MXPA01007302A - Mounting system for modular panels used in a screen deck - Google Patents

Abstract

Screen deck assembly (10) has a locking system for retaining a plurality of modular screen panels (20) in such a manner that they can be individually replaced, if desired. The system includes sets of abutting retainer bars (18) which each have half of a generally cylindrical opening (28) which is adapted to receive generally cylindrical sleeve members (30). The sleeve members extend through the retainer bars and also through openings (14) in underlying support frame members (12). Locking pins (32) inserted into the sleeve members expand the sleeves to lock the retainer bars relative to the support member. Separation of the retainer bars is prevented by downwardly extending continuous annular ring portions (72) on the sleeve members which are seated in complementary semi-circular grooves (61) formed in each of the abutting retainer bars. The sleeve members can be made in a range of sizes with varying outer diameters at their lower ends to accommodate wear or varying dimensions of the openings in the support frame members.

Description

ASSEMBLY SYSTEM FOR MODULAR PANELS USED IN A SIZING PLATFORM TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to modular planar sieving panels of profiled wire which are adapted to be mounted on a sifter platform support assembly to classify materials, and particularly to arrangements for the assembly of said panels, so that they can be assembled. use in a vibration device. The screening panels typically comprise a plurality of parallel stainless steel shaped wires, each of which is welded to an underlying series of separate support rods located normal to the wires.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND A main use of such panels is in coal processing plants, where the smallest particles in the crushed coal that is processed on the screens pass through the opening of the grooves. In many cases, the sieves will be arranged so that the coal will pass from one sieve platform to another, which is in line with fa or below it. By having larger slot openings in the first platform or upper platform, a larger volume of coal can be processed. This is applicable since the second platform, which has smaller slot openings and thus a lower capacity, will only have to do with the processing of those particles that have passed through the larger slots of the first platform. Depending on the hardness and tonnage of the material being processed, the screening platforms will have their sieving slots gradually lengthened, and will begin to thin out due to abrasion in a relatively short period, sometimes as little as two weeks. Since the prior art screening platform systems often require a team of two to four people working long hours to remove the worn screening panels and replace them with new ones, it is clear that a system that allows the panels to be replaced quickly , will offer significant cost savings not only in labor, but also in lost processing time. An example of a prior art system is that described in Tabor, U.S. Pat. 4,909,929, wherein a plurality of modular panels are retained by longitudinally extending retaining bars made of an elastic material such as urethane. The retainer bars have somewhat hemispherical receptacles formed in their upper part and a lateral surface, such that when two retaining bars are placed side by side in abutting relation on the upper part of a support member in the machine, they form a somewhat spherical receptacle having an integral tapered lower portion that extends well below the flat bottom surface of the retainer bar. The integral tapered lower portions are spaced at uniform intervals, such as 10 cm, which corresponds to the separation of a plurality of holes formed in the support members of the screen platform. As a pair of retaining bars is placed side to side on top of the support members, the tapered lower portions extend through the holes in the underlying support members. The fixing pins can then be pushed down into the centers of the receptacles. Since the lower portion of each fastening pin is larger in diameter than the inner diameter of a tapered hole formed in the lower portion of the tapered lower portion, the walls of the tapered lower portion will be forced radially outward from the vertical plane , where the two holding bars adjoin each other. This radially outward movement will cause the distance between the outer walls of the tapered lower portions, measured in a vertical plane normal to the boundary plane, is greater than the diameter of the holes in the support members. In this way, the retainer bars will be held in contact with the support members, and they will be prevented from moving upwardly relative to said support members. Although this design is effective for retaining screening panels, it has been found that a great deal of time must be spent when sieve panels must be replaced. For example, in commercial design applications, the upper ends of the fastening pins are protected by elongated overlay cover strips having separate portions that engage with the retaining edges formed on the top of each receptacle. Since the cover strips are very difficult to remove, the standard practice has been to drill through the cover strip at the position of each pin. This can be a very tedious operation, and especially when multiple layer platform assemblies have a platform located just 60 cm or more below another platform. Since the tapered lower portions that enter the holes in the support members are integral with the retainer bars, they are not able to accommodate substantial increases in the diameter of the holes in the support members, which can occur due to wear for long periods. Also, although the holes in the support members tend to engage with the outer surfaces of the abutting pairs of tapered lower portions and to hold them, the wear of the holes will allow the abutting walls of the retaining bars to move apart. They can also be moved because they are made of an elastomeric material which will be compressed against the sides of the openings in the support bars as the fixing pins are driven into the receptacles. Obviously, any separation of the retention bars will close the space between the series of retention bars that are available for the placement of the replaceable sieve panels.

