GB2456778A

GB2456778A - Masonry support

Info

Publication number: GB2456778A
Application number: GB0801181A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Anthony Flannery
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-01-23
Filing date: 2008-01-23
Publication date: 2009-07-29
Anticipated expiration: 2028-01-23
Also published as: GB0801181D0; GB2456778B

Abstract

A masonry or cladding support comprising an angle-section support member 1 and a bracket 2, where the bracket comprises a back plate 8 and at least one projecting side plate 9 that defines a seat for the support member, where the support member comprises a first horizontal portion 4 and a second angled portion 5. Either the bracket or the support member retains a locking assembly 3 that comprises a screw 21 and a threaded element 15 where the screw pushes the bracket against the support member, or vice versa, when the screw is tightened. Preferably the threaded element comprises one or more flaps that have been formed from and folded at right angles to the bracket or support. The threaded element may also comprise a retained nut that is secured to the bracket or support member via a pair of legs formed from two flaps.

Description

A MASONRY SUPPORT AND

A LOCKING ASSEMBLY THEREFOR

The present invention relates to a masonry support for use in the building industry and to a locking assembly for such a masonry support.

Masonry supports are primarily, but not exclusively, used to support a cladding or a facing for a building structure. Conventionally, such a masonry support comprises a bracket, which is designed to be secured to a building structure by bolts, and an angle-section support member which is secured to the bracket. The support member is designed to provide a projecting horizontal support on which the masonry forming the cladding or facing structure is built. Typically, the support member is around 1 m in length and is itself supported by at least a pair of brackets located towards each end. In this way, a complete layer of bricks or other masonry is supported by a number of bracket assemblies mounted alongside one another. This holds the cladding in place and prevents its lower layers from being subjected to pressure as a result of the weight of the masonry above them. However, it is also possible to support masonry in some cases by using a short length of the support member which is retained by a single bracket.

The support member may be welded to the bracket but to allow for some degree of flexibility and for small adjustments to be made in the relative positions of the bracket and the support member, preferably the support member is not rigidly secured to the bracket but is attached thereto after one or more brackets, which are to hold it in place, have been secured in position on the building structure. The bracket is usually also adapted to be secured to the building structure by a screw system that allows some degree of vertical adjustability. The bracket and support member are then adapted so that the support member can be attached to one or more brackets that are either in situ or which can thereafter be attached to the building structure. In some prior art arrangements, the support member is secured to the bracket using connectors such as screws or bolts. In other arrangements, however, the bracket defines a seat into which the support member is introduced either from one side or by offering the support member up to the front of the bracket. In these arrangements the support member is moveable relative to the bracket after it has been hung on the bracket. This allows for adjustments to be made in the position of the member relative to the bracket but once in the correct position it is advantageous to secure the support member in position relative to the bracket prior to its use in supporting any masonry. This prevents the support member from accidentally being knocked out of their intended position prior to its use, which could have serious consequences for the building and its safety, and ensures that a correct contact is achieved between the support member and the bracket.

Typically, wedges are used to lock the support member in position and these are usually hammered into position between the member and the bracket.

It will be appreciated that the use of wedges has several disadvantages. First, they are difficult to dislodge if further adjustment of the support member relative to the bracket is required. They are fiddly to fit and easy to lose during construction of the building so that often builders omit to use them. Hammering them into position can often cause further undesirable movement of such support member relative to the bracket so that accuracy in positioning the former to the latter is lost. Also, if care is not taken when hammering them into position, damage can occur to the support member or to the bracket.

The object of the present invention is to provide a masonry support with a locking assembly which overcomes or substantially mitigates the aforesaid problems and in which the locking assembly is simple and quick to use.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a masonry support comprising an angle-section support member and a bracket that are adapted to be connected together in use, wherein the bracket comprises a back plate. which is adapted to be secured to a building structure, and at least one projecting side plate that defines a seat for the support member; the support member comprises a first portion that is adapted to be retained in use in a substantially horizontal position to provide a support for masonry and a second portion that is angled with respect to the first portion and that engages within the seat to connect the support member to the bracket; and wherein either the bracket or the support member is adapted to retain a locking assembly which comprises a screw engageable with a threaded arrangement and which is operable by tightening the screw in a thread of the threaded arrangement such that the screw bears against the other of the bracket or the support member and thereby clamps the support member and the bracket together.

Preferably, the threaded arrangement comprises a retained nut which is secured to the bracket or to the support member.

Preferably also, the bracket is adapted to retain the locking assembly.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a locking assembly for use in a masonry support according to the first aspect of the invention.

