Ganging device

Claim 1

A ganging device for laterally joining adjacent chairs having juxtaposed tubular members, comprising, a longitudinally extending snap element including an arcuate wall defining an open throat cavity adapted in its normal at-rest configuration to removably engage and release the tubular member of one chair, a longitudinally extending attaching element joined adjacent to said snap element and including an arcuate wall defining an open throat cavity adapted in its normal at-rest configuration to removably engage the juxtaposed tubular member of the adjacent chair, said two arcuate walls each describing an arc of no less than 180* and the opposed distal portions of each said wall normally disposed a distance from one another that is less than the diameter of said tubular members, said two elements of inherently resilient construction whereby said two walls may be positioned adjacent said tubular members and radially urged against same to deflect said walls to snap fit said elements about said tubular members, the access to said attaching element cavity intersecting the access to said snap element cavity whereby when said snap element is disposed below said attaching element said attaching element cavity is masked from view above, a single central web portion between and adjoining said two elements and well spacing said two arcuate walls from one another to permit independent deflection of either of said walls without affecting the disposition of the other of said walls, the two lateral edges of said web portion integral with the adjacent free edge of each said two elements respectively, a flange extending tangentially from one end portion of said arcuate wall of said attaching element and projecting well beyond the periphery of said tubular member contained within said attaching element to a point adjacent one end of the snap element cavity, and means urging said flange towards said web portion to retain yet permit rotation of said attaching element about its tubular member as said snap element is alternately connected to and removed from said tubular member of said adjacent chair.