IE914110A1 - Connecting means for road components, and corresponding road component - Google Patents

Abstract

These connecting means comprise an elastically deformable strip (7A, 7B) integral with one of the parts to be joined and housed in a window (16A, 16B) of the latter, and a finger (8A, 8B) integral with the other part and projecting in the longitudinal direction from the latter, which finger has a flange suitable for being clip-fastened by interacting with the elastic strip. Application to cast-iron gulley gratings. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to connecting means for joining two adjacent road components intended to be placed on a supporting structure, such as for example anchored gutter grates or multi-leaf hole traps.

In environments such as airports, the overflow of swimming pools, the floors of buildings in which water is used for various operations, or even town streets or motorways, it is common to use gutters for the removal of water. These gutters generally have a cast concrete edge to which are fixed two metal side rails for supporting the road components.

In the case of a building floor or a swimming pool overflow, the road components, for example grates, are simply placed one beside the other on the side rails, and they risk being lifted and ejected when a vehicle passes over, which poses a real danger.

One solution to this problem is to connect the road components to the side rails which support them. But, given that said side rails are themselves lightly fixed to a concrete structure, they cannot take a high load. This solution is therefore unreliable.

It is known, for the connection of road components to each other, that mechanical means can be used such as anchoring screws which make it possible to connect adjacent components rigidly.

The disadvantage of this type of connecting means lies in the need to use separate elements. Moreover, the road components being generally placed in an environment where dust and dirt accumulate, the anchoring screws seize up and it becomes very difficult to work them when it is necessary to dismount the components in order to work on the supply system.

Another solution consists of using road components the end faces of which in contact with the adjacent components are provided with complementary fastening members which mutually engage.

In known examples, the fastening members are rigid, and the disadvantage of this type of connecting means lies in that, in order to assemble or dismount a road component provided with such means, it is necessary to keep two components lifted in the hand. However, an average component often weighs about 40 kg.

It is the object of the present invention to provide connecting means for joining two road components, which make it possible to eliminate these disadvantages.

For this purpose, the present invention relates to connecting means for joining two road components juxtaposed in a longitudinal direction and intended to be placed on a supporting structure, for example, a gutter or a multi-leaf trap frame, these means being characterised in that they include an elastically deformable bar integral with one of the components to be joined and accommodated in an aperture thereof, and a finger integral with the other component and projecting in the longitudinal direction therefrom, which finger comprises a flange adapted to latch by cooperation with the elastic bar.

According to other characteristics: - the elastically deformable bar is situated close to one end of the first component; - said bar is connected to the remainder of the first component by one of its ends, the finger cooperating with the other end of this bar; - said bar is oriented transversely in relation to said longitudinal direction; - the finger is in the shape of a U and freely receives an end bar of the first component in its latched position; - the finger is in the shape of an inverted U and straddles an end bar of the first component, freely entering a recess of this bar, in its latched position; - the flange of the finger and/or the bar comprise a double cam ramp.

The present invention also relates to a road component comprising connecting means as defined above, with at least one elastically deformable bar at one of its ends and, at the opposite end, at least one projecting latching finger.

Preferably, the component comprises an aperture at each end, the two elastic bars being oriented head to tail, one of the two fingers being in the shape of a U and the other in the shape of an inverted U.

A practical example of the invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings, in which: - Fig. 1 shows in plan view the end-to-end assembly of two gutter grates according to the invention; and - Figs. 2 to 5 are views in section taken respectively along the lines II-II to V-V of Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1 can be seen the adjacent end portions of two gutter grates 1A, IB, identical and of basically rectangular shape, each of which consists of an iron casting. These grates are intended to be placed on two supporting side rails, not shown, situated either side of a gutter.

Each grate comprises on each side a side rail 2, and the two side rails are connected at regular intervals, over the whole of the ordinary part of the grate, by transverse bars 3 which are also connected by a centre rail 4. The elements 2 to 4 thus delimit a certain number of halfapertures 5 of basically rectangular shape.

The right end portion (looking at Fig. 1) of the left grate 1A comprises a transverse end bar 6A connecting the two side rails 2, and between this bar and the next bar 3, an elastic bar 7A connected only to the upper side rail 2 (looking at Fig. 1) and extending transversely to a short distance away from the other side rail 2.

Looking at Fig. 1, the bar 6A carries, approximately one-quarter of the way along its length from the upper side rail 2, a U-shaped finger 8A (Fig. 2) projecting in the longitudinal direction. The right or outer arm of this finger carries on its side furthest from the bar 6A a flange forming a double cam and comprising, looking at Fig. 2, an upper ramp 9A inclined downwardly and outwardly and a lower ramp 10A inclined downwardly and inwardly, that is, towards the grate IA.

Halfway along (Figs. 4 and 5), the bar 6A comprises in its upper face a recess 11, the outer face 12 of which is inclined downwardly and outwardly. Moreover, approximately three-quarters of the way along its length, the bar 6A comprises another recess 13 formed in its upper face.

As can be seen in Figs, l and 3, the bar 7A comprises on its vertical outer face, that is, facing towards the bar 6A, a double cam similar to that of the finger 8A, that is, comprising an upper ramp 14A inclined downwardly and outwardly and a lower ramp 15A inclined downwardly and inwardly. This double cam, the inclinations of which correspond to those of the double cam 9A, 10A, is situated, in a plan view (Fig. 1), opposite the recess 13.

As will be realised, the bar 7A can be deformed elastically in the plane of Fig. 1, inside the aperture 16A of basically rectangular shape delimited by the two side rails 2, the bar 6A and the bar 7A. The extent of this deformation is limited by stops 17, 18 projecting respectively from the elements 6A and 7A. The elements bordering on the aperture 16A protect the bar 7A on all sides from any possible shocks.

