A multidirectional aluminum extrusion connection device includes a direction-change coupling member having two ends respectively forming first and second coupling sections arranged in an angularly-staggered manner to extend in different directions for each connectable with a connection member. A first aluminum extrusion plate is provided to receive one of the connection members to extend therethrough so as to be set at a location corresponding to the first coupling section. A second aluminum extrusion plate is provided to receive the other one of the connection members to extend therethrough so as to be set at a location corresponding to the second coupling section. The first and second aluminum extrusion plates are thus connected in an angularly staggered manner to form a connection module having and defining a corner. The connection members may be additionally connected two pre-prepared aluminum extrusion parts for respectively coupling to the first and second aluminum extrusion plats.

A drive shaft includes a first shaft member made of metal, a tubular member made of CFRP, and a first exterior sleeve. The first shaft member is capable of being attached on one end side thereof to a first constant velocity joint, and has a first serrated part on which serrations are formed on another end side thereof. The tubular member is formed with a first fitting part fitted externally over the first serrated part. The first exterior sleeve covers the first fitting part by being disposed to extend over outer circumferential surfaces of the first shaft member and the tubular member. A film provided with a bonding assistance region and an adhesive are interposed between the outer circumferential surface of the tubular member and the inner circumferential surface of the first exterior sleeve.

A joint assembly comprising; an engagement block having a plurality of insert receiving faces; each insert receiving face having a slot, and an aperture at a mid-point of said slot; a plurality of inserts each having a core, at least a pair of ribs projecting from said core, a coupling at an insertion end of the core and a mount at a mounting end of the core, and; a coupling pin; wherein said engagement block is arranged to receive the inserts, with said ribs received into the slots and said core received into said aperture, said coupling pin arranged to be inserted into said engagement block and couple with the couplings of said inserts so as to releasably fix the inserts to the engagement block.

A joint assembly comprising; an engagement block having a plurality of insert receiving faces; each insert receiving face having a slot, and an aperture at a mid-point of said slot; a plurality of inserts each having a core, at least a pair of ribs projecting from said core, a coupling at an insertion end of the core and a mount at a mounting end of the core, and; a coupling pin; wherein said engagement block is arranged to receive the inserts, with said ribs received into the slots and said core received into said aperture, said coupling pin arranged to be inserted into said engagement block and couple with the couplings of said inserts so as to releasably fix the inserts to the engagement block.

Disclosed is a coupling assembly for joining together a pair of light fixture segments at a joint interface therebetween to form a light fixture assembly, comprising a body rotatably mountable on a first of the light fixture segments about a central axis, the body configured to operably engage a drive tool with a drive axis thereof aligned with the central axis to rotate the body between a release position and a coupling position, the body having a designated receiving location to receive a complementary coupling element on a second of the light fixture segments, and configured to provide an arcuate pathway extending from designated receiving location, wherein the designated receiving location and pathway are configured to permit the complementary coupling element to travel along the pathway as the body rotates on the central axis, and thereby to laterally transfer the complementary coupling element radially toward the central axis to draw the first and second light fixture segment toward forming the joint interface when the body reaches the coupling position corresponding to the complementary coupling element reaching a corresponding position along the pathway.

A spacecraft includes a 3-D closed truss structure including at least four coupling nodes and at least six strut elements, attached together by a plurality of joints, each coupling node including at least two legs, each strut element disposed between and attached with a respective pair of the plurality of coupling nodes. Each coupling node is attached, at respective ones of the plurality of joints, with at least two strut elements. Each strut element is attached at a first end with a first leg of a first coupling node and is attached at a second end with a second leg of a second coupling node, the first leg being substantially longer than the second leg.

A spacecraft includes a 3-D closed truss structure including at least four coupling nodes and at least six strut elements, attached together by a plurality of joints, each coupling node including at least two legs, each strut element disposed between and attached with a respective pair of the plurality of coupling nodes. Each coupling node is attached, at respective ones of the plurality of joints, with at least two strut elements. Each strut element is attached at a first end with a first leg of a first coupling node and is attached at a second end with a second leg of a second coupling node, the first leg being substantially longer than the second leg.

A railroad crosstie (tie) may be fabricated from a composite material including a fiber reinforced polymer shell manufactured by pultrusion or other process, and filled by a suitable material, typically selected from expanded elastomeric polymer (such as polyurethane resin or other polymer), concrete, lightweight concrete formed by conventional aggregate, sand, cement, water, and an ultra light filler such as natural materials, sawdust, beads of expanded polymer such as expanded polystyrene, microspheres of glass or plastic, a recycled wooden tie in conjunction with any of the above, or the like. Fasteners may be driven such as spikes, threaded, such as screws, lag screws, spreading screws, rivets, or the like into apertures, pilot holes, or directly into fill absent apertures therein.

A railroad crosstie (tie) may be fabricated from a composite material including a fiber reinforced polymer shell manufactured by pultrusion or other process, and filled by a suitable material, typically selected from expanded elastomeric polymer (such as polyurethane resin or other polymer), concrete, lightweight concrete formed by conventional aggregate, sand, cement, water, and an ultra light filler such as natural materials, sawdust, beads of expanded polymer such as expanded polystyrene, microspheres of glass or plastic, a recycled wooden tie in conjunction with any of the above, or the like. Fasteners may be driven such as spikes, threaded, such as screws, lag screws, spreading screws, rivets, or the like into apertures, pilot holes, or directly into fill absent apertures therein.

A joined structure includes a joint section in which a plurality of tubular bodies formed of a ceramic-based composite material are joined to each other such that end surfaces of the tubular bodies abut each other via an intermediate material. The joint section is configured such that each of the end surfaces of the joined tubular bodies is inclined from one of an inner surface and an outer surface of the tubular body toward the other.