EP0651110A1 - Immobilization device of a vertical stiffener of railings opposing a floor support - Google Patents

Abstract

Device for immobilising a vertical stiffener for a railing with respect to a floor-bearing support, characterised in that the stiffener (2) has a tubular profile, the cross-section of which allows it to be fitted by sliding on a vertical rigid support (4), solidly attached to a bearing plate (3) extending substantially horizontally, this tubular stiffener including a substantially plane rear face (7) provided at its lower end with an open longitudinal recess (10) and, on each side of this recess, bearing rims (11, 12) for a clamp (13) which immobilises this stiffener against a bearing surface on the rigid support, the stiffener being locked against the support via the clamp by means of at least one lock screw (19, 20) engaging in a tapped hole (25, 26) provided in the support. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a device for securing vis-à-vis a rigid support of a vertical stiffener, capable of supporting a railing for balcony, terrace, staircase or other similar construction.

We know that a guardrail of this kind, intended to provide protection against vacuum, is usually constituted by a low rail, generally horizontal, or even inclined at a given angle when the guardrail forms the railing of a staircase in particular, and a high rail, parallel to the first, surmounted if necessary by a handrail at the upper part of the railing, the latter comprising between these rails one or more solid or material panels transparent, or a plurality of vertical bars suitably spaced, the maximum distance between them being determined by a Standard, in particular to prevent the passage of a child's head.

This protective assembly is supported vis-à-vis the floor of the balcony, terrace or staircase, at the edge of which it extends, by vertical posts or stiffeners, provided with means of connection with the top and bottom rails, so as to keep them at the correct height.

These stiffeners are conventionally constituted by profiles of massive section, fixed to the ground directly or by means of support plates in which engage their lower ends. In the first case, each plate has holes for mounting locking screws; in the second, the base of the stiffeners is fixed in the associated plate by means of wedges, the displacement of which is also achieved by a clamping screw system.

In these two variants, the assembly produced is heavy, expensive to manufacture due to the massive structure of the stiffeners, relatively long to install and above all is unattractive due to the raised mounting of the platinum which cannot therefore integrate harmoniously into the general product line, the fixing means of the screw or other type also remaining always apparent. In addition, the optimization of the material vis-à-vis the bending forces to which these stiffeners are subjected is generally poor. Finally, these systems have a fixed fixed height and therefore cannot adapt to railings whose vertical dimension may possibly be non-standard.

The invention relates to a fixing device which avoids these drawbacks, thanks to the use of a tubular stiffener with a hollowed out section internally, giving it, for a minimum weight, equivalent mechanical strength, in particular with respect to the bending forces to which is subject to the railing, such a stiffener, obtained from a metal profile which can be easily shaped to harmonize with the section of the bars mounted between the beams.

In addition, the use of a tubular stiffener makes it possible to mount inside of it all of the screws and bolts necessary for the clamping of the various assembled parts, which is therefore hidden from the outside, which further improves the overall appearance of the railing.

This device finally makes it possible to simplify the installation of the railing and therefore to make it faster, while also allowing easy adjustment of alignment deviations of the stiffener with respect to its location for attachment to the ground, while using only one locking screw, regardless of the means it includes to correct, if necessary, the flatness of the ground.

To this end, the device considered is characterized in that the stiffener has a tubular profile, the section of which allows it to be fitted by sliding on a vertical rigid support, integral with a support plate on the ground extending substantially horizontally or vertically and attached to the latter, the tubular stiffener having a substantially flat rear face provided at its lower end with an open longitudinal notch and, on each side of this notch, support flanges for a clamp for immobilizing this stiffener against a bearing of the rigid support, the stiffener being locked against the support by means of the flange by means of at least one clamping screw, cooperating with a threaded bore provided in the support.

Advantageously, the support is constituted by a solid rigid profile, having a straight I-shaped section or rectangular at its base, with a central branch and two transverse branches, the tubular stiffener comprising two lateral faces and a frontal face opposite to its rear face comprising the notch, being fitted vertically on the profile, the transverse branches of which extend substantially perpendicular to the lateral faces of the stiffener and the height of which is limited to the sufficient production of such a fitting.

Preferably also, the stiffener comprises a vertical plane of symmetry, which coincides with the central branch of the profile of the support.

According to another characteristic, the immobilizing flange is constituted by a rectangular plate, having a central part capable of engaging in the open notch of the stiffener.

