AU719879B2 - Multi-positional connector improvements - Google Patents

Description

s 46679 HKS:PFB P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: LANCE MALCOLM VATER Names of inventors: LANCE MALCOLM VATER DAVID EDWARD FARROW RUSS ISAAC WHITWORTH Address for Service: COLLISON CO.,117 King William Street, Adelaide, S.A. 5000 Invention Title: MULTI-POSITIONAL CONNECTOR IMPROVEMENTS Details of Associated Provisional Applications: P01469 Dated 6th August 1996 and PO1691 Dated 15th August 1996 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:

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2 This invention relations to a collar for multi-positional connectors, to an element and elements providing for multi-positional connections and to an assemblage integrating the connections.

Multi-positional connectors are used for applications such as the construction of tubular fencing.

There are two different systems currently being used to provide for multipositional connectors.

A first of these currently uses an integral collar through which a pipe or other longitudinal member can pass. Typically the collar is secured to a longitudinal 1 0 member by having a screw or other fastening member passing mutually into or through both member and collar.

The collar in this prior art has two grooves each extending circumferentially around the collar in a parallel path one with respect to the other and with a relative position so that they are directionally opposed one with respect to the other. Further, the grooves provide an outer wall with an edge which together with the edge of the other wall define a selected distance apart.

This then allows an intermediary bracket with directionally opposed fingers to respectively interengage with the directionally opposed grooves on the collar.

The fingers therefor interengage with the grooves and hold the bracket .20 thereby.

In this first system which shall be referred to as the "non-clamping" system, the teeth of an intermediary bracket or at least the teeth in one groove are a fixed S. distance away from the teeth in the other groove so that the teeth and therefore the bracket are held to the collar simply by reason of the relative 25 interlocking shape and not because of a separate clamping action.

Such an intermediary bracket can have two elements however which can be clamped together but such that any such clamping action will not change the position of teeth in one groove as compared to teeth in the other howbeit at the most there will simply be a change of the position of the teeth in the same 3 0 groove of one element as compared to the teeth in the same groove from another element.

Such a method of multi-positional connecting has some advantages and, as 3 presently manufactured and supplied commercially, some disadvantages.

An alternative system is described in Australian Patent Application AU-A- 17714/95 in the name of R D Press Company Pty Ltd.

This describes the elements for multi-positional connections in which there is an intermediary bracket which is formed of at least two parts which are adapted to be secured to a collar by being clamped together so that "claws" engage respectively directionally opposed rims or flanges on the collar so that the intermediary bracket is held to the collar by clamping between respective claws so the distance apart of the claws is not fixed but determined by the 1 0 clamping pressure which also is used at the same time to grip an end of a pipe remote from the collar.

This has an advantage that the collar providing the respective flanges does not have to have these flanges highly accurate in terms of their edge distance away from each other. This is because the claws are adjustable in their 1 5 distance apart and of course achieve an effective grip by clamping onto the edges of the flanges.

Accordingly, this can be described as a clamping technique and it can be directly compared to the alternative system which we have described as the non-clamping technique.

Currently, the non-clamping technique uses a collar that is cast as an integral unit and, in order to attach pipes to this, an intermediary member is used which simply is comprised of a further single integral member which has teeth positioned in opposed directions to engage or interlock mutually with the respective grooves within the collar and a pipe is simply slipped over the end

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of such a bracket.

Disadvantages with this arrangement are firstly that manufacture by casting is expensive as compared to manufacture by metal stamping and it is currently considered to be uneconomic to continue manufacturing with this technique if one is to compete effectively against other product providing a similar job in 3 0 the market place.

Further however, using a single collar as an integral unit, this must be fitted by being slipped over the top of an upright pipe (if the application is for an upright pipe) and, if other fittings have been secured to the same upright, it is very 4 often quite awkward and perhaps difficult or at the least time consuming to have to remove other attached brackets in order to fit a collar in the appropriate location.

Further, the current technology does not provide for positioning for an attachment pipe to for instance an upright pipe where the approaching orientation of the attachment pipe is other than at right angles to the upright pipe axis.

In some installations, it is either necessary or it would be useful for a pipe to be attached to an upright at an incline angle which is not at right angles to the 1 0 elongate direction of the upright.

An installer can overcome this problem by bending the pipe, but there would be advantages as previously said, if bending of a pipe was not necessary.

An example of how this can be achieved using the clamping technique is shown again in Australian Patent Application No. AU-A-17714/95 and in particular in FIGS 4 and 5 of the drawings of the specification of that Patent Application.

