AU2020286179A1

AU2020286179A1 - An anchor system

Info

Publication number: AU2020286179A1
Application number: AU2020286179A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Brian Davies
Original assignee: Metso Outotec Finland Oy
Current assignee: Metso Finland Oy
Priority date: 2019-12-17
Filing date: 2020-12-07
Publication date: 2021-07-01

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an anchor system for engaging a fastener that may be subsequently used to attach an object such as a wear plate to a surface of a structure. The anchor system comprises an expanding member and a sleeve configured to be inserted into a wall cavity, wherein the expanding member can be urged at least partially through the sleeve into a locking position where the expanding member causes at least a portion of the sleeve to expand outwardly and be fixed inside the wall cavity; wherein the expanding member has an engagement portion capable of engaging with a fastener, wherein the engagement portion is inset within the sleeve when the expanding member is in the locking position.

Description

ANANCHORSYSTEM

Technical Field The present invention relates to an anchor system, and in particular although not exclusively, for engaging a fastener that may be subsequently used to attach an object such as, but not limited to, a wear plate to a surface of a structure.

Background The present applicant has made many innovations fastener technology, particularly for fastening wear plates to a surface of a structure. The surface may for example be of a piece of equipment that is subjected to abrasion. An example of one such fastener is described in International Publication No. W02006/108245. The fastener described in this publication is a nutless bolt which that is inserted into a hole from one side of a surface (such as the side on which a wear plate is to be attached) and is fixed in place by attaching an application tool to a head of the bolt and driving a pin into a bore formed centrally through the head and shaft of the bolt. This enables the fastener to be fixed in place without the need to access an opposite side of the surface from which the fastener is applied.

Other fasteners that may be used for the same application(s) may be secured into the hole from the wear-plate side in other ways. Embodiments of the present invention may facilitate engaging of such fasteners within a hole.

Summary According to a first aspect, there is provided an anchor system comprising: an expanding member and a sleeve configured to be inserted into a wall cavity, wherein the expanding member can be urged at least partially through the sleeve into a locking position where the expanding member causes at least a portion of the sleeve to expand outwardly and be fixed inside the wall cavity; wherein the expanding member has an engagement portion capable of engaging with a fastener, wherein the engagement portion is inset within the sleeve when the expanding member is in the locking position.

Accordingly, the disclosed anchor system may provide an engagement portion, such as but not limited to a screw thread or the like, that can be installed in a hole, which is not normally provided with a structured and secure engagement portion, to which a fastener can engage and optionally disengage.

Also, by providing an expanding member with an engagement portion inset within the sleeve when in the locking position, the disclosed anchor system may provide the advantage that the engagement portion does not extend beyond the wall cavity. This potentially allows for the fastener to be flush with the object to be mounted to the wall, which potentially increasing protection of the fastener (fewer protruding parts) and aesthetics.

The engagement portion may be capable of removably engaging with a setting tool used to pull the expanding member into the locking position.

The engagement portion may be capable of removably engaging with the fastener. This allows the fastener to be conveniently disengaged and the same or another fastener to be engaged with the same anchor system, for example, when a wear plate or other object mounted to the wall needs to be removed or replaced.

The sleeve may comprise: a first end capable of receiving the expanding member when the sleeve is unexpanded; and a second end opposite the first end.

The sleeve may comprise one or more splits extending from the second end towards the first end.

An outer surface of the sleeve may comprise a textured portion adapted to grip onto an inner surface defining the wall cavity when the sleeve is expanded.

The textured portion of the outer surface may be serrated and/or may comprise one or more protrusions.

The outer surface of the sleeve may also comprise a smooth portion closer to the first end than the textured.

Before the sleeve is expanded, an outer profile of the sleeve may be tapered inwards towards the second end.

Before the sleeve is expanded, an axial passage of the sleeve may be tapered inwards towards the second end such that a width of the axial passage at the second end is smaller than a width of the expanding member.

A thickness of the sleeve may increase from the first end towards the second end.

The sleeve may be made of metal.

The engagement portion may comprise a threaded portion for threading engagement with the fastener.

The engagement portion may comprise an internal thread within a body of the expanding member for threading engagement with an external thread of the wall fastener.

The engagement portion of the expanding member may comprise a slot for engagement with a transverse bar.

The anchor system may be used to attach a wear plate to a wall or other surface using a fastener adapted to engage with the engagement portion of the expandable member.

