AU2005200569B2

AU2005200569B2 - Conveyor track support bracket improvements

Info

Publication number: AU2005200569B2
Application number: AU2005200569A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Lance Malcolm Vater
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-02-12
Filing date: 2005-02-10
Publication date: 2011-03-10
Anticipated expiration: 2025-02-10
Also published as: AU2005200569A1

Description

55284 PAB:JPH P/00/011 Regulation 3.2 A USTR A LIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT ORIGINAL Name of Applicant: LANCE MALCOLM VATER Name of inventor(s): LANCE MALCOLM VATER Address for Service: COLLISON & CO.,117 King William Street, Adelaide, S.A. 5000 Invention Title: CONVEYOR TRACK SUPPORT BRACKET IMPROVEMENTS Details of Associated Provisional Applications: Australian Application Number 2004900658 - Dated 12 February 2004 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: 2 This invention relates to conveyor track support bracket improvements, and in particular to a bracket which can be more widely adapted for a variety of support techniques. Conveyor tracks as used to carry the types of carriage that suspend a door, 5 conventionally comprise a c-shaped channel, which is further conventionally supported by a bracket that extends around and provides support for the channel. Typically the channel and the bracket can be relatively moved, one with respect to the other, and the support bracket is then variously designed to facilitate one or other methods of attachment to a support frame or wall. 10 Currently, there are generally three support techniques for brackets of this type, a first being the case where the support bracket is directly welded to the support frame; a second in which the support bracket is adapted to be captured by a bolt passing through a top of the bracket, which is then in turn secured to a frame; and a third technique where the bracket is secured by 15 having a face plate extending above a middle portion of the bracket and an aperture passing through this whereby a bolt can then pass through an adjacent frame and secure the bracket thereby. It is considered that there could be advantage for more economic manufacturing and holding of stock for supply of such brackets, if all three 20 methods could be achieved with a single bracket. An object of this invention then is to propose an arrangement which can provide for efficiency in manufacture and therefore provide at least the public with a useful alternative, and at least in some cases, reduce the need for stockholding where one bracket can provide for all three attachment 25 techniques. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.

3 In one form of the invention there is a conveyor track support bracket adapted to be attached to a substantially horizontal surface and support a conveyor track, the bracket including a removable attachment adapted to be attached to a substantially vertical surface and support both the conveyor track 5 support bracket and conveyor track. Preferably, the conveyor track support bracket is adapted to be suspended from the removable attachment. Preferably, the bracket without the removable attachment being attached can provide for a welding or central bolt hanging attachment to the substantially 10 horizontal surface, and by the simple addition of the interlocking removable attachment, can also then provide for a side bolt attachment to the substantially vertical surface. Preferably, the bracket has a body of a substantially U-shape in cross section, including a middle portion with two oppositely positioned 15 downwardly extending legs, each leg having an inwardly directed flange defining thereby forming a conveyor track supporting shape, characterised in that the middle portion is adapted to receive with interlocking support the further removable attachment. Preferably, the removable attachment has a body including two oppositely 20 positioned forwardly projecting arms, each with an inwardly directed flange adapted to fit beneath the middle portion of the bracket. Preferably, the conveyor track support bracket and removable attachment are made from metal. Preferably, the conveyor track support bracket has an aperture passing fully 25 through its middle portion.

4 Preferably, the removable portion has a back portion through which there passes an aperture. Preferably, the track support bracket is adapted to be suspended from the removable attachment without the need for additional fastening support. 5 In a further form, the invention may be said to lie in a conveyor track support bracket that can be supplied as a kit of parts, which includes a bracket and a removable attachment. For a better understanding of this invention it will now be described with respect to the preferred embodiment which shall be described herein with the 10 assistance of drawings wherein; Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bracket according to the prior art shown supporting a conveyor track; Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views of the two parts of the bracket separately; 15 Figure 4 is a perspective view of the two parts of the bracket assembled. Referring now to Figure 1, which illustrates a conveyor track support bracket 1 of the prior art (which is not admitted to be common general knowledge). This bracket has a top portion 2, and a pair of downwardly extending arms 4 and 6, which are adapted to support a c-shaped channel 10, which in turn serves 20 as a track in which a carriage 12 can run, thereby facilitating the slidable opening of a door 14 suspended from the carriage. Such a track support bracket 1, is designed to be welded to downwardly facing surface of a building structure. If instead the intention is to attach a bracket such as this to building structure using bolts, then in fact a different 25 bracket altogether will be required.

