US3845988A — Easy-to-assemble structure

Claim 1

Independent Claim 386 words

An assembled structure comprising: a rigid and self-standing supporting device including at least one hollowed post that contains therein wall means defining at least an elongated slot, and having a generally vertical supporting surface and also having a different supporting surface in angular relation with the vertical supporting surface; a first structural member having an upper surface and a lower surface with the lower surface resting in bearing engagement with the different supporting surface; a second structural member having a front major surface and a rear major surface with at least a portion of the rear major surface bearing against the vertical supporting surface so as to have a prescribed spatial relation relative to the first member, the second member also having a lower edge resting in weight-supporting, bearing contact with the top surface of a selected portion of the first member placed thereunder; and locking means for securing the second member in counter-gravity locking engagement with the vertical supporting surface, the weight of the second member tending to cause the second member to slip out of the locking engagement but being prevented from doing so by the selected portion placed underneath the second member; said locking means comprising hook means attached to the second member and having an arm projecting rearwardly from the rear major surface, the arm turning upwardly and terminating into a generally vertical portion, the arm and the vertical portion having a total height less than the height of the slot so as to allow their insertion into the hollowed post through the slot to achieve the locking engagement, the height of the slot being greater than the thickness of the selected portion with the positive difference therebetween being less than the total height whereby the second member is movable against gravity to allow placing the first member thereunder for instantly completing the assembly of the structure but once so placed, the first member through the selected portion thereof prevents the second member from moving sufficiently downward to allow the hook means to be disengaged from the slot; and whereby the assembled structure can be disassembled by first elevating the second member sufficiently to allow removing the first member from underneath the second member thereby permitting the second member to be lowered before the hook means can be disengaged from the slot.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 386 words

An assembled structure comprising: a rigid and self-standing supporting device including at least one hollowed post that contains therein wall means defining at least an elongated slot, and having a generally vertical supporting surface and also having a different supporting surface in angular relation with the vertical supporting surface; a first structural member having an upper surface and a lower surface with the lower surface resting in bearing engagement with the different supporting surface; a second structural member having a front major surface and a rear major surface with at least a portion of the rear major surface bearing against the vertical supporting surface so as to have a prescribed spatial relation relative to the first member, the second member also having a lower edge resting in weight-supporting, bearing contact with the top surface of a selected portion of the first member placed thereunder; and locking means for securing the second member in counter-gravity locking engagement with the vertical supporting surface, the weight of the second member tending to cause the second member to slip out of the locking engagement but being prevented from doing so by the selected portion placed underneath the second member; said locking means comprising hook means attached to the second member and having an arm projecting rearwardly from the rear major surface, the arm turning upwardly and terminating into a generally vertical portion, the arm and the vertical portion having a total height less than the height of the slot so as to allow their insertion into the hollowed post through the slot to achieve the locking engagement, the height of the slot being greater than the thickness of the selected portion with the positive difference therebetween being less than the total height whereby the second member is movable against gravity to allow placing the first member thereunder for instantly completing the assembly of the structure but once so placed, the first member through the selected portion thereof prevents the second member from moving sufficiently downward to allow the hook means to be disengaged from the slot; and whereby the assembled structure can be disassembled by first elevating the second member sufficiently to allow removing the first member from underneath the second member thereby permitting the second member to be lowered before the hook means can be disengaged from the slot.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 46 words

The structure of claim 1 wherein the device comprises a portion of metal having walls therein defining the elongated slot, and the locking means comprises at least one metal hook secured to the second member and insertible in locking fit into the slot when aligned therewith.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 64 words

The structure of claim 1 wherein the device comprises a tubular metal frame having a front and a rear vertical supporting surfaces, and the locking means secures the second member in counter-gravity, locking engagement with said front vertical supporting surface; the first member upon being engaged with the different supporting surface preventing the second member from falling under gravity out of the locking engagement.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 78 words

The structure of claim 3 wherein the tubular metal frame has on the front side walls defining two generally vertical slots located at approximately the same height level but at a prespecified horizontal distance apart, and the locking means comprises two metal hooks secured to the second member at the same horizontal distance apart and insertible into the slots when aligned therewith so as to form the locking engagemenT between the second member and the vertical supporting surface.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 146 words

The structure of claim 4 wherein the rear side of the frame has walls defining two generally vertical, similar slots located at approximately the same height level and at the same horizontal distance apart as the slots on the front side of said frame, and including a third structural member carried on the rear side and engageable with a third supporting surface on the frame in a manner generally similar to the first member on the front side, a fourth structural member engageable with the frame in a back-to-back arrangement relative to the second member while resting on an adjacent area on the third member, and a second set of metal hooks secured to the fourth member at the same horizontal distance apart and insertible into the similar slots to also form locking engagement between the fourth member and a fourth supporting surface on the frame.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 58 words

The structure of claim 5 wherein all the hooks extend sufficiently outwardly from the second and fourth members, and the slots on the front side and the similar slots on the rear side are so offset horizontally that the hooks inserted through the slots into the metal tube physically contact their respective matches, thereby strengthening the assembled structure.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 19 words

The structure of claim 5 including means for joining the hooks inside the metal tube to their respective matches.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 69 words

