Patent ID: 8591522

Claim:
A method of manufacturing an alignment device, comprising: forming a longitudinal guide portion with a longitudinal opening that defines a guide axis; attaching a spherical portion to an end of the longitudinal guide portion; forming a base unit that includes a first portion and a spherical socket extending from the first portion having an interior surface for mating with the spherical portion; forming a relief passage in a portion of the spherical socket to allow deformation of the spherical socket relative to the first portion, wherein forming a relief passage in a portion of the spherical socket includes forming at least two relief openings spaced around a circumference of the spherical socket to form at least two separately moveable fingers that extend from the first portion; surrounding and engaging an outer perimeter of the spherical socket with an actuating device, wherein the actuating device is coupled directly to the spherical socket; and providing a path for moving the actuating device to cause substantially symmetric tightening of the spherical socket around at least a part of the spherical portion to hold the spherical portion in a selected position with the spherical socket.