Connector for profiled structural members

A connector for separably securing two flanges of a profiled member to a second member, comprising retaining means including two retaining members, one for each flange of the profiled member and each movable between a first position of at least partial overlap with the respective flange and a second position out of register with the respective flange as well as back and forth between an extended position out of contact with and a retracted position of engagement with the respective flange;

• a support;
• an actuator rotatably mounted in said support;
• displacing means for effecting a movement of said retaining members to said first positions in response to rotation of said actuator, said displacing means being disposed between said retaining members;
• motion transmitting means interposed between said actuator and said retaining members for effecting a movement of said retaining members, in the first positions of said retaining members, to said retracted positions in response to rotation of said actuator;
• and means for rotating said actuator including a shaft surrounded by said actuator and rotatably journalled in said support, said shaft having a coupling portion surrounded by said displacing means and said actuator comprising two disc-shaped eccentrics in torque receiving engagement with said coupling portion at opposite sides of said displacing means, said motion transmitting means including a discrete motion transmitting member for each of said retaining members and each of said motion transmitting members having means for receiving motion from a different one of said eccentrics.

A connector for separably securing at least one flange of a profiled member to a second member, comprising retaining means including at least one retaining member movable between a first position of at least partial overlap with the one flange and a second position out of register with the one flange as well as back and forth between an extended position out of contact with and a retracted position of engagement with the one flange;

• a support;
• an actuator rotatably mounted in said support, said actuator comprising a substantially disc-shaped eccentric;
• displacing means for effecting a movement of said retaining member to said first position in response to rotation of said actuator;
• and motion transmitting means interposed between said actuator and said retaining member for effecting a movement of said retaining member, in the first position of said retaining member, to said retracted position in response to rotation of said actuator, said motion transmitting means having an internal cam receiving motion from said eccentric in response to rotation of said actuator, said motion transmitting means further having a window which is surrounded by said internal cam and said window having a width which equals or approximates the diameter of said eccentric.

A connector for separably securing at least one flange of a profiled member to a second member, comprising retaining means including at least one retaining member movable between a first position of at least partial overlap with the one flange and a second position out of register with the one flange as well as back and forth between an extended position out of contact with and a retracted position of engagement with the one flange;

• a support;
• an actuator rotatably mounted in said support;
• said actuator comprising a substantially disc-shaped eccentric;
• displacing means for effecting a movement of said retaining member to said first position in response to rotation of said actuator;
• and motion transmitting means interposed between said actuator and said retaining member for effecting a movement of said retaining member, in the first position of said retaining member, to said retracted position in response to rotation of said actuator, said motion transmitting means having an internal cam receiving motion from said eccentric in response to rotation of said actuator, said motion transmitting means further having a circular window which is surrounded by said internal cam and snugly but rotatably receives said eccentric.

A connector for separably securing at least one flange of a profiled member to a second member, comprising retaining means including at least one retaining member movable between a first position of at least partial overlap with the one flange and a second position out of register with the one flange as well as back and forth between an extended position out of contact with and a retracted position of engagement with the one flange;

• a support;
• an actuator rotatably mounted in said support;
• displacing means for effecting a movement of said retaining member to said first position in response to rotation of said actuator;
• and motion transmitting means interposed between said actuator and said retaining member for effecting a movement of said retaining member, in the first position of said retaining member, to said retracted position in response to rotation of said actuator;
• and means for rotating said actuator, including a shaft having two coaxial cylindrical portions rotatably journalled in said support and a coupling portion adjacent and flanked by said cylindrical portions, said coupling portion being in torque transmitting engagement with said actuator and extending radially beyond said cylindrical portions.

A connector for separably securing at least one flange of a profiled member to a second member, comprising retaining means including at least one retaining member movable between a first position of at least partial overlap with the one flange and a second position out of register with the one flange as well as back and forth between an extended position out of contact with and a retracted position of engagement with the one flange;

• a support;
• an actuator rotatably mounted in said support;
• displacing means for effecting a movement of said retaining member to said first position in response to rotation of said actuator;
• motion transmitting means interposed between said actuator and said retaining member for effecting a movement of said retaining member, in the first position of said retaining member, to said retracted position in response to rotation of said actuator;
• means for biasing said retaining member to said second position;
• and means for rotating said actuator, said rotating means including a shaft having a polygonal coupling portion in torque transmitting engagement with said actuator and a cylindrical portion adjacent said coupling portion, said coupling portion having facets disposed tangentially of said cylindrical portion having facets disposed tangentially of said slot for said cylindrical portion and at least one abutment closely adjacent said coupling portion and arranged to prevent axial movement of said shaft relative to said actuator in one direction in predetermined angular positions of said shaft.

