Extruded metal corner construction

Claim 2

A structural corner comprising: (a) a first hollow elongate longitudinal tubing member having: (i) a first pair of spaced apart parellel planar walls, each wall having a narrow dimension lateral to the longitudinal direction of said first tubing member, in which said narrow dimension of a first one of said pair is less than said narrow dimension of the second one of said first pair; (ii) a planar first web integrally and orthogonally connected to and extending between said first paid of walls; (iii) a second web spaced apart from said first web, said second web forming a first plurality of steps extending laterally away from said first web in a staggered, non-overlapping relationship with each other and integrally connected to and extending between said first pair of walls; (b) a second hollow elongate longitudinal tubing member having: (i) a second pair of spaced apart parallel planar walls, each wall having a narrow dimension lateral to the longitudinal direction of said second tube member, and having the same difference therebetween in said narrow dimensions as said first pair, said second pair of walls spaced apart to receive said first pair of planar walls slidably therebetween; (ii) a planar third web integrally and orthogonally connected to and extending between said second pair of walls; (iii) a fourth web spaced apart from said second web, said fourth web forming a second plurality of steps extending laterally away from said third web in a staggered, non-overlapping relationship with each other and integrally connected to and extending between said second pair of walls, said fourth web cut away at its terminal end in a third plurality of cut-away steps complimentary to said first plurality of steps of said second web wherein a first one of said cut-away steps is equal in height to said first one of said first pair of walls and a last one of said cut-away steps is equal in height to said second one of said first pair of walls; (iv) said first member disposed between said second pair of walls of said second member with a terminal end thereof in abutting relation with said planar third web and with said first plurality of steps of said second web disposed in abutting orthogonal relation with said third plurality of cut-away steps of said fourth web, and such that said second walls of both of said first and second wall pairs of said first and second members are in abutting relationship; and (c) securing means for maintaining said first member in said abutting relation with said second member.

Claim 3

The corner as defined in claim 1 which said securing means comprises: at least one screw receiving boss disposed longitudinally within and integral with said one of said first and second web of first member; and at least one screw engaging said boss through said third web.

Claim 4

The corner as defined in claim 1 in which said narrow dimension of said first one of said first pair of walls is about twice the narrow dimension of said second one of said first pair of walls.

Claim 5

The corner as defined in claim 1 in which said first and second members are extruded from aluminum.

Claim 6

The corner as defined in claim 1 in which said first and second members are extruded from plastic.

Claim 7

A structural corner comprising: (a) a first hollow elongate longitudinal tubing member having: (i) a first pair of spaced apart parallel planar walls, each wall having a narrow dimension lateral to the longitudinal direction of said first tubing member, in which said narrow dimension of a first one of said pair is less than said narrow dimension of the second one of said first pair; (ii) a planar first web integrally and orthogonally connected to and extending between said first pair of walls; (iii) a second web spaced apart from said first web, said second web forming at least three steps extending laterally away from said first web in a staggered, non-overlapping relationship with each other, and integrally connected to and extending between said first pair of walls; (b) a second hollow elongate longitudinal tubing member having: (i) a second pair of spaced apart parallel planar walls, each wall having a narrow dimension lateral to the longitudinal direction of said second tube member, and having the same difference therebetween in said narrow dimensions as said first pair, said second pair of walls spaced apart to receive said first pair of planar walls slidably therebetween; (ii) a planar third web integrally and orthogonally connected to and extending between said second pair of walls; (iii) a fourth web spaced apart from said second web, said fourth web forming at least three steps extending laterally away from said third web in a staggered, non-overlapping relationship with each other and integrally connected to and extending between said second pair of walls, said fourth web cut away at its terminal end in at least three cut away steps complimentary to said steps of said second web, wherein a first one of said cut away steps is equal in height to said first one of said first pair of walls and a last one of said cut away steps is equal in height to said second one of said first pair of walls; (iv) said first member disposed between said second pair of walls of said second member with a terminal end thereof in abutting relationship with said planar third web and with said steps of said second web disposed in abutting orthogonal relationship with said cut away steps of said fourth web, and such that said second walls of both of said first and second wall pairs of said first and second members are in abutting relationship; and (c) securing means including first and second screw bosses integrally formed with and extending longitudinally along said first and second webs and a pair of screws, each screw extending through said third web and into one of said screw bosses for maintaining said first member in said abutting relationship with said second member.