Preferred but non-essential features of the various aspects of the present invention are described in the dependent claims appended hereto.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a masonry support according to the invention and comprising a bracket supporting a support member; Figs. 2 and 3 are front and side views respectively and to a smaller scale of the masonry support shown in Fig. 1; Figs. 4 and 5 are side and perspective views respectively and to an enlarged scale of the locking assembly comprising part of the masonry support shown in Figs. ito 3; and Figs. 6 and 7 are front and side views respectively of the bracket shown in Figs. ito 3 prior to fitment of the locking assembly thereto.

The masonry support shown in the drawings comprises an angle-section support member 1 and a bracket 2, the latter being provided with a locking assembly 3 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 for use in clamping the support member ito the bracket 2.

The angle-section support member 1 comprises an elongate member defining first, second and third portions labelled 4, 5, and 6 respectively. The first portion 4 comprises a flange that is designed to provide, in use, a projecting horizontal support on which a masonry cladding or facing structure can be built. The second and third portions 5 and 6 are used to attach the member 1 to the bracket 2. To this end the second portion 5 is angled at an obtuse angle with respect to the first portion 4 and is designed to be supported by a forwardly-facing surface 7 of the bracket 2, as described below. The third portion 6 comprises a flange that is angled inwardly at an acute angle with respect to the second portion 5.

The bracket 2 comprises a back plate 8 and at least one integral side plate 9. Preferably, as is the case in the illustrated embodiment, the bracket 2 is of channel section with identical, forwardly projecting, parallel side plates 9. The back plate 8 is provided with one or more slots 10 for use in the attachment of the back plate 8 to a building structure by a fastener (not shown) in such a way that the vertical position of the bracket 2 is adjustable to enable the vertical position of the first portion 4 of the support member I to be located at a required height.

The side plates 9 of the bracket 2 define a seat for the angle-section support member 1. This seat is identically formed in each side plate 9 by an aperture that defines a forwardly-opening mouth 11 that narrows in a direction towards the back plate 8 and that joins a slot 12. The longitudinal axis of the slot 12 is located at an angle with respect to the angle of inclination of the forwardly-facing surface 7. Preferably this is accomplished by orientating the slot 12 in a forwards inclination, as in the illustrated embodiment. However, it will be appreciated that provided the longitudinal axis of the slot is not parallel to the angle of inclination of the surface 7, which would enable the support member Ito slide out of the bracket 2, it can be orientated at any suitable angle.

Once the support member 1 has been seated in the bracket 2, it can still slide longitudinally relative thereto until the locking assembly 3 is deployed to clamp the support member 1 to the bracket 2. The locking assembly 3 comprises a screw 13 engageable with a threaded arrangement 14 that in the present embodiment comprises a cage nut which is secured to and retained by the bracket 2. This securement could take the form of a weld or rivets but in this embodiment the bracket 2 is provided with a pair of legs 15 between which the cage nut 14 is located. The legs 15 are formed by flaps that are laser cut from one of the side plates 9 and folded out, inwardly of the bracket 2, so that they project at approximately 900 from the inner face of the side plate 9 at a position adjacent and slightly above the rear side of the slot 12. A rectangular aperture 16 is then left in the side plate to one side of and above the folded out legs 15.

In other embodiments of the invention, a single flap could be cut in the side plate 9 to which a suitable threaded arrangement is secured. This could be a different form of nut rather than a cage nut. It would also be possible to provide one or more flaps that define a threaded aperture through or between them in which the screw 13 could be engaged and tightened.

The cage nut 14 comprises a substantially rectangular nut 17 around three sides of which a cage 18 is wrapped. the cage 18 terminating in a pair of upstanding clips 19 that define opposed channels 20. The distance between the clips 19 is coordinated with the distance between then legs 15 so that the arrangement 14 can be clipped to the legs 15 by sliding the legs 15 into the channels 20, the clips 19 flexing to ensure that the arrangement is securely retained in position. The nut 17 is then retained in a position wherein it lies adjacent and substantially parallel to the third portion 6 of the support member 1 when it is located in the bracket 2. Hence, when the screw 13 is engaged in the nut 17, the longitudinal axis of the screw 13 lies substantially at 90° to the face of the third portion 6 and can be tightened against this face to clamp the member 1 to the bracket 2. To facilitate this operation, the screw 13 comprises a thumbscrew with an enlarged, knurled head 21 which projects through the aperture 16 so that it can be turned by the thumb and index finger of a builder engaged around both sides of the side plate 9.

Similarly, if necessary, the screw 13 can be slackened of to release the member 1 from the bracket 2 when ever required.

The locking assembly 3 can be supplied separately from the bracket 2 for simple attachment, when required, in those brackets where it is desired to clamp the support member I thereto. Alternatively, the locking assembly 3 can be pre-assembled with the bracket 2.

