Curved corner clamp
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.
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.