Articulating joint for folding tubular sections
First Claim
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1. In combination with two tubular members, articulating means for coupling said tubular members, comprising:
- a central portion having a longitudinal axis,flanges extending from opposing sides of said central portion in a direction parallel to said axis,plug means pivotably attached to each of said flanges,means for releasably fixing each of said plug means to said flange means so that said plug means can assume a first, axially aligned position and a second angularly disposed position wherein said plug means are disposed at an angle of at least 90°
,each of said plug means, said central portion and said flanges having an external configuration for telescopic receipt within the internal configuration of said tubular members, and each of said plug means being received in one of said tubular members and fixed therein by fixing means,whereby said articulating means are housed entirely within said tubular members in said first position so that adjacent ends of said tubular members are positioned in abutting axial alignment while said articulating means housed in the joined tubes aids in resisting axial, transverse, bending and torsion loads at their juncture.
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Abstract
An articulation, or knuckle joint, which may be housed within two tubular sections to define a concealed fixing element enabling the sections to act as a single member, and which facilitates the folding or collapsing of the two sections by simply pulling them apart and rotating them about the articulation or knuckle joint.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. In combination with two tubular members, articulating means for coupling said tubular members, comprising:
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a central portion having a longitudinal axis, flanges extending from opposing sides of said central portion in a direction parallel to said axis, plug means pivotably attached to each of said flanges, means for releasably fixing each of said plug means to said flange means so that said plug means can assume a first, axially aligned position and a second angularly disposed position wherein said plug means are disposed at an angle of at least 90°
,each of said plug means, said central portion and said flanges having an external configuration for telescopic receipt within the internal configuration of said tubular members, and each of said plug means being received in one of said tubular members and fixed therein by fixing means, whereby said articulating means are housed entirely within said tubular members in said first position so that adjacent ends of said tubular members are positioned in abutting axial alignment while said articulating means housed in the joined tubes aids in resisting axial, transverse, bending and torsion loads at their juncture. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. Apparatus for pivotably coupling a tubular member to a support member, comprising:
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a first portion having a longitudinal axis, one end of said first portion being secured to said support member, said first portion having an external configuration adapted for telescopic receipt within, and being congruous with, the internal configuration of said tubular member, a second elongated portion extending from said first portion in a direction away from said one end, said second portion including a slot extending in said direction, a third cylindrical portion including means, extending through said slot, for pivotably attaching said second and third portions, and means, carried by said tubular member and normally extending through said slot, for selectively securing said tubular member to said second portion between a first position in which the longitudinal axis of said tubular member coincides with said first portion axis wherein said first, second and third portions are telescopically received within said tubular member, and a second position in which said tubular member axis is not coincident with said first portion axis. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An articulating means for coupling two tubular members together, comprising:
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a central portion having a longitudinal axis, flanges extending from opposing sides of said central portion in a direction parallel to said axis, plug means slidably and pivotably attached to each of said flanges so that each said plug means can assume a first axially aligned position and a second angularly disposed position, each of said plug means, said central portion and said flanges having an external configuration adapted for telescopic receipt within the internal configuration of the tubular members, whereby coupling of two such tubular members may be achieved by inserting said plug means of each flange into a tubular member, and fixing each plug means to its respective tubular member, whereupon said articulating means may be housed entirely within the tubular members so that adjacent ends of the tubular members are positioned in abutting axial alignment while said articulating means housed in the joined tubes aids in resisting axial, transverse, bending and torsion loads at their juncture.
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Specification