GB2417500A

GB2417500A - Adjustable support base for column or the like

Info

Publication number: GB2417500A
Application number: GB0419001A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Simon Klippel; Neil Gill
Original assignee: Tyco European Metal Framing Ltd
Current assignee: Tyco European Metal Framing Ltd
Priority date: 2004-08-25
Filing date: 2004-08-25
Publication date: 2006-03-01
Anticipated expiration: 2024-08-25
Also published as: GB2417500B; GB0419001D0

Abstract

An adjustable base for a column or post has a base plate 12, a lower adjustment plate 14 and an upper adjustment plate 16, the lower plate 14 being adjustable relative to base 10 along axis 34 by means of fastenings 30 passing though elongate slots, the upper plate 16 being adjustable relative to plate 14 along axis 38 by means of fastenings 18 passing though elongate slots 36, and adjustable along axis 50 by means of threaded nuts on threaded fastenings 18, so that a post attached to plate 16, e.g. via slots 40, can be adjusted in three mutually perpendicular directions. Plate 10 is fastened, e.g. via holes 28, to a fixed structure, which may be the bottom of a hole drilled in concrete, and adjustment means such as nuts 30, 26 are designed for access from above upper plate 16 for adjustment where space is restricted.

Description

24 1 7500 Adjustable Threshold Plate The present invention relates to an

adjustable threshold plate or support base suitable lor the mounting of a structural upright member at a location to which access is S restricted.

The installation of structural upright members, such as posts and columns, can present alignment problems where the opposite ends of the member are required to ahgn with existing features present at the installation location. Such a situation can arise during to the installation of barriers along the edge of a train, tube, or metro station platform where the barrier extends from the platform to a canopy, roof or ceiling.

According to the present invention there Is provided a structural member support base having a base plate, a lower adjustment plate and an upper adjustment plate, the upper adjustment plate being movable relative to the base plate along three mutually perpendicular axes, the plates further being provided with retention means to releasably secure the upper adjustment plate at a desired location relative to the base plate, wherein the retention means are accessible *tom the uppermost side of the support base.

The lower adjustment plate may be slidable on the base plate along a first of the axes.

The upper adjustment plate may be supported on upstanding members of the base or lower adjustment plate. In such an embodiment the upper adjustment plate may be supported on support members of the upstanding members, which support members are movable on the upstanding members to move the upper adjustment plate towards and away from the base and lower adjustment plate along a second of the above described axes. The upper adjustment member may be sldable on the support members in a direction aligned with the third of the above described axes.

A first retention means may be provided between the base and lower adjustment plate.

The first retention means may comprise a releasable fastener extending through the base and lower adjustment plate. The fastener may comprise a nut and bolt type threaded fastener. In a preferred embodiment the fastener extends through a hole of one of the base and lower adjustment plate and slot of the other of the base and adjustment plate.

It will be appreciated that in such an embodiment the degree of slidable movement of the upper adjustment plate relative to the base plate may be governed by the length of the slot. The base and lower adjustment plates may be provided with a plurality of fastener, hole and slot arrangements. The upper adjustment plate may be provided with one or more holes to permit access to the or each releasable fastener.

Each support member may comprise a sleeve movable on an upstanding member, the lO sleeve including a support portion upon which the upper adjustment plate rests, in use.

The support portion may comprise a flange of the sleeve. In a preferred embodiment the exterior of each upstanding member and interior of each sleeve may be threaded.

Accordingly each sleeve may be threadably engaged with a respective upstanding member. In a preferred embodiment the upper adjustment plate is provided with apertures positioned to receive the upstanding members therethrough. The upper adjustment plate may be provided with a separate aperture for each upstanding member.

Preferably the apertures are slotted so as to permit the upper adjustment plate to be moved relative to the upstanding members. It will thus be appreciated that the amount by which the upper adjustment plate may be moved relative to the upstanding members will be governed by the length of the slots.

In one embodiment a portion of the sleeves may extend through the apertures when the upper adjustment plate is supported on the sleeve support portion. In such an embodiment each sleeve may be provided with a gripable portion which extends through the aperture when the upper adjustment plate rests upon the support portion.

