Pinned type connector means for lattice space structures
First Claim
1. A pin connector means comprising:
- (a) a ball-ended bolt, said ball-ended bolt having;
a spherical ball at one end, surface of said spherical ball is finished to be of low friction, and a threaded rod extending from said spherical ball, said threaded rod screwably affixes into an endpiece of a structural member;
(b) a bearing seat for receiving said spherical ball of said ball-ended bolt, surface of said bearing seat is finished to be of low friction, said bearing seat being affixed to a central node, said bearing seat has a concave bearing surface for receiving said spherical ball of said ball-ended bolt and a threaded member, said threaded member screwably affixes said bearing seat to said central node, said concave bearing surface has a wrenching socket enabling said bearing seat to be affixed to said central node; and
(c) a means for coupling said spherical ball of said ball-ended bolt to said bearing seat;
whereby said ball-ended bolt when affixed to said structural member is enabled to rotate about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of said structural member.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A pin connector means for removably affixing structural members to central nodes enabling the erection of structural latticeworks is disclosed. The pin connector means includes a ball-ended bolt, a bearing seat, and a means for coupling a spherical ball of the ball-ended bolt to the bearing seat. The surface of the spherical ball and the contact surface of the bearing seat are finished to be of low friction. A threaded rod extending from the spherical ball of the ball-end bolt screwably affixes into an endpiece of a structural member. The bearing seat for receiving the spherical ball of the ball-ended bolt is affixed to a central node. Each of the central nodes can receive a plurality of the pin connector means. The latticework comprises a plurality of central nodes and a plurality of structural members, the structural members being enabled to removably affix to the central nodes using a pin connector means.
31 Citations
15 Claims
-
1. A pin connector means comprising:
-
(a) a ball-ended bolt, said ball-ended bolt having;
a spherical ball at one end, surface of said spherical ball is finished to be of low friction, and a threaded rod extending from said spherical ball, said threaded rod screwably affixes into an endpiece of a structural member;(b) a bearing seat for receiving said spherical ball of said ball-ended bolt, surface of said bearing seat is finished to be of low friction, said bearing seat being affixed to a central node, said bearing seat has a concave bearing surface for receiving said spherical ball of said ball-ended bolt and a threaded member, said threaded member screwably affixes said bearing seat to said central node, said concave bearing surface has a wrenching socket enabling said bearing seat to be affixed to said central node; and (c) a means for coupling said spherical ball of said ball-ended bolt to said bearing seat;
whereby said ball-ended bolt when affixed to said structural member is enabled to rotate about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of said structural member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A latticework comprising:
-
(a) a plurality of central nodes; (b) a plurality of structural members, said structural members being enabled to removably affix to a central node using a pin connector means, said pin connector means including; (i) a ball-ended bolt, said ball-ended bolt having;
a spherical ball at one end, surface of said spherical ball is finished to be of low friction, and a threaded rod extending from said spherical ball, said threaded rod screwably affixes into an end of one of said structural members;(ii) a bearing seat for receiving said spherical ball of said ball-ended bolt, surface of said bearing seat is finished to be of low friction, said bearing seat being affixed to one of said central nodes, said bearing seat has a concave bearing surface for receiving said spherical ball of said ball-ended bolt; and
a threaded extension, said threaded extension screwably affixes said bearing seat to said central node, and a wrenching socket in the base of said concave bearing surface; and
,(iii) a means for coupling said spherical ball of said ball-ended bolt to said bearing seat, whereby said ball-ended bolt can rotate about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of said structural members, and said central nodes being enabled to receive a plurality of said pin connector means. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A connector means for attaching structural members into a latticework having a plurality of central nodes comprising:
-
(a) ball-ended bolt, said ball-ended bolt having; (i) a spherical ball on a first end, the surface of said spherical ball finished to form a low friction surface; (ii) a threaded stem on a second end, said threaded stem enabled to engage an endpiece on each end of one of said structural members; and
,(iii) a plurality of wrenching surfaces on said stem between said spherical ball and said threads, said wrenching surfaces enabling a length adjustment between two said central nodes; (b) a bearing seat, said bearing seat having; (i) an enlarged threaded end with a concave recess shaped to receive said spherical ball of said ball-ended bolt, surface of said concave recess is finished to form a low friction bearing surface; (ii) a smaller threaded stem adapted to screwably engage a threaded socket of one of said central nodes; and
,(iii) a wrenching socket in the base of said concave recess enabling said bearing seat to be affixed to one of said central nodes; (c) a coupling means, said coupling means having a hemi-spherical portion with an enlarged hole in the pole of said hemisphere, and a cylindrical threaded portion that together encase said spherical ball of said ball-ended bolt;
said coupling means being screwably affixed onto said enlarged portion of said bearing seat; and
wherein the diameter of said enlarged hole is somewhat larger than the diameter of said threaded rod enabling said ball-ended bolt to rotate about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of said structural members. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
-
Specification