1 ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT POST AND ADJUSTMENT MEANS FOR ADJUSTING A SUPPORT POST This invention relates to an adjustable support post and adjustment means for adjusting a support post. The invention 5 has particular application to an adjustable support post for supporting floors, roofs or the like in buildings. However, the invention may have application in other areas where a load that requires infrequent and limited height adjustment is to be supported. 10 The terms stump and stilt may be used in the art in some localities when referring to a support post. However, in case there is any difference in meaning of the terms, it is to be understood that in this specification, the term support post is to be taken to include such terms unless the context 15 suggests otherwise. In this specification, the means for adjusting a support post refers to a fitting or such like used in conjunction with a support post to provide Lhe height adjustment thereof. Although support posts supporting beams or bearers in 20 buildings normally do not require height adjustment, footings 7ay move if the foundation is unstable. Normally, such movement is accommodated by propping up the beam or bearer and inserting packing between the top of the support post and the beam, bearer or such like which the support post supporLs. If 25 the support post becomes too long due to the aforesaid 2 movement, it normally requires removal and replacement. Such adjustments become costly and Lime consuming, especially in cases where complex movement occurs or in the case of larger buildings and/or where temporary supporLs are required while 5 the affected support is replacemed. The present invention aims to provide an adjustable support post which provides for height adjustment of a load supported thereon. Other aims and advantages of the invention may become apparent from the following description. 10 With the foregoing in view, in one aspect the present invention resides broadly in adjustment means for adjusting a support post having an elongate axis including: a body formed for attachment to an end of the support post and having a cross web extending substantially across the 15 elongate axis of the support post; an aperture penetrating said cross web; a threaded bushing fitting mounted in said aperture and having: an internal thread about the internal face of a bore 20 extending through said bushing fitting; and a external face of said bushing fitting, the external face being sized to permit a clearance fit through said aperture penetrating said cross web; and 3 a shoulder formed about one end of said bushing fitting sized to abut the periphery of said aperture; a locking formation formed into said external face; locking means formed lockable into said locking formation 5 for locking said bushing fitting on a side of said cross web remote from said shoulder whereby said bushing fitting and said locking means may be rotated about the elongate axis within said aperture; and a threaded bar formed for threaded engagement with the 10 internal thread of the bushing fitting. The locking means may be provided in the form of a clip or such like mounted in the locking formation. In such form, the locking formation is provided in the form of a clip receiving formation, such as a channel formed about the 15 external face of the bushing fitting. The clip is sized to abut the periphery of the aperture, thereby, together with the shoulder, providing complementary axial abutments to prevent axial movement of the bushing fitting through the aperture whilst permitting rotation therein. 20 In another aspect, the present invention resides broadly in adjustment means for adjusting a support post having an elongate axis including: a body formed for attachment to an end of the supporL post and having a cross web extending substantially across the elongate axis of the support post; an aperLure penetrating said cross web; 5 a threaded bushing fitting mounted in said aperture and having: an internal thread about the internal face of a bore extending through said bushing fitting; and an external thread extending at least part way about 10 the external face of said bushing fitting, the external thread being sized to permit a clearance fit through said aperture penetrating said cross web; and a shoulder formed about one end of said bushing fitting sized to abut the periphery of said aperture; 15 a nut sized for threaded engagement with said external thread and for abutment with the periphery of said aperture; locking means associated with said nut for locking said nut on said external thread on a side of said cross web remote from said shoulder whereby said threaded bushing fitting, said 20 nut and said locking means may be rotated about the elongate axis within said aperture; and 5 a threaded bar formed for threaded engagement with the internal thread of the threaded bushing fitting. In another aspect, the present invention resides broadly in an adjustable support post including a fixed length support 5 post and the means for adjusting a support post as hereinbefore described. Preferably, the threaded bar includes a support pad, which may, for example, be in the form of a flange or such like, providing a support face substantially orthogonally to 10 the elongate axis of the support post to support the load, such as a beam, joist or such like, being supported by the support post. The threaded bushing fitting, nut and locking means may thus be rotated about its elongate axis in order to move axially, the elongate axis of the threaded bar being 15 coaxial with the elongate axis of the support post, thereby adjusting the height of the support post by virtue of the axial movement. It will be seen that the arrangement herein described permits height adjustment without requiring rotation of the threaded bar. 20 The locking means is preferably provided in the form of a grub screw or the like and a threaded hole penetrating the nut radially to permit engagement of the grub screw against the external thread of the threaded bushing fitting. It is also preferred that the shoulder includes formations, such as 6 hexagonal flats, about its periphery to provide for engagomont with a wrench, spanner or such like to rotate the threaded bushing fitting about its axis tu effect the height adjustment herein described. 