Pole Clamp
A pole clamp has two legs wherebetween poles of different diameters may be positioned. One of the legs is configured to grip one side surface of the pole. The other leg of the clamp member has a channel through which a threaded shaft is movable along a longitudinal axis toward the one leg. Also formed in the other leg is a bore orthogonally to the channel. A guide that may be in the form of a half nut is movable within the bore, with the threaded surface of the half nut being in a threaded relationship with the threads of the shaft, when the guide is in a first position, so that the shaft is movable along the axis when it is turned. The guide is movable to a second position to disengage its threaded surface from the shaft. When thus disengaged, the shaft is movable bidirectionally along the axis by simple push and pull movements. A second embodiment of the pole clamp utilizes a yoke slider guide having two arms with a narrow gap and a wider gap between the two arms.
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The present invention relates to clamps and more particularly to a pole clamp that can readily attach a medical device to poles of different diameters.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONPoles for attaching devices come in various sizes, for example, 0.5 inch and 1.5 inch. Thus, for the different diameter poles to be used in hospitals, different U-shaped frames each with a simple screw-threaded shaft mounted to one arm are used to attach medical instruments to poles of different diameters. Each pole is usually fitted between the two arms of the clamp and the knob on the screw is rotated to bring the opposite end of the shaft to bear on the pole and clamp it firmly against the inside of the opposite arm.
The problem with these clamps is the need to twist or rotate the threaded shaft through multiple turns in order to adjust the clamp between the different sized poles. Also, the need to provide multiple sized clamps to cover all of the poles that may be used in a hospital environment can be a problem for the user if she does not have the correct clamp, and for the manufacturer, due to the need to manufacture different clamps to fit onto the different sized poles.
There are a number of pole clamps known in the prior art. However, those pole clamps are either not adaptable to be used with different diameter poles, or are designed to require a myriad of parts. Those pole clamps known to the assignee of the instant invention are described in: U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,397, U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,106, U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,496, U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,207, U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,559 and GB 581429.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTIONThe pole clamp of the instant invention is a substantially U-shaped clamp that has two legs, with one of the legs being substantially V-shaped to be better able to grippingly hold one side of the outer circumferential surface of a pole, and another leg to which a channel is formed along a longitudinal axis toward the one leg so that a threaded shaft or screw may slide through the channel. Also formed in the other leg is a bore that intersects the channel. An actuator mechanism that has a guide in the form of either a threaded surface or a semicircular threaded opening, is fitted to the bore and is actuated to at least two positions, with one of the positions being such that the threads of the screw or the threaded outer circumferential surface of the shaft comes into a threaded relationship with the guide so that the threaded shaft or screw is movable longitudinally toward the interior wall of the one leg when the shaft or screw is turned or twisted.
The threaded shaft has a contact end that faces the V-shaped leg of the clamp member and a knob at its other end that makes it easier for the user to turn the shaft, when the actuator is positioned to guide the movement of the threaded shaft. The actuator mechanism may also be moved to a second position such that the threaded guide is moved away from the threads of the screw or the threaded outer circumferential surface of the shaft, to thereby enable the threaded shaft to freely slide bidirectionally through the channel.
Thus, a pole of any diameter may be placed between the two legs of the clamp member, and the user does not have to twist or turn the threaded shaft an inordinately number of turns in the event that the pole to be used is of a smaller diameter than the previously used pole, as the user only has to position the actuator to move the guide away from the threaded shaft so that the shaft may be pushed toward the V-shaped leg to come into contact with the opposite side surface of the pole. At which time, the actuator mechanism is repositioned to engage the guide with the threads of the threaded shaft, so that the user only has to turn the knob of the threaded shaft a minimal amount to fixedly hold the clamp to the pole. To remove the clamp from the pole, the user only has to move the actuator mechanism to disengage the guide from the threads of the threaded shaft, so that the threaded shaft can simply be pulled away from the pole.
The pole clamp of the instant invention therefore is a device that is simple both in terms of its manufacture and use, that reduces the efforts a user has to spent to both attach and remove the clamp from a pole, that is adaptable to be used with poles of different diameters, and that is easy and inexpensive to manufacture.
