Insulation external wall ceramic tile reinforcing device
By constructing a linkage structure between the tiles, the existing devices are no longer aesthetically pleasing and are inconvenient to install and remove. This achieves stable reinforcement of the tile edges and corners and facilitates easy maintenance, thus improving the stability and aesthetics of the tiles.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- CHINA 19TH METALLURGICAL CORP
- Filing Date
- 2023-06-26
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-29
AI Technical Summary
Existing tile reinforcement devices affect the appearance of tiles and are inconvenient to disassemble and repair, and cannot effectively prevent the edges and corners of tiles from lifting.
A thermal insulation exterior wall tile reinforcement device is designed. By constructing a linkage structure between adjacent tiles, the device utilizes the linkage relationship between the abutment end, the rotating plate, and the linkage rod end to achieve stable reinforcement of the tile corners. Expansion bolts are used to fix the central round shell and the cover plate. The linkage mechanism includes components such as the abutment plate, the rotating plate, the linkage rod, and the rubber flexible rod.
It effectively prevents the edges and corners of tiles from warping, maintains the aesthetic appearance of the tiles, and facilitates the disassembly, assembly, and maintenance of the device, thereby improving the stability and reinforcement effect of the tiles.
Smart Images

Figure CN116677148B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of auxiliary components for the construction of thermal insulation exterior wall ceramic tiles, and in particular to a reinforcement device for thermal insulation exterior wall ceramic tiles. Background Technology
[0002] Ceramic tiles are a type of acid- and alkali-resistant building decoration material made from refractory metal oxides and semi-metal oxides through grinding, mixing, pressing, glazing, and sintering. Tiles are typically used on exterior walls to enhance their aesthetics. However, with technological advancements, the functionality of ceramic tiles has become increasingly practical, including the development of insulating tiles. Therefore, to ensure the stability of ceramic tiles on exterior walls, appropriate reinforcement devices are usually used to strengthen them.
[0003] Existing public documents disclose CN113668872A - a fixing device for building exterior wall insulation boards and its construction method, including a corner fixing mechanism and a central fixing mechanism. The corner fixing mechanism is used to position the corner of the insulation board, and the central fixing mechanism is used to press the center of the insulation board. The central fixing mechanism is connected to the corner fixing mechanism through a positioning rod, and the positioning rod is equipped with an auxiliary fixing mechanism. The method includes: installing the corner fixing mechanism, installing the positioning rod, installing the central fixing mechanism, and constructing the insulation board. This invention not only improves the fixing effect of the insulation board, but also facilitates the replacement of the insulation board. Installation and disassembly are convenient and quick. The construction method has simple steps, which not only facilitates the rapid installation and disassembly of the insulation board, but also greatly improves the fixing effect of the exterior wall insulation board, prevents it from falling off, and minimizes damage to the insulation board, thereby improving the overall insulation effect of the exterior wall. However, it still has the following drawbacks in actual use: 1. In order to reinforce the tiles, the existing device is attached to various points on the outside of the tile. Although this method can reinforce the tile, it also affects the initial aesthetic function of the tile, resulting in the two functions not being effectively combined; 2. After the reinforcement device has been used for too long, the internal structure may be damaged. Since it does not have the function of easy disassembly and assembly, it is not possible to quickly inspect or replace the internal parts of the device. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a thermal insulation exterior wall tile reinforcement device that effectively prevents the edges and corners of the tiles from warping by constructing a linkage structure between two adjacent exterior wall tiles.