This situation usually allows all the panels to be replaced at the same time, and arranged in their place before the fixing pins are placed in any of them, even if some of them are worn. Another system of the prior art has been marketed under the name "Pro-Deck". This system also uses series of resilient restraint bars having depressions in a side wall that cooperate with identical depressions in an adjacent bar to provide a plurality of recesses in the form of receptacles in which generally cylindrical elastic sleeves can be placed. The lower surfaces of the retention bars are flat and are positioned to cover the support member. The generally cylindrical sleeves are complementary in shape to the depressions aligned in the series of retaining and elongated bars, so that they will extend through and beyond the separate holes in the underlying support member. To accommodate wear of the holes in the support member, replacement sleeves may be used in which the lower end portions of the sleeves have larger diameters. The lower end portions of the sleeves have a tapered inner opening and a vertical slot that allows the side walls to expand radially outwardly away from one another as the locking pin is forced downward. Since the retaining bars are only held against the vertical movement of the fixing sleeves and pins, it is possible that the adjoining side walls of the retaining bars are slightly spaced from each other, thereby presenting the same problem of the replacement of the same. individual platforms described above. DE-A-3607660 discloses a system for mounting screening panels in which the lower surfaces of the retaining members, which are located below the edges of the modular screening panels, are flat. Elastic, generally cylindrical sleeves are located in receptacle-shaped depressions formed by cooperating depressions on adjacent retention members. Each sleeve has an outer shoulder which engages an annular shoulder of the depression in the form of a receptacle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a mounting system of modular screening panels, which allows the screening panels to be replaced much more quickly. Another objective is to provide a mounting system that can accommodate increases in the size of the holes of underlying members due to wear. A further object is to provide a mounting system that holds adjacent pairs of retention bars of screening panels in close abutting relationship. Another object is to provide a mounting system in which the holding force applied by the fixing pin is uniformly distributed around 360 °. These and other objects are achieved by the present invention, which provides a fastening system for holding and allowing rapid replacement of a plurality of modular screening panels with respect to a plurality of uniformly spaced holes in a plurality of support members that are they extend longitudinally carried by a sifting platform; the fastening system comprising a plurality of modular screening panels having transversely extending support rods and wires extending longitudinally on their upper surface, which are welded to said transversely extending support rods; a plurality of longitudinally extending support members with a plurality of holes uniformly spaced therein, in at least a series of two longitudinally extending elongated retaining members made of wear resistant elastomeric material; each of said retaining members having a plurality of openings in a side edge that are adapted to receive the support rod portions extending transversely of said screening panels; each of said retaining members further having a plurality of vertically extending openings in a second lateral edge extending from its upper surface towards its lower surface and are evenly spaced to correspond with the plurality of holes formed in said plurality of members of support that extend longitudinally; a plurality of elastomeric sleeve members each having a central opening extending vertically, extending downward from its upper surface; each of said sleeve members further having a lower end portion; the lower end portions of said sleeve members being of sufficient length, so that they will pass completely through and beyond said plurality of uniformly spaced holes formed in said plurality of longitudinally extending support members carried by a sifting platform, while said series of two retaining members (at least one) covers said support members and is arranged so that their openings extending vertically at their second side edges are aligned and abut one another; and a plurality of fastening pins that are adapted to be pressed on the upper ends of the openings in said sleeve members; said fixing pins having an outer diameter at their lower ends, which is greater than the inner diameter of the openings at the lower ends of said sleeve members, whereby the descending insertion of said pins in said sleeve members will cause the outer wall of said sleeve members being forced radially outward to increase the outer diameter of the portions of said sleeve members extending down the holes in said support members, thereby making the retaining members and the members thereof Support members are firmly fixed to each other; said fastening system being characterized in that each of said retaining members has a flat bottom surface that is adapted to cover and be supported by at least a portion of the width of one of said support members; said plurality of openings extending vertically in said retaining members comprising depressions formed in said retaining members, which are complementary in shape to said plurality of elastomeric sleeve members which are adapted to be assembled thereto; said depressions formed in said retaining members having retaining portions cooperating with the retaining portions formed on the outer surface of said sleeve members when the sleeve members are assembled in vertically extending openings in said series of two members of retaining member (at least one) to cause said retaining members to be fixed to said sleeve members before radial movement. The pair of retaining bars (or more pairs thereof) is preferably molded from an elastomeric material, such as urethane. The plurality of openings along a lateral surface thereof for receiving the support rods spaced from the elongated screening panel may comprise elongated oval holes. Typically, the retention bars are 1.2 m in length, and have flat bottom and top surfaces and a generally rectangular cross section. On the side surface opposite the side receiving the support rods of the screening panel, the abutting retaining bars have aligned depressions which are typically separated in 10 cm centers. The depressions formed in each of two abutting retaining bars are generally semi-cylindrical in any horizontal plane, but cooperate to form generally cylindrical upwardly directed openings into which elastic elastomeric sleeve members, preferably generally cylindrical, may be placed. These