AU2006201010B2 - Pier head improvements - Google Patents

Description

Ref: 56220 HKS:PFB P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: QUIKA-FLOOR PTY LIMITED Name of inventor: KERRY ROBERT BENNETT Address for Service: COLLISON CO.,117 King William Street, Adelaide, S.A. 5000 Invention Title: PIER HEAD IMPROVEMENTS Details of Associated Provisional Applications: Appln No. 2005901196 dated 11 March 2005 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: 21/05 2007 17:05 FAX COLLISON CO IP AUST CANBERRA IO011/039 o 2 0 eThis invention relates to a pier head with an integrated termite cap.

We refer to our own Australian Patent No 707968 (although such reference should not be construed as an admission that this forms part of the common o general knowledge in the relevant art) in which there is described a pier head including a base, an ant cap secured to a top of the base, characterised in that the cap is a sheet of steel of a thickness sufficient to be a structural member between the base and securing means for a building attached INO directly to an upper-most surface of the cap.

This previous patent disclosed the use of an ant cap which was selected to be a sheet of steel of a sufficient thickness to be a structurally useful material and this was exemplified by steel of say 1.6 mm in thickness.

Such an arrangement has shown itself to be of significant value.

This invention relates to an alternate arrangement which is a further embodiment of the invention originally described but has features which are different than the original embodiments and as such then at least provide the public with a useful alternative.

Referring specifically then to the original invention, this described securing means for a building attached directly to an upper-most surface of the cap.

What was not specifically described however, was the situation where an ant cap being a structural member was perforated so that a further Structural part could be secured, eg by welding to a base or even be integral with a base and pass through the perforation or aperture with a sufficient fit that either by reason of a weld fill or by reason of the extent of consistency of interference fit or by reason of a subsequent galvanised finish, there is no access for termites to pass from below the ant cap to above the ant cap through any portion of the perforation or aperture.

COMS ID No: SBMI-07456908 Received by IP Australia: Time 16:44 Date 2007-05-21 21/05 2007 17:05 FAX COLLISON CO IP AUST CANBERRA l1012/039 o 3 0 In such a case then, the ant cap, which would still be a structural member, can be secured by being directly welded to such a further member.

N In preference in such a case, the thickness of the ant cap is at least above a thickness of one millimetre and in a preferred example is 1.6 mm.

0 o 5 In preference, the ant cap is shaped so as to have downwardly sloped edges o extending fully around the perimeter of the ant cap.

In preference, the base can be a tubular member arranged to be positioned upright and to be bedded either directly or through another part in an appropriate concrete or other appropriate footing.

In preference, the tubular base includes two parts, which are adjustable so that one can slide within the other and there is thereby a relative adjustability in height.

In another alternate arrangement, the base is secured by being interlocked with a further member and supported thereby.

In one preferred example, in the alternative, the ant cap is formed by being stamped into the described shape and also has stamped there through a slot through which a one side of the base member can project there through.

Because the ant cap is a structural member, there can be effected a sufficient closure between the mating surfaces to ensure that there is either no or negligible aperture access through the slot after the projection from the base whether this is integrally a part of the base or is joined to the base by being separately welded thereto. There can thereby effected a fill of the aperture and to the extent that it can not, that such an aperture will then be effectively closed by welding or otherwise to access there through by termites.

COMS ID No: SBMI-07456908 Received by IP Australia: Time 16:44 Date 2007-05-21 21/05 2007 17:06 FAX COLLISON CO IP AUST CANBERRA 0a13/039 o 4 0 In practice, such an arrangement provides a potential improvement in relation to the structural strength available by having a bracket which will project above an ant cap and can be used to attach a portion of a building cthereto as in an underneath frame member, but such that this will then not depend on several lines of weld as it may be considered to have been the o case in relation to the embodiment described in our earlier patent.

o It is also considered that there maybe some cost advantage insofar that there N can be a little less welding needed and the cost of cutting an aperture into 0 o such plate steel is not especially high.

However, as an improvement, it is still considered that, from a conceptual point of view, it comes within the conceptual scope of the original patent.

For a better understanding of this invention it will be described with relation to drawings in which: Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view according to a first embodiment; and Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view according to a second embodiment.

Referring in particular then to the first embodiment shown in Fig 1, there is a tubular base 1 which has a side portion 2, which extends substantially above a remaining upper edge 3 of the base 1. An ant cap 4 is formed of a sheet of steel having in this case a thickness as shown at 5 which is 1.6 mm and there is a surrounding downwardly extending outer edge 6 which is in the manner of conventional ant caps, except in this case the ant cap is a structural member.

There is a slot 7 through the sheet of the ant cap 4 which closely matches the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the side portion 2 and a weld 8 on one side and 9 on the other secures such side portion 2 to an upper surface of the ant cap 4.

