Patent ID: 7111359

Claim:
A rod gripper assembly comprising: a rod, a compression bushing adapted to be slidably mounted on said rod for relative axial displacement along said rod, said compression bushing having a longitudinal length, a canter washer having an opening therein, said opening being sized to receive said bushing, whereby said canter washer when shifted to a tilted position imparts a compressive force onto said bushing which is transmitted to said rod to restrain any movement of said bushing relative to said rod without scoring, indenting or pitting an outer surface of the rod, said bushing comprising an integral member defining a sleeve having a longitudinal length, said sleeve having opposed radially outer extending flanges to define therebetween an annular circumscribing groove, a plurality of longitudinal slots extending axially relative to said rod and circumferentially spaced about said sleeve, each of said slots opening to one end of said bushing, said canter washer opening being sized to receive said sleeve, said opening having a diameter slightly greater than the outer diameter of said circumscribing groove.