A connector for separably securing at least one flange of a profiled member to a second member, comprising retaining means including at least one retaining member movable between a first position of at least partial overlap with the one flange and a second position out of register with the one flange as well as back and forth between an extended position out of contact with and a retracted position of engagement with the one flange;

• a support;
• an actuator rotatably mounted in said support;
• displacing means for effecting a movement of said retaining member to said first position in response to rotation of said actuator;
• motion transmitting means interposed between said actuator and said retaining member for effecting a movement of said retaining member, in the first position of said retaining member, to said retracted position in response to rotation of said actuator;
• resilient means for biasing said retaining member to said second position;
• means for rotating said actuator including a shaft having a first end portion rotatably journalled in said second member, a coupling portion in torque-transmitting engagement with said actuator, and a second end portion having an axially extending recess, said support having a sleeve in said recess so that said second end portion is rotatably mounted in said support;
• and a spring reacting against said second member and extending into said recess to oppose axial movements of said shaft in a direction to disengage said first end portion from said second member.

A connector for separably securing at least one flange of a profiled member to a second member, comprising retaining means including at least one retaining member movable between a first position of at least partial overlap with the one flange and a second position out of register with the one flange as well as back and forth between an extended position out of contact with and a retracted position of engagement with the one flange;

• a support;
• an actuator rotatably mounted in said support;
• displacing means for effecting a movement of said retaining member to said first position in response to rotation of said actuator, said displacing means comprising means for limiting the extent of rotation of said actuator with reference to said support;
• and motion transmitting means interposed between said actuator and said retaining member for effecting a movement of said retaining member, in the first position of said retaining member, to said retracted position in response to rotation of said actuator.

A connector for separably securing at least one flange of a profiled member to a second member, comprising retaining means including at least one retaining member movable between a first position of at least partial overlap with the one flange and a second position out of register with the one flange as well as back and forth between an extended position out of contact with and a retracted position of engagement with the one flange;

• a support;
• an actuator rotatably mounted in said support;
• displacing means for effecting a movement of said retaining member to said first position in response to rotation of said actuator;
• and motion transmitting means interposed between said actuator and said retaining member for effecting a movement of said retaining member, in the first position of said retaining member, to said retracted position in response to rotation of said actuator, said actuator comprising at least one first eccentric arranged to move said retaining member to said retracted position by way of said motion transmitting means in response to rotation of said actuator from a predetermined position in a predetermined direction, and an additional eccentric arranged to move said retaining member to said first position by way of said displacing means in response to rotation of said actuator from said predetermined position in said predetermined direction.

A connector for separably securing at least one flange of a profiled member to a second member, comprising retaining means including at least one retaining member movable between a first position of at least partial overlap with the one flange and a second position out of register with the one flange as well as back and forth between an extended position out of contact with and a retracted position of engagement with the one flange;

• a support;
• an actuator rotatably mounted in said support;
• displacing means for effecting a movement of said retaining member to said first position in response to rotation of said actuator;
• motion transmitting means interposed between said actuator and said retaining member for effecting a movement of said retaining member, in the first position of said retaining member, to said retracted position in response to rotation of said actuator;
• and means for biasing said retaining member to said second position, said displacing means comprising a plurality of resilient sections arranged to apply to said retaining member a force in a direction to move said retaining member to said first position, the magnitude of said force exceeding the bias of said biasing means and said sections including plates which define a gap, at least one of said plates having a convex side abutting said retaining member.

A connector for separably securing at least one flange of a profiled member to a second member, comprising retaining means including at least one retaining member movable between a first position of at least partial overlap with the one flange and a second position out of register with the one flange as well as back and forth between an extended position out of contact with and a retracted position of engagement with the one flange;

• a support;
• an actuator rotatably mounted in said support;
• displacing means for effecting a movement of said retaining member to said first position in response to rotation of said actuator, said displacing means having a front end arranged to move said retaining member and including a plurality of discrete resilient lugs which are angularly offset relative to each other in the second position of said retaining member and are substantially coplanar in the first position of said retaining member;
• motion transmitting means interposed between said actuator and said retaining member for effecting a movement of said retaining member, in the first position of said retaining member, to said retracted position in response to rotation of said actuator;
• and means for biasing said retaining member to said second position, said displacing means comprising a plurality of resilient sections arranged to apply to said retaining member a force in a direction to move the retaining member to said first position, the magnitude of said force exceeding the bias of said biasing means.