Claim 8

A structural corner comprising: (a) a first hollow elongate longitudinal tubing member having: (i) a first pair of spaced apart parallel planar walls, each wall having a narrow dimension lateral to the longitudinal direction of said first tubing member, in which said narrow dimension of a first one of said pair is less than said narrow dimension of the second one of said first pair; (ii) a planar first web integrally and orthogonally connected to and extending between said first pair of walls; (iii) a second web spaced apart from said first web, said second web forming at least three steps extending laterally away from said first web in a staggered, non-overlapping relationship with each other, and integrally connected to and extending between said first pair of walls; (b) a second hollow elongate longitudinal tubing member having: (i) a second pair of spaced apart parallel planar walls, each wall having a narrow dimension lateral to the longitudinal direction of said second tube member, and having the same difference therebetween in said narrow dimensions as said first pair, said second pair of walls spaced apart to receive said first pair of planar walls slidably therebetween; (ii) a planar third web integrally and orthogonally connected to and extending between said second pair of walls; (iii) a fourth web spaced apart from said second web, said fourth web forming at least three steps extending laterally away from said third web in a staggered, non-overlapping relationship with each other and integrally connected to and extending between said second pair of walls, said fourth web cut away at its terminal end in at least three cut away steps complimentary to said steps of said second web, wherein a first one of said cut away steps is equal in height to said first one of said first pair of walls and a last one of said cut away steps is equal in height to said second one of said first pair of walls; (iv) said first member disposed between said second pair of walls of said second member with a terminal end thereof in abutting relationship with said planar third web and with said steps of said second web disposed in abutting orthogonal relationship with said cut away steps of said fourth web, and such that said second walls of both of said first and second wall pairs of said first and second members are in abutting relationship; and (c) securing means including first and second screw bosses integrally formed with and extending longitudinally along said first and second webs and a pair of screws, each screw extending through said third web and into one of said screw bosses for maintaining said first member in said abutting relationship with said second member.

Claim 9

A structural corner comprising: (a) a first hollow elongate longitudinal tubing member having: (i) a first pair of spaced apart parallel planar walls, each wall having a narrow dimension lateral to the longitudinal direction of said first tubing member, in which said narrow dimension of a first one of said pair is less than said narrrow dimension of the second one of said first pair; (ii) a planar first web integrally and orthogonally connected to and extending between said first pair of walls; (iii) a second web spaced apart from said first web, said second web forming three steps extending laterally away from said first web in a staggered, non-overlapping relationship with each other, and with each of said steps having a progressively smaller dimension progressively from said first wall to said second wall of said first wall pair; (b) a second hollow elongate longitudinal tubing member having: (i) a second pair of spaced apart parallel planar walls, each wall having a narrow dimension lateral to the longitudinal direction of said second tube member, and having the same difference therebetween in said narrow dimensions as said first pair, said second pair of walls spaced apart to receive said first pair of planar walls slidably therebetween; (ii) a planar third web integrally and orthogonally connected to and extending between said second pair of walls; (iii) a fourth web spaced apart from said second web, said fourth web forming three steps extending laterally away from said third web in a staggered, non-overlapping relationship with each other and integrally connected to and extending between said second pair of walls, said fourth web cut away at its terminal end in three cut away steps complimentary to said three steps of said second web; (iv) said first member disposed between said second pair of walls of said second member with a terminal end thereof in abutting relationship with said planar third web and with said three steps of said second web disposed in abutting orthogonal relationship with said three cut away steps of said fourth web, and such that said second walls of both of said first and second wall pairs of said first and second members are in abutting relationship; and (c) securing means including first and second screw bosses integrally formed with and extending longitudinally along said first and second webs and a pair of screws, each screw extending through said third web and into one of said screw bosses for maintaining said first member in said abutting relationship with said second member.

Claim 10

A structural corner comprising: (a) a first hollow elongate longitudinal tubing member having: (i) a first pair of spaced apart parallel planar walls, each wall having a narrow dimension lateral to the longitudinal direction of said first tubing member, in which said narrow dimension of a first one of said pair is less than said narrrow dimension of the second one of said first pair; (ii) a planar first web integrally and orthogonally connected to and extending between said first pair of walls; (iii) a second web spaced apart from said first web, said second web forming three steps extending laterally away from said first web in a staggered, non-overlapping relationship with each other, and with each of said steps having a progressively smaller dimension progressively from said first wall to said second wall of said first wall pair; (b) a second hollow elongate longitudinal tubing member having: (i) a second pair of spaced apart parallel planar walls, each wall having a narrow dimension lateral to the longitudinal direction of said second tube member, and having the same difference therebetween in said narrow dimensions as said first pair, said second pair of walls spaced apart to receive said first pair of planar walls slidably therebetween; (ii) a planar third web integrally and orthogonally connected to and extending between said second pair of walls; (iii) a fourth web spaced apart from said second web, said fourth web forming three steps extending laterally away from said third web in a staggered, non-overlapping relationship with each other and integrally connected to and extending between said second pair of walls, said fourth web cut away at its terminal end in three cut away steps complimentary to said three steps of said second web; (iv) said first member disposed between said second pair of walls of said second member with a terminal end thereof in abutting relationship with said planar third web and with said three steps of said second web disposed in abutting orthogonal relationship with said three cut away steps of said fourth web, and such that said second walls of both of said first and second wall pairs of said first and second members are in abutting relationship; and (c) securing means including first and second screw bosses integrally formed with and extending longitudinally along said first and second webs and a pair of screws, each screw extending through said third web and into one of said screw bosses for maintaining said first member in said abutting relationship with said second member.