GB2226070A

GB2226070A - Beam for use as lintel when forming opening in existing wall

Info

Publication number: GB2226070A
Application number: GB8829299A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sri Parakrama Wije Ilukkumbure
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-12-15
Filing date: 1988-12-15
Publication date: 1990-06-20
Also published as: DE3941313A1; GB8829299D0; GB2226070B; FR2640666A1

Description

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1 TITLE "A beam structure and a method of providing support by ...;,S. Uch a structure to a wall" TECHNICAL FIELD & BACKGROUND ART

The present invention relates to a beam structure and to a method of providing support with such a structure to a wall. More particularly, the invention concerns a composite beam structure suitable for use in forming an opening in an existing upstanding masonry wall.

Lintels are a common means of supporting masonry and such load as may be borne on the masonry immediately above an opening in a wall. A lintel transfers the load bearing on it to the masonry on either side of the opening by direct bearing on the masonry on those sides, or where the masonry on either side is structurally inadequate to safely distribute the additional load to the foundations, columns or posts can be provided on one or both sides of the opening and through which the lintel reacts in order to effect satisfactory load transfer to foundations of the wall.

Where an opening has to be formed in an existing wall, it is necessary to provide support to effectively transfer the load from the masonry above the proposed opening to the ground or to the existing foundations. Vertical movement in the masonry which is to be located above the proposed opening has to be avoided and for this purpose it has been proposed to provide a temporary lintel at the head of the opening which effects the required load transfer until a permanent lintel can be fitted. An example of a beam structure suitable for providing temporary support as a lintel is disclosed in my British Patent Application No. 8814592. A further example of a temporary support as aforementioned is disclosed in British Patent No. 2,131,076A.

It is recognised that the fitting of a composite beam 1 2 structure which provides a temporary lintel during the formation of a hole beneath the temporary lintel and the subsequent removal of the temporary lintel following the fitting of a permanent lintel is both an expensive and time consuming procedure and it is an object of the present invention to provide a composite beam structure which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and simple to assemble and which may be used to provide temporary support as previously discussed during the fitting of a permanent lintel but particularly lends itself to use as a permanent lintel which can be f itted prior to forming an opening in a masonry wall to support the masonry above the opening thereafter can remain as a permanent feature of the wall.

STATEMENTS OF INVENTION & ADVANTAGES is According to the present invention there is provided a composite beam structure for providing support to an upstanding wall and comprising two elongated plates for positioning in opposed relationship one on each side of the wall, each plate having extending from one face thereof a longitudinally spaced array of hollow spigot parts which form recesses in the opposite face of the respective plate, each said hollow spigot part having the bottom wall with an aperture therein, the hollow spigot parts substantially corresponding on the two plates; tubular needle members for insertion one within each of a spaced array of holes in the wall which correspond to the position of the spigot parts, said needle members being engageable at their ends with the plates by the spigot parts being received within the ends of 'the needle members for the transfer of vertical loading from the needle members to the two plates, and wherein bolt means is provided for location in the bores of the needle members to extend through the apertures In the bottom walls of the spigot parts for means in the hollow spigot parts to secure the ends of the needle members relative to the plates.

A 1 C, 3 Further according to the present invention there is provided the combination of a composite beam structure as specified in the immediately preceding paragraph and a wall to which the structure is attached in which the tubular needle members are located within holes in the wall and said needle members receive in their ends the hollow spigot - parts of the plates positioned on opposite sides of the wall for vertical loading on the needle members to be transmitted to the plates, and said plates are secured together by the bolt means extending through the bores of the needle members and apertures in the bottom walls of the spigot parts to be retained by means within the recesses of the spigot parts.

Still further according to the present invention there is provided a method of providing support to an upstanding wall by use of the composite beam structure as specified in the preceding penultimate paragraph which comprises forming in the wall a spaced array of holes corresponding to the position of the hollow spigot parts on each plate; inserting the tubular needle members one within each hole and engaging the ends of the needle members with the plates on opposite sides of the wall by locating the hollow spigot parts within the ends of the respective needle members, locating the bolt means in the bores of the needle members to extend therethrough and through the apertures in the bottom walls of the spigot parts and retaining the bolt means relative to the plates by securing means located within the recesses of the hollow spigot parts to secure the plates together on opposite sides of the wall.

