Joint for connecting members

Claim 2

A joint for connecting members comprising: a member having a male portion; female member means for receiving said male portion; camming means operably associated with an inner portion of said female member means; and engagement means disposed in said male portion, and movable outwardly from a longitudnal axis of said male portion for engaging said camming means to urge said female member means longitudinally of said male portion and to rigidly lock said female member and said male portion together.

Claim 3

A joint for connecting members as defined in claim 1 and further comprising: access means disposed in said female member means for providing access to said engagement means to permit manipulation thereof after said female member means receives said male member, said access means including an inner portion engageable by said engagement means and said camming means comprising said inner portion.

Claim 4

A joint for connecting members as defined in claim 2 and further comprising: abutment means carried by said male portion for receiving an end of said female member means in locked relation therewith when said engagement means is moved into contact with said camming means and said female member means is urged longitudinally of said male portion.

Claim 5

A joint for connecting members as defined in claim 3 and further comprising: orienting means associated with said male portion for axially and rotationally positioning said camming means with respect to said engagement means.

Claim 6

A joint for connecting members as defined in claim 4 wherein said orienting means is comprised of: said abutment means operable to axially position said access means with respect to said engagement means; key means associated with said male portion for engagement with an interior portion of said female member means to rotationally position said access means with respect to said engagement means.

Claim 7

A joint for connecting members as defined in claim 5: wherein said camming means is comprised of an inner edge portion of said access means; wherein said engagement means is oriented essentially perpendicularly to said longitudinal axis of said male portion; wherein said engagement means is continuously disposed in said male portion; and wherein said camming means is further comprised of a generally conical surface carried by said engagement means for engaging said inner edge portion of said access means to lock said female member means to said male portion.

Claim 8

A joint for connecting members as defined in claim 2: wherein said engagement means is continuously disposed in said male portion when said male portion is inserted in said female member means; and wherein said engagement means is continuously disposed within the ambit of an outer surface of said female member means after said female member means receives said male portion.

Claim 9

A joint for connecting members as defined in claim 7 further comprising: abutment means associated with said male portion for axially positioning said camming means with respect to said engagement means; and key means associated with said male portion for engagement with interior portions of said female member means to rotationally position said camming means with respect to said engagement means.

Claim 10

A joint for connecting members comprising: a female member; a hub member having a male portion for operable insertion into at least a portion of said female member; orienting means disposed on said male portion for orienting said female member relative to said engagement means; abutment means comprising a portion of said hub member for abutting said female member to limit the longitudinal extent to which said male portion may be inserted within said female member; camming engagement means carried by said male portion and moveable outwardly from a longitudinal axis of said male portion for engaging an inner portion of said female member; and access means disposed in said female member through which said engagement means is manipulatable outwardly from said longitudinal axis when said female member and said male portions are united to cammingly engage said engageable inner portion to rigidly lock said female member against said abutment means and against said male portion.

Claim 11

A joint for connecting members comprising: a female member; a hub member having a male portion for operable insertion into at least a portion of said female member; orienting means disposed on said male portion for orienting said female member relative to said engagement means; abutment means comprising a portion of said hub member for abutting said female member to limit the longitudinal extent to which said male portion may be inserted within said female member; camming engagement means carried by said male portion and moveable outwardly from a longitudinal axis of said male portion for engaging an inner portion of said female member; and access means disposed in said female member through which said engagement means is manipulatable outwardly from said longitudinal axis when said female member and said male portions are united to cammingly engage said engageable inner portion to rigidly lock said female member against said abutment means and against said male portion.

Claim 12

A joint for connecting members comprising: a female member having an interior surface, an inner engagement surface associated with said interior surface, and an exterior surface; a hub member having at least one male portion operably insertable into at least a portion of said female member; engaging means carried by said male portion and moveable outwardly from a longitudinal axis of said male portion, said engaging means comprising a conical engaging head for cammingly engaging said inner engagement surface of said female member; key means disposed on said male portion for engaging said interior surface of said female member to rotationally orient said inner engagement surface relative to said engaging means; abutting means adjacent said hub member for abutting said female member to axially orient said inner engagement surface relative to said engaging means; and access means disposed in each of said female member means through which said engaging means is manipulatable outwardly from said longitudinal axis to cammingly engage said engagement surface of said female member to rigidly lock said female member against said abutting means and against said male portion, said engaging means being entirely confined within the ambit of said exterior surface of said female member when said joint is locked.

Claim 13

A joint for connecting members comprising: a female member having an interior surface, an inner engagement surface associated with said interior surface, and an exterior surface; a hub member having at least one male portion operably insertable into at least a portion of said female member; engaging means carried by said male portion and moveable outwardly from a longitudinal axis of said male portion, said engaging means comprising a conical engaging head for cammingly engaging said inner engagement surface of said female member; key means disposed on said male portion for engaging said interior surface of said female member to rotationally orient said inner engagement surface relative to said engaging means; abutting means adjacent said hub member for abutting said female member to axially orient said inner engagement surface relative to said engaging means; and access means disposed in each of said female member means through which said engaging means is manipulatable outwardly from said longitudinal axis to cammingly engage said engagement surface of said female member to rigidly lock said female member against said abutting means and against said male portion, said engaging means being entirely confined within the ambit of said exterior surface of said female member when said joint is locked.

Claim 14

A joint for connecting members comprising: a female member having an access opening and an outer surface; a hub member having a male portion operably insertable into said female member; first orienting means associated with hub member for rotationally orienting an inner edge portion of said access opening relative to said male portion; second orienting means associated with said hub member for abutting and stopping said female member to axially orient said inner edge portion of said access opening relative to said male portion; and eccentric locking means operably disposed in said male portion at a position slightly more longitudinally proximal to said hub member than said access opening when said male portion has been fully inserted into said female member, said eccentric locking means comprising an engagement head moveable outwardly from a longitudinal axis of said male portion to engage said inner edge portion of said access opening to rigidly lock said female member against said hub member and against said male portion, said eccentric locking means being continuously confined within the ambit of said outer surface of said female member when said joint is locked.

Claim 15

A joint for connecting members comprising: a female member having an access opening and an outer surface; a hub member having a male portion operably insertable into said female member; first orienting means associated with hub member for rotationally orienting an inner edge portion of said access opening relative to said male portion; second orienting means associated with said hub member for abutting and stopping said female member to axially orient said inner edge portion of said access opening relative to said male portion; and eccentric locking means operably disposed in said male portion at a position slightly more longitudinally proximal to said hub member than said access opening when said male portion has been fully inserted into said female member, said eccentric locking means comprising an engagement head moveable outwardly from a longitudinal axis of said male portion to engage said inner edge portion of said access opening to rigidly lock said female member against said hub member and against said male portion, said eccentric locking means being continuously confined within the ambit of said outer surface of said female member when said joint is locked.