Connectors

Abstract

A connector for fixing a screw to a hollow tube comprises a rectangular elongate cylindrical sleeve that fits inside the tube. Opposing convergent members are drawn towards each other by threading forward the screw nut through rotating the converging member to urge the sleeve parts radially outwards to fix the connector firmly inside the tube. Alternatively the operation of the convergent members can be carried out by a screwdriver from the left-side by rotating the screw forward.

1 . A releasable connector for connecting to one end of a tube comprising a split elongate sleeve that fits snugly inside the tube, a pair of opposing convergent members that are mounted at opposite ends of the sleeve, and an operating rod extending centrally through the sleeve arranged to move the convergent members toward each other in use to urge the sleeve radially outwards to bear against the inside of the tube and fix the connector to the tube in an operative configuration.  
     
     
         2 . A releasable connector according to  claim 1 , in which the connector has an arm formed with a convergent end to provide one of the convergent members.  
     
     
         3 . A releasable connector according to  claim 2 , in which the connector has two arms each with a convergent end to form a respective one convergent member, and in which the connector is arranged to join two tubes together.  
     
     
         4 . A releasable connector according to  claim 1 , in which the connector has three or more arms and is arranged to connect three or more tubes together with longitudinal axes of two or more of the tubes angled with respect to one another.  
     
     
         5 . A releasable connector according to  claim 2 , in which the arm has an anchor arranged to be mounted and restrained by a cavity of a planar surface for mounting the arm to the planar surface, in which the operating arm comprises a threaded partially exposed bolt extending out of one end of the connector into the cavity, when the connector is in its operative configuration.  
     
     
         6 . A releasable connector according to  claim 1 , including a centrally mounted threaded nut entrapped within the connector and accessible from exterior of the connector when the connector is in its operative configuration.  
     
     
         7 . A releasable connector according to  claim 1 , including an anchor for securely supporting the connector to a cavity in a planar surface in which the anchor is entrapped in the cavity when the connector is in its operative configuration.  
     
     
         8 . A releasable connector according to  claim 1 , in which the elongate sleeve is split into two equal parts.  
     
     
         9 . A releasable connector according to  claim 8 , in which the sleeve parts are resiliently held together radially by a strap that surrounds a periphery of the sleeve.  
     
     
         10 . A releasable connector according to  claim 1  in which the elongate sleeve is cylindrical and is arranged to fit to a cylindrical cavity in an end of a respective tube.  
     
     
         11 . A releasable connector according to  claim 1 , in which the elongate sleeve is a single body formed of elastic material with slit and trenches therealong, which sleeve is adapted to be inserted into the tube and frictionally engaging the interior of the tube, and wherein rotation of the tube forces the sleeve and the related convergent body to thread forward to urge the sleeve to secure to the tube.  
     
     
         12 . A releasable connector according to  claim 1  in which the operating rod is anchored in an open-sided body that provides one of the convergent members at one end and allows the operating rod to be inserted sideways into the body.  
     
     
         13 . A releasable connector according to  claim 12 , in which the body has a said convergent member at each end, respectively forming part of a connector for connecting two like tubes end to end, in which a central part of the body has a region with an external diameter substantially equal to the outside diameters of the two pipes.  
     
     
         14 . A releasable connector according to  claim 1 , for joining two tubes of different internal diameter end-to-end, including two connectors and a single operating rod extending between two sleeves arranged to bear against respective inner surfaces of the tubes, in which the operating rod has a fixed convergent head at one end and a threaded nut at the other end and such that the sleeves are urged outwards by relatively rotating the two tubes to fix the tubes together.  
     
     
         15 . A releasable connector according to  claim 1  wherein one of the convergent members is shaped independently of the other, and wherein each convergent member is either frusto-conical or frusto-pyramidal with triangular, square or other polygonal cross-section.  
     
     
         16 . A releasable connector according to  claim 1  in which the operating rod is anchored in an arm and body, and the body is equally split along its axial direction, and wherein the arm provides one of the convergent members.  
     
     
         17 . A releasable connector according to  claim 16 , wherein there is an aperture for the operation of the operating rod.  
     
     
         18 . A releasable connector according to  claim 16 , in which there are two, three or four arms and the body is Split longitudinally.  
     
     
         19 . A releasable connector according the  claim 17  or  18 , in which the split arm is formed integrally with the split sleeve.  
     
     
         20 . A releasable connector according to  claim 19 , including a centrally mounted threaded nut entrapped within the connector and accessible from exterior of the connector when the connector is in an operative configuration.