US Patent 11673277 Four-bar clamping device

A clamping device comprises an inner rod, a sliding handle, one or more claws, a top yoke, a bottom yoke, a spring, and a counterweight. The sliding handle surrounds and slides about the inner rod. The top yoke is coupled to the inner rod and each claw is coupled to the top yoke. The bottom yoke is coupled to the sliding handle and each claw is coupled to the bottom yoke via linkage bars. The inner rod is coupled to the counterweight. The spring extends between the sliding handle and the counterweight. The claws, top yoke, linkage bars, and bottom yoke form four-bar linkages. The clamping device clamps an object via a spring force transferred to the claws via the four-bar linkages. Each claw provides an equivalent clamping force independent of orientation of the apparatus. Spring tension is configurable by threading the inner rod into and out of the counterweight.