Anchor device

Abstract

An anchor device (100) for engaging with a hole comprises a body (102) for insertion into the hole. The anchor device (100) comprises a clamping member (104) movable, when in use, towards a centreline

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention relate to an anchor device. In particular, but not exclusively, they relate to a drop-in anchor for anchoring into concrete or similar substrates. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Drop-in anchors are plug-type anchor devices for anchoring into concrete or similar materials. First, a hole is pre-drilled into the concrete. The drop-in anchor is then inserted into the hole. A typical design of drop-in anchor relies on a setting tool to expand the anchor within the hole. Finally, a load such as a threaded rod is connected to the drop-in anchor. A disadvantage of anchor devices is the long time taken to install each drop-in anchor, due to the number of operations and the number of parts / tools required. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION According to various, but not necessarily all, embodiments of the invention there is provided an anchor device for engaging with a hole, the anchor device comprising: a body for insertion into the hole; a clamping member movable, when in use, towards a centreline of the body as the body is inserted into the hole; the body comprising a reaction formation for applying a reaction force to the clamping member against extraction of the body from the hole; and the anchor device further comprising a holding portion for holding the movable clamping member to the body. An advantage is increased speed of installation because a single device is provided, which clamps itself when pushed into the hole. In addition, the increased speed is because the clamping member is held against the body without user intervention, eliminating the dexterity required to position a loose clamping device part correctly against the body while inserting both into the hole. The body may be a drop-in anchor suitable for concrete. The body may be tubular. The tubular body may be cylindrical. The cylindrical body may have a substantially rounded cross-section such as a circular or oval cross-section. The body may comprise a hole-engaging portion and a load-receiving portion. The load-receiving portion may be towards an opposite end of the body than the hole-engaging portion. The hole-engaging portion may comprise an end face of the tubular body. The load-receiving portion may comprise a load-receiving interface enabling a load to be connected to the load-receiving portion of the body. The load-receiving interface may comprise a socket, or alternatively a plug. The load-receiving interface may comprise a crimping connector barrel. Alternatively, the load-receiving interface may be threaded. An elongate article, such as a wire or rope, may be connectable to the load-receiving interface so as to be secured to a surface by the anchor device. The body may comprise a metallic material. In examples, the metallic material can comprise steel, zinc, aluminium, or an alloy thereof. The clamping member is a separate part than the body. The clamping member may comprise a biting surface for engaging a side of the hole. The biting surface may comprise a roughened surface, rougher than the side of the body. The 2 biting surface may comprise a plurality of biting portions, such as a plurality of teeth (or ribs or other biting portions). The plurality of biting portions may comprise directional biting portions such as sawtooth serrations. The directional biting portions may be oriented to bite against the side of the hole when the anchor device is pulled away from the hole. When the anchor device is pushed into the hole, the directional biting portions slip along the side of the hole without biting against the side of the hole. The clamping member may be movable from a first position away from the centreline of the body to a second position closer to the centreline of the body. At the first position, the clamping member may protrude laterally beyond an envelope (end view perimeter) of the body. For example, the clamping member may protrude beyond a nominal radius (maximum radius) of the body. At the second position, the clamping member may not protrude laterally beyond the envelope of the body. For example, the clamping member may be substantially flush with the maximum radius of the body. The clamping member may comprise a same material as the body. The clamping member may consist of the same material as the body. In other examples, the clamping member is of a different material or a different hardness to the body. The holding portion for holding clamping member to the body may be configured as a resilient bias. The holding portion may be configured to bias the clamping member towards the first position. Insertion of the anchor device into the hole may push the clamping member to the second position, overcoming bias force of the holding portion. An advantage is that the holding portion contributes to the tightness of the anchor device, by ensuring that the clamping device is always tightly wedged between the side of the hole and the body. This also makes the anchor device 3 less sensitive to the hole being slightly too large and less sensitive to unevenness of the sides of the hole. The holding portion may comprise a material with a lower modulus of elasticity than the body and / or than the clamping member. The holding portion may comprise an elastomeric material. The elastomeric material may comprise rubber. The holding portion may wrap circumferentially around the body (like a belt). The holding portion may comprise an O-ring wrapping circumferentially around the body. The holding portion may have a degree of freedom of movement, to accommodate movement of the clamping member. The holding portion may have no more than one degree of freedom of movement. The degree of freedom of movement of the holding portion may comprise rotation (inclination change) of the holding portion as the clamping member is moved along a degree of freedom of movement of the clamping member. The body may comprise a seat for the holding portion. The seat may comprise a recess (and / or a hole). The seat may be an integral part of the body. The seat may be in an exterior surface of the body of the anchor device. The seat may be recessed into an exterior surface of the side of the body of the anchor device. The seat may have a sufficient depth that the holding portion in the seat does not protrude laterally beyond an envelope of the body. The seat may be a seat channel. The seat channel may have sufficient depth along