The support portion of the sleeve may m such an embodiment be defined by a flange of the sleeve. The graspable portion may be textured, for example knurled, and may be gripped by a user to effect rotation of the sleeve on the upstanding member and thereby alter the position of the sleeve on the upstanding member. It will appreciated that movement of the sleeve and support portion in this manner permits the upper adjustment plate to be moved towards and away from the base and lower adjustment plates. l

The sleeve may further he configured to receive a releasable fastener operable to secure the upper adjustment plate to the sleeve. In one embodiment a portion of the sleeve intermediate the support and gripablc portions may be provided with an external thread S to which a lock nut may be engaged. The lock nut may be rotated on the external thread so as to be movable towards and away from the support portion. The lock nuts may thus be utilised secure the upper adjustment plates to the sleeve support portions to prevent movement of the upper adjustment plate relative to the upstanding members.

In an alternative embodiment each support member may comprise a support nut which is threadably engaged on the external thread of an upstanding member. In such an embodiment the upper adjustment plate may be secured against movement relative to the upstanding members by the use of lock nuts engaged directly on the external thread of the upstanding members which sandwich the upper adjustment plate to the support nuts. In such an embodiment it will be understood that the body of the support nut defines the support portion of the support member.

The upper adjustment plate may be provided with features which permit a structural member to be attached thereto. The features may comprise, for example, one or more slots, holes, projections, recesses, captive fasteners or the like. The support base may advantageously be provided with an alignment means to indicate to a user the position of the upper adjustment plate relative to the base. The alignment means may comprise a feature of the base and a feature of upper adjustment plate, with the user being able to view both of said features. The feature of the upper adjustment plate may be an aperture thereof through which a portion of the base plate may be viewed. The portion of the base plate may be provided with viewable indicia. The indicia may comprise markings on the surface of the viewablc base plate portion. Alternatively the indicia may comprise one or more recesses or through holes of the base plate. The lower adjustment plate may be provided with an aperture through which the indicia of the base plate may be viewed An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure I shows a perspective view of a threshold plate according to the present invention from above and to one side; Figure 2 shows a first side view of the plate of figure l; Figure 3 shows a further side view of the plate of figure 1; Figure 4 shows a top plan view of the plate of figure l; and Figure 5 shows a partial cross- sectional view of the plate of figure I showing an alignment feature.

Referring to the figures there is shown a threshold plate generally designated 10. In use the threshold plate 10 is installed in a hole or recesses and is utilised to provide a stable and secure base for an upstanding member. The plate lO includes a base plate 12, a lower adjustment plate 14 and an upper adjustment plate 16. The lower plate 14 is provided with four upstanding threaded members or studs 18 which are utilised to locate the upper plate 16 relative to the lower plate 14. Each stud 18 is provided with a sleeve 20 having an internal thread which runs on the exterior thread of the stud 18 and an external thread. The sleeve 20 includes a flange 22 upon which the upper plate 16 rests, in use, and a knurled portion 24 to permit the sleeve to be rotated relative to the stud 18 by hand. It will be understood that rotation of the sleeves 20 on the studs enables the vertical separation of the upper adjustment plate 16 relative to the base and lower adjustment plates 12, 14 to be varied as indicated by arrow 50 of figure 1. Each sleeve 20 further includes a lock nut 26 which engages the external thread thereof.

The base plate 12 is provided with four apertures 28 which, in use, receive fixing means to secure the threshold plate to to a surl'ace upon which it rests. The base plate 12 is retained in association with the lower adjustment plate 14 by the provision of four threaded fasteners 30 which pass through respective apertures of the plates 12,14. The fasteners 30 are provided with shallow domed heads 32 which rest against the underside of the base plate 12. The apertures of the base plate 12 are m the form of slots which are aligned such that relative movement on the lower threshold plate 14 to the base plate is possible. This movement is indicated by arrow 34 in figures I and 2.

It will be understood that the relative movement of the base and lower adjustment plates is possible when the fasteners 30 are slackened back. Once the lower adjustment plate 14 has been moved to a desired position relative to the base plate 12, the fasteners 30 S can be tightened to retain the lower adjustment plate 14 at the desired position.