The structure of claim 7 wherein the joining means comprises a cement having epoxy and hardener as its two components, each set of the two contacting hooks having epoxy on the contacting surface of one hook and hardener on the contacting surface of the other so that upon assembly of the structure the epoxy is mixed with the hardener and hardened to effectively join all the matched, contacting hooks.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 60 words

The structure of claim 1 wherein the first and second members have such a prescribed spatial relation relative to each other that part of the second member rests on the first member and the weight of the second member pressing on the first member in its intended position enhances the engagement of the first member with the different supporting surface.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 172 words

The structure of claim 1 wherein the supporting device comprises a generally vertical, hollowed post having wall means therein defining the slot, the slot having an inside wall and an outside wall on the surrounding material thereof; and wherein the locking means comprises a metal hook secured to the second member and having an open end with two vertical, parallel inner hooking sides or edges thereon engageable with the inside and outside walls, the open end of the hook being insertible into the slot when in registration therewith and being also relatively movable along the length of the slot after its insertion into the slot when the second member is shifted against gravity in a specified manner, the inner vertical sides of the hook open end being separated at such a distance apart that upon the shifting and subsequent placement of the first member into its intended position these sides become engaged over substantial contact regions with both the inside and outside walls around the slot thereby achieving a strong locking engagement.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 92 words

The structure of claim 1 wherein the supporting device comprises a framed structure having metal portions thereon, the metal portions including wall means defining a number of elongated slots arranged according to a prescribed geometrical pattern, and the locking means comprises the same number of metal hooks secured to the second member and arranged according to the same geometrical pattern, all the hooks being simultaneously insertible into the corresponding slots when aligned therewith but becoming non-removable therefrom when the first member is engaged with the different supporting surface in its intended position.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 38 words

The structure of claim 1 including means for preventing the first member from moving out of engaGement with the different supporting surface so as to maintain the locking engagement of the second member with the vertical supporting surface.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 21 words

The structure of claim 1 wherein the first and second members are made of plywood at least three-fourth inches in thickness.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 75 words

The structure of claim 1 wherein the first member is a generally horizontal member and the second member is a generally vertical member, and including holding means for preventing the first member from moving horizontally out of engagement with the different supporting surface, the lower edge of the second member bearing on the top surface of the first member while the first member is held in position by the second member and the holding means.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 94 words

The structure of claim 2 wherein the metal hook is insertible into the slot in a first position of the second member relative to the supporting device, the second member being relatively shiftable against gravity to a service position thereby preventing withdrawal of the metal hook until the second member is returned to the first position, the placement of the first member into its intended position putting the second member into the service position thereby preventing the second member from returning to the first position and from being disengaged from the vertical supporting surface.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 111 words

The structure of claim 2 wherein the device comprises a tubular column having an open top end thereon, and including a top, hook-twisting member fitting snugly inside the open top end and having at the lower end thereof slotting wall means defining a hook-twisting slot that is engageable with the hook after its insertion through the slot into the tubular column, the hook-twisting slot twisting the inserted portion of the hook into a prespecified shape when the top hook-twisting member is pressed downward into its intended position inside the tubular column, once so twisted the hook becoming incapable of being disassembled from the slot thereby achieving a substantially permanently assembled structure.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 23 words

The structure of claim 2 including means for joining the hook, after its insertion into the slot, to the metal surrounding the slot.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 167 words

The structure of claim 2 wherein the supporting device comprises a tubular frame, the first member is a generally horizontal member, the second member is a generally vertical member, and including wall means defining a hole in the tubular frame under the horizontal member, and also including dowel means fixed onto the underside of the horizontal member and insertible into the hole when in alignment therewith, by inserting the hook into the slot and lifting the vertical member relative to the tubular frame, the rear portion of the horizontal member may be inserted directly below the lower edge of the vertical member and, simultaneously, the dowel means may be inserted into the hole to dowel the horizontal member onto the tubular frame, the weight of the horizontal member making it more difficult for the dowel means to be removed from the hole and causing the horizontal member to stay in place so that the vertical member is prevented from falling under gravity out of the locking engagement.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 13 words

The structure of claim 1 wherein the two supporting surfaces are planar surfaces.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 21 words

The structure of claim 1 wherein the different and vertical supporting surfaces are planar surfaces oriented substantially normally of each other.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 37 words

The structure of claim 1 wherein said first and second structural members have different widths and the bearing contact between the first and second members extends across the entire width of the narrower of the two members.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 29 words

The structure of claim 1 wherein the hook means is a metal hook formed out of a 90* bent-out portion of a metal plate secured to the second member.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 33 words

The structure of claim 1 wherein the slot has a substantially constant width, and the arm and the vertical portion have the sAme thickness which is less than the substantially constant, slot width.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 31 words

The structure of claim 23 wherein the same thickness of the arm and the vertical portion is less than the substantially constant slot width by no more than a few mils.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 32 words

The structure of claim 1 wherein the hook means is thinner in the vertical portion but thicker in the arm than the width of the slot so as to achieve interference fitting.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 35 words

The structure of claim 25 wherein the material of the hollowed post surrounding the slot is strain-hardenable so as to be strengthened upon the thicker arm of the hook means being forced into the slot.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1977-11-04	1978-05-06	1978-11-05	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1981-11-04	1982-05-06	1982-11-05	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1985-11-04	1986-05-06	1986-11-05	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Easy-to-assemble structure

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