the supporting plate with flanges through which the fork arm and its branches pass, and means for releasably fastening the arm to the plate to hold the jaw in clamping position.

8. In a fish clamp the combination of a supporting plate having a thrust abutment and thumb piece at one end, a spring arm pivotally connected at one end With the plate and'having a handle at the other end and a ja7 arranged to cooperate with the plate, and means comprising ratchet teeth and a cooperating projection for holding the jaw n adjustable clamping relation to the plate, the thumb piece and handle being adjacent each other and in position when the clamp is closed to be grasped by one hand for springing,` the lever and disengaging the projection and ratchet teeth.

In Witness whereof I hereto altx my signature.

CARL A. H. BA1-IDE.

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