Abstract:
Aluminum alloy connecting and supporting device for a glass construction project mainly includes a base, extension rods, glass clamping-connecting rods and glass clamping-connecting members, which are made of aluminum alloy and connected with one another by means of pivots. The aluminum alloy connecting and supporting device of this invention can be used for connecting glass of different specifications, of different locating points or of different shapes, able to shorten time needed for glass assembling work and able to assemble and connect glass conveniently, stably and safely.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates to an aluminum alloy connecting and supporting device for a glass construction project, particularly to one able to increase convenience and applicability in use, save cost of producing different-sized extension rods, speed up glass assembling work and enhance safety after glass is assembled. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Generally, a conventional glass supporting and connecting device can only be employed for construction of glass with certain specifications, that is, the space between every two panes of glass must be of the same because the extension rods of the conventional glass supporting-and-connecting device are made of cast iron formed integral by casting and cannot be changed in length. Therefore, when panes of glass with special specifications are to be assembled, special extension rods have to be made for assembling such glass, thus increasing cost and time in assembly. In addition, when assembled by means of the conventional glass supporting and connecting device, panes of glass must be on a same level without height difference and cannot be curved, resulting in much inconvenience in assembly. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The objective of this invention is to offer aluminum alloy connecting and supporting device for a glass construction project, able to assemble and connect glasses of different specifications, of different locations or at different angles. 
         [0006]    The aluminum alloy connecting-and-supporting device for a glass construction project in the present invention includes a base, extension rods, connecting rods, glass clamping-connecting rods and glass clamping-connecting members. 
         [0007]    The base made of aluminum alloy has a plurality of combining holes with their upper ends respectively formed with a receiving recess communicating with the combining hole and having a comparatively large diameter. A gasket whose thickness is larger than the depth of the receiving recess is received in the receiving recess for reinforcing combined stability of the base. 
         [0008]    The extension rod made of aluminum alloy has one end bored with a combining hole corresponding with the combining hole of the base. The extension rod and the base are combined together by a pivot locked in the combining holes of the extension rod and the base. The extension rod is able to be turned and shifted to different locations. 
         [0009]    The connecting rod made of aluminum alloy has one end connected with the outer end of the extension rod by means of a pivot. One or more connecting rods can be connected with the extension rod to lengthen the whole rod body for facilitating assembling glasses at different locations and angles or at different distances, especially applicable to assembling, adjusting and changing angles of small-sized or arc-shaped glass. 
         [0010]    The glass clamping-connecting rod made of aluminum alloy and somewhat curved has one end formed with a U-shaped engage member to be engaged with the inverted m-shaped engage member of the extension rod or with the corresponding engage member of the connecting rod. The glass clamping-connecting rod is bored with an adjusting hole at a proper location for fitting the glass clamping-connecting member and adjusting it to a proper position for carrying out glass assembling work. In other words, the adjusting hole of the glass clamping-connecting rod can function to adjust glass locating errors, able to lessen time needed for glass assembling work and save cost in producing different-shaped supporting frames. 
         [0011]    The glass clamping-connecting member is composed of a glass outer cover, a glass cushion, a glass inner cover, a threaded rod, a front nut and a rear nut. The glass clamping-connecting member is fitted in the adjusting hole of the glass clamping-connecting rod for stably fixing glass in position to prevent the glass from falling down and injuring people. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    This invention will be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an aluminum alloy connecting and supporting device for a glass construction project in the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the aluminum alloy connecting and supporting device for a glass construction project in the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a perspective and cross-sectional view of a base in the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is an upper view of an extension rod and a glass clamping-connecting rod connected together in the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a side cross-sectional view of a glass clamping-connecting member in the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the glass clamping-connecting member in the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of the glass clamping-connecting member in the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]    A preferred embodiment of an aluminum alloy connecting and supporting device  1  for glass construction project in the present invention, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , includes a base  10 , extension rods  20 , connecting rods  30 , glass clamping-connecting rods  40  and glass clamping-connecting members  50  combined together. 
         [0021]    The base  10  made of aluminum alloy has a plurality of combining holes  100  with their upper ends respectively formed with a receiving recess  101  communicating with the combining hole  100  and having a comparatively larger diameter than the combining hole  100 . The receiving recesses  101  respectively receive a gasket  102  having a larger thickness than the depth of the receiving recess  101 . After being tightly locked in the receiving recess  101 , the gasket  102  is able to reinforce the holding force of the base  10  after combined and greatly elevate the strength of bearing heavy loads. 
         [0022]    The extension rods  20  are made of aluminum alloy, respectively having one end bored with a combining hole  200  corresponding with the combining hole  100  of the base  10 . The extension rod  20  and the base  10  are connected together by means of a pivot  201  locked in the combining holes  200  and  100 , and the gasket  102  is firmly positioned between the base  10  and the extension rod  20 . 
         [0023]    The connecting rod  30  made of aluminum alloy has one end connected with the outer end of the extension rod  20  and the inner end connected with the glass clamping-connecting rod  40  by means of a pivot  301 . Thus, one or more connecting rods  30  can be connected between the extension rod  20  and the glass clamping-connecting rod  40  to properly lengthen the rod body for facilitating glass assembling work at different locations, angles or distances. 
         [0024]    The glass clamping-connecting rod  40  made of aluminum alloy has one end connected with the outer end of the extension rod  20  or one end of the connecting rod  30  and the other end bored with an adjusting hole  400  for fitting and adjusting the glass clamping-connecting member  50  to a suitable location for carrying out glass assembling work. 
