1. A skull clamp, comprising:
a first jaw configured to extend into a foramen magnum of an occipital bone of a skull toward a nose end of the skull; and
a second jaw operable with the first jaw to clamp the occipital bone and secure a bottom of the skull.
2. The skull clamp of claim 1, wherein the first jaw comprises a foramen magnum interface feature to bear against a portion of the skull about the foramen magnum to stabilize the skull when clamped.
3. The skull clamp of claim 2, wherein the first jaw further comprises an elongate portion to extend into the skull through the foramen magnum, the elongate portion having an interface feature to bear against a portion of the skull to secure the skull when clamped, and the second jaw comprises an interface feature to bear against a portion of the skull to secure the skull when clamped, and wherein the interface feature of the second jaw is configured to contact the skull between the foramen magnum interface feature and the interface feature of the first jaw in a longitudinal direction.
4. The skull clamp of claim 1, wherein the first jaw comprises an elongate portion to extend into the skull through the foramen magnum, the elongate portion having an interface feature to bear against a portion of the skull to secure the skull when clamped.
5. The skull clamp of claim 4, wherein the second jaw comprises at least two interface features to bear against a portion of the skull to secure the skull when clamped, and wherein the interface feature of the first jaw is configured to contact the skull between the at least two interface features of the second jaw in a lateral direction.
6. The skull clamp of claim 1, wherein the second jaw comprises an interface feature to bear against a portion of the skull to secure the skull when clamped.
7. The skull clamp of claim 6, wherein the interface feature of the second jaw comprises a friction enhancing material.
8. The skull clamp of claim 6, wherein the interface feature comprises at least two interface features, and wherein a recess is between the at least two interface features to provide for clearance with a ridge of the skull.
9. The skull clamp of claim 1, wherein the first jaw is configured to provide at least three points of contact with the skull.
10. The skull clamp of claim 1, wherein the first and second jaws are operable with a positioning device to facilitate rotation of the skull clamp in the at least two rotational degrees of freedom.
11. The skull clamp of claim 10, wherein the positioning device is integrated into the structure of the first and second jaws.
12. A trophy mount, comprising:
a skull coupling feature configured to interface with and support a skull; and
a positioning device configured to provide rotation of the skull coupling feature in at least two rotational degrees of freedom to facilitate positioning of the skull.
13. The trophy mount of claim 12, wherein the positioning device comprises a ball and a socket to facilitate rotation of the skull coupling feature in the at least two rotational degrees of freedom.
14. The trophy mount of claim 13, wherein the socket comprises a first socket portion of the first jaw and a second socket portion of the second jaw, wherein clamping of the first jaw and the second jaw is operable to clamp the first socket portion and the second socket portion about the ball to facilitate positioning of the skull.
15. The trophy mount of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first socket portion and the second socket portion comprises a bearing surface to interface with the ball.
16. The trophy mount of claim 14, further comprising a threaded fastener to clamp the first jaw and the second jaw.
17. The trophy mount of claim 14, wherein clamping of the first jaw and the second jaw is operable to clamp a portion of the skull.
18. The trophy mount of claim 12, further comprising a light configured to be disposed inside the skull.
19. A trophy mount, comprising:
a skull clamp supported about a support structure and having a first jaw configured to extend into a foramen magnum of an occipital bone of a skull toward a nose end of the skull, and a second jaw operable with the first jaw to clamp the occipital bone and secure a bottom of the skull; and
a positioning device configured to provide rotation of the skull clamp relative to the support structure in at least two rotational degrees of freedom to facilitate positioning of the skull.
20. A method for securing a skull for display, comprising:
disposing at least a portion of a first jaw through a foramen magnum of an occipital bone of a skull toward a nose end of the skull;
disposing a second jaw opposite the first jaw about the occipital bone; and
clamping the occipital bone between the first jaw and the second jaw.
21. The method of claim 20, further comprising disposing a foramen magnum interface feature of the first jaw proximate the foramen magnum to bear against the skull about the foramen magnum to stabilize the skull when clamped.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein disposing at least a portion of a first jaw through a foramen magnum comprises extending an elongate portion of the first jaw into the skull through the foramen magnum, the elongate portion having an interface feature to bear against a portion of the skull to secure the skull when clamped, wherein the second jaw comprises an interface feature to bear against a portion of the skull to secure the skull when clamped, and wherein the interface feature of the second jaw is configured to contact the skull between the foramen magnum interface feature and the interface feature of the first jaw in a longitudinal direction.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A power supply providing an output voltage that is ground referenced to an object having a voltage potential relative to a first ground, comprising:
a transducer having a transducer output and being configured to convert photonic energy to electrical energy;
a voltage regulator having a regulator ground and regulator input, wherein said regulator input is electrically coupled to said transducer output to receive power therefrom and said regulator ground is electrically coupled to the object; and wherein
said regulator includes a regulator output having voltage potential relative to the object.
2. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the first ground is earth ground.
3. The power supply of claim 2, wherein the object is a medium voltage power line.
4. The power supply of claim 1, further comprising:
an electrically non-conductive medium in communication with said transducer;
a photonic energy source in communication with said electrically non-conductive medium; and wherein
said photonic energy source communicates energy to said transducer via said electrically non-conductive medium.
