BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to connectors and particularly to adjustable connectors adapted to secure together and to permit adjustment of two juxtaposed structural members.

2. Description of the prior art

It is believed that the prior art related to this invention may be found in Class 52, sub-class 217. A search through the class and sub-class noted has revealed the existence of United States Patent 381,329; 1,750,921; 2,075,714; 3,553,891; 3,668,966; and 3,859,764. Of these patents, United States Patents 381,329, 1,750,921 and 3,859,764 appear to be the most pertinent insofar as the invention is concerned as it relates to the use of the invention to plumb a door frame.

It frequently, happens that when two juxtaposed members are fastened together to achieve a desired fit, one or the other of the members does not fit properly and must be adjusted in relation to the associated member in order to achieve a proper fit. Such a condition exists in the installation of door frames in wall openings, where the door frame must be secured between appropriate wall studs which may or may not be plumb. In this particular environ¬ ment, it has been the custom to insert shims in the form of roof shingle portion in the space between the door frame and the associated wall stud. Finishing nails are then driven through the door frame and shingles to anchor the shingle shims and door frame in position, the hope being that they do not shift position, and cause the door frame to lose its plumb or to warp out of its proper position.

In industry in general, there are many instances in which two juxtaposed structural members must be adjusted in relation to each other to achieve a desired fit. It is the object of this invention to provide an adjustable connector assembly adapted to interconnect two such structural members to retain them in juxtaposed position, while being adjustable to position the two members as desired.

Particularly with r.espect- to the building industry, and the installation of door frames in wall openings, it is necessary- that a door frame be plumb even though the supporting wall members are not plumb. Accordingly, another object of the present invention is the provision of an adjustable connector assembly adapted to be mounted so as to interconnect the door frame with the supporting wall stud while permitting adjustability of the door frame member in relation to the supporting stud to achieve a desired position of the door frame in relation to the supporting stud member. Another object of the invention is the provision of a special tool for applying the adjustable connector member. Still another object of the invention is the provision of an article of manufacture in the form of a cylindrical, threaded, slotted connector member that may be easily applied to a conventional wood or metal screw to form an adjustable connector assembly for application in the manner previously discussed.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be apparent from the following description and the drawings. It is to be understood however that the invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated and described, since it may be embodied in various forms within the scope of the appended claims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In terms of broad inclusion, the adjustable connector assembly of the invention, in one aspect, comprises a tubular cylindrical first connector member threaded on its exterior periphery and provided with a bearing surface on its inner periphery and a plurality of radially extending slots across one end of the connector member. The tubular connector is journaled on a shank or journal portion of a second connector, the first and second connector members being rotatably related one to the other and locked against axial displacement with respect to each other by rotatable entrapment of the head of the second connector in a circumferential groove in the inner periphery of the first connector. The second connector is provided with a pro¬ jecting shank portion that is provided with threads for threaded engagement with an associated structural member. In use, each of the connector members is suitably attached to associated juxtaposed structural members to secure those members together. Because the first and second connector members are freely rotatable in relation to each other, while being locked against axial displacement, rotation of the second connector member in relation to the first will effect relative movement between the juxtaposed structural members. In another aspect of the invention, instead of the first connector member being provided with a circumferential groove, the second connec¬ tor member is provided with a circumferential groove adapted to receive a split spring ring which captures the first connector member between the split spring ring and the head of the second connector member to thus prevent relative axial displacement of the two connectors after assembly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF .THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view illustrating the adjustable connector assembly of the invention used in association with a door frame mounted in a wall opening. FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the ajustable connector assembly,- shown apart from the wall structure, a portion of the first connector member being shown in vertical cross-section to expose underlying parts.

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of the adjustable connector assembly illustrated in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a different embodi¬ ment of the adjustable connector assembly of the invention.

FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of the adjustable connector assembly illustrated in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken in the plane indicated by the line 6-6 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the operating head of a tool for installing the adjustable connector assembly of the invention.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view illustrating the adjustable connector assembly connecting two juxtaposed structural members.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged elevational view, partly in vertical section, illustrating as an article of manufacture, a sleeve device which functions as the first connector member to form a connector assembly when applied to a conventional wood screw.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical cross-sec¬ tional view illustrating a partial assembly of the first and second connectors. The view also illustrates schemati- cally in broken lines the manner in which the sleeve segments of the first connector spring outwardly to admit the head of the second connector into locking position.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view similar to FTG. 1Q, but showing the embodiment of FIG. 4.

