Locking positional arm device

• US 6,767,153 B1
• Filed: 02/10/2003
• Issued: 07/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dana W. Holbrook
• Original Assignee: Dana W. Holbrook
• Inventors: Holbrook, Dana W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Browne, Lynne H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MACARTHUR, VICTOR L
• Application Number:
  US10/361,399
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 403/56, 403/90, 403/76, 403/115, 403/122, 403/144
• US Class Current: 403/56
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/50 Supports for surgical instruments, e.g. articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/0604 Construction of the male part
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/10 Arrangements for locking
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/14 with ball-joint ball-jointed hinges F16C11/06 ; adjustable mountings employing universal joints for lighting devices F21V21/26 - F21V21/30
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2078 with ball-joint ball-jointed hinges F16C11/06
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/40 by means of coilable or bendable legs or spiral shaped legs
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/024 by positive interaction, e.g. male-female connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32032 Plural ball and socket
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32196 Articulate joint is ball and socket
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32311 Ball and socket
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32573 Ball stud passes through confining opening
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32631 Universal ball and socket
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32811 Spring-biased

Abstract

A positional arm device is a series of multiple rods connected to each other by a spherical housing and ball joint with a spring-loaded locking piston providing a multiple position holding device serving as an anchor to hold tools in a certain position, and also as a connector between two object where a certain secure fixed position between the two objects is desired. The arm device has a spherical terminal rod, a plurality of intermediate rods and a terminal housing rod connected together by a spherical housing adjustably positioned and locked by a spring-loaded piston shaft engaging a sphere end retained within the housing, the piston shaft lockingly engaging one of a multiplicity of grooved indentations on the surface of the sphere end.

Claims

1. A multiple adjusting support arm device attaching to locking tools, providing an adjustable connecting arm for supporting the locking tools in a fixed position, the arm device comprising:

a terminal sphere rod, having a tool connecting terminal end, a body and a sphere end;

at least one intermediate rod, having a sphere end, a body and a housing end forming a circular groove;

a terminal housing rod, having a tool connecting terminal end, a body, and housing end forming a circular groove;

a housing assembly, having a first housing section with an extension slot and a second housing section assembled by screws, the housing assembly forming a spherical cavity containing the sphere end of a terminal sphere rod or intermediate rod and a circular rod engaging ridge engaging the housing end of an intermediate rod or a terminal housing rod,

said first housing section having a first hemispherical cavity with said extension slot at a lower end, a first semicircular ridge at an upper end, said first hemispherical cavity connected to said first semicircular ridge by a neck channel, two threaded holes, and four mounting pegs;

said second housing section, having a second hemispherical cavity at a lower end, a second semicircular ridge at an upper end, said second hemispherical cavity connected to said second semicircular ridge by a neck channel, two holes and four mounting slots, said first housing section and said second housing section joined together forming said housing assembly by insertion of the mounting pegs of said first housing section within said mounting slots of said second housing section; and

a screw inserting through each of said two holes in said second housing, engaging said screws into said aligned threaded holes of said first housing section, said first hemispherical cavity and second hemispherical cavity forming said spherical cavity of said housing assembly, and said first semicircular ridge of said first housing section and first semicircular ridge of said second housing section forming said circular rod engaging ridge, wherein said spherical cavity is adapted to accept either said sphere end of said intermediate rod or said sphere end of said terminal sphere rod, said spherical cavity slightly larger than said sphere end allowing for rotation of said sphere end within said spherical cavity and said circular rod engaging ridge engages said circular groove on either said housing end of said intermediate rod or terminal housing rod; and

a spring action locking piston assembly having a convex tip including crosses locking extensions, contained within the housing end of each intermediate rod and the terminal housing rod, said locking piston assembly lockingly engaging a cross groove slot in each of a multiplicity of grooved indentations on each sphere end of the intermediate rods and the terminal sphere rods.

2. The device, as disclosed in claim 1, wherein the sphere end of each terminal sphere rod and intermediate rod further comprise:

a lower section forming a neck, said neck further connected to the body and extending from the housing assembly when the sphere end is contained within said housing assembly, said neck adapted to fit within the extension slot of the first housing section, allowing the terminal sphere rod and the intermediate rod to be positioned at an angle near 90 degrees from the housing assembly; and

an upper section having the multiplicity of grooved indentations covering approximately half of the sphere end.

