GB2214127A

GB2214127A - Fixing means for articles and locations thereof

Info

Publication number: GB2214127A
Application number: GB8800414A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roger Antony Peters; Donald Roger Piper; Arthur Clive Adams
Original assignee: Fordham Bathrooms & Kitchens
Current assignee: Fordham Bathrooms & Kitchens
Priority date: 1988-01-08
Filing date: 1988-01-08
Publication date: 1989-08-31
Also published as: GB8800414D0

Abstract

A moulded article (11) made from a filled resinous substance such article being, for example, a sink has an insert (12) moulded therein, the insert being provided with means to enable fastening means (22) to be inserted therein so as to enable the securing of the article (11) to a surround (20). The insert (12) is secured in position during the moulding of the article (11) and locating means (13) are provided to properly locate the insert (12) so that it is moulded into the article (11) in the correct position. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: "Fixing means for articles and location thereof" Description of Invention The present invention relates to the securing of inserts into articles, such inserts enabling a securing means, for example a threaded member, to be securely engaged with the article.

Such inserts are of considerable benefit to enable the proper fixing of an article, where the article is made of a material with which a threaded fastener cannot be engaged satisfactorily.

It has been usual to provide inserts in articles made from expanded polystyrene foam where it has been required to provide a fixing to the polystyrene foam, the insert providing a large bearing surface on the foam to ensure that a fixing can be properly made thereto.

It is however not usual to provide inserts for articles made from a material where proper anchoring with a threaded fastener can be made.

The present invention relates primarily to articles of a fairly dense nature made from, for example, a resinous material which may be filled with an inorganic filler material, for example sand or the like, the material being of a nature whereby secure engagement with a threaded article is quite possible.

Such articles may for example be baths, sinks, wash basins, shower bases and the like.

Such articles require securing to surfaces, for example sinks are usually secured to base units or in a "work surface" top and whereas the nature of the material does not provide any great problem as far as firm securement to a threaded fastener, problems can occur if, for example, a hole that is drilled in the material is slightly misplaced so that the fitting is then incorrectly secured to the article, or particularly where the material is not thick, an overdeep hole can pass right through the article which, in the case of an article for example a sink or basin where water is to be contained, renders the article quite useless.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an article made from filled resinous substance that overcomes or minimises the problems mentioned above.

According to one aspect of the invention, we provide an article made from a filled resinous substance, said article having positioned therein, whilst said substance is in a liquid state, an insert of a nature adapted to permit of secure fixing with a fastener, said insert being secured to said article during curing of the resinous substance such that it is firmly secured to said article on curing of said resin.

The insert may be provided with a tapped blind bore therein to enable firm securement to the threaded article. Alternatively, a blind untapped bore may be provided and fixing means may be secured to said insert and hence to said article by means of a self-tapping screw.

Said insert may be of any suitable material, for example a plastics material or combination of materials, for example plastics and metal and of any suitable shape to accommodate a part capable of being firmly engaged by a fixing means and a part to enable secure bonding to the article during curing of the resin.

Articles from filled resinous material are formed by inserting the material in a liquid state between two moulds, such a mould being known as electroform. One type of filled resinous material is that sold under the Trade Mark ASTERITE.

The positioning of an insert in such an article is critical and some form of location means is therefore essential.

It is another object of the present invention to provide location means to locate an insert relative to a mould.

According to a second aspect of the invention, we provide a method of locating an insert for moulding relative to a mould surface comprising the steps of providing in or on said insert magnetically susceptible material and providing on said mould a magnet firmly secured thereto, said magnet acting on said magnetically susceptible material to retain said insert in a desired position.

Said insert may itself comprise a material which is magnetically susceptible or may comprise a part of magnetically susceptible material or may comprise a part of said magnetically susceptible material or may have attached thereto a piece of magnetically susceptible material which may be adapted to be removed from said insert after said moulding has been removed from said mould.

According to a still further aspect of the invention we provide means for locating an insert for a moulding to a mould, said means comprising a first part detachably securable to said moulding, said first part including first locating means, said insert including second locating means adapted to cooperate with said first locating means to locate said insert, said first and second locating means enabling said insert to be readily located and detached from said locating means.

The provision of said first part enables ready detachment of the locating means from the mould in the event of damage or if it is required to secure a different insert locating means, for example where it is desired to provide alternative fixing means to locate the article in a different position.

