Posted by Ian Welford on 19/04/2020 09:24:38:
I think it’s a log grabber. As you grasp the handle and twist the two jaws are pivoted about the central screw or bolt thus levering them into the bark allowing you to drag the log.
Good idea except what stops the clamp opening when the log is dragged?
I like Jason's idea – a mitre clamp. I reckon it's for quick rather than quality work, perhaps making the sort of simple inner frame used in art canvases. Normally hidden and fairly crude.
When the lever is operated the hooks gouge into the two bits of wood being jointed and pull them into the right angle, where the operator bangs in a few staples to hold them together. (The wood is cut at 45° across the ends.)
The pair of vices on each of my general purpose mitre clamps take time to set up plus a little manipulation at the four corners to make sure the glue is pressured while it sets. Good results from them and no damage to the frame but they're not quick. Automatic hooks would be much quicker but no good when the look of the frame matters.
Dave