Abstract: A coupling for securing together a pair of members includes a spigot on one member which can be located in a bore in the other member. An angularly adjustable member is located in a transverse bore in the member and defines a thrust surface engageable with a thrust surface on the spigot to draw radially extending thrust faces on the two members into firm axial engagement. The spigot and the bore also define spaced annular cylindrical locating surfaces which provide radial location of the pair of members.

Abstract: A closure pin extends through aligned openings in first and second spaced apart eyes at the open end of a substantially U-shaped clevis. One end of the closure pin is threaded and mates with threads in the opening in the second eye. The closure pin includes a head portion and a radial flange at its opposite end, and it carries a releasable lock member. The releasable lock member includes a pair of detents which are positioned in radial slots in the flange. A spring biases the lock member into a position in which the detents extend axially beyond the radial flange towards the threaded end of the pin. A plurality of lock ramps are provided on the outer face of the first eye. The ramps are spaced circumferentially apart.

Abstract: Couplers for hand tools and extension handles are made up of two one piece fittings. Each fitting has an attachment element for connection to one of the tool and extension handle and a connecting element for joining the two fittings. Normally, one of the attachment elements will be a threaded male element and the other a threaded female element. The connector elements also are composed of a male and female element. The male connector element is a tube or rod with a dually tapered flange. The flange fits into a channel (depression) in the female connector element. The connecting elements are complementary in shape and size.

Abstract: A flexible connector is disclosed for connecting one section of a curtain rod to another section of a curtain rod and for forming an easily adjustable transition corner between the two sections. The connector includes snaps and stops for locking the connection between the connector and the two curtain rod sections.

Abstract: A connector assembly comprised of two halves, each respectively including a shell type connector sub-assembly, one being an active half and the other being a passive half. The active half includes an alignment cusp that causes a coupling motion in response to coming in contact with the outer portion of the other half which causes the respective connectors within the two sub-assemblies to move toward each other into coupling relationship at twice the rate at which the two sub-assemblies come together. Both halves are adapted to rotate about and translate along respective mutually orthogonal axes to facilitate an interconnection.

Abstract: A connector for assembling components of scaffolding is disclosed comprising a barrel having an opposite end having a longitudinally extending slot. A pivot pin and an abutment pin extends across the slot and mounted at the opposite end of the barrel. A free hanging latch has an offset aperture for pivotally mounting onto the pivot pin and a channel for receiving the abutment pin. One end of the channel is configured to abut with the abutment pin when the latch is in a locked position and the other end of the channel being configured to abut the abutment pin when the latch is in an unlocked position. The latch has a tab which is offset beyond the end of the barrel whereby pressing on the tab, the latch pivots from the locked position to the unlocked position allowing egress of the brace from the connector.

Abstract: A collapsible roadway impact attenuator includes an array of spaced parallel support elements arranged to move axially when the attenuator is struck by impacting vehicle. Elastomeric energy absorbing sheets are rigidly secured between adjacent support elements so as to extend axially and horizontally. When the attenuator is struck axially by a vehicle, the support elements move towards one another and the energy absorbing sheets form at least three inflections, thereby enhancing energy absorbing efficiency of the attenuator. Tethers can be mounted between overlying elastomeric sheets to increase the number of inflections and the energy efficiency of the attenuator.

Abstract: A captive ball and socket joint where the socket is made from bearing material which is encased in a metal shell, thereby forming a socket around the ball head on the end of a ball stud. The metal shell is cup-shaped and has its base wall apertured so that the ball formed with internal wrenching socket is accessible through the aperture when the ball and the bearing socket are placed into the cup-shaped shell. A flat steel connector lug is pierced with an opening and the wall of the metal cup-shaped shell is secured within the opening by welding. The edge portion of the shell is deformed to render the ball and socket captive in assembly with the lug. The hole in the base wall of the shell permits access for insertion of a rotary drive tool to engage a formation in the ball component to rotate the ball component and secure it to a machine element such as a brace or bracket. The bearing socket can be one or two pieces and can be made from metal bearing material or a plastic bearing material.

Abstract: An angle joint piece for the joining together of two frame battens in a sliding door that runs on rolls at an angle of 90.degree.. The angle joint piece is fitted against the face of the frame battens that is parallel to the door plane. The face of the angle joint piece that is fitted against the frame battens is provided with at least two projections (6, 6'), which can be pressed into longitudinal grooves provided in the frame battens to be joined together.

Abstract: Inside a body or tube (1), a shaft (2) carries a collar (10) which is provided with a flange or circumferential rib (14) and is mounted on the shaft in a fixed manner. The flange is retained between two radial abutments (18, 19) carried by a locking element (16) fitted in an aperture in the tube. The radial abutments are suitably shaped and cooperate with a cam formed on the collar (10) for facilitating the ejection of the locking element (16) under the effect of a rotation of the shaft (2). This device is especially adapted to the immobilization of a steering shaft in a steering column tube before the mounting of the latter on a vehicle.

Abstract: A clamping assembly for connecting a support rod that supports medical accessories to a medical table, the clamping assembly having independently operable adjustments for releasably securing the assembly to the rail of the medical table; controlling the rotational positioning of the support rod; and regulating the longitudinal displacement of the support rod. The assembly includes a cam handle that regulates a camming surface. When the cam handle is rotated the camming surface translates a locking lug within an aperture of the assembly until the locking lug engages the rail of the medical table whereby the assembly is secured to the rail. The locking lug may be released from the rail by rotating the cam handle in the opposite direction. The rotational movement of the support rod relative to the housing of the assembly is controlled by the interaction of a toothed locking ring disposed upon a shaft extending from the housing and a set of circumferentially disposed teeth fixed upon the housing.

