IES20020382A2 - A connector for connecting a pair of members, and a barrier comprising a plurality of members connected by the connecting members - Google Patents

Abstract

A connector (5) for connecting a rail (2) to an upright (3) of a barrier (1) comprises a body member (6) defining a socket (9) for receiving an adjacent end of the rail (2). A lug (10) extends from the body member (6) for securing the connector (5) to a plate bracket (17) on the upright (3). A hole (11) extending through the lug (10) accommodates a screw (14) for securing the lug (10) to the plate bracket (17). A threaded bore (19) in the body member (6) accommodates a grub screw (18) for securing the rail (2) in the socket (9). The connector (5) is particularly suitable for connecting stainless steel rails (2) to stainless steel uprights (3) of railings, barriers and the like in a milking parlour. <Figures 1 & 3>

Description

k connector for connecting a pair of members, and a barrier comprising a plurality of members connected by the connecting members” The present invention relates to a connector for connecting a pair of members, and in particular, for connecting an elongate first member to a second member, and the invention also relates to a barrier comprising a plurality of first members connected by corresponding connectors to one or a pair of second members.

According to the invention there is provided a connector for connecting an elongated io first member to a second member, the connector comprising a socket for receiving an end of the first member, and a lug for connecting to the second member.

In one embodiment of the invention the socket defines a central longitudinal axis which when a first member is connected to the socket coincides with a central axis of the first member adjacent the end thereof engaged in the socket.

In another embodiment of the invention the lug extends from the socket in a general axial direction.

In one embodiment of the invention the connector comprises a body member, and the socket is formed by a bore extending into the body member at one end thereof, and preferably, the lug extends from the body member at the other end thereof.

Preferably, the socket defines the transverse cross-sectional area of the first ¢020382 member adjacent the end thereof.

In one embodiment of the invention the socket is of circular transverse cross-section.

Ina further embodiment of the invention a securing means is provided for securing the first member in the socket, and preferably, the securing means comprises a grub screw located in a transversely extending grub screw accommodating bore extending through the body member into the socket.

In a further embodiment of the invention a means for fixing the lug to the second member is provided, and preferably, a hole is provided extending through the lug for accommodating a fastener for securing the lug to the second member.

In another embodiment of the invention the lug is adapted for abutting a plate bracket in side by side abutting relationship with the plate bracket, and ideally, the hole in the lug is alignable with a corresponding hole in the plate bracket for accommodating the fastener therethrough, and preferably, for accommodating a screw fastener therethrough.

Additionally, the invention provides a barrier, comprising at least one elongated first member and at least one second member, each first member being connected to one or a pair of the second members by the connector according to the invention.

In one embodiment of the invention each first member extends between a pair of IE020S second members, and preferably, the second members are also elongated members.

In one embodiment of the invention each first member extends horizontally, and 5 each second member forms an upright. Ideally, a pair of spaced apart uprights are provided with at least one first member extending between the uprights and connected to the respective uprights by corresponding respective connectors.

In another embodiment of the invention each first member extends vertically, and 10 each second member extends horizontally. Preferably, a pair of spaced apart horizontally extending members are provided, and at least one first member extends between the second members, and the first member is joined to the second members by respective corresponding connectors.

In a still further embodiment of the invention at least some of first members extend at an angle to the corresponding second member, the angle lying in the range between 0° and 90°.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of an 20 embodiment thereof, which is given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a partly sectional front elevational view of a portion of a barrier according to the invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the portion of the barrier of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of a connector according to the invention of the barrier of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the connector of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional plan view of the connector of Fig. 3. io Referring to the drawings and initially to Fig. 1, there is illustrated a portion of a barrier according to the invention, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1, which may form part of a fence, a barrier in a milking parlour, or indeed any other type of barrier, fence, railing or the like. The barrier 1 comprises a plurality of elongated first horizontally extending members, namely, horizontal rails 2, which extend between and are connected to at least a pair of spaced apart second members, namely, elongated uprights 3. In Fig. 1 only a portion of one rail 2 and a portion of one upright 3 is illustrated, however, such barriers will be well known to those skilled in the art. The rails 2 and the uprights 3 may be of any suitable material, and of any desired cross-section, and may be solid or hollow. The materials from which the rails and uprights may be made are, for example, metal, such as stainless steel or mild steel, aluminium, a metal alloy material, a plastics material, or indeed timber. Typically, if the barrier 1 were for use in a milking parlour, the rails 2 and the uprights 3 would be of tubular stainless steel of circular transverse cross5 section. In this embodiment of the invention the rails 2 and the uprights 3 are of tubular stainless steel of circular transverse cross-section.

