Connector

Abstract

A means for attaching one member to another to prevent racking or twisting of the members. It includes a connector which attaches to one member and has a key which fits into a groove in the other member. Several modifications are shown. In one the connector clamps to the first member. In another, both members have grooves which are angularly displaced and the connector has keys which fit into both grooves. A light standard is illustrated. The groove is in the horizontal crossarm and is used to conceal the wire from the pole to the luminaire. The key may be channel-shaped to provide access into the groove for the wire.

Parent Case Text

This is a division of application Ser. No. 137,382, filed 04/26/71 and now Pat. No. 3,777,434.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

A connector structure for attaching members, the overall structure formed by such attachment and, particularly, a light standard having such an attachment.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typically, structural members are attached by bolts and nails. However, in power lines the crossarms are subject to twisting or racking in high winds.

Other systems for connecting members are shown in Jennings U.S. Pat. No. 3,153,299 issued Oct. 20, 1964; Brann U.S. Pat. No.3,167,609 No. issued Jan. 26, 1965; Thom U.S. Pat. No. 3,352,541 issued Nov. 14, 1967; and Demers U.S. Pat. No. 3,423,899 issued Jan. 28, 1969. Each of these patents discloses the interlocking of structural components. However, each is relatively complicated and none has the simplicity or interchangeability of the present invention.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has a simple method of attaching angularly displaced members. A connector is attached to the upright or vertical member. The connector may have a key which fits into a vertical groove in the vertical member. In another modification, the connector may be clamped around the vertical member.

The connector has a horizontal key which fits into a groove in the horizontal member. This construction prevents racking and twisting of the horizontal member with respect to the vertical member.

This construction may be used for light standards and the groove in the horizontal member would hose the wires for the lights. The keys on the connector may be U-shaped to allow access of the wire to the groove. A second connector is attached to the horizontal members at their outer ends and the light or luminaire is attached to this member. This connector also has keys fitting into the grooves in the horizontal members.

The construction is simple, uses standard parts, and is easy to use at the job site. It allows the crossarm to be mounted at any elevation on the post and provides a wide variety of different structures with the use of a few simple standard members. It prevents racking and twisting of the crossarms and creates a much sturdier structure because of the good moment connection between the horizontal crossarms and the vertical post and, in a light standard, the good moment connection between the light fixture and the end of the crossarm. This is done without the use of braces or tension members.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric exploded view of a construction showing the invention.

FIG. 2 is an isometric partially exploded view of the construction. Additional elements are shown.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the construction.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the construction.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 6--6 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is an isometric partially-exploded view of a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a partially exploded isometric view of a modified end construction.

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the latter modification.

FIG. 11 is an isometric view of another modified end construction.

FIG. 12 is a top plan view of this modification.

FIG. 13 is an exploded isometric view of another embodiment.

FIG. 14 is an isometric view of the embodiment assembled.

FIG. 15 is a partially exploded isometric view of the post and crossarm connection of FIGS. 13 and 14.

FIG. 16 is a top plan view of the structure of FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 is a partially exploded isometric view of another construction.

FIG. 18 is a top plan view of this construction.

FIG. 19 is a top plan view of a construction using a modified form of the connector of FIGS. 17-18.

FIGS. 20-21 are isometric views of two types of plugs.

FIG. 22 shows a cross section showing a modification in the key structure.

The drawings are fragmentary, exploded or partially exploded and partially cut away both for convenience of illustration and to show details of construction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1-16 show light standards and associated wiring. However, as in FIGS. 17-18, the connectors and structural elements may have end uses in which wiring is not essential.

In each of the illustrations, a pair of horizontal crossarms 20 are attached to the front and back sides 21 and 22, respectively, of a vertical post 23. Each of the arms 20 has an interior lengthwise horizontal groove or dado cut 24. The front and back faces 21 and 22 of post 23 have vertical grooves 25.

A wire 26 extends through the vertical channel 27 in post 23 and exits from one or both side faces 29 and 30 of the post 23 through aperture 28. The wire 26 is concealed in one of the grooves 24 between the post 23 and the light fixture. It may be held in the groove 24 completely hidden from view by a cover 31 which fits within the groove 24. The cover is shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6.

