GB2277945A - Kerb or wall base - Google Patents

Abstract

A kerb or a wall base is formed by casting concrete into or behind a stainless steel shutter (4, 5) or (10). The wall base shuttering can be fastened to the floor via straps (8) and to the upper wall portions by straps (9). <IMAGE>

Description

"Improved Kerb" This invention relates to wall supporting kerbs and has a particular application in kerbs used to support walls or panels in clean rooms, cold rooms, food rooms, warehouses and the like.

Walls found in premises as described above can be manufactured from different types of material.

Generally, however the walls are insulated as such rooms are frequently temperature controlled. The most common insulation includes polystyrene, styrofoam and polyurethane. It is well known that walls of this or similar type may be easily damaged and thus it is desirable to protect them as much as possible.

One of the most common ways in which such walls are damaged is through the collision of trays, trolleys or forklifts which are being moved across the floor of the building. Thus, the most vulnerable area of the relatively expensive wall or panel is the area closest to the floor.

In the past, in order to provide protection to the lower parts of the walls, the walls or panels have been mounted on protective kerbs. Typically, these kerbs have been made from concrete, bricks and the like. In one particularly common embodiment, a brick is laid on its side on a mortar bed located on the floor beneath the required location of the wall or panel. Cement is then built up on either side of the brick with a concave profile running longitudinally along the base of the wall. However, such designs have been inherent with disadvantages, including the problem of water seeping underneath the concrete kerb and the concrete itself chipping under contact. The breaking away of concrete through erosion and collision reduces the hygienic integrity of the room and is therefore undesirable.

It is also necessary in the production of concrete kerbs to provide form work which has be removed once the concrete is set. An alternative to this is the practice of supplying kerbs in lengths of one metre.

However, these are heavy and difficult to handle and require careful and time consuming jointing.

The problems associated with concrete kerbs in the past have been so significant that alternative methods have been sought. For example, safety barriers or the like have been erected around the base of walls or panels which are generally fabricated from steel and are separate from the walls. However, even this alternative is not particularly desirable, as cleaning is difficult between the walls and the barriers, which is a significant disadvantage in clean rooms or food rooms, and furthermore, the safety barriers tend to occupy a greater amount of floor space than would otherwise be desired.

According to the present invention there is provided a kerb for supporting a wall or panel, wherein said kerb comprises prefabricated stainless steel sections which are adapted to receive and mould concrete on site and at least partially surround said concrete in use.

Preferably, said kerb sections comprise a front wall and a rear wall, each wall including a vertical face, a sloped shoulder and an upper lip, said front wall and said rear wall being spanned by bridge bars spaced intermittently along the longitudinal length of the sections.

Preferably, said bridge bars include floor bridges which are horizontally disposed between the respective walls at floor level and upper bridges which span and tie said lips at the top of each wall.

Preferably, said vertical faces include lower portions adapted to be inserted into grooves or slots cut into the floor, in use.

Preferably, said floor bridges are bolted into said floor in use.

Preferably, a gap is provided between respective lips of the front and rear walls. The gap is of sufficient width so as not to impede the delivery of concrete into the interior of the sections, or to impede the use of vibrational apparatus to be used for vibrating the concrete, while setting.

Preferably, said lips provide a seat upon which wall panels may rest, in use. Typically the wall panels are bolted into the concrete contained in the kerb sections.

According to the invention there is provided a kerb for protecting the base or lower portion of a wall or panel, comprising a profiled metal member adapted to be longitudinally disposed in juxtaposition to the base of the wall and the adjacent flooring, said metal member having means for being fastened to said floor and said wall, and wherein said metal member, said wall and said floor combine to form a longitudinal cavity adapted to receive and contain wet concrete while it sets.

According to the invention there is provided a kerb for location at the base of a wall or panel, wherein said kerb comprises a concrete member at least partially encased in a protective sheet metal casing.

Preferably, said casing is made from stainless steel, is fastenable to said wall or panel and said floor, and provides a mould for setting the concrete on site.

In order to provide a better understanding of the invention, embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures, in which: Fig. 1 is a pictorial view of a kerb having two sections disposed at right angles, suitable for the corner of a room, and Fig. 2 shows a kerb adapted for use against an existing wall.

