GB2123109A

GB2123109A - Connector for tube or rod members

Info

Publication number: GB2123109A
Application number: GB08314426A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Brian O'hara
Original assignee: Hara J B O
Current assignee: Hara J B O
Priority date: 1982-05-26
Filing date: 1983-05-25
Publication date: 1984-01-25
Also published as: GB2123109B; GB8314426D0

Abstract

A connector for connecting together tube or rod members comprising a disc-like web portion (1) and means (2) providing at least one socket which opens adjacent the periphery of the web portion (1) and which extends substantially radially of the web portion (1) towards a central region of the web portion. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Connector for tube or rod members This invention relates to connectors for connecting together tube or rod members.

There are many occasions when it is desired to connect together tube or rod members and various means have been proposed for connecting such tube or rod members together.

For heavy duty applications, such as for scaffolding, heavy duty industrial racking and the like it is usual to use expensive clamp or like connectors. For light duty structures such as fruit cages for horticultural or agricultural use, light industrial or domestic racking or shelving systems and the like it is usual to use connector blocks having sockets therein for tightly receiving end portions of the tube or rod members spigot-and-socket fashion. Such connector blocks are usually square or rectangular sided blocks having sockets formed in some or all of the faces thereof or are in the form of solid spheres or balls having sockets formed at required angular positions therein.Such known connector blocks, being solid, are wasteful of material, which adds to the cost thereof, and the connector blocks having square or rectangular sides are not really suitable for applications such as the construction of a frame structure of a fruit cage since the netting which is draped over the frame structure tends to catch on the corners of the connector blocks.

The present invention has as its object to provide a connector for connecting together tube or rod members which avoids or mitigates the disadvantages of the known connector blocks.

The present invention provides a connector for connecting together tube or rod members, the connector comprising a substantially discform web portion and means providing at least one socket which opens adjacent the periphery of the web portion and which extends substantially radially of the web portion towards a central region of the web portion.

Said means providing at least one socket may comprise at least one tube portion having an internal diameter of a size selected to receive spigot-and-socket fashion an end portion of a tube or rod member of predetermined external diameter. Usually the connector will comprise a plurality of said tube portions arranged with their axes at required angular dispositions with respect to one another so that tube or rod members can be connected together at required angles with respect to one another. The at least one tube portion may be formed integrally with the web portion or may be secured, e.g., welded or adhered, to the web portion.

Said at least one tube portion may be provided on a side surface of the web portion or may be inset into the web portion, e.g., so that the web portion lies in a plane containing the axis of the tube portion. Where the connector comprises a plurality of tube portions when these may be ar.ranged in axial alignment or at required angular dispositions with respect to one another either with their axes in the same plane as the web portion or in a plane parallel to a plane containing the web portion and/or so that at least one tube portion is arranged with its axis extending perpendicular to a plane containing the web portion.

Normally, where the connector comprises a plurality of tube portions, these will be arranged either in axial alignment or with their axes extending at right angles to one another.

However, there may be occasions when it is desired to connect together tube or rod members at angles with respect to one another other than a right angle. This can be provided for according to embodiments of the present invention by forming the connector in two or more portions which can be connected together in adjusted positions relative to one another so that the axes of the tube portions extend at a required angle to one another, e.g., at an angle of 30 , 45 , 90 or 120 .

