GB2458135A

GB2458135A - Support bracket

Info

Publication number: GB2458135A
Application number: GB0804092A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Martin Roberts-Jones
Original assignee: Minivator Ltd
Current assignee: Handicare Accessibility Ltd
Priority date: 2008-03-05
Filing date: 2008-03-05
Publication date: 2009-09-09
Anticipated expiration: 2028-03-05
Also published as: GB0804092D0; GB2458135B

Abstract

For securing to a ceiling an elongate track (20) of a kind comprising at least two sideways facing attachment formation (32, 33) there is provided a support bracket (10) comprising at least two location formations (18) each for engaging a respective one of the track attachment formations, said support bracket (10) comprising two body sections (11) and retention means (13, 15, 45) for securing the two body sections relative to one another, at least one of the two body sections being movable in a direction transverse relative to the length of the track to bring the or each location formation (18) into engagement with a track attachment formation (32, 33), and an insert (42) being provided between a pair of confronting recesses (17) in the two body sections (11) whereby said body sections are retained transversely relative to the elongate track when the retention means acts to secure together the two body sections.

Description

1 2458135

SUPPORT BRACKET

This invention relates to a support bracket for securing a supportable member to a support structure and in particular, though not exclusively, to a support bracket for use in securing to a ceiling a fixed track of the kind employed for lifting and transporting a patient or a less able person.

The invention provides also a support bracket and track combination wherein the support bracket and track comprise complementary inter-engagable formations.

It is well known to fix to a ceiling or other support structure an elongate track from which a mechanical hoist can be suspended, the hoist being operable to raise or lower a person, or article and being movable along the length of the track for re-positioning of that person or article.

It is well known also to use tracks of a kind provided with attachment grooves to engage with support brackets secured to a ceiling. Examples of such tracks include those of the uWispaI system.

Typically, as in the case of brackets of the kind described in GB-A-221 6857, initially the brackets must be secured to the ceiling and the track then carefully positioned to engage with the brackets.

In addition to considerations of speed and ease of installation, a disadvantage of many known track brackets and assemblies is that it is not possible or easy visually to check that a track has been securely located with the support bracket. Thus, in the case of GB-A-2216857 it is not possible readily to check visually that a retaining screw of the correct length has been employed. If, inadvertently, a short length retaining screw has been employed the track is at risk of becoming displaced with most unfortunate consequences for any individual being supported by the track.

The present invention seeks to provide an improved support bracket and an improved combination of a support bracket and track.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a support bracket for use in securing to a support structure an elongate track of a kind comprising at least two attachment formations such as sideways facing groove formations, said support bracket comprising at least two location formations each for engaging, in use, with a respective one of the track attachment formations, said support bracket comprising two body sections and retention means for secunng the two body sections relative to one another, at least one of the two body sections being movable in a direction transverse relative to the length of the track to bring the or each location formation into engagement with a track attachment formation, and said two body sections being retained transversely relative to the elongate track when the retention means acts to secure together the two body sections.

In a preferred embodiment those surfaces of the two body sections which confront one another when said sections are secured together define an aperture through which a fixing member, such as a bolt or ceiling stud, may extend. Thus, with a bolt pre-installed in a ceiling or other support structure the two body sections may be brought together to encircle a stem section of the bolt, with the load on the track then being transferred to the bolt head by the support bracket.

The support bracket may be of the kind for use with a track having a pair of attachment grooves the open sides of which face in opposite directions. For that purpose it is preferred that each of the two body sections of the support bracket comprises a location formation for engagement with a respective one of the grooves, and said two body sections may be substantially identical with one another in shape and dimensions.

If the track is of a type having a pair of grooves the open sides of which face in the same direction, such as of the type described in GB-A-2216857, one of the body sections may comprise two location formations for engagement with said pair of grooves and the other body section may comprise an abutment formation for engagement with the track or an intermediate member such that, with the two body sections secured together, the abutment formation prevents transverse, i.e. sideways, movement of the location formations away from engagement with the grooves.

The retention means and body sections may be of a kind in which movement of the two body sections towards one another under the action of the retention means results in relative lateral movement of the two body sections in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the two body sections are moved towards one another. Thus the two location formations may firmly engaging with respective track attachment formations. Said relative lateral movement may be achieved by providing one or each of the body sections with a cam surface. Each body section may comprise a recess positioned such that the two recesses define an aperture through which the fixing member may extend, and the surfaces of said recesses may act as cam surfaces to engage with the fixing member and result in said relative lateral movement as the two body sections are moved towards one another under the action of the retention means. Alternatively a cam surface on one or each body section may engage directly with a part of the other body section to cause said lateral movement.