According to a second aspect there is also provided a method of fastening an object to a wall, the method comprising: providing an anchor system according to any one of the preceding claims; engaging the engagement portion of the expanding member with a setting tool; locating the sleeve and expanding member at least partially received by the sleeve into a wall cavity; using the setting tool to pull the expanding member at least partially through the sleeve causing the sleeve to expand and be fixed inside the wall cavity; disengaging the setting tool from the engagement portion; inserting the fastener through the object and engaging the fastener with the engagement portion of the expanding member to fasten the object to the wall.

Using the setting tool to pull the expanding member may comprise locating a spacer in a manner that lines an opening of the sleeve to prevent the expanding member from exiting the sleeve while being pulled by the setting tool.

According to a third aspect, there is provided an anchoring system comprising: an anchor system according to the first aspect; and a tool having a member arranged to: releasably engage the engagement portion of the expanding member to facilitate handling of the expanding member and the sleeve; and transfer a force for pulling the expanding member into the locking position.

According to a fourth aspect, there is provided a fastener system comprising an anchor system according to the first aspect and a fastener arranged to releasably engage the engagement portion of the expanding member of the anchor system.

The fastener system may comprise a tool having a member arranged to: releasably engage the engagement portion to facilitate handling of the expanding member and the sleeve; and transfer a force for pulling the expanding member into the locking position.

Brief Description of the Drawings Embodiments of the disclosed anchor system will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an anchor system according to an embodiment; Figure 2 is a sectional view of the anchor system shown in Fig 1; Figure 3 is a sectional view of the anchor system shown in Figs 1 and 2 being set into a cavity in a wall using a setting tool; Figure 4 is a sectional view of a fastener engaged with the anchor system; and Figure 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of anchor system.

Detailed Description Figures 1 to 3 show an embodiment of an anchor system 10 (which may also herein be referred to as "anchor 10" for convenience). The anchor system 10 comprises an expanding member 12 and a sleeve 14. In use, the sleeve 14 is configured to receive at least a portion of the expanding member 12 and be inserted into a cavity 16 in a wall 17. The wall 17 can be of any structure, such as but not limited to a wall of a piece of equipment or a wall of a building or other structure onto which an object can be fixed. In this description a wear plate will be used as an example of an object that can be fixed to the wall using the anchor system 10, however it will be appreciated that embodiments of the invention are not limited to this application.

The expanding member 12 (which may hereinafter be referred to as a "wedge 12" for convenience) can be urged at least partially through the sleeve 14 into a locking position where it causes at least a portion of the sleeve 14 to expand or displace outwardly and be pressed or wedged against, and in this way fixed inside, the wall cavity 16. The wedge 12 has an engagement portion 18 capable of engaging with a fastener (not shown) to fasten the wear plate to the wall 17. The engagement portion 18 is inset within the sleeve 14 when the wedge 12 is in the locking position.

In this embodiment, the wedge 12 comprises a generally cylindrical body having a first end 19 and a second end 21 opposite the first end. The wedge 12 has an enlarged head 20 at the second end 21. The head 20 has a slight inward taper in a direction towards the second end 21. In a specific example, the taper of the head 20 may be between 1-3°, preferably approximately 20. In this embodiment the taper starts from a location 23 adjacent the first end 19 which is coincident with the largest outer diameter of the wedge 12. The engagement portion 18 is implemented here as an internally threaded bore 22 extending through, and along a central axis A of, the wedge 12. The wedge 12 can be made of metal or any other suitable material.

The sleeve 14 in this embodiment comprises a first end 24 and a second end 26 opposite the first end 24. A passage 28 of the sleeve 14 tapers inwards in a direction towards the second end 26. In this example, the tapered passage 28 is provided by a thickness of the sleeve 14 increasing in a direction towards the second end 26 such that the passage 28 narrows towards the second end 26 when the sleeve 14 is not yet expanded. The degree to which the passage 28 is tapered is such that an angle of an inner wall 30 of the sleeve 14 generally complements the angle of the tapered head 20. Thus, according to a specific example, the angle of the inner wall 30 of the sleeve 14 may also be tapered by approximately 20. With particular reference to Figure 2, the tapered passage 28 allows the head 20 of the wedge 12 to be received by the sleeve 14 from the first end 24 when the sleeve is unexpanded. However, the passage 28 becomes narrower to the extent that, without additional force, the head 20 is prevented from moving past approximately midway through the passage 28 when the sleeve is unexpanded. The sleeve 14 is preferably made of metal but can be made of or comprise any other suitable materials.

