Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the-invention
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The present in~ention relates to the art of
assembling structural members together into a building
frame and more particularly a frame wherein elongated
frame members are joined together at their ends by means
o~ connecting keys having two legs extending at a
predetermined angle to one another and fixed to the frame
members to hold the latter according to this predetermined
angle, the legs being solid with one another.
Descripti_n of the related art
In present pxactice where the angle between
the connected structural member~ is a right angle or even
less standard sizes like 45 and 60, the solid connector
key presents no problem and a limited number only of con-
necting keys need be stocked. However, in certain types
of building structures such as greenhouses or solariums,
wall panels very often meet at angles other than the
conventional angles mentioned above and it is necessary,
2~ in such cases, to fabricate connecting keys that fit
particular situations. This is of course a tim~ consuming,
thus costly, procedure apart from the fact that a larger
inventory o such parts has to be kept.
Such connecting keys are di~closed in US patents
1,817,162 of 1931; 3,848,390 of 1974; 3,866,380 of 1975;
4,251,166 of 1981. It is seen, from these patents, that
the connecting keys therein all involve a pair of legs
that are integral with one another and thus serve for
only one angular connection. They do not consequently
provide any flexibility where frame members are to ~e
joined together at other anglesO
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIO~
The object of the present invention i5 to provide
a structural joint which comprises:
a) a pair of elongated members, each member being
5 rectangular in cross section and having four sides each
provided with an elongated groove e~tending lengthwise
thereof, said members being arranged so that the groove of
one member communicates with the groove of the other member;
b) wherein each groove defines, in cross-section,
a housing having a top opening, a bottom wall and opposed
side walls spaced apart a distance greater than said top
opening;
c) a connecting key comprising:
- a pair of elongated legs, each leg having, in
15cross~section, a top face, a bottom face and
opposed side faces spaced apart a distance greater
than said top face; said legs being slidably
fitted into said housings with the side faces
thereof engaging the side walls of said grooves;
~0- means interconnecting said legs end to end for
pivotal movement about an axis transverse to said
legs,
d) locking means through said legs including
screws pressed against said bottom walls of said grooves
~5 forcing said side faces of said legs against said side walls
of said grooves thereby to lock said legs into said grooves;
e) at least one additional connector key having
the same structure as disclosed in paragraph c), the legs of
said additional connector key being slidably fitted into
another pair of communicating housings; and
f) additional locking means having the same
structure as disclosed in paragraph d), said additional
locking means cooperating with said additional connector key
for locking said additional connector key into two further
grooves of said members communicating with one another.
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A description o* preferred embodiments of the
invention now follows.
BRIEF DESC~IPTION OF THE_DRAWING
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a structural
joint made according to ~he invention and lnvolving
three structural membexs;
Figures 2 and 3 arer respectively, a side
elevation view and an end view of a colmecting key
according to the invention;
Figure 4 is a side elevation view of a mitered
structural joint, according to the invention, about to
be completed;
Figure 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view
of a structural member used in a joint according to the
invention, and
Figures 6, 7 and B are partial cross-sectional
views of joints of the invention according to three
embodiments thereof.
Referring to the drawing, connecting keys 1,
such as shown in Figures 2 and 3, are used to secure
together, at right angles and in three different planes,
three structural members A B and C, the end faces of
members B and C abutting squarely adjacent side faces
of the other member A. Figure 4, on the other hand,
illustrates two structural members D and E forming
a mitre joint and secured together by a connecting key 1.
~5 The man of the art will readily appreciate that other
angular connections are possible between structural
members and connecting keys configured according to the
present invention and as now to be fully described.
The connecting key shown in Figures 2 and 3
comprises a pair of elongated legs 3 and 5 respectively
formed with integral lugs 7 and 9, projecting from one
of their ends. It will be seen, in Figure 3, that the
lugs 7 and 9 lie on either side of a central plane
common to both legs 3 and 5. The lugs 7 and 9 are
interconnected, in any k~own manner, by a pivot pin 11
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so as to allow free rotatio~al mo~ement about an axis 13
normal to both the lugs 7 and 9 and of course normal to
the leys 3 and 5. From thls description, it will be
appreciated that the legs 3 and 5 are advantageously
identical to one another.
When seen in cross-section, as at the top of
Figure 3, each leg`3, 5, has a top face 15,-a bottom face
17 and opposed side faces 19 which are spaced apart a
distance greater than the width of the top face 15.
Locking means are used to secure the legs 3 and
5 to the structural members A to E. The locking means
illustrated comprise threaded bores 21, through the
legs 3 and 5, and set screws 23 of the allen type, that
is with a hexagonal recess at the top.
In cross-section, the connecting key 1 of
Figures 2 and 3 forms an isosceles trapezium.
The key of Figures 2 and 3 is for use with
structural members A to E which are identical in cross-
section and are illustrated in Figure 5. These members
are hollow and made of extruded alumi~um, being generally
rectangular (square being a particular case) in cross-
section. Each of the four sides of the rectangle is
~ormed with a groove 25, all grooves being identical.
From Figures 1 and 4l it will be appreciated that the
elongated grooves 25 extend fully lengthwise of the
members A to E and, in assembledcondition, one groove 25
of one member communicates with one groove 25 of the
othex member. In fact, if a firm and steady connection
between two members is required, at least two grooves 25
of one member must communicate with two grooves 25 of
the other member as is readily apparent from Figures 1
and 4.
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Each groove 25 forms a housing ~7 having a top
opening 29, a bottom wall 31 facing the opening 29 and
oppose~ side walls 33 joining the opening 29 and the
bottom wall 310 The housing ~7 thus has the form of a
trapezium, the same as the cross-section ~f the legs 3
and 5. As best shown in Figure 6, the latter leg~ 3
and 5 slidably fit into respective housings 27 of the
members ~ to E, their thickness being slightly smaller
than the depth of the housing 27. Thus, and as again
shown in Figure 6, tightening of the screws 23 against
the bo~tom walls`31 of the housings 27 forcibly applies
the ~ide faces 19 of the key legs 3 and 5 against the
side walls 33 of ~he housings 27. In this manner, with
the key legs 3 and 5 fast in their respective grooves 25
and with at least two keys 1 being used for two inter-
connected members,the latter can be secured against
rotation at the selected angle.
Indeed, while Figures 1 and 4 illustrate
structural members A to E being connected at right
angles or normal to one another, it will be appreciated
that, because of the pivotable interconnection between
the legs 3 and 5 of each key 1, any vther angle between
structural members can be selected provided of course
that the adjacent faces between the members to be con-
~5 nected are properly mitred at the desired angle.Conclusively, only one type of key 1 is necessary for
any desired angular connection.
From the above description, it will be
appreciated that the principle of the invention applied
here is that the el~ngated groove 25 defines an elongated
opening 29 which is narrower than the inside of the
housing 27 defined by the groove 25. Similarly, the
legs 3 and 5 of each key 1 has to be configured, in
cross-section, like the cross-section of the housing 27.
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With this in mind, the legs 3' 5g may be rounded in
cross-section with a flat top as shown in Figure 6. In
thls case of course the housing 27' of the corresponding
members A' to E' must be likewise arcuate.
Alternatively, and as showm in Figure 7,-the
key legs 39' and 5" may have the shape of an inverted T,
the housing 27" then having horizontal side wall portions
35 intended to receive the horizontal bar of the T shape.
The principle applied in the variants of the
invention illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 is therefore
the same as that applied in the embodiment of Figuxe 6.
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