5 Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, where the components of the track support bracket assembly 20 according to the present invention are illustrated. This bracket assembly 20 includes two parts, the bracket 22, and the removable attachment 24. 5 The bracket 22 has a top portion 26, and a pair of downwardly extending arms 28, which are adapted to support a c-shaped channel 10 in the same fashion as the bracket 2 of the prior art. The top portion 26 has a hole 30 passing though it, this permits the bracket to be suspended from building structure via a bolt. Alternatively, this bracket could, if it were made of metal in 10 particular, be welded to the building structure in the same fashion as the bracket 2 of the prior art. The removable attachment 24 has a body that includes a back portion 38, and two oppositely positioned, forwardly projecting arms 40, each with an inwardly directed flange 42 adapted to fit beneath the middle portion 26 of the 15 bracket 22, so that the bracket 22 interengages, and is supported by and suspended from the removable attachment. The track support bracket assembly 20 can then be bolted to a vertical face of a building structure via a hole 44 in the back portion 38 of the removable attachment 24. The bracket 22 and removable attachment 24 are made out of metal. Each 20 has been formed by stamping a blank from a sheet of metal and then bending the blank at the necessary points to create the finished part. A person skilled in the art would understand however that the bracket 22 and removable attachment 24 could indeed be made from any suitably strong material, including plastics and composites. Indeed the two components 25 could be made from dissimilar materials, such as using a movable attachment 24 made from metal, and a bracket 22 made from nylon. The track support bracket assembly 20 according to the present invention can replace all of the various differing brackets currently used to provide attachment of a conveyor track to building structure. What is more, the 6 bracket 22 and the removable attachment 24 can be interengaged and used without the need for nuts and bolts to secure them together. It is considered therefore that a conveyor track support bracket such as that described herein would prove to be of considerable benefit to those who wish 5 to use such a conveyance system, and also to those that supply parts for such systems, as now only one assembly need be carried in stock, as opposed to 3 or more differing brackets. Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognised 10 that departures can be made within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details described herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the appended claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus.

Claims

1. A conveyor track support bracket adapted to be attached to a substantially horizontal surface and support a conveyor track, the bracket including a removable attachment adapted to be attached to a substantially vertical surface and support both the conveyor track support bracket and conveyor track wherein the removable attachment has a body including two oppositely positioned forwardly projecting arms, each with an inwardly directed flange adapted to fit beneath the middle portion of the bracket.

2. The conveyor track support bracket as in claim 1 further characterized in that the conveyor track support bracket is adapted to be suspended from the removable attachment.

3. The conveyor track support bracket as in claim 3 wherein the bracket without the removable attachment being attached can provide for a welding or central bolt hanging attachment to the substantially horizontal surface, and by the simple addition of the interlocking removable attachment, can also then provide for a side bolt attachment to the substantially vertical surface.

4. The conveyor track support bracket as claim 3 wherein the bracket has a body of a substantially U-shape in cross section, including a middle portion with two oppositely positioned downwardly extending legs, each leg having an inwardly directed flange defining thereby forming a conveyor track supporting shape, characterised in that the middle portion is adapted to receive with interlocking support the further removable attachment.

5. The conveyor support bracket as in any one of the preceding claims further characterized in that the conveyor track support bracket has an aperture passing fully through its middle portion. 8

6. The conveyor support bracket as in any one of the preceding claims further characterized in that the removable portion has a back portion through which there passes an aperture.

7. The conveyor support bracket as in any one of the preceding claims further characterized in that the track support bracket is adapted to be suspended from the removable attachment without the need for additional fastening support.