Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
298 words
An improved shelf joint for use in a commodity shelf rack or stand comprising a body of the joint; a screw for insertion into said body, said screw including top and bottom surfaces, a threaded portion around the periphery of said top surface, a conical surface between said threaded portion and said bottom surface; a plurality of shaft arms extending from said body incorporated onto said body and having a hollow passage through each of said shaft arms and a side opening in communication with said hollow passage; each of said shaft arms having located therein in said hollow passage and extending in a radial direction from said screw a thrust block having a sloping face facing toward said conical surface of said screw and in contact with said conical surface and a flat face perpendicular to said radial direction from said screw, a buffer spring with its axis extending along said radial direction from said screw and having one end for contacting said flat face of said thrust block, a deviation block mounted for movement along said radial direction from said screw having a flat face for contacting said buffer spring on an opposite end of said buffer spring from the end for contacting said thrust block and having a sloping face on its opposite side from its said flat face, and a check block pivotally mounted in said shaft arm near one end of said check block and having a sloping face on the opposite end from where it is pivotally mounted wherein said sloping face of said check block contacts and moves along said sloping face of said deviation block to a position outside said shaft arm extending through said side opening in said shaft arm communicating with said hollow passage within said shaft arm.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
298 words
An improved shelf joint for use in a commodity shelf rack or stand comprising a body of the joint; a screw for insertion into said body, said screw including top and bottom surfaces, a threaded portion around the periphery of said top surface, a conical surface between said threaded portion and said bottom surface; a plurality of shaft arms extending from said body incorporated onto said body and having a hollow passage through each of said shaft arms and a side opening in communication with said hollow passage; each of said shaft arms having located therein in said hollow passage and extending in a radial direction from said screw a thrust block having a sloping face facing toward said conical surface of said screw and in contact with said conical surface and a flat face perpendicular to said radial direction from said screw, a buffer spring with its axis extending along said radial direction from said screw and having one end for contacting said flat face of said thrust block, a deviation block mounted for movement along said radial direction from said screw having a flat face for contacting said buffer spring on an opposite end of said buffer spring from the end for contacting said thrust block and having a sloping face on its opposite side from its said flat face, and a check block pivotally mounted in said shaft arm near one end of said check block and having a sloping face on the opposite end from where it is pivotally mounted wherein said sloping face of said check block contacts and moves along said sloping face of said deviation block to a position outside said shaft arm extending through said side opening in said shaft arm communicating with said hollow passage within said shaft arm.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
92 words
The improved shelf joint of claim 1 further comprising a means for pivotally mounting said check block in said shaft arm including a passage extending through said check block in a plane parallel to a plane including said sloping face of said check block, said shaft arm having holes therethrough located axially along the axis of said passage extending through said check block, bolt means extending through said shaft arm holes and said passage through said check block to form said means for pivotally mounting said check block in said shaft arm.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
219 words
The improved shelf joint of claim 1 further comprising said bottom surface of said screw being a substantially flat surface; a shaft arm extending axially from said screw and having located therein a hollow passage extending axially from said screw and a side opening in communication with said hollow passage; said shaft arm extending axially from said screw including in said hollow passage therein extending in an axial direction from said screw a buffer spring having one end for contacting said bottom flat surface of said screw, a deviation block mounted for movement along said axial direction from said screw having a flat face for contacting said buffer spring on an opposite end of said buffer spring from the end for contacting said bottom flat surface of said screw and having a sloping face on its opposite side from its said flat face, and a check block pivotally mounted in said shaft arm near one end of said check block and having a sloping face on the opposite end from where it is pivotally mounted wherein said sloping face of said check block contacts and moves along said sloping face of said deviation block to a position outside said shaft arm extending through said side opening in said shaft arm communicating with said hollow passage within said shaft arm.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
The improved shelf joint of claim 3 wherein said buffer springs are means to equalize the forces against all of said check blocks.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The improved shelf joint of claim 1 wherein said shaft arms are shaped to receive an oblong tube fitted as a sleeve over each of said shaft arms.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
51 words
The improved shelf joint of claim 5 wherein said check blocks each have projecting threads on a flat face extending through said side openings in said shaft arms to press against an inner surface of the oblong tube when said check blocks extend through said side openings in said shaft arms.