IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,372,108
Granted Patent B2
US 12,372,108 · App. 17/214,654 · Granted Jul 29, 2025

Rotatable forkend connection system

Inventors: Michael Wells (Sulphur Springs, TX); Mark Newlin (Grey Forest, TX); Clifton Robbins (Yantis, TX)
Assignee: Xtreme Structures & Fabrication, LLC
F16B7/0406E04B2001/2439Y10T403/32861
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,372,108
App. No.
17/214,654
Granted
Jul 29, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A rotatable forkend connection system is provided that includes a shank and a forkend connector. The shank is fixedly coupled to a device member and extends within the device member along a longitudinal axis of the device member. The shank includes a protrusion extending from the shank in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the device member. The forkend connector is rotatably coupled to the shank and has an axis of rotation coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the device member. The forkend connector includes a recess configured to receive the protrusion. The protrusion and the recess are configured to restrain the forkend connector from moving along the longitudinal axis of the device member.

Claims (12)

1. A rotatable forkend connection system, comprising:

a shank coupled to a device member by a first coupling configured to prevent rotation of the shank relative to the device member, the shank extending within the device member along a longitudinal axis of the device member, the shank comprising a protrusion extending from the shank in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the device member; and

a forkend connector coupled to the shank by a second coupling configured to allow rotation of the forkend connector relative to the shank, an axis of rotation of the forkend connector coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the device member,

wherein the forkend connector comprises a recess configured to receive the protrusion, the protrusion and the recess configured to prevent the forkend connector from moving along the longitudinal axis of the device member, the recess configured to constrain rotation of the forkend connector around the axis of rotation to a predetermined number of degrees of rotation.

2. The rotatable forkend connection system of claim 1 , wherein:

the shank comprises a nub extending from an end of the device member and coaxially with the longitudinal axis of the device member, and

the protrusion extends from the nub.

3. The rotatable forkend connection system of claim 2 , further comprising:

a second protrusion extending from the nub in a second direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the device member; and

a second recess in the forkend connector, configured to receive the second protrusion,

wherein the second protrusion and the second recess are configured to further restrain the forkend connector from moving along the longitudinal axis of the device member.

4. The rotatable forkend connection system of claim 1 , wherein the forkend connector comprises one of a male connector and a female connector, wherein the recess of the male forkend connector is configured to constrain rotation of the male forkend connector to one of clockwise and counterclockwise rotation, when viewed looking from the forkend connector to the device member, and the recess of the female forkend connector is configured to constrain rotation of the female forkend connector to the other one of clockwise and counterclockwise rotation.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 1, 2021
From: WELLS, MICHAEL; NEWLIN, MARK; ROBBINS, CLIFTON
To: XTREME STRUCTURES & FABRICATION, LLC
Reel/Frame 056738/0810 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63000321 · Mar 26, 2020
Related Publication 20210301520A1 · Sep 30, 2021
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