US2655730A

US2655730A - Joint for folding rules

Info

Publication number: US2655730A
Application number: US239904A
Authority: US
Inventors: Neil H Proctor
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1951-08-02
Filing date: 1951-08-02
Publication date: 1953-10-20
Anticipated expiration: 1970-10-20

Description

Oct. 20, 1953 N. H. PROCTOR 2,655,730

JOINT FOR FOLDING RULES Filed Aug. 2, 1951 INVENTOR NEILH. PROCTOR ATTORNEY Patented Oct. ZO, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOINT FOR FOLDING RULES Neil H. Proctor, Rives Junction, Mich.

Application August 2, 1951, Serial No. 239,904

i Claims.

The present invention relates lto improvements in joint for folding rules and the like and has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive but eiiective joint characterized by the fact that the joint is formed without removal or perforation of the material from which the rule is formed. In addition, the present invention is characterized by the fact that my improved joint is such that the jointed sections of the rule may be releasably positioned at 45, 90, 135 and 180, and be rigidly maintained in each position of adjustment.

Thus, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a folding rule, or the like, in which the joint does not require removal or perforation of the material from which the rule is formed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a folding rule of the type described in which the adjacent sections of the rule may be releasably held in predetermined positions of angularity with respect to each other.

These and other objects and advantages residing in the speciiic construction, arrangement and combination of parts will be more fully understood and appreciated from a consideration of the following specification and the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. I is a perspective view of a portion of a folding rule embodying the principles of the present invention,

Fig. II is a cross-sectional view taken on line II-II of Fig. I,

Fig. III is a cross-sectional view taken on line III-III of Fig. I,

Fig. IV is a perspective view partly shown in broken cross-section of one portion of the joint, and

Fig. V is a view similar to Fig. IV of the other portion of the joint.

Referring to the drawings, the sections IIB and I2 of the rule are preferably o1" wood of uniform thickness throughout their length and the only operation to receive the metal joint members is conned to rounding the end of each strip as at I and providing a bevel at the edges adjacent the end as indicated at I6.

The joint comprises two sheet metal stampings I8 and 20 each having longitudinally extending anges 22 which are crimped upon the beveled edges IB of the ends of the sections i@ and I2. To prevent longitudinal movement between the joint members I8 and 20, they are each formed with inwardly extending projections 24 to pene- 2 trate into the body of the material of the sections I0 and I 2 at the time of assembly.

Prior to applying the joint parts I8 and 20 to the wooden sections I0 and I2, the extruded central collar portion 26 of the parts 20 is extended through the central aperture 28 of the part I8 and riveted over providing a hinge joint with a ange 30 holding the parts assembled as clearly shown in Fig. II.

From Fig. V it will be seen that the part 20 has wedge shaped longitudinally extending p-arallel rib members 32 which are pressed out from the web 34 of the part 20 and extend outwardly in the same direction as the extruded central collar portion 26. These rib members dei-lne between them recesses 35 into which the longitudinally extending ribs 38 mate to support the sections I0 and I2 in the full line position indicated in Fig. I. Also pressed out of the web I0 of the part I8 are radial rilos 42 which, likewise, engage with the recesses 36 of the part 20 to position the sections I0 and I2 of the rule in the dotted line positions shown in Fig. I, which by way of example only, are located at 45 to each other. It will be under.. stood that the joint parts I8 and 20 rotate relative to each other about the collar 26. The outturned flange 30, as shown in Fig. II, holds the joint parts I8 and 20 in rigid assembly. As the

projections

38 and 42 of the joint part I8 pass into the projection 38, it is necessary for the parts to spring relative to each other approximately the thickness of the metal. In practice, it has been found that this amount of deflection is not suiicient to in any way destroy the eiiectiveness of the pivotal connection between the joint parts I8 and 20 provided by the collar 29 and its out-turned flange 30. As will be clear from Figs. II and III, I have provided a joint in which there is no perforation or removal of the material from which the sections I0 and I2 are formed. This has been accomplished by forming the recesses 36 by the wedge shaped ribs 32 on the outside surface of the web on the part 20.

I-Iaving described my invention what I claim as new and desire to cover by Letters Patent is:

l. A joint for folding rules comprising a pair of sheet metal channel shaped parts in which the ends of adjacent rule sections are clamped by the sides of the channel, means defining a pivotal connection between said Iparts with said parts in back-to-back relationship, the webs of the channel of said parts having portions deflected out of the planes thereof away from the channels in which the rule sections are clamped, said deiiected portions of said parts mating with each other to releasably interlock said parts in different positions of angular adjustment.

2. A joint for folding rules characterized by its attachment to rule sections of uniform cross-section Without perforation or removal of material of the rule sections comprising thin sheet metal parts having anges for clamping the longitudinal edges of the rule sections, said parts having web portions defined between said flange with centrally located apertures therein, the material of one of said apertures defining an extruded tubular pin extending into the aperture of the other of said parts with an out-turned flange to form a pivotal connection between said parts, portions of said Webs being deflected out of the planes thereof in a direction away from the rule section clamped by said flange to denne mating portions upon said parts for releasably holding said joint in position of angular adjustment.

3. A joint for folding rules as defined in claim 2 wherein said deected portions are disposed upon opposite sides of said pivotal connection.

4. A joint for folding rules as deiined in claim 2 wherein the deflected portions on one of said parts are in the form of lateral spaced longitudinally extending ribs dening an axially extending recess with the web of the part, and the deflected portion of the web of the other of said parts is in the for-m `of radially located rib mating in said recess.

NEIL H. PROCTOR.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date '1,293,079 Gasstrom et a1. Feb. 4, 1919 1,983,651 Anderson et al. Dec. 11, 1934`