         [0025]    The glass clamping-connecting member  50  made of aluminum alloy is fitted in the adjusting hole  400  of the glass clamping-connecting rod  40  and is able to firmly fixing glass in position to prevent the glass from falling down and injuring people. 
         [0026]    Specifically, referring to  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  4 , the base  10  has a plurality of the combining holes  100  with their upper ends respectively provided with the receiving recess  101  communicating with the combining hole  100  and having comparatively large diameter for receiving the gasket  102  or a non-slip gasket  103  with toothed streaks on both sides. The gasket  102  or  103  has a thickness larger than the depth of the receiving recess  101 . After being locked tight, the gasket  102  or  103  is able to reinforce the combined stability of the base  10  and the extension rod  20  and enhance the holding force of the device and also increase the strength of bearing heavy loads. 
         [0027]    The extension rod  20  has its outer end formed with an inverted m-shaped engage member  202 , and the glass clamping-connecting rod  40  has one end formed with a U-shaped engage member  401  to be engaged with the inverted m-shaped engage member  202  of the extension rod  20 . After the engage members  202  and  401  of the extension rod  20  and the glass clamping-connecting rod  40  are engaged together, they are formed with four contact surfaces A, B, C, D closely contacting with one another and inserted therethrough by a pivot  301  to connect the extension rod  20  and the glass clamping-connecting rod  40  together. In addition, one or more connecting rods  30  can be connected between the extension rod  20  and the glass clamping-connecting rod  40  to extend the connected rod for a proper distance for facilitating assembling, adjusting and changing angles of small-sized or arc-shaped glass. Moreover, the extension rod  20  and the glass clamping-connecting rod  40  can be integrally made into a single member with a curved or a straight-line shape. 
         [0028]    A first preferred embodiment of the glass clamping-connecting member  50 , as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , includes a glass outer cover  5010 , a glass cushion member  5011 , a glass inner cover  5012 , a threaded rod  5013 , a front nut  5014  and a rear nut  5015  combined together. 
         [0029]    The glass outer cover  5010  is a hollow T-shaped body made of aluminum alloy, provided with male threads  50101  on the surface of a lower portion for connecting other members and its hollow center provided therein with female threads  50102  to be connected with the threaded rod  5013 . 
         [0030]    The glass cushion  5011  is a sidewise H-shaped body made of rubber, having its center bored with a through hole  50110  to be fitted on the glass outer cover  5010  and having its outer end closely contact with the inner end of the glass outer cover  5010 . The glass cushion  5011  is disposed with a recessed groove  50111  in the outer circumferential side between its opposite ends for stably fixing glass therein so as to prevent the glass from falling down and from being locked tight with excessively large force to break potentially the glass. 
         [0031]    The glass inner cover  5012  is a circular body made of aluminum alloy, having its center bored with a through round hole provided therein with female threads  50121  to be combined with the male threads  50101  on the surface of the glass outer cover  5010 , letting the outer end of the glass inner cover  5012  closely contact with the inner end of the glass cushion  5011 . Therefore, after the inner cover  5012  is turned tight, the glass cushion  5011  will be forced to closely contact with the glass outer cover  5010 . 
         [0032]    The threaded rod  5013  made of stainless steel has its surface provided with male threads  50131  by which the outer end of the threaded rod  5013  can be combined with the female threads  50102  of the glass outer cover  5010 . 
         [0033]    The front nut  5014  is a hollow cylinder made of aluminum alloy, having its center bored with a through round hole provided therein with female threads  50141  to be combined with the male threads  50131  of the threaded rod  5013 , letting the outer end of the front nut  5014  closely contact with the outer end of the round hole of the glass outer cover  5010 . 
         [0034]    The rear nut  5015  is a sidewise U-shaped body made of aluminum alloy, having the inner portion of its hole disposed with female threads  50151  by which the rear nut  5015  can be connected with the rear end of the threaded rod  5013 . Thus, by turning the rear nut  5015 , the threaded rod  5013  can be adjusted to a proper length tallying with the total thickness of the members fitted on the threaded rod  5013  so as to enable all the members to closely contact with one another and be firmly secured together after the rear nut  5015  is turned tight. 
         [0035]    A second preferred embodiment of the glass clamping-connecting member  50  in the present invention, as shown in  FIG. 7 , has almost the same structure as that described in the first preferred embodiment, except that the glass outer cover  5020  has its center bored with a through insert hole  50200  having its upper end cut with a receiving recess  50201  communicating with the through insert hole  50200 , and that the threaded rod  5023  has one end expanded outward and formed with a flat bolt head  50230  to be received in the receiving recess  50201  of the glass outer cover  5020 . The other members in the second preferred embodiment respectively have the same structure as that described in the first preferred embodiment, including the glass cushion  5021 , the glass inner cover  5022 , the front nut  5024 , the rear nut  5025 , the male threads  50231  of the threaded rod  5023 , the female threads  50202 ,  50221 ,  50241  and  50251 , the recessed groove  50211  of the glass cushion  5021 , and the through insert hole  50210  of the glass cushion member  5021 . 
         [0036]    It is readily apparent that the above-described embodiments have the advantage of wide commercial utility. It should be understood that the specific form of the invention hereinabove described is intended to be representative only, as certain modifications within the scope of these teachings will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following claims in determining the full scope of the invention.