GB2355776A

GB2355776A - Fixing assembly for channel sections

Info

Publication number: GB2355776A
Application number: GB9925493A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robin Bowyer; Keith Rauer
Original assignee: PORCHESTER ENG CO Ltd
Current assignee: PORCHESTER ENG CO Ltd
Priority date: 1999-10-29
Filing date: 1999-10-29
Publication date: 2001-05-02
Also published as: GB9925493D0

Abstract

A fixing assembly (11) for a channel section member (21) comprises a nut member (13) engageable by a threaded fastener (14) and a washer member (16). The nut member (13) is capable of being disposed inside the channel section member (21) to engage inturned lips (25, 26) of the channel section member (21). The threaded fastener (14) is operable to clamp the inturned lips (25, 26) between the nut member (13) and the washer member(16), the nut member (13) and washer member (16) being joined to each other to be held in a relative position in which they are suitable for application to the channel section member (21).

Description

2355776 Title: Fixing Arrangement

Description of Invention

This invention relates to a fixing arrangement for a channel-section member. The term "channel-section" member used herein means a member which has a base and side walls extending therefrom, the side walls having intumed lips at their free edges to defirie an opening to the interior of the member which opening is narrower than the distance between the rest of the side walls.

Such channel-section members are widely used in the construction industry, for example in roof or ceiling structures. One way in which another component has been secured to the channel-section member at a required position along its length is by the use of a fixing arrangement including a nut disposed inside the channel-section member and engaging its inturned lips, and a clamping plate or washer which lies outside the channel-section member, facing the nut member with the inturned lips at the edges of the side walls of the member lying between parts of the nut member and the washer member. A threaded fastener, e.g. a bolt or a length of studding, extends through an aperture in the washer member to engage an internally screw-threaded formation of the nut member. Tightening of the fastener clamps the inturned lips of the channel- section member between the nut member and washer member, to provide a secure fixing to the channel-section member. The nut member is of elongate configuration such that it can be passed through the opening between the intumed lips and then moved angularly so that parts of it lie beneath the intumed lips.

It is known for the nut member to be provided with a spring which engages the base of the channel-section member so that the nut member is 2 pressed against the inturned lips and thereby resists unintentional displacement from the position in which it is placed inside the channel- section member, until the screw-threaded fastener is engaged with it and tightened. This to some extent makes fixing to the channel-secfion member easier, but the nut member and washer member are still separate components and manipulation thereof, particularly of the nut member in respect of its insertion into the channelsection member against the force exerted by the spring, remains difficult.

It is broadly the object of the present invention to provide a fixing for a channel-section member, which is easy to use and convenient.

According to one aspect of the invention, we provide a fixing assembly for a channel-section member, the assembly comprising a nut member engageable by a threaded fastener and a washer member through which the threaded fastener can extend to engage the nut member, the nut member being capable of being disposed inside the channel-section member and to engage the inturned lips therein, and the fastener being operable to clamp the inturned lips between the nut member and washer member, wherein the nut member and washer member are connected to one another to be held in a relative position in which they are suitable for application to the channel-section member.

Preferably the nut member is shaped to be able when in a first orientation to pass through the opening between the. inturned lips of the channel-section member and thereafter reoriented so that portions of the nut member engage behind said inturned lips, so that said lips can be clamped between the washer member and nut member portions by operation of the fastener.

Preferably the connection between the nut member and washer member holds said members in a spaced relationship facing one another and accommodates a small movement of the members towards one another to clamp the inturned lips therebetween.

3 Preferably the nut member and washer member are integrally connected to one another.

The nut member and washer member may be of sheet metal conveniently steel. A piece of such material may comprise respective portions which form the nut member and washer member, and which portions are joined to one another by a connecting portion of small cross-section which holds them in spaced relation to one another and permits said relative clamping movement in use. Conveniently such a fixing assembly is formed as a pressing.

The reorientation of the nut member after having been passed through the opening between said inturned lips preferably comprises an angular movement about the axis of the threaded fastener. Preferably the direction of such movement to cause the portions of the nut member to engage behind the inturned lips is the same as the direction in which the threaded fastener is tightened, so that ftiction between the fastener and nut member firstly moves the nut member to engage the inturned lips and thereafter causes the nut member to remain in such position. Preferably also to achieve this the nut member comprises portions which abut the side walls of the channel-section member to prevent angular movement thereof beyond the position in which its portions engage behind the inturned lips of the channel-section member.

The threaded forination of the nut member with which the threaded fastener engages may be afforded by a nut component secured to the shek metal of the nut member, or an aperture provided in the nut member may tapped to provide it with an internal screw-thread.

