AU635864B2

AU635864B2 - Truss support pedestal

Info

Publication number: AU635864B2
Application number: AU84514/91A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Ronald Wilson
Original assignee: Gang Nail Australia Ltd
Current assignee: Mitek Australia Ltd
Priority date: 1988-02-11
Filing date: 1991-09-16
Publication date: 1993-04-01
Anticipated expiration: 2009-02-07
Also published as: AU8451491A

Description

6o"3 5864

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 OR IG INAL COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT 0 00 0 of.

Invention Title: TRUSS SUPPORT PEDESTAL The following statement is a full description of this invention, including -the best method of performing it known to me:-

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OS.. 55 *5*S S S 5905 S 5* 0 *0 S S 000559 9 2 0 0 0 0* TRUSS SUPPORT PEDESTAL This invention relates to a truss support pedestal.

The invention provides a truss support pedestal 5 having a support means, an upper platform extending o transversely from said support means for supporting a truss, a base below said upper platform and extending outwardly from said supporting means, gripping means supported by said base, said pedestal having open side portions between said upper platform and said base such that a press for forming or working upon said truss can move relative to said truss when supported on the upper platform in a direction transverse to the height of said pedestal from a position at one side of the pedestal to a 3position in which the press is in alignment with the pedestal and then to a position at the other side of said pedestal, and wherein said gripping means comprises at least one magnet for attracting said pedestal to a surface made from magnetically attractable material to thereby securely support said pedestal on said surface.

Preferably, the magnets are electromagnetics which are actutable to firmly attract said pedestal to a surface made from magnetically attractable material to thereby securely support said pedestal on said surface.

Preferably, ground engaging means are provided which are movable from a first position in which they engage the surface to enable the pedestal to be moved and .o to a second position in which said electromagnets can 15 engage said surface.

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Preferably the ground engagement means comprises a plurality of castors.

Preferably the support means includes jigs for °oo0 o supporting said truss or parts of said truss to enable the parts to be joined together by the press.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: a ~Figure 1 is a front view of a pedestal embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a bottom view of the pedestal of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic view of a pedestal supporting a truss; and Figure 4 is a schematic side view of a pedestal supporting a truss and being worked upon by a press.

With reference to Figures 1 and 2, a pedestal is shown which comprises a base 12 having three legs 14.

The base 12 also supports a pair of electromagnets 16.

Extending upwardly from the base is a rear support wall 18 which supports an upper support platform 20. The upper support platform 20 is provided with jig elements and clamps generally designated by the reference numeral 4 22 for supporting a truss or components of a truss to enable the components to be secured together to form the truss. A pair of struts 23 extend between the base 12 and the wall 18.

As is clearly seen in Figure 1, the pedestal does not have any side walls and is open at the sides apart from the struts 23. This is to enable a press 100 (see Figure 4) to move into alignment with the platform and a work piece supported on the platform to enable the work piece to be operated upon by the press. The press.-can merely "flow through" the pedestal by being moved from the left hand side of the pedestal into alignment with the platform 20 so that the platform 20 is sandwiched between parts of the press and then away from *got 15 the press to the right of the press in a single movement •direction without the need to push the press into alignment with the platform 20 then withdraw it from the platform 20 and then move it to another pedestal.

The pedestal 10 has an operating handle which is coupled to a mechanism (not shown) for raising and lowering castors 32 arranged in legs 14 by means of a link 34. The castors 32 can be raised or lowered by :movement of the handle 30 so that the castors can engage .o the surface upon which the pedestal is supported to 25 enable the pedestal to be easily moved or can be retracted so that the pedestal sits on the legs 14 and on the electromagnet 16 so that the electromagnets can be actuated to firmly hold the pedestal to a surface.

0 The pedestal 10 may also have a power socket 38 too* for supplying power to the electromagnets 16 and the necessary control circuitry or the like may be housed in the wall 18.

With reference to Figures 3 and 4, Figure 3 schematically shows a system for supporting a truss which comprises a number of the pedestals 10 which are arranged so that components of the truss which are to be joined together to form the truss 50 are supported on platLorms 20 and are held in the appropriate jigs and clamps 22 (not shown in Figure 3) so that the press 100 can operate on the joints between the components to join them together to form the truss 50. In operation the pedestals 10 are arranged in position and the magnets actuated to securely hold the pedestals to a surface which is preferably a steel plate arranged on a concrete floor and the magnets 16 attract the pedestals 10 to the steel plate to securely hold the pedestals in place. The components of the truss 50 may then be arranged on the pedestals and supported in the jigs arid clamps to enable the press 100 to operate on the joins to form the truss 50. The press 100 is generally of a U-shaped configuration and is supported by a gantry or the like S" for movement about the truss 50. Since the sides of the

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pedestal 10 have the open portions generally referenced 4*4* by the numerals 52 in the drawinqs. thbe press 100 can simply be moved in the .direction of arrow A in Figure 3 4.

from the left hand side of the pedestal into alignment with the pedestal where the support 20 and truss 50 is sandwiched within the press so that the press can be operated to join components of the truss together. The press can then be moved again in the direction of arrow A out of the right hand side of the pedestal in Figure 3 *and along to the next pedestal 10. This movement of the 44 4 press is in a single direction. Thus, the pedestal enables "a flow through" motion of the press around the pedestals to form the truss which is most convenient from an operator's point of view and greatly reduces the amount of time and effort which is required to form the truss The use of pedestals 10 to support the truss also enable workmen to simply lift a completed truss and move it to a storage location by walking between the pedestals.

6 Since modification within the spirit and scope of the invention may readily be effected by persons skilled within the art, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiment described by way of example hereinabove.

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Claims

1. A truss support pedestal having a support means, an upper platform extending outwardly from said support means for supporting a truss, a base below said upper platform and extending outwardly from said supporting means, gripping means supported by said base, said pedestal having open side portions between said upper platform and said base such that a press for forming or working upon said truss can move relative to said truss when supported on the upper platform in a direction transverse to the pedestal from a position at one side of the pedestal to a position in which the press is in alignment with the pedestal and then to a position at the other side of said pedestal, and wherein said gripping means comprises at 15 least one magnet for attracting said pedestal to a surface em made from magnetically attractable material to thereby securely support said pedestal on said surface. oemo 0

2. The pedestal of Claim 1 wherein ground engaging a means are provided which are movable from a first position in which they engage the surface to enable the pedestal to be moved and to a second position in which said means for gripping can engage said surface.

3. The pedestal of Claim 2 wherein the ground engaging means comprises a plurality of castors. 25 4. The pedestal of claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein at least one magnet is an electromagnet. DATED THIS 16TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER 1991 GANG-NAIL AtUSTRALIA LTD. By its Patent Attorneys: GRIFFITH HACK CO. Fellows Institute of Patent Attorneys' of Australia. ABSTRACT A truss support pedestal for supporting a truss so it can be worked upon by a press is disclosed which comprises a rear support wall (18) and an upper platform A base (12) is arranged below the upper platform and includes electromagnets (16) which can be energized to attract the truss support pedestal to a support surface to firmly position it on the surface. The sides of the support pedestal are open so that the press can move from one side of the pedestal to a position in alignment with the pedestal and into the other side of pedestal.

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