By the present invention it is envisaged that when the composite beam structure is fitted to a wall, the bolt means which will typically have a head at one end and a nut at the other will have the nut and head respectively received within the recesses of two spigot parts one on each of the opposed plates so that the ends of the bolt and Ad the nut and bolt head are accommodated within the hollow spigot parts and, conveniently, do not project from the recesses formed by those parts to stand proud of the respective opposite face of the two plates. The opposite face of each plate will, of course, be that which will be presented from the surface of the wall to which 'the composite beam structure is fitted and the -absence of protruberances formed by nuts and bolt heads on this face will allow it to be decorated or covered aesthetically (if necessary following filling in of the recesses) or even plastered by fitting an expanded metal sheet over the opposite faces of the plates to facilitate bonding of the plaster or rendering.

It will be apparent that when the composite beam 15 structure is fitted to a wall in accordance with the present invention and the opposed plates are effectively clamped to the opposed sides of the wall (preferably in face-to-face contact) by the bolt means, the socket and spigot engagement between the ends of the tubular needles and the plates permits vertical loading to be transmitted from the fabric of the wall and through the to the beam members on opposite sides of needle members the wall. An opening can thus be formed in the wall beneath the composite beam structure, preferably with such opening having a width somewhat less than the longitudinal extent of the plates to ensure that tubular needle members are located within the fabric of the wall at positions beneath which the opening will not be located and thereby adequate vertical support can be provided through the tubular needle members to the two plates at the ends of those plates to carry the fabric of the wall on such other load as may be presented to the composite beam structure above the opening in the wall.

The hollow spigot parts will usually be of steel or 35 other metal similar to the plates. The spigot parts will A i usually be cup-shaped with an external profile and dimensions so that they can be received as a close sliding fit within the ends of the tubular needle members. Typically the spigot parts will be welded to the plates so that the aperture in the bottom wall of those spigot parts co- incides with an aperture in the plate. The spigot parts are conveniently formed by hot rollings or cold pressings so that the respective bottom walls are integrally formed. Alternatively the spigot parts may be formed by a short length of tubing to which an end wall is welded. Typically, but not essentially, the bore of the tubular needle members will be cylindrical and the external Profile of the spigot parts is of corresponding cylindrical profile.

By the present invention it will be apparent that the bolt means are effectively shielded within the tubular needle members while the retaining ends of the bolt means such as the bolt head and nut are effectively shielded within the hollow spigot par-Us so that the whole length of the bolt are shielded both from contact with the fabric of the wall and from the transmission of vertical loading and -s -ion of the bolt means (such as it thereby the operat engagement, adjustment or disengagement in the event that the composite beam structure is no". intended to be a permanent fitting) should remain unhindered either by the fabric of the wall or the vertical forces which are transmitted through the beam structure. firmly fixed to When the composite beam structure is. the wall, the two Plates will, initially, remain unstressed but provide additional stiffness to the wall during the formation of the opening. As the opening is formed load will gradually be transferred to the plates from the needle members as the width of the portion of the wall that is removed from beneath the beam structure increases.

-ructure may be flat or pre- The plates of the beam st 6 formed, for example as cold pressed or hot rolled sections, so that the plates comprise channel sections in which the edges of the plates have longitudinally extending flanges that may be directed inwardly or outwardly with respect to the wall to which the plate is to be fitted. Alternatively the metal plates may comprise a composite plate structure, for example where metal lugs or metal bars may be welded to longitudinally extending edges of the plates to engage a corner which is to be formed in the wall where it defines the wall opening. DRAWINGS One embodiment of a composite beam structure providing support to an upstanding masonry wall will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings in which:- Figure 1 shows an isometric elevation of a beam structure in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a lateral section through the structure of Figure 1; Figure 3 diagrammatically illustrates the structure of Figure 1 in use for supporting an upstanding masonry wall during the formation of an opening in the wall; Figure 4 is a lateral section similar to Figure 2 but showing the use of supplementary plates and stabilizing beams; Figure 5 is a sectional view of a supplementary plate modified with respect to that shown in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a front view of a beam structure used to form a part circular arch; Figure 7 is a lateral section similar to Figure 2 but showing the completed wall in which an opening has been formed and in which the beam has been plastered over so that it does not remain externally visible, and Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing a variation of the main and supplementary plates.

