Patent ID: 7530540
Filing Date: 2009-05-12
Classification: E04B,F16B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A space-dividing post-and-beam arrangement for at least partially defining interior workspaces, comprising: a plurality of vertically elongate, upright posts disposed in sidewardly-spaced supportive upright engagement with a floor, each said post being generally circular in cross section and having a plurality of channel-like grooves formed therein and extending axially therealong in angularly spaced relationship around a post circumference; a ring-shaped clamping collar fixedly but removably engaged in encircling relationship on each of first and second said posts which are disposed in sidewardly-spaced relationship from one another; said clamping collar being defined by a pair of arcuate collar segments which when coupled in opposed relationship define said collar, said arcuate segments being relatively movable into an open or separated position to enable mounting around or removal from the post, and fasteners cooperating between opposed ends of the arcuate collar segments for rigidly coupling the collar segments together in encircling engagement with the post such that said collar segments clamp onto said post to prevent vertical displacement of said clamping collar along said post, each said collar segment having a pair of positioning keys projecting radially inwardly thereof in circumferentially spaced, non-movable relationship from one another and disposed for insertion within different ones of said channel-like grooves when the clamping collar is mounted on the post wherein said positioning keys circumferentially locate and prevent circumferential movement of said collar segments relative to said post; each of said collar segments having top and bottom rims which respectively project axially upwardly and downwardly and extend length-wise along the collar segment throughout the arcuate extent thereof, said rims defining on one side thereof an inner arcuate wall which is generated on a radius slightly greater than the radius defining an exterior diameter of the post so as to define a narrow clearance groove between the rim and the post, said groove defining a substantially complete annulus which externally surrounds the post and is defined between the post and the rims when the connecting collar is mounted on the post; a horizontally elongate beam having jaw assemblies fixedly but removably mounted on opposite ends thereof, said jaw assemblies being respectively fixedly but removably coupled to the connecting collars associated with said first and second posts so as to rigidly connect said beam to and between said posts; said jaw assembly having a support body rigidly joined to the beam and which mounts a first outwardly-protruding jaw part, and a second outwardly-protruding jaw part being movably mounted on said body and disposed in generally vertically opposed relationship to said first jaw part, said first and second jaw parts defining therein vertically opposed clamping grooves which have a horizontally elongate and arcuate shape so that the uppermost jaw part hooks downwardly over the top rim and the lowermost jaw part hooks upwardly over the bottom rim, and a tightening arrangement cooperating between the jaw parts for relatively moving them vertically toward one another to fixedly clampingly engage the top and bottom rims within the respective top and bottom clamping grooves; said clamping grooves and their cooperation with the rims on said connecting collar permitting the jaw assembly to be mounted at any desired location circumferentially around the post.