A connector for separably securing at least one flange of a profiled member to a second member, comprising retaining means including at least one retaining member movable between a first position of at least partial overlap with the one flange and a second position out of register with the one flange as well as back and forth between an extended position out of contact with and a retracted position of engagement with the one flange;

• a support including a hollow housing having an internal space for said retaining member;
• an actuator rotatably mounted in said support, said actuator comprising a disc cam having a lobe;
• displacing means for effecting a movement of said retaining member to said first position in response to rotation of said actuator;
• motion transmitting means interposed between said actuator and said retaining member for effecting a movement of said retaining member, in the first position of said retaining member, to said retracted position in response to rotation of said actuator, said motion transmitting means comprising follower means tracking said lobe;
• and means for biasing said retaining member to said second position, said motion transmitting means being operative to move said retaining member to said retracted position exclusively by way of said biasing means, said biasing and motion transmitting means and said cam having intermediate portions which flank said lobe and the combined width of which equals the height of said internal space and of said motion transmitting means.

A connector for separably securing at least one flange of a profiled member to a second member, comprising retaining means including at least one retaining member movable between a first position of at least partial overlap with the one flange and a second position out of register with the one flange as well as back and forth between an extended position out of contact with and a retracted position of engagement with the one flange;

• a support;
• an actuator rotatably mounted in said support, said actuator comprising a disc cam having a lobe and a convex portion adjacent and lobe and having a center of curvature on the axis of rotation of said actuator;
• displacing means for effecting a movement of said retaining member to said first position in response to rotation of said actuator;
• motion transmitting means interposed between said actuator and said retaining member for effecting a movement of said retaining member, in the first position of said retaining member, to said retracted position in response to rotation of said actuator, said motion transmitting means comprising follower means tracking said lobe;
• and means for biasing said retaining member to said second position, said motion transmitting means being operative to move said retaining member to said retracted position exclusively by way of said biasing means and said motion transmitting means further having a concave portion which is adjacent said convex portion during the initial stage of angular movement of said actuator from a predetermined starting position toward engagement of said lobe with said motion transmitting means in order to retract said retaining member by way of said biasing means.

A connector for separably securing at least one flange of a profiled member to a second member, comprising retaining means including at least one retaining member movable between a first position of at least partial overlap with the one flange and a second position out of register with the one flange as well as back and forth between an extended position out of contact with and a retracted position of engagement with the one flange;

• a support;
• an actuator rotatably mounted in said support, said actuator comprising a disc cam having a lobe and a projection which is spaced apart from the axis of rotation of said actuator;
• displacing means for effecting a movement of said retaining member to said first position in response to rotation of said actuator, said displacing means comprising a follower portion tracking said projection to effect a movement of said retaining member to said first position in response to rotation of said actuator;
• motion transmitting means interposed between said actuator and said retaining member for effecting a movement of said retaining member, in the first position of said retaining member, to said retracted position in response to rotation of said actuator, said motion transmitting means comprising follower means tracking said lobe;
• and means for biasing said retaining member to said second position, said motion transmitting means being operative to move said retaining member to said retracted position exclusively by way of said biasing means.

A connector for separably securing at least one flange of a profiled member to a second member, comprising retaining means including at least one retaining member movable between a first position of at least partial overlap with the one flange and a second position out of register with the one flange as well as back and forth between an extended position out of contact with and a retracted position of engagement with the one flange;

• a support including a substantially U-shaped housing for said retaining member;
• an actuator rotatably mounted in said support;
• displacing means for effecting a movement of said retaining member to said first position in response to rotation of said actuator;
• motion transmitting means interposed between said actuator and said retaining member for effecting a movement of said retaining member, in the first position of said retaining member, to said retracted position in response to rotation of said actuator, said actuator and said retaining member and said displacing and motion transmitting means being disposed in said housing, said second member having an open front end adjacent the profiled member when the second member is coupled to the flange of the profiled member;
• means for biasing said retaining member to said second position;
• spring means for urging said retaining member to said extended position, said biasing and spring means being disposed in said housing;
• a rotary shaft disposed in said housing and having a coupling portion in torque-transmitting engagement with said actuator;
• and a spring element for urging said shaft axially to a position in which the shaft is rotatably journalled in said second member and said housing, said shaft being movable axially against the opposition of said spring element to a position in which it is disengaged from said second member and said retaining member, said biasing means, said actuator, said displacing means, said motion transmitting means, said spring means and said spring element can be withdrawn from said second member by way of said open front end.

