US3781944A

US3781944A - Hinge for the articulated connection of partitioning panels, furniture and the like for offices

Info

Publication number: US3781944A
Application number: US00290920A
Authority: US
Inventors: A Gianardi
Original assignee: Olivetti SpA
Current assignee: Olivetti SpA
Priority date: 1972-09-12
Filing date: 1972-09-12
Publication date: 1974-01-01
Anticipated expiration: 1991-01-01

Abstract

A hinge for the articulated connection of first and second releasably held members comprises first and second hinge elements pivotally inter-connected by means of a first block of each element mutually hinged. A second block of each element is connected to the first block by a screw operable to adjust the spacing between opposed pairs of slots and projections to clamp the connecting edge of each member between the first and second blocks. The first and second blocks are resiliently biased away from each other by a spring. The screw extends through a hole in the second block and is engaged in a threaded hole in the first block, whereas the head of the screw provides has a radially projecting lug to prevent the first and second blocks moving further than predetermined distances.

Description

Jan. 1, 1974 United States Patent [1 1 Gianardi HINGE FOR THE ARTICULATED Primary Examiner-Bobby R. Gay CONNECTION OF PARTITIONING PANELS, Assistant ExaminerDoris L. Troutman FURNITURE AND THE LIKE FOR OFFICES Arwmey1 evin McMahon [57] ABSTRACT A hinge for the articulated connection of first and sec- [75] Inventor: Agostino Gianardi, Arcola, Italy [73] Assignee: Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S. p.A.,

Torino, Italy ond releasably held members comprises first and second hinge elements pivotally inter-connected b means of a first block of each element mutuall hinged. A second block of each element is connected [22] Filed:' Sept. 12, 1972 to the first block by a screw operable to adjust the spacing between opposed pairs of slots and projections to clamp the connecting edge of each member between the first and second blocks. The first and second blocks are resiliently biased awa by a spring. The s 2] Appl. No.: 290,920

y from each other crew extends through a hole in the second block and 90 4 fiZZfiO 2 5 O 9 6594 1 0% i E 4 WM 0 m6 5 M 8 9 U5 4 m 7 mm 8 1 "1] w m, 1 Q7 m mm rl a e n s L m C l s cm h. U .mF 2 N 5 55 [.I.

is engaged in a threaded hole in the first block, whereas the head of the screw provides has a radially projecting lug to prevent the first and second blocks moving further than predetermined distances.

S T N m MA .lP we m C a e D E n N U m 5 3 I77 5!) 4/l965 Johnson,Jr......................... 160/229 3.53.807 lO/I964 l6/l58 7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTED 11974 3 781 944 sum 1 OF 2 6 FIG.1

all" um PATENTEDJAN H914 3,781,944

r SHEET 2 OF 2 86 FIG. 3 v 57 1 HINGE FOR THE ARTICULATED CONNECTION OF PARTITIONING PANELS, FURNITURE AND THE LIKE FOR OFFICES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a hinge for the articulated connection of partitioning panels, furniture and the like, especially as used in offices. This type of hinge comprises two hinge elements pivoted one with respect to the other, each of which is adapted to be clamped to a connecting edge of the partition or piece of furniture, and is commonly used for equipping places of work with partitions or panels which can be connected to one another or to pieces of furniture to be disposed in various configurations. The different walls or partitions are connected by means of hinges which heretofore have required special skill for fixing.

The object of the present invention is to provide a hinge, for equipping open-space places of work as used in offices, which is adapted to be fixed to the partitions by a single person.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a hinge comprising first and second hinge elements pivotally interconnected and including means for clamping each hinge element to a connecting edge ofa releasably held member, wherein each hinge element comprises a first block hinged to the first block of the other hinge element, and a second block connected to the first block by screw means operable to adjust the spacing between opposed pairs of slots and projections provided on the first and second blocks to clamp one of said connecting edges between the first and second blocks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A partitioning system incorporating the hinge of the invention includes a plurality of partitions and pieces of furniture, one of which is partially shown in FIG. 1 and is indicated by the reference I. On each of the opposite vertical edges of each partition 1 or on suitable vertical edges ofa piece of furniture there is fixed a connecting element 3 having a double T-shaped cross-section. This section has a pair of flanges 4 and a web 5 which projects from a connecting base 6 at one of the lateral edges of the partition or wall 1. The partitions are suitably of sound-absorbing type, while each connecting element 3 is of thermoplastic material.

For connecting the partitions l to one another or to pieces of furniture one or more hinges are used as indicated by the reference 36. Each hinge 36 comprises two

hinge elements

37 and 38 which are substantially alike and can pivot one with respect to the other about a pin 41. Each of the

hinge elements

37 and 38 includes a block 42 provided with a pair of bosses 43 having holes into which the pin 41 is introduced. The, bosses 43 of one block 42 are disposed between the corresponding bosses of the other block so as to produce a single continuous hinge. Each block 42 includes ,a slot 44, a pair of

projections

45 and 46 substantially parallel to the pin 41, and three holes. A centre hole 47 is threaded and two holes 48 on either side of the centre hole 47 are plain.

With each block 42 there co-operates a movable block 51 having a slot 44 and a projection 45 completely similar to those of the block 42, and a pair of pins 52 prearranged to be inserted in the holes 48. There is a hole 53 (see also FIG. 2) corresponding to the centre hole 47 for a screw 54. The head of the screw 54 has a radial lug or tooth 55 and can be housed, together with the lug, in a corresponding recess 56. The screw 54 is screwed into the hole 47 and around it there is arranged a spiral spring 57 the ends of which bear on a resilient ring 58 fixed to the screw 54 and on a wall of the block 51. The spring 57 normally keeps the block 51 separated from the block 42.

