Patent ID: 8360813

Claim:
A rescue pole with clamping assembly comprising: a linear pole member secured at one end to a clamping mechanism; the clamping mechanism comprising a body member having opposed planar sections in register connected by sidewall sections to form a hollow interior; a pole connector member positioned at one edge of the body member, the pole connector member attached to said end of the linear pole member; a pair of opposed curved arm members, with each curved arm member extending from interior the hollow body member, each curved arm member including a pin member positioned interior the hollow body member, each pin member extending through both of a pair of aligned, linear slots in the opposed planar surfaces of the body member, with each pair of aligned slots converging toward the pole connector member; a drive mechanism within the hollow body member, the drive mechanism pivotally secured to an attachment end of each curved arm member within the hollow body member; a pulley member rotatably mounted at an edge of the hollow body member opposite the pole connector member and between the pair of opposed curved arm members; and first and second rope members, each secured to the drive mechanism, the first rope member encircling the pulley member and extending from the body member, the second rope member extending from interior the body member directly from the drive mechanism and adjacent the pole connector member; whereby pulling the first rope member draws the drive mechanism and attachment end of each curved arm member toward the pulley member with the pin members in the linear slots moving to spread apart the attached curved arm members exterior the body member, and pulling the second rope member draws the drive mechanism and attachment end of each curved arm member toward the pole connector member, with the pin members in the linear slots moving to close together the attached curved arm members exterior the body member.