Ball joint structure

Claim 1

A SUPPORT STRUCTURE HAVING AT LEAST THREE JOINTS WHICH CAN BE LOCKED AND UNLOCKED SIMULTANEOUSLY BY A SINGLE MOVEMENT, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) A FIRST JOINT COMPRISING A SPLIT BALL JOINT, SAID BALL JOINT INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND HEMISPHERES HELD IN A FIRST SOCKET, SAID SOCKET HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN, SAID FIRST HEMISPHERE BEING DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID OPENING AND SAID SECOND HEMISPHERE BEING DISPOSED OPPOSITE SAID OPENING: (B) A HOLLOW ARM SECURED TO SAID FIRST HEMISPHERE; (C) A ROD MOVABLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOLLOW ARM, SAID ROD PASSING THROUGH THE FIRST HEMISPHERE, AND BEING IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SECOND HEMISPHERE; (D) SAID FIRST SOCKET COMPRISING AN OUTER TUBE AND AN INNER MEMBER MOVABLY DISPOSED THEREIN, SAID OUTER TUBE HAVING A COLLAR ON ONE END FORMING A CONFINING MEANS FOR THE SPLIT BALL WITHIN THE SOCKET AND THE CORRESPONDING END OF THE INNER MEMBER FORMING A SEAT FOR SAID SPLIT BALL; (E) A SECOND SOCKET AT THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID OUTER TUBE WHEREIN A COLLAR AT SAID END FORMS A CONFINING MEANS FOR A BALL WITHIN SAID SOCKET AND THE CORRESPONDING OPPOSITE END OF THE INNER MEMBER FORMS A SEAT FOR SAID BALL WITHIN THE SOCKET; (F) AN ARM ATTACHED TO SAID BALL; (G) SAID SECOND SOCKET AND SAID BALL COMPRISING A SECOND JOINT; (H) A THIRD JOINT HAVING AT LEAST TWO MEMBERS INTERCONNECTED WITH SAID ROD AND HOLLOW ARM SO AS TO BE ADAPTED TO BE LOCKED BY RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID ROD ACTING WITHIN SAID HOLLOW ARM; (I) MEANS FOR EXERTING A FORCE BETWEEN SAID FIRST MENTIONED COLLAR AND SAID INNER MEMBER SO THAT THE SPLIT BALL HEMISPHERES ARE MOVED RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER, EXERTING A FORCE ON SAID TUBE, LOCKING SAID BALL CONSTITUTING THE SECOND JOINT AND EXERTING A FORCE ON SAID ROD SIMULTANEOUSLY LOCKING THE THIRD JOINT.