US 4,543,009 AGranted

Internal endwise connector for channel profile

AssigneeFirma Erco Leuchten GmbH

InventorsPeter Schwarzfischer, Jochen Schmitz, Peter Scheller

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A connector designed to form a butt joint between two channel profiles, or between one such profile and some other member, comprises an elongate wedge piece with flanks diverging downwardly toward the channel bottom and a spring clip with similarly diverging legs having serrated lower edges and straddling the wedge piece over part of its length. A central web of the spring clip, spacedly overlying the top surface of the wedge piece remote from the channel bottom, terminates in a tongue whose tip enters a slit in that surface which it approaches at an acute angle of inclination. A screw with a shank traversing a slot in the web of the spring clip is threaded into the wedge piece and, upon tightening, forces the serrated edges into firm engagement with lateral channel walls while reducing the spacing of the wedge piece from the web with consequent decrease of the angle of inclination of the tongue which therefore exerts a longitudinal thrust upon the wedge piece whose opposite end is anchored to the member to be joined to the channel profile whereby this member is drawn into close contact with the adjacent end of that profile. The anchoring of the wedge piece to the other member may be effected by a second spring clip, symmetrical to the first one, whose tongue extends in the opposite direction.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A connector receivable in a channel profile with a bottom and a pair of upstanding sidewalls for abuttingly joining an end of said profile to an adjacent member, comprising:

a spring clip with a substantially flat central web and with two legs diverging from said web on opposite sides of a plane of symmetry of said spring clip which longitudinally bisects said channel profile upon a positioning of said spring clip between said sidewalls with said legs resting on the channel bottom close to said sidewalls;
a generally flat spreader parallel to said web slidably inserted between said legs in close contact therewith and at a distance from said web, said spreader having one extremity projecting longitudinally beyond said web along said plane of symmetry and further having an opposite extremity anchorable to said adjacent member, said spring clip being further provided with a tongue extending from said web at an obtuse angle thereto in a direction away from the adjacent member and engaging said one extremity of said spreader;
and
clamping means on said spring clip coupled with said spreader and operable to reduce the distance between said spreader and said web, thereby driving said legs further apart and into firm contact with said sidewalls while increasing said obtuse angle with consequent exertion of a longitudinal thrust by said tongue upon said spreader, the resulting longitudinal shift of said spreader relative to said spring clip forcing the adjacent member anchored to said opposite extremity into close contact with the confronting end of said profile.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 06/472,197Filed 4 Mar 1983
Priority: DE 32077114 Mar 1982
Granted: 24 Sep 1985
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

F16B 7/0413
For rods or tubes being coaxial: for tubes using the innerside thereof
F16B 7/0446
For rods or tubes being in angled relationship: for tubes using the innerside thereof
H01R 25/145
Rails or bus-bars constructed so that the counterparts can be connected thereto at any point along their length: details, e.g. end pieces or joints
F16B 2200/205
Connections with hook-like parts gripping behind a blind side of an element to be connected: the hook being a separate retainer