To give a nut member and/or washer member made of sheet metal sufficient rigidity to be able to exert an adequate clamping force between them, they may be dished or otherwise shaped.

The first stage of engagement of a fixing assembly in accordance with the invention with a channel-section member, namely the passing of the nut member through the opening between the inturned lips of the channelsection 4 member, may involve tilting of the fixing assembly transversely of the channelsection member. The washer member may have a formation which abuts the channel-section member after the nut member has passed through the opening, to prevent any part of the washer member from passing through the opening. Thereby installation is yet further facilitated.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, we provide a method of establishing a connection to a channel-section member by use of a fixing assembly according to the first aspect of the invention, the method comprising passing the nut member of the fixing assembly through the opening between the inturned lips of the channel-section member, reorienting the fixing assembly so that said portions of the nut member engage behind said intumed lips, engaging a threaded fastener with the nut member, said fastener extending through the washer member, and tightening said fastener to clamp said inturned lips between the nut member and washer member.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure I is a perspective view of a fixing assembly according to the invention, Figure 2 shows the fixing assembly mounted on a channel-section member; according to another aspect of the invention, using the fixing assembly shown in Figure 1; and Figure 3 shows the fixing assembly tightened in position on the channel section member.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in Figure 1 a fixing assembly 11, including a nut member 13 with which a threaded fastener 14 is engaged. The nut member 13 is generally plate-like, having a thickened underside, and the threaded fastener 14 is engaged in a tapped hole 15 which extends through the thickness and at the centre of the nut member 13. The threaded fastener 14 extends from the nut member L") to a washer member 16, which is also plate-like. The threaded fastener 14 passes through an untapped hole 18 which extends through the thickness of the washer member 16, generally in the centre thereof The washer member 16 is rectangular with a curved protrusion 16a extending from one comer, while the nut member 13 is formed as if from a similarly dimensioned rectangular plate with two diagonally opposite comers removed to provide an elongate plate, extending from below one comer of the washer member 16 to below a diagonally opposite comer of the washer member 16.

The washer member 16 and nut member 13 are connected by an elongate connecting part 17, which extends from an edge of the nut member 13 to an edge of the washer member 16. The connecting part 17 retains the nut member 13 and washer member 16 with their mutually closest faces generally parallel, but is sufficiently resilient to accommodate small movement of the nut 13 and washer 16 members towards one another.

On an end of the threaded fastener 14 protruding from the surface of the washer member 16, there is provided a support member 18 which includes a nut 19 mounted on the end of the threaded fastener 14 and an annulus 20, which lies in the same plane as a longitudinal axis A of the threaded fastener 14.

Figure 2 shows the fixing assembly 11 inserted into a channel-section! member 21. The channel-section member has a base 22 and two sides walls 23, 24, the side walls 23, 24 having inturned lips 25, 26 respectively, at their free edges. The lips 25, 26 curve into the interior of the channel-section member 21 and thus define an opening 27 to the interior of the member 21 which is narrower than the distance between the rest of the side walls 23,24.

The washer member 16 is wider than the opening 27 formed by the intumed lips 25, 26 and the separation of the washer member 16 and nut member 13 is greater than the depth of the lips 25, 26. The width of the nut 6 member 13 is less than the width of the opening 27, so, when held in a first orientation, the nut member 13 can be passed through the opening 27 and inserted into the interior of the channel-section member 21. To do this the fixing assembly requires to be tilted transversely of the channel section member, and, after the nut member has passed through the opening 27, moved until the protrusion 16a abuts the edge of the lip 25 or 26 as the case may be. The fixing assembly now has the nut member within the channel section member and the washer member 16 is positioned in contact with the exterior edges of both the lips 25, 26. The protrusion 16a acts as a stop to provide a positive indication of when the nut member has entered the channel section and to prevent the assembly from being moved beyond this position firom its tilted orientation.

The length of the nut member 13 is greater than the width of the opening 27 so that when the fixing assembly 11 is rotated about the axis A to a second orientation, shown in Figure 3, the ends of the nut member 13 engage behind the inturned lips 25, 26. Thus, when positioned in the second orientation, the fixing assembly I I cannot be removed ftom the channel-section member 2 1.

Further rotation of the fixing assembly 11 causes the ends of the nut member to engage with the side walls 23, 24 of the channel-section member 2 1, thus restraining rotation of the nut member 13 and washer member 16 once in the second orientation. Rotation of the threaded fastener about the axis A then causes the nut member 13 to be drawn towards the washer member 16 and the inturned lips 25, 26 to become clamped between the two members 13, 16. In this way a connection can be established to the channel-section member 2 1.