5 In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the following drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, and in which: Eig.1 is a partially transparent side elevation of a 10 height adjustment assembly for a height adjustable support post according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a partially transparent plan view of the adjustable support post of Fig, 1 showing a rectangular bearer connection plate; 15 Fig. 3 is a plan view of a T-shaped bearer connection plate as an alternative to the rectangular bearer connection plate of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a plan view of a triangular bearer connection plate as an alternative to the rectangular bearer 20 connection plate of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a plan view of a square bearer connection plate as an alternative to the rectangular bearer connection plate of Fig. 2; 7 Fig. 6 is a plan view of a stub bearer connection plate as an alternative to the rectangular bearer connection plate of Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is a plan view of a corner bearer connection plate 5 as an alternative to the rectangular bearer connection plate of Fig. 2; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a top bushing fitting providing an alternative to the top nut of height adjustment assembly of Fig. 1; 10 Fig. 9 is a C-clip for the top bushing fitting of Fig. S; Fig. 10 is a plan view of a top nut for the height adjustment assembly of Fig. 1; Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the top nut of Fig. 10; Fig. 12 is a side view of a washer for the height 15 adjustment assembly of Fig. 1; Fig. 13 is a side elevation of a bottom nut for the height adjustment assembly of Fig. 1; Fig. 14 is a plan view of the bottom nut of Fig. 13; and Fig. 15 is a side view of a post cap for the height 20 adjustment assembly of Fig. 1. The height adjustable support post 10 illustrated in Fig. 1 includes a height adjustment assembly 11 attached to the 8 upper end of a support post 12. The height adjustment assembly constitutes height adjustmenL means according to the invention as hereinbefore described. The height adjustment assembly illustrated in Fig. 1 5 includes a post cap 15 which has a nut assembly 16 penetrating through a main penetration 17 through a capping plate 18 as may be seen in more detail in Fig. 15 and described in more details hereinafter. A top plate assembly 20 is threadedly engaged with the nut assembly and includes a threaded bar 21 10 extending from a rectangular bearer connection plate 22. The threaded bar extends from one face of the rectangular bearer connection plate with its axis penetrating substantially through the centre point of the rectangle forming the perimeter of the rectangular bearer connection plate. 15 The rectangular bearer connection plate includes a hub 24 protruding from one face substantially coaxial with its centre point. The threaded bar is fixed to the rectangular bearer connection plate by way of the hub. The rectangular bearer connection plate has two rectangular flange pieces 25 20 extending outward from the hub in opposite directions. Each flange piece has a screw hole 26 for fastening the rectangular bearer connection plate to a bearer, joist or such like penetrating the flange piece substantially centrally about an elongate axis 27 bisecting the rectangular bearer connection 25 plate and spaced inward from the ends.
9 The alternative shapes of bearer connection plate are illustrated in Figs. 3 to 7 and all include the hub on the side remote from that viewed in the plan views from the top illustrated in similar fashion to that of the rectangular 5 bearer connection plate. The T-shaped bearer connection plate 30 includes a rectangular portion 32 the same as the rectangular bearer connection plate with a I-piece 33 of similar configuration to the flange pieces. Each flange piece and the T-piece has a screw hole, the screw holes in the 10 flange pieces being aligned in substantially the same positions as those of the rectangular bearer connection plate, and the screw hole through the T-piece being substantially central about an axis extending from the centre of the intersection of the T-piece with the rectangular portion and 15 spaced inward from the end. The triangular bearer connection plate 40 illustrated in Fig. 4 has a right angle portion 41 and a Y-leg portion 42 extending from the obtuse outside angle of the right angle portion to provide three flange pieces, each with a screw hole 20 in similar location as that described in respect of the flange pieces of the bearer connection plates of Figs. 2 and 3. The square bearer connection plaLe 50 illustrated in Fig. 5 has a large squareplate 51 extending outward to a periphery commensurate with the extent of the ends of the flange pieces 25 of the rectangular bearer connection plate described in 1.0 respect of Fig. 2. In contrast thereto, the stub bearer connection plate 60 illustrated in Fig. 6 the same as the rectangular bearer connection plate of Fig. 2 in every respect except that one of the flange pieces is removed, thereby 5 having only one flange piece and screw hole. The corner bearer connection plate 70 illustrated in Fig. 7 has a small square plate 71 being much the same as the angle portion of the triangular bearer connection plate with the acute angel side of the angle occupied by a fillet portion 72. 