Such a technique as shown in the said patent application has serious limitations. The clamping effecting a gripping against protruding flanges in this S:system depends on the strength of the flange in each case and this can be relatively weak at least in respect of gauges of metal that are economic to use in this application. Such weakness is aggravated by the need to clamp with sufficient strength to hold one bracket to another but there is no constraint as to how tight this should be and with aggressive tightening the weakness can **be apparent.

Such a technique then proposes that the collar has flanges which are extended to follow a semi-circular form at a junction where a bolt and nut is used to clamp a collar together to affect a clamping action against an upright.

By use of an intermediary bracket, the same clamping action is then used so as to allow for this bracket to be positioned so as to be inclined to the 3 0 orientation of the upright.

.An object of this invention is to enable components to be made which reduce some of the above problems but use a non-clamping technique and which can also be economically manufactured. At the least it is an object to provide the public with a useful alternative.

In accord with one form of this invention there is proposed an element for assembly into a collar for a multi-positional connector where the member is stamped from sheet metal and having a part cylindrical shape and having two spaced apart parallel grooves formed to follow a perimeter of the part cylindrical shape the grooves each defined by having an inner wall, and an outer wall and having an open side which is directionally opposed to the open side of the other groove, and means at one side of the part cylindrical shape to interengage with a like element to form a collar.

1 0 In preference the element is further characterised in that the outer wall of the groove is comprised of two thickness's of the sheet metal from which the element has been stamped.

In preference there is provided a collar for a multi-positional connector which is comprised of two elements which are of semi cylindrical shape which are to 1 5 be clamped about a post to support intermediary brackets, where the collar provides directionally opposed grooves.

This then is distinguished from a collar providing for support for an intermediary bracket of the clamping type where there is simply provided, by the collar, a rim which is to be gripped or in other words clamped. Such a collar therefore in the prior art does not provide of itself a groove where both inner and outer walls defining a groove are provided by the collar.

S"In preference, a collar in accord with this invention has an inner wall at one end and an inner wall at another end each of which walls are adapted to engage directly against any elongate member around which the collar might be secured.

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In preference there also provided an intermediary bracket to be used with the collar which has teeth which are adapted to interengage with respect to each of the directionally opposed grooves but such that in the case of such an intermediary bracket having two elements, that the teeth of respective 3 0 elements when brought together with a clamping action will engage against each other but which may only incidentally engage with some nipping force with a groove shape but only in so far that any nipping is between teeth within the same groove and not with respect to teeth located one in each of the grooves.

In preference, there can be provided several different types of intermediary brackets so that in a further case, there can be provided an intermediary bracket which at one end has respective teeth adapted to interengage but not to clamp with respect to the teeth in each of the opposed grooves of the collar but has at an opposite end to the teeth, a part of convex shape on the outside, and with two elements having correspondingly shaped outwardly protruding convex shapes, there is provided a further bracket having two head portions which are adapted to be clamped together to provided engagement around the convex shapes which thereby allows for relative rotational positioning of a 1 0 further attached pipe.

According to a further preferred form, the invention can be said to reside in a collar for a multi-positional connector arrangement comprising a first skirt at a first end, and a second skirt at an opposite end, and between the respective skirts an outwardly extending part providing a first groove having an open side 1 5 oppositely directed to the direction of the open side of the second groove, each groove being defined by an outermost wall and an innermost wall.

:According to a further preferred form, the invention can be said to reside in a connecting bracket for a multi-positional connector arrangement having a first element, and a second element, each element having two teeth defining S 2 0 therebetween an interlocking shape, and a bolt adapted to be tightened by a nut passing jointly through the two elements to provide a clamping effect at a end opposite to the end of which there are teeth.

According to a further preferred form, the invention can be said to reside in a connecting bracket having a first element and a second element, each element having two opposed teeth a fixed distance apart defining therebetween an interlocking shape, and a convex portion at the end opposite that of the teeth.

In a further preferred form, the invention can be said to reside in a multipositional connector arrangement including a collar comprising a first skirt at a 3 0 first end, and a second skirt at an opposite end, and between the respective skirts, and outwardly extending part providing a first groove and a second groove each having an open side oppositely directed to the direction of the open side of the other groove, each groove being defined by an outermost wall and an innermost wall, a connecting bracket having a first element and a 3 5 second element, each element having two teeth defining therebetween interlocking shape and being of a fixed distance apart and interengaging the respective grooves of the collar, and a bolt adapted to be tightened by a nut where the bolt passes jointly through two elements to provide a clamping affect at an end opposite to that at which there are teeth but only so that teeth in one groove shall be brought together.

