GB2055039A

GB2055039A - Adjustable framework construction

Info

Publication number: GB2055039A
Application number: GB8009939A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Dexion Comino International Ltd
Current assignee: Dexion Comino International Ltd
Priority date: 1979-04-19
Filing date: 1980-03-25
Publication date: 1981-02-25
Also published as: DE3014742A1; BE882708A; FR2457405B1; NL8002078A; LU82371A1; GB2055039B; FR2457405A1

Abstract

An upright member of angular cross section has an inwardly depressed vertical channel in one face, a first series of spaced slots in the said channel, and a second series of spaced slots in the said face, each of the second slots having a downwardly tapering lower portion, a connection element of angular cross section complementary to the upright, which element has at least one first inwardly projecting hook or tooth for engaging in a said first slot in the channel and at least one inwardly projecting second hook or lug formation for engaging in a said second slot in the said face, which formation is pressed from the element while remaining connected thereto at its upper and lower ends and comprises an upper portion which can be entered through the upper part of a second slot and a lower tapering portion for engaging between the sides of the lower tapering portion of the said second slot, the said upper and lower portion of the hook formation being merged at shoulders engageable inside the lower portion of the second- named slot. Suitably the connection element is a bracket of substantially L-shaped cross section. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Adjustable framework construction This invention relates to improvements in adjustable framework constructions, particularly for so-called pallet racking. In particular, it seeks to provide a form of connection element and of connection between upright and horizontal framework members by which, in conjunction with ease of assembly, disassembly and reassembly, a stable and rigid construction can be ensured.

According to the invention, for use with an upright member of angular cross section with an inwardly depressed vertical channel in one face, a vertical series of spaced slots in the said channel and a vertical series of spaced slots, each having a downwardly tapering lower portion, in the said face, a connection element of angular cross section for the attachment of another member, particularly a horizontal member, has at least one inwardly projecting hook or tooth for engaging in a said slot in the channel and at least one inwardly projecting hook or lug formation for engaging in a said slot in the said face, which formation is bridge shaped and comprises an upper portion which can be entered through the upper part of a second-named slot and a lower tapering portion for engaging between the sides of the lower tapering portion of the said second-named slot, the said upper and lower portions of the hook formation being separated by shoulders engageable inside the lower portion of the second-named slot.

The invention is applicable with particular advantage in conjunction with an upright member of rectangular channel or box cross section having the said depressed channel at the mid width of a wider face thereof, a second-named series of slots being provided in that face on each side of the depressed channel. Two horizontal members extending away from an upright member in opposite directions can then be supported at the same level.

The invention also relates to connections made with such connection elements and framework structures including these connections.

One manner of carrying this invention into effect will now be more fully described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front elevation of part of an upright member, Figure 2 a cross section on the lines ll-ll in Fig. 1, Figure 3 a plan view of a connection element, Figure 4 a front elevation of that element, Figure 5 a rear elevation thereof, Figure 6 a side elevation thereof with part of a side flange broken away, Figure 7a cross section, on the line VII-VII in Fig. 8, showing a connection element assembled with an upright member, Figure 8 a vertical section on the line VIII-VIII in Fig. 7, Figure 9 a front elevation of a modified form of upright member, and Figure 10 a cross section on the line X-X in Fig. 9.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, an upright member 1 for a pallet-rack framework is of generally rectangular channel section (Fig. 2) with narrow inturned flanges 2 at its open rear side. The overall depth of the section may for example be substantially half, or rather more than half, the width thereof or may be substantially equal thereto. At the midwidth of the web 3 of the upright, an inwardly depressed vertical channel 4 with rounded corners is formed. A vertical series of equally spaced vertical ractangular slots 5 (Fig. 1) is provided in the bottom of this channel. In each of the lands on the two sides of the channel 4, there is a vertical series of slots 6 pitched at the same vertical interval as the slots 5, but not in transverse alignment therewith, the slots 6 being preferably located substantially half-way between slots 5 with respect to their level in the upright 1.

Each of the slots 6 comprises (Fig. 1) a nearly square upper portion 7 separated by narrow shoulders 8, advantageously sloping slightly downwardly as shown, from a lower, longer, portion 9 which tapers downwardly to a short bottom edge 10. A narrow semicircular notch 11 surmounts the upper portion 7.

