GB2224800A - Framework connectors - Google Patents

Abstract

A 4-way framework connector (1) has a body (3, 3) with two pairs of coaxially aligned bores for receiving ends of respective framework rods (2). The body is formed preferably of identical halves (3), which can be assembled in situ about the rod ends and held together by bolts (4). Usually, at least one of said pairs of bores are conterminous so that the connector can be assembled about a framework rod at a position along its length. An auxiliary connector (21) adapted to be secured to the 4-way connector has a body (23, 23) with a bore for receiving an end of a further framework rod. This body also is formed of two or more parts, preferably identical halves (23), releasably secured in situ about said end of the further rod. <IMAGE>

Description

FRAMEWORK CONNECTORS The present invention relates to framework connectors and has particular, but not exclusive, application to the construction of frameworks for light industrial use, such as display, prototype or storage racks and test rigs for electrical and electronic equipment. In particular, the invention provides a 4-way connector formed of two or more parts which can be assembled in situ to connect framework rods in a single plane. Further, it provides, in combination with said 4-way connector, an auxiliary connector formed of two more parts which can be assembled in situ to connect a further rod to said connector.Moreover, it provides frameworks comprising a plurality of rods of which at least some are connected together by said 4-way connectors and, optionally, at least some others of said rods are connected to said 4-way connectors by said auxiliary connectors. The frameworks may further comprise hinged connectors which can be assembled in situ to connect others of said rods together.

Usually, frameworks are constructed of rods which cross each other at positions along their lengths and are clamped together where they cross. As a result, the rods are not connected in a single plane and there fore special care is required to ensure that thes are rigidly connected together. The resultant framework is of generally untidy appearance and even relatively minor modification of the framework may require the dismantling and re-erection of extensive parts of the framework. Frameworks in which rods are connected in a single plane are known but construction systems permitting the erection of such frameworks are not as flexible as the forementioned conventional system. In particular, the connectors employed are permanent or unitary.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a 4-way framework connector which can be assembled and disassembled in situ ~s#without requiring movement of the connected framework rods.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a framework connector comprising a body having two pairs of coaxially aligned bores for receiving ends of respective framework rods, the axes of said pairs of bores being coplanar and said body being formed of two or more parts which can be assembled and disassembled in situ about said rod ends, and fixing means for releasably securing said parts together to maintain said rods in a fixed array.

Usually, but not necessarily, said axes will be mutually perpendicular, whereby the connected rods extend at 900 intervals.

It is preferred that at least one of said pairs of bores are conterminous so that the connector can be assembled and disassembled about a framework rod at a position along its length as an alternative to connecting an opposed pair of rods together.

The assembled body can be of any shape but conveniently is cylindrical. It is particularly preferred that the body is formed of two identical halves in order to reduce manufacturing costs and to avoid having to match handed or complementary parts when assembling the connector.

The body parts are releasably secured together by fixing means. Said means can be any members or devices which will securely but releasably connect the parts together. For example, the fixing means can be provided by nuts and bolts extending through aligned plane bolt-receiving bores in the boay parts.However, it is preferred that a plane bolt-receiving bore in one body part is aligned with a threaded bore in another body part so that the parts can be connected together by a bolt or screw. when the body is formed of two identical halves, it is preferrea that each of said halves has at least one threaded bolt-receiving bore and at least one plane bolt-receiving bore located so that, when the body is assembled, each threaded bore of one half is aligned with a plane bore of the other half thereby permitting the halves to be secured together by one or more bolts.

In a second aspect, the invention provides a framework connector assembly comprising a main framework connector and at least one auxiliary framework connector, said main connector being a connector of the invention and said auxiliary connector having a body with a bore for receiving one end of a further framework rod, said body being formed of two or more parts which can be assembled and disassembled in situ about the said end of said further framework rod whilst juxtaposed the main connector, and fixing means for releasably securing said parts together and for releasably securing said auxiliary connector to said main connector.

Usually, when the auxiliary connector is secured to the main connector, the axis of the bore in the auxiliary connector extends, preferably perpendicularly, out of the plane containing the said bore axes of the main connector As in the case of the main connector, the auxiliary connector advantageously is formed of two idendical halves to minimise manufacturing costs and avoid the necessity to match handed or complementary body parts when assembling the auxiliary connector.

The body of the auxiliary connector usually will complement that of the main connector in order to provide a neat appearance to the framework.

Accordingly, when the main connector body is cylindrical, the auxiliary connector body usually will be cylindrical having the same external diameter and, when secured to the main connector, will extend coaxially therewith.

In a further aspect, the invention provides a framework comprising a plurality of rods at least some of which are connected together by (main) connectors of the invention and, optionally, others of said rods are connected together by auxiliary connectors as defined above. Said auxiliary connectors can be used alone for, for example, connection to foor or mounting plates for supporting or attaching the framework on or to a supporting surface.

Suitably, two or more pairs of rods in the framework of the invention are connected together by hinged connectors each formed of two tubular bodies hingedly connected together. Each of said tubular bodies is formed of two or more parts which can be assembled and disassembled in situ about a framework rod and secured together by fixing means.

As in the case of the (main) connectors of the invention, the fixing means of the auxiliary and hinged connectors can be provided by respective nuts and bolts of which the bolt passes through aligned plane bores in the connector body parts. However, it is also preferred in the case of the auxiliary and hinged connectors that the fixing means should comprise bolts which pass through a plane bore in one connector part to engage an aligned threaded bore in another body part.

As mentioned previously, the invention has particular application to frameworks for light industrial use. Examples of such use are display, prototype or storage racks and test rigs for electrical and electronic components. However, the system is not limited to such use. In particular, suitably dimensioned connectors can be used for the erection of scaffolding for building or other purposes.

The following is a description, by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing four framework rods interconnected by a 4-way connector of the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view corresponding to Figure 1 showing an auxiliary connector connecting a fifth framework rod to the 4-way connector; Figure 3 is a view corresponding to Figure 2 but showing the auxiliary connector partly assembled; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the assembly of Figure 2 to which a further auxiliary connector is attached connecting a sixth framework rod to the 4-way connector; Figure 5 is a side view of a hinged connector for use in a framework in which at least some of the framework rods are connected by 4-way and auxiliary connectors as shown in Figures 1 to 3; Figure 6 is a perspective view of the hinged connector of Figure 5; and Figure 7 is a schematic view of part of the said framework; Referring first to Figure 1, a 4-way connector generally indicated at 1 connects together four framework rods 2. The connector 1 is formed of two identical body halves 3 secured together by bolts 4.

Each body half is cylindrical and is provided in one end surface with two grooves of semi-circular crosssection, which grooves extend diametrically anc are mutually perpendicular. Four equally spaced bores extend axially through the boay half 3 to receive the bolts 4. One diametrically opposite pair of bores is plane and the other pair is threaded. A central axially extending bore 5 is provided to receive, for example, electrical cable or a bolt or screw for attaching the body half to a supporting surface.

The connector 1 is assembled by coaxially aligning the body halves 3 so that the grooves therein define intersecting cylindrical bores and each plane bolt-receiving bore of one body half is coaxially aligned with a threaded bolt-receiving bore of the other body half. The bolts 4 are then inserted through the plane bores and screwed into the threaded bores to secure the body halves together. In use, the connector is assembled in situ. When, as in Figure 1, four rods 2 are to be connected, the ends of the rods are located in respective grooves of one body half and the second body half secured thereto using the bolts 4. The connector 1 can also be used to connect two rods at a position along the length of a third rod. In this case, the third rod extends through the connector.

Figures 2 and 3 show an assembly in which a fifth rod 22 is secured to the connector 1. The assembly includes an auxiliary connector 21 formed of two idendical body halves 23 secured together by bolts 24.

Each body half 23 is of semi-cylindrical shape having an axially extending threaded bore 26 to received an elongate bolt 4' of the main connector 1. Each body part 23 also has tangentially extending bores 27 to receive bolts 24 to secure the two body parts together about the end of the rod 22. One bore 27 in each body half 23 is plane and the other is threaded so that a plane bore of each body half can be aligned with a threaded bore of the other body half to receive a bolt 24.

In a modification (not shown) of the connectors 1 and 21, all of the bolt-receiving bores are plan#e and the bolts 4, 24 are replaced by nuts and bolts for securing the respective body parts 3, 23 together.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the rods 2, 22 are cylindrical tubes but they could be cylindrical rods.

