Slidably Interlocking Attachment Plates and Items

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to attachment plates which are constructed to slidably interlock with various items including containers, housings, walls, fixtures and other entities in which the sliding interlocking connection includes male and female dovetailed, longitudinally wedge shaped structures with the attachment plates being capable of connecting various items, articles, containers and the like with the attachment plate including a support structure to enable the connected items to be carried or effectively supported, handled and the like with the wedge shaped configuration of the dovetailed connection providing a positive and secure interconnection between the attachment plate and the item connected thereto. The items or articles, such as containers or the like, are constructed with the wedge shaped tapered dovetailed connection facilities on surface portions thereof to enable a plurality of the items to be connected to each other or connected to the attachment plate.

2. INFORMATION DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

Slidable interlocking connections have been known for various purposes such as supporting items from vertical walls and connecting items together. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,514,170, 3,851,936 and 4,624,383 disclose structures relating to this invention including slidable interlocking connections between containers and between containers and a support. However, the structural features in the above-mentioned patents are different from the structure of the present invention. A separate information disclosure statement will be filed in this case.

An object of the present invention is to provide slidably interlocking attachment plates and items connected and supported thereby in which the slidable interconnection includes a tapered or wedge shaped dovetailed interconnection for securely and positively interconnecting and/or supporting a plurality of items so that the plurality of items are effectively connected, joined, attached and securely held or interlocked in relation to each other or attached to other items, supporting structures and the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a slidable interlocking connection incorporated into various items such as containers, housings, fixtures and similar items which enable interlocking connection of a plurality of such items and enable an attachment plate to connect and/or support a plurality of items in an assembled, connected relation or support one or more items or articles from a supporting structure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a slidably interlocking attachment arrangement having general utility for connecting and/or supporting one or a plurality of various items, articles, housings, containers and the like which is simple in construction, effective in use and capable of many uses satisfying various use requirements.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plurality of items being retained in assembled relation and capable of being carried or supported by a slidably interlocking attachment plate and by a slidably interlocking connection between certain of the items.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the structural arrangement of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a transverse, sectional view illustrating the structure of the slidably interlocking connection utilized in this invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an attachment plate with a supporting hook associated therewith.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates an assembly 10 which includes a plurality of housings, fixtures, containers and the like each of which is designated by reference numeral 12 and which are interconnected with each other and adjacent items 12 are interconnected by an attachment plate generally designated by the numeral 14 which retains adjacent items 12 in assembled relation and thus retains the assembly in assembled relation.

The attachment plate 14 includes an elongated strip-like panel 16 which tapers from one end to the other with the narrow end of the panel 16 including an aperture 18 or other means for engagement with a support or forming a handle by which the panel 16 can be supported, lifted, manipulated and the like. The side edges of the panel 16 diverge downwardly from the apertured end to form a wedge shaped configuration and the side edges of the panel 16 are generally V-shaped as designated by numeral 20 to provide a dual or double male dovetailed member for connection with correspondingly shaped recesses 22 in adjacent surfaces 24 of adjacent items 12. Each recess 22 is provided with side edges 26 which incline inwardly from a wide end to a narrow end with the side edges of the recess also slanting downwardly and outwardly thus providing a wedge shaped, tapering female dovetailed connecting member which will receive and slidably interlock with one-half of the V-shaped edges 20 of the panel 16 so that items 12 having female recesses 22 in facing or adjacent surfaces can be slidably interlocked with the attachment plate 14. The items 14 will include a female recess on one side and a male dovetailed, tapered, wedge shaped interlocking member on the other so that one or a plurality of items 12 may be slidably interlocked with respect to each other thereby enabling a plurality of items to be assembled onto each other with the adjacent opposed items being slidably interlocked with the attachment plate 14 thereby providing an assembly 10 of items 12 so that a plurality of such items may be interconnected to form an assembly, package or containers and a plurality of such items or the assembly may be supported, handled, lifted, manipulated and the like in any suitable manner but yet readily disassembled for individual use.

One mode of use is the assembly of a plurality of article holders for small tools such as wrence sockets, ratchet handles, extensions and the like having article holders incorporated therein as disclosed in my co-pending application previously mentioned.

An alternative attachment or support plate 30 can be provided in which the configuration of the strip-like panel 32 is the same except that the side edges thereof are beveled or inclined as at 34 rather than being V-shaped since the upper end of the panel 32 is reversely folded or curved to form a supporting hook 36 which may have an aperture 38 in the downturned end thereof to facilitate engagement with a support structure, a handling or lifting structure or any other structure to support, handle or manipulate the attachment plate 30 and one or more items connected thereto by the slidably interlocked, wedge shaped, tapered dovetailed connection. Another alternative is to provide apertures in the plate or panel 14 or 32 for receiving screws to attach the plate to a supporting surface in which event the reversely curved or folded hook 36 would be omitted. This structure enables one or more items to be connected to a supporting surface such as a vertical or horizontal surface by slidably interlocking the male dovetailed member with a female tapered dovetailed recess in the surface of an item 12.

As indicated, the items 12 may be containers, housings, fixtures or any other article, items or entity desired to be connected to similar or dissimilar entities, supported or connected to each other and supported or connected to a supporting structure or the like.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and, accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.