its length that the holding portion within the seat channel does not protrude laterally beyond the envelope of the body. The length of the seat channel may be such that the seat channel extends circumferentially around the body, enabling the holding portion to wrap around 4 the body without protruding laterally beyond the envelope of the body. Each end of the seat channel may be connected to the reaction formation. The seat may be configured to enable movement of the holding portion, such as the rotation of the holding portion as described above. The seat may have a constraining section and a free section. The constraining section may be configured to immobilise or restrict movement of a section of the holding portion within the constraining section. The free section may be configured to enable movement of a section of the holding portion within the free section. The seat may comprise a free section to each side of the constraining section. The constraining section of the seat may be distal from the reaction formation, such as to an opposite lateral side of the body than the reaction formation (behind the reaction formation). Each free section of the seat may be proximal to (lateral to) the reaction formation. Each free section may extend between the constraining section and a respective side of the reaction formation. The free section of the seat may be defined as a wider section of the seat than the constraining section of the seat. This gives the holding portion freedom to move within the free section, as the clamping device is moved. A width of the seat may increase with increasing proximity to the reaction formation (fan-like). The seat can therefore be described has having diverging sides (differently inclined channel sides) with increasing distance from the central rear constraining section. Movement of the clamping member towards the centreline of the body may cause an inclination change of the holding portion within the free sections, about the constraining section. The holding portion may be inclined with respect to a cross-section plane of the body such that the holding portion biases the clamping member towards a first travel stop (the first position) if the clamping member is away from the first travel 5 stop, including if the clamping member is at a second travel stop (second position). The seat may be inclined with respect to the cross-section plane of the body such that the holding portion biases the clamping member as described above. The clamping member may comprise a further seat for the holding portion. The further seat may be aligned with the seat of the body. The holding portion may be seated in both the seat of the body and in the further seat of the holding portion. The seat and the further seat together can mean that no part of the holding portion protrudes laterally beyond the envelope of the body. The further seat may be recessed into an exterior surface of the clamping member. The reaction formation may be shaped to provide the clamping member with a degree of freedom of movement. The clamping member may have no more than one degree of freedom of movement. The degree of freedom of movement may comprise translation (sliding) of the clamping member along the reaction formation in a first direction and in a second opposite direction. The clamping member may be slidable along the reaction formation to move towards or away from the centreline of the body. The reaction formation may be a recessed exterior surface portion of the body. The reaction formation may comprise a slope along which the clamping member can slide. A direction of the slope of the reaction formation may be such that the clamping member gets closer to the centreline of the body as the clamping member slides backwards away from a front, hole-facing end of the body. In other words, the clamping member is ‘tucked in’ to enable the anchor device to fit within the hole, while continually being held against the body by the holding portion. However, when the anchor device is pulled away from the hole, the clamping member is wedged in its tucked-in position (‘second position’) and cannot return to its first position due to the tightness of fit of the anchor device within the hole. The wedged-in clamping member therefore clamps between the side of the hole and the reaction formation. The reaction formation may comprise a travel stop to limit how far the clamping member can move towards the centreline of the body. The travel stop may be configured as an undercut shape. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding of various examples of embodiments of the present invention reference will now be made by way of example only to the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an anchor device prior to insertion into a hole; FIG. 2 illustrates an example of the anchor device after insertion into a hole; FIG. 3 illustrates an example of the anchor device in rear perspective view; FIG. 4 illustrates an example of the body and holding portion of the anchor device; FIG. 5 illustrates an example clamping member from a first perspective; and FIG. 6 illustrates an example clamping member from a second perspective. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION First, the body 102 of the anchor device 100 is described, with reference to the example shown in the Figures. The illustrated body 102 is in the shape of a circular cylinder with a circular cross-section. A centreline 106 of the circular cylinder is shown. In other examples, a different tubular shape can be used. The body 102 has a front portion for insertion into the hole 1, and a rear portion to which a load can be secured. The front portion is referred to herein as a holeengaging portion 112. The rear portion is referred to herein as a load-receiving portion 114. The diameter of the hole-engaging portion 112 is slightly smaller than the diameter of a pre-drilled hole 1 in the material. The material may comprise a cementitious material such as concrete, or another material. The hole-engaging portion 112 can be substantially solid. The hole-engaging portion 112 comprises a front end face 113. The diameter of the load-receiving portion 114 is optionally different from the diameter of the hole-engaging portion 112. In some, but not necessarily all examples the diameter of the load-receiving portion 114 is smaller. Referring to FIG. 3, this is because the load-receiving portion 114 comprises at its end face a load-receiving interface 116 such as a crimping connector barrel, the diameter of which may be different for different sizes of the anchor device 100. In other examples, the load-receiving portion 114 comprises a different type of