For example, the connector may comprise two connector portions each having a web portion and a said tube portion and means whereby the two connector portions can be connected together. The means for connecting together the connector portions in desired angularly adjusted positions may comprise, for example, one or more pins or pegs on at least one connector portion which is or are adapted to engage a selected one of a series of apertures provided by at least the other connector portion. Thus, for example, the web portion of one of said connector portions may have a plurality of pegs or pins extending outwardly from one side face thereof whilst the web portion of the other connector portion may have an annular series of apertures therein with which said pins or pegs are adapted to engage.Alternatively, said connector portions may be identical and may each comprise at least one pin or peg projecting outwardly from the web portion thereof and an annular or part annular series of apertures with which the at least one pin or peg on the other connector portion can be engaged. This latter arrange ment enables the two connector portions to be produced by the same tool, e.g., in the same injection mould if, as is preferred, the connector of the present invention is moulded from plastics material. Said annular or part annular series of apertures may be provided at required angular spacings from one another around the web portion, except where the tube portion is provided where it is necessary to interrupt the series of apertures.The said at least one pin or peg may simply be a close fit in a selected one of said apertures or may be adapted to make snap or other suitable lock ing engagement with a selected one of said apertures. In a further alternative arrangement the two connector portions are connectable together, e.g., as by a suitable spigot-andsocket connection, so as to be relatively rotatable about the axes of the web portions and means is provided for retaining the connector portions in angularly adjusted relationship to one another. Such retaining means may comprise suitable detent or like means.

In a further embodiment one connector portion is in the form of a disc-like web portion and the other connector portion comprises one or more socket providing portions, means being provided for connecting the one or more socket providing portions to the web portion at a required angularly adjusted position or positions with respect thereto. Said connecting means may comprise pins or pegs on one connector portion adapted to engage apertures in the other connector portion, suitable slide connections or the like.

Where said at least one tube portion is provided on one side face of the web portion then the other side face of the web portion may have an aperture therein, e.g., at the centre thereof, adapted to receive an adaptor member which will enable a further tube or rod member to be connected to the connector and to extend outwardly from said other side face of the web portion. Said adaptor member may be an elongate member having at one end a spigot portion which is adapted to be received in said aperture and at the other end thereof a socket for receiving an end portion of a tube or rod member.

According to another aspect thereof the present invention provides a connector for connecting together tube or rod members, the connector being formed in two parts each of which comprises a socket portion and a connecting portion, the connecting portions being connectable together in different adjusted positions relative to one another so that said socket portions can be arranged with their axis in different angularly adjusted positions relative to one another. Each said connector part may comprise a circular, e.g., annular, connecting portion and a socket portion which extends outwardly, e.g., radially outwardly, thereof.Means may be provided for connecting said connecting portions together so that they are coaxial and such connecting means may comprise a pin or peg on and an annular or part annular series of apertures in each connecting portion, the pin or peg on each part being adapted to engage a selected aperture in the other part. Said pins or pegs are preferably a friction fit in said apertures. The said connector parts may be identical to one another and may be moulded from synthetic plastic material.

The invention will be more particularly understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of one embodi ment of a connector according to the present invention, Figure 2 is an opposite side elevation of the connector of Fig. 1, and Figure 3 is an end view of the connector of Figs. 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of another embodiment of a connector according to the present invention, Figure 5 is a side elevation of one of a pair of connector portions according to a further embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 6 is an end view of a pair of I connector portions according to Fig. 5 assem bled together.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of a further embodiment of a connector according to the present invention, and Figure 8 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a yet further embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 it will be seen that the connector illustrated therein comprises a disc-form web portion 1 and a plurality of tube portions 2 provided on a side surface 3 of the web portion 1. In the illustrated em bodiment five tube portions 2 are provided which are arranged at right angles to one another, four of the tube portions 2 having their axes in a plane which is parallel to a plane containing the web portion 1 and the fifth of which has its axis extending coaxially of the web portion 1. With this arrangement up to five tube or rod members (not shown) of suitable external diameter can be connected together at right angles to one another by engaging spigot-and-socket fashion end por tions of the tube or rod members in the sockets provided by the tube portions 2.In the embodiment illustrated each of the tube portions 2 is a separate tube portion. It will be understood, however, that if desired either pair of the diametrically opposed tube por tions could be formed by a single tube portion extending diametrically of the web portion 1.