openings formed by abutting retaining bars may include a top wall portion of elongated diameter and a bottom wall portion of smaller diameter. These separate lower and upper wall portions overlap each other in a vertical direction. A seat portion extending radially inwardly may extend from the lower edge of said upper wall portion, and a seat portion extending radially outwardly may extend from the upper edge of the inner surface of said lower wall portion. . These two seat portions are joined by a conical portion defining a slot portion that extends downward. The preferably generally cylindrical elastomeric sleeve members have an opening extending axially therein to receive a fixing pin. The sleeve members, which are adapted to be lowered into said upwardly directed openings, may have complementary upper portions of elongated diameter and intermediate portions of smaller diameter which are adapted to engage with the lower and upper wall portions of the housing. retainer bar mentioned above. The lower end surface of the elongated diameter upper portion of each sleeve member, advancing inward, may have a radially inwardly extending surface portion, which is adapted to be seated on the extending seat portion. radially inward of the opening in the retainer bar. The lower end surface can then taper upward to a point where it advances radially inward to form a surface which is adapted to be seated on the seat portion extending radially outwardly of the opening in the retainer bar. In this embodiment, the lower end surface of the elongated diameter upper portion of the sleeve member forms a continuous annular ring portion extending downward, which is complementary to the groove formed in the opening of the adjacent retaining bars . When the sleeve members are assembled in their seats in the receptacle-shaped openings in the abutting retaining bars, their downwardly extending ring portions engage with the slots in the retaining bars, and prevent the separation of the same. retaining bars. The sleeve members also have a lower portion which is adapted to extend through the holes in the support members and beyond. This lower portion includes an axially extending inner wall, which is conically tapered down to a smaller diameter than the locking pin, while the outer wall may be cylindrical. If so, after a sleeve member has been assembled to the retainer bars and an opening in an underlying support member, the insertion of a fixed diameter locking pin into the hole showing ahusam will expand outwardly. elastomeric material of the sleeve, causing the outer wall to bulge outwardly around its entire circumference, so that it will not be able to move upwardly through the hole. In this way, vertical movement between the retaining bars and the support members is prevented. To facilitate the retention of the fixing pin, its upper surface has a groove in its side wall which is engaged by an inwardly extending flange formed on the inner surface of the sleeve member. The fixing pin is preferably formed of a tapered internal opening extending downwardly from its upper surface. When you want to remove an assembled fastening pin, a tool with a tapered thread at its lower end may be inserted into the tapered opening, and may be rotated far enough to engage with the material of the pin. A wedge member can then be placed below a flat upper surface in the tool, and a force can be applied laterally to the wedge to raise the tool and the fastening pin with which it is engaged. A particular embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with respect to the accompanying drawings, in which: BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a partially separated schematic isometric view illustrating the relationship between the structure support members of a screen platform, the elastic retention bars, the modular screening panels, the expandable fixing sleeves and the fixing pins; Figure 2 is a partially separated top plan view illustrating the relationship of a plurality of series of retention bars with the modular screening panels positioned therebetween; Figure 3 is a side view of a retainer bar showing the elongated openings that receive the support rods of a 'modular screening panel; Figure 4 is a top plan view of a retention bar, showing the openings that are adapted to receive expandable attachment sleeves when one pair of retention bars is located adjacent to another; Figure 5 is a side view of the retention bar that is opposite to that shown in Figure 3; Figure 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 6-6 in Figure 3; Figure 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 7-7 in Figure 4; Figure 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line 8-8 in Figure 5; Figure 9 is an enlarged view of a portion of the side of the retainer bar shown in Figure 5, illustrating the detail of one of the openings receiving sleeves; Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of a sleeve member which is adapted to be received in the opening in the figure 9; Figure 11 is a side view illustrating the assembly of the sleeve of Figure 10 and the opening that receives the sleeve shown in Figure 9; Figure 12 is a partial view similar to Figure 10, showing a modified form of the sleeve, wherein the lower outer wall of the sleeve is provided with a slightly larger diameter than that shown in Figure 10. Figure 13 is a view partial similar to Figures 10 and 11, showing another modified form of the sleeve, wherein the lower outer wall of the sleeve is provided with a slightly larger diameter than that shown in Figures 10 or 11; Fig. 14 is a side view of a generally cylindrical fastening pin which is adapted to be driven in the sleeve member shown in Fig. 11; and Figure 15 is a side view showing the sleeve and retainer bar assembly of Figure 11 in contact with an opening in a support bar of the screen platform, and illustrating how opposite portions of the outer wall of the screen member Cuffs are forced out by the insertion of the locking pin.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 illustrates the different parts of the mounting system of the screening platform in a schematic relationship as an assembly indicated generally at 10. The assembly has as its base, the support members 12 which are shown as channels, but could be various other suitable shapes having sufficient strength, such as angled members. The upper surface of the support members 12 includes a plurality of circular openings 14 which are arranged in a uniformly spaced pattern, such as every 10 centimeters. The support members 12 underlie and support retaining bars 18 which are formed of an elastomeric material such as polyurethane which is preferably formed in 1.2 meter lengths. The retainer bars are arranged in pairs in abutting side-to-side relationship, and provide support for a plurality of screening panel modules 20 which typically have a width of 30 cm and lengths of 30-122 cm.

