THIS INVENTION relates to joinery and particularly to joinery employing an expandible connector and more particularly but not limited to joinery employing a kit comprising a tool and connector.
Expandible connectors are known. The connectors are often of plastics and are inserted into a hole and usually employ a rigid expander, often a screw which is driven into the connector to expand the connector into gripping engagement with the hole. Most often the connector is elongate and the expander is driven into the connector in the longitudinal direction of the connector. While this type of connector is useful it has limited application where it is desirable to pull two pieces being joined together. Connectors that apply a force to draw two objects together while connecting are also known. One example is cam connector where a slotted cam is held in a transverse hole, it engages a rod through a side hole and upon rotation of the cam the parts are pulled together.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an expandible connector which is able to draw parts together.
It is a further object to provide an expandable connector insertable into opposed aligned slots where the slots have a narrow entry.
In the present case there is provided a kit where the parts of the kit are independently inventive but in the preferred form are matched to each other to provide a matching slotting tool and associated connector. Thus one invention is to a tool, another invention is to a connector and another invention is to a kit comprising a tool and a connector.
Furthermore there is provided a tool for forming a slot for a particular connector and to a method and apparatus for forming the slot and, in particular, but not limited to, a method and apparatus for forming a dovetail slot by routing and an associated expandible dovetail connector.
In one broad aspect therefore there is provided a slot and connector assembly whereby mating slots formed according to the method may be aligned and connected using an expandable connector.
In one preferred form there is provided a slot and connector assembly whereby mating slots formed according may be aligned and connected using an expandable connector, the expandable connector having opposite sections, at least one being an expandable section and the sections being locatable in respective confronting slots of opposed workpieces forming a joint using the connector, the expandable section having an opening to receive an expander and there being an expander forcible into the expandable section, the slots mating to form opposite dovetails, the connector being generally X-shaped in cross section and the expander being generally U-shaped in cross-section with legs insertable into the connector. Preferably, the expandable sections comprise dovetail sections with respective expansion holes.
In addition there is provided a means for placing a workpiece in position so a slot may be formed. The means for placing a workpiece in position may is typically a portable workpiece alignment tool and preferably comprises a jig having a clamp. The jig may be part of the tool. Thus the tool may comprise a jig with an integral router or a jig with a router attachment.
In another broad aspect therefore there is provided a method and apparatus for forming a slot in a workpiece, an expandable connector and an assembly of same, the connector having opposite expandable sections and being locatable in respective confronting slots of opposed workpieces forming a joint using the connector, each expandable section having an opening to receive an expander and there being an expander forcible into the expandable sections, the method comprising positioning the workpiece with respect to a router tool in a portable workpiece alignment tool, and routing a slot to match the expandable sections, the portable alignment tool having a router tool opening and means to position the workpiece in predetermined relation to the router tool while the slot is being formed. Subject to the slot being formed the router tool or the workpiece may be fixed relative to the other.
The particular workpiece alignment tool may have a dedicated router mounted so that the router tool may be moved on a suitable guide means to perform the slot forming operation.
The workpiece alignment tool may have one or more workpiece clamps. It may have one or more workpiece guides. Typically, the alignment tool comprises a guide for forming slots in mitred joints. In addition, it is preferable to include a guide for forming slots for butt joints. In another embodiment the guide is reversible having one position forming slots for mitred joints and another position for forming slots for butt joints. In another embodiment longitudinally extending slots may be formed in an edge of the workpiece by sliding the workpiece along the alignment tool.
The slots may be formed as short transverse slots or may be formed as longitudinally extending slots. In the case of mitred joints, the slots may be formed in workpieces having non-straight or non-flat profiles using an adjustable support. For example, in the case of decorative mouldings, the moulding may be supported by using a slidable wedge to support the non-straight or non-flat portion. The slidable wedge is preferably mounted to travel in a transverse guide way.
The slot is typically a blind slot so that the connector may be inserted into the slot from the rear of the workpieces being joined and consequently the connector is a concealed connector not visible from the front.
In another aspect there is provided an expandable connector having opposite sections, at least one being an expandable section and the sections being locatable in respective confronting slots of opposed workpieces forming a joint using the connector, the expandable section having an opening to receive an expander and there being an expander forcible into the expandable section. Preferably, both sections are expandable and the expander comprises respective expander sections which are simultaneously insertable into both expandable section at once.
The expandable sections preferably comprise dovetail sections so the connector is generally cross or X shaped. The connector preferably has a slot entry end and an opposite flat outer end that may be located just below or flush with the workpiece surface adjacent the slot. The entry end is typically concave. Each expandable section preferably includes an expander locator which is preferably a slot having recessed side walls the expander being locatable in the recess.
The expander is typically U-shaped having legs insertable into the expandable sections. The legs are preferably braced. The expander preferably includes a cap matched to the outer end to cap the outer end.
In a further aspect there is provided a connector assembly comprising a connector and expander as broadly described above and preferably having the preferred features set out above.
In a still further broad aspect there is provided a kit comprising a connector and tool as broadly described above. Typically the tool and connector have the preferred features as set out above.
In order that the present invention may be more readily understood and be put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings and wherein:—
Referring to the drawings and initially to
A typical connector is illustrated in
In order to form a slot of the type illustrated in
The router head is driven by a motor 34 on a carriage formed by guide rails 35 and 36 and guide ways 37 and 38 so that the router head may be moved manually back and forth in the direction as illustrated by arrow 39 in
An alternative is illustrated in
While the clamp and guide may be utilised in relation to rectangular workpieces, in many cases for a mitred joint it is desirable to form a mitred joint in a decorative workpiece and consequently the alignment process for a decorative workpiece in this case involves wedges 53 and 54 which may slide and the wedge may then be used in conjunction with the clamp bar 51 to support the workpiece in its position to cut the slot.
Referring to
Another embodiment is illustrated in
As an alternative to the above described operation of the embodiments of 14 and 15 as described in relation to
Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative example of the present invention many variations and modifications thereto will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the broad ambit and scope of the invention as set out in the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2005903586 | Jul 2005 | AU | national |
2005904827 | Sep 2005 | AU | national |
PCT/AU2006/000957 | Jul 2006 | AU | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/AU06/00957 | 7/6/2006 | WO | 00 | 12/18/2007 |