5. The power supply of claim 4, wherein said photonic energy source is powered by a power source with a first voltage potential relative to earth ground and the object is at a second voltage potential relative to earth ground.
6. The power supply of claim 5, wherein said first voltage potential is in the range of 100 volts to 250 volts relative to earth ground and said second voltage potential is in the range of 1000 volts to 100,000 volts relative to earth ground.
7. The power supply of claim 1, wherein said transducer includes a transducer ground electrically coupled to the object.
8. The power supply of claim 3, wherein said regulator output supplies power to circuitry for processing data signals communicated through the medium voltage power line.
9. The power supply of claim 8, wherein said regulator output supplies power to a fiber optic transceiver for communicating data signals.
10. The power supply of claim 8, wherein said circuitry forms part of a transformer bypass device.
11. The power supply of claim 8, wherein said circuitry forms part of a backhaul point.
12. The power supply of claim 1, wherein said transducer converts sunlight to electricity.
13. The power supply of claim 1, wherein said transducer receives photonic energy via a fiber optic conductor.
14. The power supply of claim 1, wherein said regulator ground is explicitly coupled to the object.
15. The power supply of claim 1, wherein said regulator ground is implicitly coupled to the object.
16. A power supply, comprising:
a transducer having a transducer output and being configured to convert photonic energy to electrical energy;
a voltage regulator having a regulator ground, regulator output, and regulator input, wherein said regulator input is electrically coupled to said transducer output to receive power therefrom; and wherein said regulator ground is electrically coupled to an energized power line conductor and said regulator output provides a voltage potential relative to the energized power line conductor.
17. The power supply of claim 16, wherein said regulator ground is explicitly coupled to the energized power line conductor.
18. The power supply of claim 16, wherein said regulator ground is implicitly coupled to the energized power line conductor.
19. The power supply of claim 16, further comprising:
an electrically non-conductive medium in communication with said transducer;
a photonic energy source in communication with said electrically non-conductive medium; and wherein
said photonic energy source communicates energy to said transducer via said electrically non-conductive medium.
20. The power supply of claim 19, wherein said photonic energy source receives power from a second power line.
21. The power supply of claim 16, wherein the first power line is a medium voltage power line.
22. The power supply of claim 21, wherein said regulator output supplies power to circuitry for processing data signals communicated through the medium voltage power line.
23. The power supply of claim 22, wherein said circuitry forms part of a transformer bypass device.
24. A method of providing a voltage potential that is relative to an object that has a voltage potential relative to a second ground, comprising:
communicating photonic energy to a transducer configured to convert photonic energy to electrical energy;
coupling the output of said transducer to the input of a voltage regulator to provide power to the regulator;
coupling the ground reference of said transducer and said regulator to the object; and
providing a voltage potential relative to the object at a regulator output.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein said second ground is earth ground.
26. The method of claim 25, wherein the object is a medium voltage power line and said coupling of the ground reference of said transducer and said regulator to the object is explicit.
27. The method of claim 24, further comprising:
providing an electrically non-conductive medium in communication with said transducer;
providing a photonic energy source in communication with said electrically non-conductive medium; and where said step of communicating comprises:
transmitting said photonic energy from said photonic energy source through said electrically non-conductive medium to said transducer.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein said energy photonic source is powered by a power source with a first voltage potential relative to earth ground and the object is at a second voltage potential relative to earth ground.
29. The method of claim 28, wherein said first voltage potential is in the range of 100 volts to 250 volts relative to earth ground and said second voltage potential is in the range of 1000 volts to 100,000 volts relative to earth ground.
30. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of using power from said regulator to power circuitry for processing data signals communicated through the medium voltage power line.
31. The method of claim 30, wherein said circuitry forms part of a transformer bypass device.
32. A power supply providing an output voltage that is ground referenced to an object having a voltage potential relative to a first ground, comprising:
a transducer configured to convert photonic energy to electrical energy and having a transducer output and a transducer ground, wherein said transducer ground is electrically coupled to the object and said transducer output has a voltage potential relative to the object;
a voltage regulator having a regulator ground and regulator input, wherein said regulator input is electrically coupled to said transducer output to receive power therefrom and said regulator ground is electrically coupled to the object; and
said regulator includes a regulator output having voltage potential relative to the object.
33. The power supply of claim 32, wherein the object is a medium voltage power line.
34. The power supply of claim 32, further comprising:
an electrically non-conductive medium in communication with said transducer;
a photonic energy source in communication with said electrically non-conductive medium; and wherein
said photonic energy source communicates energy to said transducer via said electrically non-conductive medium.
35. The power supply of claim 34, wherein said photonic source is powered by a power source with a first voltage potential relative to earth ground and the object is at a second voltage potential relative to earth ground.
36. The power supply of claim 33, wherein said transducer output supplies power to circuitry for processing data signals communicated through the medium voltage power line.
37. The power supply of claim 36, wherein said circuitry forms part of a transformer bypass device.
38. The power supply of claim 33, wherein said transducer ground is explicitly coupled to the medium voltage power line.