AU748554B2 - A bracket - Google Patents

Description

S F Ref: 456160

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: Unlstrut Australia Pty 89 Kurrajong Avenue Mount Druitt New South

AUSTRALIA

Limited Wales 2770 Roderick McDonald, David Farrell, Bill Savill, George Grech, Peter Phillips, Les McNally, Greg Thomas and Richard Grace Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia A Bracket ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION DETAILS [31] Application No(s) [33] Country PP3664 AU [32] Application Date 22 May 1998 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5815 11- 1 A Bracket Technical Field The present invention relates to brackets and more particularly, but not exclusively, to cantilever brackets from which items are suspended or mounted on.

Background of the Invention Cantilever brackets include a flange which is generally attached to a supporting structure such as a wall, beam or column. Attached to and extending from the flange, is a cantilever beam. Essentially the beam is generally perpendicular to the flange.

Typically, the flange of the above-mentioned cantilever brackets is of a "C- 10 shaped" configuration so as to have a base from which there extends a pair of ridges.

:.The ridges engage the wall, beam or column. A hole is formed through the base and a threaded fastener passes therethrough to secure the flange to the wall, beam or column.

If the threaded fastener is over-tensioned, the base is deformed.

S-A further problem in respect of the above-discussed cantilever beams is the location of a bolt head in respect of a bolt passing through the flange. The bolt head projects over the cantilever beam and can interfere with objects mounted on the cantilever beam.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate .at least one of the above-mentioned problems or at least to provide a useful alternative.

Summary of the Invention Accordingly, the invention provides a bracket having: a mounting flange with a base and a pair of spaced ridges extending from the base to engage a supporting structure; a cantilever beam attached to the base and extending therefrom in a direction opposite to the ridges, the beam being generally perpendicular to the base; and wherein the base is deformed so as to have a projection extending from said face in the direction of the ridges -and located therebetween, said projection extending from the base by a distance equal to or less than the ridges, said projection providing an associated cavity in the base projecting in the direction of extension of the cantilever beam.

Preferably, 'the projection would have a height relative to the base of approximately half the height of the ridges.

Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein: [N:\LIBLL]02575:KEH 2 Figure 1 is a schematic side elevation of a bracket; Figure 2 is a schematic front end elevation of the bracket of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic rear end elevation of the bracket of Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of the bracket of Figure 1,.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments In the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted a bracket The bracket 10 includes a mouniting flange 11 which by qpeans of a threaded fastener is secured to a supporting structure such as a beam, wall or column. Extending from the flange 11 so as to be generally normal thereto is a cantilever beam 12. In this embodiment, the cantilever beam 12 is of a "U-shaped" configuration so as to have a base 13 from which there extends a pair of legs 14. The legs 14 terminate at their upper longitudinal edges with "U-shaped" portions The flange 11 is of a "C-shaped" configuration so as to have a generally flat base 16 from which there extends a pair of generally parallel spaced ridges 17. The 15 ridges 17 engage the supporting structure. The ridges 17 project from a major face of the base 16 in a direction opposite the direction of extension of the beam 12 from the opposite face of the base 16.

The base 16 is deformed so as to have a projection 18, projecting in the same direction as the ridges 17. The projection 18 forms a cavity 19 facing in the same direction as the direction of extension of the beam 12 from the base 16. The projection 18 is further punched so as to have a hole 20 through which a fastener passes to secure the flange 11 to the supporting structure.

In use of the above-mentioned bracket 10, a threaded fastener passes through the opening 20 to threadably engage the supporting structure. The head of the threaded fastener would be received within the cavity 19, with the projection 18 providing a reinforcing for the base 16 to inhibit deflection thereof when the threaded fastener is tensioned.

The base 16 may also include at least one additional hole 21 for use as a second fastening point or to allow tool access to the attached supporting structure.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms.

[N:\LIBLL]02575:KEH

Claims (8)

1. A bracket having: a mounting flange with a base and a pair of spaced ridges extending from the base to engage a supporting structure; a cantilever beam attached to the base and extending therefrom in a direction opposite to the ridges, the beam being generally perpendicular to the base; and wherein the base is deformed so as to have a projection extending from said base in the direction of the ridges and located therebetween, said projection extending from the base by a distance equal to or less than the ridges, said projection providing an associated cavity in the base facing in the direction of extension of the cantilever beam.

2. A bracket according to claim 1, wherein said flange and said beam intersect at right angles.

3. A bracket according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said projection has a height relative to the base of approximately half the height of the ridges.

4. A bracket according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said cavity includes at least one hole through which at least one securing means can pass to secure the flange to the supporting structure.

5. A bracket according to claim 4, wherein said securing means is a threaded fastener.

6. A bracket according to claim 5, wherein said fastener facilitates the securing of at least one beam to said bracket.

7. A bracket according to claim 5 or claim 6, wherein said projection Sprovide s tn reinforcing for said base to inhibit deflection thereof when the threaded fastener is tensioned.

8. A bracket, substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings. Dated 25 March, 2002 S: Unistrut Australia Pty Limited Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON FERGUSON