Partition connector system

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said female connector further includes said elongated body having upper and lower surfaces, said flange extending outwardly intermediate said upper and lower surfaces whereby said upper and lower surfaces of said male connector and said female connector are in the same plane when said boss is received in said opening.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 and further including fastening means for securing said connectors together, said boss having a tapped central opening therein adapted to receive said fastening means whereby said boss may be secured in said tapered opening.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said female connector includes a second flange extending outwardly from the end of said body opposite said first-mentioned flange, said second flange extending in a plane from said upper surface and having a central opening therethrough and a step formed in said first-mentioned flange from said upper surface whereby a second female connector may be connected at said second flange with said male and said first-mentioned female connector to thereby secure three panels together.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 3 and further including said female connector having a second tapered boss-receiving opening formed in said elongated body, said lower surface having a recess therein, said second boss-receiving opening tapering inwardly from the bottom of said recess to said lower surface whereby said boss on said male connector may be positioned in said second boss-receiving opening.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 2 and further including said male connector having a second tapered boss thereon having a tapped central opening therein, said second boss extending upwardly from said lower surface in a recess provided in said upper surface of said body member, said second boss being positionable in said boss-receiving opening in said female connector.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 6 and further including said female connector having a second tapered boss-receiving opening formed in said elongated body, said lower surface having a recess therein and said boss-receiving opening tapering upwardly from the bottom of said recess to said lower surface whereby either of said first-mentioned boss or said second boss on said male connector are positionable in said second boss-receiving opening and said upper and said lower surfaces of each of said connectors are in a generally common plane.

Claim 9

In a space divider partition system wherein divider panels are interconnected, said panels having fastener-receiving means thereon to receive connector means for securement of said panels together, the improvement comprising: a pair of elongated body members to serve as connector means, each said body member having an elongated slot formed therein to accommodate fastener means received in said fastener-receiving means in said panels; each of said pair of elongated body members having a flange extending therefrom on at least one end thereof, said flange on one of said body members having an upwardly extending tapered boss thereon, said flange on the other of said body members having a tapered boss-receiving opening formed therein; and means for securing said boss in said tapered receiving opening whereby a pair of panels each having at least one of said pair of connectors fixed thereon may be secured together, said tapered boss in said tapered boss-receiving opening when received preventing rotation of said panels with respect to each other.

Claim 10

In a space divider partition system wherein divider panels are interconnected, said panels having fastener-receiving means thereon to receive connector means for securement of said panels together, the improvement comprising: a pair of elongated body members to serve as connector means, each said body member having an elongated slot formed therein to accommodate fastener means received in said fastener-receiving means in said panels; each of said pair of elongated body members having a flange extending therefrom on at least one end thereof, said flange on one of said body members having an upwardly extending tapered boss thereon, said flange on the other of said body members having a tapered boss-receiving opening formed therein; and means for securing said boss in said tapered receiving opening whereby a pair of panels each having at least one of said pair of connectors fixed thereon may be secured together, said tapered boss in said tapered boss-receiving opening when received preventing rotation of said panels with respect to each other.

Claim 11

The system as defined in claim 8 wherein said one of said body members has an upper and a lower surface, said flange extending outwardly on a plane from said lower surface and said tapered boss extending upwardly therefrom.

Claim 12

The system as defined in claim 8 wherein said otheR of said body members has an upper and a lower surface, said flange extending outwardly parallel to and intermediate said upper and lower surfaces, said tapered boss-receiving opening having its larger opening oriented toward said lower surface.

Claim 13

The system of claim 8 wherein said one of said body members has an upper and a lower surface, said flange extending outwardly on a plane from said lower surface, said tapered boss extending upwardly therefrom; and the other of said body members having an upper and lower surface, said flange on said other of said body members extending outwardly parallel to and intermediate said surfaces, said tapered boss-receiving opening having its larger opening oriented toward said lower surface whereby said upper and said lower surfaces of each of said connectors extend in a generally common plane when said boss is received in said opening.

Claim 14

The system as defined in claim 11 wherein said other of said body members includes a second flange extending therefrom at the end of said body opposite said first-mentioned flange, said second flange extending in a plane from said upper surface and having an opening therethrough whereby two of said other body members can be joined to said boss; one with its first flange fitted over said boss and another with its said second flange resting on top of said first flange with said fastening means passing through said opening therethrough and being secured to said boss.

Claim 15

The system as defined in claim 12 wherein said first-mentioned flange and said other of said body members is positioned downwardly from said upper surface a distance corresponding to the thickness of said second flange whereby said upper and lower surfaces all extend in a generally common plane.