Joints and connections – Rigid angle coupling – e.g. – elbow or u – etc.
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-15
2003-08-05
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3679)
Joints and connections
Rigid angle coupling, e.g., elbow or u, etc.
C403S004000, C403S364000, C403S217000, C403S218000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06602017
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a connector device assembly, and a method, for forming a structural interconnection between two rigid members.
More specifically, but not exclusively, the invention relates to a connector device assembly of an “add on” type, sometimes known as a split type connector device assembly, which allows an existing structural assembly of interconnected members to be extended or modified without the need to dismantle any part of the existing assembly.
The structural assembly with which the connector device assembly of the present invention may be used to advantage, and to which the method may be applied, may be of the type comprising rods or tubes interconnected by multi-way connectors for joining two or more lengths of said rods or tubes. One or more pairs of said “lengths” typically may each be aligned sections of a continuous length of rod or tube. Additionally or alternatively the assembly may comprise one or more lengths of a rod or tube having an end which terminates at the connector device.
Examples of structural assemblies to which the present invention relates include handrails, balustrades, shelving and storage systems, climbing frames and scaffolding.
‘Add-on’ devices of various types are known for allowing additional rods or tubes to be connected to an existing structural assembly of rods or tubes without the need to dismantle any part of the existing assembly.
A particularly commonly used and simple type of an add-on connector device assembly comprises a pair of semi-cylindrical connector devices which, in combination, can encircle a rod or tube, and which are held together by retention nuts acting on bolts which extend through aligned, drilled and tapped apertures in the connector devices. Either the bolts may extend in a generally tangential direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the or each encircled rod or tube, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,795 (and as illustrated in
FIG. 1
hereof), or parallel with said longitudinal direction as described in GB-A-552105 or in our GB-A-2316121 (illustrated in
FIGS. 2
to
5
hereof).
Although the use of add-on type connector devices advantageously allows a connection to be made to an existing structural assembly without the need to dismantle any part of the existing structure, the devices often are difficult to install especially when assembling at height or at a position of extreme reach. Notably, two pairs of hands are required, one pair to hold the two connector devices together in aligned orientation and the other pair to position retention bolts and tighten the nuts.
In addition to the difficulty of forming the assembly with a single pair of hands, it can also be difficult always to ensure that a pair of the semi-cylindrical connector devices have been properly assembled with an appropriate torque loading of the bolts. If the torque is too great there is a risk of fracture either on assembly or during subsequent service, or damage to the tapped holes. If the torque is too low, there is a risk of vibration or thermal expansion effects relaxing the interconnection of the connector devices .
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is provision of a connector device assembly and a method which more easily allows additions to be made to an existing structural assembly.
According to one aspect of the present invention an add-on type connector device assembly comprises at least two connector devices, each connector device having a first body region which defines a recess formation to accommodate a part of the outer periphery of a first rigid member of a structural assembly, and at least one of the connector devices comprising a second body region for securing relative to a second rigid member which is required to be connected to the structural assembly, said two connector devices each having at least one edge formation provided with an aperture which extends substantially parallel with the longitudinal direction of said first rigid member and respective edge formations of said two connector devices being aligned in the assembly to receive a locking member extending therethrough, the locking member being arranged in the assembly to be loaded substantially only in shear to hold the connector devices in position relative to one another and the first rigid member.
According to another aspect of the present invention an add-on type connector device assembly comprises at least two connector devices, each connector device having a first body region which defines a recess formation to accommodate a part of the outer periphery of a first rigid member of a structural assembly, and at least one of the connector devices comprising a second body region for securing relative to a second rigid member which is required to be connected to the structural assembly, said two connector devices each having at least one edge formation provided with an aperture which extends substantially parallel with the longitudinal direction of said first rigid member and respective edge formations of said two connector devices being aligned in the assembly to receive a locking member extending therethrough, the locking member being an interference type fit in at least one aligned aperture of each of said two connector devices.
According to a further aspect of the present invention an add-on type connector device assembly comprises at least two connector devices, each connector device having a first body region which defines a recess formation to accommodate a part of the outer periphery of a first rigid member of a structural assembly, and at least one of the connector devices comprising a second body region for securing relative to a second rigid member which is required to be connected to the structural assembly, said two connector devices each having at least one edge formation provided with an aperture which extends substantially parallel with the longitudinal direction of said first rigid member and respective edge formations of said two connector devices being aligned in the assembly to receive a locking member extending therethrough, the locking member being of a kind which has been inserted and secured in said aligned apertures only by action applied to only one end of the locking member.
Preferably said applied action is one which has caused the locking member to become tightly secured in at least one of the aligned apertures through which it extends.
Examples of suitable locking members include expansion type bolts such as through bolt anchors and expansion sleeve anchors, for example as supplied under the trade name of “Parabolt”, and toggle bolts. All or at least a part of the length of said types of bolts are expandable to fully occupy an aperture by operating on only one end of the bolt.
Another suitable type of locking member is a tapered pin which can be tapped into place with a hammer to form an interference fit in at least one aligned aperture of each of two connector devices. In general a suitable tapered pin will have a taper (as measured relative to the longitudinal direction of the pin) of between 0.005 and 0.1 millimetres per centimetre, more preferably between 0.01 and 0.05 mm./cm. A taper of 0.02 mm./cm. is found to be particularly suitable. Optionally the smaller of the two taper ends of the pin extends axially outwards of an aperture thereby to facilitate drifting out of the pin if the assembly requires to be dismantled. The pin may have a head portion to limit axial movement and prevent over stressing of the parts of the connector devices which define the apertures. The length of the pin may be less than the length of the aligned apertures. The pin may be toleranced so as normally to lie substantially wholly within said length of the apertures.
In an assembly which employs tapered pins of a circular section, the pin diameter typically may have a tolerance which complies with British Standard BS 46pt3.
Optionally the material of a tapered pin has a hardness which is less than that of the material which defines the apertures of the connector d
Overton Michael Derek
Presant Charles William Stratford
Browne Lynne H.
Garcia Ernesto
Young & Thompson
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