COMS ID No: SBMI-07456908 Received by IP Australia: Time 16:44 Date 2007-05-21 21/05 2007 17:06 FAX COLLISON CO IP AUST CANBERRA a014/039 o 0 It is of advantage to also include a lower most weld at 10 which also then extends to an extent that is appropriate for the application, and especially so as to ensure that any gap that might remain between the closely conforming i shape of the side portion 2 and the slot 7 is able to be closed to the extent that termites will not get through these.

0 o There is also some advantage that subsequent to manufacture of such o materials, they are to be subject to a coating such as a galvanised zinc \N coating and this is also a gap filling material which assists in ensuring o freedom from any accidental aperture allowing access there through for termites.

An advantage of such an arrangement is that the side portion 2 is an integral part of the base member 1 and there is therefore some strength advantage.

The side portion 2 is adapted with appropriate apertures or other shapes as appropriate to be of assistance in securing a bottom frame members of buildings where such frame members can either be secured directly to the side plate cr side portion 2 or it can rest both on the ant cap 4 as well as being secured to the side portion 2.

Now referring to the second embodiment, as illustrated in Figure 2, where again we have a base 11 on which an ant cap 12 of structurally sufficient steel is formed so as to have outer downwardly sloping sides 13, and such that this fully surrounds the ant cap shape so as to provide an appropriate barrier against termites.

In this case, there is an upwardly extending bracket 14, which still passes into an aperture cut as a slot at 15 in the ant cap material 12.

This upwardly extending bracket 14 is then secured by welding further at 16 on one side and 17 on the other, and to an extent again to ensure that there COMS ID No: SBMI-07456908 Received by IP Australia: Time 16:44 Date 2007-05-21 21/05 2007 17:06 FAX COLLISON CO IP AUST CANBERRA a 015/039 0 6 is a continuous seal at least by reason of an interference fit between the cross-sectional shape of the bracket 14 and the slot shape C-i However, by welding also, this assists in providing further assurance against any accidental passageway there through.

0 0 5 The underneath side of the ant cap is shown at 18 which is kept 0 appropriately shaped to deter termites, and especially cause them to expose themselves to the light if they wish to bypass the cap. The thickness of the o steel in this case is the same as the first embodiment, namely 1.6 mm at the location shown at 19, which shows this thickness.

Although we have shown only a cross-section of the upper-most bracket, which extends above the ant cap, it is understood that other shapes could be appropriate in this instance. Also, we have described how the base either 1 in the first embodiment or 11 in the second, can be secured by having an aperture which is used in conjunction with a further aperture in a supporting location.

Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognised 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.

COMS ID No: SBMI-07456908 Received by IP Australia: Time 16:44 Date 2007-05-21

Claims (8)

1. A pier head including a base, an ant cap secured to a top of the base, characterised in that the cap is a sheet of steel of a thickness sufficient to be o a structura member between the base and securing means for a building attached directly to an upper-most surface of the cap, and where the ant cap ois perforated so that securing means in the form of a further structural part INO passes through the perforation or aperture with a sufficient fit that either by Sreason of E weld fill or by reason of the extent of consistency of interference fit or by reason of a subsequent galvanised finish, there is no access for termites to pass from below the ant cap to above the ant cap through any portion of the perforation or aperture.

2. The pier head as in claim 1, with the ant cap being directly welded to such a further member.

3. The pier head as in either one of the preceding claims, further characterised in that the thickness of the ant cap sheet is at least above a thickness of one millimetre.

4. The pier head as in any one of the preceding claims, further characterised in that the thickness of the ant cap sheet is approximately 1.6 mm.

5. The 3ier head as in any one of the preceding claims, further characterised in that the ant cap is shaped so as to have downwardly sloped edges extending fully around an outermost perimeter of the ant cap.

6. The pier head as in any one of the preceding claims, further characterised in that the base is a tubular member arranged to be positioned upright and to be bedded either directly or through another part in an appropriate concrete or other appropriate footing. COMS ID No: SBMI-07456908 Received by IP Australia: Time 16:44 Date 2007-05-21 21/05 2007 17'.07 FAX COLLISON CO IP AUST CANBERRA Ia017/039 0 8

7. The pier head as in the immediately preceding claim, further characterised in that the base includes two parts, which are adjustable so that one can slide within the other, and there is thereby a relative adjustability Cl in height. 0 5

8. The pier head as in the preceding claim 6, further characterised in that o the base is. secured by being interlocked with a further member and o supported thereby. Cl S9. The pier head as in any one of the preceding claims, further characterised in that the ant cap is formed by being stamped into its described shape and also has stamped there through a slot through which a one side or side portion of a or the base member projects there through, there beingc sufficient closure effected between the mating surfaces that there is no termite access through any gap between these. A pier head substantially as described in the specification with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying illustrations. COMS ID No: SBMI-07456908 Received by IP Australia: Time 16:44 Date 2007-05-21