US4330974A — Easy-to-assemble structure

Claim 1

Independent Claim 303 words

An assembled structure comprising: a supporting device containing therein wall means which defines an elongated slot and having also a first supporting surface and a second supporting surface in an angular relation with the first supporting surface; a first structural member having a first contact surface engageable with the first supporting surface; a second structural member having a second contact surface engageable with the second supporting surface so as to be adjacent to, and disposed in approximately the angular relation with, the first member; and a hook on the first member and configured for insertion into the slot upon alignment with and for sliding along, the slot, said slot having at its top a hook insertion portion narrowing down into a substantially narrower but parallel-sided, hook locking portion which has a substantially continuous and vertically elongated contact length, said hook securing the first member in gravity-controlled, locking engagement with the slot on the supporting device; the location of the second member in its intended position on the assembled structure preventing the disruption of the locking engagement of the first member with the slot on the supporting device; the first and second structural members, together with the supporting device being so relatively dimensioned and positioned as to have therebetween operating clearances so substantial that upon locating the second member in the intended position on the assembled structure and simultaneously upon aligning the hook with the slot, the hook is insertible into the slot and subsequently slidable therealong whereby the second contact surface on the second member is made to engage with the second supporting surface at substantially the same time the first contact surface on the first member is made to engage with the first supporting surface so that the locking engagement is achieved and the assembly of the structure is substantially instantly completed.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 303 words

An assembled structure comprising: a supporting device containing therein wall means which defines an elongated slot and having also a first supporting surface and a second supporting surface in an angular relation with the first supporting surface; a first structural member having a first contact surface engageable with the first supporting surface; a second structural member having a second contact surface engageable with the second supporting surface so as to be adjacent to, and disposed in approximately the angular relation with, the first member; and a hook on the first member and configured for insertion into the slot upon alignment with and for sliding along, the slot, said slot having at its top a hook insertion portion narrowing down into a substantially narrower but parallel-sided, hook locking portion which has a substantially continuous and vertically elongated contact length, said hook securing the first member in gravity-controlled, locking engagement with the slot on the supporting device; the location of the second member in its intended position on the assembled structure preventing the disruption of the locking engagement of the first member with the slot on the supporting device; the first and second structural members, together with the supporting device being so relatively dimensioned and positioned as to have therebetween operating clearances so substantial that upon locating the second member in the intended position on the assembled structure and simultaneously upon aligning the hook with the slot, the hook is insertible into the slot and subsequently slidable therealong whereby the second contact surface on the second member is made to engage with the second supporting surface at substantially the same time the first contact surface on the first member is made to engage with the first supporting surface so that the locking engagement is achieved and the assembly of the structure is substantially instantly completed.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 15 words

The structure as in claim 1 wherein said contact length is at least 3/8" long.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 83 words

The structure as in claim 2 including an added number of hooks of generally the same design and formed in the same manner as the hook, and an equally added number of matching slots on the supporting device, all slots and hooks being generally vertically oriented, the topmost hook being at least 1/4" longer than the other hooks so as to facilitate engagement of the lower hooks into their respective slots without having the topmost hook being pulled out of its matching slot.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 18 words

The structure as in claim 3 wherein said topmost hook is over 1/2" longer than the other hooks.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 27 words

The structure as in claim 2 wherein the locking engagement is of the gravity-locking type, the weight of the first member tending to strengthen the locking engagement.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 134 words

The structure as in claim 3 wherein the supporting device comprises a support member having therein a plate material portion which has two major surfaces, the slot extending in and across the plate material portion to terminate at the two major surfaces thereof, and the hook comprises a plate secured to the first member and has two major surfaces thereon, an edge portion of the plate being cut out in the outline of an open-ended hook and bent up about 90° along a line still attached to the plate to form the hook so that the thickness of the cut-out and bent-up portion forms the outer and inner edges of one side of the open end of the hook, the remaining, uncut plate forming the other side of the open end of the hook.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 27 words

The structure as in claim 6 wherein the outer edge of the hook exactly coincides with a selected outer edge of said edge portion of the plate.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 32 words

The structure as in claim 6 wherein the thickness of the open end of the hook is less than the width of the slot by a difference of less than 15 mils.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 306 words

An open-ended hook system comprising a specified number of hooks for locking engagement thereof with a structure member having thereon an elongated slot system comprising an equal number of substantially parallel slots through which the multiple hooks can be inserted, in an individually matching manner, and along which the hook system can be moved after the insertion to thereby lockingly engage the hook system with the member, each slot having at its top a hook insertion portion narrowing down and terminating into a substantially narrower but parallel-sided, hook-locking portion having an internal hook bearing surface and an external hook bearing surface, said two bearing surfaces being generally continuous and vertically elongated, each of the multiple hooks being insertible into the hook insertion portion of the respective slot and the open end of the hook being subsequently slidable along at least one of the internal and external bearing surfaces on the member, comprising: a plate having an edge portion thereof partially cut out in the outline of the open ends of all the multiple hooks, said cut-out edge portion being bent up from the plate about 90° along a line still attached to the plate to form the multiple hooks so that the thickness of the cut-out edge portion forms the inner and outer edges of the one side of the open ends of all the multiple hooks, with said outer edges coinciding with a selected outer edge of said edge portion, the remaining, uncut plate forming the other side of all the open ends of the multiple hooks, all the slots and hooks being generally vertically oriented with the topmost hook being at least 1/2" longer than the other hooks so as to facilitate the engagement of the lower hooks into their respective slots without having the topmost hook being pulled out of its matching slot.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 306 words

An open-ended hook system comprising a specified number of hooks for locking engagement thereof with a structure member having thereon an elongated slot system comprising an equal number of substantially parallel slots through which the multiple hooks can be inserted, in an individually matching manner, and along which the hook system can be moved after the insertion to thereby lockingly engage the hook system with the member, each slot having at its top a hook insertion portion narrowing down and terminating into a substantially narrower but parallel-sided, hook-locking portion having an internal hook bearing surface and an external hook bearing surface, said two bearing surfaces being generally continuous and vertically elongated, each of the multiple hooks being insertible into the hook insertion portion of the respective slot and the open end of the hook being subsequently slidable along at least one of the internal and external bearing surfaces on the member, comprising: a plate having an edge portion thereof partially cut out in the outline of the open ends of all the multiple hooks, said cut-out edge portion being bent up from the plate about 90° along a line still attached to the plate to form the multiple hooks so that the thickness of the cut-out edge portion forms the inner and outer edges of the one side of the open ends of all the multiple hooks, with said outer edges coinciding with a selected outer edge of said edge portion, the remaining, uncut plate forming the other side of all the open ends of the multiple hooks, all the slots and hooks being generally vertically oriented with the topmost hook being at least 1/2" longer than the other hooks so as to facilitate the engagement of the lower hooks into their respective slots without having the topmost hook being pulled out of its matching slot.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 29 words

The hook system as in claim 9 wherein the thickness of the plate is less than the width of the slots by a difference of less than 15 mils.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1985-05-24	1985-11-23	1986-05-25	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1989-05-24	1989-11-23	1990-05-25	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1993-05-24	1993-11-23	1994-05-25	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Easy-to-assemble structure

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