The upper adjustment plate 16 is provided a plurality of' apertures which are utilised for a number of dif'fcring purposes. The plate 16 is provided with four slotted apertures 36 which co-operate with the sleeve 20 and lock nut 26 assemblies to mount the plate 16 on the studs 18. The longitudinal axes of the slotted apertures 36 arc arranges so as to be substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the aforementioned slotted apertures of the base plate 12. It will thus be appreciated that the upper adjustment plate 16 is moveable relative to the base and lower threshold plates 12,14 in the direction indicated by arrow 38 on figures 1 and 3. It will thus be appreciated that the upper adjustment plate 16 is movable relative to the base plate 12 along three mutually perpendicular axes. Movement of the upper threshold plate in this manner is possible when the lock nuts 26 are slackened. Once the upper adjustment plate 16 has been moved to a desired position relative to the base and lower adjustment plates 12,14 it can be retained in the desired position by tightening the lock nuts 26.

The upper adjustment plate 16 is further provided with six slotted attachment apertures which allow an upstanding member to attached to the threshold plate 10 by appropriate fastening means. The upper adjustment plate 16 is additionally provided with flour tool access apertures 42 which allow a tool, such as a box spanner, to reach the fasteners 30 connecting the base plate 12 to the lower adjustment plate 14.

The plates 12,14,16 are further provided with an alignment feature to indicate to a user the position of the upper adjustment plate 16 relative to the base plate 12. The upper and lower adjustment plate 16,14 are each provided with a viewing aperture 44, 46 positioned at their respective centres, while the base plate 12 is provided with an indicator 48 at its centre. In the embodiment shown the indicator 48 comprises a cross shaped hole in the base plate 12. It will be appreciated that the indicator 48 may take other forms including, for example, one or more markings upon the surface of the base plate 12. The indicator 48 is sized such that it Is smaller than the viewing aperture 46 of the lower adjustment plate 14, while the viewing aperture 44 of the upper adjustment plate 16 is smaller than the lower adjustment plate viewing aperture 46 and the indicator 48. When viewed from above as shown in figure 4, the upper viewing aperture 44 permits a user to view a portion of the indicator 48 which is directly therebelow. In figure 4 the respective centres of the base and upper adjustment plates 12,16 are aligned with the result that the centre of the indicator 48 is visible.

installation of the threshold plate 10 will now be described. As discussed above, the plate JO is intended for use in locations where access Is restricted. For example, the plate 10 may be used to provide a stable and secure base for an upstanding member, such as a post, with the plate 10 requiring location in a hole dug In a concrete floor. It will be appreciated that it is advantageous to provide a hole havmg dimensions that are no greater than absolutely necessary so as to minimise the time and effort required to dig the hole. To this end the plate 10 typically fits closely to the wall of the hole and thus access around the edge of the plate 10 will be at least restricted if not prevented.

The first step in the installation of the plate 10 involves the fixing of the base plate 12 to the floor of the hole. To achieve this the upper adjustment plate 16 is removed and the base and lower adjustment plates 12,14 placed in the hole. The position of the apertures needed to receive the fixing means which pass through the base plate apertures 28 can then be marked. The base and lower adjustment plates 12,14 can then be removed from the hole and the apertures drilled. The base and lower plates 12,14 are then reintroduced into the hole and the base plate 12 secured by the introduction of fixing means through the apertures 28. With the base 12 secured the upper adjustment plate 16 can be lowered onto the sleeves 20 and the lock nuts 26 loosely reapplied.

The position of the upper adjustment plate 16 relative to the base 12 can then be set by movement of the lower adjustment plate 14 relative to the base 12, movement of the upper adjustment plate 13 relative to the sleeves 20 and/or movement of the sleeves 20 on the studs 18. Movement of the upper adjustment plate 16 and its subsequent locking in a desired position is achievable by a user having only access to the upper surface, i.e. the uppermost face of the upper adjustment plate 16, of the plate 10. The fasteners 30 connecting the base and lower adjustment plates 12,14 may be tightened or loosened with an appropriately sized socket or box spanner. The fasteners 30 are accessible when the upper adjustment plate 16 Is Installed by virtue of the access apertures 42.

The separation of the adjustment plates]4,16 can easily be varied by gripping the knurled portions 24 of the sleeves 20 and rotating them on the studs 18. The lock nuts 26 can be tightened and loosened with an appropriately sized socket or box spanner.

