Abstract: A damper assembly includes a piston and cylinder type damper with a piston (14) mounted for reciprocal movement in a cylinder (10) containing damping fluid. The piston (14) is acted on by a piston rod (11) which includes a reaction surface for engaging the piston. The cross-sectional area of the reaction surface is designed to be significantly greater than the cross-sectional area of the piston rod (11) in order to spread the load exerted on the piston (14). Also, the piston (14) is designed to engage the piston rod (11) at its inner end in a manner that provides lateral guidance for the inner end of the piston rod in its movement in the cylinder (10).

Abstract: A camming element (1) for forming a joint between two members has a pair of jaws (15,16) for engaging a head of a dowel member. The camming element has a torque drive connector (10) which is radially offset to its rotational axis. The camming element has a top plate (22) which is designed to sit below the surface of its mounting member in use. The camming element may be concealed in use by a cover cap.

Abstract: A fastening element for a joint forming device includes an elongate dowel and a sleeve for the dowel. The dowel has a head portion at one end thereof which is engagable in use with a tightening element. The dowel is adapted at the other end thereof to co-operate with the sleeve to cause radial expansion of an expandable end section of the sleeve upon relative axial movement between the sleeve and dowel. The expandable end section of the sleeve is insertable axially into a mounting hole in a first panel. The head of the dowel is insertable axially into a mounting hole in a second panel whereby to enable engagement with said tightening element. The sleeve is configured to allow the position of the dowel within its mounting hole in the second panel to be adjusted to enable insertion of the expandable end section of the sleeve into its mounting hole in the first panel, in use, even if the axes of the two mounting holes are out of axial alignment.

Abstract: A device for fastening panels to tubular frames comprises a dowel element (10) and a sleeve element (11). An expander region (15) of the dowel element, comprising a plain cylindrical section (16) and a conically tapering section (17), is designed to react with a complementarily-tapering inner bore section (19) of the sleeve element when the dowel element is moved axially relative to the sleeve element to cause outward movement of an expandable section (20) of the sleeve element. The sleeve element has a flange (21) which acts as a depth stop and an undercut portion (22) so that a shoulder (23) of the expandable section lodges behind the hole in the tubular member when the fastener is set.

Abstract: A cam and expandable dowel type device is provided for joining together two members, e.g., furniture components. The cam is rotatably mounted in a first of the members and designed to engage a head portion of the sleeved dowel protruding from the second member. Rotation of the cam displaces the dowel relative to the sleeve, causing the end of the sleeve to expand and thus anchor the sleeved dowel in the second member. Further rotation of the cam causes the two members to be drawn tightly together. The sleeve is designed to be partially collapsible over its length in order to provide an improved tightening action.

Abstract: A cam and expandable dowel type device is provided for joining together two members, e.g., furniture components. The cam is rotatably mounted in a first of the members and designed to engage a head portion of the sleeved dowel protruding from the second member. Rotation of the cam displaces the dowel relative to the sleeve, causing the end of the sleeve to expand and thus anchor the sleeved dowel in the second member. Further rotation of the cam causes the two members to be drawn tightly together. The camming element is designed to have a working rotational capacity of at least 190°.

Abstract: A joint forming device for forming a joint between two members, the device (10) comprising a tightening element (12) to be fitted to one member and a fastening element (14) having a longitudinal axis (34) to be fitted to the other member. The fastening element has at least one engaging surface (26) cooperably engageable with a respective arcuate camming surface (24) of the tightening element whereby rotation of the tightening element in one sense about an axis of rotation thereof causes axial movement of the fastening element towards the axis of rotation to cause a joint formed between the two members to tighten. The or each arcuate camming surface (24) is adapted such that the relation between the amount of rotation of the tightening element and the amount of axial movement it causes is substantially constant substantially throughout the range of axial movement of the tightening element.

Abstract: An elongate fastening element for a device for use in forming a joint between two members having at least one engaging surface cooperably engageable with a respective arcuate camming surface of a rotatable tightening element. In use, the fastening element is fitted to one of the joint members and the tightening element is fitted to the other joint member. Rotation of the tightening element about its axis of rotation causes axial movement of the fastening element towards that axis of rotation to cause a joint formed between the two members by means of the device to tighten. The or each engaging surface is provided on a leading end portion of the fastening element and has a profile configured such that engagement with the respective camming surface is at least a line contact occurring over substantially the entire length of the engaging surface.

Abstract: A joint forming device for use in forming a joint between two members comprising an elongate fastening element, a tightening element having at least one arcuate camming surface for cooperably engaging an engaging portion of the fastening element and at least one housing for the fastening element and the tightening element with the or each camming surface and the engaging portion positioned for the cooperable engagement. The housing includes a first housing for housing the tightening element, a second housing for housing at least an expansion portion of the fastening element and at least one member connecting the first and second housings. The first housing and the second housing are adapted for cooperative engagement with the tightening element and the fastening element, respectively. In use, the first housing is fitted to a recess in one of the joint members and the second housing is fitted to a recess in the other the joint members to form a joint therebetween.

Abstract: A housing for a joint forming device for forming a joint between two members comprises a sleeve (22) for housing a camming element (24) of such a joint forming device. The sleeve (22) has at least one moveable portion (40,42) adapted to move outwardly of the outer periphery of the sleeve as indicated by the arrows (46) in response to movement of such a camming element housed therein during tightening of the joint for forceably engaging a wall of a recess in one of the members in which the sleeve is fitted.