The retention means may comprise a pair of retainers which, in use, each act to secure together the support bracket body sections at positions at opposite sides of the centre of the track. The or each retention means may comprise a cap screw or a bolt which extends through a passage defined by one of the body sections and either engages with a screw-threaded bore in the other of the two body sections or extends through a passage to be exposed for attachment of a locking nut.

If the two body sections each comprise a pair of spaced passages for receiving a pair of retainers, each of the body sections may comprise a recess for defining part of an aperture through which a fixing member such as a bolt or ceiling stud may extend and said recess may be positioned slightly off-set from a position midway between the two passage formations of the body section. In consequence, when securing the support bracket body sections to a fixing member such as a bolt or ceiling stud portion which has a cross-section for close fitting within an aperture defined by the pair of recesses when aligned with one another, the recesses initially may be not be aligned but become urged into alignment as the retention means is employed to draw the two body sections towards one another, the recesses acting as cam surfaces for bearing against the fixing member to result in a relative lateral movement of the two body section, said movement being arranged to be in a direction which tends to urge the two location formations of the support bracket into further engagement with the two track attachment formations.

In accordance with another of its aspects the present invention provides an assembly comprising the support bracket of the present invention and an elongate track which comprises at least two elongate attachment formations.

Each elongate attachment formation of the track may be in the form of an elongate groove having an opening which faces sideways, perpendicular to the length of the track and perpendicular to the direction in which, in use, the track is loaded.

Each of the grooves may face in the same direction, in which case one body section of the support bracket may comprise two or more location formations for engaging with the grooves and the other body section may comprise an abutment formation such that in an assembled condition said abutment formation acts either directly against the track, or via an intermediate component, such as a part of a ceiling fixing stud plate, to prevent the location formations disengaging from the track attachment formations.

If, in an alternative, the track has a pair of grooves the open sides of which face in opposite directions either towards or away from one another, each bracket body section may comprise a location formation for engaging with a respective one of the grooves, and said two body section of the bracket may be substantially identical in shape and dimensions.

Preferably the retention means for securing the support bracket to the track comprises two retainers which each lie in the assembly close to a respective side edge of the track, each to remain visible in the assembled condition.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:-Figure 1 is a perspective view of one of a pair of body sections of a support bracket in accordance with a first embodiment; Figure 2 is an end view of the support bracket of Figure 1 prior to assembly with an elongate track; Figure 3 is an end view showing the track with one bracket body section in situ and a second partly in situ; Figure 4 is a side perspective view prior to assembly with a ceiling fixing stud plate; Figure 5 is another perspective view prior to location of the support bracket with the stud plate; Figure 6 is perspective view showing a further step in the assembly procedure: Figure 7 is a perspective view of the support bracket, stud plate and track in an assembled condition, and Figures 8 & 9 are end views each of a bracket in accordance with another embodiment and each in combination with a different type of track.

A track support bracket 10 comprises a pair of identical body sections 11 each as shown in Figure 1.

Each body section 11 comprises at one end region 12 a screw-threaded bore 13 for receiving an end of a cap screw by means of which the two body sections of the pair may be firmly secured together. Each body section also comprises at the other end region 14 a passage 15 through which a cap screw may extend with, in the assembled condition, the head of the cap screw bearing against the side face 16 of the body section.

Slightly off-set from a position mid-way between the longitudinal axes of the bore 13 and passage 14 of the body section there is formed a semi-circular recess 17 dimensioned to closely surround part of the stem portion of a ceiling fixing stud plate as described in more detail below.

To one side of the recess 17 a sideways facing rib 18 is provided to act as a location formation for engaging with a track attachment formation.

The track 20 (see Figure 2) for support by the bracket 10 comprises an upper section 21 from which two "L" shaped limbs 22,23 depend with the extremities 24,25 of the limbs facing one another to define within the track groove 26 a pair of track rails 27. The extremities 24,25 are spaced from one another to define a slot 28 which extends lengthwise of the track to accommodate that part of a hoist which extends from the main hoist mechanism to wheels or rollers which run on the track rails 27.