In a preferred embodiment, the device comprises two superimposed locking screws, arranged on either side of an elongated hole in the vertical direction, formed both in the flange and the central branch of the profile of the support, these screws being substantially arranged in the median plane of the stiffener. Advantageously, the elongated hole is freely traversed by a fixing stud, passing through the hole of the flange and the central branch of the profile, to fix, opposite the immobilization flange, a support member for the bottom rail of the railing, held against the external surface of the anterior wall of the stiffener, independently of the height adjustment thereof with respect to its rigid support, according to the relative position of the stud in the median plane of the stiffener inside the elongated hole.

Also preferably, the support member for the bottom heald vis-à-vis the stiffener comprises a projecting part in the form of a clamp, delimiting a groove engaged with a projecting rim of the heald mounted against the stiffener and applied to its anterior wall by the fixing stud.

According to yet another additional characteristic, the stiffener comprises, in its external surface, substantially in the vicinity of its rear face, two grooves extending along vertical generatrices arranged symmetrically with respect to the median plane of the stiffener and reserved for mounting, at the like a clip, the curved lateral ends of a cover, masking the immobilizing flange and the locking screws from the outside, closing the apparent outline of the stiffener beyond its open longitudinal notch.

Advantageously, the lower part of the stiffener is associated in its external surface with the clearance provided between the base of the stiffener and the support plate on the ground, as a function of their relative longitudinal position, with a flexible finishing sock, hiding this game, this sock being formed of a collar, preferably made of plastic, closed on itself.

In a particular embodiment, the collar comprises a rear part, joined by two connecting zones forming hinges and capable of being placed on either side of the stiffener, with two lateral arms extending beyond these connection zones, these arms being provided at their opposite ends with a snap connection for closing the collar on itself and the complete strapping of the base of the stiffener.

Also in accordance with another characteristic of the device considered, the ground support plate comprises an open housing, offset laterally relative to the stiffener beyond its rear face, this housing comprising a vertical hole for the free passage of a screw fixing plate. Advantageously, this screw rests by its head on a flat washer, mounted in the open housing and comprising an oblong central hole, capable of laterally positioning the screw according to the angular orientation of the washer, in order to ensure the catching up of a possible defect in the position of a hole provided in the ground to receive the end of the screw.

According to yet another particular characteristic, the plate comprises, on either side of the open housing, auxiliary screws passing through the plate to ensure a prior adjustment of the latter vis-à-vis the ground. Preferably also, the housing is closed by a cover which is fixed on the sides of this housing by engaging in a mounting groove provided on the body of the plate.

Finally and in an alternative embodiment, the support plate on the ground is constituted by a fixing piece mounted against the nose of a slab or the like, this piece vertically extending the profile of the support on which the stiffener is fitted, and comprising an open housing receiving a fixing screw against the slab, arranged horizontally therein to block the part on the vertical face of the nose.

• La Figure 1 est une vue en perspective éclatée des différents éléments qui constituent le dispositif selon l'invention dans une première variante de réalisation.
• La Figure 2 est une vue en coupe longitudinale partielle de la partie inférieure du raidisseur et du support rigide sur lequel il s'emmanche, dans le mode de réalisation de la Figure 1.
• La Figure 3 est une vue de dessus des éléments illustrés sur la Figure 2.
• La Figure 4 représente à légèrement plus grande échelle la chaussette de finition souple, montée à la partie inférieure du raidisseur.
• La Figure 5 est une vue en coupe longitudinale à échelle plus réduite, d'une autre variante de réalisation, plus particulièrement adaptée au montage d'un raidisseur contre le nez vertical d'une dalle de support.

Other characteristics of a device for immobilizing a vertical stiffener on a rigid support for a railing, will also appear through the description which follows of two exemplary embodiments, given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the various elements which constitute the device according to the invention in a first embodiment.
• Figure 2 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the lower part of the stiffener and of the rigid support on which it is fitted, in the embodiment of Figure 1.
• Figure 3 is a top view of the elements illustrated in Figure 2.
• Figure 4 shows on a slightly larger scale the flexible finishing sock, mounted at the bottom of the stiffener.
• Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view on a smaller scale, of another alternative embodiment, more particularly suitable for mounting a stiffener against the vertical nose of a support slab.

In Figure 1 are shown the various parts of a device according to the invention, generally designated by the reference 1 and mainly comprising a tubular stiffener 2 and a support plate on the ground 3, formed on the one hand 'a rigid support 4 extending vertically and on which is fitted the lower end of the stiffener 2 and on the other hand a transverse sole 5, integral with the support 4 and provided with means allowing its fixing to the ground d 'A balcony, a terrace or a staircase in particular, the railing providing satisfactory protection vis-à-vis the void above such a construction.

