GB2147927A

GB2147927A - Floor construction

Info

Publication number: GB2147927A
Application number: GB08327548A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Geoffrey Cadman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-10-14
Filing date: 1983-10-14
Publication date: 1985-05-22
Also published as: GB8327548D0

Abstract

A floor has an aperture which may be filled selectively with a first floor panel not shown which moves in a horizontal direction to a retracted position and by a floor panel 11 which may be moved vertically to a retracted position shown chain dotted in Fig. 3. The floor panel 11 is mounted on a scissor lift which is hydraulically operated by a ram 21 and may be latched in the operative position. The floor panel 11 may have a full size billiard table. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Floor construction This invention relates to floor constructions.

Instances frequently occur where a piece of equipment which is not in constant use has to be virtually permanently installed, thus permanently preventing an alternative use of the space which it occupies. A particular example is a billiard and snooker table. A fuil size billard table is large and heavy, which makes it impossible to move it manually to a storage position. It, therefore, needs to be permanently installed, and in addition requires to be in a centrally large area to enable access to be had from all sides to leave room for adequate cueing space. Thus there is a need for a large room which has to be dedicated to the billiard table. This makes the provision of any but a small and manageable table unacceptable in most households, and in many other enviroments, such as multi-purpose function rooms where space may be needed for different purposes at different times.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an arrangement to overcome this difficulty.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a floor construction comprising an aperture adapted to be filled selectively with a first or second floor panel, the first floor panel being mounted for retraction at least initially in its own plane from its operative position filling the aperture to a retracted position leaving the aperture clear, and the second floor panel being mounted for generally vertical movement so as to move upwardly to an operative position filling the aperture and downwardly to a retracted position, and power means for moving the first and second panels between their respective operative and retracted positions.

By providing two alternatively useable floors, the second of which is lowered to be retracted, it will be understood that a billiard table or other piece of equipment could be permanently installed on the second floor panel and when not required would be lowered out of sight and the aperture filled by the first floor panel. The room could then be used for other purposes, such as normal entertaining in a domestic environment or for dancing or dining etc., in a more public environment.

It is preferred that the power means should comprise a motor driving an hydraulic pump to provide hydraulic pressure to operate various aspects of the power means.

The first floor panel may for instancebe mounted to run on rails and to move off horizontally in its own frame beneath a slightly raised platform or dais. If space is limited under the dais, the first floor panel may hinge at some point so that the leading edge drops downwardly to reduce the amount of horizontal accommodation required.

The first floor panel may be provided with a rack cooperating with a toothed wheel located clear of the aperture and driven through reduction gearing from an hydraulic motor pressurised by an hydraulic pump.

The second floor panel may be adapted to be raised and lowered by the power means but in order to take the pressure off the power means, it may be latched in the raised position. The latching may be for instance by extending rods which enter support cups structurally mounted to the building frame.

The second floor may be for instance mounted on a scissor lift for the hydraulic raising and lowering, but if required hydraulic rams may be used.

The mechanism, including the power means, as well as the two floor panels may be housed in a surrounding enclosure which provides structural strength for the whole assembly and also provides protection against the incursion of water. In addition, such a surrounding enclosure enables the installation work to be carried out to some extent on a factory basis.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a vertical section through a surrounding enclosure for a floor construction in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a transverse section through the enclosure of figure 1; Figure 3 is a vertical section showing some of the mechanism installed in a surrounding enclosure, including a lift for a second floor panel; and Figure 4 is a further section of the structure shown in Figure 3.

Turning first to figures 1 and 2, a surrounding enclosure has a base 1, side walls 2 and first and second end walls 3 and 4. Part of the base 1 is inclined as shown at 5 to minimise interference with the foundations of the building within which the enclosure is to be installed beneath the ground floor in a suitable excavation. The side walls 2 are surmounted by substantial I-beams 6 which overhang the ends of the enclosure and are adapted to be embedded in brickwork or other masonry and trimmed to length so as to integrate the enclosure with the building. The base 1 is also provided with I-beams 7 which provide a levelling point for screed to be laid in the bottom of the enclosure and also act as supports for a lifting mechanism.

The beams 6 define, over part of their length, two sides of the aperture which is to be selectively filled with the floor panel.

When installed, the first floor panel which moves out horizontally is mounted to run in channel shaped tracks just below the beams 6 and these tracks are continued into angled channels which are illustrated at 8 installed on the side panels of the surrounding enclosure.