7 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The composite beam structure illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 has two identical oblong rectangular flat steel plates 1. A longitudinally spaced array of circular apertures 2 are machined in the plates 1. Cylindrical steel cups 3 are located within the apertures 2 and welded within the apertures to the respective plates 1. The cups 3 form cylindrical projections or spigots on a side face la of the plates 1 and are substantially flush with the opposite side face lb of the respective plates. The axis of the cylindrical cups project perpendicularly from the plates 1 and each cup has a radially extending bottom wall 4 which is axially spaced from the plates 1 and has an aperture 5 therein. The spigots formed by the cups are hollow to provide cylindrical recesses 6 which open into the face lb of the plates. The bottom walls 4 are conveniently formed by annular plates which are welded to the cylindrical walls of the cups. A number of drilled or threaded holes 12 are provided in the plates 1 for a purpose to be described.

Tubular steel needle members 7 are urovided to correspond in number with the number of spigot cups 3 on one of the plates 1. The needle members are of annular section and are sized so that the spigot cups 3 can be closely received as a sliding fit within the ends of those members 7. With the needle members 7 extendLng between the two plates as shown in Figure 2 the spigots 3 are engageable within the ends of the needle members 7 so that the faces la of the plates oppose each other. The cylindrical bores of the needle members 7 are concentric with the holes 5 and the shanks of headed bolts 8 are inserted through each set of respective holes 5 and needle member bore. The bolts are retained by nuts 9 and are provided with appropriate washers 10. It will be apparent from Figure 2 that the nuts and bolts can be tightened to draw the opposing faces la of the plates towards each other 8 and move the cup shaped projections 3 into deeper socket and spigot engagement with the ends of the needle member 7. For convenience not all of the tubular needle members and I L.he nuts and bolts have been shown in Figure 1.

In use of the composite beam structure to provide support to an upstanding masonry wall 25 (see Figure 3) one of the plates 1 is used as a template to mark the position at which a longitudinally- spaced array of holes 27 are to be drilled through the thickness of the wall at positions corresponding to the array of apertures 5. Following the drilling of such holes 27 the needle tubes 7 are located therein (preferably so that the tubes have a length slightly less than the thickness of the wall 25). The tube plates 1 are now positioned in opposed relationship on opposite sides of the wall 25 and so that their respective arrays of projecting cups 3 are received within the ends of the needle tubes 7 as a close sliding f it. With the two plates so positioned, the bolts 8 and their nuts and washers are f itted and tightened to draw the plates I towards each other and into clamping relationship on the wall 25 with the flat rear faces la of the plates in faceto-face abutment with the wall 25. As the plates are clamped to the wall it will be apparent that the projecting cups 3 move deeper into the sockets formed by the ends of the needles 7. Conveniently, plastering or rendering on the surface of the wall 25 is cut away as indicated at 28 so that the plates 1 can be accommodated in direct abutment with the brickwork of the wall as shown in Figure 2.

Where the composite beam structure is clamped to the 30 wall 25 as described above and with the longitudinal extent 2 of the plates 1 horizontal, an area of the wall /_5 beneath the composite beam can be cut away to form an opening 29 having a width less than the length of the composite beam structure and so that the opening 29 does not extend to underlie one or more of the needle tubes 7 at each end of 9 the beam structure. As the opening 29 is formed it will be realised that vertical loads which are applied from the fabric of the wall 25 above the opening will be transferred through the tubular needle members 7 and the spigot cuips 3 which they engage to the plates 1. The steel plates can thus provide adequate load bearing support at each side of the opening 29 to provide a stable wall structure. However, if required, one or more additional composite beam structures similar to that shown in Figures 1 and 2 can be provided to extend vertically as indicated at 11 in Figure 3 to support the horizontal composite beam structure. The additional beam structure 11 is fitted to;the wall 25 in a similar manner to that previously described and will provide a closed load path between the horizontal beam structure and the foundations of the wall 25. The beam structures 1 and 1' will provide stiffness and rigidity to the wall 25.

