AU600307B2 - A device for the connecting of units - Google Patents

Description

5163-Pl/PRT/mmb/3107T.3

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1952 600307 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority: Related Art: Tkis document com3aiA& tbe mzamdumnts ad* wiv Sectioe 49.

&a Is cn-*ct tor prtadng.

TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: PAUL HENDRICKX Avenue de la Brugrane 21, 1020 Bruxelles, Belgium Paul Hendrickx ARTHUR S. CAVE CO.

Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Goldfields House 1 Alfred Street SYDNEY N.S.W. 2000

AUSTRALIA

'Complete Specification for the invention entitled A DEVICE FOR THE CONNECTING OF UNITS.

The following statement is a full description of this invention S* including the best method of performing it known to me:- 4 ASC 49 A DEVICE FOR THE CONNECTING OF UNITS The present invention is a gadget that makes it possible, to firmly join together a flat surface such as a panel or a bar as well as one, or two cylindrical parts.

Various systems have been introduced for assembling panels in upright or vertical elements, similar to uprights ones, with the help of bars or of horizontal elements that do duty as bars.

For example the use of grooved props to which panels can be adapted in various positions, has been proposed, on to these panels can be fitted in diverse positions, this is in agreement with diverse vertical plans and related to an upright piece, for this effect grooved bars are screwed on to the upright element thus joining upright pieces and bars to the referred 'panels.

S It has also been proposed to use what may be called double 1 'clamps, this is, elements which may -j assembled either with a 1* hinged movement or fixed.

The finality of this gadget is to introduce something new and original to be used for joining parts such as clamps, bars and upright pieces.

go The following are a few of the systems patented for the assembling of panels on vertical structures.

Patente da Confederacao Suissa no 357535; the application was made on 9th October, 1959 by Robert Cochet and Henri Kamber .with the title, "Material for assembling and connecting rigid °.boards and the process for their fabrication"; it was publicly announced on 9th October, 1979 according to Swiss law.

Patent da Republica Francesa no of publication 2 429 374; 2 0998E r

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the application was deposited on 20th June, 1978 with the number 7818366 by Miroiterie Carmeille with the title "Conjunto de paineis articulados verticalmente uns nos outros destinadao a compartimentar um espaco determinado"; and Patente Europeia, no of publication 0041855; the application was made on 8th June, 1981 in the European dept. of patents with the no 81302525.1, by Cambridge Stores Limited, with the English title of "A pipe clamp and a method of making a pipe clamp" revindicating the United Kingdoms' priority for the Application of Patent no 801895, deposited on 10th June, 1980.

The system in patent is characterized by having elongated solid pieces shaped to its section in accordance with normal plan on the surface, fork-shaped and having a hole parallel with its surface. This hole is in the form of a S* 'regular 8 pointed star, this is, dislocated 45 in space.

The section which contains the hole shows, peripherally *"re-entrances and salient parts that form longitudinal grooves.

For the assembling of the system each crotched part is obliged to slide along a vertical longitudinal bar, the contour of this is formed by a notched part, the inverse of the notched part of

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the hole in the crotch, and this is fixed in a convenient '.:position by interior means. In any of the cases, to be able to do the assemblin a crotch is required on the end of the notched :bar for it to be able to slide along to its final position.

g If the crotch has a slide over a very long bar, this work can become slow and tiresome.

In comparing this system with the present one we not that, 3 0998E .Immm.m..m..rnihd 1- 1) The shaft has only 8 grooves at 450 instead of the 24 grooves at an interval of 150 in our system.

2) Here the employment of a shaft is only employed in a vertical position (as in patente Our patent employs a vertical and a horizontal use as well as in all directions of a three-dimensial space (see our figure 8) 3) Clamps are also obliged to be used through the extremities of the shaft.

4) Because of this (and also in part in patente b) the clamp is not really tightened round the shaft.

When the panels for fixture are not in contact with the ground, only an outline like that of fig. 5 can maintain the clamp at a certain height.

6) The means of fixing the proposed panels are doubtful as :.*regards their effeciency.

s* The system used in patent b) consists of a vertical shaft of a circular section of separation between two consecutive

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panels, on which are assembled clamps with a free gliding movement and of which the jaws tighten the edges of the panels.

The clamps can glide freely along the shaft, it has a crotched section and cylindrical holes these, being of a slightly superior diameter to those on the shaft. They are fixed in the required position by means of a fixing screw.

It is verified that the s-rstem of patent b) 1- consists of shaft without grooves therefore has no means of determining .:the angle in which to place the various clamps.

2- In the case of assembling panels where there is no ground contact, the clamp will glide owing to not having been 4 0998E -1tightened, around the crown of the shaft.

Therefore the panel should be in contact with the ground in all cases (fig. 5) the same applies to (fig. 4) 3- In (fig. 6) both the clamp and the panel are perforated.

Therefore it is necessary to perforate the panels in previously determined positions.

