GB1604804A - Jointing device - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO A JOINTING DEVICE (71) We, THE BRITISH ALUMINIUM COMPANY LIMITED, a Company registered under the laws of Great Britain, of 7 Baker Street, London W1M lAB, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be and by the following statement:- performed, to be particularly described in This invention relates to a jointing device and to a method of jointing and is particularly, although not exclusively, concerned with the jointing of flat sheet material with edging or corner members.

A requirement for joining flat sheet material to a structure or of forming a corner joint between flat sheet material is common in many industrial fields and various proposals have been made to Dro- vide jointing members for this purpose.

One such field of activity is in the production of slab-sided bodies for goods vehicles and goods containers. It is common to use plywood or other board material coated with glass reinforced plastic for such vehicles and containers and it is usual to join these together at the corners and join them to a chassis frame or other base with different. specially shaped aluminium extrusions which are rivetted to the panels. Such an arrangement has proved expensive to manufacture since the rivets must be closely spaced to ensure water-tightness and has presented problems in replacing a damaged panel since not only is it necessary to drill or punch out all the rivets but frequently further dismantling is necessary to remove the damaged panel and insert a new one.

Another field of activity requiring the jointing together of sheet material is in the production of display cabinets and other shop fittings where a pleasing external appearance is desirable and present methods of constructions and jointing are expensive.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved jointing device and method of jointing which may be used in conjunction with flat sheet material; which obviates the necessity of using rivets or other individual fasteners, which is easily dissembled and which can be presented with a variety of external shapes and finishes to present a pleasing appearance.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a jointing device comprising first and second parts each having a base and at least one limb projecting outwardly therefrom, the parts being extruded from metallic or plastics material in a direction transverse to the outward projection of the limb so that the base of the first part constitutes, or has a formation to receive, a first fastener and the base of the second part constitutes, or has a formation to receive, a second fastener for engagement with the first fastener each first limb having an inward projection to engage within a recess or groove of a member to be located therebetween and fulcrum means being disposed on the side of the fasteners remote from the limbs operable to permit the limbs to move towards one another upon interengagement of the fasteners to clamp said member therebetween.

The above and other aspects of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows partly in vertical section a panel formation for a slab-sided vehicle body, and Fig. 2 is a vertical section of a lower corner of a display cabinet.

Referring to Fig. 1, a vehicle chassis 1 has an upper part 2 and a side part 3.

A jointing device indicated generally at 4 comprises first and second parts 5 and 6 formed as aluminium extrusions, the first part having a base 7 formed with an inwardly projecting longitudinally extending channel 8 having inwardly turned lips 9 defining a slot 10 therebetween. A series of nuts, one of which is shown at 11, is a loose sliding fit within the channel in such manner that it is held against turning. The base 7 extends downwardly at 12 to be secured to the side part 3 of the chassis by bolts 13, its lowermost part 14 constituting a decorative strip and a recess 15 being formed to receive a cover plate 16 clipped into the recess.

At its upper end the part 5 is formed with a limb 17 having an inward projection 18.

The part 6 has a base 19 formed with apertures to receive screws one of which is shown at 20 extending through the slot 10 in the channel 8 to screw into the nut 11. The base 19 is extended downwardly and formed into a right-angled bracket 21 to be secured by a bolt such as 22 to the upper part 2 of the chassis 1. The base 19 is extended upwardly to form a limb 23 having an inward projection 24.

A panel 25 having a plywood core 26 faced on both sides with a layer 27 of glass reinforced plastic is formed towards its lower edge 28 with a pair of grooves 29 so that when the panel is located as shown between the limbs 17 and 23 the grooves are respectively engaged by the projections 18 and 24.

It will be understood that with the assembly as shown, tightening the screw 20 into the nut 11 clamps the projections 18 and 24 into the grooves 29 with the inner faces of the limbs closely embracing the outer surfaces of the panel. The inner surfaces of the projections 18 and 24 are recessed to receive sealing strips 30. It will be understood that by securing the parts 5 and 6 to the chassis of the vehicle the latter constitutes a fulcrum and tightening the screw 20 ensures that the limbs 17 and 23 move accurately together to embrace the panel.

The upper end 31 of the panel is similarly clamped between limbs 32 and 33 of the first and second parts 34 and 35 of a generally similar jointing device 36.