The tube portions 2 may be formed, e.g., moulded, integrally with the web portion 1 or may be formed separately from the web por tion 1 and may be assembled thereon in any suitable or convenient manner, e.g., as by welding or the use of a suitable adhesive. The side surface 4 of the web portion 1 is slightly bevelled as shown in Fig. 3 and has an axially extending circular aperture 5 therein which is bounded by a counterbore 6. The aperture 5 is adapted to receive an adaptor member 7 which is illustrated in Fig. 3 and which en ables a further tube or rod member (not shown) to be connected by the connector. The adaptor member 7 comprises a spigot portion 8 adapted to be received in the aperture 5 and a socket portion 9 adapted to receive an end portion of a tube or rod member of suitable diameter.The arrangement is such that when the spigot portion 8 is fully inserted into the aperture 5 the shoulder 10 between the portions 8 and 9 will abut the shoulder provided by the counterbore 6.

The embodiment of Fig. 4 is similar to the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 3 except that it comprises three web portions 11, 1 2 and 1 3 arranged at right angles to one another and three diametrically opposed pairs of tube portions 14, 1 5 and 1 6 which are inset into the web portions 11,12 and 13 so that each of said web portions lies in a plane containing the axes of two of said pairs of tube portions.

In this embodiment the web portions 11, 1 2 and 1 3 are not continuous but each comprises four wedge-shaped portions which occupy the angles between adjacent tube portions.

It will be understood that whilst the embodiments of Figs. 1 to 3 and Fig. 4 illustrate respectively a five-way connector which can be adapted for six way use by means of the adaptor member 7 and a six-way connector, the connector of either of these embodiments can comprise any number of tube portions 2 up to a maximum of 6.

Fig. 5 illustrates one of an identical pair of connector portions 20 according to a further embodiment of the present invention. The connector portion 20 comprises a web portion 21 having a single tube portion 22 arranged on or inset therein. The connector portion further comprises a single upstanding peg or pin 23 and a part-annular series of apertures 24 each of which is adapted to receive the pin or peg 23 of a similar connector portion.

Thus, as shown in Fig. 6, two identical connector portions 20, 20a having web portions 21, 21a and a single tube portion 22, 22a can be connected together by inserting the respective pins or pegs 23 thereof in selected apertures 24 so that their respective tube portions 22, 22a, extend at a required angle with respect to another. In the illustrated embodiment the apertures 24 are angularly displaced by 45 from one another except where interrupted by the tube portions 22 and the pin or peg 23. However, it will be understood, that this particular angular displacement of the apertures 24 has been selected for illustration only and that there is no limitation on the number of apertures 24 provided so long as there in a minimum of one and a maximum determined by the amount of space available.Likewise the connector portion could comprise a plurality of pins or pegs 23 or one could provide a first connector portion having only apertures 24 and a second connector portion having only pins or pegs 23. Thus it will be readily understood that various modifications will occur to those skilled in the art.

Preferably the web portion 21 has a circular aperture 25 extending axially thereof which is of an internal diameter such that it will receive with a fairly tight sliding fit a tube or rod member of suitable external diameter, e.g., of the same external diameter as the tube portion 22 is adapted to receive. This enables the connector portion 20 to be used as a hinge member by engaging a tube or rod member in the aperture 25 and sliding the connector portion 20 along the rod or tube member to a required location.Thus, for example, a hanging door, e.g., for a fruit cage, can readily be constructed by engaging the apertures 25 of two connector portions over a tube or rod member extending across the top of a door opening, engaging tube or rod members in the tube portions 22 of the connector to form depending side frame members of the door, connecting the lower ends of the side frame members by a bottom tube or rod member using connectors according to the present invention, and covering the frame so formed with netting.

Fig. 7 illustrates another embodiment of an adjustable connector according to the present invention. In this embodiment the connector comprises two connector portions 26, 27 each having an annular web portion 28 and a tube portion 29 extending radially outwards from the annular web portion 28. The annular web portions 28 each have an annular series of spaced apertures 30 therein and the two web portions are connected together by pins or pegs 31 engaged in selected apertures 30.

