FR2467940A1 - FITTING FOR JOINING MATTS AND CROSSERS OF A SCAFFOLDING OR THE LIKE - Google Patents

Abstract

To fix one end of a cross member 11 to a mast 3, such a connector comprises a receiving element 2 in the form of a cup which is integral with the mast, a hook 9 on an end piece 10 of the tube 15 forming the cross member, a first member for clamping in the form of a flange 14 and a second clamping member 22 formed by a wedge. For assembly, the cross member 11 is hooked into the gap 4 formed by the mast and the cup 2 by its hook 9, the flange 14 is applied by its ends 20, 21 against the mast and the wedge 22 is pressed in. hammer for example, in the slot 23 behind the flange 14. The rigidity imparted to the construction by fittings according to the invention makes it possible, for example, to assemble scaffolding on the ground, in a horizontal position, and to raise them and / or then move by crane.

Description

The present invention relates to a device called a connector for assembling

  sleepers or other elements oriented laterally to masts in scaffolding or assemble similar elements. Connections for metal (tubular) scaffolding are available in many forms. We know, for example, fittings comprising an integral part of a scaffolding mast and

  from which protrude radially, in different directions predeter-

mined, a certain number of elements in which can be hung elements integral with scaffolding sleepers. This

  type of fitting certainly allows the fixing and detachment of the tra

  poured individually but these sleepers cannot be attached

checked in the mast only in certain predetermined directions, usual-

  lying in four orthogonal directions. On the other hand, there are known fittings by which the crosspieces can be attached to the mast in any desired direction, but these fittings are

  designed in such a way that the sleepers cannot be detached

  chées individually in the sense that, in a connection point or node where several sleepers start from a mast, all these sleepers must be attached to the mast or detached from it together, even if

one wishes to detach only one of them.

  The invention aims to avoid the above-mentioned drawbacks of known devices and to create a connector which makes it possible, on the one hand, to fix a cross-member or another lateral element to a mast in any orientation of the cross-member to go from

  mast, on the other hand, to fix the crosspiece or to detach it independently

especially other sleepers.

  According to the invention, this result is obtained with a fitting

which is essentially characterized in that it consists mainly-

ment of a receiving element secured to the mast, open at least at the top

in the service position and having a wall spaced from the mat and deli-

  bringing with it a receiving space, a hook located at one end

  mity of the cross member or other lateral element and designed to be hung

  in the receiving element, a first clamping member movable relative to the cross member and having one or more clamping surfaces intended to bear on the head and / or the receiving member, as well as a second clamping member clamp movable between a detachment position and a blocking position and designed to be held with force between the first clamping member and the cross member, with pressing the first clamping member against the mast and pressing the cross member outwardly with respect to to the mast, with the result

  that the hook is fixed by clamping in the receiving element.

  Other characteristics and advantages of the invention

  will emerge more clearly from the description which follows more

several nonlimiting exemplary embodiments, as well as the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a

  connector according to a first embodiment of the invention; -

  Figure 2 is an elevational view with a cutaway

partial and assembled condition of a slightly modified fitting

  relied on that of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows the connector of Figure 2 in the partially detached state Figure 4 is a cross section of a mast forming part of a scaffold using fittings like that of Figures 2 and 3; Figure 5 is an elevational view of a connector according to another embodiment of the invention; and Figure 6 is a perspective view of a scaffold

  comprising fittings according to the invention.

  The design of a connector according to the invention is apparent from

the exploded view of FIG. 1. The connection 1 which is represented therein

  takes a receiving element, formed in this example from a cup-shaped part 2 which is integral with a mast 3, an upright or

  a similar support of scaffolding or similar work.

The cup 2 surrounds all of the mat 3 and has the shape of a body of revolution which delimits a space 4 between the cylindrical wall 5 of the mat and the concave peripheral wall 6 of the cup 2, the outside and inside surfaces of which can correspond, for example, to parts of a sphere. In the example shown, the cup 2 is firmly welded to the mat 3 with the formation of orifices 8 between the

welds 7 for the evacuation of water and debris heterogens. The ori-

  8 drainage sockets can also be used for cleaning

  in the sense that they allow hunting of foreign objects relative-

cup 2, for example with a screwdriver or a tool

  analog which is introduced from below through the orifices 8. The rac-

cord 1 further comprises a hook 9 which is directed downwards and forms part of an end-piece 10 of a scaffolding cross member 11. The latter can be formed, for example, of a horizontal element of elongated shape which forms part of a scaffolding such as that designated by 40 and represented in FIG. 6. The hook 9 has on one side a surface 12 which is substantially complementary to the shape of the

wall 5 of the mat 3 and on the other side a surface 13 which is sensitive-

  ment complementary to the shape of the inner wall 6 of the cup2.

