GB2155072A

GB2155072A - Securing cladding panels

Info

Publication number: GB2155072A
Application number: GB08405281A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Francis Cunningham
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-02-29
Filing date: 1984-02-29
Publication date: 1985-09-18
Also published as: GB8405281D0; GB2155072B

Abstract

A device (10) for adjustably attaching cladding panels (11a, 11b) to structure such as a vertical cast concrete face (12), comprises a first component (15) whose head (17) has a through-hole (18) through which adjustably extends a shank (20) of a second component (19) which has a head (22) which adjustably receives a shank (25) of a third component (24) which has means such as a disc (26) for retaining cladding panels (11a, 11b) by engaging grooves (14) therein. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Fixing device This invention relates to a fixing device for use in attaching members to a structure. The invention is particularly suitable for use in attaching cladding panels to concrete buildings.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a fixing device which can facilitate the attachment of cladding panels to buildings, and which is simple and adjustable.

The invention provides a fixing device, for use in attaching members to a structure, comprising: a first component having a head and a shank, the shank being receivable in a socket in the structure; a second component having a head and a shank, the shank of the second component being adjustably engaged with the head of the first component and lying transversely of the shank of the first component; and a third component comprising a shank and a head, the shank of the third component being adjustably engaged with the head of the second component and extending transversely of the shank of the second component, and the head of the third component being adapted to engage a member such as a cladding panel.

The head of the first component can have a clearance hole, the shank of the second component being threaded and passing through that hole and being provided with a nut, the shank of the second member thus being securable in a position which is adjustable axially of its shank. The head of the second component can have a threaded aperture, engaged by a complementarily threaded shank of the third component.

The third component can have a head in the form of a disc engageable in a receiving formation formed in an edge of cladding panel, or can comprise a pair of axially spaced discs disposable one on each face of a cladding panel. One or both of the discs can be axially movable on the shank to accommodate cladding panels of different thicknesses.

In one method of use of the device of the invention the shank of the first component is screwedly engaged with a socket incorporated in a vertical force of a structure, e.g. embedded in concrete of the structure during pouring thereof, with the hole in its head extending vertically. The shank of the second component passes upwardly through this hole and has a nut screwed on its upper free end. The head of the second component, thus hangs below the first component and can be moved vertically by adjusting the nut. To move the head of the second component laterally, its shank is pivoted with simultaneously pivoting of the head ofthefirst component. This pivoting, although it may loosen the first component, does not appreciably affect the security of the first component.The position of the head of the third component can be moved vertically and laterally over a range set by the range of the aforesaid two adjustment. Adjustment of the head at right angles to the surface of the structure can be achieved by rotating it in the threaded socket in the head of the second component. Thus the position of the head has three degrees of freedom enabling considerable compensation to be made for variations in the position of the receiving sockets and sizes ofthe cladding panels due to manufacturing and construction tolerances.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a vertical side elevation of a preferred fixing device of the invention in use attaching cladding panels to a building, and Fig. 2 is a vertical front elevation of the device of Fig. 1.

A preferred fixing device 10 of the invention is suitable for attaching cladding panels 1 la, 1 1b to a structure such as a vertical cast concrete face 12 of a building. To allow for the attachment of cladding panels 11 screwed attachment sockets 13 are incorporated in the face 12 by being cast in situ at appropriate vertical and horizontal spacings. The socket 13 may be of the type described and claimed in my co-pending application No. 83 . It will be appreciated that whilst the spacing of the sockets 13 will be selected and fixed in theory, in practice there will be some variation in the spacings due to construction tolerances. Further, the face 12, will not be an exactly vertical plane, variations will occur.

The device 10 is constructed to allow such tolerances caused variations to be accommodated and to allow cladding panels 11 of rather precise sizes to be satisfactorily positioned. In the present case the panels 11 are provided in each oftheirfour edges with generally semi-circular recesses 14.