In the illustrated embodiment the tube portions 29 extend wholly radially outwardly of the web portions 28 although it will be understood that the tube portions 29 can, if desired, be inset at least partially into the web portions 28. If desired one or more further connector portions 26, 27 can be connected to the two illustrated to provide, e.g., a threeway or a four-way connector.

The embodiment of Fig. 8 is yet another adjustable connector and comprises a first connector portion 32 in the form of a flat disc-like web portion 33 having apertures 34 therein which are arranged in pairs on radii of the web portion 33 and at least one socket portion 35 adapted to receive an end portion of a rod or tube member and having pins or pegs 36 thereon adapted to engage a said pair of apertures 34. As many socket portions 35 as required or as space permits may be provided and such socket portions may be mounted on either side of the web portion 33.

As with the embodiment of Fig. 5, the connectors of Figs. 7 and 8 each have an aperture 37 in the centre of the web portion thereof adapted to receive a rpd or tube member so that the connector can be used as a hinge.

The connectors of the present invention are preferably fromed, e.g., moulded, from synthetic plastics material although it will be understood that they may be formed or fabricated in any other suitable manner and from any other suitable material.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that the connectors of the present invention are economical in the use of material, are easy to manufacture, are extremely robust due to the strengthening effect of the web portions, and are suitable for applications such as the construction of frames for fruit cages since the web portion or portions also serves as a shield to help prevent the netting with which a fruit cage is covered from becoming tangled with the connector. In addition the connectors of the present invention can be used to construct light racking or shelving for industrial or domestic use, frames for garden cloches or small greenhouses, frames for the growing of climbing crops such as runner beans or peas, or for many other uses.

The present invention also includes a kit-ofparts comprising a plurality of connectors according to the invention, and a plurality of rod or tube members adapted to be connected together by means of the connectors. The rod or tube members may be of plastics or other suitable material, e.g., metal, and may be in one or more suitable lengths, e.g., 300mm and 900mm. The kit-of-parts may also include plant supports according to Patent No.

2,035,027 and having a disc-like base portion and an upstanding socket portion adapted to receive a rod or tube member.

Such plant supports may be used in the kit-ofparts as feet to provide a firm base for a structure formed from the kit-of-parts.

Claims

1. A connector for connecting together tube or rod members, the connector comprising a substantially disc-form web portion 'and means providing at least one socket which opens adjacent the periphery of the web portion and which extends substantially radially of the web portion towards a central region of the web portion.

2. A connector according to Claim 1, wherein said means providing at least one socket comprises at least one tube portion having an internal diameter of a size selected to receive spigot-and-socket fashion and end portion of a tube or rod member of predetermined external diameter.

3. A connector according to Claim 2, comprising a plurality of said tube portions arranged with their axes at required angular dispositions with respect to one another.

4. A connector according to Claim 2 or 3, wherein said at least one tube portion is formed integrally with the web portion.

5. A connection according to Claim 2, 3, or 4 wherein said at least one tube portion is provided on a side surface of the web portion.

6. A connector according to Claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein said at least one tube portion is inset into the web portion.

7. A connector according to Claim 6, wherein said at least one tube portion is inset into the web portion so that the web portion lies in a plane containing the axis of the tube portion.

8. A connector according to Claim 3, or any one of claims 4 to 7 when dependant upon Claim 3, wherein said tube portions are arranged with their axis at 90 and/or 180 with respect to one another.

9. A connector according to Claim 8, com prising four said tube portions the axes of which lie in the same plane as the web portion or in a plane parallel to a plane containing the web portion.

10. A connector according to Claim 8 or 9, comprising at least one tube portion ar ranged with its axis extending perpendicular to a plane containing the web portion.

11. A connector according to any one of claims 2 to 10, wherein said at least one socket is provided on one side face of the web portion and wherein the other side face of the web portion has an aperture therein.