The present invention will become apparent and the invention itself will be best understood with reference to the following description of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
With reference to
Extending from member 4 at its other end is leg 8 that has a through channel 18 extending longitudinally along an axis 20. A shaft 22 having a threaded outer circumferential surface is movably fitted through channel 18. Shaft 22 may be a screw or a screw shaft with threads, and for the remainder of this discussion is simply referred to as a threaded shaft. Threaded shaft 22 has a contact end that faces interior wall 10 of leg 6 and is movable along axis 20 to make contact with the pole positioned between legs 6 and 8. The other end of shaft 22 is shown to have fitted thereto a knob 26 that allows a user to twist or turn shaft 22 per shown by bi-directional arrow 28. Thus, shaft 22 may be moved bidirectionally along axis 22, per shown by bidirectional arrows 30, as well as rotated bidirectionally per shown by bidirectional rotational arrows 28.
Also formed at leg 8 is a bore 32 orthogonal to and intersect channel 18. For the embodiment shown in
As was discussed earlier, shaft 22 has a threaded outer circumferential surface and may therefore considered to be a screw shaft or a threaded shaft. The threaded outer circumferential surface, or the screw threads, of shaft 22 are best shown in
With reference to
Due to spring 38 biasing against slide mechanism 34, when the pressure applied to actuate slide mechanism 34, per shown by directional arrow 40, is removed, spring 38 would push slide mechanism 34 upwards, as represented by directional arrow 42, so that the threaded portion of the half nut slide mechanism 34 engages the threads of shaft 22. Once the respective threads from the slide mechanism 34 and shaft 22 are engaged, to move shaft 22 bidirectionally along the longitudinal axis 20, per shown by bidirectional arrows 30, a user has to turn knob 26 along the circular directions per designated by directional arrows 28. With the threaded surface of half nut slide mechanism 34 in the position as shown in
As shown in
As further shown in
In operation, with reference to
To release clamp 2 from pole 16, a user applies pressure against the top button portion of slide mechanism 34, per shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Another exemplar yoke slider 51′ is shown in
The wider gap between the arms 56a and 56b of yoke slider 51′ is designated opening 63′, which has a diameter that is larger than the OD of the threaded shaft 22. Thus, when opening 63′ is in orthogonal alignment with threaded shaft 22, shaft 22 is movable through opening 63′ without any hindrance. Putting it differently, shaft 22 is movable longitudinally through channel 18 by simple pull and push motions when opening 63′ is in orthogonal alignment with shaft 22.
With reference to
As shown in
Inasmuch as the present invention is subject to many variations, modifications and changes in detail, it is intended that all matter described throughout this specification and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. Accordingly, it is intended that the instant invention be limited only by the spirit and scope of the hereto appended claims.
Claims
1. A clamp, comprising: a substantially U-shaped member having one and other legs wherebetween a pole is positionable, the one leg of the U-shaped member having an interior wall configured to grippingly make contact with at least a first side surface of the pole, the other leg of the U-shaped member having a channel through which a shaft having a threaded outer circumferential surface and a contact end is movable therealong towards the interior wall of the one leg, a slide mechanism having a threaded surface provided to the other leg and slidable substantially orthogonal to the shaft, the slide mechanism movable to a first position to engage its threaded surface with the threaded outer circumferential surface of the shaft so that by rotating the shaft the contact end of the shaft is movable to make contact with another side surface of the pole to press the pole against the interior wall of the one leg to thereby fixedly hold the pole between the contact end of the shaft and the interior wall of the one leg, the slide mechanism movable to a second position to disengage its threaded surface from the threaded outer circumferential surface of the shaft to enable the shaft to freely move along the channel.
2. Clamp of claim 1, comprising a spring means that biases the slide mechanism to the first position absent a force applied to the slide mechanism to move it to the second position.
3. Clamp of claim 1, further comprising a bore extending into the other leg orthogonal to the channel, the threaded surface of the slidable member movably positioned in the bore.
4. Clamp of claim 1, wherein the slide mechanism comprises a half nut that has the threaded surface and a smooth surface.
5. Clamp of claim 1, further comprising means adapted to securely attach any of a plurality of devices to the U-shaped member.
6. Clamp of claim 1, wherein the interior wall of the one leg is substantially V-shaped to enhance the gripping of the pole.
7. Clamp of claim 4, wherein the half nut includes a button end that extends outside the bore when the half nut is in the first position, and wherein the half nut is disengaged from the shaft when the button end is pushed towards the bore.
