US2904360A

US2904360A - Framework structures

Info

Publication number: US2904360A
Application number: US744816A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gamlen Donald Reginald
Original assignee: Hallam Sleigh and Cheston Ltd
Current assignee: Hallam Sleigh and Cheston Ltd
Priority date: 1958-06-26
Filing date: 1958-06-26
Publication date: 1959-09-15
Anticipated expiration: 1976-09-15
Also published as: BE569069A

Description

Sept. 15, 1959 D. R. GAMLEN FRAMEWORK STRUCTURES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 26, 1958 P 15, 1959 D. R. GAMLEN p 2,904,360

I FRAMEWORK STRUCTURES Filed June 26, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ofiice 2,904,360 Patented Sept.. 15, 1959 FRAMEWORK STRUCTURES Donald Reginald Gamlen, Southampton, England, assignorto Hallam, Sleigh & Cheston Limited, Birmingham, England, a British company Application June 26, 1958', Serial No. 744,816

This invention relates to framework structures for use in the construction of cabinets andracks such as are used for housing electronic equipment, boxes, tables, desks and other furniture, and the like, said structures being of the kind comprising separate frame bars connected together at the corners of the structure by means of three-armed corner piecesithe arms of which extend in the directions o'f'the respective bars. 'In'the case of a skeleton framework of "this kind for use in constructing aicabinet or box there would be, at top and bottom, horizontal bars at right-angles or other angles to one another and connected by the corner pieces to vertical corner bars, all the bars having provision whereby panels may be attached to them to complete theenclosure. In the case ofa table, however, there would only be top horizontal and transverse bars connected by the corner-pieces to vertical "legmembers, a panel to formfthe table top-being supported on said top bars, the spaces between the leg members being left en.

Heretofore the bars have been connected to the corner pieces by means of a number of screws, bolts and nuts or rivets at each end, said screws or the like beingpassed through both overlapping parts, and being visible from the outside. A large number of such screws or the like were required for the complete structure, and although a very rigid structure was obtained, the drilling of the necessary holes and the fitting of the screws or the like has required alarge amount of time and labour.

The object of the present invention is to provide a framework structure in which the parts can be rapidly assembled without loss ofrigidity, andin which the connecting means are concealed-from view from the exterior of the structure.

According to the invention, in a framework structure of the kind referred to, for cabinets, racks, boxes, tables andother furniture and the like, the frame bars are of a cross-sectional shape which provides at the back a longitudinal recess or hollow interior having a longitudinal restricted entrance slot or mouth which is of a width less than. the maximum interior width of. saidrecess, or interior, and each bar is connectedto anarm ofacorner piece of the structure by means of a bolt having thereon a head or n'ut which interlockingly engages the said recess or interioiythe shank of the bolt being engaged in an aperture in the corner-piece arm so that when thebolt is tightened upthe bar will be securely fixed to the corner piece.

Figure-l of the accompanying drawings is'a perspective view of a top corner piece andporti'ons of its associated frame bars, constructed and adapted for connection in accordance with the present invention, the said corner pieceand bars being shown separated from one another.

Figure 2 is an inside perspective View of the saidcorner pieceand bars when assembled.

Figure 3' is a, perspective viewof one of. the corner pieces.

Figure 4 is a plan view thereof.

Figure 5 is a cross-section through one of the frame bars.

Figure 6 is a cross-section through an assembled frame bar and corner piece.

Figure 7 is a similar cross-section through a modified form of frame bar and assembled corner piece.

Figure '8' is a section through another form of bar and corner piece.

Figure 9 is an interior perspective view of. a lower corner of the structure showing how the corner piece may be utilised forcarrying a hinge.

Figure '10 is a crossesectional'view showing a modified arrangement of the fixing bolt wherein" the union the bolt is located within the interior of theframe'bar;

Referring toFigures 1 to 6 of thesaid drawings, which show bar and corner piece members suitablefor use in connection with a' skeleton framework for a cabinet or box, the framework wouldhave six sides formed by eight separate corner pieces connected together by separate metal bars, some of the bars being longitudinal top and bottom bars, others transverse'top and bottom bars, and the remainder vertical corner bars, adjacent ends of horizontal, transverse and vertical bars being seated upon and connected to the respective three arms of a corner piece.

Each corner piece comprises a dome-shaped or radius'ed central part 1 from which extend the three

arms

2, 2, 2,. for supporting the frame bars 3,- 3, 3, two of said arms extendinghorizontally at right-angles andthe third being vertical, and each arm being set-down or steppedin relation to the central part 1' of the corner piece so that when the frame bars are seated onthe arms they lie'flus'h with the central part. Each arm is obliquely fi'at on its outer face at 4, with flanges '5 at its edges, toform a seat-' in g surface forafram'e bar 3,.andit is drilled with a'hole: 6 to receive a fixing bolt ashereinafter described.

