U.S. patent number 3,591,212 [Application Number 04/802,520] was granted by the patent office on 1971-07-06 for construction for dovetail joint.
Invention is credited to Jeff S. Rhyne.
United States Patent |
3,591,212 |
Rhyne |
July 6, 1971 |
CONSTRUCTION FOR DOVETAIL JOINT
Abstract
An interlocking structure for forming a right-angle joint
between two panel members wherein an edge of each member is stamped
to form alternate dovetail tenons and mortises along that edge,
whereafter the panel members are pressed together at right angles
to force the tenons on the one member into the mortises on the
other member. As the tenons enter the mortises, the material of
each is deformable to allow the small edge dimension of the
mortises to pass the large leading portion of the tenons and allow
the tenons to seat fully within the mortises. Accordingly, the
deformed material of the mortises expands to form a structure
adapted to grasp the root of the tenons and form a joint
interlocking in both directions of relative movement.
Inventors: |
Rhyne; Jeff S. (Marianna,
FL) |
Family
ID: |
27085799 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/802,520 |
Filed: |
February 26, 1969 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
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608545 |
Jan 11, 1967 |
3442311 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
217/65; 52/284;
220/691; 403/231; 403/381 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16B
12/46 (20130101); B27F 1/00 (20130101); B27M
3/18 (20130101); B27M 1/02 (20130101); F16B
2012/046 (20130101); Y10T 403/4602 (20150115); F16B
2200/30 (20180801) |
Current International
Class: |
B27F
1/00 (20060101); B27M 1/00 (20060101); B27M
1/02 (20060101); B27M 3/18 (20060101); F16B
12/00 (20060101); F16B 12/46 (20060101); F16b
007/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;287/20.924,2.92W,2.92D,2.92G ;144/319 ;52/284 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Williamowsky; David J.
Assistant Examiner: Shedd; Wayne L.
Parent Case Text
This application is a divisional application of my copending
application Ser. No. 608,545, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,442,311, filed
Jan. 11, 1967, entitled DOVETAIL JOINT.
Claims
I claim:
1. An interlocking structure comprising:
A. a first elastically deformable panel member having a plurality
of tenons along one side edge thereof, each of said tenons having a
dovetail configuration when viewed in the plane of that member and
each having walls extending generally transverse to that plane;
and
B. a second elastically deformable panel member oriented at an
angle to said first panel member and having a plurality of mortises
along one side edge thereof, each mortise
1. having a dovetail configuration when viewed in the plane of that
member,
2. having walls extending generally transverse to that plane,
3. having a width proximate its side edge farthest from said tenons
of a magnitude less than that of the leading edge of each
corresponding tenon and having a width across its bight portion
which matches that of the portion of said tenon juxtaposed thereto,
the aforesaid difference in widths of each mortise and tenon
forming narrow wedge-shaped interfering portions, the maximum
amount of interference during assembly of said members remaining
within the elastic limits of the materials forming said mortises
and tenons, and
4. receiving a tenon on said first panel member in interlocking
relation to form an interlocking joint between said panel
members.
2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
C. said first panel member has a thickness substantially equal to
the depth of the mortises of said second panel member and
D. said second panel member has a thickness substantially equal to
the height of the tenons of said first panel member.
3. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
C. said first and second panel members are oriented at
substantially a right angle, one to the other.
4. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
C. said panel members are four in number such that in the resulting
closed structure they form the four sides of a parallelogram.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to containers and the like. More
particularly, it relates to a construction for joining together a
plurality of rectangular panel members to form a closed, boxlike
structure suitable for use, for example, as a drawer for an article
of furniture.
Many structures have been proposed for joining panel members
together. Perhaps one of the most popular of these involves the use
of so-called dovetail joint. Dovetail joints, while generally
satisfactory, offer resistance to separating movement of the panel
members only in one relative direction. If resistance to separating
movement in both directions of relative movement is required, some
other means, such as glue, must be employed. Many attempts have
been made to modify the structure of standard dovetail joint to
enable it to offer resistance to separating movement in both
relative directions. In each case however, the proposed
modification, while perhaps accomplishing the desired double
interlock, has been so complicated and expensive as to render the
resulting joint commercially impractical.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved
joint of the dovetail type.
According to the present invention, a plurality of tenons are
formed along one edge of one of the panel members to be joined, and
a plurality of mortises are formed along one edge of the other
panel member. The mortises formed in the one member have the same
size and shape as the tenons formed in the other member and the
mortises and tenons each present a dovetail configuration when
viewed in the the plane of the member in which they are formed.
Following formation of the mortises and tenons, the panel members
are pressed together at right angles one to the other to force the
tenons on the one member into the mortises on the other member.
Since the leading portion of each tenon has a width greater than
the width of the corresponding mortise measured at the outer edge
of the panel member, the material of the tenon and mortise must
mutually deform to pass the tenon and allow it to seat fully within
the mortise. After the leading edge of the tenon has passed, the
deformed material of the mortise expands to grasp the tenon
adjacent its root. The interengaged and mutually deformed tenons
and mortises thus form a double interlocking structure precluding
separating movement of the panel members in either direction of
relative movement.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the
accompanying drawing. In the drawing:
FIG. 1 is a perspective, partially exploded view of a container
embodying features of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale showing a portion
of one edge of one of the panel members forming the container of
FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a detail view on an enlarged scale showing a single tenon
prior to its forced insertion into the corresponding mortise;
and
FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the mortise and
tenon in their interlocked positions.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The invention is demonstrated in the disclosed embodiment in the
construction of a rectangular container 10 seen in partially
exploded form in FIG. 1. Container 10 includes four rectangular
side panels A, B, C, and D, and a rectangular bottom panel E. Each
of the panel members may be formed, for example, from 1/4-inch
particle board or other natural or composition material capable of
undergoing deformation and having some resiliency.
