Patent ID: 8348317

Claim:
A holding apparatus, comprising: a first sleeve having a first arm and a first handle of the holding apparatus; a second sleeve having a second arm and a second handle of the holding apparatus; a coupling element that couples together the first and second sleeves about an axis of rotation of the holding apparatus, with an overlap between the first and second arms of the holding apparatus formed upon sufficient rotation of at least the second sleeve about the axis of rotation towards a closed position of the holding apparatus; an adjustable receiving structure formed of inwardly oriented receiving surfaces of the first and second arms of the holding apparatus and configured to receive and retain an object upon sufficient rotation of at least the second sleeve about the axis of rotation towards the closed position of the holding apparatus; a quick release mechanism coupled to at least one of the first and second handles of the holding apparatus; and an adjustable sizing element coupled to the second handle of the holding apparatus configured to be in releasable engagement with the quick release mechanism to releasably maintain an adjustable size of the adjustable receiving structure, where activation of the quick release mechanism releases engagement of the adjustable sizing element with the quick release mechanism and allows at least the second handle and second arm to rotate about the axis of rotation, the first sleeve further comprising: first and second outer sleeves, with the first outer sleeve having a first outer handle portion and a first outer arm portion and the second outer sleeve having a second outer handle portion and a second outer arm portion, the first and second outer handle portions forming the first handle of the holding apparatus and the first and second outer arm portions forming the first arm of the holding apparatus; the second sleeve further comprising: a first inner sleeve having a first inner handle portion and a first inner arm portion, with the first inner handle portion forming the second handle of the holding apparatus and the first inner arm portion forming the second arm of the holding apparatus; and the coupling element further comprising: the coupling element that couples together the first inner sleeve to the first and second outer sleeves about the axis of rotation of the holding apparatus, with a spacing between the coupled first and second outer sleeves approximately a thickness of the first inner sleeve and sufficient to accommodate receipt of the second arm between the first and second outer arm portions of the first arm in an interleaved arrangement in which the first and second arms overlap when the first and second handles are sufficiently rotated towards each other about the axis of rotation.