US Patent 7699297 Increased and variable force and multi-speed clamps

A method of operating a clamp (100) that includes a first clamping jaw (102), a support element (104) to which the first clamping jaw is attached and a trigger handle (118) pivotably mounted to a clamp body (112). The method includes actuating the trigger handle causing the first clamping jaw to experience incremental motion and varying the incremental motion as a function of a load encountered by the support element by varying an effective lever arm of the trigger handle by moving a fulcrum point into contact or out of contact with the trigger handle based on the load.