Furniture assembly and connector therefor

Claim 2

A connector for permitting adjustment of wall members into and for fastening the latter in a predetermined, intersecting relationship, each of said wall members having an elongated substantially T-shaped groove having a bottom wall, spaced sidewalls extending from said bottom wall, and inturned walls spaced from said bottom wall and defining an open slot therebetween, said grooves being disposed substantially in intersecting alignment, so as to define a plane perpendicular to said wall members, said connector comprising an angle-shaped bracket having first and second legs rigidly joined at a predetermined angle, clamping members associated with each of said bracket legs for clamping thereto one of said wall members, each of said clamping members having a first bearing member for bearing against said leg, a shank projecting from said first bearing member into a respective groove, and a second bearing member in said groove for bearing against the undersides of said inturned walls, said shank having a diameter less than the dimension of said open slot to permit said shank to slide therein and its associated wall member to be shifted in and normal to the longitudinal dimension of said elongated groove, said second bearing member engaged by said shank and having at least one dimension substantially less than the distance between said walls of said groove to permit its associated wall member to be shifted in and normal to the longitudinal dimension of said elongated groove, said wall members thereby being shifted angularly relative to one another, and thread means on said shank threadingly engaging at least one of said bearing members so that a relative turning movement therebetween results in a relative axial displacement of said first and second bearing members toward each other to clamp said wall member to said leg in the adjusted, predetermined intersecting relationship.

Claim 3

The connector of claim 1 in which said second bearing member has a noncircular configuration and has a portion for abutting one of the sidewalls of said groove and thereby limit its rotation upon turning.

Claim 4

In a cabinet structure, the combination of a plurality of abutted panel or wall members of woodlike material disposed in intersecting planes, each of said wall members having a substantially T-shaped groove therein, said grooves being disposed substantially in intersecting alignment, so as to define a plane perpendicular to said wall members, said T-shaped grooves having a bottom wall and sidewalls extending substantially normal from said bottom wall, said grooves having inturned shoulders joined to said sidewalls and spaced from said bottom wall, said inturned shoulders being spaced from said bottom wall and being spaced from each other and defining an open slot therebetween, and connector means for clamping and rigidly joining said members in a predetermined aligned relationship, said connector means including an angle-shaped bracket having first and second legs rigidly joined at a predetermined angle, each of said legs aligning with and being at least as wide as an associated groove, an aperture in each of said legs, clamping means for clamping each respective leg against a wall member upon insertion of a portion thereof into a groove of its respectively associated wall member, each of said clamping means including a screw having a shank extending through said aperture and projecting into the slot of said groove and further including a thin, flat bearing member in said groove having an aperture threaded onto said screw shank and shaped to abut one of said sidewalls and limit turning and to move axially upon turning of said screw shank to bear against said inturned shoulders of said groove and to clamp its associated leg thereto.

Claim 5

In a cabinet structure, the combination of a plurality of abutted panel or wall members of woodlike material disposed in intersecting planes, each of said wall members having a substantially T-shaped groove therein, said grooves being disposed substantially in intersecting alignment, so as to define a plane perpendicular to said wall members, said T-shaped grooves having a bottom wall and sidewalls extending substantially normal from said bottom wall, said grooves having inturned shoulders joined to said sidewalls and spaced from said bottom wall, said inturned shoulders being spaced from said bottom wall and being spaced from each other and defining an open slot therebetween, and connector means for clamping and rigidly joining said members in a predetermined aligned relationship, said connector means including an angle-shaped bracket having first and second legs rigidly joined at a predetermined angle, each of said legs aligning with and being at least as wide as an associated groove, an aperture in each of said legs, clamping means for clamping each respective leg against a wall member upon insertion of a portion thereof into a groove of its respectively associated wall member, each of said clamping means including a screw having a shank extending through said aperture and projecting into the slot of said groove and further including a thin, flat bearing member in said groove having an aperture threaded onto said screw shank and shaped to abut one of said sidewalls and limit turning and to move axially upon turning of said screw shank to bear against said inturned shoulders of said groove and to clamp its associated leg thereto.

Claim 6

A furniture assembly comprising a plurality of intersecting wall members disposed in substantially vertical planes and intersecting each other in a predetermined relationship to define corners for said furniture assembly, at least one substantially T-shaped groove being located in each of said wall members adjacent each said corner, said grooves being disposed substantially in intersecting alignment, so as to define a plane perpendicular to said vertically disposed wall members, at least one additional wall member disposed in a substantially horizontal plane and intersecting said vertically disposed wall members at a predetermined intersecting relationship, at least one substantially T-shaped groove being located in said horizontally disposed wall member adjacent a substantially T-shaped groove located in one of said vertically disposed wall members, such that said grooves are disposed substantially in intersecting alignment so as to define a plane perpendicular to said one of said vertically disposed wall members and said horizontally disposed wall member, and connecting means for permitting adjusting movement of said wall members angularly relative to one another and for fastening the latter in a predetermined, intersecting relationship, each said connecting means including an angle-shaped bracket having first and second legs rigidly joined at an angle and abutting against respective surfaces of a pair of said plurality of wall members at the location of said T-shaped grooves in said pair of wall members, a threaded member carried by each of said legs for projecting from said leg into an associated groove, and a bearing member slidably received in said T-shaped groove and dimensioned to permit adjusting movement of its associated wall member in directions longitudinally and transverse to its associated groove, said bearing member being larger than the opening of said T-shaped groove and threadingly engaged with said threaded member and movable with turning of its associated threaded member to clamp said wall member tightly to said bracket leg.

Claim 7

A furniture assembly comprising a plurality of intersecting wall members disposed in substantially vertical planes and intersecting each other in a predetermined relationship to define corners for said furniture assembly, at least one substantially T-shaped groove being located in each of said wall members adjacent each said corner, said grooves being disposed substantially in intersecting alignment, so as to define a plane perpendicular to said vertically disposed wall members, at least one additional wall member disposed in a substantially horizontal plane and intersecting said vertically disposed wall members at a predetermined intersecting relationship, at least one substantially T-shaped groove being located in said horizontally disposed wall member adjacent a substantially T-shaped groove located in one of said vertically disposed wall members, such that said grooves are disposed substantially in intersecting alignment so as to define a plane perpendicular to said one of said vertically disposed wall members and said horizontally disposed wall member, and connecting means for permitting adjusting movement of said wall members angularly relative to one another and for fastening the latter in a predetermined, intersecting relationship, each said connecting means including an angle-shaped bracket having first and second legs rigidly joined at an angle and abutting against respective surfaces of a pair of said plurality of wall members at the location of said T-shaped grooves in said pair of wall members, a threaded member carried by each of said legs for projecting from said leg into an associated groove, and a bearing member slidably received in said T-shaped groove and dimensioned to permit adjusting movement of its associated wall member in directions longitudinally and transverse to its associated groove, said bearing member being larger than the opening of said T-shaped groove and threadingly engaged with said threaded member and movable with turning of its associated threaded member to clamp said wall member tightly to said bracket leg.