Said first locating means, said second locating means may comprise pins and bores repsectively which enables an insert provided with said bores to be readily located on said locating means and, when the article has been moulded and the insert secured therein, on separation of the moulds to release the moulding, said bores may conveniently provide bores in which threaded fasteners or other fixing means may be inserted.

Said insert may be of any convenient material, for example nylon or an acetal material.

The invention will now be described in more detail by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIGURE I is a fragmentary view showing the location of one embodiment of insert on a mould; FIGURE 2 is a view of the insert shown in Figure 1 moulded in the article and secured to fixing means; FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of another form of securing an insert to a mould; FIGURE 4 illustrates a further embodiment of insert and method of securing to a mould.

Referring first to Figure 1, part of a mould 10 is shown in which is to be formed an article part of which is shown at II, the article 11 being made from for example ASTERITE a resinous inorganic chemical mix.

In order to provide means whereby fasteners can be easily secured to the article 11 an insert 12 is moulded in the article.

In order to secure the insert 12 to the mould 10 a fixing part 13 having a shape which conforms closely to the shape of the mould 10 is provided and is releasably secured to the mould 10 by a threaded fastener 14.

The fixing means 13 is provided with two headed locating pins 15 and 16, the heads of the pins ensuring that once the fixing means 13 is secured to the mould 10 by the fastener 14, the pins cannot be moved from their fixed position.

Prior to the filling of the mould 10 with liquid material from which the article II is to be formed, an insert 12 is placed in position, the pins 15 and 16 entering the bores therein. Liquid material is then introduced between the mould 10 and another (not shown) to form the article 11. Liquid material is prevented from entering the bores provided in the inserts by the presence of pins 15 and 16, thus ensuring that they are kept clear for receiving a threaded fastener.

When the material forming the article II has cured, the mould is opened to release the article in which the insert 12 has been firmly secured.

The article II may be removed from the mould 10 by pressure in a direction axial with but away from the pins 15 and 16.

It will be appreciated that any form of suitable insert 12 may be located on the pins 15 and 16 and if desired the fixing means 13 may be removed and replaced if, for example, damage occurs to the fixing means or if it is desired to provide an alternative insert 12. Such a change may be made without difficulty merely by releasing the threaded fastener 14 and without any need to modification of the mould 10.

Referring now to Figure 2, the article II is shown in an in-use position, the article may comprise part of a sink drainer unit which is intended to be secured in a work surface 20.

The insert 12 has secured thereto a fixing bracket generally indicated at 21 and which comprises a threaded fastener 22 which secures a metal plate 23 to the insert and hence to the article II.

The metal plate 23 has a curved end section 24 which holds a piece 25 of plastics material in which a through bore is formed diametrically and with which is engaged a further threaded fastener 26 which carries a metal plate 27.

Continued engagement of the threaded fastener 26 with the piece of plastics material 25 will cause the metal plate 27 to rise and engage the underside of the work surface 20, thus causing the article II to be firmly clamped to the work surface 20.

It will be appreciated that once the insert 12 is firmly secured to the article II any suitable fixing bracket or other fixing means may be secured thereto, for example the fixing means may comprise a single threaded fastener which engages with a work surface, wall or the like to secure the article 11 thereto.thereto.

Referring now to Figure 3, an alternative method of locating the insert relative to the mould is shown, the mould 30 is provided with an infill 31 in which is located a locating dowel or pin 32.

The infill 31 may for example be cast in position so as to take a shape exactly the same as the mould and hence be a good fit therewith and if desired further securing means, such as a fastener, may be provided which attaches the infill 31 to the mould 30 or alternatively the infill may be permanently secured to the mould by for example casting in situ without a release agent by means of adhesive or other suitable fixing means.

The locating pin or dowel 32 provides a portion 33 extending out of the infill 31 and on which an insert 34 is positioned. The infill 31 may be provided with more than one pin or dowel 32. However if, for example, the infill is of circular cross-section it is envisaged that only one pin or dowel 32 would be required.

Once the insert 34 has been positioned on the part 33 of the pin 32, the other mould 35 may be brought into the position as shown, the space between the moulds 30 and 35 is filled with material, for example ASTERITE and when the material has cured the moulds 34 and 35 are separated to allow the article 36 to be removed therefrom.

Referring now to Figure 4, a further embodiment of insert and method of securing same to the mould is shown.

