Abstract:
An operating table support clamp includes top and bottom jaw clamps containing a pair of interconnecting rods for allowing movement of the top jaw clamp between open and closed positions, Serrations on the rods interact with serrations within the top jaw clamp for automatically locking the top and bottom jaw clamps together against an operating table side rail.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Early methods of clamping to an operating table side rail are described within U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,964 entitled “Rail Clamp” and U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,973 entitled “Universal Clamp” 
     More recent operating table support clamps for attaching medical surgical support structures are described within U.S. Pat. No. 7,686,267 entitled “Operating Table Support Clamp” and U.S. Pat. No. 7,003,827 entitled “Operating Table Support Clamp”. 
     A surgical support arrangement is described within U.S. Pat. No. 6,820,621 entitled “Lateral Surgical Positioner Unit”. 
     To fasten the surgical support arrangements to the operating table side rails, the associated knobs must be rotated in the clockwise direction sufficiently to insure tight connection there between. 
     When such surgical support arrangements, attached to the side rail clamps, are to be moved along the operating table side rail, the fastening knobs must be rotated in the counter-clockwise direction to loosen the support clamp sufficiently to release the connection with the operating table side rail and later rotated in the clockwise direction to re-connect again with the side rail. 
     Since the side rails are delineated by rectangular notches thereon for receiving the jaws of the side rail clamps, positioning of the side rail clamps is thereby limited to the locations of the notches, which are difficult to determine when positioned under the surgical drapes. 
     It is further noted that most operating table side rails are hinged to allow the table to be raised or lowered, which further prevents movement of the side rail clamps along the operating table side rail. 
     It would be more efficient to be able to loosen the clamp connection without having to spend time in rotating the support damp knob to first loosen the connection with the operating table side rail, especially when several movements of the surgical support arrangements along the operating table side rail are required. 
     One purpose of the instant invention is to provide an arrangement for rapidly fastening, loosening and removing an operating table side rail clamp from the operating table side rail in the least amount of time and with a minimum amount of effort without requiring access to the side rail notches 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An operating table support clamp includes top and bottom jaw clamps containing a pair of interconnecting rods. The rods are fixedly attached to the bottom jaw clamp and are arranged for allowing movement of the top jaw clamp between open and closed positions, Serrations on the rods interact with serrations within the top jaw clamp for automatically locking the top and bottom jaw clamps together against an operating table side rail. Controlled movement of the serrations within the top jaw clamp releases the top jaw clamp from the bottom jaw clamp to thereby quickly release the support clamp from the operating table side rail. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  depicts an exploded front perspective view of the components of the operating table support clamp according to the invention prior to assembly; 
         FIG. 2  depicts a front perspective view of the operating table support clamp according to the invention prior to attachment with an operating table side rail; 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged front perspective view of the operating table support clamp according to the invention attached to the operating table side rail; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged partial front sectional view of a part of the operating table support clamp of  FIG. 3  attached to the operating table side rail; and 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged partial front sectional view of the operating table support clamp of  FIG. 3  released from the operating table side rail. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The operating table clamp, hereafter “OTC”  10  is depicted in  FIG. 1  prior to assembly and includes a top jaw  11  and a bottom jaw  12  wherein the top jaw includes a pair of openings  11 A,  11 B and the bottom jaw includes a similar pair of openings  12 A,  12 B for receiving a pair of posts  13 ,  14 . 
     The posts  13 ,  14  both include a plurality of serrations  13 A,  14 A for purposes to be discussed below in greater detail. 
     The top jaw  11  includes a pair of side plates  15 A,  15 B with openings  16 A,  16 B for receiving a pair of springs  17 A,  17 B along with a pair of plugs  18 A,  18 B which include elongated slots  19 A,  19 B for receiving the pair of posts  13 ,  14 . 
     Once the posts  13 ,  14  are passed thru openings  19 A,  19 B and  11 A,  11 B as shown in  FIG. 2 , a pair of screws  20 A,  20 B is passed thru washers  21 A,  21 B and into the threaded openings  22 A,  22 B at the top of posts  13 ,  14  which retains the posts within the top jaw  11 . 
     The bottoms  13 B,  14 B of the posts  13 ,  14  are next inserted within the openings  12 A,  12 B in the bottom jaw  12  and are fastened therein by inserting pins  23 A,  23 B within openings  12 C,  12 D. 
     A top clearance hole  25  is formed thru the top jaw  11  and a bottom clearance hole  26  is formed thru the bottom jaw  12  to allow attachment of medical surgical support structures, as described earlier. 
     To fasten the medical surgical support structures (not shown) to the operating table side rail  34 , shown in  FIG. 2 , one end of a threaded rod  27  is inserted within the threaded opening  28  in the bottom of the top jaw  11  and the opposite end of the threaded rod is inserted within threaded projection  30  on the knob  29  secured therein by means of the pin  31  within the opening  42  on the threaded projection. 
     The ridge  23  extending downward along the front of the top jaw  11  is arranged for capturing the top of the side rail  34  of  FIG. 2  while the ridge  24  extending upward from the bottom rail  12  is arranged for capturing the bottom of the side rail. 
     The assembled OTC  10  is now shown in  FIG. 2  prior to positioning the top and bottom jaws  11 ,  12  over the side rail  34  with the tops of the posts  13 ,  14  extending above the top jaw. Once the side rail  34  is arranged between the top and bottom jaws  11 ,  12  of the OTC  10 , the top clamp is moved in the downward direction as indicated in  FIG. 3  along the posts  13 ,  14  and the knob  29  is rotated to tighten the OTC to the side rail. 
     It is noted that the serrations  13 A are shown on post  13  while a similar plurality of serrations  14  A on post  14  are not visible in  FIG. 3  such that the interaction between the serrations on post  13  and the interior of the top jaw  11  will be discussed with reference to  FIGS. 4 and 5  while the serrations on post  14  react in a similar manner to insure contact between the top and bottom jaws  11 ,  12  and the side rail  34  but are not indicated herein for purposes of clarity. Referring now to  FIG. 4 , with the post  13  extending within the slot  19 B, the compression spring  17 B within the side plate  15  B, contacts the end of the slotted plug  18 B forcing the serrations  19 C on the interior of the plug into contact with the serrations  13 A on the post  13  thereby preventing removal of the top clamp  11  from the bottom clamp  12 . 
     With the serrations  13 A,  14 A on posts  13 ,  14  ( FIG. 3 ) in contact with the serrations formed within the ends of the slots  19 A,  19 B within the plugs  18 A,  18 B, ( FIG. 1 ) in order to remove the top and bottom jaws  11 ,  12  from the side rail  34  ( FIG. 3 ) the end of the plug  18 B is moved in the indicted direction against the compression spring  17 B forcing the compression spring against the inner surface of the side plate  15 B as shown in  FIG. 4 , which moves the serrations  19 C on the end of the slot  19 B away from the serrations  13 A on the post  13  thereby allowing removal of the top jaw  11  from the bottom jaw  12 , which in turn, allows the OTC  10  of  FIG. 3  to move along the side rail  34  in either direction, as indicated. 
     Once the OTC  10  is at the desired location, the end of the plugs  18 A,  18 B are released allowing the compression springs  17 A,  17 B to move the serrations such as  19 C within the plugs back into contact with the serrations  13 A,  14 A on posts  13 ,  14  to lock the top jaw  11  and bottom jaw  12  back into contact with the side rail  34  as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     A simple and effective means for momentarily releasing an operating table clamp from an operating table side rail has herein been described to both attach and allow movement of a surgical support device along the operating table.