In use, one or more brackets 2, dependent on the length of the support member 1 required, are attached to a building structure. The vertical position of the brackets 2 may be adjusted as appropriate in order that the support member 1 can be fitted so that its first portion 4 is located at a required vertical height. The horizontal spacing of the brackets 2, if more than one is required, is usually predetermined dependent on the strength of the support member 1 so that they are positioned at pre-specified locations -7-.

along the member 1. Once the bracket or brackets 2 have been fixed in position, the support member I is offered up to the brackets I from the front in an orientation wherein the first portion 4 is tilted upwards in order that the edge of the third portion 6 can be inserted into the mouth 11 and into the slot 12. Once the third portion 6 has entered the slot 12, rotation of the support member 1 downwards will force the third portion 6 further into the slot 12 until it is fully engaged and the second portion 5 is brought into contact with the forwardly-facing surfaces 7 of the side plates 9. Once the support member 1 is seated, the first portion 4 of the support member 1 is retained in a substantially horizontal attitude. The support member 1 can now be slid longitudinally relative to the or each bracket 2 until it is positioned correctly relative to them. Once positioned correctly, the support member I can be retained in this position relative to each bracket 2 by the use of the locking assembly 3, as described above.

The locking assembly 3 overcomes many of the problems associated with the prior art. First, it can be hand tightened or loosened, at will. This compares favourably with a wedge, which once hammered into position is difficult to dislodge and remove without causing damage to the support member and/or bracket. The assembly 3 is not fiddly to use and once attached to a bracket cannot be dropped or lost, unlike wedges which are readily dropped and lost on site. Finally, the locking assembly does not require any tools to operate it, hand tightening of the screw 13 using the knurled head 21 will provide sufficient torque to clamp the support member Ito the bracket 2 but insufficient force to cause damage to it.

In the illustrated embodiment, the bracket 2 is adapted to retain the locking assembly 3. However, it will be appreciated that in some embodiments, it may be more appropriate for the support member ito be so adapted. For example, in such an embodiment the end of the screw 13 may bear against the back plate 8 to force the support member forwards into a clamped arrangement with the side plates 9.

It will also he appreciated that the locking assembly 3 can be used with many different constructions of support member and bracket 2 and the illustrated embodiment described above is only one example of masonry support with which the locking assembly can be used.

Claims

1. A masonry support comprising an angle-section support member and a bracket that are adapted to be connected together in use, wherein the bracket comprises a back plate, which is adapted to be secured to a building structure, and at least one projecting side plate that defines a seat for the support member; the support member comprises a first portion that is adapted to be retained in use in a substantially horizontal position to provide a support for masonry and a second portion that is angled with respect to the first portion and that engages within the seat to connect the support member to the bracket; and wherein either the bracket or the support member is adapted to retain a locking assembly which comprises a screw engageable with a threaded arrangement and which is operable by tightening the screw in a thread of the threaded arrangement such that the screw bears against the other of the bracket or the support member and thereby clamps the support member and the bracket together.

2. A masonry support as claimed in Claim 1, wherein one or more flaps have been formed in the bracket or the support member and folded at an angle to the bracket or the support member respectively to form part of the threaded arrangement.

3. A masonry support as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said one or more flaps are folded at right angles to the bracket or the support member.

4. A masonry support as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein said flap or flaps define or are provided with a screw thread in which the screw engages.

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5. A masonry support as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the threaded arrangement comprises a retained nut which is secured to the bracket or to the support member.

6. A masonry support as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the retained nut comprises a cage nut.

7. A masonry support as claimed in Claim 6 when dependent on Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein two flaps are provided that form a pair of legs to which the cage nut is secured.

8. A masonry support as claimed in Claim 7. wherein the cage nut is adapted to define a pair of opposed channels in which the pair of legs respectively engages.

9. A masonry support as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the cage nut comprises a rectangular nut retained within a cage comprising portions that project outwardly of the nut and that are adapted to define the pair of opposed channels.

10. A masonry support as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 9, wherein the bracket is adapted to rctain the locking assembly.

11. A masonry support as claimed in Claim 10 when dependent on Claim 2, wherein the side plate of the bracket is adapted by the provision of the flap or flaps.

12. A masonry support as claimed in Claim 11, wherein the bracket comprises two side plates and the flap or flaps project inwardly of the bracket between the side plates.

13. A masonry support as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 12, wherein the screw comprises a thumbscrew with a knurled head.

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14. A masonry support as claimed in Claim 13 when dependent on Claim 2, wherein the knurled head projects through an aperture formed in the side plate when the flap or flaps are folded at an angle thereto.

15. A locking assembly for use in a masonry support as claimed in any of Claims ito 14.

16. A locking assembly as claimed in Claim 15, comprising a cage nut and a thumbscrew that engages in a thread formed in the cage nut.

17. A masonry support substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

18. A locking assembly for use in masonry support substantially as described herein with reference to Figs. 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.