The frame bars S'are each'cut froman'extruded sec-- tioned strip to the required length to suit the size of -thecabinet to be constructed, and are of a sectional shape such as to' form a transversely-curved longitudinal'outer central part7 and set-down or stepped flanges 8 at opp0-- site'edges, said flanges, which seat on the'edge flanges 5 ofthe corner-piece arms, being in planes at-right-angl'es: and being intendedto-have the cabinet panels attached-to them,

Each frame bar '3 has a longitudinal recess or 'hollow' interior. bounded, at the back, by-twoobliqueandaligned flat flanges 9 which form, with the curved front, asegmentaleshaped recess, and which are: separated-at the middle, between their opposed edges, by a longitudinal slot '10 of considerably less width'than the maximum-interior width of the recess. The -flat flanges9 can beseated on the flat oblique surfaces 4 of. the corner-piece-arms, as shown inFigures 2 and 6.

In order toconnect an-end of a bar 3 to" the appropriate corner-piece arm 2,- a screw-bolt 11 havinga-hexagonal head 12 is employed. This head, which is of a greater width thanthatof the slot 10. in-the bar 3,-. is engaged within the hollow interior of bars together with-en associated washer 13, by slidingthe shank of. the bolt into said slot 10 from one end of the bar. before the latter is assembled to the corner piece, the bolt thus. being interlocked with the bar. The said bar 3-is thenv seated on the corner-piece arm 2 so that the projecting shank of the bolt enters the hole 6in the arm 2 andprojjects from the inner face-of the'arm. A washer Misplaced 'overtlie bolt'shank anda'nut 15 is screwedon to thethreadedend of the shank. When this nut is tightened it will, by means of the boltihead -ll and washer lfi, drawdownthe bar 3 firmly on to i the outer surface of? the corner-piece arm 2, with its outer curved "part 7 flu'shzwiththe' domedcenti'e part1 of the corner piece. v e 5? In order to prevent the bolt 11 from turning: whilst the nut 15 is being tightened, the outer part 7 of each bar is provided, on its interior face, with two parallel ribs 16 spaced apart by a distance equal to the width across two facets of the bolt head 12, and the said bolt head engages between the ribs, as shown in Figure 6.

The corner pieces are conveniently formed as die castings and the vertical arm 2 may have a-longitudinal thickened rib 17 through which the bolt hole 6 is formed. This rib engages the slot 10 of a bar 3 and it is drilled with a longitudinal hole 18 (Figure 2) which can receive a hinge pin 19, as shown in Figure 9 (in connection With the bottom corner piece), for mounting a hinge 20.

In the modification shown in Figure 7, the bolt 11 which clamps the bar 3 to the arm 2 of the corner piece, is prevented from turning, when the nut 15 is tightened, by reason of its hexagonal head 12 engaging between inwardly-extending ribs 21 provided on opposite walls of the hollow interior of the bar 3. In this form, the side flanges 8 of the bar are shown disposed in planes which form an obtuse angle between them.

Any other suitable means may be provided for preventing rotation of the bolt. For example, the hollow i11- terior of the bar may have flat parallel interior side walls or surfaces between which the bolt head slidably fits. If a bolt with a slotted head is used, a projection on the interior surface of the part 7 of the bar could engage the slot. Or a coach-type bolt may be used provided, below the head, with flat faces that fit the slot 10 of the bar 3.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 8, the central curved part 7 of each frame bar 3 forms, with the stepped flanges 8, a transversely-curved longitudinal groove or recess 22 at the back of the bar, the side walls 23 of such groove or recess being in radial planes at right-angles to one another, so as to form, across the outer corners of these walls, a longitudinal entrance slot or mouth which is of less width than the maximum interior width of the groove or recess, that is, across the inner ends of said radially-disposed side walls. The recess or groove 22 is thus of substantially dovetail or undercut section. v

In order to connect an end of a bar to the appropriate corner-piece arm 2 (which may be transversely curved), the bolt 11 has a large transversely-curved head 24 of rectangular contour with bevelled ends, and of generally dovetail shape in end elevation, being of a thickness and width such as to correspond, in cross-section, to the cross-sectional shape of the dovetail groove or recess 22 in the bar. The head is slid into the groove of the bar from one end thereof before the bar is assembled, being thus interlocked therewith, and said bar is then seated on the corner-piece arm so that the projecting shank of the bolt enters the pre-drilled hole 6 in the said arm and projects from the interior face of the arm. A washer 25, shaped to fit the curved interior surface of the arm 2 but having a flat outer face, is placed over the said end of the bolt and a nut 15 is screwed on to the threaded extremity of the bolt. When this nut is tightened up it will bear on the flat face of the washer and, by means of the dovetail head 24, will draw the bar down firmly on to the outer surface of the comerpiece arm.

