IE63448B1 - Connecting means for joining two cover members - Google Patents

Abstract

Fastening means for the junction of two adjacent highway parts intended to be placed on a support structure, for example a runoff gutter or a multileaved access-hatch frame, consisting of an elastically deformable element of one of the pieces to be joined and of a projecting finger of the other piece. Highway piece having the said means comprising, at one of its ends, at least one elastically deformable bar (6a,6b) and, at the opposite end, at least one projecting finger (10,11). <IMAGE>

Description

This invention relates to connection means for joining together two adjacent cover members which Are designed to be laid on a supporting structure such as e.g. linked gutter ,eatings or pit covers.

In environments such as airports, swimming pool overflows, the floors of buildings in which water is used for various operations, or even urban roads and motorways, it is common practice to use gutters to carry away water. These gutters generally have a cast concrete edge on which two longitudinal metal members are attached to support the cover members.

In the case of a building floor or swimming pool overflow, the cover members, e.g. gratings, are merely laid end to end upon the longitudinal members.

In the case of airports, the sides of motorways and urban roads, when the cover members are merely laid on the longitudinal members they risk beirig raised and ejected as a vehicle passes, thereby presenting a real danger.

One solution to the problem is to link the roadway members to the longitudinal members supporting them. However, given that the said longitudinal members are themselves only lightly attached to a concrete structure, they cannot withstand a high load. This arrangement is therefore not very reliable.

Another solution commonly in use is to link the cover members together.

Mechanical means for connecting cover members together, such as connecting bolts which can be used to secure two adjacent members together, are known.

The disadvantage of this type of connection lies in the fact that attached I members have to be used. Furthermore, as the cover members are generally laid in an environment where dust and dirt collects, the connecting bolts bind and it becomes very difficult to undo them when the parts have to be dismantled for work on the system.

Another solution consists of using cover members whose end faces in contact with adjacent members are fitted with equally distributed horizontal fingers. r On one side of the member the end fingers are at a higher level than the middle finger and the opposite obtains at the other end. Thus when the members are assembled with the upper fingers opposite the lower fingers, each lower finger is held by the corresponding upper finger of the adjacent member.

The disadvantage of this type of connection lies in the fact that if a cover member fitted with such means has to be assembled or dismantled, the two members have to be lifted up by hand. Now an average member of this type 0 weighs approximately 40 kg.

A supporting structure which is designed to be laid on the ground so as to *» assist the passage of pedestrians or the transport of various items of equipment is also known from document EP-A-0286 395, and this structure comprises a succession of surface strips joined together by short bars. Each short bar has two projecting fingers located at the ends which by locking together like a press-stud are secured, one in a cavity provided in one surface strip, and the other in an identical cavity provided in the adjacent surface strip, thus providing a connection between the two members.

This press-stud type of connector is suitable for parts made of plastics but 0 has the disadvantage that it cannot be used for cast iron cover members.

This invention relates to connection means between two cover members which overcomes these disadvantages.

This invention relates more particularly to connection means between two adjacent cover members which are designed to be laid on a supporting ^25 structure, e.g. a drainage gutter or a multi-leaved cover frame, comprising an elastically deformable member fitted to one of the cover members which are to be connected and a projecting finger provided on the other cover member which clip together with the member on the first cover member, the elastically deformable member being a bar attached to the first cover member by means of a single strut, parallel thereto, and having at least one free end, and the projecting finger, which is integral with the other cover member, having a boss which is secured perpendicular to the said projecting finger and whose diameter is greater than the distance between the bar and an opposite part of the first cover member when the said projecting finger is in a clipped position between this member and the bar.

This invention also relates to a member having the same connection means which includes at one of its ends at least one elastically deformable bar and at least one projecting finger at the opposite end.

Other features and advantages will appear in the course of the following description, which is given merely by way of example, with reference to the < · appended drawings in which: - Figure 1 is a view from above of an embodiment of a cover member having connection means according to the invention, - Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view along 2-2 in Figure 1, - Figure 3 is a view of two cover members connected by an embodiment of the connection means according to the invention.

The connection means for joining two adjacent cover members which are designed 20 to be laid on a supporting structure such as a drainage gutter or a multileaved cover frame comprise an elastically deformable member, e.g. a bar attached to or integral with the cover member and a projecting finger, attached to or integral with the other member, which has a boss whose size is greater than the distance between the elastic bar and the remainder of the member when the said bar is in the resting position.

