Abstract: A bracing arrangement for a piece of furniture comprises a wire (25) extending diagonally between and around a series of pulleys (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31) placed at strategic points on opposing side panels (20, 21). The ends of the wire are connected to an adjusting mechanism (32) which is fixed to a part (24) of the furniture. Adjustment of the mechanism allows the ends of the wire to be pulled together to tension the wire and brace the structure.

Abstract: A movement control device for a piece of furniture comprises a twisted rod (15) and a rotary damper assembly (13). The rod is attached to one part (12) of the furniture and the damper assembly te, another part (11). The rod engages the damper assembly via a drive mechanism which translates longitudinal movement of the rod into rotary movement of a damper unit within the damper assembly. The device is thus able to provide damping for relative movements between the furniture parts.

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.