The tubular stiffener 2 is produced by means of a suitably shaped hollow metal profile, preferably with a symmetrical section slightly receding towards the front, that is to say towards the external part of the railing, it being however specified that the particular section adopted in the example described does not directly matter to the invention and that that more particularly illustrated in the drawings is given only for information.

In the example considered, the tubular stiffener 2 thus comprises an anterior face 6, a posterior face 7 and two faces or side walls 8 and 9, connecting to each other to ensure its continuity.

At the lower end of its rear face 7, the stiffener has a longitudinal notch 10, open towards the bottom of this stiffener, this notch being delimited on each of its lateral sides by parallel support flanges, 11 and 12 respectively ( see Figure 3).

The tubular stiffener 2 is designed to be fitted onto the rigid support 4, the particular structure of which will be specified below, while being held by this support in a vertical position.

For this purpose, the blocking of the stiffener 2 vis-à-vis the support 4 is achieved by means of an immobilizing flange 13, shown separate from the support in Figure 1 but fixed on the latter in Figures 2 and 3 , this flange, of generally rectangular shape corresponding substantially to that of the notch 10, comprising a central part 14, suitable for coming into engagement inside this notch when the stiffener is mounted on the support, with two longitudinal edges , respectively 15 and 16, coming to bear from the outside on the flanges 11 and 12 provided on the stiffener on each side of this notch.

At its upper and lower ends, the immobilizing flange 13 has open notches 17 and 18, allowing the mounting of screws 19 and 20 for fixing the flange on the support 4 with intermediate locking of the stiffener 2, these screws being arranged one above the other, preferably substantially in the median vertical plane of the flange and the stiffener.

The support 4 is constituted by a massive metallic piece, the cross section of which by a horizontal plane has approximately the shape of an I, with a central part 21 in the median plane of the stiffener containing the screws 19 and 20 and two branches of transverse ends, respectively designated under the references 22 and 23, these branches extending across the stiffener 2 in two parallel planes approximately perpendicular to the side faces 8 and 9 thereof (see Figure 3).

In its branch 23, the support 4 has a countersink 24 (FIG. 1), into which the central part 14 of the immobilizing flange 13 is inserted, when the latter is blocked by its screws 19 and 20 against this support, by trapping between it and the branch 23 the edges 11 and 12 of the stiffener 2, on each side of the notch 10, with the support of these edges against the edges 15 and 16 of the flange.

In its thickness, the support 4 has tapped bores, respectively 25 and 26, in which the threaded ends of the screws 19 and 20 engage, thus allowing progressive tightening then immobilization of the flange 13.

The immobilizing flange 13 and the support 4 also comprise, still in the median plane of the stiffener and across the central part 21 of this support, an elongated hole, identified by the reference 27 in the flange and by 28 in the support, this hole being reserved for mounting a stud 29 whose head 30 has a diameter greater than that of the hole in order to be stopped by the latter, while its opposite end 31, provided with an appropriate thread, allows , after crossing the front wall 6 of the stiffener 2 when the latter covers the support 4, to immobilize a support member 32 against this wall.

In the example considered, this support member 32 has a clip-like part 33, in the groove of which engages a projecting rim 34 provided at the lower end of a transverse rail 35, thus pressing against the various parallel and successive stiffeners fitted to the railing. This heald 35 supports, in a manner which is not concerned with the present invention, either a flat panel 36 which extends in front of the railing, or a succession of parallel vertical bars, suitably spaced. In this case and as shown very diagrammatically in Figure 3, the cross section of these bars has a profile chosen to combine harmoniously with that of the stiffener, here a profile substantially in the shape of a partially curvilinear triangle. Of course, any other section could be chosen, independently of the characteristics of the present invention.

The arrangements described above and in particular the provision of a vertically elongated hole in the flange 13 and the support 4, at the same time as the implementation of an open longitudinal notch 10 in the stiffener 2, make it possible to ensure the blocking of the latter with respect to its support and in particular with respect to the sole 5 for supporting the ground of the plate 3, with a certain latitude in height, in particular to take account of possible irregularities in the manufacture of the various parts used, or even unevenness in the ground support surface requiring a relative adjustment of the successive stiffeners of the railing, or even to accept heights of these stiffeners which are not perfectly standard to one another.

This results in the formation between the lower part of each stiffener in line with the lower end of the open notch 10 of the latter, between the latter and the upper surface of the sole 5, a play more or less important, that it is important, after mounting the stiffener on the support, to hide from the outside to ensure satisfactory continuity in the external appearance of the device.

To this end and in accordance with an advantageous characteristic of the invention, there is at the right of this clearance, around the lower end of the stiffener, a sock 37, in the form of a peripheral collar, of which Figure 4 illustrates the structure in more detail.

