Patent ID: 8919228

Claim:
A gripping device comprising: an upper arm and a lower arm, each terminating at one end in a gripping head and at the other in a U-shaped receiver, wherein said arms are pivotally connected at two pivotal joints, and wherein each of arms further include a hinged joint between said pivotal joints; a ratcheting mechanism pivotally connected to said U-shaped receivers and joining said upper arm and said lower arm, wherein said ratcheting mechanism is comprised of a post having a plurality of teeth between an upper end and a lower end, wherein said lower end is pivotally connected to said lower arm at said U-shaped receiver, a pawl device connected to said upper arm at said U-shaped receiver and having a central hollow cavity with an aperture, a locking release shaft having an oblong aperture corresponding to said aperture of said pawl device and release surface, said locking release shaft housed within said pawl device such that said release surface projects from said pawl device, a teeth-engaging structure having a plurality of teeth corresponding to said teeth of said post and housed within said locking release shaft, a spring housed within said pawl device and exerting an outward force on said teeth-engaging structure to keep release surface projecting from said pawl device and said teeth of said teeth-engaging structure engaged with said teeth of said post, wherein inward pressure against said release surface compresses said spring to disengage said teeth-engaging structure from said post to allow said post to slide freely through said oblong aperture of said locking release shaft and said aperture of said pawl device, wherein said outward force exerted by said spring is perpendicular relative to the sliding motion of said post, and wherein at least one of said plurality of teeth on said post is in physical engaging contact with at least one of said plurality of teeth on said teeth-engaging structure.