The left end portion (looking at Fig. 1) of the right grate IB comprises a transverse end bar 6B connecting the two side rails 2, and, between this bar and the next bar 3, an elastically deformable bar 7B connected only to the lower side rail (looking at Fig. 1) and extending transversely to a short distance away from the other side rail 2.

Looking at Fig. 1, the bar 6B carries, approximately one-quarter of the way along its length from the lower side rail 2, an inverted U-shaped finger 8B (Fig. 3) projecting in the longitudinal direction. The left or outer arm of this finger carries on its side furthest from the bar 6B a flange forming a double cam and comprising, looking at Fig. 3, an upper ramp 9B inclined downwardly and outwardly and a lower ramp 10B inclined downwardly and inwardly, that is, towards the grate IB.

Halfway along (Figs. 1 and 5), the bar 6B comprises in its upper plane an outwardly oriented projection 19 and, therebeneath, an inclined overhanging surface 20.

As can be seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the bar 7B comprises on its vertical outer face, that is, facing towards the bar 6B, a double cam similar to that of the finger 8B, that is, comprising an upper ramp 14B inclined downwardly and outwardly and a lower ramp 15B inclined downwardly and inwardly.

Like the bar 7A, the bar 7B can be deformed elastically in the plane of Fig. 1, inside a rectangular aperture 16B, and the bar 6B as well as the bar 3 adjacent to the bar 7B comprise projections limiting this displacement.

In order to describe assembly of the two grates with each other, it will be assumed that the grate IA is in place on its supporting side rails. The grate IB is placed in extension thereof, so that the bar 6B is perpendicular to the recess of the finger 8A and the recess of the finger 8B is perpendicular to the bar 6A. The lower ramp 10B of the finger 8B thus comes into contact with the upper ramp 14A of the bar 7A, and simultaneously the lower ramp 15B of the bar 7B comes into contact with the upper ramp 9A of the finger 8A.

By exerting a downward thrust or impact on the bar 6B, the ramps 10B and 9A push back elastically, by cam effect, the free ends of the bars 7A and 7B, then the ends of the two fingers latch, with contact on the one hand with the ramps 9B and 15A (Fig. 3), and on the other hand with the ramps 10A and 14B (Fig. 2) . The two grates are then fastened to each other.

In this position, the free end of the finger 8A is located in the common upper horizontal plane of the two grates (Fig. 2), and the same applies to the intermediate portion of the finger 8B owing to the presence of the recess 13 of the bar 6A, which receives it freely (Fig. 3) .

In order to withdraw the grate IB, it is enough to introduce a bar downwardly into the recess 12 and under the bar 6B, and to apply leverage. The ramps 9B and 10A then push back, by cam effect, the free end of the bars 7A and 7B, which then return to their rest position. As will be realised, this dismounting cannot happen accidentally.

It should be noted that when the grates are in place, small extensions 20 of the side rails 2 projecting beyond the bars 6A and 6B are almost in contact with each other, and the distance between the two bars 6A and 6B is the same as that which separates the bar 6A or 6B from the respective bar 7A, 7B or the latter from the next bar 3. Thus, an effect of continuity of the grates anchored to each other is obtained.

It is also noted that owing to the inverse orientations of the U's of the two fingers 8A and 8B and the presence of a single recess 13, it is impossible to mount a grate the wrong way round.

In a variant, in order to make the grate assembly more difficult to separate, the fastening ramps 10A, 14B (Fig. 2) and 9B, 15A (Fig. 3) can be replaced by horizontal surfaces.

Claims (11)

1. Connecting means for joining two road components (IA, IB) juxtaposed in a longitudinal direction and intended to be placed on a supporting structure, these connecting means including an elastically deformable bar (7A, 7B) integral with a first one of the components to be joined, and a finger (8A, 8B) integral with the other component and projecting in the longitudinal direction therefrom, which finger comprises a flange (9A, 10A, 9B, 10B) adapted to latch by cooperation with the elastic bar, characterised in that the elastically deformable bar (7A, 7B) is accommodated in an aperture (16A, 16B) of said first component.

2. Connecting means according to claim 1, characterised in that the elastically deformable bar (7A, 7B) is situated close to one end of the first component.

3. Connecting means according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said bar (7A, 7B) is connected to the remainder of the first component by one of its ends, the finger (8A, 8B) cooperating with the other end of this bar.

4. Connecting means according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that said bar (7A, 7B) is oriented transversely in relation to said longitudinal direction.

5. Connecting means according to claim 4, characterised in that the finger (8A) is in the shape of a U and freely receives an end bar (6B) of the first component in its latched position.

6. Connecting means according to claim 4 or 5, characterised in that the finger (8B) is in the shape of an inverted U and straddles an end bar (6A) of the first component, freely entering a recess (13) of this bar, in its latched position.

7. Connecting means according to any of claims l to 6, characterised in that the flange (9A, 10A, 9B, 10B) of the finger (8A, 8B) and/or the bar (7A, 7B) comprise a double cam ramp.

8. Road component, characterised in that it comprises connecting means according to any of claims 1 to 7, with at least one elastically deformable bar (7A, 7B) at one of its ends and, at the opposite end, at least one projecting latching finger (8A, 8B).

9. Road component according to claim 8, characterised in that it comprises an aperture (16) at each end, the two elastic bars (7A, 7B) being oriented head to tail, one (8A) of the two fingers being in the shape of a U and the other (8B) in the shape of an inverted U.

10. A connecting means according to any preceding claim substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

11. A road component according to any preceding claim substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.