This collar has in particular a rear part 38 which comes to bear against the extreme edge of the rear face 7 of the stiffener 2, surrounding it completely and extending on its lateral sides 8 and 9 to two hinges 39 and 40. The latter are formed by a simple cut in the material of the collar, preferably made of a suitable plastic material, are extended by lateral arms 41 and 42, capable of bending around these hinges, in particular to allow the collar open in its part. opposite end to the rear part 38, to embrace the base of the stiffener 2, before the folded ends of the arms 41 and 42, provided with a snap connection consisting of a tongue 43 carried by one of the arms and s 'engaging in a housing 44 on the other, do not close the collar, then completely surrounding the stiffener.

Once the stiffener 2 fitted onto the support 4 and locked against the latter by the immobilizing flange 13, and the stud 29 and the sock 37 in place, this stiffener is associated with an external masking element of the set of these various elements, in order to present a practically continuous visible surface, without any protrusion or other element liable to harm the general aesthetics of the assembly.

For this purpose, the stiffener 2 has in its lateral faces 8 and 9, two longitudinal grooves, respectively 45 and 46, provided to cooperate with the suitably bent and folded edges 47 and 48 of a cover 49 (Figure 1), coming clip from the outside onto the stiffener, completely masking the flange 13, the screws 19 and 20 and the head 30 of the stud 29.

The equipment of the device is completed by an appropriate arrangement of the sole 5 provided at the base of the support 4, to authorize its immobilization on the floor of the balcony, terrace or the like receiving the railing.

To this end, the sole 5 comprises a support body 50 of generally elongated shape as shown in Figures 1 and 2, projecting laterally from the support 4 to ensure a suitable seat.

The body 50 comprises, offset with respect to the support 4 and in its surface 51 extending towards the rear of the stiffener 2, an open housing 52 whose bottom 53 is pierced to receive a support flange 54 provided with a hole central passage 55, of a very large diameter greater than that of a fixing screw 56 coming to engage in a bore 57 formed in the ground 58 of the terrace, balcony or other.

The head 59 of the screw 56 rests on the flange 54 by means of a washer 60, provided in its center with an oblong hole 61 (Figures 1 and 3), so that, depending on the orientation relative to the washer with respect to the flange, the body of the screw 56 is offset laterally, thus making it possible to make up for any discrepancies noted between the position of the sole 5 and the axis of the bore 57 receiving the threaded part of the screw 56 .

The bottom 53 of the housing 52 also supports complementary screws 53a, allowing a possible correction of a defect in the flatness of the ground, by ensuring a correction the position of the sole support plane on this ground.

The open housing 52 is then closed by a cover 62, provided with a tongue 63 and a folded heel 64, which is clipped under the bottom 53, as in Figures 1 and 2 make it easy to understand.

Figure 5 schematically illustrates another alternative embodiment, where the stiffener 2, fitted on the support 4, is no longer fixed on the horizontal floor 58 of a patio slab, balcony or other but against the vertical nose of such slab.

In this variant, the support 4 is extended by a part 65, similar to the sole 5 of the first embodiment envisaged, but arranged in the vertical extension of the support. This part 65 comprises an open housing 66 for mounting a locking screw 67 whose head cooperates with a washer 68, also similar to the washer 60 of the first example, the housing finally being closed by a cover 69. Screws 70 again allow a correction of the gaps between the support plane of the part 65 and the nose of the slab.

Whatever the variant implementation, a device is thus immobilized for vertical stiffening relative to a support on which the lower end of this stiffener is fitted, this support being itself integral with 'a plate or a similar connecting piece, suitable for being fixed on the ground or against the nose of a slab, according to the example considered.

In all cases, the stiffener used is tubular, which ensures effective holding and in particular satisfactory resistance to bending forces for a minimum weight and in particular much lower than that of a conventional solid stiffener.

The aesthetics of the assembly is greatly improved, in particular by allowing, when the cross-section of the stiffener is slightly receding towards the front as in the example of FIGS. 1 to 4, to give the bars supported by the rails of the guard body a profile combining with the terminal shape of the stiffener.

Once the assembly has been carried out, only the sole of the support plate on the ground of the support is visible, all the locking and fixing screws being hidden. This assembly is moreover particularly simple and rapid, at the same time as it easily allows the correction of any deviations in the positioning of the holes receiving the means for immobilizing this plate, as well as those due to defects in the flatness. of the slab itself.

Of course, it goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the embodiments more specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings; on the contrary, it embraces all its variants.

