Animal grooming device

Claim 1

An animal grooming device comprising: a hollow, tubular, open-ended support; clamping means secured to the lower end of the support for securing the grooming device to a horizontal support; a grooming post having an upright portion and a laterally extending portion, with the upright portion telescoping into the hollow support; clutch and collet means designed for one-hand operation for adjustment of the height of the grooming post, including (1) an annular clutch ring surrounding the grooming post where it telescopes into the housing threaded for vertical movement to the upper terminating end of the housing, the annular clutch ring including a flange at its upper end having an inner sidewall portion spaced away from the outer wall of the grooming post providing an annular space therebetween, (2) a bushing resting against the upper terminating end of the hollow support held in place by the clutch ring, and (3) a flexible, annular collet ring substantially filling the annular space held in place within the annular space by the clutch ring, the clutch ring, on turning in one direction, pressing the flange of the clutch ring against the collet ring, constricting and forcing the collet ring against the grooming post, preventing movement thereof, and, on turning of the clutch ring in the oPposite direction, releasing the grooming post for vertical adjustment; and damping means restricting the downward stroke of the grooming post boom on release of clutch and collet means for vertical adjustment.