In a further preferred form of the invention, this can be said to reside in a multipositional connector arrangement including a collar surrounding an upright, the collar being comprised of at least two semi-angular parts, each part having a respective end of each part interlocking together and the other end of each 1 0 part being engaged by a connecting bracket so as to be held in the clamping position around the upright whereby, the collar comprising a first skirt at a top end, and a second skirt at a bottom end, and between the respective skirts an outwardly extending part providing a first groove and a second groove each having an open side oppositely directed to the direction of the open side of the other groove, each groove being defined by an outermost wall and an innermost wall, the connecting bracket having a first element and a second element, each element having two teeth defining therebetween an interlocking shape and the teeth interengaging respective grooves of the collar.

A number of advantages arise from the features thus described but for a full 2 0 description of the best method of performance of the invention it will now be described with the assistance of drawings wherein: *FIG 1 is a perspective view of the elements providing for the first embodiment which elements include a collar, and two intermediary connecting brackets one of which is intended to provide for connections which S2 5 are at right angles to a post to which the collar can be clamped, and the other ~providing for an incline attachment which is other than at right angles; FIG 2 is a perspective view having the same elements as in FIG 1 when connected in an operating arrangement FIG 3 is a perspective view of the brackets showing a further 3 0 arrangement when connected to an upright; FIG 4 is a perspective view of the collar as shown in FIG 1 when viewed from an opposite direction in an assembled form; FIG 5 is a perspective view of two elements which together make a straight connecting bracket; FIG 6 is a view of the same elements as in FIG 5 viewed from the opposite direction; FIG 7 2, 3 and 4; FIG 8 FIGS 1,2,3 is one of the semi-angular parts of the collar as shown in FIGS 1, is a further view of a semi-angular part of the collar as shown in and 4; FIG 9 is an exploded view of an intermediary bracket comprising two elements to allow for inclined connections to the collar; FIG 10 is a further perspective view of the elements as shown in FIG 9; FIG 11 is a perspective view of the same elements as in FIGS 9 and except that the two elements are brought together; a a a.

FIG 12 FIG 13 15 FIG 12; is a plan view of a bracket being attached to the collar; is a part cross sectional view of the same assembly as shown in FIG 14 shows two parts of a collar being brought together into an interlocking position; FIG 15 and 16 show the same two parts of a collar but being viewed from an opposite position; FIG 17 is an enlarged profile of the shape in cross section of a collar part as formed through the process shown in FIGS 18, 19 and FIG 18 is a cross sectional view of a second stage die showing the method by which the collar as illustrated in the earlier FIGS can be formed by stamping; FIG 19 18; is a progressive view of the stamping process as started in FIG FIG 20 is a concluded position of the die progressing through the stamping stage; 9 FIG 21 is a side elevation of the top part of a forming die used to form the semi-circular shape; FIG 22 is a side elevation of the bottom of a forming die used to form the semi-circular shape; FIGS 23 through 32 are views of a second embodiment where in detail; FIGS 23,24,25 and 26 are various perspective views of a semi-cylindrical part according to a second embodiment where two of these parts can be brought together to form a collar; FIGS 27 and 28 are perspective views one from an opposite position to the other of two semi-cylindrical parts according to a second embodiment when these are in an assembled mode; FIG 29 is a view of a multi-positional connector arrangement with a connecting bracket holding the semi-cylindrical parts together according to the second embodiment; :i 15 FIG 30 is a side view of the semi-cylindrical part according to the second embodiment; FIG 31 is a plan view of the semi-cylindrical part according to the second embodiment with one shown in doted outline in an assembled position with respect to the one shown in full; FIG 32 is a simple plan view of the semi-cylindrical part according to the second embodiment; and FIG 33 is an enlarged view of the tab as shown in FIG 24.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a collar 1 for a multi-positional connector arrangement 2 comprising a first skirt 3 at a first end 4 and a second skirt 5 at an opposite end 6, and between the respective skirts 3 and 5 an outwardly extending part 7 providing a first groove 8 having an open side 9 oppositely directed to the direction of the open side 10 of the second groove 11. Each groove 8 and 11 is defined by an outermost wall 12, an innermost wall 13 and a floor 14.