Referring firstly to Fig. 1, a wall kerb, generally referenced at 1, is made from stainless steel. The kerb 1 comprises two sections 2, 3 in the embodiment shown, each section having a front member 4 and a rear member 5. Towards the top of each member are located shoulders 6 which are inwardly inclined. Furthermore, on the upper most edge of each shoulder 6 is located a respective lip 7.

The sections 2, 3, in conjunction with the floor, provide cavities in which concrete may be located and set. The concrete is fed into the cavities through a longitudinal gap 12 which exists between the edges of the lips 7. This gap 12 is of sufficient width to allow concrete to be easily inserted into the cavity and any vibrational pole or the like to assist spreading of the concrete and setting of same to be operational within the cavity.

The kerb also comprises bridge bars which are spaced intermittently along the longitudinal length of the sections. The bridge bars include floor bridges 8 which are horizontally disposed between the respective members at floor level and upper bridges 9 which span and tie the lips 7 at the top of each member. The floor bridges 8 may be used to anchor the sections to the floor. For example, an aperture or through hole within the floor bridge bars 8 may locate an anchor bolt or the like tying the section to the floor. The fastening of the bolt would be performed before the concrete is added into the cavity of the sections.

With somewhat similarity the upper bridges 9 may also be used to anchor the wall or panel to the kerb. The upper bridges, together with the lips 7 may be used to provide a seat upon which the panels may rest and, in order to obtain greater stability of the construction, the walls or panels may be bolted or threaded into the upper bridges. The upper bridges 8 also prevent the weight of the concrete, while setting, from pushing the members of the sections outward.

To further locate the sections and prevent same from moving, the front and rear member 4, 5 may extend downwardly beyond floor level into a groove or slot cut into the floor. In such an embodiment the kerb is precluded from lateral movement or sliding along the floor, whether or not the floor bridge bars 8 are used to anchor the kerbs into the floor.

Having regard to Fig. 2, embodiments will be required in accordance with the invention where there already is in existence a wall or panel which extends to and reaches the floor. In such situations there is no need for the inclusion of a rear member and thus the kerb shown in Fig. 2 only comprises a front member 10. The front member comprises a profiled metal extrusion which is longitudinally disposed in juxtaposition to the base of the wall 11 and the adjacent flooring 12. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2 the member 10 includes a shoulder 13 and a gap between the edge of the shoulder 13 and the wall 11, the gap being suitable for receiving concrete which may set and remain within the cavity formed between the wall 11, floor 12 and member 10.

The member 10 may be tied or anchored to the floor and adjacent wall or panel by any suitable means. However, in Fig. 2 the member comprises flanges 14 which may be bolted by anchor bolt or other suitable means, which will be well known to persons skilled in the art.

Claims (10)

1A kerb for supporting a wall or panel, wherein said kerb comprises prefabricated stainless steel sections which are adapted to receive and mould concrete on site and at least partially surround said concrete in use.

2 A kerb as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the kerb sections comprise a front wall and a rear wall, each wall including a vertical face, a sloped shoulder and an upper lip, said front wall and said rear wall being spanned by bridge bars spaced intermittently along the longitudinal length of the sections.

3 A kerb as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said bridge bars include floor bridges which are horizontally disposed between the respective walls at floor level and upper bridges which span and tie said lips at the top of each wall.

4 A kerb as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein said vertical faces include lower portions adapted to be inserted into grooves or slots cut into the floor, in use.

5 A kerb as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 4, wherein said floor bridges are bolted into said floor in use.

6 A kerb as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 5, wherein a gap is provided between respective lips of the front and rear walls.

7 A kerb as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 6, wherein said lips provide a seat upon which wall panels may rest.

8 A kerb for protecting the base or lower portion of a wall or panel, comprising a profiled metal member adapted to be longitudinally disposed in juxtaposition to the base of the wall and the adjacent flooring, said metal member having means for being fastened to said floor and said wall, and wherein said metal member, said wall and said floor combine to form a longitudinal cavity adapted to receive and contain wet concrete while it sets.

9 A kerb for location at the base of a wall or panel, wherein said kerb comprises a concrete member at least partially encased in a protective sheet metal casing.

10 A kerb as claimed in Claim 9, wherein said casing is made from stainless steel, is fastenable to said wall or panel and said floor, and provides a mould for setting the concrete on site.