  The connector 1 further comprises a first clamping member 14 which takes the form of a flange in the examples shown and which is movable in the first example along the end piece 10 of the cross member ll between the hook 9 and a tube 15 of which only a part is visible

  in FIG. 1 and in which the endpiece 10 has been pressed on a circle

close distance. The tube 15 can be pressed on the end piece 10 or be welded to it, for example. The first clamping member or flange 14 essentially consists of two lateral parts or cheeks 16 and two transverse parts 17, 18 forming spacers. Each of the cheeks 16 has a cutout 19 in which part of the cup 20 can be placed in the assembled state, as well as two clamping surfaces 20, 21 intended to bear on the outer surface 5 of the mat 3. The fitting 1 finally includes a second member

  clamp 22 which is constituted by a corner in the example shown

felt and is intended to be introduced into a through slot 23 of the end piece 10, which is a solid metallic piece, of steel for example. The two longitudinal edges 24, 25 of the corner 22 converge downwards; the edge 24 is intended to cooperate with the spacers 17, 18 and the edge 25 is intended to cooperate with the end 27 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) of the slot 23, in a manner which will be described

in more detail in the following.

  Figure 2 shows in more detail how the different parts are mutually adapted to cooperate in the connector 1 according to the invention in the assembled state. The connection of Figures 2, 3 and 4 differs only from that of Figure 1 in that the corner 22 carries two lateral pins 26, one on each side of the corner 22 at its lower end, to form elements of

  stop pressing against the lower side of the end piece 10 and preventing

thus the corner 22 can be removed from the slot 23. This arrangement gives greater security to the connector. The highest position of this corner is visible in Figure 3. With regard to assembly, the operation of the connector of Figures 2, 3 and 4 is exactly the same as that of the connector of Figure I and so does similarly for the positions in the assembled state, only the positions of the different parts during assembly and detachment differ

somewhat.

In the completely detached state, shown in FIG. 1, the corner 22 of the first example is therefore completely removed from the rest of the fitting and the flange 14 can be moved laterally in the direction of

its distance from the hook 12. When a cross member 11 or another element

lateral side must be fixed to the mast 3, the hook 9 which it carries at one of its ends is hooked in the cup 2 then the flange 14 is

  thrust forward, so that its clamping surfaces 20, 21 are applied

  quent against the outer surface 5 of the mat 3. The spacers 17, 18 then occupy a position such that the major part of the slot 23 is outside of them. Then, the wedge 22 is introduced into the slot 23 and then pressed into the latter by an appropriate tool, a hammer or a hammer for example. Due to the oblique shape of the wedge 22, the flange 14 is pressed by its clamping surfaces 20, 21 against the outer surface 5 of the mat 3, the edge 24 of the wedge 22 being pressed against the spacers 17, 18 and its edge 25 being pressed against the end 27 of the slot 23. The hook 9 is therefore pressed at the same time by its convex surface 13 against the inner side of the cup 2. To obtain good surface contact, it is advantageous

  that the slot 23 has, at least at its end 27, an inclination

naison which corresponds to the inclination of the edge 25 in the assembled state of the fitting. The position thus obtained is most clearly visible on

Figure 2.

In the assembled state, the connector provides a very rigid fixing because it can not only lower forces directed radially or axially with respect to the mat, but also, to a large extent, breaking forces tending to tilt the cross member.

in different directions from the mast.

  The detachment of the cross member II from the mast is in principle carried out in the same way as the attachment, but in the reverse order and with inversion of the movements. For detachment, the corner 22 is therefore released from its blocking or maximum insertion position, which eliminates the tightening on the flange 14 and the hook 9. When, in the example of FIG. 1, the corner 22 has been completely removed, the flange 14 can be moved rearward towards the tube 15, after which the cross member 11 can be lifted by its hook 9 of the

cup 2.

  The assembly by means of the connector of Figures 2, 3 and 4 is in principle done in the same way as with the connector of Figure 1 except that, as mentioned above, at the starting point, the corner is only removed partly from slot 23, which means

  that the flange 14 must be kept inclined roughly as shown

  felt in FIG. 3 so that the hook 9 can be introduced into the cup 2. When this has been done, the flange 14 is applied as described in relation to FIG. 1 by its clamping surfaces 20, 21 against the upright 3, after which the wedge 22 can be pushed in until the blocking position shown in FIG. 2, which therefore corresponds to what has been described in this respect relative to the

figure 1.

