Joint for structural assemblies

Claim 2

A joint for structural assemblies, the joint comprising a first member, a second member which may be axially urged relative to the first member, and means interconnecting the first and second members for axially urging said members together, wherein one of the members has sidewalls which in at least one plane containing the longitudinal axis of the members are each spaced from the other member by a distance which may be decreased by axial urging together of the members and which may be increased by axial urging apart, of the members, said sidewalls being provided with openings through which end portions of structural members may be disposed for location between said sidewalls and said other member thereby to be securely clamped therebetween when the members are axially urged together and to be released when the members are axially urged apart.

Claim 3

A joint according to claim 1, wherein said sidewalls are presented by the first member, and wherein said second member comprises a body of resiliently deformable material having a first end face which is in abutting contact with the first member and a second end face with which the interconnection means is in abutting contact, whereby the distance between each said sidewall and the resiliently deformable body may be decreased by axial urging of the second end face towards the first end face of the body through actuation of the interconnection means, and may be increased by axial movement of the second end face away from the first end face of the body said movement being permitted by actuation of the interconnection means.

Claim 4

A joint according to claim 2, wherein the interconnection means comprises an end plate, and a nut and bolt assembly, said end plate being in abutting contact with said second end face of the resiliently deformable body, and the bolt being disposed, on the longitudinal axis of the first member and of the resiliently deformable body, through the first member, the resiliently deformable body and the end plate with the head of the bolt and the nut disposed in contact with the faces of the first member and of the end plate remote from the resiliently deformable body.

Claim 5

A joint according to claim 3, wherein the end plate presents a cover plate portion which overlies the ends of the sidewalls presented by the first member.

Claim 6

A joint for structural assemblies, the joint comprising a female member, a male member which is axially movable relative to the female member, and means interconnecting the male and female members for so urging said members, in a direction relative to one another, that the male member enters into the female member, wherein opposed faces of the male member intersected by at least one plAne containing the longitudinal axis of the members are convergent in the sense of said direction in which the male member is moved relative to the female member during entry of the male member into the female member, and wherein the corresponding faces of the female member are correspondingly convergent in said sense of said direction, one of the members having sidewalls which in said at least one plane are each spaced from the other member by a distance which may be decreased by relative movement between the members in said direction, and which may be increased by relative movement between the members in the opposite direction, and said sidewalls being provided with openings through which end portions of structural members may be disposed for location between said sidewalls and said other member thereby to be securely clamped therebetween when the members are relatively moved in said direction, and to be released when the members are relatively moved in said opposite direction.

Claim 7

A joint for structural assemblies, the joint comprising a female member, a male member which is axially movable relative to the female member, and means interconnecting the male and female members for so urging said members, in a direction relative to one another, that the male member enters into the female member, wherein opposed faces of the male member intersected by at least one plAne containing the longitudinal axis of the members are convergent in the sense of said direction in which the male member is moved relative to the female member during entry of the male member into the female member, and wherein the corresponding faces of the female member are correspondingly convergent in said sense of said direction, one of the members having sidewalls which in said at least one plane are each spaced from the other member by a distance which may be decreased by relative movement between the members in said direction, and which may be increased by relative movement between the members in the opposite direction, and said sidewalls being provided with openings through which end portions of structural members may be disposed for location between said sidewalls and said other member thereby to be securely clamped therebetween when the members are relatively moved in said direction, and to be released when the members are relatively moved in said opposite direction.

