Patent attributes
A medical table and clamp apparatus provides a medical table having sides and at least one rail that extends along a side. A specially configured clamp travels along the rail, the clamp having a non metallic clamp body. The clamp body has a pair of spaced apart appendages with a recess therebetween. An opening such as a metallic, internally threaded sleeve extends through the body. The sleeve has one sleeve end portion that is in communication with the recess. An externally threaded shaft threadably engages the internally threaded sleeve. A spherically shaped bearing is mounted on one end of the shaft. A pusher or pressure plate is mounted on the spherically shaped bearing of the shaft with a pivotal, articulating or ball and socket connection. The pusher plate is supported by the shaft and the spherically shaped bearing within the recess. Each appendage has an end portion that grasps the rail. The pusher plate is movable toward or away from the sleeve by selective rotation of the shaft in one or another rotational directions for enabling a medical implement to be clamped between the pusher plate and the rail. The sleeve and pusher plate can be of a non-metallic (e.g. polymeric) material.