Abstract: A coupling device with a thermal interface occuring along a curved vertical surface is disclosed. One curved surface is on a cold pin extending from a "cold" object and the other curved surface is on a hot pin extending from a "hot" object. The cold pin is fixed and does not move while the hot pin is a flexible member and its movement towards the cold pin will bring the two curved surfaces together forming the coupling and the thermal interface. The actuator member is a shape-memory actuation wire which is attached between the hot pin and the hot object. By properly programming the actuation wire, heat from the hot object will cause the actuation wire to move the hot pin towards the cold pin forming an effective thermal interface. The shape-memory actuation wire is made from a shape-memory-effect alloy such as Nitinol.

Abstract: A locking system is disclosed comprising two elements connected mechanically together so as not to be able to move apart, as well as a cam mounted for rotation on the first of said elements and having a contact surface pressing against a bearing face carried by the second of said elements.According to the invention, said contact surface of said cam has at least approximately a profile in the form of a logarithmic spiral, whereas said bearing face is flat and said cam may rotate about a hub on the axis of which is located the origin of said logarithmic spiral, said hub being mounted for rotation on said first element about an off-centered axis of rotation opposite said contact surface of said cam. Resilient means are provided for rotating said cam in a first direction such that said contact surface moves towards said bearing face.

Abstract: Slat apparatus for a chain link fence, comprising a plurality of substantially parallel slats extending through the fence wires. Each slat has laterally extending wing portions positioned closely adjacent to the wing portions of adjoining slats to provide privacy by leaving only small spaces between the slats. The slats have apertures extending laterally therethrough rearwardly of the wing portions. The slat apertures are laterally aligned and a flexible belt extends through the apertures to retain the slats in parallel relation on the fence. The wing portions are of less thickness than the slats.

Abstract: An adjustable spacer made of plastic for securing two plate-shaped components together with variable spacing, including an anchoring part adapted to be inserted into and secured in a hole of first one of said components and having a cylindrical hollow shaft with a threaded portion on its internal surface and a spacing screw part having a threaded shaft that can be screwed into the hollow shaft of the anchoring part to adjust the spacing between the two parts. The spacing screw part has a supporting head on its upper end and on its lower end below the threaded shaft an expanding stem made up of a plurality of separate downwardly extending legs connected at their upper ends to the threaded shaft. A through-hole extends through the screw part that tapers in the expanding stem to a narrower hole for receipt of threaded member at least one axis-parallel rib is provided on the external surface of each leg.

Abstract: The invention is concerned with an assembly for providing a connection between a support 1, for example, a body part of a motor vehicle, and a plate element 2, for example, a wall panel of a motor vehicle. The assembly generally includes a molded plastic holding element 4 which can be releasably connected into an aperture 3 of the support 1. The holding element 4 is equipped with a head piece 5. The assembly also includes an upper part or component 6 which is attachable to the plate element 2. Between the upper part 6 and the holding element 4 is a middle piece or component 7. The middle piece 7 includes an upper area 8 which is designed so that it can be snapped into the upper part 6. A lower portion 9 of the middle piece 7 is designed for lateral insertion of the head piece 5 of the holding element 4.

Abstract: A bracket member arranged for mounting to an uppermost rail of a fence, with a "V" shaped body member formed of memory retentent material, wherein the body member is defined by a plurality of coextensive legs each formed with an arcuate groove adjacent a junction of the legs, and a mounting slot at free ends of each leg, wherein the grooves and slots are directred into the generally planar legs through opposed upper and lower edges of the legs to permit mounting of the legs upon a fence rail and provide the arcuate grooves for support of baskets and the like therefrom.

Abstract: A connection in a wood frame building wherein a one piece sheet metal hanger connector is used to join together a wood supporting member, and one or two wood supported members. The connector is connected to the supporting member by a top flange and the supported members are joined to the connector as well as to the supporting member by fasteners driven through openings in flanges of the connector, through the supporting member, through the back wall of the connector and into the supporting member. The arrangement places the fasteners in double shear resulting in unusually large load holding capability for the size and weight of the sheet metal connector. The connector seat is fully supported at the sides and back resulting in high load holding capacity both downwardly and upwardly with unusual rigidity and resistance to lateral forces.

Abstract: The attachment device comprises a C-shaped profile fitting and a clamping strap, inserted therein, with an inset screw. The mutually facing strips of the fitting are thickened on the inside towards the slot. The strap grips behind this thickening. Thus the limbs of the fitting are prevented from spreading apart. In order to secure the strap against displacement along the profile, it has transverse webs which penetrate with an edge into the thickenings when a nut is tightened on the screw and thus produce a positive connection between the strap and the profile even in the longitudinal direction of the profile. The attachment is suitable, above all, for the underfloor attachment of appliances to rail vehicles.

Abstract: A snap-fit device is provided for joining two parts of any shape together by fitting, perpendicularly to their junction surfaces, at least one element projecting from the junction surface of one of the parts, after slight deformation thereof, into a recess in the junction surface of the other part, and engagement of the projection element, by resilient return thereof, on a surface portion of the recess. Inside the device, a separation actuator is operable for separating the engagement projection from the portion on which it is engaged, against the resilient return force of the projection. The separation means is externally activated by a hydraulic or pneumatic pressure or a vacuum source.