Connector assemblies for hollow members

Claim 2

A connector assembly for fixed attachment of a hollow element such as a tube to another element, said assembly consisting essentially of two pressure members rockably engaged intErmediate their ends, and adapted for axial introduction together into said hollow element, one of said members having a large area pressure surface formed for frictional engagement with one internal surface of said hollow element while the other of said members is adapted to engage an opposite internal surface of said hollow element, the other of said members being so constructed and arranged as to be energized solely by lateral pressure during said axial introduction into the hollow element between said internal surfaces for providing means resiliently oppositely biasing said members into engagement under pressure with the opposite internal surfaces of said hollow element, said one pressure member being a rigid body having a relatively large surface area for frictional engagement with said one internal surface of the hollow element, and said other pressure member comprising a lever separate from said body having intermediate its ends bearing surface means in rockable contact with bearing surface means on said one pressure member for rocking transversely of said hollow member, the effective axis of rocking being substantially normal to the direction of introduction of said assembly into the hollow element, said lever being adapted to bear at opposite ends only on said opposite internal surface of the hollow element.

Claim 3

A connector assembly for fixed attachment of a hollow element such as a tube to another element, said assembly comprising two pressure members rockably engaged intermediate their ends and adapted for axial introduction together into said hollow element, one of said members having a pressure surface formed for slidable engagement with one internal surface of said hollow element while the other of said members is adapted to engage an opposite internal surface of said hollow member, the other of said members being so constructed and arranged as to be energized by lateral pressure during said axial introduction into the hollow element for providing means resiliently biasing said members into engagement under pressure with opposite internal surfaces of said hollow element, said one pressure member being a rigid body having a relatively large surface area for contact with said one internal surface of the hollow element, and said other pressure member comprising a lever separate from said body, means forming coacting engaged bearing surfaces on said lever and body providing for rocking of said lever relative to said body and transversely of each hollow member during introduction of said assembly into the hollow element, said lever being adapted to bear only at opposite ends on said opposite internal surface of the hollow element, and resilient means provided between said lever and the one pressure member substantially opposite the region where one end of said lever is adapted to bear on the opposite internal surface of said hollow element.

Claim 4

A connector assembly for fixed attachment of a hollow element such as a tube to another element, said assembly comprising two pressure members rockably engaged intermediate their ends and adapted for axial introduction together into said hollow element, one of said members having a pressure surface formed for slidable engagement with one internal surface of said hollow element while the other of said members is adapted to engage an opposite internal surface of said hollow member, the other of said members being so constructed and arranged as to be energized by lateral pressure during said axial introduction into the hollow element for providing means resiliently biasing said members into engagement under pressure with opposite internal surfaces of said hollow element, said one pressure member being a rigid body having a relatively large surface area for contact with said one internal surface of the hollow element, and said other pressure member comprising a lever separate from said body, means forming coacting engaged bearing surfaces on said lever and body providing for rocking of said lever relative to said body and transversely of each hollow member during introduction of said assembly into the hollow element, said lever being adapted to bear only at opposite ends on said opposite internal surface of the hollow element, and resilient means provided between said lever and the one pressure member substantially opposite the region where one end of said lever is adapted to bear on the opposite internal surface of said hollow element.

Claim 5

A connector assembly for fixed attachment of a hollow element such as a tube to another element, said assembly comprising a first pressure member in the form of a rigid body having a relatively large surface area adapted to engage one internal surface of said hollow element, a second pressure member in the form of a lever separate from said body, bearing surface means on said lever intermediate its ends having coacting engagement with bearing surface means on said body providing said lever with a free pivotal connection with said first pressure member for rocking about an axis normal to the direction of introduction of said assembly into said hollow element, said lever being adapted to engage an opposite internal surface of said hollow member only at opposite ends, projecting means at said opposite ends of the lever adapted to positively engage said opposite internal surface of said hollow element, said rocking axis being disposed between said two pressure members at a first predetermined distance from said surface area of said first pressure member and at a second predetermined distance from a plane containing the surfacE of engagement between said projecting means of said lever and said opposite internal surface of said hollow element when the assembly has been fully introduced into said hollow element, and said surface area of said first pressure member and said plane being disposed at such predetermined distance from each other as to cooperate in pressing said surface area of said first pressure member against said one internal surface of said hollow element and said projecting means of said lever against said opposite internal surface of said hollow element when said assembly has been fully introduced into said hollow element, and said assembly comprising resilient means acting to urge said lever against said opposite internal surface of said hollow element when said assembly has been fully introduced into said hollow element.

