Positioning device for human limbs and the like

Claim 1

A positioning device for holding a human limb or the like in a fixed position above a table surface, comprising a rectangular elongated limb support plate, a single suction cup assembly attached to said support plate, said suction cup assembly providing means for selective attachment to a table surface to support said plate in parallel spaced relation to said table surface, a pair of opposed upstanding clamp assemblies disposed on said support plate, each of said clamp assemblies comprising a clamp member having a concave limb-engaging surface thereon, at least one of said clamp assemblies being slidably mounted on said support plate to permit selective movement thereof relative to the other said clamp assembly, means for adjusting the relative angular orientation of at least said slidable clamp assembly to accommodate the taper of a limb clamped therebetween, means for releasably locking said slidable clamp assembly in the desired position on said support plate, one end of said support plate extending substantially further beyond the suction cup assembly than the other end thereof, said slidable clamp assembly being adapted to slide along said extending end of said plate, said suction cup assembly comprising a rigid downwardly opening cup secured to said support plate, a resilient diaphragm extending beneath said cup, means for withdrawing said diaphragm partially into said cup to create a partial vacuum therebeneath and to secure said assembly to a table surface, said latter means comprising actuating means including an actuating lever disposed beneath said extending end of said support plate, and locking means for preventing rotation of said support plate and cup with respect to said diaphragm.