GB2240375A

GB2240375A - Metal corner bracket

Info

Publication number: GB2240375A
Application number: GB9001655A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Martin Gauci
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-01-24
Filing date: 1990-01-24
Publication date: 1991-07-31
Also published as: GB9001655D0

Abstract

A corner bracket, eg for joining side members of a bed to a leg, is fixed to the leg (5), eg by screws, and comprises protruding flanges (flaps) containing a pair of elongate holes. Plates (3) attached to the side members have protruding headed pins (4) which engage and lock in the said elongate holes. <IMAGE>

Description

EASY-FIT METAL CORNER BRACKEt ARTICLE METALFIT M356 DESCRIPTION Please refer to enclosed drawings, 0273 dated 30.5.89 and 0276 dated 12.7.89.

Article M356 is composed of the following components.

1. Main bracket measuring 132mm x 73mm in developement, Fig. 1, bent perpendicularly, to be screwed to leg, Fig. 5 by means of three screws on each side through three 5mm dia holes countersunk to 8mm dia.

The three holes' centre-lines on each side are displaced horizontally with respect to the other set of three on the other side so as to avoid screws interfering with one another, Fig. 1.

The two flaps form an integral part of the bracket and have each two elongated holes 12mm dia. to 9mm dia. and a securing screw hole 5mm dia.

2. Four pins rivetted flush, two to each plate, Fig. 3 and Fig. 4. Max. dia. 12mm stepped down to 9mm dia. and then to 5mm dia.

Alternative system of fixture provided by two hooks per plate replacing the two pins per plate. The hooks will fit in appropriate slots in place of 2 holes in each flap.

3. Two plates 20mm x 80mm x 2.5mm screwed on to the front/side of bed, Fig. 3. The plates have two holes 5mm dia.

countersunk to 8mm dia. so as to take two pins rivetted flush at the back; two holes 5mm dia. countersunk to 8mm dia. to take two screws joining plate to front/side; and a middle hole to secure bracket to plate and hence to front/side of bed after assembly. The centre-lines of the five holes coincide vertically. The common centre-line is displaced off centre of plate so as: (a) to move further away from edge of front/side.

(b) to produce a secure, flush joint - front/side to leg without extra tensions on bracket's screws.

Claims

EASY-FIT METAL CORNER BRACKET

ARTICLE METALFIT M356 CLAIMS . , 1. Art. M356 covers a wide range of uses, but is applicable mostly to the assembly of the bed's side to the leg and the latter to the front part of the bed.

The article is a robust yet light weight product which unites the three components (leg, front and side of bed) together. It is innovative mainly in this respect, that a single corner bracket joins front and side firmly together and then both to the same leg of bed.

It therefore replaces previous components that individually joined sides to leg and/or front to leg.

The three screws securing the bracket in two vertical places perpendicular to each other, ensure maximum strength of joint, bracket to leg.

2. The distance between edges A and B of bracket (Drg. 0276) is itself based on the width of the front or side to be joined to leg.

During the assembly operation, joining is fascilated and quickened by the fact that when upper edge of side/front moves flush against edge A of bracket, the pins' axes coincide perfectly with the bracket's 12mm dia. hole thus making the entry both guided and easy. Eventually side/front homes in producing a firm joint because of the following features of the article.

(a) Bottomside of front/side, just rests on the edge B of bracket. The weight of front/side is thus distributed among the two pins and side itself, and is not therefore carried solely by the two pins.

(b) The distance between pins and plate's face, fits exactly in the thickness of bracket's flaps, within material thickness tolerance.

(c) The two 12 dia. and 9 dia. elongated holes in both flaps are inclined inwardly towards leg at an angle of 82.9 so that the larger the downward force on the side/front members, the more the latter is wedged flush to leg upright itself.

(d) Alternative system of fixing plate flush to flap is by means of two hooks in plate (Fig. 3) that fit in appropriate slots in the flaps. This alternative method does not detract quickness of fixture during assembly.

(e) In order to produce a reliable and safe joint, the bracket's two flaps are provided with a 5mm dia. hole, marked C, for a securing screw inserted from flap side of bracket, through plate and into side/front itself.

