GB2033527A

GB2033527A - Retaining devices

Info

Publication number: GB2033527A
Application number: GB7933265A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Knight W J
Current assignee: Knight W J
Priority date: 1978-09-26
Filing date: 1979-09-26
Publication date: 1980-05-21

Abstract

A retaining device particularly for use as a beanstick coupling device comprising a planar portion (9) having a plurality of bores (10, 11) formed therein to accommodate a respective number of rod-like members (2,3) such as beansticks, and having a lug (12) extending substantially normally to the plane of the planar portion (9) with at least one bore (13) formed therein to accommodate one or more rod-like members (1) extending substantially normally to the other rod-like members. A terminal retaining member and an intermediate retaining member are described, the terminal member (8) having three angled bores (15, 16, 17) in the planar portion and one bore (19) in the lug (18) to couple together two beansticks (5, 6) in a pair of spaced rows of beansticks, with an end beanstick (7) located intermediate the rows and a horizontal (1) extending between the rows. The intermediate retainer (4) merely couples together a pair of bean- sticks (2, 3) of adjacent rows with a horizontal beanstick (1) extending between the rows. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in and relating to retaining devices This invention relates to retaining devices and particularly, but not exclusively to a device for retaining vertical members such as bean sticks in coupled relationship.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, economically produced device which enables a plurality of vertical members such as beansticks to be held together at their ends remote from the surface in which they are located, without requiring the use of normal ties such as string, wire, etc. to retain the sticks in coupled relationship.

Thus, according to the invention there is provided a retaining device for coupling together at least two rod-like members, at least one of which extends substantially normally to at least one of said at least two members, said retaining device having a planar portion provided with at least one bore therein to accommodate one of the rod-like members, and having a lug extending substantially normally to the plane of the planar portion and having at least one bore therein extending normally to said at least one bore in the planar portion to accommodate at least one rod-like member extending substantially normalls to the said one of the rod-like members.

In one embodiment, an intermediate retainer member has a planar portion with two spaced bores extending therethrough to accommodate two spaced vertical rod-like members, and a lug depending normally from the planar portion and having a single bore therethrough to accommodate a single horizontal rod-like member, the retainer member retaining the vertical and horizontal members in coupled relationship.

In another embodiment of the invention, a terminal retainer member has a planar portion with three spaced bores extending therethrough to accommodate three spaced vertical rod-like members, and a lug depending normally from the planar portion and having a single bore therethrough to accommodate a single horizontal rod-like member, the retainer member retaining the three vertical and one horizontal members in coupled relationship.

The invention will now be described by way of example only with particular reference to the accompanying informal drawings wherein: Figure lisa plan view of an intermediate beanstick retainer for coupling together a pair of vertical sticks and a horizontal beanstick arranged intermediate a pair of spaced rows of beansticks; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the intermediate retainer shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of a terminal beanstick retainer for coupling together a pair of vertical beansticks and a horizontal beanstick to an end beanstick located intermediate the ends of a pair of spaced rows of beansticks; Figure 4 is a side elevation of the terminal retainer shown in Figure 3; Figure 4a is an end elevation of the terminal beanstick retainer shown in Figure 3;; Figure 5 is a side elevational view of a beanstick terminal retainer and a beanstick intermediate retainer shown in coupled position on the beansticks; Figure 6 is an end view of the terminal retainer shown in Figure 5 looking in the direction of arrow A and; Figure 7 is an end view of the intermediate retainer shown in Figure 5 looking in the direction of arrow B.

In the drawings, two types of beanstick retainer are illustrated viz. an intermediate retainer for coupling a pair of vertical beansticks, one in each of a pair of spaced rows of beansticks and arranged intermediate the ends of the rows, to a horizontal beanstick extending along the rows, and a terminal retainer for coupling a pair of vertical beansticks at one or other end of two spaced rows of beansticks to the respective end of the horizontal beanstick extending along the rows and to an end beanstick located intermediate the two spaced rows of beansticks.