The connection between the two adjacent cover members is made by locking the projecting finger of the first cover member between the elastic bar and the remainder of the second member. Given the size of the boss provided on the projecting finger, when the said finger is placed in the space between the bar and the remainder of the second cover member the bar deforms, thus allowing the boss to pass, and then again resumes its resting position thus trapping the projecting finger of the first member between the bar and the remainder of the second cover member.

By providing a connection between each member in this way using adjacent members the cover members are linked together continuously.

The embodiment of a cover member fitted with connection means according to the invention shown in Figure 1 is a rectangular grating 1 comprising a set of transverse bars 2 linked together by 3 longitudinal struts, a central one 3 and two others 4 and 5 at each end.

At one end of the grating the last transverse bar 6, made of elastic material, is only connected to its adjacent bar by central strut 3. Each of its ends is therefore free and is not linked to the corresponding end of the adjacent bar. End bar 6 is thus formed of two elastic bars 6a, 6b.

Each end 7, 8 of end bars 6a, 6b has a shoulder 9 on its upper side.

The opposite end of grating 1 has two longitudinal projecting fingers 10, 11 as an extension to struts 4, 5.

Each finger 10, 11 has at its end a boss 12 which projects downwards and is preceded by a recess 13 provided on its lower side.

Boss 12 has a longitudinal dimension greater than the distance d between the free ends of bars 6a, 6b and the remainder of grating 1.

Recess 13 has dimensions slightly greater than shoulder 9 with which ends 7 and 8 of bar 6 of the grating are provided.

Two adjacent cover members are connected by forcing boss 12 of the first member between elastic bars 6a, 6b and the remainder of the second member.

Elastic bars 6a, 6b deform in the plane of the member to allow boss 12 of the upper member to pass and then resume their resting position thus trapping the said boss.

When the cover member is laid, the shoulders with which ends 7, 8 of the elastic bar of the first member are provided engage recesses 13 with which fingers 10, 11 of the second member are provided.

Thus each finger in each grating is trapped beneath the adjacent grating and θ all the gratings are linked continuously in this way.

The advantages of this invention are as follows: - it requires no attached member, - all the members are identical, - it is impossible to lay the gratings the wrong way up, - installation is very simple and does not require any special operation.

All that is required is to place the grating in position and exert a vertical force, for example by striking the grating, to connect it to its predecessor, - dismantling of a grating is simple. All that is necessary is for elastic 0 bars 6a, 6b to be moved, using e.g. a crowbar, until boss 12 can pass between the said bars and the remainder of the adjacent grating, and then lift the grating, - accidental disconnection cannot occur.

Claims (10)

1. Connection means between two adjacent cover members designed to be laid on a supporting structure, the said connection means comprising an elastically deformable member provided on one of the members to be connected and a projecting finger provided on the other member, which clips onto the member 5 on the first cover member, characterised in that the elastically deformable member is a bar (6) attached to the first cover member by a single strut, parallel thereto, and having at least one free end, and in that the projecting finger (10, 11) integral with the other cover member has a boss (12) which is fixed perpendicularly to the said projecting finger and whose diameter is 10 greater than the distance between the bar (6) and an opposite part of the first cover member when the said projecting finger (10, 11) is clipped in a position between this part and the bar (6).

2. Attachment means according to claim 1, characterised in that the elastically deformable bar (6) is located at one end of the first cover 1 5 member.

3. A cover member having connection means according to claims 1 and 2, characterised in that the elastically deformable bar (6) is fixed to one of the ends of the cover member (1) and in that the projecting finger (10, 11) is at the opposite end. 20

4. A cover member according to claim 3, characterised in that the elastic bar (6) is a transverse bar and the finger (10, 11) projects in the longitudinal direction.

5. A cover member according to claims 3 and 4 characterised in that it comprises a series of bars (2) linked by three struts, 1 (3) in the centre, 25 the others (4, 5) at each end, the end bar (6) being only attached to its adjacent bar by means of the central strut (3).

6. A cover member according to claims 3 to 5 characterised in that it is provided at its end opposite the end at which the bar is attached to the others solely by means of the central strut (3) with two horizontal fingers (10, 11) perpendicularly parallel to the bars in an extension of the end 5 struts (4, 5) . ί 1. A cover member according to claim 5, characterised in that the two free ends of the end bar (6) have a shoulder (9) on the upper side.

7. 8. A cover member according to claim 6, characterised in that the fingers (10, 11) are provided at their free ends with an boss (12) which projects downwards 10 and is preceded by a recess (13) on their lower sides.

8. 9. A connection means according to claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

9. 10. A cover member according to claim 3, substantially as

10. 15 hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.