Patent ID: 7073237
Filing Date: 2006-07-11
Classification: B29C,D06C

Abstract:
1. A joint for connecting the adjacent ends of rail assemblies arranged consecutively along a path, each rail assembly having parallel chain guide channels, said joint comprising: a base adapted to be positioned on said path between adjacent ends of said rail assemblies; a platform supported on said base; a pin projecting vertically from said base through a slot in said platform, said slot being configured to accommodate movement of said platform relative to said base in opposite directions along an axis transverse to said path; slide blocks carried on said platform, each slide block being located between said pin and a respective one of said rail assemblies and being shiftable in opposite directions on said platform, each of said rail assemblies being pivotally connected to said pin and to a respective one of said slide blocks; and resiliently flexible bands carried by said platform, said flexible bands being mechanically coupled to said rail assemblies and being arranged to define intermediate channels extending between the chain guide channels of said rail assemblies, said platform being shiftable along said axis and said slide blocks being shiftable on said platform in response to pivotal movement of said rail assemblies about said pin, resulting in said flexible bands being resiliently deflected to arcuately configure said intermediate channels.