US2825101A

US2825101A - Joint construction

Info

Publication number: US2825101A
Application number: US543503A
Authority: US
Inventors: Morris B Rubenstein
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1955-10-28
Filing date: 1955-10-28
Publication date: 1958-03-04
Anticipated expiration: 1975-03-04

Description

March 4, 1958 M. B. RUBENSTEIN 2,825,101

' JOINT CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 28, 1955 INVENTOR MORRIS B. RUBENSTEIN iiw, 7%

2,825,101 rammed Mar..4,1958

JOINT CONSTRUCTION Morris B. Rubenstein, Eastover, S. C.

Application October 28, 1955, Serial No. 543,503

8 Claims. (CI. 20-92) This invention relates to,joint constructions and more particularly to an. easily assembled and disassembled friction joint which does not require the use of fastening means such as nails, screws, glue, pegs or dowels, or the use of special tools.

,The joint construction of the invention is particularly adapted for use in making knock-down furniture and will be described as embodied in furniture construction, but may also be used in other types of construction or articles in which it is. advantageous to have members connested in easily assembled and disassembled relation.

The use of the joint construction of the invention permits economical manufacture of attractive and highquality furnitureof modern style. A further advantage of the joint construction is that it. permits the construction of furniture which may be easily stored and shipped in knocked-down condition. and which may be quickly and easily assembled when received into sturdy and attractive articles of furniture. Furniture which can be readily assembled and disassembled in the manner possible using. the-joint construction of thisinvention is of great utility, particularly for people. who frequently move from place to place, such as Armed Service personnel, and also for people who livein mobile homes and other places where space isat a premium.

Accordingly,it is an object of this invention to provide a joint construction particularly useful in furniture and the like which permits the construction of jointed articles without the use of fastening means such as nails, screws, glue, pegs, or dowels and without special tools.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a joint construction particularly useful for constructing furniture and the like which permits the construction and assembly'of articles of the'knock-down type which may be easily assembled and disassembled.

Furtherobjects and advantages of the invention will become apparent; from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying'drawing in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of an article of furniture constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view. in vertical section illustrating details of the. joint construction of the invention;

Fig. 3 Iis.a fragmentary top plan view of the device of Fig.1;and"

Fig. 4 is an exploded view illustrating the relation of the. elements forming; the joint construction.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown a shelf structure generally indicated at including a plurality of

horizontal shelf members

12, 14, 16 and 18. Each pair of adjacent shelf members are spaced apart by vertically extending wall members 20, a pair of vertical members 20 being positioned adjacent opposite ends of each pair of spaced shelves. A pair of oppositely disposed vertical members 22 of shorter height than the vertical members 20 are positioned beneath the undersurface of the bottom shelf 18 and serve to support the shelf structure on the floor. A pair of oppositely disposed short s! vertical members 24; also. extend upwardly from the top surface of the. uppermost shelf 12.

In accordance with the invention, all of the elements of shelf structure 10 are held in. assembledv relation by the use of wedges such asthose indicated at. 26 and 2.8 in Fig. 2. The joint. construction of the invention will be described as embodied in the joint between horizontal shelf 12 and. alignedvertical members 24 and 2t). Members. 2.0v and 24 are symmetrical about a common vertical axislying in a plane. perpendicular to the plane of. shelf 12,. and the. corresponding side surfaces of members, and 24: also lie. in. common planes perpendicular to. and intersecting the. plane ofshelf12', Only one. joint will be described, it beingv understoodthat similar joints. are used throughout. the. shelf structure. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, two joints, are used at each end of each shelf, adjacent the forward and rear edges, respectively, of, the shelf,

In order to permit the wedged connection of. the members. 12', 20 and; 24, at the joint, shelf member 12 is. provided with a longitudinally extending slot 30 extending transversely of the plane in, which, members 20. and 24 lie when the joint is completed. The slot is made of sl fficient length to extend on either side of the opposite surfaces of the respective members 24 and 20'.

Members

12, 24 and 2.0. are joined together in the assembled relationship shown in the drawing by positioning; members. 2,0 and 24 in perpendicular contact with the upper and lowersurfaces, respectively, of the member 12. intermediate, the; length of slot 30.

Wedges

26 and 28 are then; driven. into position through slot 30 adjacent the opposite surfaces of the

respective members

20 and 24. The wedges finally assume the position shown inFigs. 1, Zand 3- of the drawing, in which each of the respective wedge members tightly engages the opposite surfaces of both,

members

20 and 24 and also the surface of shelfmember 12 to securely holdrnembers 2t) and 24 in assembled relation with respect to each other and withrespect to member 12. Thus, the use of

wedges

26 and 28 passing throughslot 30 permits the connection of members 20 andfl24 on opposite sides of an intermediate member 12- in. rigidly assembled relation with respect to each other and-also with respect to the intermediate member. Each of themembers 20 and 24' is positioned entirely on one side of member 12 and is held in frictional engagement with member 12 due solely to the wedging engagement of wedges 26 and 23.