The device 10 comprises a first component in the form of a bolt 15 having a shank 16 whose distal end portion (not shown) has thread which engages a thread (also not shown) of the socket 13. The shank 16 is integral with a rectangular block-like head 17 which has a circular-sectioned through-hole 18, shown extending vertically, but whose disposition can be varied by pivoting of the bolt 15. Any slight loosening of the bolt 15 caused by such pivoting is not important, because the bolt 15 is basically loaded in shear, and thus its tensile tightness does not seriously affect its load-bearing capacity in shear. A second component of the device 10 is in the form of a hanger 19 having a shank 20 which passes through the hole 18 and is threadedly engaged by a nut 21 which allows variation in the position of the hanger axially of the hole 18. Nut 21 can be a friction fit on shank 20.A head 22 of hanger 19 is of rectangular block-like shape and has a threaded bore 23. As will be appreciated, bolt 15 and hanger 19 are basically similar and can be identical if required, provided the various sizes are correlated.

The threads in the bore 23 can be present and unused in the bolt 15, or the thread-forming operation on one workpiece can be omitted. In either case manufacturing costs are reduced.

A third component of the device is in the form of a screw 24 those shank 25 threadedly engages bore 23 and whose head 26 is in the form of a disc whose periphery is provided with radial slots 27 which can be used to turn the screw 24 when half the head 26 is nested in a recess 14 making use of a spanner grips impossible or difficult.

In use, a plurality of the devices 10 one first secured to the formed sockets 13 or are attached by drilling anchorages in existing concrete, to provide an array of the devices in the form of a grid on the face 12 to be clad. Application of the panels 11 starts from the lower edge of the face 12, e.g. ground level.

Assuming that two devices 10, or a whole "bottom row" of such devices 10 are adjusted to place the heads 26 in a straight horizontal line at a predetermined spacing from the face 12. A lowest row of panels 11 is then positioned with their lower edges engaging the heads 26 by their lower edge slots 14. The devices at the upper edge of the panels are next adjusted roughly to engage the slots 14 in the upper panel edges and hold the panels secure.

The devices can then be adjusted vertically and horizontally towards or away from the face 12 to position the panels in a common vertical plane. The process then proceeds with the next row of panels being engaged with the exposed top half of the screw heads 26 by their low edge recesses 14. The top edges of the second row of panels are subsequently similarly adjusted.

It will be appreciated that the device of the invention provides a particularly simple and effective means for securing cladding panels, having flexibility and adjustability. Naturally, the devices can be used to secure articles other than cladding panels and to otherthan vertical surfaces.

Variations can be made to the described embodiment. For example, the screws 24 can have, instead of the heads 26 a pair of spaced discs arranged to be disposed one inside and one outside the panels 11. One or other of such a pair of discs could be adjustable along the shank, as by being screwed thereto, to allow variation to to the spacing.

The outer disc could be decoratively shaped.

Many other variations are possible.

Claims

1. A fixing device for use in attaching members to a structure, comprising: a first component having a head and a shank, the shank being receivable in a socket in the structure; a second component having a head and a shank, the shank of the second component being adjustably engaged with the head of the first component and lying transversely of the shank of the first component; and a third component comprising a shank and a head, the shank of the third component being adjustably engaged with the head of the second component and extending transversely of the shank of the second component, and the head of the third component being adapted to engage a member such as a cladding panel.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the head of the first component has a clearance hole, the shank of the second component being threaded and passing through that hole and being provided with a nut, the shank of the second member thus being securable in a position which is adjustable axially of its shank.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the head of the second component has a threaded aperture, engaged by a complementarilythreaded shank of the third component.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the third component has a head in the form of a disc engageable in a receiving formation formed in an edge of cladding panel.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the third component comprises a pair of axially spaced discs disposable one on each face of a cladding panel.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein one or both of the discs is axially movable on the shank to accommodate cladding panels of different thicknesses.

7. A fixing device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.