load-receiving interface 116 such as a threaded socket, a threaded plug, a hook or an eye. The body 102 as a whole may be a single part or made up of multiple parts. The load-receiving portion 114 and the hole-engaging portion 112 may therefore be integral. The body 102 may comprise steel or another metallic material such as zinc or aluminium, or an alloy of materials. In other examples, non-metals can be used. The clamping member 104 is a separate part than the body 102 and is movable relative to the body 102. The clamping member 104 is for clamping the body 102 of the anchor device 100 within the hole 1. The clamping member 104 may comprise the same material as the body 102, or may comprise another suitably strong and compatible material. The clamping member 104 is positioned against the side 126 of the body 102. The clamping member 104 comprises an exterior biting surface 118 for engaging the side 2 of the hole 1. The biting surface 118 of the clamping 8 member 104 is rough whereas the perimeter of the body 102 may be smooth. In cross-section (viewing direction along centreline 106), the biting surface 118 may be curved. The curvature of the biting surface 118 may be substantially the same as the curvature of the hole-engaging portion 112 of the body 102. The roughness of the biting surface 118 of the clamping member 104 may be provided by a plurality of biting portions 120, such as a plurality of teeth (or ribs or other biting portions). The illustrated biting portions 120 are sawtooth serrations, which are a form of directional biting portions 120. The directionality of the biting portions 120 ensures that the body 102 can be freely inserted into the hole 1 without encountering much resistance and without damaging to the side 2 of the hole 1. The biting portions 120 are functional when the body 102 is pulled away from the hole 1, biting against the side 2 of the hole 1 to increase friction and / or to dig into cementitious material. FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 illustrate the clamping member 104 from various angles. The clamping member 104 is positioned against a reaction formation 108 of the body 102. The reaction formation 108 is a surface forming part of the side 126 of the body 102. This is best illustrated in FIG. 4, in which the clamping member 104 is not visible so that the surface of the reaction formation 108 can be seen. The reaction formation 108 forms a recessed part of the exterior surface 124 of the hole-engaging portion 112 of the body 102. The reaction formation 108 may be a planar surface. The illustrated reaction formation 108 is a chord surface, when viewed in cross-section. The reaction formation 108 is a variable-depth (inclined) surface, sloped in a front-rear direction. The depth of the reaction formation 108 therefore increases with increasing rearwards position from the front end face 113 of the holeengaging portion 112. Therefore, sliding the clamping member 104 along the reaction formation 108 changes the distance of the clamping member 104 from the centreline 106. The slope of the reaction formation 108 may be linear. The angle of the slope may be approximately 15 degrees (i.e., 75 degrees from the cross-section plane) or another suitable value less than 30 degrees. As shown in FIGS. 1 -2, the clamping member 104 is movable along the reaction formation 108 rearwardly and inwardly, towards the centreline 106 of the body 102, as the body 102 is inserted into the hole 1. The reaction formation 108 is configured to apply a reaction force to the clamping member 104, if an attempt is made to extract the body 102 from the hole 1. This is because when the anchor device 100 is within the hole 1, the clamping member 104 is wedged between the sloped reaction formation 108 and the side 2 of the hole 1, and cannot be dragged along the side 2 of the hole 1 due to the biting force. The angle of the reaction formation 108 means that as the body 102 is pulled, the reaction force exerted by the reaction formation 108 on the clamping member 104 increases the normal force between the biting surface 118 of the clamping member 104 and the side 2 of the hole 1, which further increases friction. Therefore, the higher the pulling force applied to the body 102, the harder the body 102 is to pull out. FIG. 1 illustrates the clamping member 104 at a first position P1 along the reaction formation 108, before the anchor device 100 is inserted into the hole 1. FIG. 2 illustrates the clamping member 104 at a second position P2 along the reaction formation 108, behind the first position P1, after the anchor device 100 has been inserted into the hole 1. As can be seen in FIG. 1, at the first position P1 the clamping member 104 protrudes laterally beyond an envelope of the body 102. The envelope refers to the end view / cross-section perimeter of the body 102. The radius from the centreline 106 of the body 102 to the biting edge of a biting portion 120 of the biting surface 118 is greater than the radius of the hole 1 (i.e., greater than the nominal / maximum radius of the body 102, i.e., from the centreline 106 of the body 102 to the circularly curved exterior surface 124 of the side 126 of the body 102). Therefore, when the body 102 is pushed into the hole 1, the clamping member 104 is pushed rearwardly and inwardly along the reaction formation 108, to the second position P2. As can be seen in FIG. 2, at the second position P2 the clamping member 104 does not protrude laterally beyond the envelope of the body 102. The curved biting surface 118 of the clamping member 104 is substantially flush with the maximum radius of the body 102. The radius from the centreline 106 of the body 102 to the biting edge of a biting portion 120 of the biting surface 118 is substantially the same as the radius of the hole 1 (i.e., substantially the same as the aforementioned maximum radius of the body 102). The reaction formation 108 of the body 102 can comprise a travel stop 134, as shown in FIGS. 1-2, to limit how far the clamping member 104 can move rearwards. The travel stop 134 can be an undercut shape such as a recessed ledge. The clamping member 104 is held against the reaction formation 108 of the body 102 without user intervention, by a holding portion 110 which in the Figures is a flexible rubber O-ring. It would be appreciated that in other examples, a different elastomeric material or other material with a similar modulus of elasticity to rubber can be used. Various shapes wrapping circumferentially around the body 102 (like a belt) could be used, not limited to an O-ring. The illustrated holding portion 110 is configured as a resilient bias. The diameter of the holding