Preferably the nut member 13, washer member 16 and connecting part 17 are pressed from a sheet of metal, steel for example, the holes 15 & 18 forined by, for example, drilling, and the sheet bent about the connecting part 17 to the required shape. A nut component may be secured to the sheet metal of the nut member by pressing or welding to provide the increased thickness 7 around the tapped hole 15. The invention is not, however, restricted to a fixing assembly I I made from metal in this way. Other materials and fabrication methods may be used, for example the fixing assembly I I may be formed from plastic by injection moulding.

The nut 13 and washer 16 members may have different configurations to those described above without materially affecting the scope of the invention. The washer member 16 may for examples have a non-uniforin cross-section and may be generally square or circular, and the nut member 13 may have a uniform cross-section and may be generally oval shaped.

The support member 18 described above could be particularly useful for suspending an article from the channel-section member 21, but any other form of fitting more suited to specific requirements may be provided to establish a connection with the channel-section member 21, a threaded fastener, clamp or hook for examples.

In the present specification "comprise" means "includes or consists of' and "comprising" means "including or consisting of'.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, 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, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof

Claims

8 CLAIMS

1. A fixing assembly for a channel-section member, the assembly comprising a nut member engageable by a threaded fastener and a washer member through which the threaded fastener can extend to engage the nut member, the nut member being capable of being disposed inside the channelsection member and to engage the inturned lips therein, and the fastener being operable to clamp the inturned lips between the nut member and washer member, wherein the nut member and washer member are connected to one another to be held in a relative position in which they are suitable for application to the channel-section member.

2. A fixing assembly according to Claim 1, wherein the nut member is shaped to be able when in a first orientation to pass through the opening between the inturned lips of the channel-section member and thereafter reoriented so that portions of the nut member engage behind said inturned lips, so that said lips can be clamped between the washer member and nut member portions by operation of the fastener.

3. A fixing assembly according to Claim I or Claim 2, wherein the connection between the nut member and washer member holds said members in' a spaced relationship facing one another and accommodates a small movement of the members towards one another to clamp the inturned lips therebetween.

4. A fixing assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the nut member and washer member are integrally connected to one another.

5. A fixing assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the nut member and washer member are of sheet metal.

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6. A fixing assembly according to Claim 5, wherein said metal is steel.

7. A fixing assembly according to Claim 5 or Claim 6, wherein said nut member and washer member are constituted by a piece of said sheet metal comprising respective portions which form the nut member and washer member, and which portions are joined to one another by a connecting portion of small cross-section which holds them in spaced relation to one another and permits said relative clamping movement in use.

8. A fixing assembly according to Claim 7, which is formed as a pressing.

9. A fixing assembly according to Claim 2 or any claim appendant thereto, wherein the reorientation of the nut member after having been passed through the opening between said inturned lips comprises an angular movement about the axis of the threaded fastener.

10. A fixing assembly according to Claim 9, wherein the direction of such movement to cause the portions of the nut member to engage behind the inturned lips is the same as the direction in which the threaded fastener is tightened, so that friction between the fastener and nut member firstly moves the nut member to engage the inturned lips and thereafter causes the nut member to remain in such position.

11. A fixing assembly according to Claim 10, wherein the nut member comprises portions which abut the side walls of the channel-section member to prevent angular movement thereof beyond the position in which its portions engage behind the intumed lips of the channel-section member.

12. A fixing assembly according to Claim 5 or any claim appendant thereto, wherein a threaded formation of the nut member with which the threaded fastener engages is afforded by a nut component secured to the sheet metal of the nut member, or by a tapped aperture provided in the nut member.

13. A fixing assembly according to Claim 5 or any claim appendant thereto, wherein the nut member and or washer member is dished or otherwise shaped to increase its rigidity.

14. A fixing assembly according to Claim 2 or any claim appendant thereto, wherein the passing of the nut member through the opening between the intumed lips of the channel-section member requires tilting of the fixing assembly transversely of the channel-section member.

15. A fixing assembly according to Claim 2 or any claim appendant thereto, wherein the washer member has a formation which abuts the channel- section member after the nut member has passed through the opening, to prevent any part of the washer member from passing through the opening.

16. A method of establishing a connection to a channel-section member by use of a fixing assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, tli method comprising passing the nut member of the fixing assembly through the opening between the inturned lips of the channel-section member, reorienting the fixing assembly so that said portions of the nut member engage behind said intumed lips, engaging a threaded fastener with the nut member, said fastener extending through the washer member, and tightening said fastener to clamp said inturned lips between the nut member and washer member.

11

17. A channel section member having at least one fixing assembly according to any one of Claims I to 15 secured thereto.

18. A fixing assembly or channel section member with a fixing assembly secured thereto, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

19. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.