GB2299502A

GB2299502A - Seat anchoring system

Info

Publication number: GB2299502A
Application number: GB9506845A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Noel Lancelot Jeffs
Original assignee: Wembley Stadium Ltd
Current assignee: Wembley Stadium Ltd
Priority date: 1995-04-03
Filing date: 1995-04-03
Publication date: 1996-10-09
Anticipated expiration: 2015-04-03
Also published as: GB9506845D0; GB2299502B

Abstract

A line of seats (eg for a stadium) is held in place by a structure having a base frame 1,2 (51,52, Fig 3), and a pair of clamping bars 7,8 (57, Fig 3) mounted for pivotal movement between an operative position to secure the legs 10 of the seats against the frame and a release position allowing the seats to be inserted or removed. In Fig 1 the bars are mounted on pivoting arms 9 and moved by a screw-and-nut at the end of one or both bars. In Fig 3 each frame member carries a bar; the bars swing inwards and are bolted together, clamping the legs 10 at their crossing point.

Description

Seat Anchoring Structure This invention relates to a structure for anchoring equipment to a surface. The invention is particularly, although not necessarily exclusively, concerned with a hold down structure for securing seating units to an underlying floor surface.

According to safety regulation all seats must be fixed securely in position in sports stadia. Similar requirements apply to other arenas and auditoriums, even when the seating is temporarily installed. Various anchorage arrangements have been proposed and used hitherto, but none have proved entirely satisfactory, for example due to lack of convenience or difficulty of installation or problems of ensuring that all seats are securely fastened down.

The present invention provides a convenient and effective solution to the problem mentioned above and resides in a structure for holding down a row of seating comprising stationary base frame means to be disposed on a floor surface and including laterally spaced elongate base members for lower end portions of seating support elements to be disposed in juxtaposition to said base members, a pair of retention means coupled to the frame means for adjustment between inoperative positions enabling seating to be assembled with and removed from the structure, and operative positions engaging the seating support elements, and tightening means coupled to the retention means for securing the retention means in the operative position.

In a particularly simple and economic embodiment, suitable for use with seating having support legs which cross intermediate their upper and lower ends, the retention means comprise clamping frames pivotally connected to the base frame means and including elongate clamping bars arranged to engage the seat legs, preferably in the region of the crux of the crossing legs. In this embodiment the tightening means may comprise releasable fasteners, e.g. bolts, which are connected between and pull together the clamping bars.

Each clamping bar can be supported by a pair of arms pivoted to the respective ends of the base frame means.

According to another embodiment, the base members define confronting clamping faces, the retention means comprise a pair of clamping bars extending longitudinally of the base members and alongside the clamping faces, and the tightening means is coupled to the clamping bars and operable to urge the bars towards the clamping faces for clamping firmly therebetween the seat supporting. In a particular form of this embodiment, the clamping bars are carried by arms pivotally connected to the clamping bars and mounted to pivot about axes fixed relative to the base members and extending away from the floor surface. Preferably the clamping bars are connected to opposite ends of common pivotal arms which are pivotally mounted between their ends.To urge the pivotal arms to turn about their pivot axes and thereby move the clamping bars towards the clamping faces of the base members, a mechanism may be coupled to a locking bar for driving the clamping bar longitudinally. Conveniently such a mechanism comprises a screw threaded element extending between parts respectively fixed relative to the clamping bar and a base member, the effective length of the threaded member between said parts being adjustable.

To assist a clear understanding of the invention and its novel features, some preferred embodiments will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows in perspective a section of a clamping frame structure for holding down stadium seating; and Figure 2 is a perspective view, partly cut away, showing the tightening mechanism of the clamping frame structure.

Figure 3 shows another embodiment of a clamping frame structure for securing stadium seating.

The structure illustrated in Figure 1 comprises a stationary base frame including a pair of elongate parallel members 1,2 connected together and held at a fixed distance apart by a number, e.g. four transverse struts 3 spaced apart along the members 1,2.

The struts are metal plates which may be fixed by welding to flat portions 4 of the members 1,2 which are arranged to lie on the floor surface to which the seating is to be secured. Extending upwardly from the flat portions are portions 5 defining clamping faces 6.