A connector for separably securing at least one flange of a profiled member to a second member, comprising a support including a housing having two spaced apart sidewalls, a rear wall, an open front end opposite said rear wall and an additional wall between said sidewalls intermediate said rear end wall and said front end;

• retaining means including at least one retaining member disposed in said housing and movable between a first position of at least partial overlap with the one flange and a second position out of register with the one flange as well as back and forth between an extended position out of contact with and a retracted position of engagement with the one flange;
• an actuator rotatably mounted in said housing;
• displacing means for effecting a movement of said retaining member to said first position in response to rotation of said actuator;
• and motion transmitting means interposed between said actuator and said retaining member for effecting a movement of said retaining member, in the first position of said retaining member, to said retracted position in response to rotation of said actuator, said motion transmitting and said displacing means being disposed in said housing.

A connector for separably securing two flanges of a profiled member wherein the flanges have free edges facing away from each other to a second member, comprising retaining means including pincers with two retaining members having confronting jaws each engageable with a different one of said flanges, said retaining members being movable between first positions of at least partial overlap with the respective flanges and second positions out of register with the respective flanges as well as back and forth between extended positions out of contact with and retracted positions of engagement with the respective flanges;

• a support;
• an actuator rotatably mounted in said support;
• displacing means for effecting a movement of said retaining members to said first positions in response to rotation of said actuator;
• motion transmitting means interposed between said actuator and said retaining members for effecting a movement of said retaining members, in the first positions of said retaining members, to said retracted positions in response to rotation of said actuator;
• and means for biasing said retaining members and their jaws apart to said second positions, said motion transmitting means comprising a common motion transmitting member for said retaining members and said jaws being arranged to overlap the respective flanges, once the flanges are disposed between said retaining members, in response to rotation of said actuator and attendant movement of said displacing means in a sense to move the jaws toward each other through the medium of said biasing means.

A connector for separably securing two confronting flanges of a profiled member wherein the flanges define an aperture to a second member, comprising retaining means including two retaining members movable between first positions of at least partial overlap with the respective flanges and second positions out of register with the respective flanges as well as back and forth between extended positions out of contact with and retracted positions of engagement with the respective flanges;

• a support comprising a housing having an open front end facing the flanges;
• an actuator rotatably mounted in said support;
• displacing means for effecting a movement of said retaining member to said first position in response to rotation of said actuator, said displacing means comprising a locking bolt which is reciprocable by said actuator and has a substantially wedge-like portion arranged to advance between and to thereby move said retaining members to said first positions upon insertion of said bolt and portions of said retaining members into the aperture of the profiled member and in response to rotation of said actuator, said bolt comprising a frame surrounding an opening for said retaining members and said wedge-like portion facing said opening;
• and motion transmitting means interposed between said actuator and said retaining member for effecting a movement of said retaining member, in the first position of said retaining member, to said retracted position in response to rotation of said actuator, said actuator and said retaining members and said motion transmitting and displacing means being disposed in said housing.

A connector for separably securing at least one flange of a profiled member to a second member, comprising retaining means including at least one retaining member movable between a first position of at least partial overlap with the one flange and a second position out of register with the one flange as well as back and forth between an extended position out of contact with and a retracted position of engagement with the one flange;

• a support;
• an actuator rotatably mounted in said support;
• displacing means for effecting a movement of said retaining member to said first position in response to rotation of said actuator;
• motion transmitting means interposed between said actuator and said retaining member for effecting a movement of said retaining member, in the first position of said retaining member, to said retracted position in response to rotation of said actuator;
• means for rotating said actuator including a shaft having two cylindrical portions one of which is rotatably journalled in said second member and a coupling portion in torque-transmitting engagement with said actuator, said shaft being movable axially to and from an axial position in which said one cylindrical portion is disengaged from said second member;
• and spring means for yieldably urging said shaft to said axial position.

A connector for separably securing at least one flange of a profiled member to a second member, comprising retaining means including at least one retaining member movable between a first position of at least partial overlap with the one flange and a second position out of register with the one flange as well as back and forth between an extended position out of contact with and a retracted position of engagement with the one flange;

• a support;
• an actuator rotatably mounted in said support, said actuator comprising two substantially disc-shaped eccentrics and means for connecting said eccentrics to each other, said connecting means comprising a pin and said eccentrics having holes for portions of said pin;
• displacing means for effecting a movement of said retaining member to said first position in response to rotation of said actuator, said connecting means being arranged to move said displacing means relative to said retaining means in response to rotation of said actuator;
• and motion transmitting means interposed between said actuator and said retaining member for effecting a movement of said retaining member, in the first position of said retaining member, to said retracted position in response to rotation of said actuator, said motion transmitting means comprising two rigidly interconnected motion transmitting members.