Clip assembly

Claim 2

In a clip assembly for joining a pair of structural members, the clip assembly including a male clip element and a female clip element, the male clip element including supporting portions adapted to be secured to one of the structural members and at least one male clip means including at least one tongue means having protuberance means thereon, the female clip element including supporting portions adapted to be secured to the other of the structural elements and at least one female clip means including a pocket means defined by a spring finger means which at least partially overlies the tongue means of the male clip means in the assembled relationship of the male and female clip elements, the spring finger means also at least partially defining channel means adapted to at least partially receive the protuberance means of the male clip means in the assembled relationship of the male and female clip elements, and cooperating locking means on the male and female clip means adapted to lockingly engage at least part of the protuberance means in the channel means in the assembled relationship of the male and female clip elements, the spring finger means being resiliently secured at one end portion and having free end portions which are movable between a locking relationship wherein the cooperating locking means are operatively engaged when the male and female clip elements are assembled to secure the male and female clip elements to each other, and a releasing relationship wherein the cooperating locking means are disengaged to permit separation of the male and female clip elements, the improvement which comprises: a yoke means carried by said female clip element, said yoke means including a yoke member; hinge means rotatably securing a portion of said yoke member to said spring finger means in spaced relationship to said resiliently secured one end portion of said spring finger means; cam means on said yoke member in spaced relationship to said hinge means and slidingly engageable with a fixed surface for movement between a first position wherein said free end portions of said spring finger means are moved to said releasing relationship and a second position wherein said free end portions of said sprIng finger means resiliently return to said locking relationship; and actuating means on said yoke member which permits manual rotation of said yoke member about said hinge means to selectively slide said cam means between said first and second positions.

Claim 3

The improvement of claim 1 wherein said hinge means includes strap means carried by said spring finger means and defining a hinge opening, hinge portions of said yoke member extending through said hinge opening and being rotatably secured in said hinge opening by said strap means.

Claim 4

The improvement of claim 2 wherein said hinge portions of said yoke member include a generally flat upper surface elongated in a direction parallel to the longitudinal extent of said strap means, said strap means being bent to provide a stop means engaged by said upper surface of said hinge portions of said yoke member when said yoke member has been rotated about said hinge means by a predetermined amount, said stop means limiting movement of said yoke means to a relationship wherein said cam means is in said first position.

Claim 5

The improvement of claim 2 wherein said cam means includes cam portions of said yoke member extending generally perpendicularly to, and spaced from, said hinge portions thereof, said cam portions being defined by terminal end portions of said yoke member.

Claim 6

The improvement of claim 4 wherein said male clip element includes a pair of spaced male clip means and said female clip element includes a corresponding pair of female clip means, said yoke means including hinge means rotatably securing portions of a single-yoke member to the spring finger means on each of said female clip means, said yoke member including cam means at each of its terminal end portions and spaced from each of said hinge means, and said actuating means being defined on said yoke member intermediate said hinge means

Claim 7

The improvement of claim 5 wherein said female clip element includes a pair of laterally spaced female clip means, said supporting portions of said female clip element including central-supporting portions extending laterally between said female clip means and side supporting portions extending laterally on each side of said female clip means, each of said female clip means being offset from said central and side supporting portions to define said pockets for reception of at least part of said tongue means of said male clip element, said hinge means including strap means carried by each of said spring finger means and defining hinge openings having aligned axes extending generally transversely of the longitudinal extent of said spring finger means, laterally spaced hinge portions of said yoke member extending through said hinge openings and being rotatably secured in said hinge openings by said strap means, said cam means including terminal end portions of said yoke member on opposite sides of said hinge means extending generally perpendicularly to, and spaced from, each of said hinge portions of said yoke member, said terminal end portions of said yoke member overlying said side supporting portions of said female clip element and engageable therewith to perform their camming function on rotation of said yoke member about said hinge means, and said actuating means including generally U-shaped portions of said yoke member connecting said hinge portions thereof and overlying said central supporting portions of said female clip element, said U-shaped member having leg portions extending generally perpendicularly to said hinge portions of said yoke member in a direction generally opposite to the direction in which said cam means extends with respect to said hinge portions of said yoke member.

Claim 8

The improvement of claim 6 wherein said hinge portions of said yoke member include a generally flat upper surface elongated in a direction parallel to the longitudinal extent of said strap means, said strap means being bent to provide a stop means engaged by said upper surface of said hinge portions of said yoke member When said yoke member has been rotated about said hinge means by a predetermined amount, said stop means limiting movement of said yoke means to a relationship wherein said cam means is in said first position.

Claim 9

The improvement of claim 7 further including detent means defined in each of said side supporting portions of said female clip element, said terminal end portions of said yoke member engaging in said detent means when said yoke member has been rotated about said hinge means to a relationship wherein said cam means are in said first position.