As shown the portions 5 are inclined inwardly towards their free edges, the angle of inclination being chosen to suit the angles of the legs 10 of the seats which are to be anchored down by the frame structure. Positioned parallel to and adjacent the clamping face 6 of each base member 1,2 is a substantially rigid elongate clamping bar 7,8. The clamping bars are supported and interconnected by a plurality of cross arms 9, the ends of which are connected pivotally to the clamping bars.

The cross arms are conveniently equal in number to and positioned above the frame struts 3, and each cross arm is supported pivotally on an upright post 11 fixed to the underlying strut and located substantially midway between the elongate base members 1,2. It will be appreciated that the clamping bars 7,8 and cross arms 9 form a parallel linkage and as the arms turn about their pivotal axes defined by the posts, the distance between the clamping bars is increased or reduced depending on the direction of rotation of the cross arms and hence the separation between the clamping bars and the associated clamping faces 6 is adjusted.

For actuating the parallel linkage to urge the clamping bars towards the clamping faces a drive mechanism is provided. As shown in Figure 2, the clamping bar 8 has a threaded stud 14 fastened to its end, this end being the left-hand end as seen in Figure 1. Fixed to the adjacent base member 2 is a stop plate 15 with a lateral open ended slot 16 through which the stud 14 can pass. Threaded onto the stud on the side of the plate remote from bar 8 is a locking nut 17. When the nut is tightened, the clamping bar is pulled towards the stop plate 15, and hence the clamping bars 7,8 are driven towards the clamping faces 6. Although not shown, for additional security a further drive mechanism as just described is connected between the other locking bar 7 and base member 1 at the opposite end of the frame structure.

To secure a series of seats to the frame structure, the lock nuts 17 are loosened and the parallel linkage adjusted so that the clamping bars 7,8 are positioned at a relatively large clearance from the clamping faces 6 of the base member. The seats are then located in position with their legs 10 against the clamping faces 6. When all the seats are in position, the parallel linkage is adjusted to move the clamping bars apart and bring the studs 14 into the slots 16 of the stop plates 15. Then to clamp the seat legs firmly to the frame, the lock nuts 17 are tightened. To disassemble the seats from the frame structure, this procedure is merely reversed.

If required the base frame could be secured to the underlying floor such as by bolts inserted through holes provided in the flat portions 4 of the elongate base members 1,2. For many applications, however, it will be sufficient for the frame structure to rest on the floor. This is especially so if several frame structures are to be linked together. To enable frame structures to be coupled end-to-end, the base members 1,2 are provided at one end with extension plates 20 which form sockets into which the end of another frame structure can be slotted. If desired means, such as bolt holes could be provided to secure the extension plates to the base members slotted between them.

Several frame members assembled together end-to-end will allow a long row of seats to be anchored down together.

Furthermore, to keep spaced rows of seating at a constant distance apart transverse rails 24 may be used.

Any convenient means may be used for interlocking the frame structures with the rails 24, but it is particularly convenient to provide the rails with upwardly projecting pins or pegs spaced to engage with the base frames, either outside or inside the extension plates 20. By linking frame structures and joining them together with rails 24 as described, a large matrix of substantial weight for anchoring the seating securely and reliably in place is achieved.

To enhance the gripping action of the clamping frame structure on the seat legs, the latter may be equipped with rubber covers or sleeves in the region where they are clamped. Alternatively the clamping faces could be provided with a rubber covering where the legs engage these faces, such as by a rubber strip applied along the upper edge of the clamping portion 5.

A second embodiment shown in Figure 3 has a stationary frame with elongate parallel members 51,52 secured together by four transverse struts 53 in the form of metal plates with upwardly directed end inclined inwardly at angles which match the angles of the seat legs 10. The base members are fastened at the ends of the plates so as to be supported a small distance above the floor surface on which the base frame rests. To give greater rigidity to the base frame, a box section or angle iron reinforcing bar 70 is secured to the cross struts 53. Hingedly mounted on the base frame are two clamping frames each comprising a clamping bar 57 supported at its end by a pair of arms 59.The arms have their ends opposite the clamping bar journalled on pivot pins 60 fastened to the base frame at the ends thereof, whereby the clamping frames can be swung between operative positions illustrated in Figure 3, and inoperative positions in which the clamping frames lie on the floor surface. To hold the clamping bars together in the operative positions they are interconnected by releasable fasteners, e.g. two bolts located at the positions denoted by numerals 64.

