Rotating pin locking connector
AssigneeMaestro International, LLC
InventorSidney E. Francies, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A connector includes a receiver member having a hollow rectangular tube to be cast with a structure. An attachment member has a post extending with a pin extending radially through the post at a distal end. The pin is shorter than the longer rectangular dimension and longer than the shorter rectangular dimension. When the attachment member is positioned adjacent the receiver member and oriented with a longitudinal axis of the pin parallel to the longer rectangular dimension, the post can be inserted into the hollow tube and rotated to a position where the pin abuts a distal end of the hollow tube to lock the attachment member to the receiver member.
Claims18
A connector for connecting an element to a cast structure, comprising:
- a receiver member having a hollow tube with a first cross sectional dimension greater than a second cross sectional dimension and a set of anchors adapted to anchor the receiver member in a cast structure as the cast structure is cast;
- and
- an attachment member having a back plate, and a support plate extending at an angle from the back plate configured to support an element to be connected the cast structure;
- wherein the attachment member has a post extending from a rear surface of the back plate and a pin extending radially through the post at a distal end, the post having a length from the rear surface to the pin nominally greater than the length of the tube, and the pin being shorter than the first cross sectional dimension and longer than the second cross sectional dimension so that when the attachment member is positioned adjacent the receiver member and oriented with a longitudinal axis of the pin parallel to the first cross sectional dimension, the post can be inserted into the hollow tube and rotated to a position where the pin abuts a distal end of the hollow tube to lock the attachment member to the receiver member.
A method of connecting an element to a cast structure, the method comprising:
- providing a cast structure having an embedded receiver member, the receiver member having a hollow tube with a first cross sectional dimension greater than a second cross sectional dimension, and a space at a distal end of the hollow tube;
- providing an attachment member having a back plate, a support plate extending at an angle from the back plate, a post extending from a rear surface of the back plate, and a pin extending radially through the post at a distal end, the post having a length from the rear surface to the pin nominally greater than the length of the hollow tube, and the pin being shorter than the first cross sectional dimension and longer than the second cross sectional dimension;
- orienting the attachment member with a longitudinal axis of the pin parallel to the first cross sectional dimension;
- inserting the pin into the hollow tube until the pin is in the space;
- rotating the attachment member relative to the cast structure until the pin abuts the distal end of the hollow tube;
- and
- connecting an element and the support plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.