Each rail 2 is connected at its respective opposite ends to the corresponding uprights 3 by respective connectors 5 also according to the invention. The connector 5 similarly, may be of any suitable material, but typically, would be of a metal or plastics material, and if used in a barrier for a milking parlour would be typically of stainless steel. Each connector 5 in this embodiment of the invention is of cast stainless steel material, and comprises a body member 6 of circular io transverse cross-section which defines a central axis 7 which coincides with a corresponding central axis 8 of the corresponding rail 2. A bore extending into the body member 6 at one end thereof forms a socket 9 for engaging the adjacent end of the corresponding rail 2. The socket 9 is of transverse cross-sectional area similar to that of the adjacent end of the rail 9, and in this embodiment of the invention is of circular transverse cross-sectional area. A lug 10 extends in a generally axial direction from the socket 9 at the opposite end to the end in which the socket 9 is formed, and a hole 11 extending through the lug 9 is provided through the lug 10 for accommodating a fixing means for securing the connector 5 to the adjacent upright 3. In this embodiment of the invention the fastening means is provided by a screw 14 and a nut 15.

A plurality of plate brackets 17 of stainless steel extend from and are welded to the uprights 3 for abutting the corresponding lugs 10 in side by side abutment engagement. A corresponding hole (not shown) extends through each plate bracket !εο2ο$8 which is alignable with the hole 11 in the corresponding lug 10 for accommodating the screw 14 therethrough. It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that each upright will be provided with the appropriate number of plate brackets 17 and at appropriate locations for engaging connectors 5 of the corresponding rails 2.

A securing means, in this embodiment of the invention provided by a grub screw 18 extending through a corresponding threaded grub screw accommodating bore 19 in the body member 6 engages the rail 2 when engaged in the socket 9 for securing io the rail 2 in the connector 5.

In use, a barrier 1 is assembled by locating the uprights 3 at appropriate spaced apart intervals, and the connectors 5 are secured to the opposite ends of the rails 2. The connectors 5 are then secured to the adjacent uprights 3 by the screws 14 and nuts 15 through the lugs 10 and plate brackets 17.

While only one rail has been illustrated as extending from an upright 3 on one side thereof, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that rails 2 may extend on respective opposite sides of the uprights 3 or may extend from the uprights 3 at right angles to each other, or at any other desired angle. This aspect of the construction of a barrier will be well known to those skilled in the art. Where it is desired to have two rails 2 extending from the upright at an angle to each other or on the opposite sides of the upright, the plate brackets 17 will be welded to the uprights at appropriate angular positions around the circumference of the uprights. «^030 Ί It will also be appreciated that while the plate brackets 17 have been described as being welded to the uprights, the plate brackets may be secured to the uprights by any other suitable means.

While the connector according to the invention has been described as being of cast stainless steel, the connector may be formed by any other suitable process, for example, the connector may be machined from a single piece of material, or may be formed by fabrication whereby the lug would be fabricated to the body member by, io for example, welding.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment hereinbefore described, which may be varied in construction and detail.

Claims (5)

Claims

1. A connector for connecting an elongated first member to a second member, the connector comprising a body member defining a socket for receiving an end of the first member, and a lug extending from the body member for connecting to the 5 second member.

2. A connector as claimed in Claim 1 in which the socket defines a central longitudinal axis, which when a first member is engaged in the socket, coincides with a central axis of the first member adjacent the end thereof engaged in the socket, io and the lug extends from the body member in a general axial direction.

3. A connector as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 in which a securing means is provided for securing the first member in the socket, and a fixing means for fixing the lug to the second member is provided.

4. A connector for connecting an elongated first member to a second member, the connector being substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 20

5. A barrier comprising at least one elongated first member and at least one second member, each first member being connected to a second member by the connector according to the invention.