10 There are three screw holes, but the screw holes through the flange pieces are each located centrally between the edges of the small square and the hub, and the screw hole through the fillet portion is aligned with the other two screw holes. The bushing fitting 80 illustrated in Fig. 8 includes a 15 hexagonal portion 88 having six flat sides typical of a nut or bolt head which may be engaged by a spanncr, wrench or such like for turning about the axis of the bushing fitting. The bushing fitting includes an integral flange 79 extending radially outward from an outer face 78. A C-clip channel 77 20 circumscribes the outer face of the bushing fitting. A C-clip 76 illustrated in Fig. 9 may be expanded by its split 75 to fit over the outer face and fit into the C-clip channel of the bushing fitting. The spacing between the C-clip and the flange is wide enough to be clear of the opposed faces of the main 25 capping plate and thereby permit free rotation of the hushing 11 fitting about its axis. The rotation permits the axial movement of a threaded bar inserted through the threaded bore of the bushing fitting. The nut assembly includes the top nut 81 illustrated in 5 Figs. 10 and 11, the washer 85 illustrated in Fig. 12 and a bottom nut 90 illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14. The top nut includes a hexagonal head 83 having six flats 86 disposed about its outer periphery in typical manner of hexagonal headed nuts. A shoulder 82 of substantially cylindrical form 10 with a circular outer face extends axially from one end of the hexagonal head. A threaded spigot 84 extends axially from the end of the shoulder remote from the hexagonal head. The shoulder has an external diameter commensurate with the provision of a clearance fit in the main penetration 17 in the 15 main capping plate 18 of the post cap 15. Illustrated in Fig. 15. The top nut also has a threaded bore 87 extending axially through from one end to the other. The washer is of annular form typical of a flat washer, and is interposed between the hexagonal head of the Lop nut 20 and the upper face of the main capping plate when the top nut is inserted by its threaded spigot and shoulder through the main penetration. The bottom nut is also of annular form and has a threaded internal face 93 for threaded engagement with the threaded 12 spigot of the top nut. The bottom nut is of a larger diameter than the main penetration of the main capping plate so that, when the top nut is inserted through the main penetration and the bottom nut threaded onto the threaded spigot thereof, the 5 nut assembly is locked axially in place in the main aperture against axial displacement therefrom, but is free to rotate therein about its axis. The bottom nut is locked into its position on the threaded spigot by a grub screw 91 extending radially through a grub screw aperture. The inner end of the 10 grub screw is thereby engaged with the threaded spigot to prevent the bottom nut from separating from the top nut. The post cap illustrated in Fig. 15 includes the main aperture penetrating the main capping plate substantially centrally thereof as hereinbefore described. In addition, it 15 may be seen that the main capping plate is surrounded by a four-sided skirt 94 to provide square void 95 into which the upper end of a support post may be inserted. The post cap is secured to the support post by fasteners such as screws through two fastener holes 96, one on each of two opposite 20 faces of the square skirt, substantially centrally of cach face thereof. The adjustable support post according to the present invention may be provided by securing the post cap to the top end of a support post and engaging the threaded bar 21 of the 25 bearer connection plate with the threaded bore of the bushing 13 fitting once the bushing fitting has been installed in the main aperture. Height adjustment is achieved by rotation of the bushing fitting. In the alternaLive form, the adjustable support post 5 according to the present invention may be provided by securing the post cap to the top end of a support post and engaging the threaded bar 21 of the bearer connection plate with the threaded bore of the top nut, rotating the top nut in the main aperture to cause axial movemenL of the threaded bar through 10 the nut assembly. The position of the threaded axially in the nut assembly determines the heighL of the adjustable support post in accordance with the present invention. Of course, any one of the alternative bearer support plates may be used in place of the rectangular bearer support plate for supporting 15 bearers or joists of corresponding bearer or joist configurations. Although the invention has been described with reference to a specific example, it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in other 20 forms within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein set forth and defined by the following claim.