  Figure 4 shows, by way of example, four

  cords according to the invention connecting four crosspieces 11 to a mast 3 following

in front of orthogonal directions. However, with the connectors according to the invention, the crosspieces or other lateral elements 11 can be fixed in any orientation, as desired, on the one hand

  relative to each other and secondly to the amount3.

  Figure 3 shows that the clamping surfaces 20, 21 of the fittings shown here are not chamfered to correspond to the periphery

of the outer surface of the upright, so that a con

tact - punctual in straight section - particularly stable and emp & -

  sing the rotation between the clamping surfaces 20, 21 and the surface of the upright. In practice, the external surface 5 of the mast can be slightly deformed by this contact, which further improves the stability

fixing.

According to the invention, each cross member 11 can therefore be

  individually assembled at post 3 and be detached individually-

  lie about him. In the example of Figures 2, 3 and 4, to detach a cross member 11, the corner 22 is pushed up to the detachment position visible in Figure 3; the flange 14 can then be inclined outwards relative to the mast and the cross member It can

  be detached by the release of its hook 9 from the cup 2.

  FIG. 5 represents a connector whose flange 14 is

slightly modified in that it has an upper guide wall

  lower 28 and a lower guide partition 29 above and below the end piece 10 of the cross member 11. The partitions 28, 29 are formed, for example, by transverse metal parts between the cheeks 16. The second member clamping is not formed by a corner in this example but by a lever 31 which is pivotally mounted on an eccentric pin 30 and is provided with a clamping surface 32 intended to cooperate with the edge 33 of the cheek 16. For that the forces are applied symmetrically, this connection can comprise two levers 31

  symmetrically arranged on either side of the end piece 10 and cooperate

each with a cheek 16. The axis 30 can be rotatably mounted in a through hole of the cross 11, for example. Figure 5 shows this fitting in the assembled state, where the flange 14 is pressed against the

  amount, in principle in the same way as in the previous examples

  teeth, the tightening being produced by raising the lever (s) 31 and pressing its surface 32 or their surfaces 32 against the

  corresponding edge 33 of cheek 16 or cheeks 16 of flange 14.

  The lever 31 is held in the raised assembly position, to prevent it from being accidentally folded down, by a brake plate 34 fixed on the top of the end piece 10 and slightly projecting therefrom in the direction of the width. To detach the crosspiece, the lever or each lever 31 is folded down by tilting about the axis 30, which has the effect, due to the progressive reduction in the distance of the clamping surface 32 from the axis of rotation. 30, that the flange 14 is released and can be moved backwards,

  so that the cross member Il can be removed from the upright 3.

  Figure 6 shows an example of a scaffolding 40

  bearing fittings 1 according to the invention. The uprights 3 of this scaffolding are provided with cups 2 uniformly spaced over their entire length and the crosspieces 11 carry at each end an end piece 10 with a hook 9. Due to the rigidity obtained by the fittings according to the invention, such scaffolding can be lifted in the assembled state, for example by a crane, and be moved while retaining its shape. It is also possible also, thanks to this same rigidity, to build a scaffolding to form a tower

  lifting while lying on the ground and raise it to the vertical position

  wedge when it is finished using a crane.

  An important point of the invention is that the end

of the cross member or of another lateral element, i.e. the cross

  chet 9, is not pressed against the mast itself, and therefore does not bear directly on it, but against the wall 6 - spaced from it - of the cup 2. The fittings according to the invention therefore allow the use of masts of different diameters, but having the same distance between the center of the mast and the wall 6 of the cups 2, and having such masts with a perfectly constant spacing between their

respective axes. This advantage is important in the case of scaffolding.

  dages comprising telescopic dishes, that is to say in cases where an upper mast part is telescopically mounted on or in

  a lower mast section of larger diameter.

The invention is not limited to examples of tealisa-

tion described and represented. For example, the connector according to the invention can be used on other scaffolding or constructions than the

  scaffolding for the building. It is in particular possible to use them

read for the construction of mold shelves for the foundry.

  The receiving element secured to the mast or a similar support can

also have a shape other than that of a cup. This element

ment may in particular comprise a planar envelope wall and a planar bottom. The bottom can be dimpled more or less and be replaced, for example, by spaced elements supporting a side wall 6

  of the form shown or of another form.

  It is also conceivable to replace each of the

shovels 2 by one or more yokes, fixing the maximum number of crosspieces or other side elements 11 that can be fixed on the mast, in which case each continuous side wall 6 spaced from the mast

  is replaced by several separate walls, one on each screed.

