Sheathing Support Clamp for One-Person Wall Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for installing sheathing materials like drywall and plywood are often difficult for individuals to handle and install alone, as they require multiple tools, are time-consuming to set up, and can be dangerous, especially when not securely anchored to studs, leading to potential damage or injury.
Innovation Solution
A versatile holding and clamping system comprising a back plate with screw holes, a threaded body with an adjustment screw, and a saddle clamp, allowing for secure attachment to studs or surfaces without screws, with adjustable features for precise positioning and quick repositioning pins, enabling one-person operation and reducing the need for multiple tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If wood scraps or homemade devices are used to hold sheathing materials, then the device can be created quickly, but the solution is dangerous and unreliable
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into separate functional components: a base plate for mounting, a vertical support member, and a clamp assembly. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall reliability and quick assembly through modular construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a properly engineered intermediate device that mediates between the worker and the heavy sheathing materials. This intermediary device provides secure attachment points and controlled positioning, eliminating the need for unsafe makeshift solutions while enabling quick installation.
2Reliability
If commercially made devices are screwed to studs, then the device can be securely installed, but it requires installation only by screwing which may not be appropriate or dangerous
Solution Approach 1:
The base plate is designed with multiple attachment methods: screw holes for secure installation to studs or surfaces, and a saddle clamp mechanism for attachment to wooden beams and joists. This universal design allows the same device to be installed appropriately in various situations without compromising security or flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates adjustable components including the saddle clamp with movable jaws and positioning holes in the base plate, allowing the installation method to be dynamically selected based on the specific application requirements rather than being fixed to a single attachment method.
3Ease of operation
If lumber is used to wedge materials to the ceiling without anchoring, then the device is easy to install, but it may not hold and can cause damage or injury
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two attachment approaches: the simplicity of wedge-style insertion with the security of anchored mounting. The saddle clamp can be inserted like a wedge but is retained by the anchored base plate, combining the ease of operation with reliable holding capability to prevent failure and injury.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a single device is designed to hold sheathing materials at various heights, then the device is versatile, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable positioning capability is achieved through segmented design with discrete positioning holes in the base plate and a movable clamp assembly. This segmentation allows height adjustment without requiring a completely complex continuous adjustment mechanism, maintaining relative structural simplicity while providing versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a supporting, holding and clamping tool system and a method associated with the system. With respect to the system, it is a pair of devices and attachments designed to attach to a wall to support construction sheathing while securing it to the wall, which may also be used for a versatile clamping device.This system can be used by one person to facilitate installing heavy sheets of sheet rock, Siding, plywood or other materials to be installed on the vertical wall or surface.