An intermediary connecting bracket 15 has a first element 16 and a second element 17 each element 16 and 17 having two teeth 18 and 19 in the one case and 20 and 21 in the other case defining therebetween an interlocking shape, and a bolt 22 (adapted to be tightened by a nut not shown) passing jointly through the two elements 16 and 17 to provide a clamping effect at an end 25 (opposite to the end 26) at which there are the teeth 18, 19, 20, or 21.

A second type of intermediary connecting bracket 27 has a first element 28 and a second element 29 each element having two opposed teeth 30 and 31 in the first instance and 32 and 33 in the second a fixed distance apart defining therebetween an interlocking shape and each element having a convex shaped portion 34 and 36 at the end opposite to that of the teeth.

1 0 There is, then, a further bracket 37 comprised of two elements 38 and 39 which are shaped so that, at one end 40 they will engage with clamping effect the convex shaped parts 34 and 36 of bracket 27 and at the other end 41 the end of a pipe or other appropriate post.

The multi-positional connector arrangement 2 includes the collar 1 surrounding an upright 43, the collar 1 being comprised of at least two semicylindrical parts 44 and 45 with each part having a respective end of each part •:i 44 and 45 interlocking together and the other end 46 and 47 having lugs 48 and 49 of each part being engaged by a connecting bracket such as 15 or 27 so as to be held in a clamping position around the upright 43 thereby.

In order to facilitate this there are provided two outwardly extending lugs 48 and 49 which are positioned and shaped to be ensnared by inwardly directed lugs 50 and 51 in the case of bracket 15 and 52 and 53 in the case of bracket 27.

A further feature of the collar 1 is the provision of access gaps 53 and 54 through the outermost wall 12 so that the teeth such as at 18 and 19 can fit .**through the gap into an interlocking position.

Protrusions 56 and 57 in the grooves provide a stop for teeth if necessary.

At the other end there are provided complex interlocking shapes so that the two ends when joined will firstly provide strong joining strength and further will 3 0 allow for a continuity of the shape of the walls and grooves. This is achieved by providing two tabs 58 and 59 for each a correspondingly located slots at and 61.

One of the advantages of the arrangement described is that the collar 1 can be 11 manufactured economically by metal stamping from sheet metal providing each of the two semi cylindrical parts. The technique for manufacture of this shape is to stamp the shape with two steps in which a first step forms a sheet of metal into a top hat shape as shown at 60 then a procedure in which the side walls 61 and 62 of the top hat shape are caused to collapse as shown at 63 and 64 so that the shape finally includes an outer wall 65 and 66 defining each respective groove 67 and 68 which is of two wall thickness's.

This second step uses a second die 69 to cause the sides of the top hat shape to collapse to form the outer double wall of each respective groove. This die 1 0 has straight sides 70 and 71 so that this can then be readily removed.

It has been found to be of advantage to provide indents on the sides of the sheet being crushed to assist in aligning the bending edges in this crushing process.

We have then a non clamping type system which has a number of advantages 1 5 over the previous clamping type system.

It is both possible by reason of the stamping system and by reason of the connection details to provide therefore a connection system which can provide for multiple positioning of pipes or their equivalent in the various locations with Z.-o:a split type collar being used as the basis for this.

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Now referring to the FIGS 23 through to 33 of the drawings which describes a second embodiment.

The changes from the first embodiment are evolutionary and have been introduced simply so that the collar 71 will be stronger and be able to support higher loading than the first embodiment. The changes in detail relate to the way that the semi-cylindrical parts interlock together on one side and the way in which outwardly extending parts are formed at the other.

In detail then there is shown similar to the first embodiment the collar 71 for a multi-positional connector arrangement 72 comprising a first skirt 73 at a first end 74 and a second skirt 75 at an opposite end 76. Between the respective 3 0 skirts 73 and 75 there is an outwardly extending part 77 providing a first groove 78 having an open side 79 so that the shape with the open mouth can be said to be oppositely directed to the direction of the open side 80 of the second groove 81 and so that the respective open mouths are therefor further 12 away from each other than respective floors of the grooves 78 and 81.

This is pointed out so as to distinguish from a position in which an open mouth of each could be closer than respective floors. Each groove 78 and 81 is defined by an outermost wall 82 which is of a double thickness of sheet of metal from which it is stamped, an innermost wall 83 which will engage against a pipe when the collar is clamped to a pipe in an operational manner.

