Connector

Abstract

A device for releasibly clamping two elements together, one element being provided with a headed bolt means and the other with a transverse sleeve-like cam through with the bolt means extend.

Description

The manufacturing industries and the wood-working industries in particular are constantly demanding means and devices of practical use reserved to cutdown the working processes and yet showing the same results of stability and stiffness. In the case of the manufacturing of composable and decomposable furniture, and for furniture which shall be delivered disassembled owing to space and expense requirements, the elements to be reassembled shall be equipped with easily operable mutual locking, showing a perfect functionality and moreover operable by workers not particularly skilled in the art.

This invention relates to a locking device means free from joints to be restrained onto the relevant parts, wherein said parts shall only be justaposed one to the other, and wherein said members reserved to be restrained are still fit into the inner portion of said parts; wherein externally the presence of said restraining units is not visible, and wherein internally only the parts to be moved for the actuation of said device are visible.

The present invention provides means suitable to lock one to the other, with permanent traction, two building parts, made from any type of material which can be machined with the possibility to disengage said two parts.

It also provides the possibility to operate said device easily and fastly, without the use of especial tools, and without the necessity of especial instruction; the limit-stroke of the lever occuring by release, and therefore no casual or spontaneous opening of said device can be expected.

The device object of the present invention comprises two parts in particular : a portion extending orthogonally off one of the piece to be connected provided with an enlarged end, wherein the other portion internal the second piece, suitable to receive the said portion extending off the first said piece and to lock it by means of a lever element, which, rotated within its own seat, and during the rotation it locks the enlarged end of said extending piece, the two pieces being mutually in traction.

The objects of the invention as well as various features and novelty and advantages will be apparent from the following description of an exemplary embodiment, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein :

FIG. 1 shows with some details in section two orthogonal arranged pieces to be connected, wherein the piece with the grooved portion is in position to house the tongue portion, which is carried by the other piece ;

FIG. 2 shows the two pieces of FIG. 1 which are engaged ;

FIG. 3 is the cross-section of FIG. 2 taken on the line 3--3 ;

FIG. 4 is a view rotated by 90.degree. of the FIG. 2, half cross-sectioned, taken on the line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top plan complete view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a dual-sleeve for anchoring the bolt means 8,

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the elements, and

FIGS. 8, 9, and 10 are a side view, a cross-section view and a plan view, respectively, showing a modified form of the operating lever made of plastic.

Now, referring to the drawings, as instance for the mutual connection and locking two flat and orthogonal elements 6, 7 are illustrated; said embodiment has an illustrative purpose only, since said elements can also be coplanar, T or cross arranged, or arranged according to the necessity impellent. Said element 6 is equipped with a bolt means such as member 8, the latter being the tongue, while said element 7 houses into a seat 9 incorporated, therein the groove device 10 reserved for operation and locking; said seat 9 communicating with the hole 11 made into said element 7, and through which said tongue element 8 passes.

Said tongue 8 is integral with said element 6 according to a preferred manner; for instance in the manner as shown in cross-section into the piece 6 of FIG. 1; otherwise said piece 6 can also be featured by a further tongue coaxially arranged to the first and extending out the other face of said piece 6 with the purpose to make a further locking opposed to the above described one. In the piece 6 of FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown in cross-section the manner in which the single and the dual tongue are anchored, as will be described further on.

Said tongue 8 shows a portion 8' with a diameter decreased and terminating in an enlarged head-piece 8".

Said device 10 apt to house and to lock said tongue 8, 8', 8" comprises : a sleeve 12, which is fit received into said seat 9, obtained internally the piece 7 and shaped in such a manner as to keep the rounded and shaped portion 13' (FIG. 2) of the lever 13, which is rotated by 90.degree. approx. within said sleeve 12 provided with the upper port 17 reserved for the movements of said lever 13, stop sections 16 in the two limit positions of said lever, two coaxially arranged through holes 18-18", with the hole 11 of said element 7 and with the two holes 15 and 15' of said lever, in such a manner that during the locking and engagement the tongue 8, 8', 8" can pass throughout.