portion 110 may be such that the holding portion 110 is in a stretched / expanded state, so that in use the holding portion 110 exerts a bias force on the surfaces that it is in contact with. The holding portion 110 may be inclined relative to the clamping member 104 and reaction formation 108 so that the holding portion 110 biases the clamping member 104 towards the first position P1. Insertion of the anchor device 100 into the hole 1 may push the clamping member 104 to the second position P2, overcoming bias force of the 11 holding portion 110. While the clamping member 104 is in the section position P2, the holding portion 110 biases the clamping member 104 towards the first position P1 although movement to the first position P1 is not possible due to the size of the hole 1. Instead, the clamping member 104 is firmly wedged in place, as close to the first position P1 as there is space for. The holding portion 110 is securely seated to the exterior surface 124 of the body 102. The body 102 comprises a seat 122 configured to retain the holding portion 110. The illustrated seat 122 is a recess in the exterior surface 124 of the side 126 of the hole-engaging portion 112 of the body 102. The body 102, as molded, may comprise the seat 122. In other examples, the seat 122 could comprise a hole rather than a recess, or both a hole and a recess. The seat 122 has sufficient depth that the holding portion 110 in the seat 122 does not protrude laterally beyond the envelope of the body 102. The depth of the seat 122 can be equal to or greater than the diameter of the cross-section of the holding portion 110. The seat 122 may be a recessed seat channel, wrapping circumferentially around the curved exterior surface 124 of the side 2 of the body 102. The depth of the seat channel is sufficient at all points between the ends of the seat channel that no part of the holding portion 110 within the seat channel protrudes laterally beyond the envelope of the body 102. Each end of the seat channel may be connected to a respective side of the reaction formation 108. The clamping member 104 comprises a further seat 132 for part of the holding portion 110. The further seat 132 is aligned with the seat 122. The further seat 132 is recessed into the front surface (biting surface 118) of the clamping member 104. The holding portion 110 is simultaneously seated in the seat 122 of the body 102 and in the further seat 132 of the clamping member 104. As the clamping member 104 slides forwards and rearwards along the reaction formation 108, the movement of its further seat 132 requires the holding portion 110 to be free to move within the seat 122 of the body 102. The illustrated seat 122 of the body 102 is shaped to enable movement of the holding portion 110 resulting from movement of the clamping member 104. The seat 122 provides the holding portion 110 with a degree of freedom of movement. The seat 122 may provide the holding portion 110 with only one degree of freedom of movement. The degree of freedom of movement may comprise rotation (inclination change) of the holding portion 110 as the clamping member 104, to which the holding portion 110 is connected, moves between the first and second positions P1, P2. Where the holding portion 110 is an O-ring, rotation refers to rotation of the plane of the O-ring. In order to enable movement of the holding portion 110, the channel of the example seat 122 comprises a rear constraining section 128 and free sections 130 to either side of the constraining section 128. The rear constraining section 128 is a narrow section of the channel of the seat 122, which immobilizes or restricts movement of the holding portion 110. The constraining section 128 is located behind the reaction formation 108. Each free section 130 is a wider section of the channel of the seat 122, giving the holding portion 110 freedom to rotate about the constraining section 128 while remaining seated and without protruding beyond the envelope of the body 102. The free sections 130 may ‘fan out’ from the constraining section 128, diverging from each other with increasing proximity towards the reaction formation 108, allowing the inclination of the holding portion 110 relative to the constraining section 128 to change. In order to configure the holding portion 110 as a bias for biasing the clamping member 104 towards the first position P1, the plane of the seat 122 may be inclined with respect to the cross-section plane of the body 102. More specifically, the seat 122 may be inclined relative to the surface normal of the reaction formation 108. The seat 122 is sufficiently inclined that the bias force (e.g., O-ring force) exerted by the holding portion 110 on the clamping member 13 104 is at an acute angle a (see FIG. 2) relative to the surface of the reaction formation 108 at least when the clamping member 104 is at the second position P2 (second travel stop). The acute angle a changes depending on the position of the clamping member 104. FIG. 1 shows angle a being still acute but more parallel to the surface normal of the reaction formation 108 when the clamping member is at the first position P1 (first travel stop). Therefore, the clamping member 104 is biased back towards the first position P1 by a force that increases as a function of displacement of the clamping member 104 from the first position P1. In the illustrated implementation, the constraining section 128 of the inclined seat 122 is further forward (closer to the front end face 113) than the free sections 130 of the inclined seat 122. By the same rationale, the further seat 132, on the clamping member 104, is rearward of the constraining section 128 of the seat 122. Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in the preceding paragraphs with reference to various examples, it should be appreciated that modifications to the examples given can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed. For example, the constraining section 128 could be omitted, or the free sections 130 could be omitted, and the holding portion could be movable in another way than that shown. Features described in the preceding description may be used in combinations other than the combinations explicitly described. Although functions have been described with reference to certain features, those functions may be performable by other features whether described or not. Although features have been described with reference to certain embodiments, those features may also be present in other embodiments whether described or not. 5 Whilst endeavoring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and / or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon. 10

