GB2213366A

GB2213366A - Manufacture of right angle brackets and the like

Info

Publication number: GB2213366A
Application number: GB8900031A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Angier
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-01-05
Filing date: 1989-01-03
Publication date: 1989-08-16
Also published as: GB8900031D0; GB8800143D0

Abstract

A right angle bracket made in two parts joined together by welding. So that the bracket has been able to be made very economically, the two parts (10, 12) have been cut out from flat metal plate by laser cutting, a backplate part (10) having been formed with at least two spaced apertures (18) for the reception of complementary tongue portions (20) formed on the other part (12). <IMAGE>

Description

Manufacture of right angle brackets and the like.

The invention relates to the manufacture of right angle brackets and the like, that is to say brackets which are used for shelf fixing for example or for the hanging of hanging baskets.

Various constructions of right angle brackets are known but, generally, for any appreciable loadcarrying capability, all such brackets must have two essential features in common. A right angle bracket for shelf fixing for example must have elements at right angles to each other for fixing against a wall surface and for supporting a shelf respectively, and for strength, the bracket must have a bracing strut or elements (for example scrollwork) constituting a bracing strut extending between the elements at right angles to each other.

A right angle bracket for the hanging of a hanging basket may be of a very similar form, but on the other hand may have only an element for fixing against a wall surface and an element in the nature of scrollwork or a decorative flat plate element which itself constitutes the part from which the hanging basket can depend. In either case, however, the bracing strut or element (for example scrollwork) constituting a bracing strut or decorative flat plate element, as the case may be, must be very securely fixed to the element for fixing against a wall surface.

The major problem in the manufacture of such brackets by known methods is that the required degree of accuracy when cutting the separate elements to shape cannot be obtained except at prohibitive cost. The invention has for its object to at least alleviate this problem.

According to the invention, there is provided a right angle bracket or the like, that is to say for example, a bracket which can be used for shelf fixing or for the hanging of a hanging bracket, the bracket being made in two separate parts cut out of flat metal plate and joined together by welding, a first backplate part having been formed with at least two spaced apertures for the reception of complementary tongue portions formed on the other part, the two parts having been formed very accurately but very economically by virtue of the fact that they have been cut out from the flat metal plate by means of a.laser cutting machine.

In order that the invention may be fully understood and readily carried into effect, the same will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:- Figure 1 is an exploded view of a hanging basket embodying the invention, and Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view on the line 2-2 in Figure 1 when the two parts of the device have been united together by welding.

Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawings, the bracket there illustrated is for the hanging of a hanging basket and is constituted by two separate parts joined together by welding, that is to say a backplate 10 for fixing against a wall surface and a decorative plate element 12 from which a hanging basket (not shown) may depend. The backplate is shown to be provided with a number of holes 14 for the reception of screws by means of which the bracket can be fixed to a wall surface. The decorative plate element is shown to be provided with chain elements 16 to which a hanging basket can be connected.

The backplate 10 and the decorative plate element 12 have both been cut from flat metal plate by means of a numerically controlled laser machine.

Their somewhat complex shapes have therefore been able to be cut out in a very short period of time and therefore very economically. The cutting out of the backplate has included the cutting out of elongate apertures 18 and the cutting out of the decorative plate has included the forming of the tongue portions 20 which are to extend through the respective apertures 18 as shown in Figure 2. It is important that when the backplate and decorative plate elements are fitted together prior to welding, the tongue portions 20 should virtually fill the apertures 18 with very little clearance.

This is so that the subsequent welding operations can comprise merely the melting of the excess length portions of the tongue portions shown in chain-dotted lines in Figure 2. Consequently, it will be understood that it is of vital importance for the apertures 18 to each be of exactly the correct width and length and to be exactly spaced, and for the tongue portions 20 to be of exactly the correct length and to project exactly the required distance from the datum line, that is to say from the line of the abutment surfaces which are to abut against the front face of the backplate, and also for said tongue portions to be spaced apart at exactly the same spacing as the apertures 18. All these requirements can quite easily be fulfilled by cutting out both shapes in a numerically controlled laser cutting machine. No other method of manufacture could produce such shapes with the required degree of accuracy at the same very economical cost.

Various modifications may be made and it will be understood that the element 12 could be of any preferred decorative shape. Depending on the shape of the element 12, the two main parts of the bracket may be connected together by three or more tongue elements engaging complementary apertures in the backplate.

The article may be a right angle bracket for shelf fixing in which case the element 10 will have parts at right angles to each other for fixing against a wall surface and for supporting a shelf respectively, and the decorative plate element 12 will constitute a bracing strut extending between the two parts of the element 10.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A right angle bracket or the like, that is to say for example, a bracket which can be used for shelf fixing or for the hanging of a hanging bracket, the bracket being made in two separate parts cut out of flat metal plate and joined together by welding, a first backplate part having been formed with at least two spaced apertures for the reception of complementary tongue portions formed on the other part, the two parts having been formed very accurately but very economically by virtue of the fact that they have been cut from the flat metal plate by means of a laser cutting machine.

2. A right angle bracket or the like, constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.