The sleeve 14 also comprises one or more splits 32 extending from the second end 26 towards the first end 24 as shown particularly in Figure 1. In this example, four splits 32 are spaced apart evenly about a circumference of the sleeve 14, effectively creating distinct sleeve segments 25a, 25b, 25c, 25d (collectively, "segments 25") that are joined at the first end 24. A lower or inboard end of each split 32 leads to a circular recess 33 with dissipates stress and assists in avoiding cracking when the sleeve 14 is expanded. The splits 32 allow the sleeve 14 to be expanded, which will be described in more detail below.

The sleeve 14 further comprises a gripping portion 34 and a smooth portion 36. The gripping portion 34 is textured for the purposes of biting onto or otherwise creating resistance to movement of the sleeve in at least a direction opposite the direction of insertion of the sleeve 14 into the cavity 16. In this example, the gripping portion 34 is textured by the provision of serrations similar to a buttress tread on an outer surface of the sleeve segments 25. When the sleeve 14 is unexpanded, the smooth portion 36 may allow (or at least does not hinder) insertion of the sleeve 14 into the cavity 16. When the sleeve 14 is expanded, the gripping portion 34 may improve the ability of the sleeve 14 to grip onto an internal surface 37 of the wall 17 defining the cavity 16.

To insert and subsequently fix the sleeve 14 within the cavity 16 so that the anchor 10 can engage a fastener, a setting tool 40 is used, components of which are shown in Figure 3. The tool 40 comprises a moving member and a support member 44 that supports the moving member, in this example a shank 42. The shank 42 is received through a central axial bore of the support member 44. The shank 42 is allowed to rotate or spin about its longitudinal axis B relative to the support member 44 by virtue of bearings 46 within the support member 44. A head 47 of the shank 42 is configured to engage with a power tool to rotate the shank 42. In this example, the head 47 of the shank 42 is hexagonal to couple with a hexagonal socket of an impact wrench or the like used to rotate the shank 42.

The shank 42 has an external thread 48 at least at its distal end portion for complementary engagement with the internal threaded bore 22 of the wedge 12. Before the sleeve 14 is expanded, the wedge 12 may be positioned in the sleeve 14 in the manner shown in Figure 2. The anchor 10 may be initially inserted into the cavity 16 (before attaching the wear plate to the wall 17) by: (a) loosely engaging the shank 42 of the tool 40 with the thread in the bore 22 of the wedge 12, with the sleeve 14 positioned between the support member 44 and the wedge 12 (here, the anchor 10 need only be held on the tool 40 so that the tool 40 can be used to manoeuvre the anchor 10 into the cavity 16, and therefore it may not be necessary to threadably engage the shank 42 within the bore 22 at this stage); (b) locating the tool 40 in front of the cavity 16 with the wedge 12 and sleeve 14 aligned with the cavity 16, and; (c) pushing the tool 40 towards the cavity 16 until an end 52 of the support member 44 interfaces with a surface of the wall 17.

Accordingly, the anchor 10 is inserted into the cavity 16 while still engaged with the tool 40 from a side of the wall 17 on which the wear plate is to be attached.

At times there will not be a cavity 16 in the wall, or at least not at a required location to receive a fastener. In such circumstances it is necessary as an initial step, before step (a) above, to cut or otherwise form a cavity or hole in the wall to receive the anchor 10. A broach saw may be used to for the hole/cavity 16 the wall 17.

The tool 40 also comprises a spigot or lip 50 extending from the end 52 of the support member 44. In this example, the lip 50 is cylindrical and extends from the end 52 of the support member 44. The lip 50 may extend approximately between 1mm-4mm, preferably 2mm, from the end 52 of the support member 44. The lip 50 has an outer diameter that substantially matches an inner diameter of the sleeve 14 at the second end 26 such that when the tool 40 is used to insert the anchor 10 into the cavity 16, the lip 50 sits inside and engages an opening of the sleeve 14 at the second end 26. The shank 42 of the tool 40 extends through and is aligned with the central axis B of the tool 40 (and also the lip 50). Therefore, the lip 50 may ensure that the shank 42 is positioned centrally within the sleeve 14. The lip 50 also acts as a spacer between the wedge 12 and the support member 44 of the tool 40, and thus also between the wedge 12 and a front surface of the wall 17 onto which the wear plate is to be attached. Accordingly, once the anchor 10 is fixed within the cavity 16, the wedge 12 will be set back from the second end 26 of the sleeve 14 and the front surface of the wall 17 by a predefined distance determined by the length of the lip 50, while the sleeve 14 is flush with the front surface of the wall 17.