In the instance of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 5, said lever 13 comprises a steel plate, wherein the half portion internally said sleeve 12 is ring-shaped with a flat portion. Exactly, said half portion is shaped with a semi-cylindrical curve 13a (FIGS. 1, 2), followed by a short rectilinear portion 13' a resting into the bottom of said sleeve according to the position of FIG. 2, and finally one end rectilinear portion 13b, orthogonal to the first portion and connected therein through a toric curve 13'; the external portion 13d, taken out the sleeve 12 through the step bending 13c, comprises a rectilinear portion 13d which is operated in order to be taken to the open position of FIG. 1 or to the closing position adhering the element 7 of FIG. 2, and wherein said two rectilinear portions 13'a and 13b are matching with two flat seats provided into said sleeve 12 in order to create the release at the closing position. Along a portion of the longitudinal center line of said lever 13 a slit 14 (FIG. 3) is provided, with such a width to permit the portion 8' of said tongue 8 to slide into; moreover, also along the longitudinal center line two holes 15 and 15' are provided coaxial mutually and with the hole 11 at the position of lever opening (FIG. 1). Said hole 15' opens at the internal end of said slit 14. In such a manner, the tongue 8 is permitted to slit into said hole 11 and through the internal curved portion of said lever 13, into said holes 15 and 15' up to the headpiece 8" extends out the lever (FIG. 2). Now said lever 13 can be moved by 90.degree., i.e., passing from position of FIG. 1 to the position of FIG. 2, wherein said head-piece 8" passes through the hole 15' to the periphery 14 and thus it can be clamped by the edges of said slit and moved in traction. Rotation of the curve 13a of the lever is guided by the cylindrical lateral extensions 16 integral with said sleeve 12.

It is evident that said end 13b of the internal rounded portion of the lever 13, still being a stiff piece, is used for a major traction onto said head-piece 8", with the purpose to get between said two elements 6 and 7 a very strong engagement; moreover, considering also the light flexibility permitted by said end 13b, probable variations in the thickness of the elements or panels can be balanced.

A satisfactory resistance to transversal stresses is moreover obtained, since the head-piece of the tongue enter into the proper seat 9 in the sleeve, and thus said tongue 8 is guided dually: at the base and at the end, and therefore not submitted to misalignments.

FIGS. 8, 9, and 10 show a lever 23, respectively in a side view, a cross-section view and a plan view; this lever is similar to said lever 13 in operation, however the former consists of a solid piece, and not a bent plate. In addition to the recesses 23' suitable to house the pins 16 of the sleeve 12, it presents the center slot 24 corresponding to the slit 14, and a cylindrical through hole 25 corresponding to the coaxial holes 15 and 14'. For the remaining part, said lever 23 has the functions and results likewise said lever 13.

As above stated, said tongue 8 is preferably anchored to the piece 6 screwing it into a sleeve 26 fitted with outer tips 26' entering the wood for expansion which is provocated by the feeding of said tongue 8 into said sleeve 26.

According to the embodiment of FIG. 2, the sleeve 28 has a length larger than the thickness of panel 6 and has a diametral hole 27 perpendicular to the axis of the sleeve 28, thus said sleeve at the specific portion is thinner since its continuity is allowed by two diametral connections 27" only.

The anchoring operation occurs in the following manner; into said panel 6a through hole 29 is made which has a bore equal to the external one of said sleeve 28; the sleeve 28 is inserted into the hole of the panel; the area of the panel which receives the sleeve is laid onto a very resistant plane, preferably covered by a very resistant metallic layer; said sleeve 28 is slipped into the core of a punch resisting with its enlarged lower base against said sleeve; the punch is hit by means of a sharp stroke of the hammer, the punch with its lower base and the end of the core will make a stopping means while the thinner portions 27' of the sleeve will extend outwardly owing to the squashing of the through holes 27, the extensions 27" thus obtained will act as anchoring means with stability both for the rotation of the sleeve and for the pulling out from its seat.

