Joint maker

Joint maker for the assembly of two or more pieces of stock about common interconnecting members. The joint maker includes a plurality of configured arms about common interconnecting members for either assembling stock at a right angle, or at other angles with respect to each other, whether there are two or more pieces of stock. The joint maker includes angularly inwardly extending cleats which extend from the arms, and arms extending from a common interconnecting member. Each of the cleats have an inwardly extending member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention pertains to an apparatus for joining two or more 
pieces of stock, such as wood, together, and more particularly, pertains 
to joining two pieces of material together, such as right angled members 
of a drawer. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The prior art recognizes the joining of members of drawers together, such 
as by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,279,455 and 4,344,661, as well as numerous other 
prior art patents such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,331,368, 4,286,831, 4,277,122, 
4,108,520, 3,901,572, 3,877,765 and 4,036,542. 
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by 
providing cleats in arms about a common interconnecting member which are 
angled inwardly providing for secure engagement between the cleats on the 
arms and each piece of stock. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The general purpose of the present invention is a joint maker for joining 
at least two pieces of stock, such as aluminum, plastic, wood, composite 
material, or the like, together at a right angle or any other plurality of 
angles as so may be desired. 
According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a 
joint maker which includes at least one common interconnecting member with 
first and second pair of arms extending therefrom, each end of each of the 
arms including an angled inwardly extending cleat at a substantially right 
angle thereto, and each of the cleats including an expanding section which 
angles inwardly providing for engagement with grooves in a stock member 
having a like pair of grooves therein. The grooves of the stock 
frictionally engage into the gap between the cleats, and likewise, the 
slots of the stock engage with the cleats of the joint maker providing for 
a firm and secure joint therebetween. The connecting member can be more 
than one member and can include a space and supporting arms at either a 
right angle, a parallel plane, or at an angle therebetween, and can join 
two or more pieces of stock. 
Significant aspects and features of the joint maker of the present 
invention include a structure which can be extruded and cut to any length, 
and can be used to join two or more pieces of stock together. 
Another significant aspect and feature of the joint maker of the present 
invention is for joining two members of a drawer together at a right 
angle. 
A further significant aspect and feature of the joint maker of the present 
invention is being able to connect any number of members at any number of 
predetermined angles. 
Having thus described embodiments of the present invention, there is 
provided a joint maker for joining two or more members together at 
predetermined angles as so desired.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the present invention, a joint 
maker 10. The joint maker 10 is of a resilient material, such as aluminum 
or like metal, extruded plastic, or any other appropriate material or 
composite material. The joint maker includes a pair of first arms 12 and 
14, and a pair of second arms 16 and 18 where arm 16 is a right angle 
member. An interconnecting member 20 is connected to inner sides 22 and 24 
for interconnecting the first pair of arms 12 and 14 and the second pair 
of arms 16 and 18. The height of stocks 40 and 42 to be joined, determine 
the length of the member 20 and of the arms 12, 14, 16 and 18. Each of the 
arms have angularly inwardly extending cleats 26, 28, 30 and 32 
respectively, extending from the arms at substantially right angles or 
planar as illustrated. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 the cleat 32 is 
constituent with the arm 18. Captured areas 34 and 36 are formed on each 
side of the interconnecting member 20. The joint maker 10 can be of any 
length as so required. 
FIG. 2 illustrates a top view where all numerals correspond to those 
elements previously described. 
MODE OF OPERATION 
To effectuate the joining of the stock 40 and 42 by the joint maker 10, the 
cleats 26, 28, 30 and 32 are aligned with traverse vertical grooves 50, 
52, 54 and 56 on inner and outer faces of the stock 40 and 42. The stock 
40 and 42 slides into the joint maker 10 with the grooves 50, 52, 54 and 
56, receiving the cleats 26, 28, 30 and 32. Each of the cleats provides 
for frictional engagement in each of the slots. The rigidity of the 
resultant structure is determined by varying dimensions such as the length 
of the connecting member 20, or the length and positioning of the arms 12, 
14, 16 and 18. Connecting member 20 positions and butts up to the end of 
the stock 40 or 42 providing for yet additional stability. 
For constructing short lengths of stock together such as in drawer 
assembly, the grooves are positioned as described within cleats 26-32 and 
exert the required amount of frictional engagement to exact a solid fit 
joint. It can be seen that a given amount of frictional engagement 
pressure along relatively longer lengths will multiply directly in 
proportion to the length of stock to be engaged in the respective joining 
maker cleats and that a somewhat greater amount of pressure would be 
required to slide the joint maker over the length of a grooved sheet of 
plywood paneling material. For insertions of large proportions, grooves 
50, 52, 54, and 56 in the stock 40 and 42 position slightly inwardly 
towards the rear end of the stock to alleviate the need for excess 
installation pressure which would otherwise be required for installation 
and the overcoming of built up longitudinal surface tensions to be 
overcome. 
While the embodiment of the joint maker 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 joins the 
stock 40 and 42 at a substantially right angle, any desired angle can be 
achieved by another embodiment of the device as shown in FIGS. 3-8. 
FIG. 3 illustrates a top view of a second embodiment of a joint maker 70 
where the two particular pieces of stock are of different sizes. 
Particularly, the stock 72 illustrated in the drawing is of a different 
width than the stock 74, requiring a longer section 76 of the joint 
member. 
FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of the third embodiment of the present 
invention 80 where the joint maker engages about stock 82 and 84 about a 
piece of stock 86. In effect it engages to three different pieces of 
material. 
FIG. 5 illustrates a top view of the fourth embodiment of a joint maker 90 
where the arms are parallel and common about an interconnecting member 92 
to join stock 94 and 96. This provides for engaging of stock and joining 
of stock together in essentially a plane. 
FIG. 6 illustrates a top view of the fifth embodiment of joint maker 100 
for joining stock 102 and 104 parallel to each other and spaced at a 
particular distance. The spacing is provided by common interconnecting 
members 106 and 108. Of course, the stock when joined would not have to be 
parallel with respect to each other, it could be joined at an angle. 
FIG. 7 illustrates a top view of the sixth embodiment of joint maker 110 
for engaging stock 112 and 114 at an angle about a common point 116 with a 
curved interconnecting member 118 as well as interconnecting members 120 
and 122. Of course, interconnecting member 118 could also be planar 
opposed to be curved. 
FIG. 8 illustrates a top view of the seventh embodiment of joint maker 130 
including an equilateral triangle 132 by way of example and for purposes 
of illustration only where arms extend away from each side of the 
equilateral triangle 132 for joining stock 134, 136 and 138. 
The above embodiments are not to be construed as being limiting of all of 
the teachings of the embodiments as other embodiments certainly are within 
the disclosure, scope and teachings of the invention. 
Various modifications can be made to the present invention without 
departing from the apparent scope thereof.