4- In fig. 6 it is not clearly indicated whether the clamp can be maintained on its own at a certain distance on the shaft.

The system of patent c) is characterized by having a special shaped part that glides and is linked on to two circular shafts, placed face to face.

In this system of patent c) we are able to say that 1- it is not like our patent because it only presents one

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'clamp to join tubes or circular shafts (absence of grooves).

2- no means of fixing panels.

0O SO S The system in the present invention has in fact an appearance that at first sight reminds us of the Swiss patent 357535, it should be considered different from this system because of improvements that have added to its perfection. As •regards to crotched pieces, these are separated in two halves that can be joined by exterior means being shaped, for example Se like a screw and a bolt, and are immediately fixable on the "pretended points of the fluted shaft. Therefore it is easier, more simple and quicker to assemble a fixture into its final S '.osition. Secondly the star in the notched part in the hole of crotch have 24 separated points following an angle of 150.

This gives way for many more possibilities and increases the free assembling of the system. On the other hand the 0998E fluted bar may be placed vertically or also horizontally.

In assembling our system offers diverse clamps (figs. 4, 6, 7 and 8) based on the same principle that of simultaneously assembling round a shaft of 24 grooves, giving infinite possibilities for its co-ordinated use, and yet outlines (fig. 1 and 7) that increase the possiblilites of forming a set and a practical and uniform system.

Our patent is more similar to a system while the other patents have only one part and its variations.

To realise this object in accordance with the invention, the gadget has an element used for joining, that has at least one ringed cylindrical fluted cavity into which the cylindrical piece can be introduced. The referred cylindrical piece has 'identical rings as to those on the interior of the cylindrical 'cavity mentioned before, so that when we wish to fix a panel or o S a bar to a cylindrical piece, or even two cylindrical pieces, these must firmly join together. Means exist of immobilising

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the referred joining element either on the cylindrical piece and simultaneously on the cylindrical pieces already mentioned.

In accordance with one form of the completion of the invention, the joining element is accomplished by joining at least two elements in which each one has at least one fluted .semi cylindrical cavity of which the walls cLre facing each other and may be tightened round the cylindrical piece already :mentioned which for this effect has longitudinal lines that .correspond with the grooves, on the walls of the aforesaid semi-cylindrical cavities.

In agreement with a particular form of completion of this 6 0998E

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invention, the elements to which we have referred contain, as well as the semi-cylindrical cavities, an edge which extends at least from one side of the semi-cylindrical cavities to a hole, bored, for the introduction of a screw so that when all is in position to be put together it can join a panel or a bar between the two edges.

We shall point out further details and advantages, in the description given as we go on, of a gadget which permits elements such as panels, bars and upring structures, to be held firmly together.

This description is only given as an example and does not limit the invention. The notations of reference refer to the adjoining figures.

ese Fig. 1 is a general perspective showing the parts of the 'gadget.

Fig. 2 is a view partially cut and a parcial plan of a 55 oS.

o joining element, in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 3 shows us the connecting element in accordance with Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows a variation of a connecting element

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represented schematically.

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Fig. 5 is a variation of the connecting element in *.:accordance with the invention and represented schematically.

Fig. 6 shows us another variation of a connecting element, :in accordance with the invention represented schematically.

Fig. 7 shows the assembling of diverse supports on the edge of a panel.

Fig. 8 refers to a different version, derived from the 7 0998E i I, iNil principles of the invention.

According to these figures the gadget is constituted essentially and in order, by a connecting element and a cylindrical piece 2 which forms a complete structure.

In its turn the connecting element is made up of 2 elements 3 that on one side has an edge and on the opposite edge 4 a semi-circular fluted cavity 5. Each of the semi-circular fluted, cavities extends to 1800 and in position ready for assembling, as we see in Fig. 2 the 3600 formed by the joining of the walls of the 2 semi-circular cavities hold 24 grooves together 6, for example, extending each groove at intervals of 150.

The cylindrical element 2 has an equal number of grooves sq..

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7. In the meantime, we note that in some particular structures the grooves foreseen in the connecting elements as well as in the cylindrical elements should not necessarily extend to :0 3600. The grooves 6 and 7 could be anticipated locally but 003 this disposition evidently gives less flexibility to the system.

The 2 parts 3 of a connecting element are lightened one above the other with the help of a screw 8 that goes through a So ',hole bored into one of the elements, and penetrates a blind S ee hole in the other.

This permits the elements to be held 3 over a cylindrical piece whilst the edges 4 tighten the panel 9 by means of small :inserted pieces which can only be seen in the figures.

The inserted pieces are made of rubber, or some other material technically equivalent. They appear to be a cross section. They appear to be a crossed section, in the form of 8 I 0998E I I i I Ilr~' an enlarged channel with re-entering edges 10' destined to be introduced in the grooves 10' of the edges 4.

A Fig. 4 shows a variation in which 2 connecting elements 11 are conceived differently, to permit the structure of panels 9' and 9" on each side of a cylindrical piece 2.

