New thing: Linear toggle clamp

This design is based on a toggle clamp and the difference is that the last part of the stroke is linear. As an example, this feature is useful for applications in which a probe must come in contact with a PCBA to test or program it. This is where I got the idea from. This design can be used like a normal toggle clamp because a fair amount of force can be applied at he end of the stroke and the clamp will hold just fine. I tried it with the kitchen scale and 3kg was not a problem but this was the maximum value of the scale.

Instructions

This design consist of 16 parts (2× part 12) as can be seen in the exploded view. The linear stroke is as long as the slot in part 6 and 11 which is 10mm.

Printing instructions

The thread of part 4, 5, 9 and 15 is a modified M8 trapezoidal thread with a pitch of 2.5mm. Regular M8 thread is to small to print. I recommend printing part 5 individually at a slightly lower temperature like 190°C and a layer height of 0.2mm and with a 8mm brim. You want to put as little heat as possible in this part. The infill of the axes, (part 1, 7 and 10) and the threaded parts (4, 5 and 15) is 100%. In other words, completely solid. This is not important for the other pieces.

Mounting instructions

The two 6mm holes of part 6 and 11 must be drilled afterwards to 6mm and the same goes for the 5mm hole of part 13 and 14. The parts 1, 7 and 10 are then pressed into these holes. I just did this with a hammer and a 6mm socket wrench. Don’t forget to place part 2 before mounting the axes. The complete assembly as shown below.

The result

Here is a short video of the result of the clamp.

Download the parts

The parts can be downloaded from Thingiverse and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International licence. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or suggestions!