Claims (15)

1 - Device for immobilizing a vertical stiffener for a railing with respect to a support for supporting the ground, characterized in that the stiffener (2) has a tubular profile, the section of which allows it to fit by sliding on a rigid vertical support (4), integral with a support plate (3, 65) extending substantially horizontally or vertically, this tubular stiffener comprising a rear face (7) substantially planar provided with its lower end of an open longitudinal notch (10) and, on each side of this notch, support flanges (11, 12) for an immobilizing flange (13) of this stiffener against a bearing surface of the rigid support, the stiffener being locked against the support by means of the flange by means of at least one clamping screw (19, 20), cooperating with a threaded bore (25, 26) provided in the support. 2 - Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the support (4) is constituted by a solid rigid profile, having a cross section in I or rectangular at its base, with a central branch (21) and two transverse branches (23 , 24), the tubular stiffener comprising two lateral faces (8, 9) and a front face (6) opposite its rear face (7) comprising the notch (10), being fitted vertically onto the profile whose transverse branches s 'extend substantially perpendicular to the side faces of the stiffener and whose height is limited to the sufficient realization of such a fitting. 3 - Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the stiffener (2) has a vertical plane of symmetry, which coincides with the central branch (21) of the support profile (4). 4 - Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the immobilizing flange (13) is constituted by a rectangular plate, having a central part (14) capable of engaging in the open notch (10) of the stiffener (2). 5 - Device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises two superimposed locking screws (19, 20), arranged on either side of an elongated hole (27, 28) in the vertical direction, formed both in the flange (13) and the central branch (21) of the support profile (4), these screws being substantially arranged in the median plane of the stiffener. 6 - Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the elongated hole is freely traversed by a fixing stud (29), passing through the hole (27) of the flange (13) and that (28) of the central branch ( 21) of the support profile (4), to fix, opposite the immobilization flange, a support member (32) of the bottom rail (35) of the railing, held against the external surface of the anterior wall of the stiffener (2), independently of the height adjustment thereof with respect to its rigid support, according to the relative position of the stud in the median plane of the stiffener inside the elongated hole. 7 - Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the support member (32) of the bottom rail (35) vis-à-vis the stiffener (2) has a projecting portion in the form of a clamp (33), delimiting a groove engaged with a projecting rim (34) of the heald mounted against the stiffener and applied to its anterior wall by the fixing stud (29). 8 - Device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the stiffener (2) comprises, in its external surface, substantially in the vicinity of its rear face (7), two grooves (45, 46) extending along vertical generators arranged symmetrically with respect to the median plane of the stiffener and reserved for mounting, in the manner of a clip, the curved lateral ends (47, 48) of a cover (49), masking the immobilization flange (13) and the locking screws (19, 20) from the outside, closing the apparent outline of the stiffener beyond its open longitudinal notch (10). 9 - Device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the lower part of the stiffener (2) is associated in its outer surface with the clearance provided between the base of the stiffener and the support plate to floor (3), as a function of their relative longitudinal position, with a flexible finishing sock (37), hiding this play, this sock being formed from a collar, preferably made of plastic, closed on itself. 10 - Device according to claim 9, characterized in that the collar (37) comprises a rear part (38), joined by two connecting zones ("9, 40) forming hinges and able to be arranged on either side of the stiffener, with two lateral arms (41, 42) extending beyond these connection zones, these arms being provided at their opposite ends with a snap connection for closing the collar on itself and the strapping complete with the base of the stiffener. 11 - Device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the ground support plate (3) has an open housing (52), laterally offset relative to the stiffener (2) beyond its rear face (7), this housing comprising a vertical hole (55) for the free passage of a fixing screw (56) of the plate. 12 - Device according to claim 11, characterized in that the screw (56) rests by its head (59) on a flat washer (60), mounted in the housing (52) and comprising an oblong central hole (61), suitable for laterally position the screw according to the angular orientation of the washer, in order to make up for a possible defect in the position of a hole provided in the ground to receive the end of the screw. 13 - Device according to one of claims 11 or 12, characterized in that the plate (3) comprises, on either side of the open housing (52), auxiliary screws (53a) passing through the plate to ensure adjustment prerequisite of horizontality thereof with respect to the ground. 14 - Device according to one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the housing (52) is closed by a cover (62) which is fixed on the sides of this housing. 15 - Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the support plate is constituted by a fixing piece (65) mounted against the nose of a slab or the like, this piece vertically extending the profile of the support (4) on which fits the stiffener (2), and comprising an open housing (66) receiving a fixing screw (67) against the slab, arranged horizontally therein to block the part on the vertical face of the nose.

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