Claims

1. An anchor device for engaging with a hole, the anchor device comprising:a body for insertion into the hole;a clamping member movable, when in use, towards a centreline of the body as the body is inserted into the hole;the body comprising a reaction formation for applying a reaction force to the clamping member against extraction of the body from the hole; andthe anchor device further comprising a holding portion for holding the movable clamping member to the body.

2. The anchor device of claim 1, wherein the body is a drop-in anchor suitable for concrete.

3. The anchor device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the body is tubular, wherein the tubular body is cylindrical, and wherein the cylindrical body has a substantially rounded-cross section, optionally a circular or oval cross-section.

4. The anchor device of claim 3, wherein the body comprises a holeengaging portion and a load-receiving portion, wherein the load-receiving portion is towards an opposite end of the body than the hole-engaging portion, wherein the hole-engaging portion comprises an end face of the tubular body, and wherein the load-receiving portion comprises a load-receiving interface enabling a load to be connected to the load-receiving portion.

5. The anchor device of any preceding claim, wherein the clamping member is a separate part than the body, and wherein the clamping member comprises a biting surface for engaging a side of the hole.

6. The anchor device of claim 5, wherein the biting surface comprises a roughened surface, rougher than the side of the body.

7. The anchor device of claim 5 or 6, wherein the biting surface comprises a plurality of biting portions, wherein the plurality of biting portions comprises directional biting portions, and optionally wherein the directional biting portions are sawtooth serrations.

8. The anchor device of any preceding claim, wherein the clamping member is movable from a first position away from the centreline of the body to a second position closer to the centreline of the body, wherein at the first position, the clamping member protrudes laterally beyond an envelope of the body, and wherein at the second position the clamping member is substantially flush with the maximum radius of the body.