When the aforesaid blocks are in contact, and therefore the projection 46 (FIG. 3) of the block 42 bears on the block 51, the slots 44 and the projections 45 of the two blocks define a T-Shaped cavity, the crosssection of which is substantially coincident with that of a connecting element 3. More particularly, while there is a certain clearance between the flanges 4 of the connecting element 3 and the bases ofthe slots 44, the projections 45 come into contact with the opposing faces of the web 5 of the connecting element 3.

The

elements

37 and 38 of the hinge 36 can turn substantially through 180 and they may be located substantially in line or, in consequence of a rotation through 180, they may be located substantially side by side. To produce connections, for example between walls or partitions, with the hinges 36, the

elements

37 and 38 of the various hinges used are fixed to the connecting elements 3 of a partition 1. This fixing is effected in the following manner.

Assuming that an element 37 (38) is closed, to open it the respective screw 54 is turned in such manner as to bring the lug 55 into correspondence with the recess 56 of the block 51. In this way, the head of the screw and the lug 55 can enter this recess and the spring 57 therefore moves the block 51 in the direction of the arrows (FIGS. 1 and 2) away from the block 42, opening the hinge element. In this position, the projections 45 of the

block

42 and 51 are at a distance from one another greater than the width of the flanges 4 of a connecting element 3, so that by moving the hinge element 37 towards the connecting element 3 the latter is disposed between the aforesaid t'wo blocks. Now, by exerting a suitable manual pressure on the block 51 it is brought up to the block 42 (FIG. 3), overcoming the reaction of the spring 57. At the same time, the head of the screw 54 emerges from the recess 56 and is then caused to turn through a small angle so that the lug 55 is prevented from returning to the recess 56. After this rotation, the pressure on the block 51 is released, as a result of which the block is urged by the spring 57 until the face is arrested against the lug 55. In this position, there has already been obtained a closing of the hinge element 37 sufficient to prevent the flanges 4 emerging from the slots 44 of the

blocks

42 and 51.

By means of further rotation of the screw 54, the

blocks

42 and 51 are tightened on to the connecting element 3. At the end of the aforesaid rotation, the projections 45 are engaged on the web 5, while the projection 46 of the block 42 is in contact with a face 86 of the other block.

From what has been described, it is obvious that each of the

elements

37 and 38 of a hinge 36 can be fixed to a connecting element 3 by means of two simple successive operations. The first operation brings the blocks almost into contact with the connecting element and the second operation generates sufficient pressures between the blocks and the connecting element to achieve a firm connection thereof. The fixing of each of the

hinge elements

37, 38 can therefore be effected with extreme rapidity by a single person, since it is sufficient to impart two small turns to the screw 54.

Fig. 4 shows by way of example a star-shaped configuration of four

partitions

1a, 1b, 1c, 1d. To produce this configuration, each pair of walls la-lb, lb-lc, lc-ld has been connected by means ofa pair of hinges (only one of which can be seen in FIG. 4), six hinges being therefore used in all.

It is therefore clear that modifications and variations can be made in the embodiment described without departing from the scope of the invention itself.

I claim:

1. A hinge for the articulated connection of first and second releasably held members comprising first and second hinge elements pivotally inter-connected, including means for clamping each hinge element to the connecting edge of a releasably held member, a first block (42) in each hinge element (37, 38) the first blocks (42) of the two hinge elhments (38, 37) being mutually hinged, and a second block (51) in each hinge element connected to the first block by screw means operable to adjust the spacing between opposed pairs of slots (44) and projections (45) provided in the first and second blocks to clamp one of said connecting edges between the first and second blocks.

2. A hinge according to claim 1, wherein each connecting edge (3) is of T-shaped cross-section having a web (5) and two flan ges (4) projecting at right-angles from the web.

3. A hinge according to claim 1 wherein the second block (51) is guided with respect to the first block (42) by mmeans of at least one pin (52).

4. A hinge member according to claim 1 wherein the first and second blocks are resiliently biased away from each other by resilient means (57).

5. A hinge according to claim 1, wherein the screw means comprises a screw (54) which extends through a hole (53) in the second block (42), the head of the screw providing a first stop against a first stop surface of the second block and having a radially projecting lug (55) providing a second stop against a second stop surface of the second block, the first and second stops being provided to prevent the first and second blocks moving further than respective first and second distances apart.

6. A hinge according to claim 5, wherein the first stop surface is provided with a recess (56) in the second stop surface for accommodating the head and the lug (55), the lug being movable from the second stop surface to the first stop surface after rotating the screw (54) through not more than one revolution.

7. A hinge according to claim 5, wherein each connecting edge (3) is of T-shaped cross-section having a web (5) and two flanges (4) projecting at right-angles from the web, and wherein the first and second stop surfaces of the second block (51) are at a distance apart at least equal to the total length by which the two flanges (4) project from the web (5) of the connecting edge (3).

Claims

1. A hinge for the articulated connection of first and second releasably held members comprising first and second hinge elements pivotally inter-connected, including means for clamping each hinge element to the connecting edge of a releasably held member, a first block (42) in each hinge element (37, 38) the first blocks (42) of the two hinge elements (38, 37) being mutually hinged, and a second block (51) in each hinge element connected to the first block by screw means operable to adjust the spacing between opposed pairs of slots (44) and projections (45) provided in the first and second blocks to clamp one of said connecting edges between the first and second blocks.

2. A hinge according to claim 1, wherein each connecting edge (3) is of T-shaped cross-section having a web (5) and two flanges (4) projecting at right-angles from the web.

3. A hinge according to claim 1 wherein the second block (51) is guided with respect to the first block (42) by means of at least one pin (52).