In this case, however, the base 37 of the par. 35 is extended upwardly to constitute a formation 38 forming part of the roof structure of the vehicle and including a limb 39, the lower surface 40 of which constitutes a guide face for a side 41 of the first part 34 incorporating the channel 8 se ensuring that tightening the screw 20 in the nut 11 causes the projections 18 and 24 to move accurately towards one another and tightly clamp the panel therebetween.

It will be understood that with the arrangement above described the entire panel 25 together with the jointing device 4 may be pre-assembled with the screws such as 20 loosely engaging through nuts lt to be finally tightened when the bolts 13 and 22 have been secured so that further tightening of the screws 20 enables the limbs 17 and 23 to embrace the lower edge of the panel tightly. Similarly, upon engagement, the face 41 of the first part 34 of the jointing device 36 slides against the limb 39 of the second part 35 (which is assumed to be already located in position) so that tightening of the hooding screws forces the limbs 32 and 33 tightly against the upper edge of the panel 25.

This arrangement enables damaged panels to be removed bodily from the vehicle and easily replaced.

Fig. 2 of the drawings shows a jointing device 42 utilised as a lower corner member for a display cabinet.

In this construction the first part 43 has a base 44 and a pair of limbs 45 and 46 disposed at right angles to one another and at an angle of 45" to the base 44. A channel 47 for receiving a captive nut 11 is similar to those described above in respect of Fig. 1 except that its side walls are formed with screw tubes 48. The second part 49 has a base 50, a central spigot 59a having apertures to receive screws 20 and first and second limbs SI and 52 to extend parallel with the limbs 45 and 46. All four limbs have chamfered inward projections 53 at their outer extremities. The projections 53 of the lambs 45 and 51 engage within grooves 54 of a bracket 55 to which a grooved runner 56 is secured in order to receive sliding doors (not shown). The projections 53 of the limbs 46 and 52 engage within grooves 57 of a support 58 for a base plank 59 of the cabinet. It will be understood that the jointing device of Fig. 2 operates in substantially the same manner as that described in connection with Fig. 1 and the fact that it is "double ended" ensures that engagement of the projections 53 within the grooves 57 constitutes a fulcrum so that tightening of the screws such as 20 in the nuts such as 11 causes the limbs 45 and 51 and 46 and 52 to engage tightly the bracket 55 and the support 58. The tubes 48 are in a known fashion for receiving self-tapping screws for a structure (not shown) to be secured at the end of the cabinet.

Although the arrangement of Fig. 2 makes use of the bracket 55 and the support 58 it will be understood that grooved sheet material of the kind described in Fig. 1 can be engaged between either or both pairs of limbs to form part of a cabinet structure. Furthermore, the jointing device of Fig. 2 can be incorporated in the vehicle body construction of Fig.

1 at the end edges of the panel 25. In addition, the chamfered formation of the projections 53 enables the bracket 55, the support 58 and similarly formed metal parts to be engaged as a lock fit with the jointing device after assembly thereof.

In all the arrangements above described it may be desirable to have opposing pairs of limbs (in the free state) slightly in dined inwardly to make use of the natural resiliency of the material upon tightening the fasteners.

Although as described the parts are extruded from metal or metal alloy they may be extruded from plastics material.

Claims (6)

CLAIMS:

1. A jointing device comprising first and second parts each having a base and at least on limb projecting outwardly therefrom the parts being extruded from metallic or plastics material in a direction transverse to the outward projection of the limb so that the base of the first part constitutes, or has a formation to receive, a first fastener and the base of the second part constitutes, or has a formation to receive, a second fastener for engagement with the first fastener each first limb having an inward projection to engage within a recess or groove of; a member to be located there-between and fulcrum means being disposed on the side of the fasteners remote from the limbs operable to permit the limbs to move towards one another upon interengagement of the fasteners to clamp said member therebetween.

2. A device according to claim 1 in which the first fastener comprises a formation to receive at least one captive nut and the second fastener comprises at least one aperture to receive a screw to engage said nut.

3. A device according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which each part has a second limb extending outwardly from the base thereof and said fulcrum means comprises an element for maintaining the second limbs in fixed relationship to one another.

4. A device according to claim 3 in which said second limbs and said element have formations to permit the parts and the element to be in sliding relationship with one another.

5. A device according to any one of the preceding claims in which the projections are recessed to receive sealing strips to act against the base of the recess or groove in the number.

6. A jointing device substantially as herein described with reference to Fig. 1 or Fig. 2 of the drawing accompanying the Provisional Specification.