The upper, outwardly facing surface of the track upper section 21 comprises a pair of L section rib formations 30, 31 which are spaced apart and face inwardly towards one another to serve as attachment formations and define a pair of inwardly facing track grooves 32, 33 each for location of a respective one of the L shaped ribs 18 of the support bracket 11.

Figure 3 shows one of the two body sections 11 with the rib 18 thereof in engagement with the track groove 33 and the other body section in a position in which it is being lowered downwards and then to be moved to the left as viewed in Figure 3 to bring the rib 18 thereof into engagement with the other track groove 32. The two sections 11 are orientated with the semi-circular recesses 17 facing one another.

A ceiling fixing stud plate 40 is shown in Figure 4 and comprises an apertured flange 41' which may be bolted or screwed to a ceiling or support structure, a stem 42 and a head 43. Stem 42 has a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the aperture defined by the bracket recesses 17 when the two bracket body sections are urged into contact with one another from the spaced apart position shown in Figure 4. As best seen in Figure 5, with the recesses 17 confronting the stern 42 the head 43 of the stud plate lies beneath the body sections 11 such that downwards load applied to the bracket body sections 11 by the track is transferred to the head 43.

The two body sections 11 are secured together by a pair Of cap screws 45 (see Figure 6) which each extend through a bracket passage of one body section and engage with the threaded bore 13 of the other body section, with the head of each cap screw bearing against a side abutment face 16 of a bracket section.

Accordingly, in the final assembly, as shown in Figure 7, the two bracket body sections are secured together by the screws 45 and thus the bracket 10 is held captive relative to the stud plate 40 and, in turn, the track 20 is held captive relative to the support bracket.

In consequence of the aforementioned off-set positioning of the semi-circular recesses 17 which are dimensioned to closely surround part of the stem 42 of the stud plate 40, the act of bringing together the two body sections will result in a relative lateral movement of the two body section members in a direction perpendicular to the length of the track. The recesses 17 are each off-set to lie slightly closer to the bore 13 than the passage 15 and in consequence, as the two body sections are brought closely towards one another, the relative lateral movement of the two body sections will tend to urge apart the two rib formations 18 with the benefit of further urging those rib formations into firm engagement with the track formations 30, 31 as well as locating firmly with the stem 42. Additionally said relative lateral movement will have the further benefit of tending to firmly lock the screws 45 relative to the bores 13 and passages 15. Thus a secure assembly and safe location of the track may be quickly achieved.

Although the invention has been described above in respect of a bracket for a track which comprises a pair of inwardly facing grooves it may be applied also to a track 50 having two outwardly facing grooves 51 as shown in outline in Figure 8. The support bracket 52 may comprise two identical body sections, each of a kind substantially as described above with reference to Figure 1 but with the location ribs 53 facing in an opposite, inwards direction.

In accordance with a third embodiment a support bracket 60 (see Figure 9), comprises two non-identical body sections 60,61 and is constructed for use with a track 63 having two attachment grooves 64 which face sideways in the same direction. One section 61 comprises two location ribs 65 which face in the same direction. The other section 62 comprises an abutment rib 66 having a side face 67 which, in the assembled condition, abuts against a side face 68 defined by a track formation thereby to prevent the ribs 65 from moving sideways out of engagement with the grooves 64. If, however, in the final assembly the stud fixing plate is of a type a part of which abuts the face 68 or similar other surface of the track, that part of the stud plate may act as an abutment face, and if the stem of the stud is in contact with an abutment face defined by a semicircular recess 17 of each bracket body section, the section 62 need not be provided with the abutment rib 66.

In the aforedescribed embodiments it is preferred that use is made of a pair of cap screws 45 of a length substantially equal to, or even greater than, the length of the aligned passage and bore through which each cap screw extends. Thus the end of the cap screw provides a visual indication that the correct length of screw has been employed and that the track is securely retained. JGIDE3