Claim 10

The improvement of claim 1 wherein said protuberance means includes a pair of elongated protuberances defined on said tongue means, said protuberances each having leading and trailing ends with the protuberances extending generally longitudinally of said tongue means and being transversely spaced from each other on said tongue means, said channel means including a pair of elongated channels defined on opposite sides of said spring finger means, said cooperating locking means including means defining locking edge portions on said male clip means extending generally transversely of each of said protuberances in spaced relationship to said leading ends thereof and portions of said spring finger means extending generally transversely across one end of each of said channels to define cooperating locking edge portions on said female clip means.

Claim 11

The improvement of claim 9 wherein said means defining locking edge portions on said male clip means define a plurality of locking edge portions extending generally transversely of each of said protuberances, said plurality of locking edge portions on each of said protuberances each being spaced from said leading ends of said protuberances and being spaced from each other along the length of each of said protuberances, whereby said cooperating locking means will be operatively engaged even if said tongue means is only partially inserted into said pocket means in the assembled relationship of said male and female clip means.

Claim 12

In a clip assembly for joining a pair of structural members, wherein the clip assembly includes a male clip element and a female clip element, the male clip element including supporting portions adapted to be secured to one of the structural members and portions defining at least one male clip means, the female clip element including supporting portions adapted to be secured to the other of the structural members and portions defining at least one female clip means, the male clip means comprising portions defining an elongated tongue means having leading and trailing ends, the female clip means comprising portions defining a pocket means dimensioned to at least partially receive the tongue means therein, the pocket means being partially defined by a spring finger means having one resiliently secured end portion and spaced free end portions overlying portions of the tongue means when the tongue means is at least partially inserted into the pocket means in the female clip means in the assembled relationship of the male and female clip elements, and cooperating locking means defined on the male and female clip means, the locking means including a pair of elongated protuberances defined on the tongue means of the male clip means, the protuberances each having leading and trailing ends with the protuberances extending generally longitudinally of the tongue means and being transversely spaced from each other on the tongue means, and means defining a pair of corresponding elongated channels on opposite sides of the spring finger means of the female clip means, the protuberances each including means defining securing means to secure said female clip element to the other of the structural members, the central portion of said tongue means between said leg portions being cut away to permit said leg portions to slide on opposite sides of a securing means engaged with the other of the structural members through said aperture means on said spring finger means.

Claim 13

In a clip assembly for joining a pair of structural members, wherein the clip assembly includes a male clip element and a female clip element, the male clip element including supporting portions adapted to be secured to one of the structural members and portions defining at least one male clip means, the female clip element including supporting portions adapted to be secured to the other of the structural members and portions defining at least one female clip means, the male clip means comprising portions defining an elongated tongue means having leading and trailing ends, the female clip means comprising portions defining a pocket means dimensioned to at least partially receive the tongue means therein, the pocket means being partially defined by a spring finger means having one resiliently secured end portion and spaced free end portions overlying portions of the tongue means when the tongue means is at least partially inserted into the pocket means in the female clip means in the assembled relationship of the male and female clip elements, and cooperating locking means defined on the male and female clip means, the locking means including a pair of elongated protuberances defined on the tongue means of the male clip means, the protuberances each having leading and trailing ends with the protuberances extending generally longitudinally of the tongue means and being transversely spaced from each other on the tongue means, and means defining a pair of corresponding elongated channels on opposite sides of the spring finger means of the female clip means, the protuberances each including means defining securing means to secure said female clip element to the other of the structural members, the central portion of said tongue means between said leg portions being cut away to permit said leg portions to slide on opposite sides of a securing means engaged with the other of the structural members through said aperture means on said spring finger means.

Claim 14

The improvement of claim 11, wherein said protuberances and said channels are each arcuate.

Claim 15

The improvement of claim 11 wherein said means defining locking edge portions on said protuberances define a plurality of locking edge portions extending generally transversely of each of said protuberances, said plurality of locking edge portions on each of said protuberances each being spaced from said leading ends of said protuberances and being spaced from each other along the length of each of said protuberances, whereby said cooperating locking means will be operatively engaged even if said tongue means is only partially inserted into said pocket means in the assembled relationship of said male and female clip means.

