Modular latticework structure

• US 4,922,669 A
• Filed: 09/19/1988
• Issued: 05/08/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Quattrocchio Sri
• Original Assignee: Quattrocchio Sri
• Inventors: Lomazzi, Paolo, D'Urbino, Donato, De Pas, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Safavi, Michael
• Application Number:
  US07/245,774
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 52/646, 52/645, 52/648, 52/81, 52/DIG. 10, 403/171, 403/173, 403/174, 403/176, 403/177, 403/178, 403/217
• US Class Current: 52/646
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/1903 Connecting nodes specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/1912 with central cubical connecting element
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/2403 Connection details of the elongated load-supporting parts
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/1915 with strut engaging means at the edges of the cube
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/1927 of essentially circular cross section
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/1942 Struts adjustable in length
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/1963 Screw connections with axis at an angle, e.g. perpendicular, to the main axis of the strut
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/2406 Connection nodes
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/2424 Clamping connections other than bolting or riveting
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/2472 Elongated load-supporting part formed from a number of parallel profiles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/342 Polyhedral
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/347 Polyhedral

Abstract

In a modular structure consisting of rods and junction plates joined orthogonally to each other, the rods are attached by means of expanding linking pins to tubular coupling hubs provided on the front face of each junction plate at right angles therewith. The latticework rods are attached by means of connecting grippers to an enlarged attachment molding formed along one edge between two orthogonally joined junction plates having complementary beads in the mating flanges of these plates. Thus, from a latticework knot formed by two or more junction plates, rods can be branched off either orthogonal to the plates or inclined relative to the plates.

Claims

1. A modular latticework structure that consists of rods forming any three dimensional framework, and being mutually-connected at structure knots by means of junction plates peripherally provided with inclined flanges at an angle of 45°

set in mating relation to be orthogonally joined and connected by means of screws, characterized by the combination of the following features;

(a) each junction plates comprises at least one coupling hub projecting from one face of the plate, perpendicular to a plane thereof, for removably fastening at least one latticework rod to said junction plate;

(b) the flanges in each junction plate are inclined relative to the plane of the plate, toward the plate face from which there projects the said at least one coupling hub;

(c) each of the flanges in each junction plate comprises a free edge formed with a bead projecting from a side of a flange which is turned toward a coupling hub, and extending over at least part of a length of the flange, whereby an enlarged attachment molding is formed between the bead and a corresponding opposite bead in a mating flange of another junction plate;

(d) connecting grippers removably connect the said enlarged attachment molding formed along the outward edge between two orthogonally joined junction plates to at least one latticework rod wherein said connecting gripper has a gripper first end comprising jaws for removably clamping onto said molding, and a gripper second end comprising means for removably fastening onto said at least one latticework rod.

2. The structure according to claim 1, characterized in that each junction plate comprises a plurality of coupling hubs arranged in an angularly equispaced relation around a center of the plate.

3. The structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the bead of each flange in a junction plate has a part-circular profile and is hollow, so that the enlarged attachment molding formed by two mating beads has a substantially circular profile and is hollow.

4. The structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the flanges in a junction plate have at least one slot that coincides with a corresponding slot in a mating flange of another junction plate, wherein said slots are so sized that the jaws of a connecting gripper clamped on the enlarged attachment molding can be fitted into the slots so that an angular movement is allowed of the connecting gripper around the enlarged attachment molding.

5. The structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the screws for fastening together two junction plates are freely threaded from a front face of each plate provided with said at least one coupling hub through a respective bore made in a boss projecting from a rear face of a first junction plate, wherein each screw is screwed down into a respective threaded bore made in an ear provided on an opposite rear face of a second junction plate.

6. The structure according to claim 5, characterized in that each junction plate comprises projecting abutment members on a back face of said plate opposite to the coupling hubs so that mutual alignment and positioning occurs where two junction plates are arranged orthogonally to each other.

7. The structure according to claim 1, characterized in that each junction plate comprises a wide central opening with at least two bores arranged in an angularly equispaced relation around the central opening, and are in communication with said central opening by respective slots extending from a cut rim of each of said at least two bores.

8. The structure according to claim 6, characterized in that the ends of the latticework rods and the coupling hubs projecting from the junction plates are of a tubular shape with the rods connected to the hubs by expanding linking pins partly fitted into a tubular end of a rod and partly into a tubular coupling hub, wherein the pins are radially expandable by means of at least one transversal opening-out screw provided in correspondence with a median collar in each linking pin.

9. The structure according to claim 8, characterized in that each of said expanding linking pins comprises two juxtaposed half-pins with facing inner surfaces having complementary projections and recesses which are interengaged so as to bring about a positive interlocking so as to prevent any relative axial and transversal displacement between the two half-pins.

