US2199949A - Mortician's clamp - Google Patents

Description

May 7, 1940. o. E. DAVIS MORTICIANS CLAMP Filed Jan. 30, 1939 654 //v 5. flA v/s VENTOR.

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Patented May 7, 1940 l. STATES PATENT OFFICE MORTICIANS CLAMZP Olin E. Davis, Whittier, Calif.

Application January 30, 1939, Serial .No. 253,615

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for a mortician to use in holding in place the feet and limbs of a corpse upon his table during an embalming operation.

It is an object of the invention to provide an exceedingly simple device of this character which can readily be adjusted without the use of tools, to fit against and elevate the lower limbs and feet of the deceased whether it be a person of small stature, an adult of usual development, or a child.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character stated which can be removably mounted upon the top of a morticians table in a secure manner, without the use of screws, or of any other attaching means which would mar the table, but will nevertheless stay dependably in place while in use.

Further objects relate to extreme simplicity of construction, to conformity of the clamping elements to the contour of the limbs of the corpse, to extreme case of adjustment, and to lowered cost of manufacture.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawing which illustrates what is at present deemed to be a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. l is a perspective view of the device showing the same mounted in its operative position upon a morticians table.

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail taken longitudinally through the shaft Whereon the clamping elements are adjustably mounted. I 1

Referring in detail to the drawing, in Fig. 1 the device is shown mounted upon a morticians table H), to which it is removably secured by means of the feet furnished with vacuum cups I I with which its end standards 12 are provided. By means of said standards I2, a hollow cylindrical rod i3 is supported by its end portions in a horizontal. manner and in an upwardly spaced relation to the table I0.

Upon said rod I3 is adjustably mounted a pair of clamping members l5 which have longitudinally concave faces it that are directed toward each other. By preference and as shown said clamping members are identical in construction, each of them consisting of an elongated plate, uniformly concave on its inner side and having through one end portion a circular aperture H the diameter of which is somewhat greater than the diameter of the shaft i3 thus affording a clearance I8 between the inner edge of such aperture and the exterior of the shaft 13, as shown in Fig. 1.

The clamps I6 may be varied considerably in shape. withoutdeparting from the claimed invention, but as shown in the drawing their side faces are each shaped as a rather slender ovoid, the aperture ll being located in the large end of the ovoid. The purpose of forming the apertures fl larger in diameter than the diameter of the rod I3 is to cause the adjusted plates to tilt to a gripping position on the rod and thereby procure a clamping effect when the clamp members are each abutted against the outer sides of the legs of a corpse adjacent the feet in a firm manner so that the reaction of the pressure of the legs upon the inner faces of the clamps tilts them away from each other and thereby causes the edge portions of the apertured parts of the clamps to bite down upon the rod and prevent them from slipping farther apart. It will be understood that at the places where the apertures are located in the clamps the clamping plates will be provided at each side with angular shoulders tosecure the clamping effect which has been mentioned. In other words the margins of the apertures through the clamps are not beveled but are annular, ninety degree shoulders. That part of each plate which abuts against the corpse must extend at an angle to the axis of the angularly shouldered aperture I! or else the desired gripping effect of the plate upon the rod will not be secured.

The rod 13 is supported at a sufficient height above the top of the table Hi to assume pendant positions without contacting with or marring the top of the table.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the subject matter claimed.

What is claimed is: I

1. In a device of the kind described a rod, means to mount said rod in a horizontally extending position upon a morticians table in an upwardly spaced relation to the top thereof, and a pair of clamp members mounted upon said rod and adjustable therealong at different distances from each other, said clamp members consisting of elongated plates'which have longitudinally concave faces, the concave face of one of said plates being directed toward that of the other, said plates each having through one end portion thereof an angularly shouldered aperture of a greater size than the diameter of the rod to allow the mounted plates to have a tilting movement and gripping action in relation to the rod, whereby to grip between them the limbs of a corpse when drawn sufficiently near each other.

2. In a device of the kind described a rod, means to mount said rod in a horizontally extending position upon a morticians table in an upwardly spaced relation to the top thereof, and a pair of clamp members mounted upon said rod and adjustable therealong at difierent distances from each other, said clamp members being positionable in an upwardly extending relation to said rod, whereby to grip between them the limbs of a corpse when said clamps are drawn sufflciently near each other, said clamp members consisting of elongated members having concaved sides which are directed toward each other, said rod being of a cylindrical character and said clamp members each having a circular aperture through which said rod extends, such aperture being of a considerably greater diameter than the diameter ofthe rod. a e

OLIN E. DAVIS.

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