8. Device, comprising:
- a substantially U-shaped member having one and other legs, the one leg having an interior wall facing the other leg configured to make gripping contact with at least a first side surface of a pole placed between the one and other legs, the other leg having a channel extending therethrough along an axis that meets the interior wall of the one leg and a bore that intersects the channel substantially orthogonally;
- a shaft having a threaded outer circumferential surface movable through the channel, the shaft having a contact end that faces the interior wall of the one leg and a rotatable end extending out of the channel at an opposite side of the other leg;
- actuator means movable along the bore for selectively positioning a guide in contact with the threaded outer circumferential surface of the shaft so that the shaft is movable along the channel only when it is being rotated at its rotatable end, and positioning the guide away from the threaded outer circumferential surface of the shaft so that the shaft is freely movable along the channel;
- wherein when the actuator means positions the guide to be in contact with the threaded outer circumferential surface of the shaft, the shaft is rotatably moved along the channel so that its contact end makes contact with a second side surface of the pole and presses at least the first side of the pole against the interior wall of the one leg to thereby fixedly hold the U-shaped member and the pole relative to each other.
9. Device of claim 8, wherein the actuator means comprises a yoke slider having two arms with a wider gap between the two arms at its one end than at its other end, a semi-circular threaded opening configured between the two arms at the other end of the yoke slider to form the guide that threadedly guides the threaded outer circumferential surface of the shaft when the yoke slider is positioned to its engagement position.
10. Device of claim 9, wherein when the actuator means is actuated to its disengagement position, the one end of the yoke slider is moved to intersect the shaft, the gap between the arms at the one end of the yoke slider being wider than the diameter of the shaft so that the shaft is freely movable along the channel.
11. Device of claim 8, wherein the actuator means comprises a half nut having a threaded surface movable along the bore, the half nut movable to a first position to engage its thread surface with the threaded outer circumferential surface of the shaft so that the shaft is movable along the channel when the shaft is rotated, and a second position to disengage its threaded surface from the threaded outer circumferential surface of the shaft so that the shaft is freely movable along the channel.
12. Device of claim 11, wherein the bore is closed at one end, the device further comprising a spring positioned between the closed end of the bore and the end of the half nut slidable inside the bore so that the half nut is biased to the first position unless a force is applied against the other end of the half nut to disengage its threaded surface from the threaded outer circumferential surface of the shaft.
13. Device of claim 8, further comprising means for securely attaching another device to the U-shaped member.
14. Device of claim 13, wherein the another device comprises a blood pressure transducer or a pump.
15. Device of claim 8, wherein the interior wall of the one leg is substantially V-shaped for grippingly holding the first side of the pole when the another side of the pole is pressedly pushed by the contact end of the shaft.
16. A clamp, comprising: a substantially U-shaped member having one and other legs wherebetween a pole is positionable, the one leg of the U-shaped member having an interior wall configured to grippingly make contact with at least a first side surface of the pole, the other leg of the U-shaped member having a channel and a bore that orthogonally intersects the channel, the channel in longitudinal alignment along an axis that extends to the interior wall of the one leg; a screw having a contact end movably fitted to the channel and movable bidirectionally along the axis; a slide mechanism having two arms connecting a first end to a second end, the two arms separated by a semi-circular threaded opening at its first end and an opening at its second end, the slide mechanism slidable along the bore with its first end outside one aperture of the bore and the second end outside other aperture of the bore; wherein the slide mechanism is movable along the bore to position its semi-circular threaded opening into a threaded relationship with the screw so that by rotating the screw the contact end of the screw is movable along the axis to make contact with another side surface of the pole to fixedly hold the pole between the contact end of the screw and the interior wall of the one leg.
17. Clamp of claim 16, wherein the slide mechanism is movable along the bore to position the opening at the second end of the slide mechanism in orthogonal alignment with the screw, the opening having a wider diameter than the semi-circular thread opening to enable the screw to freely move along the axis.
18. Clamp of claim 16, further comprising means for securely holding any of a plurality of devices to the U-shaped member.
19. Clamp of claim 18, wherein one of the devices comprises a blood pressure transducer or a pump.
20. Clamp of claim 16, wherein the interior wall of the one leg is V-shaped for grippingly holding the first side surface of the pole when the another side surface of the pole is pressed by the contact end of the screw.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 12, 2009
Publication Date: Dec 16, 2010
Applicant: Smiths Medical ASD, Inc. (Keene, NH)
Inventor: Charles R. Patzer (Columbus, OH)
Application Number: 12/457,510