GB1596274A - Hinging of panels - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO THE HINGING OF PANELS (71) I, MICHAEL CARSON, a British subject, of Trees, Austell Gardens, Mill Hill, London, N.W.7, formerly of 2 Southwood Park, Southwood Lawn Road, Highgate, London, N.6, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:: According to the present invention, there is provided in combination, first and second panels, first and second elongate members which are each of hollow profiled crosssection and which extend along respective adjacent edges of the respective panels and are fixed thereto, and a linking member interconnecting said elongate members, said elongate members carrying at their respective sides furthest from the respective panels respective arcs of toothing of which the teeth extend along the respective elonmeshing with the teeth of the arc of toothing carried by the first elongate member meshing with the teeth of tht arc of toothing carried by the second elongate member, the linking member so interconnecting the elongate members that the panels are turnable relative to each other about the respective axes of the respective arcs of toothing, these axes of turning of the panels being fixed relative to the linking member each elongate member comprising a plurality of plate-like portions arranged angularly relative to one another.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic, fragmentary, sectional, top plan view of two office partitioning screens hinged together by a linking member, and Figure 2 shows a top plan view of the hinge arrangement of the screens of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the two screens 1 form part of an office partitioning system. Each screen 1 includes a vertical, rectangular, wooden frame of which the two vertical members are referenced 2.

Each wooden frame is faced on both sides with plastic boards 3. Each frame and its board are covered with a textile fabric 4 and form therewith a panel. Each panel is attached by means of horizontal screws 5, which extend parallelly to the panel, to vertical posts 6 which extend along the respective vertical edges of the panel. Each vertical post 6 is of hollow profiled crosssection and has been extruded from aluminium. Moreover, each post 6 comprises a plurality of plate-liXt portions 7, 12 and 13 arranged angularly relative to one another, so that the hollow profiled crosssection of each post 6 includes two Ushaped parts having limbs 7 and bases 12 of which the bases 12 are arranged face-toface with each other, and a web 13 interconnecting the bases 12.Of the four limbs 7 of each cross-section, the two limbs 7 further from the centre of the screen 1, i.e. further from the associated panel, are formed at respective free end regions of those limbs with respective arcs of toothing 8 of which the teeth extend continuously along the associated posts 6 from end to end of the posts.

The screens 1 are interconnected by a linking channel member 9 which has been extruded from aluminium and which extends along the two adjacent posts 6 from end to end of those posts. The channel member 9 embraces the intermeshing arcs of toothing 8 of the two adjacent limbs 7 of the respective adjacent posts 6 in such a manner as to cover the toothing 8 of those two limbs from the outside. At those ,edges of its side walls furthest from its base, the channel member 9 includes respective circular cylindrical beads 10 which are closely received in respective partcylindrical recesses 11 which are co-axial with the respective arcs of toothing 8. Thus the beads 10 form bearings for turning of the intermeshing arcs of toothing 8 du.ring turning of one of the screens 1 relative to the other screen 1.It will be understood that the channel member 9 so interconnects the posts 6 that these are turnable relative to each other about the respective axes of the respective arcs of toothing, and these axes are fixed relative to the channel member 9.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: - 1. In combination, first and second panels, first and second elongate members which are each of hollow profiled crosssection and which extend along respective adjacent edges of the respective panels and are fixed thereto, and a linking member interconnecting said elongate members, said elongate members carrying at their respective sides furthest from the respective panels respective arcs of toothing of which the teeth extend along the respective elongate members, the teeth of the arc of toothing carried by the first elongate member meshing with the teeth of the arc of toothing carried by the second elongate member, the linking member so interconnecting the elongate members that the panels are turnable relative to each other about the respective axes of the respective arcs of toothing, these axes of turning of the panels being fixed relative to the linking member, each elongate member comprising a plurality of plate-like portions arranged angularly relative to one another.

2. A combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein each hollow profiled cross-section comprises two U-shaped parts and a web interconnecting these parts, the two limbs of one of these two parts being directed away from the two limbs of the other of these two parts, the respective bases of these two parts being arranged face-to-face with each other, this web extending from one of these bases to the other of these bases, and these limbs, bases and web being constituted by the respective plate-like portions.

3. A combination as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said elongate members are fixed to the respective panels by fastening members extending transversely to the respective elongate members and substantially parallelly to the respective panels.

4. A combination as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said linking member comprises a channel member embracing the teeth of the first and second elongate members.

5. A combination as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each elongate member is formed with a circular recess which is disposed radially inwards of its associated arc of toothing, opens away from this arc and is concentric with this arc, and said channel member has the lips of its mouth in the form of respective circular cylindrical beads closely received in the respective circular recesses.

6. in combination, two screens and a linking member interconnecting the screens, substantially as herinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (6)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. posts 6 that these are turnable relative to each other about the respective axes of the respective arcs of toothing, and these axes are fixed relative to the channel member 9. WHAT WE CLAIM IS: -

1. In combination, first and second panels, first and second elongate members which are each of hollow profiled crosssection and which extend along respective adjacent edges of the respective panels and are fixed thereto, and a linking member interconnecting said elongate members, said elongate members carrying at their respective sides furthest from the respective panels respective arcs of toothing of which the teeth extend along the respective elongate members, the teeth of the arc of toothing carried by the first elongate member meshing with the teeth of the arc of toothing carried by the second elongate member, the linking member so interconnecting the elongate members that the panels are turnable relative to each other about the respective axes of the respective arcs of toothing, these axes of turning of the panels being fixed relative to the linking member, each elongate member comprising a plurality of plate-like portions arranged angularly relative to one another.

2. A combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein each hollow profiled cross-section comprises two U-shaped parts and a web interconnecting these parts, the two limbs of one of these two parts being directed away from the two limbs of the other of these two parts, the respective bases of these two parts being arranged face-to-face with each other, this web extending from one of these bases to the other of these bases, and these limbs, bases and web being constituted by the respective plate-like portions.

3. A combination as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said elongate members are fixed to the respective panels by fastening members extending transversely to the respective elongate members and substantially parallelly to the respective panels.

4. A combination as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said linking member comprises a channel member embracing the teeth of the first and second elongate members.

5. A combination as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each elongate member is formed with a circular recess which is disposed radially inwards of its associated arc of toothing, opens away from this arc and is concentric with this arc, and said channel member has the lips of its mouth in the form of respective circular cylindrical beads closely received in the respective circular recesses.

6. in combination, two screens and a linking member interconnecting the screens, substantially as herinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.