Universal cradle apparatus

A universal cradle apparatus, comprising:

• a telescoping clamping mechanism, comprising a male linear drive member that is slideable relative to a mating female linear drive member, and
• wherein one of the male linear drive member and the mating female linear drive member is further structured for being secured to an external mounting surface;
• first and second mounting surfaces each positioned on a respective one of the male linear drive member and the mating female linear drive member;
• a securing mechanism structured for constraining relative motion between the first and second mounting surfaces;
• and
• a first substantially rigid jaw structure and a second resiliently flexible jaw structure, each of the first and second jaw structures being coupled to a respective one of the male drive member and the female drive member adjacent to the respective mounting surface thereof, each of the jaw structures having a respective clamping surface projected therefrom and forming mutually opposing interior clamping surfaces arranged adjacent to the mounting surfaces positioned therebetween, and wherein the second substantially resiliently flexible jaw structure is further inclined toward the mounting surfaces at an angle in the range between about 45 degrees and about 75 degrees.

A universal cradle apparatus, comprising:

• a telescoping clamping mechanism, comprising:
• (i) a female linear drive frame comprising a channel having an opening thereinto aligned along a common longitudinal drive axis,
• (ii) a male linear drive member comprising a device mounting surface and a tongue that is structured to cooperate with the channel of the female linear drive frame for moving the male drive member toward and away from the female drive frame mating therewith along the common longitudinal drive axis, and
• (iii) a securing mechanism for interlocking the male linear drive member with the female linear drive frame against relative motion therebetween;
• a first device mounting surface formed on an external surface of the female linear drive channel and a first jaw structure being positioned adjacent to a second end thereof opposite from the opening into the channel thereof;
• a second jaw structure having a second device mounting surface formed thereon and an interior clamping surface projected above the second device mounting surface and inclined there toward and being resiliently flexible relative to the second device mounting surface, the second jaw structure being positioned on the male drive shaft adjacent to the first end thereof with the second device mounting surface arranged substantially parallel with the first device mounting surface and the inclined interior clamping surface being arranged to cooperate with the first jaw structure;
• and
• a substantially rigid base plate positioned on the clamping mechanism, the base plate being structured for being coupled to an external surface.

A universal cradle apparatus, comprising:

• first and second jaw structures each having a base flange formed with a substantially planar device mounting surface and an interior clamping surface projected above the device mounting surface, the interior clamping surface of one of the first and second jaw structures being resiliently flexible relative to the device mounting surface and further being inclined toward the device mounting surface at an angle between about forty-five degrees and about ninety degrees;
• a telescoping clamping mechanism, comprising:
• (i) a frame member forming a substantially rigid channel having an opening thereinto formed at a first end thereof;
• (ii) a substantially rigid male drive member having an elongated drive shaft extending from a first end thereof, the elongated drive shaft being structured to be slidingly received into the channel through the opening thereinto, and
• (iii) a securing mechanism structured to interlock the drive shaft of the male drive member with the channel of the frame member;
• the base flange of the first jaw structure coupled to the drive shaft of the male drive member adjacent to the first end thereof;
• and
• the base flange of the second jaw structure coupled to the frame member.