The floor panel itself will carry rollers engag ing in the channels, and will be hinged part way along so that as it retracts the leading part of the floor may drop down following the channel 8, and thus reducing the total amount of horizontal space required for storage.

The inclined portion 5 of the base is clear of the aperture, and may be used to mount a hydraulic motor reduction gear and pinion to engage on a ramp beneath the floor to advance and retract the first floor panel in a horizontal direction.

Figures 3 and 4 show a somewhat modified arrangement, and also shows some detail of the installation of the second floor panel 11.

It will be seen that this floor panel is shown in a position filling the aperture after the first floor panel has been retracted, and in chain dotted line it is shown in figure 3 in its retracted or lowered position.

It will be seen that a first pair of scissor arms 1 2 are pivoted on an axis 1 3 fixed below the floor panel 11 and their lower ends are mounted on rollers 14 running in a track member 1 5 mounted on the beams 7. A second pair 20 of arms are pivoted on a fixed axis 1 6 on the track member 1 5 and have their upper ends running by means of rollers 1 7 in a track member 18 attached to the underside of the floor panel 11.The arms 1 2 and 20 are pivoted together on a common axis 1 9 and the scissor lift is adapted to be raised and lowered by an hydraulic jack 21 acting between a cross beam 22 extended between the arms 1 2 and a bifurcated crank 23 mounted on a tube 24 solid with the arms 20.

Figure 3 shows in full lines the attangement in its upper position and in chain dotted line the floor panel as retracted to enable the first floor panel to be moved into position.

It will be appreciated that a piece of equipment such as a snooker table may be mounted on the floor panel 11, provided that its height is such that in the retracted position it is withdrawn below the level of the first floor panel.

The power for driving the hydraulic jack 21 may be drawn from a common source as that for driving the mechanism for moving the first floor panel.

It will also be appreciated that in the raised position as illustrated, the jack 21 would need to be maintained pressurised in order to support the floor panel 11, and to avoid this, means may be provided for latching the floor panel 11 in the raised position. For instance, the floor panel may carry rods which can be expanded outwardly to engage in suitable apertures or cups supported structurally by the surrounding enclosure. This mechanism may be manually or hydraulically operated as required. Once the floor has been latched in its operative position, the hydraulic power may be switched off.

Interlock mechanisms may be provided to ensure that the latches are not retracted until such times as power is available to support the floor panel 11. In practice this may not be necessary as the weight of the floor when released onto the shot latches inhibits their withdrawal, so that this would not be possible until the floor were supported hydraulically to relieve the latches of the floor weight.

Various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention. Thus, while the embodiment described has a hinged floor, it is preferred where space permits to use an unhinged horizontally moving floor panel to sirnplify and cheapen the installation.

Claims

1. A floor construction comprising an aperture adapted to be filled selectively with a first or second floor panel, the first floor panel being mounted for retraction at least initially in its own plane from its operative position filling the aperture to a retracted position leaving the aperture clear, and the second floor panel being mounted for generally vertical movement so as to move upwardly to an operative position filling the aperture and downwardly to a retracted position, and power means for moving the first and second panels between their respective operative and retracted positions.

2. A floor construction as claimed in claim 1, in which the power means comprises a motor driving an hydraulic pump to provide hydraulic pressure.

3. A floor construction as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the first floor panel is mounted to run on rails giving structural support and allowing the panel to run beneath a raised platform or dais.

4. A floor construction as claimed in claim 3, in which the first floor panel is hinged to reduce the amount of storage space required for it.

5. A floor construction as claimed in claim 3 or 4, in which the first floor panel has a rack cooperating with a toothed wheel located clear of the aperture.

6. A floor construction as claimed in claim 5 (as dependent upon claim 2), in which the toothed wheel is driven through reduction gearing from an hydraulic motor driven by the said hydraulic pump.

7. A floor construction as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which the second floor panel is adapted to be raised and lowered by the power means and has means for latching it in the raised position.

8. A floor construction as claimed in claim 7 (as dependent upon claim 2), in which the second floor panel is mounted on a scissor lift for hydraulic raising and lowering.

9. A floor construction as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which the mechanism for moving the floor panels, and the power means, are mounted in a surrounding enclosure providing structural strength and protection against incursion of water.

10. A floor construction substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.