The counter bores 32 of bolt holes 33 in arms 20 are covered with plugs 34. These plugs are illustrated schematically in FIGS. 1-5 and 13-14, and two types of plugs are shown in FIGS. 20 and 21. Each type has a face plate 35 and a hollow body 36 formed of a thin wall 37 having a number of rearwardly extending ribs 38 on its outer periphery. FIG. 20 shows the flush mounted type of plug in which the diameters of the face plate 35 and body 36 are equal, and FIG. 21 shows the exposed type of plug in which the diameter of the face plate 35 is greater than that of the body 36. In both types the wall 37 is thin and rigid but it is resilient enough to conform to the shape of the hole 32.

As can be seen, the posts and crossarms are identical in each of the various constructions shown. The difference among the constructions is in the post and end connectors.

In FIGS. 1-5 the post and end connectors are identical. The connector 40 has a face plate 41 and a hollow body 42 attached to the face plate. The face plate 41 of the post connector is attached to the post 23 by screws or lag bolts 43 and 44 which extend through holes 45 and 46. In the end connector, these same holes are used as bolt holes for a luminaire. The face plate 41 has a reinforcement 47 to strengthen the connector in the area of attachment, and a central aperture 48 for the wire 26.

The body 42 has an upper sloping wall 49 with a central valley 50. The central valley strengthens the connector and allows access to hole 45. Side walls 51 extend downwardly from the upper wall 49 to a level approximately that of the central valley 50. A back wall 52 also extends downwardly from the upper wall 49 and side keys 53 extend outwardly from each of the side walls 51. The side keys 53 -- comprising an upper flange 54, a side wall 55, a lower flange 56 and an inner upwardly-extending reinforcing flange 57 -- fit into the grooves 24 of the arms 20. The close tolerances between the dimensions of the key 53 and the groove 24 may be avoided in some instances by tapering the upper and lower flanges 54 and 56 and the upper and lower faces of the groove 24, and making the groove deeper than the key to seat the key in the groove and to create greater surface contact between the key and groove. This is shown in FIG. 22. The forward end of each side key 53 is closed by a side extension 58 on the face plate 41. The back end of the side key 53 is open at 59 to provide access from the interior of the key to the groove 24, and allow the wire 26 to exit from the body of the connector 40 into the groove. This access is created by the back wall 52 which extends only between the arms 20 and not into the grooves 24.

The arms 20 are attached to the connectors 40 by bolts 60 which extend through the bolt holes 33 in the arms 20 and the bolt holes 61 in the side walls 55. A suitable washer 62 and nut 63 are provided for this attachment. If desired, the nut 63 may be eliminated by tapping the bolt holes 61.

Each of the lower flanges 56 extends inwardly of the arms 20 and is tapped for the reception of screws 64 and 65, which attach the base plate 66 to the body 42. The screws extend through apertures 67 and 68 in the base plate. The forward edge of the base plate is cut out at 69 for reception of the reinforcement 47. As can be seen, the lower portion of face plate 41 and the lower hole 46 are below the base plate 66.

A modified post connector 80 is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. This connector has a face plate 81 connected to a side face 29 or 30 of the post 23 by screws 82 and 83. The screws extend through the holes 84 and 85 in the face plate 81. An elongate rectangular tube 86 is attached to the face plate 81 and has side extensions 87 which fit snugly into the groove 24. The arm 20 is held onto the connector 80 by bolts 88 which thread into the tapped nuts 89 attached in the ends of the rectangular tube 86. A central aperture 90 in the face plate 81 and the side of tube 86, and forward side reliefs 91 in the tube 86 allow the wire 26 to pass from the aperture 28 into the groove 24.

FIGS. 9 and 10 disclose an end connector 100 having a top wall 101, a bottom wall 102, side walls 103 and an end wall 104. Outwardly-extending horizontal channels 105 are attached to the side walls 103 and are sized to fit snugly into the groove 24. The arms 20 are held against the connector by the bolt 106. Screws 107 are used to fasten the connector 100 to the arms. Suitable holes are provided in the side walls 103 for this purpose. The wire 26 passes from the groove 24 into the channel 105, through the side aperture 108 in the channel and the side wall 103 into the body of connector 100, and out through central aperture 109 in face plate 110 of the connector. The face plate 110 and its gasket 111 are fastened to connector 100 by screws 112.

FIGS. 11 and 12 disclose a modified end connector 120 having a central body 121 and two rectangular tubes 122 attached to side walls 123 of body 121. The central body 121 also has a bottom wall 124, a front wall 124 and a top wall 126. Side apertures 127 connect the interiors of body 121 and rectangular tubes 122. The rectangular tubes 122 are sized to fit snugly into the grooves 24. The arms 20 are held against the connector by bolt 128 which extends through the connector, and is fastened by washer 129 and nut 130. Relief sections 131 in the rear edge of the tubes 122 and the central aperture 132 in the front wall 125 allow the wire 26 to pass from groove 24 to the luminaire through the connector. Bolt holes 133 in the front wall 125 allow attachment of the luminaire to the connector. A cover plate 134 is also provided.

