AU2007203096A1 - Support Chair - Google Patents

Description

P/00/011 28/5/91 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor Address for service is: John Spence Nominees Pty Ltd John Kay Spence WRAY ASSOCIATES Level 4, The Quadrant 1 William Street Perth, WA 6000 Attomey code: WR Invention Title: Support Chair The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- -2- S"Support Chair" c Field of the Invention This invention relates to a support chair.

SBackground of the Invention tc-- Throughout the specification the term "concrete" shall be taken to include any c form of cementitious or a like settable material which is used in the formation of structural components.

In the formation of cast concrete products it is usual to require particular items to be located within the cast structure which may be required to be accessible for the further support of the concrete structures. Examples of the forms of concrete structures to which the invention relates comprise wall panels which are formed away from the site at which they are required and must be transported to the site and installed into the building. The forms of components which are to be installed into the structure include ferrules which have a threaded bore and which need to be located within a cast structure such that the threaded bore can be accessible after the completion of the product. It is necessary that these components be accurately located such that they are in the desired position on the panel and are at a depth such that they are readily accessible from the exterior and can be identified. Many other components are required to be located within a cast structure which provide sockets or voids or the like which must be accessible from the exterior of the cast structure on completion of the cast structure.

It is usual to provide the components with a plastic or similar plug which will prevent the void being filled by the concrete during casting the product and which has an identification surface which will be located at the outer surface of the concrete structure in order that the location of the relevant void can be identified 0 and the plug and small amount of overlying concrete be removed to gain access to the void.

O Due to the varying dimensions of panels, structures and the like, it becomes necessary to have support arrangements for each of the various components NO 5 which are able to accommodate for the variations in dimension of such structures.

Particular examples of the arrangement referred to above comprises the formation of building panels which will be used to define the walls of a building and where the panels must be provided with fixing points which will enable the structure to be fixed to other components within the building structure and possibly to temporary supports which are utilised in holding the panels in position on their installation. Since the panels can be of varying thicknesses depending upon the loading which has been required of the panel, it becomes necessary to provide suitable supports for the fixing points required for the various supports to accommodate for such variations in thicknesses.

Disclosure of the Invention Throughout the specification and claims, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

Accordingly the invention resides in a support chair adapted to receive and support an element within a moulding space during casting of a concrete component, said chair having a base adapted to be supported from a face of the mould, the chair having a plurality of support surfaces, each support surface spaced from the base by a differing amount, said support surfaces being adapted to support said element.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the support chair comprises a number of upstanding members, said upstanding members being located equi- -4angularly about a support axis which defines a support angle with the face of the (-i mould, the upstanding members defining between themselves a support space, the upstanding members being interconnected by supports extending around the (-i support space and each support having an upper surface, the supports comprising pairs of diametrically opposed supports wherein the spacing of the upper surface from the face of the mould of each pair of supports differs from e that of the other pairs of supports, the upper surfaces comprising the support c" surfaces. According to a preferred feature of the invention at least some of the Osupports comprise webs. According to a preferred feature of the invention at (N 10 least one pair of webs are formed with diametrically opposed apertures to provide a further support surface which is at a differing height from the other support surfaces.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the support chair comprises a base which in use is to be supported from the face of the mould and a support element which is receivable on the base, said support element supporting the upstanding members. According to a preferred feature of the invention the base provides a support surface. According to a preferred feature of the invention support element is separable from the base. According to a preferred feature of the invention the support element is integrally formed with the base. According to a preferred feature of the invention support element is fixedly mounted to the base.

According to a preferred feature of the invention wherein the base is provided with a set of feet which are to be engaged with the face of the mould said feet having a reduced lower surface area. According to a preferred feature of the invention the lower surface of the feet is point-like.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the support chair has four upstanding members.

According to a preferred feature of the invention wherein the support angle is substantially perpendicular to the face of the mould.

O According to a preferred feature of the invention wherein the support space has a configuration conforming the configuration of the element to be supported between the upstanding members.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the support chair is formed from NO 5 a plastics material.

SThe invention will be more fully understood in the light of the following description one specific embodiment.

Brief Description of the Drawings The description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is an isometric view of a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is an isometric view of the first embodiment displaced forty five degrees from Figure 1; Figures 3a, 3b and 3c illustrate the three support modes available by the support chair according to the first embodiment; Figure 4 is a sectional view of a support chair according to the first embodiment in association with the respective element and located within a cast block; and Figure 5 is an exploded view of the support chair according to the first embodiment.

