Fastening element for members forming structures of scaffolds and the like

Claim 1

A CONNECTING PIECE, FOR USE IN INTERCONNECTING THREE ELONGATED CYLINDRICAL ELEMENTS AT RIGHT ANGLES TO EACH OTHER FREE FROM INTERSECTION, COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY CUBE SHAPED BODY CONTAINING THREE CHANNELS AT RIGHT ANGLES TO EACH OTHER AND FREE FROM INTERSECTION WITH EACH OTHER, EACH CHANNEL BEING LOCATED IN A SEPARATE FACE OF THE CUBE AND HAVING A U-SHAPED CROSS SECTION INCLUDING A SEMI-CIRCUALAR ARCUATE BOTTOM PORTION AND TWO STRAIGHT LEG PORTIONS CONNECTED THERETO, THE SECTION OF SAID CHANNEL BETWEEN SAID STRAIGHT LEG PORTIONS BEING UNOBSTRUCTED THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF THE CHANNEL BY ANY PART OF SAID BODY, THE RADIUS OF SAID SEMI-CIRCULAR PORTION CORRESPONDING TO THAT OF A CYLINDRICAL ELEMENT, EACH CHANNEL BEING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE REMOVABLY AN ELEMENT, AND BEING OPEN THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH BETWEEN SAID STRAIGHT LEG PORTIONS, ONE OF SAID STRAIGHT LEG PORTIONS BEING RELATIVELY NARROW AND FLEXIBLE, AND AN ADJUSTABLE FASTENING MEANS CONNECTED TO AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID FLEXIBLE LEG AND A PART OF THE BODY OPPOSITE THERETO WHICH DEFINES THE OTHER LEG, SAID FASTENING MEANS PROJECTING ACROSS SAID UNOBSTRUCTED CHANNEL SECTION AND BEING ADJUSTABLE SO AS TO MOVE SAID RESILIENT LEG TOWARD THE OTHER LEG THEREBY REDUCING THE EXTENT OF THE CHANNEL OPENING TO CLAMP A CYLINDRICAL ELEMENT IN SAID CHANNEL, SAID CUBE SHAPED BODY ALSO HAVING A PASSAGE EXTENDING DIAGONALLY THERETHROUGH FROM ONE CORNER PORTION TO ANOTHER WITH THE PASSAGE BEING FREE FROM INTERSECTION WITH ANY OF THE CHANNELS, AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A CABLE THERETHROUGH.