10. The structure according to claim 9, characterized in that each of said expanding linking pins comprises on either side of its median collar, an annular groove which when a respective linking pin section is expanded, is interlockingly connected with an inwardly projecting annular member on an interior surface of a tubular coupling hub or a tubular end of a latticework rod.

11. The structure according to claim 10, characterized in that the inwardly projecting annular member on the interior surface of a tubular end of a latticework rod or of a tubular coupling hub in a junction plate is formed of two diametrically opposite sectors obtained by a crushing and deforming of the tubular end of the latticework rod where said inwardly projecting annular member extends over an angle smaller than 180°

.

12. The structure according to claim 1, characterized in that each connecting gripper comprises two opposing, concavely shaped jaws and at least one clamp screw adapted for clamping the enlarged attachment moding formed at the edge between two junction plates arranged orthogonally to each other, said jaws being provided with juxtaposed complementary linking half-pin extensions which form an expanding linking pin on which the tubular end of a latticework rod is engaged, wherein said linking pin is radially expandable by means of at least one transversal opening-out screw acting between the linking half-pin extensions of the two jaws.

13. The structure according to claim 12, characterized in that a linking half-pin extension, of at least one jaw of the connecting gripper is discrete from the respective at least one jaw and is connected therewith by interlocking means which permit a small relative movement between said at least one jaw and the linking half-pin extension.

14. The structure according to claim 13, characterized in that said at least one jaw of a connecting gripper have juxtaposed shanks between which there acts a clamp screw, and from which there extend the juxtaposed complementary linking half-pin extensions, while the facing inner surfaces of said shanks and of said half-pin extensions are provided with complementary projections and recesses which are interlockingly fitted the one in the other, whereby any relative axial and transversal displacement is prevented between the two opposing, concavely shaped jaws.

15. The structure according to claim 14, characterized in that the two jaws of the connecting gripper are provided with an internal toothing.

16. The structure according to claim 1 characterized in that the at least one latticework rod comprises two parallel latticework rods fastened to a junction plate with at least one anchoring hook engaged with each rod by means of a nut comprising a bushing and a head screwed on a threaded shank of said hook, the threaded shank being screwed into a threaded busing rotatably received in a respective bore in the plate, wherein by tightening the nut, the junction plate is pressed against the latticework rods.

17. The structure according to claim 11, characterized in that each tubular coupling hub is a junction plate has a truncated cone-shaped base portion extending from each coupling hub and being connected to the plate so as to open on the opposite face thereof, the tubular coupling hubs being each also formed with an extension extending at the interior of the respective truncated cone-shaped base portion and opening on the opposite face of the junction plate, and the spacer feet are each engaged in an open end of the internal extension of a tubular coupling hub and in a surrounding open end of the respective truncated cone-shaped base portion.

18. The structure according to claim 15, characterized by Y-shaped connection members consisting each of a sleeve to which two other spaced apart sleeves which are parallel to each other and to the one sleeve, are fixedly connected by means of two diverging limbs, each one of the said sleeves being connectable to the tubular end of a latticework rod by means of an expanding linking pin, or being connectable to an expanding linking pin formed by the two linking half-pin extensions of the two jaws of a connecting gripper.

19. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said structure comprises telescopic rods consisting each of two tubular rods which are slidably telescoped within one another and which are lockable to each other at a predetermined length of a telescopic rod.

20. The structure according to claim 19, characterized in that at least one end of the telescopic rod is provided with a screw-adjustable spacer device.

21. The structure according to claim 1, characterized by adjustable spacer devices consisting each of a truncated cone-shaped base member integral with an internal threaded bushing which is provided at the interior of the truncated cone-shaped base member, each spacer device comprising a small end opening on a small end of said base member, and a large end opposite to said small end of the spacer device extending substantially up to be flush with the large end of the truncated cone-shaped base member, where the threaded bushing is provided with a disc having a central opening therein, a sleeve being screwed in an opposite open end of the threaded bushing, and being provided with an external thread, and projecting axially from the small end of the truncated cone-shaped member, and into the said sleeve there can be inserted an expanding linking pin.

22. The structure according to claim 21, characterized in that the truncated cone-shaped base member can be applied to at least one end of a telescopic rod.

23. The structure according to claim 22, characterized in that a plurality of adjustable spacer devices with the large ends of their truncated cone-shaped base members resting on a support, bear a junction plate which by means of is tubular coupling hubs and with the aid of expanding linking pins is fastened to the sleeves screwed in the internal threaded bushings of the base members by means of the tubular coupling hub, and the base members can be anchored to the support by means, for example, of expanding plugs with their screws being passed through the bores in the discs of the threaded bushings.

24. The structure according to claim 16, wherein spacer feet are positioned between the plate and at least one latticework rod, said spacer feet having a first end shape complementary to a surface of the plate, and a second end shape complementary to a surface of at least one latticework rod.