Referring to Figure 5, a horizontal beanstick 1 is required to be coupled to a pair of vertical beansticks 2, 3 (Figure 7), one in each of a pair of spaced rows of beansticks and located intermediate the ends of the rows. In Figure 7, the vertical beanstick 2 is shown coupled to the vertical beanstick 3 in an adjacent row, and both vertical beansticks 2,3 coupled to the horizontal beanstick, 1, by means of an intermediate beanstick retainer 4, to be described hereinafter with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

Reverting to Figure 5, the horizontal beanstick 1 is also required to be coupled to a pair of vertical beansticks 5, 6, (Figure 6) one in each of a pair of spaced rows of beansticks and also to a vertical beanstick 7 located at the end of the two rows containing beansticks 2, 3, 5, 6, but intermediate the rows.

In Figure 6, the vertical beansticks 5, 6, 7, are shown coupled together and to the horizontal beanstick 1 by means of a terminal beanstick retainer 8, to be described hereinafter with reference to Figures 3, 4,4A.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the intermediate beanstick retainer 4 comprises a planar portion 9 of suitable flexible plastics material capable of with standing outside temperature changes without fracture; and able to withstand bending, having a pair of angled bores 10, 11, extending completelytherethrough to accommodate the intermediate vertical beansticks 2,3 (Figure 7) and having a lug portion 12 depending from the planar portion 9 provided with a bore 13 extending completely therethrough to accommodate the horizontal beanstick 1 (Figures 5 and 7). As shown, the angled bores 10, 11, 13 are formed in planar portion 9 and lug 12 at an angle of 150 from the vertical, the angled bores allowing the tops of the beansticks 2, 3, (Figure 7) to be coupled together in converging relationship.

As shown in Figures 3,4, 4a the terminal beanstick retainer 8 comprises a planar portion 14 T-shaped in plan and provided with three spaced bores 15, 16, 17 extending completely therethrough to accommodate the vertical beansticks 5, 6, 7, respectively (Figure 6). A lug 18 depends from the planar T-portion 14 and is provided with a bore 19 to accommodate the horizontal beanstick 1 (Figures 5, 6). The bores 15, 16, 17 are again formed at an angle of 15 to the vertical such that as shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7, the top of the end beanstick converges towards the beansticks 5, 6 and the tops of the beansticks 5, 6 converge towards each other.

It will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to considerable modification and is in no way limited to use as a beanstick retainer but is applicable to any situation where it is required to couple together rods, sticks or the like extending substantially normal to one another.

Claims

1. A retaining device for coupling together at least two rod-like members, at least one of which extends substantially normally to at least one of said at least two members, said retaining device having a planar portion provided with a least one bore therein to accommodate one of the rod-like members, and having a lug extending substantially normally to the plane of the planar portion and having at least one bore therein extending normally to said at least one bore in the planar portion to accommodate at least one rod-like member extending substantially normally to the said one of the rod-like members.

2. A retaining device as claimed in Claim 1 and for use as an intermediate retainer member wherein said planar portion is provided with two spaced bores extending therethrough to accommodate two spaced vertical rod-like members, and said lug depending normally from the planar portion and having a single bore therethrough to accommodate a single horizontal rod-like member, and the retainer member retaining the vertical and horizontal rod-like members in coupled relationship.

3. A retaining device as claimed in Claim 1 and for use as a terminal retainer member wherein said planar portion is provided with three spaced bores extending therethrough to accommodate three spaced vertical rod-like members and said lug depending normally from the planar portion and having a single bore therethrough to accommodate a single horizontal rod-like member, and the retainer member retaining the three vertical members and one horizontal member in coupled relationship.

4. A retaining device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the bores in the planar portion are angled to allow the ends of the coupled rod-like members to converge towards each other.

5. A retaining device as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the bores are formed in the planar portion at an angle of 150 to the vertical.

6. A retaining device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the device is formed of a flexible, plastics material.

7. A beanstick retaining device for coupling together at least two beansticks, at least one of which extends substantially normally to at least one of said at least two beansticks, said retaining device having a planar portion provided with at least one angled bore therein to accommodate one of the beansticks and having a lug extending substantially normally to the plane of the planar portion and having at least one bore therein extending substantially parallel to the plane of said planar member to accommodate at least one beanstick extending substantially normally to the said one of the beansticks.

8. A beanstick retaining device substantially as hereinbefore described and as shown in the accompanying drawings.