Apparatus and method for joining workpieces
AssigneeDurney/Alexander
InventorMax W. Durney
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A joint for ready-to assemble furniture including a mortise in a first of two workpieces, an insert for the mortise and a fastener, such as a screw for securely joining the workpieces. The fastener receiving insert has a curved front wall corresponding to a curved load-bearing face of the mortise. An insert bore penetrates the insert for receiving the fastener, and a cover cap on the insert covers the insert member and the mortise from view when two workpieces are joined. The second workpiece has a pre-drilled bore which receives the threaded end of the fastener. The fastener is screwed into threaded engagement with the pre-drilled bore in the second workpiece to securely joint the two workpieces. A plurality of embodiments of the joint and a method of joining the workpieces also are disclosed.
Claims22
In apparatus for securely fastening a first workpiece to a second workpiece, said apparatus including a mortise formed in a surface of said first workpiece with a load-bearing face of said mortise oriented substantially perpendicular to said surface, a fastener receiving bore extending between said load-bearing face of said mortise and an edge of said first workpiece, a fastener receiving insert member including an insert portion having a front wall mating with said load-bearing face of said mortise and an insert bore aligned with said fastener receiving bore, and fastening means mounted in said insert bore and in said fastener receiving bore, said fastening means including an end portion having attachment means thereon for fastening to said second workpiece the improvement in said apparatus comprising:
- said insert portion surrounding said insert bore to provide a seat supporting said fastening means completely around said insert bore;
- and
- said mortise, insert member and fastening means are dimensioned for insertion of both said insert member and said fastening means into said mortise from said surface in said first workpiece having said mortise formed therein.
In an apparatus for securely fastening a first workpiece to a second workpiece, said apparatus including a mortise formed in a surface of said first workpiece with a load-bearing face of said mortise oriented substantially perpendicular to said surface, a fastener receiving bore extending between said load-bearing face of said mortise and an edge of said first workpiece, a fastener receiving insert member including an insert portion having a front wall mating with said load-bearing face of said mortise and an insert bore aligned with said fastener receiving bore, and fastening means mounted in said insert bore and in said fastener receiving bore, said fastening means including an end portion having attachment means thereon for fastening to said second workpiece, the improvement in said apparatus comprising:
- a cover cap mounted to said insert member and said cover cap and said insert member are formed as a single piece and said cover cap is flexible.
In an apparatus for securely fastening a first workpiece to a second workpiece, a fastener receiving insert having a curved front wall an opposite rear wall oriented substantially parallel to said front wall, and an end wall connecting said front wall and said rear wall, and an insert bore having a longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular to said front wall and said rear wall, the improvement in said apparatus comprising:
- said insert bore having retention means positioned therein, and
- fastening means mounted through said insert bore and retained therein by said retention means.
A kit for forming ready-to-assemble article of furniture or casework comprising:
- a first component of said article of furniture having a pocket mortise formed in a surface thereof with a load-bearing face proximate and inwardly of an edge of said first component, said first component having a fastener receiving bore formed therein and extending substantially parallel to said surface from said edge to said load-bearing face;
- a second component of said article of furniture having a bore formed therein dimensioned for threaded interengagement of a threaded end of a fastener and oriented for alignment with said fastener receiving bore in said first component;
- an insert member having a front wall formed for mating engagement with said load-bearing face of said mortise, said insert member being formed with an insert bore dimensioned for receipt of a fastener therethrough and positioned for alignment with said fastener receiving bore;
- a fastener having a threaded end dimensioned to pass through said insert bore and said fastener receiving bore and to extend into said bore in said second component by a distance sufficient to threadably secure said fastener therein;
- and
- said pocket mortise having sufficient length to enable insertion of said fastener into said insert bore and said fastener receiving bore from said mortise.
A method for joining together two workpieces including the steps of forming a mortise with a load-bearing face in a surface of a first workpiece proximate an edge thereof, forming a fastener receiving bore between said load-bearing face and said edge, positioning a fastener having an enlarged head and a fastening end in said fastener receiving bore with said end extending beyond said edge, and manipulating said fastener to join said end to a second workpiece, wherein the improvement in said method comprises the steps of:
- during said step of forming said fastener receiving bore, forming said fastener receiving bore in an orientation substantially parallel to said surface;
- positioning a fastener receiving insert having an insert bore therethrough and a seat completely surrounding said insert bore in said mortise in engagement with said load-bearing face;
- inserting said fastener through said insert bore prior to positioning said fastener into said fastener receiving bore in said first workpiece;
- and
- prior to said manipulating step, forming a bore in said second workpiece dimensioned for receipt and interengagement with said end of said fastener.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.