A connection element (Figs. 3 to 6), for the attachment to the upright 1 of a horizontal member, such as a beam (not shown) of the framework, comprises an elongate bracket 1 2 of angular, substantially L-shaped cross section (Fig. 3) with a narrow side flange 1 3 at the free vertical edge of one, front, flange 14 of the section. The narrow flange 1 3 is so spaced, internally, from the other, side, flange 1 5 of the angle section that the bracket 12, when in position (Fig. 7), will embrace one half of the upright 1 with clearance 1 6 between the flange 1 5 and the adjacent side 1 7 of the upright.The flange 1 5 is plane and has the horizontal member (not shown), suitably of channel, box or angle section, attached to it, preferably by welding or, possibly, by rivets.

The narrow flange 1 3 is formed with one or more flat hooks 20 projecting from its free edge. Generally three hooks (as shown) or four hooks will be provided. With more than one hook, the hooks 20 are pitched at the same vertical interval as the slots 5 in the channel 4 in the upright 1. Each hook 20 is of generally rectangular shape with a short tongue 21 (Fig. 6) projecting freely downwardly at a distance 22 from the edge of the flange 1 3 slightly greater than the thickness of the material of the upright 1. The thickness 23 (Fig. 7) of the hook is such that two hooks 20, 201 on brackets 12, 12' of oppositely extending horizontal members, can be accommodated snugly side by side in each slot 5 in the channel 4 (Fig. 7).Corners of the hook 20 and its tongue 21 are radiused or bevelled (Fig. 6). If desired, the tongue 21 may be slightly tapered inwardly.

The front flange 14 of the bracket 1 2 is formed near its mid-width with a hook formation 25 or, as shown, a number of hook formations 25 pitched at the same vertical interval as the hooks 20 and slots 5, 6. The or each said formation 25 is an inwardly depressed bridge piece, with an outline shape (Fig. 5) substantially complementary to that of the slot 6 in the upright 1, pressed out from the material of the bracket 1 2 and still inte gral therewith, by cnJ&commat;y way of radiused transitions 26, 27 (Fig. 8), at its upper and lower ends.

Starting from the upper end, a substantially square upper portion 28 (Fig. 5) is first, at 29 (Fig. 8), inclined downwardly and away from the inner face of the flange 14 at an angle of approximately 30 and is then, at 30, directed downwardly substantially parallel to, but spaced away frorn, that face. This substantially parallel part 30 may be flat (as shown) or slightly rounded on its outer side remote from the said face but is flat (as shown) on the inner side. A lower portion 3 it, separated from the upper portion 28 by narrow shoul- ders 32 (Fig. 5), is of downwardly tapering shape, complementary to the shape of the portion 9 of the slot 6.The lower portion 31 is first inclined downwardly (Fig. 8) towards the inner face of the flange 14 at an angle of approximately 30 and is then directed downwardly parallel to that face. A hole 33 is provided in the flange 14 above one of the hook formations 25 as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 8. Each hook formation 25 is so dimensioned that it can be entered into a slot 6 in a direction normal to the front of the upright 1 and can then be moved downwardly to cause the shoulders 32 of the said formation to engage behind the shoulders 8 of the slot, while the side edges of the tapering lower portion 31 fit snugly against and almost flush within the side edges of the tapering portion 9 of the slot 6.The interengaged shoulders 9, 32 prevent movement of the bracket 12 away from the upright 1, while the engagement of the side edges of the tapering portions 9, 31 affords good bearing surfaces for load transfer and a firm connection between the bracket 1 2 and the attached horizontal member on the one hand and the upright 1 on the other.

The relative dimensions are also such that when the hook formation 25 is entered into a slot 6, the hook 20 on the bracket 12 is at the same time entered into a slot 5 and, when the bracket is lowered, the hook 20 is engaged over the lower edge of the slot 5 at the same time as the hook formation 25 is engaged. The hook 20 assists in preventing separation and, when the hook 20 of a second bracket 1 21 is also engaged snugly in the same slot 5 (Fig. 7), both brackets 12, 1 21 and their horizontal members are also firmly held against movement transversely of the upright 1.In the assembled condition, the inside face of the front flange 14 of each bracket can bear flat against the outside face of the web 3 of the upright 1, but the flange 1 5 of the bracket is separated from the adjacent flange 1 7 of the upright 1 by the clearance 1 6. This clearance facilitates entry into the framework and removal therefrom of individual beams when other beams, particularly loaded beams, remain in position and engaged at their ends with the uprights. If so required, the clearance 16 may be utilised for the accommodation of other components, such as cladding panels, attachment means or fixing devices (not shown).