The latter can be formed, for example, by U-shaped profile ends. Likewise, the hooks 9 and the clamping members formed by the flanges 14 in the examples shown can have totally different shapes. For example, the four clamping surfaces can be replaced by two clamping surfaces, one at the top and one at the bottom and having larger areas. The first

the clamping member may also have clamping surfaces intended

born to wear only on one side of the receiving element on the mast and the first clamping member can be removably connected - by pivoting for example - to the end of the cross member 11. It is also possible to use a flange 14 which has only one cheek 16, in which case the slot 23 is lengthened in the direction of the length of the cross member 11, so that the flange 14 can be inserted therein and that the wedge 22 can be introduced into the slot after it and outside the flange to 8tre pressed against its rear edge 33 (see Figure 5). The first clamping member can be in two parts, in which case the lower part, forming a lower clamping surface, can be disposed movably in a groove

lengthwise of the cross member and be brought to a posi-

clamping tion by the second clamping member, a wedge for example.

  The second clamping member can also consist of a nut carried by the end of the cross member and displaceable axially to press the first clamping member against the mast. The nut can also be replaced by another element capable of being turned around the axis of the cross-member; it may be, for example, a section of beveled tube which, when turned, presses the first clamping member against the mast. In addition, the hook 9 can in practice have a certain play with respect to the upright 3, which nevertheless makes it possible to obtain, according to the principles of the invention, a fixing

  rigid without play. Instead of a cross member 11, it can be a

laterally oriented in the form of a support, for example, for a bearing surface, a floor for example, or a vertical guide

  for a freight elevator. In principle, the tube 15 can be omitted and even

  be replaced by another item.

Claims (9)

R E V E N D I C A T I 0 N S ___________________________   1. Fitting to assemble sleepers or other elements elements (11) oriented laterally to masts (3) in a scaffolding (40) or for assembling similar elements, characterized in that it (1) essentially consists of a receiving element (2) integral with the mast, open at least at the top in the service position and comprising a wall (6) spaced from the mast and delimiting with it a receiving space (4), of a hook (9) situated at one end of the cross-member or other lateral element (11) and designed to be hooked into the receiving element, a first clamping member (14) movable relative to the cross member and having one or more clamping surfaces (20/21) intended to bear on the mat and / or the receiving element, as well as a second clamping member (22/31) movable between a detachment position and a blocking position and designed to be held with force between the first clamping member and the cross member, with pressing of the first clamping member against or towards the mast (3) and pressing the cross-member (11) outwards eur relative to the mast, with the result that the hook (9) is fixed by clamping in the receiving element (2).   2. Connection according to claim 1, characterized in that the crosspiece (11) has a transverse slot (23) and the second clamping member (22) is formed by a wedge intended to be introduced into the slot during assembly. of the fitting (1) and to be pressed against at least a part (17, 18) of the first clamping member (14), so that the latter is pressed in the direction of the mast (3) and that the   cross member is pushed in the opposite direction.   3. Connection according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first clamping member (14) has clamping surfaces   upper and lower (20, 21), the upper clamping surfaces   being intended to bear on the outer surface (5) of the mat (3) above the receiving element (2) and the service surfaces   lower rage (21) being intended to bear on the outer surface   the mast under the receiving element (2). 4. Connection according to any one of the preceding claims.   teeth, characterized in that the first clamping member (14) is composed of two end pieces or cheeks (16) which have the clamping surfaces (20, 21) and which are each located on one side of a nozzle (10) of the crosspiece (11), as well as of transverse parts or upper and lower spacers (17, 18) which are located between the two cheeks (16), one above and the other above below said tip (10). 5. Connection according to any one of the preceding claims. teeth, characterized in that the wall (6) of the receiving element (2) and the receiving space (4) extend around the mast (3) and are common with several sleepers (11). 6. Connection according to claim 5, characterized in that the receiving element is in the form of a bowl or cup.   7. Connection according to claim 5, characterized in that   the side wall (6) of the receiving element (2) is cylindrical. 8. Connection according to any one of claims 4 to 6,   characterized in that the spacer (s) (17, 18), in the assembled state of the fitting, are located near one end of the transverse slot (23), the wedge (22) being intended to be pressed against them. 9. Connection according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the second clamping member (31) is formed by an element rotatably mounted about an axis (30) eccentric in the crosspiece (11) and has a curved clamping surface (32) which is intended to cooperate with a corresponding edge (33) of the first clamping member (14), so that this first clamping member can be brought into the locking position by the clamping surface (32) and can be released, in the direction of its spacing from the mast (3), by the downward tilting of said element (31) around the axis (30) eccentric.