[0005] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is: a heat-insulating exterior wall tile reinforcement device, including a central circular shell and a cover plate, the central circular shell and the cover plate being fastened together to form an internal cavity, a reinforcement linkage mechanism being provided in the internal cavity, the central circular shell and the cover plate being fixedly installed on the exterior wall by expansion bolts, the reinforcement linkage mechanism including at least two abutting ends, at least two rotating plate ends and at least one linkage rod end, the two rotating plates being connected by the linkage rod end to achieve rotation linkage, each rotating plate being provided one-to-one with the abutting end, each abutting end being provided at the corner of the corresponding exterior wall tile; the abutting end includes an abutting plate and a connecting rod provided on the abutting plate. The connecting rod passes through the through hole of the central circular shell, with one end of the connecting rod tightly attached to the rotating plate. The rotating plate includes a rotating inclined plate, one end of which is connected to the linkage rod end, and the other end of which is tightly attached to the abutment end. Shafts are provided on both sides of the rotating inclined plate, and the rotating inclined plate can be rotatably mounted on the inner wall of the central circular shell through the shafts. When the corner of one of the exterior wall tiles is raised, the corresponding abutment end moves and drives the corresponding rotating plate to rotate. The rotating plate drives the linkage rod end to move and drives the rotating plate at the other end of the linkage rod end to rotate. The rotating plate at the other end then presses against the corresponding abutment end and presses against the corner of the exterior wall tile that the abutment end is in contact with.
[0006] Furthermore, the end of the connecting rod that is in close contact with the rotating plate has a spherical shape.
[0007] Furthermore, the connecting rod includes a baffle plate disposed in the middle section of the connecting rod, and a push spring is disposed between the baffle plate and the end of the spherical structure.
[0008] Furthermore, the linkage rod end includes an arc-shaped cylinder, inside which a rubber flexible rod is provided, and at both ends of the rubber flexible rod are circular plate ends, which are respectively connected to two corresponding rotating plates.
[0009] Furthermore, it includes an arc-shaped limiting plate, which is disposed at the outlets at both ends of the arc-shaped cylinder and sleeved on the end of the circular plate.
[0010] Furthermore, an assembly cylinder is provided on the wall of the cover plate facing the internal cavity along a direction perpendicular to the wall surface. An assembly hole is provided on the side wall of the assembly cylinder, and a pull hole is provided on the side wall of the central circular shell. An assembly rod is provided in the assembly hole and the pull hole, and the assembly rod fixes the central circular shell and the cover plate.
[0011] Furthermore, the assembly rod includes a pull rod, with a ball block at one end of the pull rod, a movable plate slidably sleeved on the pull rod, and a locking spring sleeved on the pull rod, the locking spring being disposed between the movable plate and the ball block.
[0012] Furthermore, the cover plate is a cross-shaped cover plate, with an abutment end and a rotating plate end respectively provided at the four ends of the cross-shaped cover plate, and two adjacent rotating plate ends are connected by a linkage rod end.
[0013] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: In actual use, each abutment end is respectively set on the corner of an adjacent exterior wall tile, forming a linked structural relationship. That is, when the corner of one exterior wall tile curls up, the abutment end, the rotating plate end, the linkage rod end, the adjacent rotating plate end, and the abutment end will be linked, thereby forming a stable structure that mutually restricts the two adjacent exterior wall tiles, effectively preventing the corner of the exterior wall tile from curling up. Attached Figure Description
[0014] Figure 1 This is an overall schematic diagram of the present invention.
[0015] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the central circular shell of the present invention.
[0016] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the reinforcement linkage mechanism of the present invention.
[0017] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the assembly rod of the present invention.
[0018] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the central circular shell after the reinforcement linkage mechanism is removed.
[0019] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the linkage rod end of the present invention.
[0020] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the cover plate of the present invention.
[0021] The components are marked as follows: 1. Centered circular shell, 101. Abutment frame, 102. Through hole, 103. Storage tube, 104. Connecting column, 105. Shaft hole, 106. Pull hole, 107. Moving hole, 108. Recess, 109. Mounting hole, 2. Cross cover plate, 201. Assembling tube, 202. Pressing column, 203. Assembling hole, 3. Expansion bolt, 4. Abutment plate, 401. Connecting rod, 402. Baffle, 403. Push spring, 404. Spherical rod, 5. Rotating inclined plate, 501. Shaft, 6. Arc-shaped cylinder, 601. Rubber flexible rod, 602. Circular plate end, 603. Arc-shaped limiting plate, 7. Assembling rod, 701. Moving plate, 702. Pull rod, 703. Locking spring, 704. Detailed Implementation
[0022] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.
[0023] The thermal insulation exterior wall tile reinforcement device includes a central circular shell 1 and a cover plate. The central circular shell 1 and the cover plate are fastened together to form an internal cavity. A reinforcement linkage mechanism is provided in the internal cavity. The central circular shell 1 and the cover plate are fixed to the exterior wall by expansion bolts 3. The reinforcement linkage mechanism includes at least two abutting ends, at least two rotating plate ends, and at least one linkage rod end. The two rotating plates are connected by the linkage rod end to achieve rotation linkage. Each rotating plate is correspondingly provided with one abutting end, and each abutting end is provided at the corner of the corresponding exterior wall tile. The abutting end includes an abutting plate 4 and a connecting rod 401 provided on the abutting plate 4. The connecting rod 401 passes through the central circular shell. The through hole 102 of the 1 has one end of the connecting rod 401 tightly attached to the rotating plate; the rotating plate includes a rotating inclined plate 5, one end of which is connected to the linkage rod end, and the other end of which is tightly attached to the abutment end. Shafts 501 are provided on both sides of the rotating inclined plate 5, allowing the rotating inclined plate 5 to be rotatably mounted on the inner wall of the central circular shell 1 via the shafts 501. When the corner of one of the exterior wall tiles is raised, the corresponding abutment end moves and drives the corresponding rotating plate to rotate. The rotating plate drives the linkage rod end to move and drives the rotating plate at the other end of the linkage rod end to rotate. The rotating plate at the other end then presses against the corresponding abutment end, pressing against the corner of the exterior wall tile contacted by the abutment end. Alternatively, the cover plate can be a cross cover plate 2, with each of the four ends of the cross cover plate 2 having an abutment end and a rotating plate end, and adjacent rotating plate ends connected by a linkage rod end. The four ends of the cross cover plate 2 are respectively set at the right-angle corners of the four surrounding exterior wall tiles, thereby achieving the reinforcement of the four exterior wall tiles by one cross cover plate 2.
[0024] In practical use, to achieve a better driving effect between the connecting rod 401 and the rotating plate and to prevent jamming, the end of the connecting rod 401 that is in close contact with the rotating plate can be spherical. To ensure that the connecting rod 401 achieves a corresponding driving effect and a certain degree of reset after being driven by the raised exterior wall tiles, the following solution can be selected: the connecting rod 401 includes a baffle 402, which is located in the middle section of the connecting rod 401, and a push spring 403 is provided between the baffle 402 and the spherical end.
[0025] Furthermore, to achieve flexible linkage at the linkage rod end, allowing it to adapt to various complex adjustment angles, the linkage rod end preferably includes an arc-shaped cylinder 6. A rubber flexible rod 601 is disposed inside the arc-shaped cylinder 6, and circular plate ends 602 are provided at both ends of the rubber flexible rod 601. The circular plate ends 602 are respectively connected to two corresponding rotating plates. Further, it is preferable to include an arc-shaped limiting plate 603, which is disposed at the outlets at both ends of the arc-shaped cylinder 6 and sleeved onto the circular plate ends 602.
[0026] To achieve a stable assembly between the cover plate and the central cylindrical shell 1, the following scheme can be selected: An assembly cylinder 201 is provided on the wall of the cover plate facing the internal cavity, perpendicular to the wall surface. An assembly hole 203 is provided on the side wall of the assembly cylinder 201. A pull hole 106 is provided on the side wall of the central cylindrical shell 1. An assembly rod 7 is provided within the assembly hole 203 and the pull hole 106, and the assembly rod 7 fixes the central cylindrical shell 1 and the cover plate. Preferably, the assembly rod 7 includes a pull rod 702, with a ball block 704 at one end. A moving plate 701 is slidably sleeved on the pull rod 702, and a locking spring 703 is sleeved on the pull rod 702, with the locking spring 703 positioned between the moving plate 701 and the ball block 704.
[0027] In actual use, the corresponding construction steps are as follows: S1: When reinforcing the exterior wall tiles, first place the central round shell 1 between the four tiles and rotate the central round shell 1 so that the central round shell 1 drives the four abutment frames 101 to fit against the four tiles one by one; S2: Then, by passing the expansion bolts 3 through the storage tube 103, passing through the mounting hole 109, and driving the expansion bolts 3 into the wall between the four tiles, the central round shell 1 is installed on the outer side wall of the wall, and the four abutment frames 101 also abut against the corners of the four tiles; S3: After the central round shell 1 is installed, pull the four ball blocks 704 on the outer side of the central round shell 1 away from the central round shell 1, so that the ball blocks 704 drive the moving plate 701 to move inside the moving hole 107 through the pull rod 702, and drive the assembly rod 7 to move to the position of the pull hole 106; S4: After completing the previous step, attach the cross cover plate 2. When the cross cover plate 2 and the center round shell 1 are joined, the assembly cylinder 201 on the side wall of the cross cover plate 2 will be directly inside the center round shell 1, and the pressing column 202 will be inside the storage cylinder 103, and the pressing column 202 will push the expansion bolt 3 against the column; S5: After the cross cover plate 2 and the center round shell 1 are connected, the ball block 704 is released, and the locking spring 703 will push the moving plate 701, so that the moving plate 701 moves inside the moving hole 107. The resetting process causes the assembly rod 7 to move out of the pull hole 106 and connect with the surface of the assembly cylinder 201; S6: After the previous step, the cross cover plate 2 is rotated, which in turn drives the assembly cylinder 201 to rotate. As a result, after the assembly hole 203 rotates to the position of the assembly rod 7, the assembly rod 7 will be pushed and inserted into the interior of the assembly hole 203, thereby installing the cross cover plate 2 and the central round shell 1 together, thus completing the reinforcement work.
[0028] This invention utilizes an interlocking mechanism between a rotating inclined plate 5 and a rubber flexible rod 601. When a corner of a tile warps, it pushes against the abutment plate, causing the symmetrical inclined plate inside the abutment frame to warp as well. This compresses one end of the rubber flexible rod, causing it to extend outward. This causes the adjacent symmetrical inclined plate to operate in the opposite manner, resulting in its corresponding abutment plate pressing against the tile. Therefore, when one tile corner warps, the corner of the adjacent tile is compressed, achieving interlocking reinforcement and improving tile stability. Furthermore, it reinforces only the tile corners, effectively avoiding any impact on the tile's aesthetics. Additionally, during internal maintenance, the assembly rod disengages from the assembly cylinder, allowing the cross cover plate to be disassembled from the central circular shell. This enables rapid disassembly, facilitating quick replacement or maintenance of the internal structure of the central circular shell.
[0029] Example
[0030] like Figures 1 to 7 As shown, the structure includes a central circular shell 1, with four abutment frames 101 fixed to its surface. These abutment frames 101 are evenly distributed in a ring along the surface of the central circular shell 1 and are connected to the interior of the central circular shell 1. When reinforcing exterior wall tiles, the central circular shell 1 is placed between four tiles, allowing the four abutment frames 101 to hold the corners of the four tiles in place, preventing them from easily lifting and falling off. Each abutment frame 101 has a rotating inclined plate 5 inside and an abutment plate 4 on its lower outer side. A connecting rod 401 is fixed to the upper end of each connecting plate 4; a through hole 102 is provided on the bottom side of the abutment frame 101 at the position corresponding to the connecting rod 401, and a baffle 402 is fixed to the upper end of the connecting rod 401 passing through the through hole 102. A spherical rod 404 is fixed to the upper end of the baffle 402, and the spherical rod 404 is connected to the lower side of the rotating inclined plate 5; an arc-shaped cylinder 6 is fixed to the bottom side of the middle circular shell 1 between two adjacent rotating inclined plates 5, and a rubber flexible rod 601 is provided inside the arc-shaped cylinder 6. A circular plate 602 is fixed to the end of the rubber flexible rod 601 passing through the arc-shaped cylinder 6, and the circular plate 602 is connected to the bottom side of the symmetrical inclined plate 5.
[0031] With the above-described structure, when the corner of the tile warps, it pushes against the abutment plate 4, causing it to move towards the central circular shell 1. The abutment plate 4, through the connecting rod 401, baffle 402, and spherical rod 404, pushes the rotating inclined plate 5 to rotate. Therefore, when the rotating inclined plate 5 warps inside the abutment frame 101, the portion of the rotating inclined plate 5 inside the central circular shell 1 presses down, causing the circular plate 602 connected to the rotating inclined plate 5 to be squeezed and move towards the arc-shaped cylinder 6. This causes the rubber flexible rod 601 to... The rubber flexible rod 601 moves inside the arc-shaped cylinder 6, causing the part of the other rotating inclined plate 5 inside the central circular shell 1 to lift up. This causes the part of the rotating inclined plate 5 inside the abutment frame 101 to press down, and the rotating inclined plate 5 will then squeeze the ball rod 404, which will push the abutment plate 4. This will cause the abutment plate 4 to squeeze the tile it is in contact with. Thus, when the corner of one tile lifts up, the corner of the adjacent tile will be pressed down, thereby achieving interlocking reinforcement.
[0032] A cross-shaped cover plate 2 is provided on the upper side of the central circular shell 1, and a connecting post 104 is fixed on the inner side wall of the central circular shell 1 between two adjacent abutment frames 101. Among them, an assembly rod 7 is provided at one end of the connecting post 104 in the central circular shell 1, and an assembly cylinder 201 is fixed on the lower side of the cross-shaped cover plate 2, and the assembly cylinder 201 is located inside the central circular shell 1; an assembly hole 203 is opened on the outer side wall of the assembly cylinder 201 at the position corresponding to the assembly rod 7.
[0033] When assembling the cross cover plate 2 and the center round shell 1, the cross cover plate 2 is fitted to the center round shell 1, so that the assembly cylinder 201 is in the internal position of the center round shell 1. At this time, the cross cover plate 2 is rotated, which drives the assembly cylinder 201 to rotate, so that the assembly hole 203 rotates to the same position as the assembly rod 7. Then the assembly rod 7 will directly fit into the interior of the assembly hole 203, thereby assembling the cross cover plate 2 and the center round shell 1 together.
[0034] A storage tube 103 is fixed in the middle of the inner side of the central cylindrical shell 1. A mounting hole 109 is passed through the bottom side of the storage tube 103. An expansion bolt 3 is provided inside the storage tube 103 and passes through the mounting hole 109. A push spring 403 is sleeved on the surface of the ball rod 404 and the upper end of the push spring 403 is connected to the lower side of the symmetrical inclined plate 5. A pressing column 202 is fixed on the lower side of the cross cover plate 2 inside the assembly tube 201. The position of the pressing column 202 is consistent with the position of the storage tube 103. When the cross cover plate 2 is assembled with the central cylindrical shell 1, the pressing column 202 will be directly inside the storage tube 103, so the pressing column 202 will hold the expansion bolt 3 in place.
[0035] A shaft 501 is fixed at the middle position of the inclined plate on both sides of the rotating inclined plate 5. A shaft hole 105 is opened at the position of the shaft 501 on both sides of the abutment frame 101, and the shaft 501 is rotated and placed inside the shaft hole 105. A notch 108 is opened at the position of the abutment plate 4 on the lower side of the middle circular shell 1, and the notch 108 is connected to the through hole 102. An arc-shaped limiting plate 603 is fixed on the lower side of the circular plate 602. The inner side wall of the arc-shaped limiting plate 603 is in contact with the vertical surface of the arc-shaped cylinder 6. When the circular plate 602 moves up and down, the circular plate 602 will drive the arc-shaped limiting plate 603 to move up and down on the surface of the arc-shaped cylinder 6. Since the arc-shaped limiting plate 603 cannot be bent and the arc-shaped limiting plate 603 is in contact with the surface of the arc-shaped cylinder 6, the circular plate 602 can move up and down stably and avoid the rubber soft rod 601 from bending.
[0036] Each of the central cylindrical shell 1 has a pull hole 106 at the position corresponding to the connecting post 104. A movable hole 107 is provided inside each connecting post 104 at the center position of the pull hole 106. A movable plate 701 is fixed to the end of each assembly rod 7 at the movable hole 107. A ball block 704 is provided at the position corresponding to the pull hole 106 on the surface of the central cylindrical shell 1. A pull rod 702 is fixed to the surface of each ball block 704, and one end of the pull rod 702 passing through the pull hole 106 is fixed to the adjacent movable plate 701. The movable plate 701 is fixed with a locking spring 703 on the side wall near the ball block 704. The locking spring 703 is in contact with the inner end face of the movable hole 107. When the ball block 704 moves away from the central circular shell 1, it will drive the movable plate 701 to move inside the movable hole 107. Then the movable plate 701 will squeeze the locking spring 703. Therefore, after the ball block 704 is released, the locking spring 703 will push the movable plate 701 to reset, thereby resetting the assembly rod 7.
