US2018539A

US2018539A - Adjustable terminal

Info

Publication number: US2018539A
Application number: US692287A
Authority: US
Inventors: Welsh Paul James
Original assignee: CHARLES M SOULE; CORAL R WATSON
Current assignee: CHARLES M SOULE; CORAL R WATSON
Priority date: 1933-10-05
Filing date: 1933-10-05
Publication date: 1935-10-22
Anticipated expiration: 1952-10-22

Description

Oct. 22, 1935. I P. J. WELSH ADJUSTABLE TERMINAL Filed 0st,. 5, 1955 INVENTOR I 7 BY P411 JAIME: Was/l Patented 0a; 2 2, 1935 ADJUSTABLE TERMINAL Paid James Welsh, Cleveland, Ohio, asslgnor of one-fourth to Charles M. Soule, Cleveland, Ohio, an'd one-fourth to Coral R. Watson, Lakef wood, Ohio i Appllcationoctober 5, 1933, Serial No. 692,287

My invention particularly-relates to'terminal units for supporting structures, such as scaffolding, building skeletons, aeroplane framework, etc.

' The purpose of the-invention is to provide terminals of this nature which are comparatively inexpensively fabricated and assembled, which are of' light weight" relative'to-the duty performed, and which are readily adaptable to the desired size and arrangement of the other elements forming the complete supporting structure.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain means embodying my invention, such means disclosing, however, but a few of the various forms in which the principle of the invention may be applied.

In said annexed drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective of the various elements in disassembled condition composing one form of my improved terminal, the view suggesting the columns or other supports with which the terminal is incorporated, and means for securing together the various terminal elements and said supports;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical section, taken in the plane indicated by the line 2-2, Figure 1 Figure 3 is a perspective of two complementary members composing a second form of my improved terminal, and suggesting the incorporation therewith of some of the support g elements connected by the terminal;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical section, taken in the plane indicated by the line 4 -4, Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a perspective of 'thevarious elements composing a thirdform of myiimproved terminal,

the view also showing'the means for securing together the various-elements, and for connecting the supporting structure to the'terminal;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical section, taken in the plane indicated by the line 6-6, Fig. 5; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary elevation which illustrates the relation of my improved terminal to a bracing structure and platform,

Referring to the annexed drawing in which the same parts are indicated by thesame respective numbers in the several views, and" particularly: referring to Figures 1 and 2, two complementary terminal halves l which when assembled form a box-like structure havinga chamber 2 are formed with peripheral enlarged body: portions 3 having laterally-extended spaced extensions 4, which are formed with curved and flat surfaces. and which,

when mated together, form laterally-extended horizontal sockets 5.? The socketed'extensions 4 are formed with dissimilar interiorly: and exteriorly peripheralsurfaces; preferably, as shown 4 Claims. (01. 2s7 54 in the drawing, the interiorly peripheral surfaces are concave and the exteriorly peripheral surfaces are flatsurfaces ,angularly related to' one another.

Of course, the dissimilarity of the peripheral surfaces may take other forms, it being understood 6 that by dissimilar peripheral surfaces are meant peripheral surfaces which differ in more than the matter of relative size. The two halves I of this structure are rigidly secured together by means of bolts 8 passing through bolt holes 1 10 formed in corner lugs B of the peripheral enlargements 3, the bolts being fastened by nuts 8. The chamber 2 formed by the two terminal halves I has upper and lower imperforate walls ll. It will be apparent from the aforegoing description 15 and upon reference to the accompanying drawing that suitable supporting members such as .beams or columns may be passed through two of the oppositely-disposed sockets 5, and the ends of other supporting members disposed in the other pair 2 of sockets 5 abutting the sides of the first-mentioned support, as is illustrated by the one support 9 and the ends Id of two other supports, Figure 1. These supports 9 and I0 which in the drawing are illustrated as of tubular construction are rigid- 25 1y secured in and to the terminal by means of bolts l2 which pass through holes II formed in the extensions 4 and holes l3 formed in the tubu formed with means for accommodating vertical supports, such as the tubular columns I6, Figure 5 1. To this'end, there extend outwardly from the chamber walls ll tubular extensions M which form sockets l5 adapted to accommodate the respectivelower and upper ends of the verticallyaligned supports l6 which are secured in the 40 sockets bybolts passing through the bolt holes 34'.

' The form of. terminal shown in Figures 1 and ,2 is particularly serviceable for scaffoldingand for permanent building framework. The terminal can be adjusted to height and lateral positions to any degree required by the particular duty or as necessitated by the proper coordination therewith of the other elements of the supporting structure.