It will be apparent from Figure 2 that when the composite beam structure is fitted to the wall 25 with the plates 1 in face-to-face abutment with the wall, the nut 9 and head of the bolt 8 should, preferably, be located wholly within the respective recesses 0 of the two plates. Furthermore, the shank of the bolt 8 should appropriately - it does not project be cut to length or selected so that from the respective one of the recesses 6. Conseauenzly, the accommodation of the nut and bolt means within the needle tube 7 and recesses 6 alleviates such means from standing proud of the plate faces lb. These faces may therefore be. covered with appropriate decorative material, plastered or rendered so that the composite beam structure -ing the can form a permanent unobtrusive feature in support wall 25.

- The drilled or threaded holes 12 provided in the plates 1 may be used for a number of different purposes. Thus they may be used for the attachment of supplementary plates (figrures 4 and 8), for the attachment of stabilizing beams and stays (figures 4 and 6) or for fixing attachments, such as curtain rails, to the plates 1 <figure 7).

Figure 4 shows the provision of supplementary beam, plates 11. Such supp. Len.entary provide additional strength to a provide extra support or to allow to be used, thus increasing the P1ates. in this case, the spacing this case would be threaded to ates through holes 13 In the p. adequate transfer of a portion beam plates 1.

t p l a t es 11 m ay be used 't c ma.n beam Plate 1 either to lighter main beam Plates 1 ease of handling of the of the holes 12, which in receive bolts 15 passing 11,..s such as to allow of the load frcm the main 11 1 1 - 1 1 - I t wj. 11 be seen t hat t he p 1. at es 'L 1 ar. e p5rov- ded wi th langes 26 which can be seated around the edges of the edge f plates 1. Thiese edge 26 suitabLy comprise lengths of Ltudinal edges flat bar welded or c..l..'.,erw-Lse fixed to the ',.ong-L 5 of the plates 11. They act both to lock the plates 1 and 11 '1 4. s 15 and. J together wit!, the boL 1.ncrease the load carrying 1 1. T ead of capacity of the supplementary plate L 1 n stl.

continuous flanges, Individual ".Lugs (not shown) could be provided at spaced points along the plate 11. Chamfering may be required on the plates 1 to ensure a full face fit between the plates 1. and 1.1 unless all parts are suitably precisely formed or precision machined after formation to remove pr--ject--ng fillet welds or uneven projecting metal.

Another. use of the holes 12 JIn combi-,,a'l-'on with the 15 holes 13 is to secure stabilizing beams 20 to the beam structure. The purpose of such beams is to withstand ".lateral forces which may ba applied to the wall during the cuttIns out of the opening. Once the cutting cperation has been completed, the stabilizing beams may be removed.

T i -'zj In the form shown in figure 4-, the stabl--- Linz beams comDrise channel section members 20 which are attached t- the pla.Les 11 through the plates 11 by means of bolts 16 and appropriate washers 17. ',7"hese bolts pass 'through holes 21 in t, h e members 20 and the holes 13 in the plate 11 and are screwed into threaded holes 12 in the plates 1. If desired, the channel section members may be replaced by castellated beams, castellated channels, fabricated trusses, or less effectively, angles. Other hot rolled or cold pressed members of suitable sections, such as purlins, may be used.

In order to prevent buckling of the c-:.'lebillizing beams 20, stays or restraints 19 are provided. These rmay be in the form of rods, flat bars, hollow sections, angles or other structural members of adequate strength. The restrants are "ding, or clipped to the stabil- fixed, e.g. by we. zi-ig beams at 4-,c' and connected to the plates 11 by means of screws or bolts L 8. Suitably, these screws or bolts 18 may pass 1 12 through holes 22 -- ra'lnz and be screwed t 4n the stay or rest into the holes 112, s.,.:i.Vab-.y threaded for this purpose, or 1 it 1 into special holes 14 al Lgned w-kh 'he centre Iines of holes 27 in which the needle members 7 are located. Appr--p,-..'e-e washers 23 are suitably used with the screws or bolts 118.

