As known heretofore and available commercially from Salisbury of Skokie, Ill., and from other sources, a clamp pin of the type noted above is made except for small parts, such as a torsion spring, from a dielectric material, either a hardwood or a suitable polymer, such as fiberglass-reinforced nylon. Such a pin has two clamping jaws, each of which has a clamping end and an actuating arm, which are connected pivotably to each other, which are pivotable between an opened condition and a closed condition, and which are biased toward the closed condition.
In the opened condition, the clamping ends are drawn apart from each other and the actuating arms are drawn toward each other. In the closed condition, the clamping ends are drawn toward each other and the actuating arms are drawn apart from each other. The clamping jaws may have rubber boots covering the lower ends of the clamping ends.
As known heretofore and available commercially from Salisbury of Skokie, Ill., and from other sources, a clamp stick of the type noted above, a so-called “shotgun” in trade parlance, has a tubular, dielectric body with a gripping end and with a working end having a socket. Such a stick also has an operating rod, which terminates in a hook that is movable into and out from the socket and which is manipulatable via means near the gripping end.
The actuating arms of a clamp pin of the type noted above can be manually drawn toward each other, whereupon the actuating arms thereof can be manually pushed partly into the socket of the clamp stick, toward or against the hook of the clamp stick. If the operating rod of the clamp stick is manipulated so as to move the hook out of the socket, the actuating arms thereof can be then pushed out from the socket so that, as the clamping jaws are biased, the clamping arms are drawn toward each other in a snapping action. Thus, the clamp stick is useful in installing the clamp pin, which is aligned with the clamp stick when the clamp pin is being installed. Disadvantageously, however, the clamp stick is not useful in removing the clamp pin.
Moreover, it has been known heretofore to provide a clamp pin, as available commercially from Salisbury of Skokie, Ill., and from other sources, with a wire extending through aligned holes in the actuating arms and being provided with a loop at each end. If one of the loops is engaged by the hook of a clamp stick of the type noted above and is pulled into the socket of the clamp stick, the other loop bears on one of the actuating arms so as to draw the actuating arms together. Thus, the clamp stick is useful not only in installing the clamp pin but also in removing the clamp pin. Disadvantageously, however, the clamp pin is not aligned with the clamp stick when the clamp pin is being installed or when the clamp pin is being removed.
Clamp sticks if the type noted above are exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 2,316,428, U.S. Pat. No. 2,514,063, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,242,930, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.