O PI

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In terms of greater detail, the adjustable connector assembly of the invention in its preferred form is illustrated in FIG. 2 and is shown in use in FIGS. 1 and 8 It is to be understood that while I have chosen to illus- trate the adjustable connector assembly of the invention in conjunction with the interconnection of two juxtaposed wood structural members, the adjustable connector assembly may be fabricated for application to other types of mate¬ rials, such as metal or plastic, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Accordingly, as applied to mount a door frame member 2 in the wall opening of a wall, the wall opening being defined on one side by a vertical structural member 3, the adjustable connector assembly of the invention is desig- nated generally by the numeral ^' 4, while the door supported in the door opening is designated generally by the numeral 5.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10, the adjustable connector assembly comprises a first connector member designated generally by the numeral 6 and a second connec¬ tor member designated generally by the numeral 7. The first connector member comprises an elongated generally cylindrical sleeve 8 having threads 9 on its exterior periphery 12, and having a central bore 13 defined by an inner peripheral surface 14 symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis 16 of the sleeve-like structure.6. As illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, the sleeve-like struc¬ ture is provided adjacent one end with a radially extend¬ ing circumferential groove or slot 17 defined on one side by a radially inwardly extending flange 18. On its opposite side the groove or slot is defined by an abutment surface 19 which, as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, complements and accommodates the conically configured undersurface 21 of the second connector member 7.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the conical undersurface 21 of the second connector 7 is formed on the underside of the head 22 of the second connector, the head being formed on one end of the shank 23. The other end portion of the

5 second connector 7 is provided with screw threads 24 adapted to bite into an appropriately proportioned guide hole bored into the structural member and proportioned to receive the wood screw shank portion 24 in the conventional manner. It should also be noted that the screw threads 9 τ_0 formed on the outer periphery 12 of the cylindrical connec¬ tor member 6 are also adapted to engage in wood, and are provided with the same lead as the screw threads 24 formed on the second connector member 7. Thus, when the two mem¬ bers 6 and 7 are rotated simultaneously, and turned into

2_5 appropriately dimensioned bores in the respective support members 2 and 3 as illustrated in FIG. 1, the connector members 6 and 7 advance into their respective support members 2 and 3 at the same rate. Thus, when fully driven, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 8 _r the two connector members

20 6 a-nd 7, being locked against axial displacement in rela¬ tion to each other, are effective to retain the two juxta¬ posed members 2 and 3 in relatively fixed position with respect to each other. Because of the freely rotatable relationship between the cylindrical sleeve-like first

25 connector member 6 and the second connector member 7, after installation of the assembly, the second connector member 7 may be rotated in relation to the first connector member, either clockwise or counter-clock-wise, while the first connector member 6 is retained against rotation by the

30 frictional force imposed on the threaded interengagement between the threads 9 and the support structure 2. Thus, such rotation of the second connector member, either clock¬ wise or counter-clockwise, will effect transverse movement of the support member 2 depending upon the direction of

35 rotation of the second connector member.

O PI

This occurs because the head 22 of the second connector member is trapped or caught in the slot 17 formed in the first connector member, thus preventing its movement axially in relation to the first connector member. When the second connector member is rotated clockwise, for instance, thus driving deeper into the supporting member 3, the juxtaposed support member 2 in the form of the door frame will be pulled closer to the support member 3. On the other hand, if the second connector member 7 is rotated counter-clockwise, to thus cause movement of the second connector member to the right as viewed in FIG. 1, the effect will be that the head 22 of the second connector member will abut against the flange 18 of the second con¬ nector member, and thus move the supporting door frame 2 to the right with relation to the support member 3. As discussed above, when the adjustable connector assembly is applied to the two juxtaposed support members 2 and 3, the tool illustrated in FIG. 7 is utilized. To accommodate the tool, which will be described in detail hereinafter, the adjustable connector assembly is designed to accept engagement by the tool to permit the installation of the adjustable connector assembly by simple rotation of the tool. To this end, the head 22 of the second connector member 7 is provided with a slot 26 adapted to receive a screwdriver to effect rotation of the second connector member 7 in the usual manner. The screwdriver may be a Phillips-head type, as illustrated, or other type as desired. Additionally, the end of the first connector member 6 adjacent the slot 17, is provided with longitu¬ dinally extending transverse slots 27, preferably four in number, which extend diametrically across the sleeve-like connector member 6, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 10, the slots 27, for the extent of their length, forming a dis- continuity in the peripheral wall of the sleeve, thus dividing the associated end of the sleeve into a plurality of segments 28, 29, 31 and 32 which extend longitudinally