A plurality of alternate tenons 12 and mortises 14 are formed along
two opposite side edges of each side panel. The tenons and mortises
on each panel have a dovetail configuration when viewed in the
plane of that panel and have walls extending generally normal to
that plane. The tenons on any given side panel are preferably of
exactly the same size and shape as the tenons on any other panel
and the mortises preferably have the same size and shape as the
tenons.
For example, and as best seen in FIG. 2, the walls of each of the
tenons and mortises may be inclined at an angle of approximately
7.degree. to the horizontal and the mean diameter X of each tenon
and the mean diameter Y of each mortise may equal one-half inch.
Further, the height Z of each tenon (and the depth of each mortise)
is equal to or slightly less than the thickness of the panels.
Thus, if the panels are formed of 1/4-inch particle board, the
dimension Z will also be one-quarter inch or slightly less. The
mortises and tenons are formed in a stamping operation performed on
an automatic feed punch press.
Following the stamping operation, panels A and B, for example, are
pressed together at right angles one to the other to force the
tenons on panel A into the mortises on panel B and the tenons on
panel B into the mortises on panel A. This step may be performed,
for example, by the use of a hydraulic clamp or similar
force-applying apparatus.
Since the width of the mortises measured at the very side edge of
the panel is less than the width of the leading edge of the tenons,
a certain amount of deformation must take place to permit the
tenons to seat fully within the mortises. The nature and extent of
this deformation is best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 wherein it is
assumed that the panel B is held stationary while panel A is moved
toward it at a right angle.
As the tenon 12 enters the mortise 14, the material at the top and
bottom of the outer leading edge 16 interferes with the material at
the edge face 18 of the panel B so that a mutual deformation takes
place to allow the tenon to pass. The extent of deformation of the
tenon is greatest at the outer leading edge 16 and progressively
less proceeding across the thickness of the tenon with the inner
leading edge 20 theoretically suffering no deformation; the extent
of deformation or spreading of the mortise is greatest at edge face
18 and progressively less proceeding along the depth Z of the
mortise with the mortise theoretically suffering no deformation or
spreading adjacent the root face 22.
The approximate final configuration of tenon 12 and mortise 14
following seating of the tenon fully within the mortise is shown by
the dash lines of FIG. 3. The interlocking relationship of the
deformed mortise and tenon is shown in FIG. 4. Note that some of
the material along the mouth edges 24 and 26 of the mortise that
was deformed by the passage of the large leading edge of the tenons
has expanded following passage of this leading edge to grasp the
root or small dimension of the tenon. This deformed and then
expanded material is shown by the shaded areas 28 in FIG. 4.
The joint formed thus is of a construction that precludes
separation of the panels A and B in either direction of relative
movement. Specifically, any tendency of panel A to separate from
panel B by movement in the direction of the arrow F in FIG. 4 is
resisted by the interference between expanded material 28 and the
leading edge of tenon 12. Any tendency of panel B to separate from
panel A by movement in the direction of arrow G is resisted by
interference between the material at the mouth of the mortise and
the large undeformed dimension of the portion 29 of the tenon
positioned adjacent the root of the mortise.
Panel B may be joined to panel C in a similar manner, as may be
panel C to panel D and panel D to panel A.
Referring again to FIG. 1, bottom panel E has alternate mortises 30
and tenons 32 formed along each of its edges. The mortises and
tenons have a dovetail configuration when viewed in the plane of
panel E and are adapted to coact with a plurality of rectangular
apertures 34 formed along the bottom edge of each panel member A,
B, C, and D. Mortises and tenons 30, 32 are preferably of the same
size and shape as mortises and tenons 12, 14, and, like mortises
12, 14, may be formed in a stamping operation performed on an
automatic feed punch press. Apertures 34 may be formed in a
punching operation using a simple, straight-sided punch.
Apertures 34 have a width approximating the width of tenons 32
measured at the root; thus, when tenons 32 are forced into
apertures 34, a mutual deformation of the material of the tenon and
the material around the aperture occurs to allow the aperture to
accept the oversize dimension of the leading edge of the tenon.
Tenons 32 and apertures 34 thus coact to hold bottom E securely in
place.
The invention will be seen to provide a simple and inexpensive
construction for forming a double interlock joint between panel
members. This structure offers cost savings not only because of its
basic simplicity as measured in terms of a minimum number of
production steps, but also because it is peculiarly adapted to the
use of low-cost composition board materials. The instant invention
effects further cost savings by allowing the application of mass
production stamping techniques to the formation of the various
panel members.
It should be noted that the conventional dovetail tenon and mortise
structure cannot be formed by stamping or punching but must be cut
out by use of a dovetail router bit, and the conventional joint
provides locking action in one direction only. Such a joint is
unsatisfactory for use in a drawer construction, for example,
because force is exerted in opposite directions during normal
opening and closing of the drawer. The construction disclosed and
claimed herein not only reduces the cost of production by
facilitating use of stamping or punching technique, but actually
provides a structurally stronger joint.
* * * * *