Claim 8

A joint for structural assemblies, the joint comprising a female member, a male member which is axially movable relative to the female member, and means interconnecting the male and female members for so urging said members, in a direction relative to one another, that the male member enters into the female member, wherein opposed faces of the male member intersected by at least one plane containing the longitudinal axis of the members are convergent in the sense of said direction in which the male member is moved relative to the female member during entry of the male member into the female member, and wherein the corresponding faces of the female member are correspondingly convergent in said sense of said direction, the walls of the female member presenting said convergent faces being resiliently separable, the male member having outer sidewalls which in said at least one plane are each spaced outwardly from said walls of the female member by a distance which, through resilient separation of said walls of the female member, may be decreased by relative movement of the members in said direction with the convergent faces of the male and female members in contact, and which, through resilient convergence of said walls of the female member, may be increased by relative movement of the members in the opposite direction with the convergent faces of the male and female members in contact, and said outer sidewalls of the male member being provided with openings through which end portions of structural members may be disposed for location between said outer sidewalls of the male member and said walls of the female member thereby to be securely clamped therebetween as said distance is decreased, and to be released as said distance is increased.

Claim 9

A joint for structural assemblies, the joint comprising a female member, a male member which is axially movable relative to the female member, and means interconnecting the male and female members for so urging said members, in a direction relative to one another, that the male member enters into the female member, wherein opposed faces of the male member intersected by at least one plane containing the longitudinal axis of the members are convergent in the sense of said direction in which the male member is moved relative to the female member during entry of the male member into the female member, and wherein the corresponding faces of the female member are correspondingly convergent in said sense of said direction, the walls of the female member presenting said convergent faces being resiliently separable, the male member having outer sidewalls which in said at least one plane are each spaced outwardly from said walls of the female member by a distance which, through resilient separation of said walls of the female member, may be decreased by relative movement of the members in said direction with the convergent faces of the male and female members in contact, and which, through resilient convergence of said walls of the female member, may be increased by relative movement of the members in the opposite direction with the convergent faces of the male and female members in contact, and said outer sidewalls of the male member being provided with openings through which end portions of structural members may be disposed for location between said outer sidewalls of the male member and said walls of the female member thereby to be securely clamped therebetween as said distance is decreased, and to be released as said distance is increased.

Claim 10

A joint according to claim 6, wherein the female member presents a cover plate portion which overlies the ends of the outer sidewalls presented by the male member.

Claim 11

A joint for structural assemblies, the joint comprising a female member, a male member which is axially movable relative to the female member, and means interconnecting the male and female members for so urging said members, in a direction relative to one another, that the male member enters into the female member, wherein opposed faces of the male member intersected by at least one plane containing the longitudinal axis of the members are convergent in the sense of said direction in which the male member is moved relative to the female member during entry of the male member into the female member, and wherein the corresponding faces of the female member are correspondingly convergent in said sense of said direction, said convergent faces of the female member each being spaced from the adjacent one of the convergent faces of the male member by a distance which may be decreased by relative movement of the members in said direction and which may be increased by relative movement of the members in the opposite direction, and the walls of the female member presenting said convergent faces beinG provided with openings through which end portions of structural members may be disposed for location between said convergent faces of the male and female members thereby to be securely clamped therebetween when the members are relatively moved in said direction, and to be released when the members are relatively moved in said opposite direction.

Claim 12

A joint for structural assemblies, the joint comprising a female member, a male member which is axially movable relative to the female member, and means interconnecting the male and female members for so urging said members, in a direction relative to one another, that the male member enters into the female member, wherein opposed faces of the male member intersected by at least one plane containing the longitudinal axis of the members are convergent in the sense of said direction in which the male member is moved relative to the female member during entry of the male member into the female member, and wherein the corresponding faces of the female member are correspondingly convergent in said sense of said direction, said convergent faces of the female member each being spaced from the adjacent one of the convergent faces of the male member by a distance which may be decreased by relative movement of the members in said direction and which may be increased by relative movement of the members in the opposite direction, and the walls of the female member presenting said convergent faces beinG provided with openings through which end portions of structural members may be disposed for location between said convergent faces of the male and female members thereby to be securely clamped therebetween when the members are relatively moved in said direction, and to be released when the members are relatively moved in said opposite direction.

Claim 13

A joint according to claim 8, further comprising a cover plate which is secured in overlying relationship with the ends of said sidewalls of the female member.