Joints and connections – Articulated members – Lockable at fixed position
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-22
2002-09-24
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3679)
Joints and connections
Articulated members
Lockable at fixed position
C248S188500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06454483
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a linkage useful, for example on a musical instrument stand, wherein a small-diameter pipe is inserted into a large-diameter pipe and the pipes are to be linked and maintained in such a fashion as to be freely capable of expansion and contraction of the linked pipes.
DESCRIPTION OF A PRIOR ART EMBODIMENT
In a known cymbal stand
50
shown in
FIG. 5
, for example, cymbals are supported at the top of a series of pipes. The pipes are ordinarily made of metal. They include an upper pipe
54
, a middle pipe
53
and a lower pipe
52
. The pipes are connected and held to be freely capable of elongation and contraction by each smaller diameter pipe being inserted into a larger-diameter pipe like the smaller middle pipe
53
in the larger bottom pipe
52
, and the smallest upper pipe
54
in the smaller middle pipe
53
.
A known linking connection between two of these pipes is shown in cross section in FIG.
6
. It comprises a pipe linkage device
60
comprising a tightening bush
61
for holding, a main body
66
for holding and a tightening member
70
. The tightening bush
61
is a tubular body, which is C-shape in transverse cross-section, including a cut (not shown). A small-diameter pipe
54
(or
53
) is inserted into and held by the bush
61
.
On one axial side, the main holding body
66
has a large-diameter tubular pipe insertion sleeve
67
for holding the outer periphery of the terminal part of the large-diameter pipe
53
(or
52
). The other axial side of the body
66
includes a tubular tightening bush storage receptacle
68
for accommodating the tightening bush
61
enabling the small-diameter pipe
54
that has been inserted into and is held by the tightening bush
61
to run through the tightening bush storage part
68
.
In this pipe linkage and holding device
60
, the main holding body
66
is fitted to the outer periphery at the terminal end of the large-diameter pipe
53
and the tightening bush
61
. The small-diameter pipe
54
runs through the bush
61
and is accommodated into the tightening bush storage receptacle
68
of the main holding body
66
, resulting in one end of the small-diameter pipe
54
being inserted into the large-diameter pipe
53
. When the tightening member
70
is thereafter tightened from outside of the main holding body
66
, the small-diameter pipe
54
is in place.
When using such a linkage structure of the pipes, however, during a musical performance wherein cymbals
51
or tom-toms, etc. are installed above the cymbal stand
50
and are beaten violently, the free terminal part
54
a
on the linkage side of the small-diameter pipe
54
inside the large-diameter pipe
53
both rotates and shifts due to the vibrations, with the rotation having the linkage holding device
60
as its center. This causes a contact of the terminal part
54
a
with the inside of the large-diameter pipe
53
, thereby producing unnecessary noise due to contact between the pipes.
To avoid such an inconvenience, it is possible to avoid the contact between the small-diameter pipe
54
in the large-diameter pipe
53
by increasing the diameter difference between the large-diameter pipe
53
and the small-diameter pipe
54
. In this kind of stand construction, however, there are limits to the diameters of the pipes that are selected. If the large-diameter pipe
53
is used as the standard, the small-diameter pipe
54
becomes small in size,.thereby making it look or be weak. If the small-diameter pipe
54
is used as the standard, on the other hand, the diameter of the large-diameter pipe
53
becomes larger, causing the outside appearance to become less appealing. In addition, an added problem develops in that the overall weight of the stand
50
becomes greater. Accordingly, it would be more desirable for the outside appearance if the difference in diameter between the large-diameter pipe
53
and the small-diameter pipe
54
is small.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a pipe linkage arrangement, by which a small-diameter pipe and a large-diameter pipe may be connected and held more firmly by using a simple structure, the pipes themselves being linked and held without shakiness, and undesired noise being effectively prevented during the performance.
The invention concerns a pipe linkage useful, for example, for a musical stand. The linkage comprises a bush installed at a terminal end on the linking side of a small-diameter pipe which is to be inserted into the inner tube of a large-diameter pipe. The bush is linked and maintained so as to be expanded or permitted to contract by a linkage holding device. The bush comprises a main body having an outer peripheral surface that can be inserted into the inner tube of the connected part of the small-diameter pipe. The bush has a large-diameter collar or part with an outer peripheral surface that can be inserted into the inner tube of the large-diameter pipe through a step which touches the edge of the terminal part on the linkage side of the small-diameter pipe. A bolt insertion hole that runs through the main body and the large-diameter collar receives a tightening bolt. A nut fixing receptacle on the terminal side of the main body of the bolt insertion hole receives a tightening nut for the bolt. A bolt installation seat for the tightening bolt is defined on the side terminal face of the large-diameter part of the insertion hole. As the tightening bolt is passed through the bolt insertion hole and is tightened into the tightening nut, the outer peripheral surface of the main bush body is compressively swollen while the bush may be installed inside the small-diameter pipe. At the same time, the contact of the small-diameter pipe with the interior of the large-diameter pipe is mitigated by the outer-peripheral surface of the large-diameter collar or part of the bush.
Often objects and features of the invention are explained below with reference to the attached drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4430017 (1984-02-01), Stefancich
patent: 4856929 (1989-08-01), Smahlik et al.
patent: 5069570 (1991-12-01), Pryor et al.
patent: 5197349 (1993-03-01), Herman
patent: 6202663 (2001-03-01), Uemura
Ferguson Michael P
Hoshino Gakki Kabushiki Kaisha
Ostrolenk Faber Gerb & Soffen, LLP
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