From the description we have just given of the connecting of the invention, it is understood that the same, allows the assembling to be done at an angle measured on a horizontal plan (considering the cylindrical piece 2 as a vertical upright of panels or bars).

Taking Fig. 5 as a reference, we observe that the device can be made solid by using two cylindrical pieces 2, designated 0**e S by the general reference 12, is constituted by a bending element formed by 2 elements 12' and 12" in which each one .gpresents 2 sjmi-cylindrical cavities 13' and 13" respectively, the grooves are not presented in this figure.

Mee The two elements 12' and 12" are united by a bolt (not seen) which is introduced into the blind hole 14. An element .of this kind cannot therefore have any other use except for the

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.j.joining of two structures, denominated in the description as "cylindrical pieces" Fig. 6 shows us an element composed of two elements and 15" but each one has two semi-cylindrical cavities 16' and '16" and 17' 17" respectively. The pivots of these cavities •e cross in a right angle. Therefore a joining element is made fast by two cylindrical parts that cross at 900 Fig. 7 shows us a particular structure on which a T shaped part 19 has been fixed to the edges of a panel 18. This T 9 0998E shaped part 19 supports a side part 20 that covers the entire edge of the panel 18.

The sketch 20 shows a swallow-tailed section that allows an intermediate element 21 but belonging to the same section, to slide over it.

On the outside, this element is for decorative purposes only.

22 is a corner part made on the same principle as the part shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 illustrates the case of a joining element made by assembling 4 elements, 23, 24, 25, 26, by means of a pin (not shown) this pin is introduced in holes 27, 28, 29, and in the

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""blind hole, 30. The referred joining element contains 16 cavities these are destined to receive and equal number of 11 cylinders.

o Going back to Fig. 1, we note that the placing of ooo intermediate elements was foreseen 23, showing the same internal grooves on each side of a connecting element.

From the above description we can deduce that the device ".which makes a panel or, object similar to an upright structure, .solidary, is simple, robust and easy to comprehend. The assembling is extremely easy and the flexibility of the system is considerable owing to the existence of grooves that extend 0S "15 it can adjust a panel in relation with an upright 00 0 •structure, in 24 different positions these positions being measured on a horizontal plan.

The invention is not limited, as is evident, to the form of execution above described or to any charges that may be 10 0998E introduced without interference in the sphere of the invention.

*00 0 0 0 0 00 11 0998E

Claims (10)

1. A device for connecting constructional units such as panels to a splined shaft of a supporting structure comprising a body defining a splined cylindrical cavity of complementary shape tc the splined shaft, and clamping means having co-operating opposed clamping portions for clamping therebetween an edge or end portion of such a unit wherein the body is formed as two separable elements each defining both a 6smi-cylindrical portion of the cavity and one of the clamping portions, the device further comprising connecting means for urging the elements into mutual engagement to thereby clamp the ge device to both the shaft and the unit and thereby connect the S S unit to the shaft, and wherein the arrangement of the two separable elements is such that one of the elements can be positioned relative to the shaft at any chosen position in the length of the shaft, and the other, separate, element brought to overlie said one element at said chosen position and thereafter be connected to it by the connecting means, there being no need to slide the elements onto the shaft from one end of the shaft.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the connecting 0. means comprises a screw fitting.

3. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the surfaces of the elements defining the semi-cylindrical cavity are splined over an area subtending less than 180°. 4, A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the grooves on the inside wall of the semi-cylindrical cavity are separated by an angle of 15° so as to mate with a splined AMiu/uL±Ja 12 shaft having 24 splines. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 wherein the clamping portions comprise opposed flanges for gripping an edge portion of a unit comprising a panel. S device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the flanges define re- n.it for captively retaining an edge portion of a panel of complementary shape.

7. A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the edge portion of is of T cross section or of dove tail cross section.

8. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 wherein the clamping portions comprise elongate members extending in use transversely away from the shaft.

9. A device as claimed in claim 8 wherein the elongate members each have a panel-gripping face, the faces being generally parallel in use of the device. A device as claimed in claim 9, wherein one or each elongate member has an insert secured to it, the insert being of a material adapted to improve the grip of the elongate member on a panel.

11. A device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the insert extends completely across the axial width of the elongate S member.

12. A device as claimed in claim 11 in which the insert has axially spaced opposed flanges directed toward each other, the flanges being received in grooves in the elongate member and securing the insert to the elongate member.

13. A device according to any one of claims 8 to 12 in which the elongate members extend in the axial direction for a length AMD/0213a 13 which is substantially greater than the axial length of that part of the elements defining the semi-cylindrical portions, the arrangement being such that two such similar device may be secured to the same shaft adjacent each other such that together they occupy substantially less axial space on said shaft than they would do if both elements were of uniform axial length, the cylindrical cavity of one device lying in the transverse projection of the elongate members of the other device.

14. A device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in any of the accompanying drawings. o PAUL HENDRICKX a.s" By His Patent Attorneys S C S O AMD/0213a 14