Once the upper adjustment plate 16 is placed in its desired position the lock nuts 26 and fasteners 3() are tightened and a structural member such as a post may be fitted to the slotted apertures 40 with appropriate fasteners. The lock nuts 26 and fasteners 30 remain accessible should any further adjustment of the position of the upper adjustment plate 16 be required. Once the post is deemed to be in the correct position the hole containing the plate 10 is back filled with concrete. The presence of the access apertures 42 and any unused slotted apertures 40 allow concrete to pass through the upper adjustment plate 16 to improve the mechanical connection between the plate 10 and the concrete when cured.

Claims

Claims 1. A structural member support base having a base plate, a lower

adjustment plate and an upper adjustment plate, the upper adjustment plate being movable relative to the base plate along three mutually perpendicular axes, the plates further being provided with retention means to releasably secure the upper adjustment plate at a desired location relative to the base plate, wherein the retention means are accessible from the uppermost side of the support base.
2. A support base as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lower adjustment plate is slidable on the base plate along a first axis.
3. A support base as claimed in claim l or claim 2, wherein the upper adjustment plate is supported on upstanding members of the base or lower adjustment plate.
4. A support base as claimed in claim 3, wherein the upper adjustment plate is supported on support members of the upstanding members, which support members are movable on the upstanding members to move the upper adjustment plate towards and away from the base and lower adjustment plate along a second.
5. A support base as claimed in claim 4, wherein the upper adjustment plate is slidable on the support members in a direction aligned with the third axis.
6. A support base as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a first retention means is provided between the base and lower adjustment plate.
7. A support base as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first retention means comprises a releasable fastener extending through the base and lower adjustment plate.
8. . A support based as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the first retention means extends through a hole of one of the base and lower adjustment plate and slot of the other of the base and adjustment plate.
9. A support base as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5 or claims 6 to 8 when dependent upon claim 4, wherein each support member comprises a sleeve movable on an upstanding member, the sleeve including a support portion upon which the upper adjustment plate rests, in use.
10. A support base as claimed in claim 9, wherein the support portion comprises a flange of the sleeve.
11. A support base as claimed in claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the exterior of each upstanding member and interior of each sleeve is threaded.
12. A support base as claimed in any of claims 9 to 11, wherein the upper adjustment plate is provided with apertures positioned to receive the upstanding members therethrough.
13. A support base as claimed in claim 12, wherein the upper adjustment plate is provided with a separate aperture for each upstanding member.
14. A support base as claimed in claim 13, wherein the apertures are slotted so as to permit the upper adjustment plate to be moved relative to the upstanding members.
15. A support base as claimed in any of claims 12 to 14, wherein a portion of each sleeve extends through the apertures when the upper adjustment plate is supported on the sleeve support portion.
16. A support base as claimed in claim 15, wherein each sleeve is provided with a gripable portion which extends through the aperture when the upper adjustment plate rests upon the Support portion.
17. A support base as claimed in any of claims 9 to 16, wherein the support portion of each sleeve is defined by a flange of the sleeve.
18. A support base as claimed in any of claims 9 to 17, wherein each sleeve is configured to receive a releasable fastener operable to secure the upper adjustment plate to the sleeve.
19. A support base as claimed in claim 18 when dependent upon claim 16, wherein a portion of each sleeve intermediate the support and gripable portions is provided with an external thread to which a lock nut may be engaged.
20. A support base as claimed in claim 4 or claim S. or claims 6 to 8 when dependent upon claim 4, wherein each support member comprises a support nut which is threadably engaged on the external thread of an upstanding member.
21. A support base as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the upper adjustment plate is provided with a feature which permits a structural member to be attached thereto.
22. A support base as claimed in claim 21, wherein the feature comprises one or more slots, holes, projections, recesses, captive fasteners or the like.
23. A support base as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the support base is provided with an alignment means to indicate to a user the position of the upper adjustment plate relative to the base.
24. A support base as claimed in claim 23, wherein the alignment means comprises a viewable feature of the base and a viewable feature of upper adjustment plate.
25. A support base as claimed in claim 24, wherein the feature of the upper adjustment plate is an aperture thereof through which a portion of the base plate is viewable.
26. A support base substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to or as shown in the accompanying drawings. l