Detailed Description of Specific Embodiments The first embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings is intended to be utilised to support ferrules 11 (see Figure 4) which are to provide a threaded bore or similar void or cavity within cast concrete structure at a known location. As shown at Figure 4 such ferrules 11 have a generally cylindrical configuration and have a bore 15 which opens into the outer end. The bore is closed by a plastic -6plug 17 which has an upstanding protrusion having an outer surface which is intended to lie at the surface of the moulded concrete element to provide an indication of location of the void 15. In addition the ferrules are formed with a diametric bore 39 toward their lower end and in use the bore is intended to accommodate a support bat 37 which is to support the ferrule in position on the C support chair 19 in the moulding space which is to become the panel The support chair 19 for the ferrule 11 according to the first embodiment is Sformed of a suitable plastics material and comprises a base 21 and a support N element 23 which is removably mounted to the base 21. The base 21 is generally square and is provided at its corners with legs 24 and the lower end of the legs have feet 25 which have a reduced cross-sectional area in order that when the moulded product has been completed the presence of the feet are not readily apparent on the surface of the moulded structure. The base 21 supports the support element 23 in spaced relation above the floor 20 of the mould. The support element 23 is snugly received and supported by the base 21 and comprises a base plate 27 having central opening 30 and a set of four upstanding fingers 29 which are spaced angularly equi-angularly about the perimeter of the opening 30. The fingers have a generally laminar cross-section and are disposed radially to the central axis of the opening The spaces the fingers 29 define between themselves are partially closed by webs 31 and 33. One pair of webs 31 which are diametrically opposite each other have upper edges which are higher than the upper edges of the other pair of diametrically opposed webs 33. In addition, the one pair of webs 31 are each provided at their lower extent with an aperture 35 where the apertures are in a diametrically opposed relation to each other. The upper edges of the one pair of webs 31, the upper edges of the other pair of webs 33 and the portion of the 27 base defining the lower edge of the apertures 35 three support surfaces.

In use and prior to supporting a ferrule 11 within the support chair 19 according to the first embodiment a support bar 37 is located within the transverse passage 39 provided through the ferrule. The ferrule with the support bar is then located Sin position in a support chair between the fingers 29 and in alignment with the opening 30 and the ferrule is lowered into the support chair until the elongate bar 39 engages with the upper edges of one pair of webs 31 or 33. Alternatively the O ferrule without the support bar is located between the fingers and the transverse passage 37 is aligned with one of the support surfaces defined by the upper \edges of the pairs of webs 31 or 33 or with the apertures 35 in the lower portion Cc of the one pair of webs 31 and when at that position the support bar 37 is C inserted into the passage 39 to be supported by the respective support surface.

N The support chair according to the embodiment is able provide three different positions for the ferrule within a body of concrete to accommodate for three differing thicknesses of the wall panel.

It should be appreciated that the support chair according to the embodiment can be utilised in supporting components other ferrules within a body of concrete and if desired can be utilised for supporting reinforcing elements or the like.

The present invention is not to be limited in scope by the specific embodiment described herein. The embodiment is intended for the purpose of exemplification only. Functionally equivalent products, features applications and methods are clearly within the scope of the invention as described herein.

Claims (13)

1. A support chair adapted to receive and support an element within a moulding space during casting of a concrete component, said chair having a base adapted to be supported from a face of the mould, the chair having a plurality of support surfaces, each support surface spaced from the base by a differing amount, said support surfaces being adapted to support said element.

2. A support chair as claimed at claim 1 wherein the support chair comprises a number of upstanding members, said upstanding members being located equi-angularly about a support axis which defines a support angle with the face of the mould, the upstanding members defining between themselves a support space, the upstanding members being interconnected by supports extending around the support space and each support having an upper surface, the supports comprising pairs of diametrically opposed supports wherein the spacing of the upper surface from the face of the mould of each pair of supports differs from that of the other pairs of supports, the upper surfaces comprising the support surfaces.

3. A support chair as claimed at claim 2 wherein at least some of the supports comprise webs.

4. A support chair as claimed at claim 3 wherein at least one pair of webs are formed with diametrically opposed apertures to provide a further support surface which is at a differing height from the other support surfaces. A support chair as claimed at claim 2 or 3 or 4 wherein the support chair comprises a base which in use is to be supported from the face of the -9- mould and a support element which is receivable on the base, said Ssupport element supporting the upstanding members.

6. A support chair as claimed at claim 5 wherein the base provides a support surface.

7. A support chair as claimed at claim 5 or 6 wherein support element is Sseparable from the base.

8. A support chair as claimed at claim 5 or 6 wherein the support element is integrally formed with the base.

9. A support chair as claimed at claim 5 or 6 wherein support element is fixedly mounted to the base. support chair as claimed at any one of claims 5 to 9 wherein the base is provided with a set of feet which are to be engaged with the face of the mould said feet having a reduced lower surface area.

11.A support chair as claimed at claim 10 wherein the lower surface of the feet is point-like.

12.A support chair as claimed at any one of claims 2 to 11 having four upstanding members.

13.A support chair as claimed at any one of claims 2 to 12 wherein the support angle is substantially perpendicular to the face of the mould.

14.A support chair as claimed at any one of claims 2 to 13 wherein the support space has a configuration conforming the configuration of the element to be supported between the upstanding members. support chair as claimed at any one of claims 2 to 14 wherein the support chair is formed from a plastics material.

16.A support chair substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. IND