Quick release clamp for elongated objects

A quick-engage/quick-release clamp device for supporting elongated objects, comprising:

• a) a base member having a bottom wall, confronting spaced side walls and confronting spaced end walls defining a generally quadrilateral hollow shell having an access opening thereinto opposite said bottom wall providing access into the interior of said shell and axially aligned notches in said confronting spaced side walls;
• b) a cap member constituting a hollow shell having confronting spaced side walls extending integrally from a transverse wall member, said cap member being pivotally mounted on said base member and digitally pivotable to selectively cover or uncover said access opening in said base member, said confronting spaced side walls having axially aligned notches therein coextensive with said axially aligned notches in said base member side walls when said cap member covers said access opening therein;
• c) latch means on said base member and said cap member cooperable to automatically releasably engage said cap member to said base member when said cap member is digitally pivoted to cover said access opening in said base member and selectively digitally actuable to disengage said cap member from said base member whereby said cap member may be pivoted to uncover said access opening in the base member to facilitate placement of an elongated object on the base member;
• d) wherein said transverse wall member of said cap member is semi-circular and said spaced side walls integral with said transverse wall member are radially extending and semi-circular having inner peripheries defining said axially aligned notches therein and end edges terminating in a plane coincident with the central axis of said axially aligned notches;
• and
• e) wherein a resiliently deformable block of cushioning material is removably disposed in said cap member between said spaced side walls and conforming to the interior periphery of said transverse semi-circular wall member and including a flat surface coincident with the plane of said end edges of said semi-circular spaced side walls whereby said resiliently deformable block of cushioning material spans said axially aligned notches defined by said semi-circular spaced side walls.