Clamping mechanism for adjusting stirrup on a medical examination table

Claim 1

In a medical examination table, an adjusting mechanism for a stirrup assembly having a support rod held by a horizontally extensible support bar wherein the improvement comprises: a curved, flexible metal strap extending from one edge of the distal end of said bar around the other edge thereof and forming a receptacle for receiving said support rod in partial wrapping engagement, said bar providing at said distal edge a generally planar bearing surface engaging said rod when thus received, said planar surface being inclined to face the axis of said rod, said strap being curved around and spaced from said bearing surface and including a free end spaced from said bar; and hand-actuated turn wheel means for drawing the free end of said strap toward said bar, thereby to bring the inner curved surface of said strap into partial wrapping engagement with a portion of said rod along a substantial contact area and forcing said rod into contact with said bearing surface along a narrow vertical contact area; whereby a minimum of turning of said hand wheel means in one direction will cause a wedging action of said rod into said bearing surface for tight frictional engagement and, alternatively, a minimum of turning of said hand wheel means in the opposite direction will release said rod along said vertical contact area and permit adjustment thereof.