The collar 71 is comprised of two semi-cylindrical parts 85 and 86 (which are identical in this embodiment) with each part having a respective end of each part interlocking together with ends of each part having outwardly extending portions 87 and 88 being engaged by a connecting intermediary bracket such as 89 which has fingers 89a so as to be held together in a clamping position by a nut and bot at 89b around an upright pipe (not shown) as is shown in FIG 29.

Interlocking shapes are formed at each respective end so that the two ends when joined will firstly provide strong joining strength and further will allow for S-a continuity of the shape of the walls and grooves. This is achieved by providing a tab 90 and 91 for each correspondingly located slot at 92 and 93.

Further, in order for the semi- cylindrical parts 85 and 86 to be held in a

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clamped position around a pipe, there is provided at one end of each part the outwardly extending portions 87 and 88 which, in each case, is formed by being pressed out from the sheet shape so that an intermediary bracket such as at 89 can as described in the first embodiment engage against the portions 87 and 88 at their outer distal edges and hold the ends together with clamping force.

The challenge has been to be able to form a shape by use of only metal stamping from a sheet of metal and have this so that each of the semicylindrical parts can be identical so as to save die costs and none the less be able to provide a functional and good looking product that will be commercially very useful This challenge has been achieved with the both 3 0 embodiments even though the second is stronger than the first.

Some features of the second embodiment as described can be further explained.

Accordingly, referring to the tab 90, this is supported by a leg 96 which is offset 13 so that respective tabs will interlock by one going behind the other when being interlocked together.

Further, when the two tabs 90 and 91 are interlocked together there is still left a gap at 97 in the outer wall of the groove. This allows the teeth of an intermediary bracket to locate within the groove recalling that the feature of the system is that the teeth will not be adjustable in the extent of their distance apart.

Further the tabs 90 and 91 each have inturned ears 98 which assist in locating and supporting the tab when located between respective floors of the grooves 1 0 and also engage and lock against an upright when the collar is tightened.

Referring now specifically to FIG 30 there is shown here in dotted outline the alignment of the teeth one of the intermediary members. As can be seen the size and shape of the teeth 99 are smaller than the groove size and shape so that firstly the teeth can be each fed into the slot shape of the groove from an entry point such as gap 97. The relative sizes and shapes have to also allow for any depth of any tooth which may when being fed around the groove twist to therefore jam in the slot.

When in position the teeth will engage respective faces of the groove depending upon the total circumstances but can in one case pull against a top outer wall while pushing into the lower inner wall which in turn will be supported by any pipe to which the collar is attached. This arrangement has a result that the whole of an inside face such as at 100 will engage against the whole of the inner side 101 of the outer wall 82. This means that greater strength arises because more of the support forces depend on a shear 25 strength of the materials rather than a resistance against bending.

Further because the teeth are adjustably positioned in the groove and not clamping strongly on edges and depending for their position on such clamping forces this can allow for adjustment of position which can result in significantly reduced stress's for comparable loads.

3 0 Further, the outer wall being of two thickness's of sheet metal can better be able to resist deformation under high loads.

There is thus described a significant breakthrough in respect of this area of technology.

Claims (16)

1. An element for assembly into a collar for a multi-positional connector comprising of member stamped from sheet metal and having a part cylindrical shape and having two spaced apart parallel grooves formed to follow a perimeter of the part cylindrical shape the grooves each defined by having an inner wall, a floor and an outer wall and having an open side which is directionally opposed to the open side of the other groove, and means at one side of the part cylindrical shape to interengage with a like element to form a collar.

2. An element for assembly into a collar for a multi-positional connector as in Claim 1 further characterised in that the outer wall of the groove is comprised of two thickness's of the sheet metal from which the element has been stamped. o o. An element for assembly into a collar for a multi-positional connector as 15 in Claim 1 or 2 further characterised in that the part is of semi-cylindrical S"shape.

4. A collar for a multi-positional connector comprised of, at least in the main, two semi-cylindrical parts interconnected together which are adapted to be clamped about a post to support intermediary brackets, such part having two directionally opposed grooves extending around its periphery.

5. A collar as in preceding Claim 4 further characterised in that the collar has an inner wall at a first end and an inner wall at an opposite end to the first end the respective inner walls being positioned and of a shape so as to engage directly against any post around which the collar can be secured.

6. An assemblage providing for a multi-positional connector including a collar comprised of elements as in any one of preceding Claim 1, 2 or 3 or being a collar as in either of Claims 4 or 5 and an intermediary bracket which has teeth which are a fixed distance apart and are adapted to interengage with respect to each of the directionally opposed grooves.

