Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
216 words
A jointing device comprising a first element including two spaced apart portions interconnected to form a mouth; a pair of arms, each arm having two opposed elongated faces, a front one of said faces on each arm having means defining a transverse groove near one end thereof to receive one of said portions, said arms being positionable with the back faces thereof juxtaposed with the front faces having said grooves facing outwardly, in which position the distance between the innermost surfaces of said grooves is greater than the normal spacing between said portions on said first element before insertion of said arms, said one end of each arm having a curved, rolling surface merging with said back face thereof and terminating at said front face to permit said one end of said arms to be inserted into said mouth, such that said arms can be rolled from a diverging relationship into the juxtaposed position and to deform outwardly the portion of said mouth engaged by said grooves; and a second element comprising clip means engageable with said arms in said juxtaposed position for preventing said arms from moving toward the diverging position under the influence of the force exerted on said arms by said portion as said first element tends to return to said undeformed condition.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
216 words
A jointing device comprising a first element including two spaced apart portions interconnected to form a mouth; a pair of arms, each arm having two opposed elongated faces, a front one of said faces on each arm having means defining a transverse groove near one end thereof to receive one of said portions, said arms being positionable with the back faces thereof juxtaposed with the front faces having said grooves facing outwardly, in which position the distance between the innermost surfaces of said grooves is greater than the normal spacing between said portions on said first element before insertion of said arms, said one end of each arm having a curved, rolling surface merging with said back face thereof and terminating at said front face to permit said one end of said arms to be inserted into said mouth, such that said arms can be rolled from a diverging relationship into the juxtaposed position and to deform outwardly the portion of said mouth engaged by said grooves; and a second element comprising clip means engageable with said arms in said juxtaposed position for preventing said arms from moving toward the diverging position under the influence of the force exerted on said arms by said portion as said first element tends to return to said undeformed condition.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first element includes two flanges, said portions being protrusions extending along the free edges of said flanges.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
68 words
A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each groove is bounded by said bottom surface and two further surfaces which intersect said one face, that one of said further surfaces which is closest to said one end being normal to said one face and the other of said further surfaces being oblique to said one face whereby the mouth of each groove is wider than its base.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
A device is claimed in claim 3, wherein said other of the further surfaces intersects said one face at 45°.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
A device as claimed in claim 1 and including a generally vee-shaped further transverse groove in each of said one faces, that bounding face of each of these grooves which is furthest from said one end of the arm being oblique to said one face.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said second element has holes therein which register with the oblique bounding faces.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
A device as claimed in claim 1 and including a transverse, half-round groove in each of said other faces, said half round grooves registering to form a hole when said other faces are juxtaposed.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said second element has a hole therein which is axially aligned with the hole formed by said two half round grooves.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
52 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each rolling surface comprises a first curved portion of relatively small radius, the first curved portion intersecting said one face, a second curved portion of relatively large radius merging with said other face, and a flat portion between the curved portions and merging therewith.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
38 words
A jointing device according to claim 1 wherein said first element comprises an elongated member and said two portions include elongated flanges having elongated surfaces facing toward each other, said surfaces being substantially continuous and uniformly spaced apart.