Connecting structure for furniture and display stand pipes

A connector for connecting adjacent open ends of hollow pipes, which open ends face toward each other, the connector comprising:

• a respective end busing disposed in the facing open end of each of the pipes, each end bushing having a brim and the brim extends beyond the end of the pipe and toward the brim of the other end bushing, the brims having outward terminal end surfaces which abut when the pipes are connected with their open ends facing toward each other;
• each pipe having an interior surface and each end bushing including a respective insertion plug extending into the respective pipe for resting against the interior surface of the pipe;
• a cavity defined in each end bushing extending longitudinally of the end bushing and the pipe from the terminal end surface of the brim into the bushing;
• the insertion plug of each end bushing having an inward axial terminal face located in the pipe;
• a compressive stopper member disposed at the inward terminal face of the insertion plug of each end bushing;
• means disposed beyond each compressive stopper member for being compressed against the compressive stopper member for compressing the compressive stopper member to deform the compressive stopper member for swelling radially outwardly and for engaging the interior surface of the respective pipe;
• a connective rod separate from the means disposed beyond the compressive stopper member, the connective rod including opposite end portions, respective insertion parts located at the end portions, each insertion part of the connective rod being installed in and entirely contained within a respective cavity of the end bushing;
• each end bushing including a respective means accessible from outside of the end bushing and movable radially into the end bushing for engagement with the connective rod for fixing the connective rod to the end bushing and for also pushing the connective rod into the respective cavity;
• the connective rod inclusing respective first tapered surfaces located in each of the cavities, and the accessible means having a respective second tapered surface;
• the first and second tapered surfaces being shaped and oriented so that movement of the accessible means into the cavities moves the tapered surfaces together for urging the connective rod into the cavities and for urging the outward terminal end surfaces to the brims into secure engagement for securely connecting the pipes together;
• the accessible means in each end bushing comprising a respective set screw disposed therein and a respective screw threaded receptacle in the end bushing for each set screw, the second tapered surface is defined on the set screw and the first tapered surface is defined on the connective rod for cooperating with the second tapered surface;
• and the set screws are so disposed with respect to the respective first tapered surfaces on the connective rod that tightening of the set screws pushes the respective tapered surfaces such that the connective rod is pushed into the cavities of the end bushings for driving the opposing outward terminal end surfaces of the brims together.