Instead of the fixed head of the securing bolt being located within the frame bar 3 and tightened by a nut behind the arm 2 of a corner piece, the bolt 11 may be reversed as shown in Figure 10, the nut 15 being within the interior of the bar 3, and the head 12 of the bolt being behind the arm 2. The nut 15 may be prevented from turning by any suitable means, such as by the ribs 16 (as in Figure 6).

In any of the above-described constructions one or both side flanges 8 on the frame bars may be omitted if desired. The slotted form of frame bar shown in Figures 1 to 7 and Figures 9 and 10 enables various fittings, such as brackets, plates ,to be fixed to the bars 4 at any intermediate points between the corner pieces, as by means of T-bolts slidable in the slots.

I claim:

l. A framework structure comprising corner pieces each having three symmetrically-disposed arms extending in different directions from a central body part and each being set down in relation to said central body part to form a shoulder therewith, in combination with three frame bars of non-circular cross sectional shape seated on the respective arms with their ends in abutting relation with the shoulders thereof and each having an outer surface along the middle portion lying flush with the surface of the central part of an arm, each of said arms having side flanges at an angle to one another joined by an apertured intermediate part disposed in a general oblique direction between said flanges, and each frame bar having, at opposite sides of the middle portion, flanges at an angle to one another and seating upon the side flanges of a corner-piece arm, each said frame bar also having at the back a longitudinal recess provided with a restricted entrance slot of a width less than the maximum interior width of said recess, and the bar being connected to an arm of the corner piece by means of a fixing bolt which extends through the apertured arm and the entrance slot of the bar and which has a part of larger size than the width of said slot, which part slidably and interlockingly engages within the recess of the bar.

2. A framework structure according to claim 1, wherein one projection is provided on a bar, within the hollow interior thereof, for engagement with the part on the bolt which engages within said interior, in order to prevent rotation of said part.

3. A framework structure according to claim 2, wherein the interior surface of a bar is provided with two parallel spaced ribs which engage the part on the bolt to prevent rotation thereof.

4. A framework structure comprising corner pieces each having three symmetrically-disposed arms extending in diiferent directions from a central body part and each set down in relation to said central body part to form a shoulder therewith, in combination with three frame bars of non-circular cross-sectional shape seated on the respective arms with their ends abutting against the shoulders thereof, each of said arms having side flanges disposed at an angle to one another and joined by an apertured intermediate part disposed in a general oblique direction between said flanges, and each frame bar having, at opposite sides, flanges at an angle to one another and seating upon the side flanges of a corner piece arm, each said frame bar also having a longitudinal recess at the back provided with a restricted entrance slot of a width less than the maximum interior width of said recess, and the bar being connected to an arm of the corner piece by means of a fixing bolt which extends through the apertured arm and the entrance slot of the bar and which has a part of larger size than the width of said slot, which part slidably and interlockingly engages within the recess of the bar.

5. A framework structure according to claim 4, wherein each of the frame bars has a longitudinal interior bounded, at the back, by two oblique and aligned flat flanges separated by a longitudinal slot for receiving the fixing bolt, and the corresponding arm of a corner piece has a flat oblique intermediate part joining the side flanges, the said flanges of the frame bar seating upon the said flat oblique part of the arm.

6. A framework structure according to claim 4, wherein each frame bar has at the back a shallow longitudinal recess of dovetail form curved transversely to correspond to the convex outer surface of the bar, said recess being bounded at opposite sides by converging bevelled walls to form an entrance slot of less width than the maximum interior width of the recess, and the said frame bar being connected to an arm of a corner piece by means of a bolt having a curved head with opposite bevelled edges and conforming to the cross-sectiona1 shape of the recess in the bar, being in slidable engagement with said recess.

7. A framework structure according to claim 4, wherein one of the arms of the corner piece is vertical and is provided at the back with a thickened rib having a vertical socket hole for receiving a door hinge pin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Blaisdell Feb. 13, 1900 Marr May 28, 1907 Wheary June 14, 1921 Rosendale July 25, 1939 Glass Sept. 17, 1957