OMPI

along the longitudinal dimension of the sleeve-like con¬ nector member 6, the length of the segments being deter¬ mined by bottom 33 of slots 27 as shown best in FIGS. 9 and 10, thus enabling each of the segments to be resiliently displaced outwardly when the second connector member 7 is inserted through the bore 13 so as to capture or trap the head 22 thereof in the groove or slot 17 of the surrounding first connector member 6. As seen in FIG. 10, the conical undersurface 21 of the screwhead 22 engages the edge of flange 18 on each of the segments 28, 29, 31 and 32 and cams the segments outwardly as shown by the broken lines in FIG. 10.

Thus, the slots 27 and the screwdriver slot 26 may be engaged by complimentary parts of the tool illustrated in- FIG. 7 and designated generally by the numeral 34. The tool, as illustrated in FIG. 7, is provided with a drive shank 36 and a head 37, the head being provided with axially extending lugs 38, preferably four in number, and disposed diametrically from each other across the face 39 of the tool, the face 39 of the tool also having projecting therefrom and centrally disposed in relation thereto, a -Phillips screwdriver head 41. Thus, when the tool 34 is applied to the adjustable connector assembly 4, the lugs 38 engage the slots 27, and the Phillips screwdriver head 41 engages the screwdriver slot 26. Thus, upon rotation, the tool 34 simultaneously drives the first and second connector members of the adjustable connector assembly. Subsequently, to effect adjustability of the door frame member 2, the second connector member is rotated by appli- cation of a conventional screwdriver to the screwdriver slot 26.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS.4, 5, 6 and ll _r the structure has been modified to eliminate the groove or slot 17 in the cylindrical connector member 6, and in lieu thereof, the shank 23 of the second connector member has been provided with a circumferen ial groove 42

adapted to receive the tines 43 of a split spring ring member 44 as illustrated in FIG. 6. As before, the cylindrical sleeve-like first connector member 6' is provided with diametrically opposed and longitudinally extending slots 46, but the slots do not extend completely through the body of the sleeve for the reason that the sleeve 6' is not formed with separated segments as defined by the slots 27 in FIG. 9, and are not required to spring outwardly to accommodate the maximum diameter dimension of the screw head 22 as previously discussed. Thus, in this embodiment, the screw head 21 merely, seats in the chamfered end of the threaded sleeve 6' and as before, the tool illustrated in FIG. 7 may be utilized to simultaneously drive the first connector member 6 ' and the second connec- tor member 7 ¹ as previously discussed, thus achieving simul¬ taneous placement of the first and second connectors to adjustably interconnect the two juxtaposed structural mem¬ bers 2 and 3. The first and second connector members 6* and 7', respectively, are prevented from axial displacement in relation to. each other by the split spring ring 44, which abuts one end of the first connector member as illus¬ trated, while the tines ^' 43 engage the slot 42 formed in the second connector member, thus retaining the first connector member* 6* rotatably trapped between the split spring ring 44 and the head 22 of the second connector member. Thus, to effect positional adjustment of the two support struc¬ tures 2 and 3, relative to each other, all that is again required is that a screwdriver be used to rotate the sec¬ ond connector member 7' either clockwise or counter-clock- wise, depending upon the direction of adjustment desired. When turned counter-clockwise the split spring ring abuts the associated end of the sleeve 6' , while rotation of the second connector clockwise brings the head 22 into bearing abutment with the bearing surface on the sleeve 6' .

Having thus described .the invention, what is believed to be new and novel and sought to be protected by letters patent of the United States is as follows: