AU1620588A - Stabiliser for use with structural elements - Google Patents

Description

STABILISER FOR USE WITH STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS The present invention relates to an improved fastener and in particular a fastener for joining together objects such as particleboard and bearers or structural elements the latter each having a configuration suitable for interfitting with adj.acent elements. The invention also comprises a method of interengaging said elements utilising said fastener.

Therefore_/ in one broad form the invention comprises an affixing means for affixing together two solid objects comprising a first end having at least o'ne resilient barb or barbs located thereon, said barb or barbs being in the form of discs which slope backwardly with respect to the first end and which are adapted to penetrate openings or holes in said objects to be interconnected.

In joining plasterboard and the like to bearers or studs it is normal for one to drill the required hole and then to screw the appropriate sized screw to fasten the two materials together. The present invention in one embodiment seeks to overcome this problem by providing a fastening means having a plurality of backwardly directed fastening barbs located on one end, with the other end having a stop to limit the insertion of the fastening means in operation. In one form the fastener has one barb at or near each end.

Preferably however the fastening means comprises at each end an array of barbs and a cylindrical shank located between the ends.

In another embodiment the invention comprises: an affixing means for affixing together two solid objects having a hole or holes for receiving said affixing means, said affixing means comprising: a first end having at least one re-entrant resilient barb located thereon, said barb or barbs being in the form of a substantially radially extending disc or discs which slope backwardly with respect to the first end.

In another form the invention comprises a method of laying structural elements as hereinbefore described

utilising said affixing means comprising the steps of: (a) forcing a mechanically and frictionally engaging affixing means into a hole formed in one of said structural elements; (b) inserting the free end of the frictionally and mechanically engaging element into a hole in an adjacent building element; and (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) until a predetermined structure is formed. In a preferred_^form the affixing means or object fastener is use<3 to fit together structural elements to adjacent elements one on top of the other to thereby form a composite structure of elements.

The invention will now be described with reference to accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates a partially cut away view of the fastening means according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 illustrates an end view of the fastening means shown in Figure 1;

FIGURE 3 illustrates a partially cut away view of another embodiment of a fastening means according to the present invention;

FIGURE 4 illustrates an end view of the fastening means shown in Figure 3;

FIGURE 5 illustrates the embodiment in figures 3 and 4 when used to connect together structural elements such as bricks as shown.

An embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figures 1 and 2 which fastener can be used as a stud to join together objects such as structural elements without the use of screws or the like whereby an appropriate sized hole is drilled through the two elements and the fastener is driven through the holes in each of elements to be joined.

In a preferred embodiment this fastener 1 has a plurality of concave discs 2 which face back from the leading edge 3 of the fastener and have a shank 4 of slightly smaller diameter than the discs 2. Located - 5- behind the shank is a drive head or stop 5.

In use the affixing means is driven by any suitable means such as a hammer into a hole through the layers of material to be joined; the hole being of slightly less diameter than the diameter of the discs 2. This causes the discs 2 to flex backwardly towards the drive head 5 and inwardly to the shaft 9 as they are driven into the holes. When the affixing means is driven to the desired depth, usually until the drive head abuts the.uppermost layer of the element to be joined, the layers are held by the discs 2 resisting the withdrawal movement.

Preferably the gripping portion 6 of the affixing means engages along its total length in a blind bore. Therefore as force is applied to the drive head 5 to produce a withdrawing movement 7, the rims 8 of the discs 2 engage on the walls of the bore, to produce a bending ' moment on the discs 2 which spreads the discs jamming the rims 8 of the discs 2 against the wall of the bore. Thus the stronger the withdrawal force the stronger the frictional and mechanical engagement between the discs 2 and the walls of the bore.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 the drive head 5 has a concave base 10. Thus when the drive head is driven into engagement with the uppermost layer such that the concave base 10 abuts against this layer to distort the base 10, a withdrawing force (i.e. a tensile force) is applied to the affixing means forcing the discs 2 into a positive engagement with the wall to the bore.

This is particularly so, when the affixing means is made from any suitable plastics. Depending upon the materials to be joined the affixing means could be made from nylons, polypropylenes, heavy duty elastomeric materials, such as material of synthetic rubbers, or metals, such as spring steel. The number of discs and their degree of concavity is depended upon the particular use to which the affixing means is put. A metal ferrule can be used to surround the shank 4 to increase the sheer strength of the shaft. - -

A further embodiment of the present invention is shown in figures 3 and 4, which is used to join together two solid objects. The concave discs 2 performing in the same manner as that of the concave discs 2 of the embodiment of figures 1 and 2.

This embodiment is suitable for joining together structural elements 11 as shown in figure 5 having blind holes-12. Each end of the fastener as shown in figure 3 has oppositely directed arrays of discs 2 each separated by an intermediate shank 13 having radially extending stabilisers in the form of splines 14 which extend longitudinally of the fastener.

As shown in figure 5, the elements 11 have bores 12 located at the intersection of the laterally and longitudinally extending projections 13 and 14 and the laterally longitudinally extending recesses 15 and 16. Therefore, to assemble a brick structure, the fastener is driven into one of the bores 12 and the topmost element 11 is then forced over the fastener driving it into the respective bore 12 on the top element. Because of the concave discs and their material construction, these discs are deformed and held tightly in the bores 12. If pressure is applied to separate the two elements, the shape of the discs bite into the walls of the bores to resist separation.

The use of these fasteners is repeated at each bore to bond the elements together to form a brick structure. It should be obvious to people skilled in the art that modification and alterations can be made to the above described invention without departing from the spirit of scope of the present invention as hereinbefore described.

Claims (18)

THE CLAIMS

1. An affixing means for affixing together two solid objects having a hole or holes for receiving said affixing means, said affixing means comprising: a first end having at least one re-entrant resilient barb located thereon, said barb or barbs being in the form of a substantially radially extending disc or discs which slope .backwardly with respect to the first end.

2. An affixing means according to claim 1 having a stop or drive head located at the other end for driving said first end into a hole in one of said objects to effect said affixing.

3. An affixing means according to claim 2 wherein the drive head or stop has a concave underneath portion.

4. An affixing means according to claim 1 wherein the other end comprises a disc or discs disposed in an oppositely facing direction to the disc or discs on said first end.

5. An affixing means according to claim 4 wherein each of said ends comprise arrays of discs which are separated by longitudinally extending splines located on a shank of smaller diameter than the diameter of the discs.

6. An affixing means according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said discs are lenticular in shape.

7. An affixing means according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the affixing means is an integral construction of plastics material.

8. An affixing means according to claim 7 wherein the holes are located in said objects such that when said affixing means is inserted the affixing means is disposed in a substantially vertical attitude and normal to one face of each of said objects.

9. An affixing means according to claim 8 wherein the said objects to be connected are structural elements adapted for and configured to provide complementary interfitting with adjacent elements so as to form a structure.

10. An affixing means according to claim 9 wherein each - C -

of the said structural elements comprise: a first surface having a central spline extending longitudinally there along with a transverse spline of the same profile as the central spline located adjacent each end of the top surface such that the intersection of each transverse spline and the central spline is equidistant from the adjacent three edges of the surface at that end of the top surface, and a second surface parallel to the first surface having recesses located therein, such that said spline of the first surface mates within the recesses"of the second surface of an adjacent element.

11. An affixing means according to claim 10 wherein each face of the structural element is substantially normal to adjacent faces.

12. An affixing means according to claim 11 wherein said splines on said structural element are semicircular in profile.

13. An affixing means according to claim 12, wherein there is located a hole at the intersection of each of the transverse splines and the central splines, which extends through to the opposed surface or there is located a complimentary bore located in the intersection of the recesses on the opposed surface.

14. A method of laying structural elements as hereinbefore described utilising said affixing means comprising the steps of:

(a) forcing a mechanically and frictionally engaging affixing means into a hole formed in one of said structural elements;

(b) inserting the free end of the frictionally and mechanically engaging element into a hole in an adjacent building element; and

(c) repeating steps (a) and (b) until a predetermined structure is formed.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the structural elements are according to any one of claims 9 to 13.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein the affixing means is in accordance with claims 1 to 8.

17. An affixing means substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to accompanying drawings.

18. An affixing means for affixing structural elements as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying illustrations.