From the above description and the attached drawing it is clear that this present invention represents a securing means featured by practical and technical advantages not allowed by the prior art; while one embodiment has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, it is to be understood that there may be various embodiments and modifications within the general scope of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A device for releasibly clamping a first element (6) and a second element (7) tightly together, comprising:

a. a first part in the form of a bolt means having a body portion (8), a reduced neck portion (8') and a head portion (8") similar in diameter to the body portion and attached to it at a distance from the body portion, said bolt means jutting orthogonally from the first element (6) and firmly affixed thereto;

b. a second part (10) at least partially received within and engaged with said second element (7), said bolt means being insertable through and engaged by the second part (10);

c. said second part (10) comprising a box-shaped bushing (12) and a cam (13) operated by a lever (13d), said lever extending outwardly from a generally annular, sleeve-like portion (13a), said bushing rotatably containing said cam, said bushing and said sleeve-like portion having alignable means (18, 18' and 15, 15') through which said head portion (8") and neck portion (8') of said bolt means are insertable and engagable;

d. the open, generally annular, sleeve-shaped portion (13a) including a biasing means engagable with said bolt head, said alignable means of said cam comprising two diametrical holes (15, 15') through which the head portion (8") of said bolt will just slide, said holes (15, 15') being joined by a slot through which the said reduced neck portion (8') of the bolt will just freely slide; said lever and cam being rotatable through an arc of at least 90.degree. relative to said bushing;

e. said bushing (12) having an internal cavity (17) in which said cam is received and having a pair of opposed, spaced, coaxial guide pins (16, 16) projecting inwardly from its sides on which said cam is pivoted, said alignable means of said bushing comprising two diametrical holes (18, 18') through the sides of said bushing similar in size to said holes (15, 15') in said cam and perpendicular to said guide pins (16, 16); and

f. a hole (11) through said element (7) similar in size to said bolt head and coaxially aligned with said holes in said bushing, whereby said members may be joined by inserting said bolt means into said hole and said bolt head through said aligned holes into the said bushing and cam and rotating said cam, thus, causing the biasing means of said cam to draw said bolt head inwardly and the first element (6) tightly against said second element (7).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the cam (13) is made of a rigid metallic steel strip of which one end is formed into an open ring shape, the other end being rectilinear.

3. Device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the cam (13) is a rigid metallic strip whose ring-shaped portion (13a and 13'a) is inside the box-shaped bushing (12) and comprises a semi-circular curved portion, then a short rectilinear length (13"a), and finally a further terminal rectilinear length (13b) which is orthogonal to the preceding length (13"a), these two rectilinear lengths being connected to one another by a toric curve (13'), the semi-circular curve (13'a) and the terminal rectilinear length (13b) being crossed respectively by the holes (15, 15') in order to allow the passage of the head (8") of the bolt means (8); a slot (30, 30') being provided between the holes (15, 15') and past the second hole (15') towards the second rectilinear zone (13b), said slot having such a length that the portion (8') having a minor diameter of the bolt means (8) can slide during the rotation of the lever (13), while the head (8") remains in traction between the edges of the slot (30'), when the lever is rotated to the closed position; in this position the lever (13d) rests against the surface of the element (7).

4. Device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the gripping and guiding pins (16) of the sleeve-like portion (13a, 13'a) of the lever (13) have an outer diameter which is nearly equal to the internal diameter of said ring part (13a, 13'a) of the lever (13), in order to maintain the lever device centered and the traction of the bolt means (8) axial during the entire arcuate movement of the lever.

5. Device according to claim 1 characterize in that the bolt means (8) is anchored in the element (6) by screwing it into a threaded sleeve (26), which is outwardly deformed at (26'), fixing and firmly engaging the same threaded screw into the material of the element (6).

6. Device according to claim 1 wherein two bolt means (8) are arranged axially of one another projecting from both sides of one same element (6), characterized in that for the assembling of the device a double sleeve (28) having a weakened center zone (27') which is compressed axially and widened radially in order to immobilize it in the element (6) is placed therein, while the two extremities of the sleeve (28) each receive the threaded base of a bolt means (8).