Claims

CLAIMS1. A support bracket for use in securing to a support structure an elongate track of a kind comprises at least two attachment formations such as sideways facing groove formations, said support bracket comprising at least two location formations each for engaging, in use, with a respective one of the track attachment formations, said support bracket comprising two body sections and retention means for securing the two body sections relative to one another, at least one of the two body sections being movable in a direction transverse relative to the length of the track to bring the or each location formation into engagement with a track attachment formation, and said two body sections being retained transversely relative to the elongate track when the retention means acts to secure together the two body sections.
2. A support bracket according to claim I wherein those surfaces of the two body sections which confront one another when said sections are secured together define an aperture through which a fixing member may extend from a support structure.
3. A support bracket according to claim I or claim 2 wherein each of the two body sections of the support bracket comprises a location formation for engagement in use with a respective one of the attachment formations.
4. A support bracket according to claim 3 wherein said two body sections are substantially identical with one another in shape and dimensions.
5. A support bracket according to claim I or claim 2 wherein one of the body sections comprises two location formations in use for engagement with a pair of attachment formations and the other body section comprises an abutment formation for engagement in use with the track or an intermediate member to prevent movement of the location formations away from engagement with the attachment formations.
6. A support bracket according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the two body sections are moveabte towards one another under the action of the retention means and said movement results in a relative lateral movement of the two body sections in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the two body sections are moved towards one another.
7. A support bracket according to claim 6 wherein said lateral movement is achieved by providing one or each of the body sections with a cam surface.
8. A support bracket according to claim 7 wherein each body section comprises a recess positioned such that the two recesses co-operate to define an aperture through which a fixing member may extend from a support structure when the two body sections are brought together, and the surfaces of said recesses act as cam surfaces in use to engage with the fixing member to result in said relative lateral movement as the two body sections are moved towards one another under the action of the retention means.
9. A support bracket according to claim 7 wherein at least one of the two body sections comprises a cam surface to engage substantially directly with a part of the other body section thereby to cause said relative lateral movement as the two body sections are moved towards one another under the action of the retention means.
10. A support bracket according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the retention means comprises a pair of retainers which, in use, each act to secure together the support bracket body sections at positions at opposite sides of the centre of the elongate track.
11. A support bracket according to claim 10 wherein the retention means comprises a screw-threaded retainer member which extends through a passage defined by one of the body sections and engages with a screw-threaded bore in the other of the two body sections.
12. A support bracket according to claim 10 wherein the retention means compnses a screw-threaded retainer member which extends through the two body sections to be exposed for attachment of a locking member.
13. A support bracket according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the two body sections each comprise a pair of spaced passages for receiving a pair of retainers.
14. A support bracket according to claim 13 wherein each of the body sections comprises a recess for defining part of an aperture through which in use a fixing member may extend and said recess is positioned slightly off-set from a position midway between the two passage formations of the body section whereby, during assembly, the recesses initially may be non-aligned but become urged into alignment as the retention means is employed to draw the two body sections towards one another, said recesses acting as cam surfaces for bearing against the fixing member to result in a relative lateral movement of the two body sections.
15. A support bracket according to claim I and substantially as hereinbefore described.
16. A track assembly comprising a support bracket according to any one of the preceding claims and an elongate track which comprises at least two elongate attachment formations, wherein load applied to the elongate track is transmitted by the support bracket either directly or indirectly to a support structure.
17. A track assembly according to claim 16 wherein each elongate attachment formation of the track comprises an elongate groove having an opening which faces sideways, perpendicular to the length of the track and perpendicular to the direction in which, in use, the track is loaded.
18. A track assembly according to claim 17 wherein each of the grooves faces in the same direction, and one of the two body sections of the support bracket comprises at least two location formations for engaging with the grooves and the other body section comprises an abutment formation whereby, in an assembled condition, said abutment formation acts either directly against the track or via an intermediate component to prevent the location formations disengaging from the track attachment formations.
19. A track assembly according to claim 17 wherein the track comprises a pair of grooves the open sides of which face in opposite directions and said two body sections each comprise a location formation for engaging with a respective one of the grooves.
20. A track assembly according to claim 19 wherein said two body sections of the bracket are substantially identical in shape and dimensions.
21. A track assembly according to any one of claims 16 to 20 wherein the retention means comprises two retainer members which lie in the assembly close to respective side edges of the track.
22. A track assembly according to any one of claims 16 to 21 wherein the body sections of the support bracket firmly clamp therebetween a fixing member which extends form a support structure.
23. A track assembly according to claim 22 wherein the clamping force exerted on the fixing member by the support bracket comprises a component which acts in a direction substantially transverse relative to the length of the track and the retention means is subject to shear load in a direction substantially perpendicular to the length of the track and substantially perpendicular to the direction in which, in use, the track is loaded.
24. A track assembly according to claim 16 and substantially as hereinbefore described.JG1CL2