The purpose of the present invention is to provide a simple assembly system which comprises a variety of components which are themselves simple in construction and simple and relatively cheap to manufacture.

According to the present invention an assembly system comprises one or more connecting units each of which has at least one socket member into which a length of material, such as wood, can be inserted, the socket member having associated with it a bracket member by which the socket member may in use be secured to a further item such as a table top.

The units may be manufactured from any suitable material depending upon the specific use to which the assembly system is to be put.

It is preferred to manufacture the unit from plastics material, typically by injection moulding. However, where it is required that the units should have particularly high strength they could be fabricated from pressed and welded metal plate.

The assembly system will include a variety of types of different units, each designed to serve different assembly or connection purposes.

For example a first unit would have only a single socket with a first type of bracket. A second unit would have only one socket but with a second type of bracket. A third unit would have two sockets configured at 90° to one another together with a mounting bracket. A fourth unit would

have three sockets configured along the x, y and z axis at 90° to one another with three mounting brackets between adjacent sockets.

How the present invention may be carried out will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings inwhich: Figure 1 is a three quarter view of a first embodiment of the present invention using a single socket; Figure 2 is a side elevational view taken in the direction of the arrow A in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view taken in the direction of the arrow B in Figure 1; Figure 4 is an underside view taken in the direction of the arrow C in Figure 1; Figure 5 is an end view taken in the direction of the arrow D in Figure 1; Figures 6 to 10 illustrate a second embodiment of the invention also employing a single socket, the views in these Figures being equivalent to Figures 1 to 5 respectively; Figures 11 to 16 illustrate a further embodiment of the present invention employing two sockets with views 11 to 15 being equivalent to views 1 to 5 and Figure 16 being a three quarter perspective view taken in the direction of the arrow X in Figure 11; and Figures 17 to 21 illustrate a fourth embodiment of the present invention employing three sockets, these views being equivalent to Figures 11to 16.

Figures 1 to 5

This connection unit comprises a single socket 10 of square box section which has on one of its sides a bracket 11 which is also connected to the socket 10 by reinforcing webs 12. The socket 10 is provided with one or more holes or apertures 13 by which an item, such as the end of a length of wood, may be secured within the socket 10.

The bracket 11 is also provided with at least one aperture or hole 14 by which another item, such as a table top, may be secured to the socket unit 10.

The top of the socket 10 is indicated at 15a, the bottom at 15b, one side at 15c and the other side at 15d.

Figures 6 to 10 This illustrates a second embodiment which also employs a single socket 10, the same reference numerals being used as in Figures 1 to 5 to indicate the same items.

However, in this embodiment instead of there being a simple bracket 11 on only one side 15c of the socket 10, the bracket 11 is L-shaped and extends along two sides of the square shaped socket 10, there again being reinforcing webs 12a and 12b interconnecting the bracket 11 with the socket 10. As with the embodiment of Figure 1 there are securing apertures or holes 13 and 14.

Figures 11 to 16 A third embodiment of the present invention has two square box section sockets 10a and 10b configured at ninety degrees to one another.

The two socket members 10a and 10b are interconnected by a bracket 12. The tops 15a, 15b, of the sockets 10a and 10b form part of an integral L-shaped portion 16.

As can be seen in Figure 16 the corner of the unit is open although the walls 18a and 18b could be extended to the corner in order to close it.

However, the open-cornered construction illustrated in Figure 16 is more versatile in that it would enable the end of an item such as a length of wood to be inserted into that corner area.

Figure 16 also illustrates one application of the present invention which is to interconnect lengths of pre-cut/planed wood, two examples of which are illustrated at 19 and 20. The ends of each of these lengths of wood are inserted into the two sockets 10a and 10b and secured in position by screws through the holes 13.

Figures 17 to 22 This embodiment comprises three square boxed sectioned sockets 10a, 10b, and 10c which are configured along the x, y and z axis respectively which are at ninety degrees to one another.

Again, the same reference numerals have been used to indicate parts which are equivalent to those shown in previous Figures. In particular each of two adjacent sockets is interconnected by webs 12a, 12b and 12c respectively.

As with the embodiment of Figures 11 to 16 the corner of the embodiment of Figures 17 is open as illustrated in Figure 22 although, as with the previous embodiment, this corner could be enclose.

The present invention thus provides a versatile assembly or interconnecting system where it is desired to assemble or interconnect, typically lengths of wood in order to enable a variety of items, such as furniture, to be assemble easily.

Although all the embodiments illustrated employ sockets which are of square section the invention is not limited in this way as other sections could be used such as rectangular or circular sections.

Although as indicated earlier the present invention could be applied in a number of fields its particular application would be in the do-it-yourself (DIY) field where a non-skilled person desires to construct an item such as a piece of furniture or other structure.

It should be noted that in the previously described embodiments of the invention the bracket/reinforcing member (typically 11,12) lies flush, ie is coplanar with respect to the socket (typically 10). For example, the bracket 11 lies flush/coplanar with the side 15b as shown in Figure 4, ie the bracket 11 forms an extension of the side 15 of the socket 10.

The technical advantage of having a bracket/reinforcing member (11 in Figure 1,12 in Figures 6,11 and 14) coplanar or flush with the adjacent side of the/a socket is that when a screw is inserted through the hole 14, into for example a table top, and tightened the table top will be drawn hard against the flat surface of the bracket/reinforcing member (11 and 12) as well as against the flat surface of the adjacent side of the adjacent socket.

The coplanar position of the bracket/reinforcing member of the invention serves the following purposes: a. it acts as a reinforcement; b. it acts as a mounting by which the socket can be secure, for example to a wall; c. it acts as a mounting for a panel such as a table top; d. it enables two similar socket units to be mounted back-to- back.

It should also be noted that the holes 13 are arranged so that there is at least one hole in each of two adjacent sides of the socket 10, the two holes being off-set with respect to one another and formed in adjacent sides of the socket.

The advantage of this arrangement of holes is that when screws are passed through the holes and screwed into a length of timber, the latter will be drawn tightly against adjacent sides of the socket and thus, be more securely held than if the holes were, for example, formed in opposite sides of the socket. There is a further advantage because the pairs of holes are located in the same positions in different sockets (where there are more than one), the timber ends will be drawn in the same direction thus ensuring that any variations in the cross-sections of the nominally identical sized pieces of timber do not adversely effect the accuracy of the timber assembly being constructed.

Although the preferred securing means comprises screws, nails could be used instead.