(f) There is the possibility to use half fixture by producing only part cut along Xy and one plate. This enables side board to be mounted flush to leg quickly and securely.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows EASY-FIT METAL CORNER BRACKET ARTICLE METALFIT M356 CLAIMS What we claim is: 1. A metal corner joint for wooden bed-frames, made up of a combination of two flat metal plates and a metal angle attachment; the said two flat plates being provided with a series of two studs each and beln screwed one to the inner side of the edge of the bedstead horizontal member and the other flat plate to the inner edge of the bed frame front or back horizontal member. The said two horizontal members are thus fixed to the said angle attachment, this being provided with mating keyhole slots for the said studs.The angle attachment is secured to the leg of the bed-frame by means of wood screws through a plurality of countersunk holes provided in it, and is furthermore provided with two flaps bent at right angles to each other, each flap provided with the said two keyhole slots so that the flat plate fixed to the side bed-frame horizontal member is secured to one flap, whilst the other of the two flat plates fixed to the front or back horizontal member of bedstead, is secured to the other flap, producing therefore a jointed adjacency of the two bedstead horizontal members, ie. a side horizontal member of frame and either a front or back member of same frame being simultaneously perpendicularly secured together to the same leg of bed frame.
2. A metal corner joint for wooden bed-frames as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the said flat plates are provided with a series of holes through which wood screws secure it to the wooden horizontal member of bed-frame, said holes being countersunk to avoid interference with flap's face of angle attachment. Furthermore flat plate is provided with an additional central hole, not countersunk, coaxial with corresponding hole in the flap of angle attachment through which a screw secures and locks the joint when said flat plate attached to horizontal member of bedstead is in place and in position on said angle attachment fixed to the leg of bedstead as in Claim 1.
3. A metal corner joint for wooden bed-frames as claimed in Claim 1 and Claim 2, wherein the said flat plate is provided with a further two holes co-linear with the series of holes referred to in Claim 2, said two holes being used to take two studs rivetted flush from the back so that flat plate is secured flush onto the horizontal wooden members of the bed frame. The said studs are made up of a protruding pin with a large diameter producing a circular lip, and an undercut of reduced diameter.

The flaps of the said angle attachment are provided with a central hole for locking purposes as in Claim 2 and the two keyhole slots composed of two unequal diameters joined tangentially on one side only, the larger diameter to receive, on insertion, the larger diameter of the said stud rivetted to the flat plate, whereas the smaller diameter to fit the reduced smaller diameter of said stud, this smaller diameter of keyhole slot being slightly displaced to a side so that on insertion of studs and eventual homing of said smaller diameter of studs' undercut into smaller diameter of slots, the horizontal members of bed-frame wedge perpendicularly against the vertical leg to form the two butted joints perpendicular to each other as in Claim 1.
4. A metal corner joint for wooden bed frames as claimed in Claim 1 and Claim 3 wherein the said angular attachment comprises two flaps each provided with two keyhole slots to secure side of bedstead and either front or back horizontal member perpendicularly to each other, and a further two sets of two flaps each,- each pair set perpendicularly to the other. Each of the said pair of flaps is simultaneously perpendicular to the other flap with keyhole slots as in Claim 3. Each of the said flaps in each pair, is provided with a countersunk hole through which screws secure it to the vertical leg of bed-frame, each pair of said flaps being thus fixed to the adjacent faces of legs.The countersunk hole in each flap is colinear with the hole on the flap in its plane, but is displaced upwards or downwards with respect to the corresponding hole on the flap perpendicular to it, in such a way as to avoid the securing screws from interfering with each other when screwed into the wooden leg.
5. A metal corner joint for wooden bed-frames as in Claim 1 and Claim 4 wherein flat plate screwed to the side member or to the front or back member of bedstead is placed face to face against angular attachment so that larger diameter lip of the two studs rivetted to the said flat plate corresponds to larger diameter of keyhole slots, said function being guided by the upper edge of flat plate sliding along lower internal edge of flap, said flap being the upper one of the set of two flaps in same plane as in Claim 4. The internal distance between said flaps in same plane, is such that when the studs slide downwards into the smaller diameter of keyhole, four functions result simultaneously.

Firstly, the smaller diameter undercut in said stud rests on the smaller diameter of the keyhole slot. Secondly, the inclined tangential profile on one side of the larger diameter hole and the smaller hole, wedges the edge of the said member agianst the face of the vertical leg to which angular attachment is fixed as in Claim 4; whereas the straight profile on the other side connecting the said two holes of unequal diameter, prevents the said smaller diameter undercut of stud from sliding upwards and outwards.

Thirdly, the said angular attachment locks in the space between face of said flat plate and larger diameter lip of said studs. Forthly, the said wooden member is held perpendicularly to vertical leg ie. the side member and front or back members of bed-frame are perpendicularly joined to each other as in Claim 1.