Claim 6

A connector assembly for fixed attachment of a hollow element such as a tube to another element, said assembly comprising a first pressure member in the form of a rigid body having a relatively large surface area adapted to engage one internal surface of said hollow element, a second pressure member in the form of a lever separate from said body, bearing surface means on said lever intermediate its ends having coacting engagement with bearing surface means on said body providing said lever with a free pivotal connection with said first pressure member for rocking about an axis normal to the direction of introduction of said assembly into said hollow element, said lever being adapted to engage an opposite internal surface of said hollow member only at opposite ends, projecting means at said opposite ends of the lever adapted to positively engage said opposite internal surface of said hollow element, said rocking axis being disposed between said two pressure members at a first predetermined distance from said surface area of said first pressure member and at a second predetermined distance from a plane containing the surfacE of engagement between said projecting means of said lever and said opposite internal surface of said hollow element when the assembly has been fully introduced into said hollow element, and said surface area of said first pressure member and said plane being disposed at such predetermined distance from each other as to cooperate in pressing said surface area of said first pressure member against said one internal surface of said hollow element and said projecting means of said lever against said opposite internal surface of said hollow element when said assembly has been fully introduced into said hollow element, and said assembly comprising resilient means acting to urge said lever against said opposite internal surface of said hollow element when said assembly has been fully introduced into said hollow element.

Claim 7

The connector assembly defined in claim 3, wherein a spacer member is provided for incorporation into the pivotal connection between said lever and said one pressure member, said spacer member being removable and replaceable with other different size spacer members for adapting the connector assembly to different size hollow elements.

Claim 8

The connector assembly defined in claim 3, wherein said one pressure member is a rigid body having angularly extending sections each of which has a pressure surface for slidably bearing on an internal surface of a hollow element, and upon each of which one of another pressure member is pivotally mounted to rock about a transverse axis.

Claim 9

The connector assembly defined in claim 5, wherein said sections are disposed at substantially right angles, for interconnecting two hollow elements in a substantially right angle corner.

Claim 10

The connector assembly defined in claim 5, wherein said sections are disposed to provide a star-shaped member with the sections about 120* apart.

Claim 11

The connector assembly defined in claim 5, wherein said sections are disposed to form a cross having four 90* apart rigid arms, and each arm is formed with a pressure surface for flush engagement with an internal surface of a hollow element, with the pressure surfaces of the arms that extend oppositely in the assembly being disposed in planes spaced a predetermined distance apart on opposite sides of a line corresponding to the central axis of hollow elements disposed thereon so that said hollow elements will be aligned with the center of the assembly when fitted onto said oppositely extending arms.

Claim 12

In the connector assembly defined in claim 3, said other pressure member being a lever that is substantially concave on the side that is to face said opposite internal surface of the hollow element and that is formed on the other side with a cylindrical transverse groove providing one element of said pivotal connection.

Claim 13

In a connector assembly according to claim 3, said resilient means being disposed between said first pressure member and said lever.

Claim 14

In a connector assembly according to claim 3, said resilient means being disposed between said lever and said opposite internal surface of said hollow element.

Claim 15

In a connector assembly according to claim 3, a resilient and compressible clamping member at the leading end of said lever with respect to the direction of introduction into said hollow element, said resilient and compressible clamping member providing both projecting means on said lever and said resilient means.

Claim 16

In a connector assembly defined in claim 3, resilient means being provided between said lever and the one pressure member substantially opposite the region where one end of said lever is adapted to bear on the opposite internal surface of said hollow element.

Claim 17

In a connector assembly defined in claim 3, resilient means comprising a compressible clamping member at the leading end of said lever, said compressible clamping member at the same time forming a projecting means of said lever, and a resilient member provided between said lever and the one pressure member substantially Opposite the region where the rear end of said lever is adapted to bear on the opposite internal surface of said hollow element.

Claim 18

In a connector assembly defined in claim 3, said lever being a resilient beam that is deflected into energized condition during introduction of the assembly into said hollow element, and said deflected beam thereby serving as said resilient means in the assembly.

Claim 19

In a connector assembly defined in claim 3, the pivotal connection between said pressure members comprising a transverse cylindrical groove in one member within which is rockably fitted a transverse bead of corresponding shape secured on the other member.

Claim 20

In a connector assembly defined in claim 3, said lever being a flexible beam having a concave side facing said opposite internal surface of the hollow element.