Clamp

April 19, 1960

2,932,873

A. S. REICHERT

CLAMP

Filed June 9, 1958

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ATT’Y.

United States Patent Office _P , 2,932,873

Patented Apr. 19, 1960

2,932,873 CLAMP

Allan S. Reichert, Kirkwood, Mo., assignor to Shampaine Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri

Application June 9, 1958, Serial No. 740,659 4 Claims. (CI. 24—248)

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in clamps.

Most types of surgical operating tables and obstetrical tables are provided with side rails for adjustably mounting a variety of accessories or attachments, such as, infusion sets, body supports, wristlets, and the like. These accessories are usually secured to the side rail by means of an adjustable clamp since the attachment must be capable of vertical adjustment, as well as horizontal adjustment along the side rail. Moreover, it is desirable that the clamp be locked and unlocked quickly and with a minimum of effort so that positioning of the attachment will be readily facilitated. It is also essential that the clamp be of such design that it insures a rigid and positively locked connection of the attachment to the side rail.

It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide a clamp which is particularly adaptable for securing accessories to operating tables, obstetrical tables, and the like.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a clamp of the type stated which permits vertical and horizontal adjustment of the attachment.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a clamp which can be locked and unlocked with a minimum of effort, and will hold the attachment rigidly in position.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a clamp of the type stated wherein the clamping pressure is readily adjustable.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a clamp of the type stated which is self-adjusting to allow for various thicknesses of side rails and accessory mounting bars.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing (one sheet)—

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a clamp constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2—2 of «« Fig. 1; ⁶⁵

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3—3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the clamp.

Referring now in more detail and by reference char- ₆₀acters to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, A designates a clamp comprising a hollow bracket 1 including a back wall 2, top and bottom walls 3, 4, an arcuate front wall 5 and side walls 6, 7, the latter being joined by a transversely gg extending step shoulder 8 which also projects upwardly from the bottom wall 4. The side walls 6, 7 and step shoulder 8 are each cut away to form a U-shaped slot 9 which terminates in somewhat circular holes 10, 11 downwardly of the top wall 3 and also divides the shoulder 8 ₇₀into spaced parallel ribs 12, 13. Intermediate the back ^Ιυwall 2 and rib 12 the top wall 3 and bottom wall 4 are provided with aligned openings 14, 15 for slidably receiving an accessory-mounting bar 16, the upper end of which may be suitably provided with a wristlet, infusion set, or similar accessory (not shown). Similarly formed in the side walls 6, 7 are aligned openings 17, 18 for slidably receiving a side rail 19 of the type ordinarily found on operating tables.

Rigidly mounted in the side walls 6, 7 and extending transversely therebetween intermediate the front wall 5 and slot 9 is a resilient pivot pin 20 which also extends through aligned bores 21, 22, 23 in an L-shaped lever 24 for rockably supporting the lever 24 within the bracket 1. The pin 20 fits slidably in the bore 22 but projects loosely through the bores 21,23 which are of substantially larger diameter than the pin 20, for purposes presently more fully appearing. The lever 24 projects through an enlarged opening 25 in the front wall 5 and is provided with an elongated handle 26. Within the bracket 1 the lever 24 terminates in a pair of spaced parallel ears 27, 28 having a roller pin 29 mounted in and extending transversely therebetween, and rotatably mounted on the roller pin 29 is a cylindrical roller 30 for releasable engagement with the rod 16.

' Somewhat centrally thereof, the rib 12 is provided with a tapped hole 31 which is in alignment with a hole 32 formed in the rib 13. Threaded into the hole 31 and projecting through the hole 32 is a screw 33, the outer end of which is provided with an adjustable stop-forming head 34 for contacting the lever 24 when the latter is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3. Threaded onto the screw 33 and bearing against the outwardly presented face of the rib 13 is an adjusting nut 35.

In use, the lever 24 is shifted to the unlocked position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 whereupon the clamp A can be placed on the side rail 19 with the latter projecting through the openings 17, 18, whereupon, the attachment mounting bar 16 may be inserted through openings 14, 15. As long as the lever 24 is in the unlocked position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the clamp A, together with the attachment mounting bar 16, may be shifted lengthwise along the side rail 19, and similarly, the attachment mounting bar 16 may be vertically shifted within the openings 14, 15 to any desired position of elevation. The lever 24 is then shifted to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 causing the roller 30 to bear against the attachment mounting bar 16. As the axis of the roller 30 moves upwardly of the pivot pin 20 or “over center” so to speak, the bars 16, 19 and the clamp A are drawn into rigid assembled relationship. The locking pressure applied by the roller 30 may be adjusted by rotating the nut 35 to shift the ribs 13 toward and away from the ribs 12 and thereby move the resilient pin 20 toward and away from the back wall 2. The presence of the slot 9 permits this adjustment since it extends completely through the step-shoulder 8 and through a major portion of the side walls 6, 7, allowing the bracket 1 to distend or constrict slightly at the unslotted upper ends of the side walls 6, 7 and also in the region of the juncture of the top wall 3 and front wall 5 when the adjusting nut 35 is manipulated. At the same time, however, the bracket 1 is of sufficient rigidity to assure snug-fitting retention of the rods 16, 19 when the lever 24 is in the locked position.

In connection with the present invention, it should also be noted that since the pin 20 is resilient it will bow outwardly as the roller 30 applies pressure to the attachment mounting rod 16. The amount of bow will depend upon the thickness of the bars 16, 19 and will act to take. up any variations in thickness therein. The enlarged bores 21, 23 allow the pin 20 to move freely therein and thus prevent excessive forces from being applied to the

2^932,878 pin 20 while at the same time: permitting use of a relatively wide lever 24.

While the clamp A is particularly useful in securing accessories to the side rail of an operating or obstetrical table, it will be apparent that the clamp A is suitable for other purposes since the construction and operation of the clamp A is not dependent upon the particular use of the mounting bars 16, 19.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the clamp may be made and substituted for those- herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.