Web-to-tube fastenings

Claim 1

IN TUBULAR-FRAME FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION, A FASTENING ASSEMBLY COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF A TUBULAR FRAME MEMBER HAVING A RELATIVELY ELONGATED OPENING IN ITS WALL WHICH IS DEFINED IN PART BY END LIPS SPACED A PREDETERMINED AXIAL DISTANCE APART, A WEBBING STRIP FOLDED ON ITSELF SO AS TO HAVE OVERLYING AND FOLDED-UNDER END PORTIONS, A SELF-LOCKING FASTENER OF GENERALLY T-CONFIGURATION INCLUDING AN ELONGATED BAR-LIKE HEAD PORTION HAVING LENGTH CORRESPONDING SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE WIDTH OF THE WEBBING STRIP AND INCLUDING A LONGITUDINAL SIDE EDGE OVER WHICH THE END PORTION OF THE WEBBING STRIP IS FOLDED AND DEFINING THE LINE OF FOLD BETWEEN SAID OVERLYING AND FOLDED-UNDER PORTIONS, AT LEAST THE OTHER LONGITUDINAL SIDE EDGE OF SAID HEAD PORTION BEING POSITIONED TO ENGAGE AND PRESS UPON SAID FOLDED-UNDER END PORTION OF THE STRIP ADJACENT SAID LINE OF FOLD, AND A DEPENDING SHANK PORTION DISPOSED IN A PLANE EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY THROUGH AND FROM END TO END OF SAID HEAD PORTION AND PROJECTING THROUGH BOTH AN OPENING IN THE FOLDED-UNDER END PORTION OF THE WEBBING STRIP AND SAID TUBING OPENING INTO THE TUBING INTERIOR, SAID SHANK PORTION COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPRING LEGS DEPENDING INTEGRALLY FROM THE MIDDLE LENGTH PORTION OF THE HEAD PORTION AND BEING SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER THROUGHOUT THEIR ENTIRE LENGTH IN THE DIRECTION OF THE LENGTH DIMENSION OF SAID HEAD PORTION AND TERMINATING IN FREE ENDS WHEREBY SAID LEGS MAY FLEX BOTH IN UNISON AND RELATIVELY OF ONE ANOTHER, SAID LEGS INCORPORATING INCLINED CAMMING PORTIONS WHICH ARE SPACED APART A DISTANCE WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY GREATER THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE END LIPS OF THE FRAME-MEMBER OPENING AND ABRUPTLY ANGLED, SHOULDER-FORMING LOCKING PORTIONS WHICH EXTEND FROM SAID INCLINED CAMMING PORTIONS ALSO IN THE DIRECTION OF THE LENGTH DIMENSION OF SAID HEAD PORTION AND ARE SPACED FROM THE UNDER SURFACE OF THE HEAD PORTION A DISTANCE CORRESPONDING SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE THICKNESS OF THE WALL OF THE FRAME MEMBER BOUNDING ITS SAID OPENING, SAID CAMMING AND LOCKING PORTIONS ENABLING SAID SHANK PORTION TO CONTRACT IN EDGEWISE DIRECTION AND THEREUPON, IN EXPANDING, TO SELF-LOCK ITSELF TO THE END LIPS OF THE OPENING RESPONSIVELY TO INSERTION OF THE SHANK PORTION INTO SAID OPENING.