Tapered dovetail joint

• US 6,357,194 B1
• Filed: 03/11/1999
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Archie Valejo Jr. Jones
• Original Assignee: Archie Valejo Jr. Jones
• Inventors: Jones, Archie Valejo Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Friedman, Carl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HORTON, YVONNE MICHELE
• Application Number:
  US09/267,946
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 522/71, 525/861, 525/862, 525/901, 525/902, 525/915, 525/911, 525/912, 525/921, 403/355, 403/356, 403/358, 403/381, 248/222.13, 248/223.41, 248/224.51
• US Class Current: 52/590.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2230/0096 Assembling sheet parts by male and female parts formed in the sheet thickness
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/0107 by moving the sheets, plates or panels substantially in their own plane, perpendicular to the abutting edges
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/022 with tongue or grooves alternating longitudinally along the edge
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/035 Dovetail connections
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/0505 Pegs or pins
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/0511 Strips or bars, e.g. nailing strips
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/09 Puzzle-type connections for interlocking male and female panel edge-parts
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 12/125 using mortise and tenon joints
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2200/30 Dovetail-like connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/7024 Longitudinally stepped or tapered

Abstract

The tapered dovetail joint is a method of joining two boards, or other rigid materials such as particleboard, wafer board, etc., by a unique type of modified dovetail joint. The modification to the classic dovetail joint includes tapering the dovetail pins as well as the dovetail tails with the same angle of taper in the same direction. The mating of this tapered dovetail joint will be greatly facilitated due to these corresponding tapers. The tapered nature of this joint minimizes difficulties in assembly due to the wedging action that takes place as the two boards are brought into union to create the joint. This wedging action allows the joint to be assembled even when there is moderate damage to the tails or pins including swelling—due to moisture, from the time of manufacture to time of assembly, impact damage, as well as minor manufacturing tolerance deficiencies in cutting of the pins and tails.

Claims

1. A tapered dovetail joint comprising:

a first board; and

a second board, said first board having a plurality of integral dovetail-shaped pins spaced therein, each said pin defined by a plurality of planar faces, one pair of said planar faces having a dovetail angle sloping outwardly in the direction of the length of said first board and a secondary taper sloping transverse to the width of said first board, the second board having a like plurality of integral dovetail-shaped tails spaced therein, each said tail defined by a plurality of planar faces, one pair of said planer faces having a dovetail angle sloping inwardly in the direction of the length of said second board and a secondary taper sloping transverse to the width of said second board, said planar faces of said pins at the end of said first board engaging said planar faces of said tails at the end of said second board such as to bring said pins of said first board into close converging relation with said tails of said second board thereby forming one said tapered dovetail joint.

2. A tapered dovetail joint as set forth in claim 1 for forming an end-to-end joint other than an extension of length or a 90 degree corner, said tapered dovetail tails having an inward sloping angle in the direction of said board and a second taper transverse to said board, said dovetail pins increasing in width at a base to match said inward sloping angle of said tails.

3. A tapered dovetail as set forth in claim 1 for forming a right angle, said pins on said first board having a taper in the direction of the length of said board and a second taper on the pins transverse to the width of said first board, said tails having a taper at right angles to the direction of the length of said second board and a second taper on the tails transverse to the width of said second board.

4. A tapered dovetail joint as set forth in claim 1 for forming an end-to-end straight joint—

an extension of length, said tapered dovetail tails of the adjoining boards having an inward sloping angle in the direction of the length of said boards and a second taper on the tails transverse to the width of said boards.

5. A tapered dovetail joint as set forth in claim 1, wherein the pins'"'"' taper and the tails'"'"' taper are both shallow tapers.

6. A tapered dovetail joint as set forth in claim 3, wherein all of the tapers are shallow.

7. A tapered dovetail joint as set forth in claim 1, wherein the angle of the second taper is greater than 90°

relative to the face of the board.

8. A tapered dovetail joint as set forth in claim 1, wherein the secondary taper of the dovetail is less than 90°

.

9. A fastening method for the tapered dovetail joint as set forth in claim 1, said fastening method comprising a tapered pin, said pin inserted into the pre-drilled, tapered hole, said pre-drilled hole traversing all pins and tails, thereby maintaining the joint in the assembled position.

10. A fastening method for the tapered dovetail joint as set forth in claim 1, said fastening method comprising a straight pin or nail with a head, said nail or pin inserted into the pie-drilled hole, said pre-drilled hole traversing all pins and tails, thereby maintaining the joint in the assembled position.

11. A fastening method for the tapered dovetail joint as set forth in claim 1, said fastening method comprising a single nail or a staple, said nail or staple driven into the two components of the tapered dovetail joint, thereby maintaining the joint in the fully assembled position.

12. A fastening method for the tapered dovetail joint as set forth in claim 1, said fastening method comprising a nail or a staple, said nail or staple driven into the two components of the tapered dovetail joint, thereby maintaining the joint in the fully assembled position.

13. A fastening method for the tapered dovetail joint as set forth in claim 1, said fastening method comprising a plurality of nails or a staples, said nails or staples driven into the two components of the tapered dovetail joint, thereby maintaining the joint in the fully assembled position.

14. A fastening method for the tapered dovetail joint as set forth in claim 1, said fastening method comprising glue or other adhesive, said glue or adhesive inserted into said joint prior to full union of the two components, thereby maintaining the joint in the fully assembled position.

15. Other fastening methods for the tapered dovetail joint as set forth in claim 1, said fastening methods including any method whereby the tapered dovetail joint is maintained in the fully assembled position.