Adjustment of the level of the connection brackets 12 and therefore of horizontal memleers to which they are attached is simply a matter of selection of the slots 5 and corresponding slots 6 in the uprights 1 in which the Ihoolss 20 and the formation 25 are engaged.

The modified form of upright 1 a shown in Figs. 9 and 10, intended for heavier duty than shown in Figs, 1 and 2, differs in that two series of narrower slots Sa are provided, in a wider channel 4a, for the separate accommodation of the hooks 20, 20' of two bracket ets 12, 1 21 instead of their accommodation side by side in wider slots 5 of a single series as shown in Fig. 7.

Uprights and brackets such as have been described lend themselves to economic production from metal sheet or strip by simple known methods. Frameworks incorporating them are not only firm and strong but of clean appearance and safe, due in particular to the absence of exposed projections at the front and sides of the upright 1 and bracket 1 2.

Additional supporting members and/or bracket members or frames extending from front to back or the framework can be incorporated. If required, safety locking means preventing accidental upward dislodgement of brackets may be provided.

For the last-named purpose, one of the notches 11 overlapping the hole 33 in the bracket 1 2 will serve to facilitate entry and location of the locking pin of known locking means (not shown). The semi-circular shape of the notch affords a large bearing area for a pin of circular cross section.

Holes 34 (Figs. 4 to 6) in the bracket 12 are holes which can be employed, as required, for hook suspension of the bracket, mounted on a beam, for passage through paint-processing plant. One hole 34, for in stance the lower hole 34 in the flange 10, however, may serve also as a pilot hole for ensuring register during operations in the forming of the bracket. The series of holes 1 8 may ensure effective paint drainage in any of a number of positions of mounting of the bracket on the beam. The holes 1 8 may also be utilised, if required, for other purposes.

The side walls of the upright 1 may each be provided with a vertical series of equally pitched round hoies (not shown) which can be used, for example, for the bolting to the upright of members bracing the ends of framework sections.

Claims

1. For use in an adjustable framework construction in combination with an upright member of angular cross section with an inwardly depressed vertical channel in one face, a vertical series of spaced slots in the said channel and a vertical series of spaced slots, each having a downwardly tapering lower portion, in the said face, a connection element of angular cross section, for the attachment of another member, which has at least one inwardly projecting hook or tooth for engaging in a said slot in the channel and at least one inwardly projecting hook or lug formation for engaging in a said slot in the said face, which formation is bridge shaped and comprises an upper portion which can be entered through the upper part of a secondnamed slot and a lower tapering portion for engaging between the sides of the lower tapering portion of the said second-named slot, the said upper and lower portions of the hook formation being separated by shoulders engageable inside the lower portion of the second-named slot.

2. A connection element according to claim 1, wherein the connection element is a bracket of substantially L-shaped cross section in which said hook or lug formation projects rearwardly from a front flange of the L-shaped cross section and the said hook or tooth is provided at the rear edge of a narrow flange extending rearwardly from the edge of the front flange remote from the other, side, flange of said section.

3. A connection element according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of hooks or lugs and of said hook or tooth formations are provided at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the element, the said hooks or lugs being offset in relation to the said hook or tooth formations with respect to that direction.

4. A connection element according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the or each said hook or lug comprises a flat tongue integral with the said narrow flange and extending downwardly in alignment therewith.

5. A connection element substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. A connection comprising a connection element according to any one of claims 1 to 5 in engagement by said hooks or teeth and said hook or lug formations with slots of respective series in an upright member as set forth in claim 1.

7. A connection according to claim 6 wherein the upright member has a single series of slots in the channel in the said member, the width of the said slots being such as to accommodate closely side by side hooks or teeth of two connection elements.

8. A connection according to claim 6, wherein the upright member has two series of slots in the said channel each of a width such as to accommodate closely hooks or teeth of a respective connection element.

9. A connection substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A framework structure comprising one or more connections according to any one of claims 6 to 9.

11. Racking comprising a structure according to claim 10.