Claim 16

The improvement of claim 11 wherein said female clip element includes a pair of side supporting portions adapted to rest on the structural member to which said female clip element is to be secured and a central offset portion, part of which defines locking edge portions and the channels each including means defining cooperating locking edge portions, the male and female clip means being dimensioned to at least partially superimpose the channels and the protuberances when the tongue means is at least partially inserted into the pocket means in the female clip means in the assembled relationship of the male and female clip elements with the means defining the cooperating locking edge portions of the channels engaging against the means defining the locking edge portions of the protuberances to prevent accidental withdrawal of the tongue means from the pocket means thereby locking the male and female clip elements against accidental disassembly, the spring finger means being generally T-shaped with the free end portions including a crossbar, portions of the crossbar extending transversely across one end of each of the channels and including generally planar edge portions defining the cooperating locking edge portions of the channels, portions of each protuberance spaced from the leading ends thereof including generally planar edge portions extending transversely of the tongue means and defining the locking edge portions of said protuberances, the improvement which comprises said tongue means of said male clip means being generally U-shaped and having spaced leg portions each carrying one of said protuberances, said supporting portions of said female clip element including portions of said spring finger means defining aperture means intermediate said channel means adapted to receive said spring finger means, said female clip element further including spacer means beneath said spring finger means and juxtaposed to said aperture means in said spring finger means, said spacer means being adapted to space said spring finger means from the structural member to which said female clip element is to be secured a sufficient distance to insure that said tongue means of said male clip means can be at least partially received by said pocket means of said female clip means and to preclude a securing means engaged with a structural member through said aperture means on said spring finger means from moving said spring finger means so close to the structural member as to preclude at least partial reception of said tongue means in said pocket means.

Claim 17

The improvement of claim 14 wherein said spacer means comprises a boss at least partially surrounding said aperture means on the side of said spring finger means disposed toward the structural member to which said female clip element is to be secured.

Claim 18

The improvement of claim 11 wherein said female clip element includes a pair of side supporting portions adapted to rest on the structural member to which said female clip element is to be secured and a central offset portion, part of which defines said spring finger means, said aperture means on said spring finger means being a single aperture for reception of a single-securing means to be engaged with the structural member to which said female clip element is to be sEcured, said female clip element further including teeth means carried by the side of said offset portion disposed toward the structural member to which said female clip element is to be secured, said teeth means being spaced from the part of said offset portion which defines said spring finger means and being of a depth greater than the distance which said offset portion is offset from said side supporting portions, whereby said teeth means will penetrate the structural member to which said female clip element is to be secured to preclude rotation of said female clip element about a securing means to be engaged with the structural member through said aperture means on said spring finger means.

Claim 19

The improvement of claim 11 wherein said supporting portions of said male clip element includes a single aperture for reception of a single-securing means to be engaged with the structural member to which said male clip element is to be secured, said male clip element further including teeth means carried by the side of said supporting portions to be disposed toward the structural member to which said male clip element is to be secured, in spaced relationship to said single aperture, said teeth means being adapted to penetrate the structural member to which said male clip element is to be secured to preclude rotation of said male clip element about the single-securing means to be engaged with the structural member through said single aperture.

Claim 20

In a male clip element for use with a clip assembly adapted to join a pair of structural members in an angular relationship wherein the clip assembly includes a male clip element and a female clip element, the male clip element comprising supporting portions adapted to be secured to one of the structural members and further portions including at least one male clip means extendable at the aforesaid angular relationship to the supporting portions to operatively engage a female clip means forming part of the female clip element, the improvement which comprises hinge means pivotally interconnecting said supporting portions and said further portions of said male clip element, said further portions being movable about said hinge means between a collapsed position wherein said further portions extend substantially parallel to, and overly, said supporting portions for compactness in shipping of said male clip element, and an operative position wherein said male clip means extends at said angular relationship to said supporting portions for operative engagement with a female clip means in the assembled relationship of the clip assembly, and releasable locking means at the juncture of said further portions and said supporting portions for selectively locking said further portions to said supporting portions to secure said male clip means in said angular relationship relative to said supporting portions, said locking means including a tongue means defined by one of said portions of said male clip element and a groove means defined by said other of said portions, said tongue means lockingly engaging in said groove means when said male clip means is in said operative position.

Claim 21

In a male clip element for use with a clip assembly adapted to join a pair of structural members in an angular relationship wherein the clip assembly includes a male clip element and a female clip element, the male clip element comprising supporting portions adapted to be secured to one of the structural members and further portions including at least one male clip means extendable at the aforesaid angular relationship to the supporting portions to operatively engage a female clip means forming part of the female clip element, the improvement which comprises hinge means pivotally interconnecting said supporting portions and said further portions of said male clip element, said further portions being movable about said hinge means between a collapsed position wherein said further portions extend substantially parallel to, and overly, said supporting portions for compactness in shipping of said male clip element, and an operative position wherein said male clip means extends at said angular relationship to said supporting portions for operative engagement with a female clip means in the assembled relationship of the clip assembly, and releasable locking means at the juncture of said further portions and said supporting portions for selectively locking said further portions to said supporting portions to secure said male clip means in said angular relationship relative to said supporting portions, said locking means including a tongue means defined by one of said portions of said male clip element and a groove means defined by said other of said portions, said tongue means lockingly engaging in said groove means when said male clip means is in said operative position.

Claim 22

The improvement of claim 18 wherein said angular relationship is 90*.