In the form of device shown in Figures 3 and 4, which is particularly for aeroplane structures, I provide means whereby two horizontallyaligned supports 9 arranged relatively right-angularly one to the other may pass completely 55 through the terminal unit, and to this end the terminal is composed of two halves, each of which is essentially similar to the complete unit of Figure 1 except that one of the vertical extensions I4 is omitted, as also two of the side extensions 4 and the adjacent sides of the terminal halves closed by walls Two halves of .a body portion or unit so constructed are assembled with theexposed faces of the walls in juxtaposition and with one half turned in a horizontal plane through an angle of ninety degrees relatively to the other and the two halves then rigidly secured together by means of bolts l8 long enough to pass through the bolt holes 1 of both of the terminal halves, which bolts I8 are secured by nuts l8. It is evident that a horizontally-aligned support 9 can pass through each half of the terminal, the two supports 9 being vertically adjacent and arranged in relatively right-angular directions. In this form of device each terminal half is formed with one vertical extension .l4'

forming a socket l5 within which can be accommodated the end-of a vertical supporting'column.

In the form of terminal shown in'Figures 5, 6, and 7, a form which is adaptable for scaffolding and building structures, each terminal half I! is formed with one vertical extension 20 and a series of spaced horizontal extensions 2|, three in number, whereby, when the terminal halves are assembled, there are respectively formed a pair of spaced vertically-aligned sockets 22- for upright supporting members, and three lateral sockets 23 to accommodate one horizontal support 24 passing through the terminal, and the end of a horizontal support 25. The supports 24 and 25 are rigidly secured within andto the terminal by means of bolt holes 26 formed in the supports 24 and 25 and bolt holes 21 formed in the extensions 2|, which bolt holes receive U- bolts 29 secured by means of nuts 30. It will be noted in Figure 5 that the U-bolts 29 are considerably longer than the distance across the extension 2|. This bolt length is for the purpose of permitting the securing within the U-bolts 29 between the extensions 2| and the nuts 30 of X- braces 3| forming part of the supporting structure, the flooring or platform 33 being secured to these braces 3|, as clearly shown in Figure 7. In this form of terminal the two terminal halves N form a chamber 28 intermediate of and communicating with the opposed pair of lateral sockets 23 which chamber 28 is separated from the upper and lower sockets 22 by the partition walls 32, against which partition walls the ends of the vertically-aligned uprights, supports or columns l6 abut, these columns l6 being secured in the sockets 22 by bolts passing through the bolt holes 34 formed in the extensions 20.

What I claim is:

1. A coupling for supporting structural members comprising separable complementary parts and means for securing said separable parts together, said coupling having socketed extensions the interiorly and exteriorly peripheral surfaces of which are dissimilar whereby each extension is adapted to interflt closely with structural mem- 5 bers of dissimilar forms, and said means including fasteners each of which has a leg portion extending through one of said separable complementary parts, a second leg portion extending through another of said separable complementary 10 parts, and a base portion connecting said leg portions and extending across said two separable complementary parts thereby to secure the latter together.

2. A coupling for supporting structural meml5 bers comprising separable complementary parts and U-shaped means for securing said separable parts together, said coupling having socketed extensions the interiorly peripheral surfaces of a which are curved and the exteriorly peripheral 20 surfaces of which are flat whereby the sockets of said extensions are adaptedv to interfit closely with structural members having curved surfaces and the exterior surfaces of said extensions are adapted to interfit closely'with structural mem- 25 bers having fiat surfaces.

3. A coupling for supporting'structural members comprising separable complementary parts and, means for securing said separable parts together, each of said separable parts having extension por- 30 tions formed with curvedsurfaces and with fiat surfaces so related that, when said separable complementary parts are mated together, socketed extensions are formed which have interior curved surfaces adapted to interiltclosely with structural members having curved surfaces and which have exterior flat surfaces adapted to interiit closely with structural members having flat surfaces, and said means including U-shaped bolts associated with the socketed extensions in such 40 manner that one leg of each bolt extends throughan extension portion of one complementary part, the other leg of each bolt extends through the mating extension portion of another complementary part, and the base of each bolt extends across said complementary parts thereby to secure the latter together.

4. A coupling for supporting structural members comprising separable complementary parts, each of which has extension portions provided with surfaces such that, when said separable complementary parts are mated together, socketed extensions are formed the interiorly and exteriorly peripheral surfaces of which are dissimilar so that said socketed extensions are adapted to interfit closely with structural members-of dissimilar forms, and U-shaped fastening means for securing said separable parts together and for securing structural members to said socketed extensions.

PAUL'JAMES WELSH.