Rubber Support/Clamp

This invention relates to a device for supporting and/or clamping, in particular for supporting and/or clamping doors or similar objects.

When doors are being hung, in particular when carpenters or similar are hanging a door, they need to support the door to carry out preliminary works on the door before fitting, for example to plane the door, chopping out for hinges, drilling out for locks among other things. To carry out these tasks, most tradesmen would use a workmate, trestle or block and wedge (which is purposefully made on site).

However, the use of such conventional stabilizers can lead to a number of difficulties. If a workmate is used, the jaws could indent the door and additional protection has to be used on the floor to protect the door. Additionally it is expensive, bulky and can be time consuming to set up, as is a trestle. When using a trestle, the door can often work itself loose from the jaws and therefore again, additional protection, for example on the floor, is used for protection of the door among other things. A block and wedge is time consuming to make, set up and it can damage the door when knocking the wedge in and out of position. Furthermore, the wedge can easily be misplaced and again requires a protection support at the other end of the door.

To overcome these problems, the present invention proposes a stabilizing unit for, for example, a door, which may be used, particularly in duplication, to provide a cushioning to the door, in addition to providing solid support for carrying out works, and which is re-usable, cost effective, space saving, lightweight, user friendly, time saving, provides adequate grip and does not damage the floor or other areas.

Preferably the cushioning effect is provided by the material from which the support/clamp is constructed, such as solid rubber material or other suitable material.

Preferably the clamping effect of the device is assisted by the gravity of a clamped object pushing down onto and between the gap in the support.

Preferably the device is made from hard rubber or like material, which flexes the inversion of the base of the support down to a level ground and pulls up the sides of the gap to clamp the door or similar which is worked by the gravitational weight of the object being placed in the gap of the support. The support/clamp also permits a quick release practice by simply removing the object of weight to enable the "rubber" to spring back to its non-stretched shape.

Preferably the device is made from a resilient material.

The invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figures 1 (a) and (b) show plan and perspective views, respectively, of the device according to an embodiment of the present invention in a resting, or unengaged, position,

Figures 2(a) and (b) show plan and perspective views, respectively, of the device of Figure 1 in a working, or engaged, position with a door or similar received into the device,

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of two devices of Figure 1 engaged with a door or other object, or according to a further embodiment, as one extended holder (dotted line), Figure 4 shows a plan view of a device in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention in a resting position with multiple apertures for support of multiple object of weight,

Figure 5(a) shows a perspective view of two devices according to the embodiment of

Figure 1 engaged with an object, and Figure 5(b) shows a perspective view of a device according to the embodiment of

Figure 3, engaged with an object.

In Figure l(a), the support/clamp is in a resting position without object. The bed of the aperture 3 is sized to accommodate a door or similar with the sides of the aperture 1 angled outwards to 90° of the incline of the base of the support/clamp 2. The centre of the base of the support/clamp 2 is not flush with the ground.

In particular, Figure 1 (b) shows the device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, comprising an approximately triangular shaped flexible body 10 with a base 30 and sides 50 rising away from the base towards an apex. An opening 70 separates the two sides 50 at the apex.

With the device placed on a planar, flat surface 170 only edges 130 of the base

30 touch the surface 170, the remaining portion of the base being spaced from the surface 170 and rising at an inclined angle from the surface 170 to a position midway between the edges 130, where the space 55 between the flat surface and the base is at a maximum.

The opening 70 has a bottom 90 and sidewalls 110, each sidewall 110 being parallel to a line normal to the respective inclined plane of the base 30 of the device. The sidewalls 110 of the opening are further apart at a top of the opening, adjacent the sides 50 of the device, than at the bottom, adjacent bottom 90 of the opening, and the dimensions of the opening 70 are such as to comfortably receive a desired object within the opening.

In Figure 2 (a) the support/clamp is embodied with an object, such as a door, or similar object of weight 1. The gravitational weight of the object has stretched, lengthened and pushed down the base 3 so that the indent is now flush with the ground. The sides of the gap 2 have been pulled up to a straight edge, 90° from the bed of the gap 4, so that they are supporting and clamping the object, door or similar object of weight 1 in place.

In particular, Figure 2(b) shows the device of Figure l(b) in an engaged position, with a portion of an object 190 such as a door received into the opening 70.

As can be seen the base 30 of the device is urged against the flat planar surface 170 by the weight of the received object 190. With an object 190 placed into the opening 70, the weight of the object 190 acting against the bottom 90 of the opening 70 urges the base 30 of the device towards the flat planar surface 170. As the base 30 approaches the flat surface 170 the line normal to base of the device approaches a position parallel to the line normal to the flat planar surface 170, and the sidewalls 110 of the opening 70 are urged towards each other, providing a pinching action on the object 190 held within the opening 70.

The sidewalls 110 of the opening 70 therefore support the received object 190 and also clamp the received object in position, the object being held in position by action of the weight of the object against the bottom 90 of the opening and the base 30 of the device.

In Figure 3, the clamp/support is working in duplication 1 so that the object, door or similar object of weight 2 is securely supported and has additional protection from damage without requiring further methods of safeguard. The duplication could be replaced by one extended support/clamp 3.

In Figure 4 the clamp/support is as Figure 1 but with multiple apertures to support multiple objects.

In particular, Figure 4 shows a further embodiment of the invention in which the device of Figure 1 is extended and includes a plurality of openings 70. Each opening 70 has corresponding sidewalls 110 and bottom portions 90, with respective sidewalls 110 of respective openings in alignment with lines normal to respective base portions of each opening. The device of Figure 4 may receive an object in each opening, and can therefore receive at least one object and may receive many objects until all the openings contain an object.

The arrangements of Figure 3 are shown more clearly in Figures 5 (a) and (b). In particular, Figure 5 (a) shows two devices of a first embodiment of the present invention holding an object 190, with the object 190 held within respective openings 70 of each device. The two devices are positioned along one side of the object, each receiving a portion of the object and separated from each other sufficiently that the object is held securely in position as desired.

Figure 5(b) shows a device of the present invention according to a further embodiment, in which the approximately triangular device extends in a direction broadly parallel to the planar surface 170 and base 30 of the device. Any object received into the opening 70 is thus gripped securely by sidewalls 110 which extend along a much larger portion of the object than is provided for in the first embodiment.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiments. In particular the material of the device may be a suitable flexible material other than rubber, such as a plastics material, or other material. The device may alternatively be constructed from an inflexible material and be arranged so as to flex structurally in response to the weight of an object placed in the opening 70. The device may be made from a combination of flexible or inflexible materials, or from a relatively inflexible material.

The device is described in relation to supporting a door or similar object, but is not restricted to such an object, being suitable for the support or clamping of any object. The device may not be triangular in shape but may be any shape suitable for supporting and/or clamping an object.

The base 30 of the device may provide for a planar incline between the edge

130 and the apex of the base, or may provide for the base 30 to include a portion parallel to a flat surface 170, such that the planar incline begins some way from respective edges 130. The distance between the base and the surface 170 may not be

at a maximum at a point midway between the edges 130, but instead may be at a maximum at a different position or positions. Alternatively the base may simply include a less dense material in the base area which when compressed will have a similar effect, pulling the sidewalls 110 towards each other in a clamping action, pinching any object held within the opening 70.

The device is described in relation to use on a flat surface, but it is contemplated that the device may be used on any surface.