Moulds 40 and 41 are provided between which an article 42 is moulded and in which article is secured an insert 43.

The insert 43 comprises a first part 44 having a blind bore 45 and a second part 46 comprising a steel plate or other magnetically susceptible material. The insert 43 is held in position on the surface of the mould 40 by a magnet 47 which attracts the steel plate 46.

If desired additional locating means may be provided on the mould 40 so that the steel plate 46 may be correctly located in position and held in such position by the attraction of magnet 47.

The steel plate 46 may be permanently secured to the plastic part 44 of the insert 43 or alternatively may be formed separately therefrom and, for example, carry a pin that locates in the blind bore 45 of the insert 43.

With the latter configuration the steel plate 46 may be positioned removably on the inside surface of the mould 40 and be held firmly in such position by the magnet 47 and an insert 44 placed on a pin or dowel projecting therefrom.

If it is desired to provide an alternative insert on the article 42, the steel plate 46 may be removed and replaced by another provided with an alternative position locating pins.

It will be appreciated that the above described arrangements are examples only of many alternative arrangements of inserts and methods of locating same of the present invention.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the accompanying drawing, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, or a class or group of substances or compositions, as appropriate, may, separately or any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An article made from a filled resinous substance, said article having positioned therein, whilst said substance is in a liquid or soft state, an insert of a nature adapted to permit of secure fixing with a fastener, said insert being secured to said article during curing of the resinous substance such that it is firmly secured to said article on curing of said resin.

2. An article according to Claim 1 wherein said insert is provided with a blind bore to enable firm securement to a fastener comprising a self-tapping threaded member.

3. An article according to Claim 1 wherein said insert is provided with a tapped bore to enable firm securement to a fastener comprising a threaded member.

4. An article according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said insert is made from a plastics material.

5. An article according to any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein said insert comprises a plastics part and a metallic part.

6. An article according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said article is of a shape to provide a mechanical bond with said article after curing of the resin from which said article is made.

7. An article according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the filler for said resinous substance comprises sand or silica or a mixture thereof.

8. An article according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said filled resinuous substance comprises a material sold under the Trade Mark ASTERITE.

9. An article according to any one of the preceding claims wherein location means are provided to locate said insert relative to said article at least prior to curing of said resin.

10. An article according to Claim 9 wherein said locating means is secured to or otherwise adapted to locate against a mould part used to form the shape of the article.

11. An article according to Claim 9 or Claim 10 wherein said locating means comprises a magnet secured to said mould and wherein said insert comprises at least in part a magnetically susceptible material.

12. An article according to Claim 11 wherein the magnetically susceptible material provided on said insert may be subsequently removed from said insert after moulding of the article.

13. A method of locating an insert in a moulded article relative to Sa mould surface comprising the steps of providing in or on said insert magnetically susceptible material and providing on said mould a magnet firmly secured thereto, said magnet acting on said magnetically susceptible material to retain said insert in a desired position.

14. A method according to Claim 13 wherein said insert comprises a material which is magnetically susceptible or comprises a part of magnetically susceptible material or has attached thereto a piece of magnetically susceptible material which piece may be subsequently removed from said insert after said article has been moulded.

15. Means for locating an insert adapted to be secured in a moulding relative to a mould said means comprising a first part detachably securable to said article, said first part including first locating means, said insert including second locating means adapted to co-operate with said first locating means to locate said insert, said first and second locating means enabling said insert to be readily located and detached from said locating means.

16. A locating means according to Claim 15 wherein said first part enables ready detachment of the locating means from the mould so as to enable securement of a different insert locating means.

17. Locating means according to Claim 15 or Claim 16 wherein said first locating means and said second locating means comprises pins and bores repsectively, said pins and bores enabling an insert provided with said bores to be readily located on said locating means and, when the article has been moulded and the insert secured therein, on separation of the moulds to release the moulding, said bores, on removal of said pins are of a form to enable insertion therein of a threaded fastener.

18. An article having secured therein an insert substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

19. An article having secured therein an insert substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.

20. An article having secured thereto an insert substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

21. A method of locating an insert in a moulding substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

22. A method of securing an insert in a moulding substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.

23. A method of securing an insert into a moulding substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

24. An article having an insert moulded therein including any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed herein and/or illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

25. A method of moulding an insert into an article including any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed herein and/or illustrated in the accompanying drawings.