Alternatively, the end of the stay or restraint 19 may be simply clipped into purpose made sockets (not shown).

Where the holes 14 are provided in the plate 11, the plate 11 may be used as a drilling template to enable 10 accurate positioning of the holes 27 in the wall.

Figure 5 shows an alterenative construction of a supplementary plate 11. Tn 'his construction, the holes 13 J. - - by shear studs 29 which are pos-t4oned to 2ie are replace. concentrically with the holes 12 in the plates 1. 71he studs are of a diartrieter Ito suil. the holles 12 which, in this case, are unthreaded. It will be appreciated that some actual fixi-Ss will be required to prevent separation of tile plates 11 from the plates 1.

Figure 6 shows how the invention could be applied to the provision of a part CIrCUlar arch. In this case, the arch shape is bu-J'..t up using a plurality of curved plates 40. In the form shown, each of the plates has two spigot cups 3 but is otherwise of similar form to the plates 1. The plates 40 are connected together in endwise relationship by the provision of' a socket or cutout 41 on one end which mates with a projecting key 42 on the other end of the adjacent plate 40.

Figure 7 shows, in lateral sect ion, the f inf shed structure, in this case in the form used in figures 1 to 3.

As can be seen, the composite beam itself is hidden from view by a layer of plaster applied to expanded metal plaster 1 lathing, used to ensure adhesion of the plaster in the area of the plates 1. Also in this figure is shown the use of the holes 12 for the attachment of ancillary devices. Pere, the ancillary device is a curtain rail 32. This is attached to tics or other fibrous plugs 30 the plate 'L by means of plast 1 1 inserted into the holes 12 into which a screw, of smaller diameter than the holes 12, is screwed. The pluES 30 may 14 'ering and suitably be inserted into the before plast 1 lelft projecting up to the surface of the finished plaster.

igure 8 sh ows a variation of the structure shown in f igure 4. In this case the edge flanges or lugs 26 are provided or, the plates 1 instead of on the plates 111. -Ihe longitudinal edges of the plates 11 facing the plates 1 may need to be chamfered in order to enable the plates 11 to sit 10 full face against the plates 1.

14

Claims

CLAIMS i. A composite beam structure for providing support to an

upstanding wall and comprising two elongated plates for positioning in opposed relationship one on each side of the tending from one face thereof a wall, each plate having ext longitudinally spaced array of hollow sPigot parts which form recesses in the opposite face of the respective plate, each said hollow spigot part having the bottom wall with an aperture therein, the hollow spigot parts substantially correspondIns on the two pJ15teS; tubular needle members for insertion within each of an arraay of spaced holesin the - 1 to the position of the spigot par 1 which cor,-espo,- wa.L said needle members being engageable at their ends with the plates by the spigot parts being received within the ends of the needle members for transfer of vertical loading from the -wo p' needle membe.rs to the it. Lates, and wherein bolt means Js provided for location in the bores of the needle members to extend through the apertures in the bottom walls of the spigot parts for r,-.eans in the hollow spigot parts to secure the ends of the needle me-bers relatIve to the plates.

2. A composite beam structure as claimed in claim 1, where-in the bolt means which has a head at one end and a nut at the other end will have the nut and head respectively received within the recesses of the two spigot parts one on each of the opposed plates so that the ends of the bolt and the nut and bolt head" are accomod.ated within the hollow spigot parts and do not project from the recesses formed by those parts I at es. to stand proud of the opposite face of the two p.

3. A com.posite beam sitructure as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the spigot parts comprise cylindrical metal cups welded into apertures in the elongated plates.

h -ructure as claimed in claim 3, wherein 4. A compc-s. Lke5,-r st A 11 the cups have a radially inwardly extending bottom wall formed by a plate welded to the cylindrical walls of the cups and apertured centrally.

