Means for connecting frame members

Jan. 23, 1940. h. j. sharp 2,188,209

MEANS FOR CONNECTING FRAME MEMBERS

Filed July 28, 1938

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Patented Jan. 23, 1940

2,188,209

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,188,209 MEANS FOR CONNECTING FRAME ' MEMBERS

Henry J. Sharp, Avalon, Pa., assignor of onehalf to Charles M. Clarke, Sewickley, Pa.

' Application July 28, 1938, Serial No. 221,759

Claims. (Cl. 189—36)

This invention is an improvement in connecting means for the meeting terminals of flanged framing members or other constructions whereby the ends thereof are held together by frictional 5 engagement of separated or bifurcated terminals of a connecting bridge member.

Generally stated, the invention consists of an overlapping bridge member insertible across the transverse meeting line of the terminals to be JO connected and having pairs of bifurcated terminals, and means for forcing them into binding engagement with the frame flanges.

In the drawing, showing certain preferred constructions :

Fig. 1 is a perspective outside view of a conventional frame having its corners connected by my improvement;

Fig. 2 is a detail inside view of one of the corner joint constructions;

Fig. 3 is a perspective detail view of one of the bridge members, detached;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line IV—IV of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a view of one of the separating wedges; 25 Fig. 6 is a view like Fig. 2 showing connection with the abutting ends of a curved framing;

Fig. 7 is a view like Fig. 3 of the curved bridge member therefor;

Fig. 8 is a partial face view of a straight bridge 30 member provided with a modified construction of expanding means for the bifurcated terminals thereof;

Fig. 9 is a view like Fig. 2 showing a modified construction.

Referring to the drawing Fig. 1 merely illustrates one conventional rectangular form of an enclosing frame A, the main side and end members a of which are connected by a mitre joint.

Said members are provided with projecting 40 flanges or otherwise located abutments 2 having sufficient inner contact area for engagement thereagainst of the opposite edges 3 of the bifurcated arms 4 of connecting bridge member 5.

The said bridge member as shown is in the 45 form of a comparatively thin metal plate laid across the frame terminals and providing an overlapping joint. Its normal dimensions are such as to make a neat interfitting engagement against the web portions 6 and between flanges 50 2 of the frame members, with means for expanding arms 4 to force their edges 3 into binding en! gagement with the flanges, as in Figs. 2 and 6.

In one form of the invention this result is effected by wedges 7 driven inwardly along the 55 inner tapering edges 8 of the arms for tightening, and removal by reverse driving for loosening. To facilitate such removal, and also in assistance of desirable edgewise limited resiliency of the arms 4, I provide terminal clearance openings 9 of circular or any other suitable form. 5'

For corner connection of any plural member frame construction as in the principal figures, the joint is consistently strong, firm and rigid, easily connected and just as easily separated on occasion. Other applications of the invention, as to 19 continuously straight abutting sections, or on a curvature as in Figs. 6 and 7, merely involve shaping the bridge member conformably, as will be readily understood.

While the wedge and taper edge arrangement 15is satisfactory and effective it will be understood that other means may be utilized for spreading apart the bifurcated arms into binding engagement with resisting portions of the frame, as its flanges. 20

Thus in Fig. 81 show a rotatable cam expander 10 of oval or slightly eccentric form, seated between concave bearings i I of the arms and having a key socket 12 for rotation. By such or any equivalent arrangement the arms may be nor- 25 mally fitted loosely, and by a quarter or less turn of the expander will be separated for binding engagement and holding action, as with the wedge form.

I show in Fig. 9 a modified construction utiliz- 39 ing a plurality of wedges 7 intervening between outer expansible arms 4 and an intervening resisting portion 14 of the bridge member. Such construction is available to adapt the generally similar bridge member to greater width forms of 35 the framing members a in which the same expanding and binding pressure of the arms 4 is effected by the wedges or other means used against the intervening resistance section 14. Otherwise the construction and operation is the 49 same as above described.

In order to prevent loosening of the arm spreading means by vibration or jarring, such means may be temporarily connected with the arms as by solder 13, easily broken away for 45 loosening. The construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood and appreciated from the foregoing description. It is extremely simple, effective and cheap and may be utilized in a wide variety of framing or other 50 constructions requiring use of a separable joint. It avoids the necessity of screws, rivets, welding, or other commonly used means and is very compact, without lateral projections.

Changes or variations in design, proportions, 55

2,188,209 size, or otherwise may be made by the skilled mechanic to adapt the invention to different conditions of use, but all such changes are contemplated as within the scope of the following 5 claims.