Connecting device for modular constructions

Claim 1

In a system for modular constructions, the combination consisting of (1) a plurality of housing units and (2) a plurality of connectors designed for longitudinal insertion along any of its edges, into mating grooves on said housing units wherein: each said connector comprises an elongated, solid, one piece, integral unit consisting of a pair of mutually perpendicular webs, intersecting substantially at their midpoints, there being four mutually perpendicular substantially identical T shaped arms extending from siad point of intersection, each of of said flanges being parallel to a plane containing one pair of said intersecting webs and all of said flange being of substantially equal lengths, sufficiently less than the length of the side of said housing unit to permit the insertion of similar connectors into mating grooves on adjacent faces of said housing unit and at right angles to said first connector, adjacent flanges forming first co-operating locking means therebetween, said first co-operating locking means having a substantially rectangular configuration and having an aperture at a projected corner where a projection of adjacent flanges would intersect, said apertures being diagonally opposed to a pair of intersecting webs, each of said housing units being an integral unit and having at least a pair of adjacent sides, said adjacent sides intersecting to form a right angle, each of said adjacent sides having an inwardly and outwardly facing surface, each outwardly facing surface having a channel therein, each channel being substantiAlly equidistantly spaced from said point of intersection of said sides at a distance substantially equal to the length of said mutually perpendicular webs, each of said channels having a depth substantially equal to the width of said flanges, each of said channels having a width substantially equal to the thickness of said flanges, each pair of channels on said adjacent sides forming a second co-operating locking means, said second cooperating locking means having a substantially rectangular configuration equal to the rectangular configuration of said first locking means, whereby said second locking means on said housing units are adapted to slidably engage in said first locking means, said locking means providing said for said housing unit, each said arms comprising a web and a flange extending across the free end of its web and perpendicular thereto to define said T, each of said flanges being parallel held in a spaced-apart relationship with respect to a neighboring housing unit by a distance equal to the thickness of the webs of said connecting means, whereby any of said housing units may be removed from the assembly without disturbing adjacent housing units.