9:

A composite bearn. structure as cilaimed in anypreceding -es are prov' Z claim, wherein supplementary p! at Lded 09 substantially the same area as the said elongated plates, ementary plates being attached 1 relation the supp. Ln facing d to the sa-L elongated plates by load transmittingmeans the structure is whereby the load carrying capacity of 10 increased.

af-med.n cl-aim 5, wherein 6. A composite beam structure as c the a ry p l a t as aren prov-'ded wi th, holes corresponding to the position of the spigot parts, whereby t Vhe supplementary plates nay be used as templates for boring 15 the spaced array of holes in the waLl.

7. A composite beam structure as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the saild elongated plates are provided wi"Ch a number of at t a chment hol, es wh i c h. can be u, s e d for the "'ary dev' 'a-- attachment of anc-, Lces and/or supplementary p. tes.

8. A composite bear. structure as claimed in claim '17, wherein stabilizing beams are provided for removable attachment to the said elongated plates for taking up lateral stresses caused by cutting operations required to make an opening in the well.

9. A composite beam structure as claimed in claim 8, wherein ilizing beams.

stays or restraints are provided for the stab.

" A I - A conposite I-eam structure as claimed in claim 8 or 9, wherein the stabilizing beams and/or stays or restraints are Id elong5ted p.ates using the attachment sai at'lached to Lhe holes.

1 1. e m A composit bee- structure as claimed in any preceding claim, where-In th, e said elongateed plates are built up. from a U r -=.L.1. 1 1 - z J. -y cf sh-ort '-eng.Ihs of plate held together in endwilse relationship by a tongue and socket connection.

12. A composite beam structure as claimed in claAm 11, wherein' the short lengths of plate are of curved form to provide a curved beam structure.

13. A composite beam structure substant -Lally as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 3, or to any of 10 fiS--res -.C to 8 of the accompanying illustrative drawjrigs.

14. 7he combination of a composite beam stucture as C15-med in any one of the precedinS claims and a wall to which the structure is attached in which the tubular needle members are located within holes in the wall and said needle members is receive in, their ends the hollow spigot parts of the plates pcsiticned on opposite sides of the wall for vertical, ceding on the needlle members to be transmitted to the ates, an-- said c'atc-s are secured together by the bolt p. L means extending through the bores of the needle members and apertures in the bottom walls of the spigot parts to be retained by means within the recesses of the spigot parts.

15. 77he combination as claimed in claim 14, wherein the plates are secured together in clamping relationship to the wall.

16. The cz.rnb.l,-iation as claimed in claim 14 or 15, wherein the longitudinal extent of the beam members is substantially horizontal or vertical.

!7. 7he combination as claimed in claim 14 and substantially as herein described with reference to figures 2 and 3 or fc-qS.L.,re 4 or f-lgure 7 or figure 8 of the acci-,,pe.nying 1 17 illustrative draw--ngs.

18. A r,,.e&,hod z-- providing support to an upstand-Ing, wall by 1 C use of a composIte beam structure as cia-i..,nec-.,& Ln any one of claims 1 to 13 which comprise forming in the wall a spaced erray of holes corresponding to the position of the hollow spigot parts or. each plate; inserting the tubular needle members one within each hole and engaging the ends of the needle members with the plates on opposite sides of.the wall. by locating the hollow spigot parts within the ends of the respective needle members, locating the bolt, means in the:

bores of' the need-le members to extend t heret hrough and throL,E;., the apertures in the bottom walls of the sp.;'gc>t parts and retaining the bolt means relative to the plates by J2ow securing mjeans located within the recesses of the hc"'.

spigot parts to secure the plates together on opposite sides of the wall.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18 and substantially as heren described.

Published 1990 at The Patent Office. State House. 66'71 High Holborn LondonWCIR4TP Further copies niky be obtained from The Patent Office Sales Branch. St Mary Cray. Orpington. Kent BR5 3RD. Printed by Mult'. plex techniques ltd. St Mary Cray. Kenl- Con. 187