Pole Clamp

Abstract

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.

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.