FIGS. 13 and 14 disclose another end connector which is similar to the connectors shown in FIGS. 1-5. This connector 140 is integral and has a front wall 141, top wall 142, bottom wall 143 and side walls 144. The side keys 145 extend outwardly from the side walls 144 and have top walls 146, bottom walls 147 and side walls 148. The front walls of keys 145 are covered by extensions 149 of front wall 141. The keys 145 are sized to fit snugly into the groove 24. The rear wall of the key is open, and the wire 26 extends from the groove 24 into the key 145 and central body of connector 140 and out the central aperture 150 in the front wall 141. Bolt holes 151 allow attachment of the luminaire. The connector also has a detachable back plate 152.

The arms 20 are held against the connector 140 by bolt 153, fastened in place by nut 154 and washer 155. The connector is held against lateral movement either by attachment to the arms 20 by screws extending through apertures 156 in the side wall 144 or the bolt 153 passing through aperture 157 in the key 145.

The FIGS. 13-16 also show a different post connector which attaches to the front and back faces of the post instead of the side faces. The connector 160 has a face plate 161 which is attached to the front or back face of the post 23 by screws 162 extending through apertures 163 in the face plate. An outwardly-extending vertical channel 164 is attached to the base plate 161 and extends into the groove 25 of the post 23. An outwardly-extending horizontal channel 165 is attached to the opposite side of the face plate 161 and extends into groove 24. Both channels are sized to fit snugly in their respective grooves. Again, the arms 20 are held against the connectors 160 by the bolts 153 and their associated washers 154 and nuts 155.

FIGS. 13 and 14 show the wire 26 exiting from aperture 28 into the groove 24. FIGS. 15 and 16 disclose an alternate method of carrying the wire to groove 24. In this configuration, a central aperture 166 extends through channels 164 and 165 and the face plate 161. An aperture 167 extends from the channel 27 to the groove 25. The outwardly-extending legs of channels 164 and 165 provide passages in grooves 25 and 24. The wire 26 then passes through the channel 164, the aperture 166 and the channel 165 into the groove 24.

FIGS. 17 and 18 disclose another post connector. These figures illustrate a construction connector. However, it may be modified for wiring. The connector 170 is formed of two members 171. Each of these members has a center plate 172 sized to fit face 21 or 22 of post 23, a long leg 173 having an inner straight face 174 which fits the side face 29 or 30 of the post 23 and an outer tapered face 175, and a short leg 176 having an outer straight face 177 and an inner tapered face 178. As shown in FIG. 18, the long legs 173 fit against the post 23 and the outer tapered face 175 of leg 173 wedges tightly against the inner tapered face 178 of leg 176.

A key 179, attached to the outer face of center plate 172, fits snugly within groove 24. The arms 20 are held against the connector by bolts 180 and their accompanying washers 181 and nuts 182.

If used for wiring, key 179 would be an outwardly-extending channel as shown in FIGS. 13-16 and an aperture would be provided through the channel and center plate 172 so that wire would extend between the aperture 167 shown in FIG. 15 and the groove 24.

FIG. 19 shows a modification of the connector of FIGS. 17 and 18. In this modification the legs are of equal length. One of the legs, 190, has a relieved section 191 in its inner face and the other leg, 192, has a relieved section 193 in its outer face. The faces of the relieved sections are tapered and wedge together as shown. The other inner faces of the connector are shaped to fit the post 23.

In some configurations the luminaire is between the cross-arms. The end connectors are then turned around the face plates are toward the post. In this construction the covered ends of the keys are relieved to admit wire 26.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly comprising

a pair of members,

each member having a center plate and a pair of legs extending outwardly from one face of said plate,

said legs being transverse of a longitudinal direction of said plate and being substantially parallel,

one of said legs being tapered on its inner face and the other of said legs being tapered on its outer face,

a key extending longitudinally of the outer face of said center plate,

the legs of said members extending toward each other and said members being joined along said tapered faces,

said members being wedged against an element extending centrally through said members, and

a pair of other elements being held against the outer faces of said center plates,

said latter elements having grooves on their inner faces which mate with said key, and

means holding said latter elements against said center plate, and said connector to said former element.

2. The article of claim 1 in which

said key is an outwardly extending channel, and an aperture extends through said channel and said center plate.