Claims
1. A thermal insulation exterior wall ceramic tile reinforcement device, comprising a central circular shell (1) and a cover plate, wherein the central circular shell (1) and the cover plate are fastened together to form an internal cavity, wherein a reinforcement linkage mechanism is provided in the internal cavity, and the central circular shell (1) and the cover plate are fixedly mounted on the exterior wall by expansion bolts (3), characterized in that: The reinforcement linkage mechanism includes at least two abutting ends, at least two rotating plate ends, and at least one linkage rod end. The two rotating plates are connected by the linkage rod end to achieve rotation linkage. Each rotating plate is set one-to-one with the abutting end, and each abutting end is set at the corner of the corresponding exterior wall tile. The abutting end includes an abutting plate (4) and a connecting rod (401) disposed on the abutting plate (4). The connecting rod (401) passes through the through hole (102) of the central circular shell (1), and one end of the connecting rod (401) is in close contact with the rotating plate. The rotating plate end includes a rotating inclined plate (5), one end of the rotating inclined plate (5) is connected to the linkage rod end, and the other end of the rotating inclined plate (5) is tightly attached to the abutment end. The rotating inclined plate (5) is provided with shafts (501) on both sides. The rotating inclined plate (5) can be rotatably set on the inner wall of the central circular shell (1) through the shafts (501). The linkage rod end includes an arc-shaped cylinder (6), and a rubber flexible rod (601) is provided inside the arc-shaped cylinder (6). The rubber flexible rod (601) has circular plate ends (602) at both ends, and the circular plate ends (602) are respectively connected to two corresponding rotating plates. When one of the exterior wall tiles lifts up at the corner, the corresponding abutment end moves and drives the corresponding rotating plate to rotate. The rotating plate drives the linkage rod end to move and drives the rotating plate at the other end of the linkage rod end to rotate. The rotating plate at the other end then presses against the corresponding abutment end and presses against the corner of the exterior wall tile that the abutment end is in contact with.
2. The thermal insulation exterior wall ceramic tile reinforcement device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The end of the connecting rod (401) that is in close contact with the rotating plate has a spherical shape.
3. The thermal insulation exterior wall tile reinforcement device as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The connecting rod (401) includes a baffle (402), which is located in the middle section of the connecting rod (401). A push spring (403) is provided between the baffle (402) and the end of the spherical structure.
4. The thermal insulation exterior wall tile reinforcement device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Includes an arc-shaped limiting plate (603), which is disposed at the outlets at both ends of the arc-shaped cylinder (6) and is sleeved on the end of the circular plate (602).
5. The thermal insulation exterior wall ceramic tile reinforcement device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: An assembly cylinder (201) is provided on the wall of the cover plate facing the inner cavity in a direction perpendicular to the wall. An assembly hole (203) is provided on the side wall of the assembly cylinder (201). A pull hole (106) is provided on the side wall of the central circular shell (1). An assembly rod (7) is provided in the assembly hole (203) and the pull hole (106). The assembly rod (7) fixes the central circular shell (1) and the cover plate.
6. The thermal insulation exterior wall tile reinforcement device as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The assembly rod (7) includes a pull rod (702), a ball block (704) is provided at one end of the pull rod (702), a movable plate (701) is slidably sleeved on the pull rod (702), and a locking spring (703) is sleeved on the pull rod (702). The locking spring (703) is located between the movable plate (701) and the ball block (704).
7. The thermal insulation exterior wall tile reinforcement device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The cover plate is a cross cover plate (2). The four ends of the cross cover plate (2) are respectively provided with an abutment end and a rotating plate end. The two adjacent rotating plate ends are connected by a linkage rod end.