Connecting arrangement for furniture panels and the like

Claim 1

IN AN ARRANGEMENT FOR CONNECTING FURNITURE PANELS AND THE LIKE, THE COMBINATION OF (A) A FIRST CONNECTING MEMBER CONSISTING OF A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING AN AXIS, (1) AN AXIALLY EXTENDING WALL DEFINING A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL CAVITY THEREIN, (2) A SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR END WALL EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM THE AXIALLY EXTENDING WALL AND BOUNDING THE CAVITY, THE END WALL BEING FORMED WITH TWO SUBSTANTIALLY DIAMETRICAL SLOTS INTERSECTING EACH OTHER, AND HAVING INNER AND OUTER RADIALLY EXTENDING FACES ADJACENT THE DIAMETRICAL SLOTS, ONE OF THE SLOTS HAVING TRANSVERSE END WALLS AT THE ENDS THEREOF, (3) THE AXIALLY EXTENDING WALL OF THE TUBULAR MEMBER DEFINING TWO AXIAL SLOTS COMMUNICATING WITH AND EXTENDING IN A COMMON AXIAL PLANE WITH RESPECTIVE END PORTIONS OF THE OTHER DIAMETRICAL SLOT, EACH AXIAL SLOT HAVING TWO AXIAL WALLS AND A TRANSVERSE WALL CONNECTING PORTIONS OF SAID AXIAL WALLS REMOTE FROM SAID OTHER DIAMETRICAL SLOT, AND (4) ANCHORING MEANS ON THE TUBULAR CONNECTING MEMBER FOR RETAINING THE SAME IN A CONFORMING BORE IN ONE OF SAID FURNITURE PANELS; (B) A SECOND CONNECTING MEMBER HAVING A BODY PORTION ADAPTED TO BE RETAINED IN ANOTHER ONE OF SAID FURNITURE PANELS, SAID BODY PORTION HAVING (5) A HOOK-SHAPED FREE END PORTION DIMENSIONED FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY CONFORMING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID AXIAL WALLS AND SAID TRANSVERSE WALL OF ONE OF SAID AXIAL SLOTS WHILE A PART OF SAID END PORTION EXTENDS INTO SAID CAVITY AND SAID BODY PORTION IS OUTSIDE SAID TUBULAR MEMBER; AND (C) LOCKING MEANS SIMULTANEOUSLY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID FIRST CONNECTING MEMBER AND SAID SECOND CONNECTING MEMBER FOR SECURING THE CONNECTING MEMBERS IN A FIXED SPATIAL RELATIONSHIP.