Fixedly fastened to the base frame along the front edge thereof is a stop rail 66 formed by a metal angle section welded to the plates 53.

With the clamping frames adjusted to their inoperative positions, a row of seats having pairs of legs 10 which cross intermediate the upper and lower ends, can be positioned along the base frame, with the legs of each pair located outside of and preferably in contact with the respective base members 51,52. When all the seats are in place the clamping frames are swung up to the operative positions in which the clamping bars 57 engage the seat legs substantiallly at the crux between the legs of each pair, and the clamping bars 57 are clamped together by inserting and tightening the bolts 64. The row of seats will then be firmly held by the hold down structure. Removal of the seats can be readily accomplished by reversing the assembly procedure.

The lower ends of the legs at the front of the base frame engage behind the stop rail 66, which prevents these legs moving should there be any tendency for the legs to splay apart under the weight applied to a seat.

As in the first embodiment, the base frame can be anchored to the ground if required although this will not be necessary for many installations. Also, means could be provided at the ends of the frame structure to enable frame structures to be linked end to end when long rows when long rows of seating are to be provided, and transverse bars or rails, like rails 24, can be used to interconnect the hold down frame structures of parallel seat rows.

Modifications to the described frame structures are of course possible within the scope of the invention. For example in the embodiment of Figs 1 and 2 the square section clamping bars 7,8 could be replaced by bars of angle section similar to the base members 1,2.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A structure for holding down a row of seating comprising stationary base frame means to be disposed on a floor surface and including laterally spaced elongate base members to be juxtaposed with portions of seating support elements, a pair of retention means coupled to the frame means for adjustment between inoperative positions enabling seating to be assembled with and removed from the structure, and operative positions engaging the seating support elements, and tightening means coupled to the retention means for securing the retention means in the operative position.

2. A hold down structure according to claim 1, wherein the retention means comprise elongate clamping bars substantially parallel to the base members and arranged to engage the seating support elements.

3 A hold down structure according to claim 2, wherein the tightening means comprise releasable fasteners arranged to couple and urge together the clamping bars.

4. A hold down structure according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the clamping bars form parts of respective clamping frames pivotally connected to the base frame means.

5. A hold down structure according to claim 4 wherein each clamping frame means includes a pair of arms fixed to the respective clamping bar and pivoted to the base frame means adjacent the respective ends thereof.

6. A hold down structure according to any one of claims 25, wherein the clamping bars are arranged to engage crossing seat legs in the region of the crux thereof.

7. A hold down structure according to any one of claims 2 to 6 wherein the base frame means includes an elongate stop rail parallel and adjacent to a base member thereof for seating support elements to be received between the stop rail and base member.

8. A hold down structure according to claim 1 wherein the base members define confronting clamping faces, and the retention means comprise a pair of clamping bars extending longitudinally of the base members and alongside the clamping faces.

9. A hold down structure according to claim 8, wherein the tightening means is operable to urge the clamping bars towards the clamping faces.

10. A hold down structure according to claim 8 or 9,wherein the clamping bars are carried by arms pivotally connected to the clamping bars and mounted to pivot about parallel axes fixed relative to the base members and extending away from the floor surface.

11 A hold down structure according to claim 10, wherein the clamping bars are pivotally connected to the opposite ends of common pivotal arms, the arms being pivoted about vertical axes between their ends.

12. A structure according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the tightening means comprises a mechanism coupled to a clamping bar for urging the clamping bar substantially longitudinally.

13. A hold down structure according to claim 12, wherein the mechanism is a screw threaded element coupled to the clamping bar and extending through a plate fixed relative to a base member, the effective length of the threaded element between the bar and the plate being adjustable.

14. A hold down structure according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base frame means includes coupling means for releasablv connecting the hold down structure end-to end with another substantially similar hold down structure.

15. A structure for holding down a row of seating substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.

16. A structure for holding down a row of seating substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 3 of the drawings.