Once the anchor 10 is inserted into the cavity 16, to fix the anchor 10 firmly within inside the cavity 16, torque is applied (e.g. using an impact wrench or the like) to rotate the shank 42 in a direction that increases the threading connection between the shank 42 and the wedge 12. Due to the threading connection of the shank 42 with the bore 22 of the wedge 12, the wedge 12 is drawn along the shank 42 and through the sleeve 14 towards the second end 26 of the sleeve 14. The wedge 12 is pulled through the sleeve 14 in this manner until the head 20 of the wedge 12 reaches the lip 50 of the tool 40, i.e. the locking position, as shown in Figure 3. Further, as the wedge 14 is drawn along the shank 42, the sleeve 14 is kept in the cavity 16 flush with the front surface of the wall 17 by the end 52 of the support 44 of the tool. Accordingly, in the locking position the wedge 12 is inset within the sleeve 14. The movement of the wedge 12 into the locking position causes the sleeve 14 to expand, spreading the sleeve segments 25 outwardly and thereby wedging the gripping portion 34 firmly into an internal surface 37 of the wall 17 defining the cavity 16. During use of the tool 40 to set the anchor 10 in place, the sleeve 14 is prevented by the lip 50 of the tool 40 from moving out of the cavity 16.

After the anchor 10 has been set in place within the cavity 16, the tool 40 can be disengaged from the wedge 12 by rotating the shank 42 in an opposite direction, which pushes the tool 40 away from the wall 27, eventually disengaging the tool 40 from the wedge 12.

With reference to Figure 4, once the tool 40 has been removed from the anchor 10, an object (in this example, a wear plate 54) can be attached to the wall 17 using a fastener that engages with the anchor 10.

In this example, the fastener is implemented as a bolt 56 having a conical head 58 and an externally threaded shank 60 capable of threadably engaging with the bore 22 of the wedge 12. The head 58 is configured to sit within a tapered hole 62 in the wear plate 56 that complements the conical shape of the head 58 to hold the wear plate 56 against the wall 17. The bolt 56 is threaded into the bore 22 until the head 58 sits flush with an outer surface of the wear plate 54. A top 64 of the head 60 may comprise a shaped recess (not shown), for example a hexagonal recess, for engaging a complementary shaped bit of a rotary tool to facilitate rotation of the bolt 58. In this manner, the bolt 58 may be removably engaged with the anchor 10, allowing for the wear plate 56 to be easily removed or replaced when necessary.

When the fastener is fully engaged with the anchor 10, an end of the fastener may extend beyond the wedge 12. Thus, a cap 66 may be placed at the first end 19 of the wedge 12 to cover the end of the fastener. The cap 66 may engage with the wedge 12 in numerous ways according to various embodiments. In this example, the cap 66 comprises a buttress thread portion threadably engageable with a complementary additional internal thread portion 68 proximate the first end 19 of the wedge 12, the internal thread portion 68 being aligned with the bore 22 of the wedge 12. The cap 66 may be fitted to the wedge 12 prior to the inserting the anchor 10 into the cavity 16. This will particularly be the case in the event that access to the back side of the wall 17 is difficult or not practical.

According to a specific embodiment, the anchor may have the following dimensions. It will be appreciated that the following dimensions are provided as an example only and the anchor disclosed herein according to various other embodiments may have different dimensions. The head 20 of the wedge 12 may be approximately 12mm thick along the axis A. The outer diameter of the head 20 of the wedge 12 at the second end 21 may be 46mm-47mm (e.g. approximately 46.5mm) and may taper outwards to a diameter of 47mm-48mm (e.g. 47.5mm) towards the first end 19. The sleeve 14 may be approximately 30mm-32mm along the axis B. The gripping portion 34 of the sleeve 14 may extend approximately 15mm from the second end 26 of the sleeve 14. The sleeve 14 may have a uniform outer diameter of 49mm-50mm (e.g. 49.8mm) from the first end 24 to the second end 26. At the second end 26, the sleeve 14 may have an inner diameter of 45mm-47mm (e.g. approximately 46mm). At the first end 24, the sleeve 14 may have an inner diameter of 47mm-48mm (e.g. approximately 47.55mm).

It will be understood to persons skilled in the art of the invention that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, instead of serrations, the gripping portion 34 may have other formations, such as but not limited to protrusions or a roughened surface, that increase the frictional engagement of the outer surface of the sleeve 14 with the internal surface 37 defining the cavity 16.