1 2. A connector according to Claim 11, wherein said aperture is a circular aperture arranged centrally of the web portion.

1 3. A connector according to Claim 11 or 12, wherein an elongate adaptor member is provided which has at one end a spigot por tion adapted to be received in said aperture and at the other end thereof a socket for receiving a tube or rod member of the same predetermined external diameter as said at least one tube portion.

14. A connector according to Claim 3, or any one of claims 4 to 1 3 when dependant upon Claim 3, wherein the connector is formed in at least two portions which can be connected together in adjusted positions rela tive to one another so that the axes of the tube portions extend at a selected angle to one another.

1 5. A connector according to Claim 14, wherein the connector comprises two connec tor portions each having a web portion and a said tube portion and means whereby the two connector portions can be connected together in adjusted position.

1 6. A connector according to Claim 15, wherein said connecting means comprises at least one pin or peg on at least one connector portion which is adapted to engage a selected one of a series of apertures provided by at I least the other connector portion.

1 7. A connector according to Claim 16, wherein the web portion of one of said con nector portions has a plurality of pegs or pins extending outwardly from one side face thereof whilst the web portion of the other connector portion has an annular or part an nular series of apertures therein with which said pins or pegs can be engaged.

18. A connector according to Claim 16, I wherein said connector portions are identical and each comprise at least one pin or peg extending outwardly from the web portion thereof and an annular or part annular series of apertures with which the at least one pin or peg on the other connector portion can be engaged.

1 9. A connector according to Claim 16, 1 7 or 18, wherein said at least one pin or peg is a close fit in a selected one of said apertures or is adapted to make snap engagement with a selected one of said apertures.

20. A connector according to Claim 15, wherein said connector portions are so connectable together as to be relatively rotatable about the axes of the web portions and means is provided for retaining the connector portions in angularly adjusted relationship to one another.

21. A connector according to Claim 20, wherein the connector portions are connectable together by a spigot-and-socket connection and said retaining means comprises detent means.

22. A connector according to Claim 14, comprising a disc-like web portion, at least two socket providing portions, and means whereby the socket providing portions can be connected to the web portion at required angularly adjusted positions relative thereto.

23. A connector according to Claim 22, wherein said connecting means comprise pins or pegs on said web portion or said socket providing portions and apertures in said socket providing portions or said web portion adapted to be engaged by said pins or pegs.

24. A connector according to Claim 22, wherein said connecting means comprise slide connections whereby said socket providing portions can make slide engagement with said web portion.

25. A connector for connecting together tube or rod members, the connector being formed in two parts each of which comprises a socket portion and a connecting portion, the connecting portions being connectable together in different adjusted positions relative to one another so that said socket portions can be arranged with their axes in different angularly adjusted positions relative to one another.

26. A connector according to Claim 25, wherein each said connector part comprises a circular connecting portion and a socket portion extending outwardly thereof and wherein means is provided for connecting said connecting portions together so that they are coaxial.

27. A connector according to Claim 26, wherein said connecting portions are annular.

28. A connector according to Claim 26 or 27, wherein the socket portion of each part extends radially outwardly of the connecting portion.

29. A connector according to any one of Claims 25 to 28, wherein said connecting portions each comprise a pin or peg or an annular or part annular series of apertures, the pin or peg on each part being adapted to engage a selected aperture in the other part.

30. A connector according to Claim 29, wherein said pins or pegs are a friction fit in said apertures.

31. A connector according to any one of Claims 25 to 30, wherein said connector parts are identical to one another.

32. A connector according to any one of the preceding claims when moulded from synthetic plastics material.

33. A kit-of-parts comprising a plurality of connectors according to any one of the preceding claims and a plurality of tube or rod members adapted to be connected together by means of the connectors.

34. A connector for connecting together tube or rod members, the connector being substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3 or any one of Figs. 4 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.