Hollow connector sleeve with interlocking components
OwnerDrew P. Henryinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus, in one embodiment, includes a hollow connector sleeve having a rectangular opening comprising an interior surface configured to slide over and to conformingly receive a portion of a wooden beam that acts as a support shaft and has a cross-section selected from rectangular and square. The apparatus includes one or more exterior mounting panels and multiple male flanges, where each male flange has a planar rectangular block at a distal end of rectangular connecting shaft that connects to the one or more exterior mounting panels, and where each male flange is configured to be slidably received into an open end of a corresponding female slot. A system and method implement the apparatus and may include an attachment that detachably couples to the hollow connector sleeve.
Claims18
An apparatus comprising:
- a hollow connector sleeve having:
- a rectangular opening comprising an interior surface configured to slide over and to conformingly receive a portion of a wooden beam that acts as a support shaft and has a cross-section selected from rectangular and square;
- one or more exterior mounting panels;
- and
- a plurality of interlocking components comprising male flanges, wherein each male flange has a planar rectangular block at a distal end of a rectangular connecting shaft that connects to the one or more exterior mounting panels, and wherein each male flange is configured to be slidably received into an open end of a corresponding female slot,
- wherein at least one male flange of the plurality of interlockable components:
- has a slot that divides the planar rectangular block and the distal end of the rectangular connecting shaft into divided portions;
- and
- the divided portions of the planar rectangular block are configured to pinch together to facilitate sliding the male flange into a complementary female slot and to exert pressure against edges of the female slot to enhance engagement.
A system comprising:
- a hollow connector sleeve having:
- a rectangular opening comprising an interior surface configured to slide over and to conformingly receive a portion of a wooden beam that acts as a support shaft and has a cross-section selected from rectangular and square;
- one or more exterior mounting panels;
- and
- a plurality of male flanges, wherein each male flange of the plurality of male flanges has planar rectangular block at a distal end of rectangular connecting shaft that connects to the one or more exterior mounting panels, and wherein each male flange is configured to be slidably received into an open end of a corresponding female slot;
- and
- a first attachment comprising at least one attaching surface having at least one female slot that is complementary to and detachably couplable to a male flange of the hollow connector sleeve;
- and
- a second attachment comprising at least one attaching surface having two or more female slots that are complementary to and detachably couplable to two or more male flanges of the plurality of male flanges of the hollow connector sleeve,
- wherein the first attachment and the second attachment are configured to detachably couple to the same exterior mounting panel of the hollow connector sleeve.
A method comprising:
- providing a hollow connector sleeve having:
- a rectangular opening comprising an interior surface configured to slide over and to conformingly receive a portion of a wooden beam that acts as a support shaft and has a cross-section selected from rectangular and square;
- one or more exterior mounting panels;
- and
- a plurality of male flanges, wherein each male flange of the plurality of male flanges has planar rectangular block at a distal end of rectangular connecting shaft that connects to the one or more exterior mounting panels, and wherein each male flange is configured to be slidably received into an open end of a corresponding female slot;
- coupling an attachment comprising at least one attaching surface, the attaching surface comprising at least one female slot that is complementary to and detachably couples to a male flange of the plurality of male flanges of the hollow connector sleeve;
- and
- inserting an additional support shaft into an opening at a distal end of the attachment wherein the additional support shaft is disposed at an angle relative to the wooden beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.