7. An assemblage providing for a multi-positional connector including a collar comprised of elements as in preceding Claim 6 further characterised Ssuch that the teeth of a respective two elements of the bracket, when brought together with a clamping action, will engage against each other but which may only incidentally engage with some nipping force with a groove shape but only in so far that any nipping is between teeth within the same groove and not with respect to teeth located one in each of the grooves.

8. An assemblage providing for a multi-positional connector as in either of preceding Claims 6 and 7 further characterised in that the intermediary bracket which at one end has respective teeth adapted to interengage but not to clamp with respect to the teeth in each of the opposed grooves of the collar has at an opposite end to the teeth, a part of convex shape on the outside, and with two elements having correspondingly shaped outwardly protruding 1 0 convex shapes, there is provided a further bracket having two head portions which are adapted to be clamped together to provided engagement around the convex shapes with a matching concave shape which thereby allows for relative rotational positioning.

9. An assemblage providing for a Multi-positional connector including a 1 5 collar comprised of elements as in preceding Claim 6 further characterised by having a first element, and a second element, each element having two teeth of fixed distance apart and defining therebetween an interlocking shape adapted to interlock with respective grooves with the collar, and a bolt, *°oadapted to be tightened by a nut, passing jointly through the two elements to provide a clamping effect at an end opposite to the end at which there are the said teeth.

10. A multi-positional connector arrangement including a collar comprised of elements as in any one of Claims 1,2 or 3 and including a first skirt at a first end, and a second skirt at an opposite end, and between the respective skirts, 25 an outwardly extending part providing a first groove and a second groove ~each having an open side oppositely directed to the direction of the open side of the other groove, each groove being defined by an outermost wall and an innermost wall, a connecting bracket having a first element and a second ~element, each element having two teeth defining therebetween an interlocking 3 0 shape and being of a fixed distance apart and interlocking with the respective grooves of the collar, and a bolt adapted to be tightened by a nut where the bolt passes jointly through the two elements to provide a clamping affect at an end opposite to that at which there are teeth but only so that teeth in one groove shall be brought together. 3 5 11. A multi-positional connector arrangement including a collar 16 surrounding an upright, the collar being comprised of at least two semi- cylindrical parts, each part having a respective end of each part interlocking together and the other end of each part being engaged by a connecting bracket so as to be held in the clamping position around the upright whereby, the collar comprises a first skirt at a top end, and a second skirt at a bottom end, and between the respective skirts an outwardly extending part providing a first groove and a second groove on each part each groove having an open side oppositely directed to the direction of the open side of the other groove, each groove being defined by an outermost wall and an innermost wall, the connecting bracket having a first element and a second element, each element having two teeth defining therebetween an interlocking shape and the teeth interengaging respective grooves of the collar.

12. An assemblage comprising a collar characterised in any one of the preceding Claims 6, 7, 8 and 9 with an intermediary connecting bracket having 15 a first element and a second element, each element having two teeth defining l:i therebetween an interlocking shape, and a bolt passing jointly through the two elements to provide a clamping effect at an end opposite to the end at which there are the teeth.

13. An assemblage as in the immediately preceding claim further characterised in that each element has an outer side of convex shape at an a end opposite to that of the teeth. S14. An assemblage as in the immediately preceding claim where there is a further bracket comprised of two elements which are shaped so that, at one aleo end they will engage with clamping effect convex shaped parts of the first said bracket and at the other end engage the end of a pipe or other appropriate post. A multi-positional connector arrangement as in preceding Claim 14 further characterised in that there are provided on said collar two outwardly extending parts which are positioned and shaped to be ensnared by inwardly directed lugs in the case of an intermediary bracket.

16. A multi-positional connector arrangement as in any one of preceding Claim 14 or 15 further characterised in that there is provided in the collar, access gaps through an outermost wall so that the teeth can fit through into an Sinterlocking position. 17

17. An element substantially as described in the specification with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings in respect of either one of the embodiments.

18. A collar substantially as described in the specification with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings in respect of either one of the embodiments.

19. A multi-positional connector assembly substantially as described in the specification with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings in respect of either one of the embodiments.

20. A collar substantially as described as the first embodiment in the specification with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. Dated this 6th day of August 1997 LANCE MALCOLM VATER By his Patent Attorneys, COLLISON CO. *00 o~o :oo..o 00 0 00 0oo o 0o .00.