System and apparatus for positioning and securing surgical implements

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION, A SURGICAL ACCESSORY HAVING A CYLINDRICAL PORTION AND A PATIENT SUPPORTING STRUCTURE HAVING A SIDE RAIL, APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING AND SUPPORTING THE ACCESSORY RELATIVE TO THE RAIL, THE APPARATUS COMPRISING: (A) AN ELONGATED ACCESSORY SUPPORT BAR HAVING A CYLINDRICAL PORTION REMOTE FROM THE RAIL, (B) CLAMP MEANS ENGAGED WITH THE RAIL AND CONNECTED TO THE ACCESSORY SUPPORT BAR FOR POSITIONING SAME RELATIVE TO THE RAIL, (C) RELEASABLE UNIVERSAL JOINT CLAMP MEANS SUPPORTING AND POSITIONING THE SURGICAL ACCESSORY RELATIVE TO THE ACCESSORY SUPPORT BAR INCLUDING (1) INTEGRAL BIFURCATED FIRST MEANS ENGAGED WITH THE SUPPORT BAR SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF THE CYLINDRICAL PORTION OF THE BAR FOR AXIAL AND ANGULAR MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO, (2) INTEGRAL BIFURCATED SECOND MEANS ENGAGED WITH THE ACCESSORY SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF THE CYLINDRICAL PORTION THEREOF FOR AXIAL AND ANGULAR MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO, (3) THIRD MEANS ENGAGED BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND MEANS AND PROVIDING CONTINUOUS ANGULAR MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND MEANS, AND (4) SELECTIVELY OPERABLE FOURTH MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD MEANS AND OPERABLE (I) TO BIAS TOGETHER THE BIFURCATIONS OF THE FIRST MEANS TO SECURE THE FIRST MEANS FROM ANGULAR AND AXIAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO THE SUPPORT BAR, (II) TO BIAS TOGETHER THE BIFURCATIONS OF THE SECOND MEANS TO SECURE THE SECOND MEANS FROM ANGULAR AND AXIAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO THE ACCESSORY, AND (III) TO FORCIBLY ENGAGE THE FIRST AND SECOND MEANS WITH THE THIRD MEANS TO SECURE THE FIRST AND SECOND MEANS FROM ANGULAR MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO THE THIRD MEANS REGARDLESS OF THE POSITIONS OF THE FIRST AND SECOND MEANS RELATIVE TO THE THIRD MEANS SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE SAME TIME THE BAR AND THE ACCESSORY ARE SECURED FROM MOVEMENT.