3. The device as disclosed in claim 1, further comprising:

the housing end of the terminal housing rod and the housing end of the intermediate rod include a partial longitudinal bore extending into the housing end, each said longitudinal bore having a perpendicular slide channel traversing from the longitudinal bore to an outer surface of the body of the terminal housing rod and intermediate rod; and

the locking piston assembly contained within said longitudinal bore, said locking piston assembly further comprising;

a piston shaft having a first end and a second end, said second end of the piston shaft extending beyond the housing end terminating into the convex tip having the crossed locking extensions, adapted to lockingly engage the cross grooved slots of any of the multiplicity of grooved indentations on the sphere end of the terminal sphere rod or intermediate rod;

a perpendicular slide arm having a slide end and a threaded end connecting to the first end of the piston shaft through the slide channel;

a thumb slide connecting to the slide end of the slide arm;

a lock channel on the second end of the piston shaft;

a coil spring, a spring retaining washer and a lock ring attaching to the second end of the piston shaft, with the lock ring engaging the lock channel retaining the coil spring and spring retaining washer on the second end of the piston shaft.

4. A multiple adjusting support arm device attaching to locking tools, providing an adjustable connecting arm for supporting the locking tools in a fixed position, the arm device comprising essentially:

a terminal sphere rod, having a tool connecting terminal end, a body and a sphere end;

at least one intermediate rod, having a sphere end, a body and a housing end forming a circular groove;

a terminal housing rod, having a tool connecting terminal end, a body, and housing end forming a circular groove;

a housing assembly, having a first housing section with an extension slot and a second housing section assembled by screws, the housing assembly forming a spherical cavity containing the sphere end of the terminal sphere rod or intermediate rod and a circular rod engaging ridge engaging the housing end of the intermediate rod or the terminal housing rod; and

a spring action locking piston assembly having a convex tip including crossed locking extensions, contained within the housing end of each intermediate rod and the terminal housing rod, said locking piston assembly lockingly engaging a cross grooved slot in each of a multiplicity of grooved indentations on each sphere end of the intermediate rods and the terminal sphere rods, wherein the device further comprises;

said sphere end of each terminal sphere rod and intermediate rod include an upper section having said multiplicity of grooved indentations covering approximately half of said sphere end and a lower section forming a neck, said neck further connected to the body and extending from said housing assembly when said sphere end is contained within said housing assembly, said neck adapted to fit within the extension slot of the first housing section, allowing the terminal sphere rod and the intermediate rod to be positioned at an angle near 90 degrees from said housing assembly;

said first housing section includes a first hemispherical cavity with said extension slot at a lower end, a first semicircular ridge at an upper end, said first hemispherical cavity connected to the first semicircular ridge by a neck channel, two threaded holes, and four mounting pegs;

said second housing section includes a second hemispherical cavity at a lower end, and a second semicircular ridge at an upper end, said second hemispherical cavity connected to said second semicircular ridge by a neck channel, two holes and four mounting slots, said first housing section and said second housing section joined together forming said housing assembly by insertion of said mounting pegs of the first housing section within said mounting slots of the second housing section with a screw inserting through each of the two holes in the second housing, engaging each said screw into the aligned threaded holes of the first housing section, the first hemispherical cavity and second hemispherical cavity forming the spherical cavity of the housing assembly, and the first semicircular ridge of the first housing section and the second semicircular ridge of the second housing section forming the circular rod engaging ridge, wherein the spherical cavity is adapted to accept either the sphere end of the intermediate rod or the sphere end of the terminal sphere rod, the spherical cavity slightly larger than said sphere end allowing for rotation of said sphere end within said spherical cavity and said circular rod engaging ridge engages the circular groove on either the housing end of the intermediate rod or terminal housing rod;

said housing end of the terminal housing rod and said housing end of the intermediate rod include a partial longitudinal bore extending into said housing end, each said longitudinal bore having a perpendicular slide channel traversing from said longitudinal bore to an outer surface of the body of the terminal housing rod and intermediate rod; and

said locking piston assembly contained within said longitudinal bore, including;

a piston shaft having a first end and a second end, said second end of said piston shaft extending beyond the housing end terminating into the convex tip having the crossed locking extensions, adapted to lockingly engage the cross grooved slots of any of the multiplicity of grooved indentations on the sphere end of the terminal sphere rod or intermediate rod;

a perpendicular slide arm having a slide end and a threaded end connecting to the first end of the piston shaft through the slide channel;

a thumb slide connecting to said slide end of said slide arm;

a lock channel on said second end of said piston shaft;

a coil spring, a spring retaining washer and a lock ring attaching to said second end of said piston shaft, with said lock ring engaging said lock channel retaining said coil spring and spring retaining washer on said second end of said piston shaft.