Patent Publication Number: US-2010123113-A1

Title: Security partition system and universal clip for such system

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to security partition systems employing wire panels secured to and interconnected by vertical support posts, and is concerned in particular with a universal clip used to connect the panels to the support posts. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Conventional security partition systems are prefabricated with standard length wire panels. The wire panels have integral attachment clips at their ends designed to mechanically interengage in pre-positioned slots in the support posts. 
     The partition systems are normally shipped in a disassembled state, and are designed for on site erection. Space limitations at the site may dictate that one or more of the panels be shortened. Doing so necessitates trimming and removing end sections carrying the integral attachment clips, which leaves the trimmed panel edges without a means of attachment to the support posts. 
     The universal clip of the present invention is designed to be attached, at the erection site, to the trimmed edge at either end of a shortened panel to thereby serve as a means for connecting the shortened panel to a support post. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, a security partition system comprises an assembly of components, including a plurality of laterally spaced vertical support posts with vertical slots, and a plurality of panels comprised of evenly spaced horizontal and vertical wires bordering square openings. 
     Clips serve to connect the panels to the support posts. The clips comprise:
         (i) a front plate configured and dimensioned to span the gap between and to overlap the vertical wires bordering an opening along an edge of the panel, with a finger projecting from at least one side of the front plate and being arranged outside of the panel edge;   (ii) a back plate configured and dimensioned to span the gap between and to overlap the horizontal wires bordering the same opening, with peripheral flanges on the back plate mechanically engaging the horizontal wires; and   (iii) a fastener interconnecting and urging the front and back plates together, with the finger on the front plate received in the vertical slot of a support post to thereby establish a connection therebetween.       

     Preferably, the front plate is provided with fingers at both of its sides, thus adapting the clip for attachment to either end of the panel. Each finger is preferably hook-shaped for mechanical engagement with the bottom edge of the vertical slot in the support post. 
     The front plate is preferably provided with an additional coplanar side flange adjacent to each finger, with an aperture in the side flange through which a locking pin may be inserted and tapped into place in the vertical slot to retain the finger in mechanical engagement with the bottom edge of the slot. 
     These and other features and advantages of the present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary section of a security partition system in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the clip; 
         FIG. 3  is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 4  is a horizontal sectional view taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     With reference initially to  FIG. 1 , a security partition system in accordance with the present invention is generally depicted at  10 . The system includes vertical posts  12   a,    12   b  with vertical slots indicated typically at  14 . A wire panel  16  spans the gap between the posts. The panel comprises evenly spaced horizontal and vertical wires  18 ,  20  bordering square opening. 
     In  FIG. 1 , the left hand side of the panel  16  is shown equipped with standard permanently attached clips  22  serving to secure the panel to post  12   a.  However, because the distance “X” between the posts is less than the standard length of the panel, the right hand side of the panel has been trimmed, resulting in the standard clips at that side having been removed with the trimmed panel segment. Clips  24  in accordance with the present invention provide the means for securing the timed edge of the panel to the post  12   b.    
     With reference additionally to  FIGS. 2-4 , it will be seen that each clip  24  comprises a front plate  26  having at least one and preferably two fingers  28   a,    28   b,  projecting rearwardly from each side. The front plate is configured and dimensioned to span the gap between and to overlap the vertical wires  20  bordering an opening along the trimmed edge of the panel. When the front plate is thus positioned, its finger  28   b  is arranged outside of the trimmed panel edge. If the front plate was being positioned along a trimmed edge at the opposite side of the panel, then finger  28   a  would be arranged outside that edge. The front plate thus adapts the clip for universal application to a trimmed edge at either panel side. 
     A back plate  30  is configured and dimensioned to span the gap between and to overlap the horizontal wires  18  bordering the same opening. Forwardly projecting peripheral flanges  32  on the back plate are arranged to mechanically engage the horizontal wires  18 . 
     Fastening means in the form of a threaded screw  34  and nut  36  serves to urge the front and back plates together to thereby attach the clip  24  at the trimmed edge of the panel. 
     The fingers  28  are sized to enter respective vertical slots  14  in the support posts  12   a,    12   b,  and are preferably hook-shaped to mechanically engage the bottom edges of the slots. 
     The front plate  26  is preferably additionally provided with coplanar side flanges  38  adjacent to and above the fingers  28 . The flanges  38  have apertures  40  designed to accept locking pins  42 . The locking pins are inserted through the apertures and are tapped into place in the slots  14  to thereby lock the fingers  28  into mechanical engagement within the slots. 
     In light of the foregoing, it will now be evident to those skilled in the art that the clips  24  of the present invention are readily attachable to the trimmed sides of the panels, thus making it possible to accommodate on site shortening of the panel lengths. With finger  28  at both sides of the front plates  26 , the clips are designed for universal application to either panel edge.