9. The anchor device of claim 8, wherein the holding portion is configured to bias the clamping member towards the first position, and wherein insertion of the anchor device into the hole pushes the clamping member to the second position, overcoming the bias force of the holding portion.

10. The anchor device of any preceding claim, wherein the holding portion is configured as a resilient bias.

11. The anchor device of any preceding claim, wherein the holding portion comprises a material with a lower modulus of elasticity than the body and / or than the clamping member.

12. The anchor device of any preceding claim, wherein the holding portion comprises an elastomeric material.

13. The anchor device of any preceding claim, wherein the holding portion wraps circumferentially around the body.

14. The anchor device of any preceding claim, wherein the holding portion has a degree of freedom, to accommodate movement of the clamping member, 17and wherein the degree of freedom of movement of the holding portion comprises rotation of the holding portion as the clamping member is moved along a degree of freedom of movement of the clamping member.

15. The anchor device of any preceding claim, wherein the body comprises a seat for the holding portion, wherein the seat is an integral part of the body.

16. The anchor device of claim 15, wherein the seat is recessed into an exterior surface of the side of the body of the anchor device.

17. The anchor device of claim 15 or 16, wherein the seat is a seat channel, wherein the seat channel has sufficient depth along its length that the holding portion within the seat channel does not protrude laterally beyond the envelope of the body.

18. The anchor device of claim 17, wherein the length of the seat channel is such that the seat channel extends circumferentially around the body, enabling the holding portion to wrap around the body without protruding laterally beyond the envelope of the body.

19. The anchor device of any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein the seat has a constraining section and a free section, wherein the constraining section is configured to immobilise or restrict movement of a section of the holding portion within the constraining section, and wherein the free section is configured to enable movement of a section of the holding portion within the free section.

20. The anchor device of claim 19, wherein the seat comprises a free section to each side of the constraining section, wherein the constraining section of the seat is distal from the reaction formation, to an opposite lateral side of the body than the reaction formation, wherein each free section of the seat is proximal to the reaction formation, and wherein each free sectionextends between the constraining section and a respective side of the reaction formation.

21. The anchor device of claim 19 or 20, wherein the free section of the seat is a wider section of the seat than the constraining section, optionally wherein a width of the seat increases with increasing proximity to the reaction formation.

22. The anchor device of any preceding claim, wherein the reaction formation is shaped to provide the clamping member with a degree of freedom of movement, wherein the degree of freedom of movement comprises sliding of the clamping member in a first direction and in a second opposite direction, and wherein the clamping member is slidable along the reaction formation to move towards or away from the centreline of the body.

23. The anchor device of claim 22, wherein the reaction formation is a recessed exterior surface of the body.

24. The anchor device of any preceding claim, wherein the reaction formation comprises a slope along which the clamping member can slide, wherein a direction of the slope of the reaction formation is such that the clamping member gets closer to the centreline of the body as the clamping member slides backwards away from a front, hole-facing end of the body.

25. The anchor device of any preceding claim, wherein the clamping formation comprises a travel stop to limit how far the clamping member can move towards the centreline of the body.Application No: GB2415516.0Examiner: Peter MaceyClaims searched: 1-25Date of search: 2 April 2025Patents Act 1977: Search Report under Section 17Documents considered to be relevant:Category Relevant to claims Identity of document and passage or figure of particular relevance X 1-8, 13, 22-25 DE 19523867 Al (FISCHER ARTUR WERKE GMBH) see especially figures 1 and 2 X 1 - 8, 22 -25 EP 0685656 Bl (FISCHER ARTUR WERKE GMBH) see the figure X 1 - 8, 22 -25 DE 1166557 B (KEREL AB) see all figures v A 1-8, 13, 22-25 DE 19651697 Al (FISCHER ARTUR WERKE GMBH) see all figures X 1 - 8, 22 -25 US 4156381 A (SCHIEFER) see all figures v A 1 - 8, 22 -25 DE 2914739 Al (FISCHER ARTUR DR H C) see all figuresCategories:X Document indicating lack of novelty or inventive step A Document indicating technological background and / or state of the art. Y Document indicating lack of inventive step if P Document published on or after the declared priority date but combined with one or more other documents of same category. before the filing date of this invention. & Member of the same patent family E Patent document published on or after, but with priority date earlier than, the filing date of this application.Field of Search:www.gov.uk / ipoInternational Classification:Subclass Subgroup Valid From F16B 0013 / 08 01 / 01 / 2006www.gov.uk / ipo

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