In another embodiment, instead of the wedge 12 having an internally threaded bore 22, other engagement mechanisms may be used. For example, with reference to Figure 5, the wedge 12s may be implemented as a hollow cylinder with a longitudinal slot 22s. The slot 22s has a length Lo longer than its width Wo. The wedge 12s may be removably engaged in a key-lock manner with a transverse bar (not shown) of a respective setting tool and/or fastener. The transverse bar may have a length LB, whereby Wo < LB Lo. Thus, once the transverse bar is inserted through the slot 22s, it may be turned for example by 900 such that the bar lies cross-wise to the length Lo of the slot 22s and is prevented from being pulled out of the wedge 12s because its length LB is greater than the width Wo of the slot 22s.

In other embodiments, the tapered passage of the sleeve can be provided by other means. For example, instead of the thickness of the sleeve 14 increasing from the first end to the second end, the segments 25 of the sleeve can be inclined inwards prior to expansion of the sleeve.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.

Claims

1. An anchor system comprising: an expanding member and a sleeve configured to be inserted into a wall cavity, wherein the expanding member can be urged at least partially through the sleeve into a locking position where the expanding member causes at least a portion of the sleeve to expand outwardly and be fixed inside the wall cavity; wherein the expanding member has an engagement portion capable of engaging with a fastener, wherein the engagement portion is inset within the sleeve when the expanding member is in the locking position.

2. The anchor system of claim 1, wherein the engagement portion is capable of removably engaging with a setting tool used to pull the expanding member into the locking position.

3. The anchor system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the engagement portion is capable of removably engaging with the fastener.

4. The anchor system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sleeve comprises: a first end capable of receiving the expanding member when the sleeve is unexpanded; and a second end opposite the first end.

5. The anchor system of claim 4, wherein the sleeve comprises one or more splits extending from the second end towards the first end.

6. The anchor system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein an outer surface of the sleeve comprises a textured portion adapted to grip onto an inner surface defining the wall cavity when the sleeve is expanded.

7. The anchor system of claim 6, wherein the textured portion of the outer surface is serrated and/or comprises one or more protrusions.

8. The anchor system of claim 6 or 7, wherein the outer surface of the sleeve comprises a smooth portion closer to the first end than the textured.

9. The anchor system of any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein before the sleeve is expanded, an outer profile of the sleeve is tapered inwards towards the second end.

10. The anchor system of any one of claims 4 to 9, wherein before the sleeve is expanded, an axial passage of the sleeve is tapered inwards towards the second end such that a width of the axial passage at the second end is smaller than a width of the expanding member.

11. The anchor system of any one of claims 4 to 10, wherein a thickness of the sleeve increases from the first end towards the second end.

12. The anchor system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sleeve is made of metal.

13. The anchor system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the engagement portion comprises a threaded portion for threading engagement with the fastener.

14. The anchor system of claim 13, wherein the engagement portion comprises an internal thread within a body of the expanding member for threading engagement with an external thread of the wall fastener.

15. The anchor system of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the engagement portion of the expanding member comprises a slot for engagement with a transverse bar.

16. The anchor system of any one of the preceding claims for use in attaching a wear plate to a wall or other surface using a fastener adapted to engage with the engagement portion of the expandable member.

17. A method of fastening an object to a wall, the method comprising: providing an anchor system according to any one of the preceding claims; engaging the engagement portion of the expanding member with a setting tool; locating the sleeve and expanding member at least partially received by the sleeve into a wall cavity; using the setting tool to pull the expanding member at least partially through the sleeve causing the sleeve to expand and be fixed inside the wall cavity; disengaging the setting tool from the engagement portion; inserting the fastener through the object and engaging the fastener with the engagement portion of the expanding member to fasten the object to the wall.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein using the setting tool to pull the expanding member comprises locating a spacer in a manner that lines an opening of the sleeve to prevent the expanding member from exiting the sleeve while being pulled by the setting tool.

19. An anchoring system comprising: an anchor system according to any one of claims 1-16; and a tool having a member arranged to: releasably engage the engagement portion of the expanding member to facilitate handling of the expanding member and the sleeve; and transfer a force for pulling the expanding member into the locking position.

20. A fastener system comprising an anchor system according to any one of claims 1-16 and a fastener arranged to releasably engage the engagement portion of the expanding member of the anchor system.

s

21. A fastener system according to claim 20 comprising a tool having a member arranged to: releasably engage the engagement portion to facilitate handling of the expanding member and the sleeve; and transfer a force for pulling the expanding member into the locking position.