Claim 23

The improvement of claim 18 wherein said other of said portions is resilient, an angular camming surface being defined on said other of said portions in spaced parallel relationship to said groove means, said tongue means engaging said camming surface during movement of said male clip means from said collapsed position to said operative position to resiliently urge said other of said portions away from said tongue means sufficiently to permit said tongue means to align with said groove means, and the resilience of said other of said portions causing said groove means to engage over said tongue means when said groove means and said tongue means are aligned thereby locking said male clip means in said angular relationship.

Claim 24

The improvement of claim 20 wherein saId further portions of said male clip element are generally U-shaped and include a pair of spaced leg portions each including a leading end and a trailing end and each defining a male clip means intermediate said ends for operatively engaging a corresponding pair of female clip means on the female clip element in the assembled relationship of the clip assembly, and connecting portions extending between said trailing ends of said leg portions, said hinge means pivotally interconnecting said connecting portions to said supporting portions of said male clip element.

Claim 25

The improvement of claim 21 wherein said hinge means includes portions of said supporting portions and said connecting portions together defining a pair of transversely spaced, aligned hinge openings, said hinge openings being defined adjacent said trailing ends of each of said leg portions, hinge pin means extending through said hinge openings, and said locking means being defined by the portions of said supporting portions and said connecting portions between said portions defining said hinge openings.

Claim 26

The improvement of claim 20, wherein said groove means is deeper than the portions of said tongue means to be engaged therein, and said tongue and groove means have cooperating bevelled portions to assist in retaining said tongue means in said groove means.

Claim 27

In a clip assembly for joining a pair of structural members, the clip assembly including a male clip element and a female clip element, the male clip element including supporting portions adapted to be secured to one of the structural members and at least one male clip means including at least one tongue means having protuberance means with leading and trailing ends thereon, the female clip element including supporting portions adapted to be secured to the other of the structural elements and at least one female clip means including a pocket means defined by a spring finger means which at least partially overlies the tongue means of the male clip means in the assembled relationship of the male and female clip elements, the spring finger means also at least partially defining channel means adapted to at least partially receive the protuberance means of the male clip means in the assembled relationship of the male and female clip elements, and cooperating locking means on the male and female clip means adapted to lockingly engage at least part of the protuberance means in the channel means in the assembled relationship of the male and female clip elements, said cooperating locking means including means defining locking edge portions on said male clip means extending generally transversely of said protuberance means in spaced relationship to said leading end thereof and portions of said spring finger means extending generally transversely across one end of said channel means to define cooperating locking edge portions on said female clip means, the improvement which comprises said means defining said locking edge portions on said male clip means defining a plurality of locking edge portions extending generally transversely of said protuberance means, said plurality of locking edge portions on said protuberance means each being spaced from said leading end of said protuberance means and being spaced from each other along the length of said protuberance means, whereby said cooperating locking means will be operatively engaged even if said tongue means is only partially inserted into said pocket means in the assembled relationship of said male and female clip means.

Claim 28

In a clip assembly for joining a pair of structural members, the clip assembly including a male clip element and a female clip element, the male clip element including supporting portions adapted to be secured to one of the structural members and at least one male clip means including at least one tongue means having protuberance means with leading and trailing ends thereon, the female clip element including supporting portions adapted to be secured to the other of the structural elements and at least one female clip means including a pocket means defined by a spring finger means which at least partially overlies the tongue means of the male clip means in the assembled relationship of the male and female clip elements, the spring finger means also at least partially defining channel means adapted to at least partially receive the protuberance means of the male clip means in the assembled relationship of the male and female clip elements, and cooperating locking means on the male and female clip means adapted to lockingly engage at least part of the protuberance means in the channel means in the assembled relationship of the male and female clip elements, said cooperating locking means including means defining locking edge portions on said male clip means extending generally transversely of said protuberance means in spaced relationship to said leading end thereof and portions of said spring finger means extending generally transversely across one end of said channel means to define cooperating locking edge portions on said female clip means, the improvement which comprises said means defining said locking edge portions on said male clip means defining a plurality of locking edge portions extending generally transversely of said protuberance means, said plurality of locking edge portions on said protuberance means each being spaced from said leading end of said protuberance means and being spaced from each other along the length of said protuberance means, whereby said cooperating locking means will be operatively engaged even if said tongue means is only partially inserted into said pocket means in the assembled relationship of said male and female clip means.

Claim 29

The improvement of claim 24 wherein said protuberance means includes a pair of elongated protuberances defined on said tongue means in transversely spaced relationship, and said channel means includes a channel defined on each side of said spring finger means, portions of said spring finger means extending generally transversely across one end of each of said channels to define said cooperating locking edge portions on said female clip means, and each of said protuberances inclUding said plurality of locking edge portions spaced from its leading end and spaced from each other along the length of said protuberance.