If desired, one

ofthe elements

26 or 28 need not be a wedge, but insteadmay be a stop member disposed in the same positionasthe wedge member which it replaces and engaging the surfaces of

members

12, 20 and 24. However, at least one: of the

elements

26 or 28 must be awedge. Furthermore, one of the

elements

26 or 24 may be merely a stop member, serving only to maintain the wedged joint tightly engaged, without serving a structural function in the jointed article. In suchevent, the stop member substituted for

either'member

20 or 24 is disposedbetweenzwedges26 and 28in engagement therewith, and also preferably in engaged relation with member '12.

Itcanbe seen from the foregoing that the joint con- .struction hereinbefore described has-great practical utility in the construction of many types of articles, and particularly furniture and the like, in which it is desirable that the article be capable of easy assembly and disassembly. Furniture using the joint construction of the invention can be shipped and stored in knock-down condition and quickly and easily assembled when required.

While there has been shown and described a particu lar embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention and, therefore, it is aimed to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A joint construction comprising separable first, second and third joined members each having opposed planar surfaces, said second and third members being aligned with each other along an axis substantially perpendicular to said first member, said second and third members re spectively engaging opposite surfaces of said first member, said first member having a slot therein extending transversely of said axis and projecting beyond the opposite surfaces of the respective second and third members on either side of said axis, and separate wedge means extending through said slot on opposite sides of said axis and frictionally engaging said first, second and third members to hold said members in assembled relation.

2. A joint construction comprising separable first, second and third joined members each having planar surfaces, said second and third members being aligned in a common plane perpendicular to the plane of said first member and respectively engaging opposite surfaces of said first member, said first member having a slot therein ex tending transversely of said common plane and projecting beyond the opposite surfaces of the respective second and third members bounding said common plane, and separate wedge means extending through said slot on opposite sides of said common plane and frictionally engaging said first, second and third members to hold said members in assembled relation.

3. A joint constructioncomprising separable first, second and third joined members, each having planar surfaces, said second and third members being aligned in a common plane intersecting the plane of said first member and respectively engaging opposite surfaces of said first member, said first member having a slot therein extending transversely of saidcommon plane and projecting beyond said second and third members on opposite sides of said common plane, a first wedge member extending through said slot on one side of said common plane and frictionally engaging said first, second and third members on said one side of said common plane, and a second Wedge member extending through said slot on an opposite side of said common plane and frictionally engaging said first, second and third members on said opposite side of said common plane.

4. A joint construction for furniture and the like comprising a panel-like first member, and second and third members having opposed planar surfaces and respectively engaging opposite surfaces of said first member, said second and third members being aligned with each other along an axis substantially perpendicular to said first member, said first member having a slot therein extending transversely of said axis and projecting beyond the opposite surfaces of the respective second and third members on either side of said axis, and separate wedge means extending through said slot on opposite sides of said axis and frictionally engaging said first, second and third members to hold said members in assembled relation.

5. A joint construction for furniture and the like comprising a panel-like first member lying in a horizontal plane, and second and third members having opposed planar surfaces and respectively engaging opposite surfaces of said first member, said second and third members being aligned with each other along a vertical axis substantially perpendicular to said first member, said first member having a slot therein extending transversely of said axis and projecting beyond the opposite surfaces of the respective second and third members on either side of said axis, and separate wedge means extending through said slot on opposite sides of said axis and frictionally engaging said first, second and third members to hold said members in assembled relation.

6. A joint construction comprising separable first, second and third joined members each having planar surfaces, said second and third members being aligned in a common plane intersecting the plane of said first memher and respectively engaging opposite surfaces of said first member, said first member having a slot therein extending transversely of said common plane and projecting beyond opposite bounding surfaces of said common plane, stop means engaging said first member and extending through said slot in engagement with corresponding surfaces of said second and third members on one side of said common plane, and wedge means engaging said first member and extending through said slot in engagement with corresponding surfaces of said second and third members on an opposite side of said common plane, said stop means and said wedge means cooperating to hold said first, second and third members in assembled relat1on.

7. A joint construction comprising separable first and second joined members, each having opposed parallel planar surfaces, said first and second members lying in mutually perpendicular planes, an edge of said second member engaging a surface of said first member intermediate the length of said surface, said first member having a slot therein extending transversely of the plane of said second member and projecting beyond the opposite surfaces of said second member bounding said plane, a separate wedge member engaging said first member and extending through said slot on each side of the plane of said second member, each wedge member respectively engaging an opposite surface of said second member, and a stop means lying in a common plane with said second member and interposed between the wedge members adjacent an opposite surface of said first member than that engaged by said second member.

8. A joint construction comprising separable first, sec ond and third joined members each having opposed planar surfaces, said second and third members being aligned in a common plane intersecting the plane of said first member and respectively engaging opposite surfaces of said first member, said first member having a slot therein extending transversely of said common plane and projecting beyond opposite surfaces of said second and third members bounding said common plane, and separate friction members extending through said slot on opposite sides of said common plane and frictionally engaging said first, second and third joined members to hold said members in assembled relation, at least one of said friction members being a wedge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Logan Dec. 10, 1889 Rosenthal Jan. 2, 1945 OTHER. REFERENCES