Suitably, the rods 2, 22 are steel tubes of 10 to 25 mm external diameter and the connectors are of 35 to 40 mm diameter with bores of appropriate size to clamp about said rods.

In the assembly show in Figure 4, a second auxiliary connector 21 is secured to the other end of the main connector 1 to connect a sixth framework rod thereto.

Referring now to Figures 5 and 6, a hinged connector 41 for connecting two framework rods 2 comprises a pair of tubular bodies 40 pivoted together by pivot pin 45. Each tubular body 40 comprises handed body halves 43. Each body half 43 is semi-cylindrical and has radially extending lugs 46, 47 at its respective ends. The body halves 43 are handed so that, when assembled, the lugs 46 abut at one end of the connector 41 and the lugs 47 abut at the other end of the connector 41. The lug 46 of one body half 43 has a plane tangenially extending bore and the lug 46 of the other body half 43 has an aligned threaded bore whereby the body parts can be connected by a bolt 44.

The lugs 47 are formed with aligned tangentially extending plane bores to receive the pivot pin 45.

The body halves 43 are assembled about a pair of rods 2 and the pivot pin 45 inserted to connect the tubular bodies 40 together permitting mutual pivoting of the rods 2.

Figure 7 shows a framework in which a plurality of rods are interconnected by the use of connectors 1, 21 and 41. At the foot of each upright rod is provided a connector 21 to which a circular foot plate 31 has been screwed. Each foot plate is provided with four equally spaced holes to receive screws 52 whereby the framework is secured to a horizontal support surface. Support or working surfaces are provided by plates 53 having depending edges for location over horizontally extending rods.

It will be appreciated that the invention is not restricted to the particular details described above with reference to the drawings and that numerous modifications and variations can be made to those details without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in following claims.

Claims (16)

1. A framework connector comprising a body having two pairs of coaxially aligned bores for receiving ends of respective framework rods, the axes of said bores being coplanar and said body being formed of two or more parts which can be assembled and disassembled in situ about said rod ends, and fixing means for releasably securing said parts together to maintain said rods in a fixed array.

2. A connector as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said axes are mutually perpendicular.

3. A connector as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein at least one of said pairs of bores are conterminous, whereby the connector ean be assembled and disassembled about a framework rod at a position along its length.

4. A connector as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the assembled body is cylindrical.

5. A connector as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the body is formed of two identical halves.

6. A connector as claimed in Claim 5, wherein said fixing means comprises as least two bolts and each of said halves has at least one threaded bolt-receiving bore and at least one plane bolt-receiving bore located so that, when the body is assembled, each threaded bore of one half is aligned with a plane bore of the other half.

7. A connector as claimed in Claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figure 1.

8. A framework connector assembly comprising a main framework connector and at least one auxiliary framework connector, said main connector being as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and said auxiliary connector having a body with a bore for receiving one end of a further framework rod, said body being formed of two or more parts which can be assembled and disassembled in situ about the said end of said further framework rod whilst juxtaposed the main connector, and fixing means for releasably securing said parts together and for releasably securing said auxiliary connector to said main connector.

9. An assembly as claimed in Claim 8, wherein, when the auxiliary connector is secured to the main connector, the axes of the bore in the auxiliary connector extends out of the plane containing the said bore axis of the main connector.

10. An assembly as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the auxiliary connector bore axis extends perpendicularly from said plane.

11. An assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 8 to 10, wherein said auxiliary connector is formed of two identical halves.

12. An assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 8 to 11, wherein the main and auxiliary connector bodies are both cylindrical having the same external diameter and, when assembled, extend coaxially.

13. An assembly as claimed in Claim 8 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 2 and 3 or Figure 4.

14. A framework comprising a plurality of rods at least some of which are connected together by connectors as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8.

15. A framework as claimed in Claim 14, wherein some others of the rods are connected to connectors as claimed in Claims 1 to 8 by auxiliary connectors as defined in any one of Claims 9 to 13.

16. A framework as claimed in Claim 14 or Claim 15, wherein two or more pairs of rods are connected by respective hinged connectors each formed of two tubular bodies hingedly connected together, each of said tubular bodies being formed of two or more parts, which can be assembled and disassembled in situ about a framework rod, and fixing means for releasably securing said parts together.