Usually, the screening panel modules, which are preferably made of stainless steel, combine to form a screening platform that is 1.84-2.44 m wide and 4.9 m or more in length. Each screening panel module 20 has an upper surface comprising spaced apart wires 22, which are welded to underlying screening rods 24 to form a plurality of screening grooves 25. Although the wires 22 are closely spaced at distances such as 0.5 -1.5 mm, the much heavier support rods 24 are typically separated at much greater distances, such as 5 cm. The retainer bars 18 have openings 26 formed in one of their side edges, which are normally disposed at the same 5 cm spacing as the support rods 24. The openings 26 are adapted to receive the ends of the support rods 24. , and provide the unique support for the panel members 20. The upper, lower and opposite side surfaces of the retaining bars 18 include locking sleeve and pin which receive openings 28. When two retaining bars are in complementary abutting relationship, the aligned openings 28 in each of them cooperate to form receptacles 29 receiving elastomeric sleeve members 30. In a mode to be described later, fastening pins 32, inserted in the sleeve members 30, which are located in the receptacles 29, make the abutting pairs of retention bars 18 be fixed to each other, while also fixing the barr The latching edges of the assembly are not shown, but each would comprise an individual latch bar 18 whose side openings 26 engage and support the support rod portions 24 of a adjacent panel member 20. These individual retainer bars 18 located on the edges would not normally be supported by an underlying support member in the machine structure by sleeves 30 and fastening pins 32. Rather, a side fastening assembly (FIG. not shown) would press down on the top of these holding bars. Figure 2 illustrates how a number of sieve panels 20 is located side by side and is held in mutually fixed relation by fastening pins 32. The fastening pins 32 are forced into separate openings 28 formed in the adjoining parallel series 34 of the retaining bars 18. The retaining bars extend longitudinally of the screening platform, and the flow of material on the platform indicated by the arrow 36 is in the same longitudinal direction and in the direction of the screening wires 22. The figure 3 shows openings 14 that are formed in a lateral surface 40 of the retaining bars 18. The openings 14 are preferably wider than high to facilitate the assembly of the screening rods 24. The openings 14 are typically spaced at the same distance than the sieve rods 24, usually 5 cm. Figure 4 is a top plan view of a retention bar 18, and shows openings 28 receiving pin and sleeve which have a semicircular cross section. The openings 28 are molded in the upper surface 44 of the retainer bar and the side surface 48, and are typically spaced the same distance as the openings 14 in the support channels of the screening platform, typically 10 cm. Figure 5 is a side view of a retaining bar 18 showing several openings 28 receiving pin and sleeve uniformly spaced apart and molded on its side surface 48, its top surface 44 and its bottom surface 50. Figure 6 is a cross section of the holding bar 18 taken on line 6-6 of Figure 3. The cross section shows one of the openings 14 that supports a screening rod 24. The upper corner edge portion 42 of the holding bar 18 extends outwardly. from the side wall 40 in the plane of the upper wall 44, and has an angled portion 46. The angled portion 46 is preferably formed at an angle of about 45 and serves to cover, and provides a sealing relationship with the wire sifted 22 (not shown) which is closer to the edge of a panel 20 whose sifting rod 24 is mounted in the opening 14. Figure 7 is a cross section of the holding bar 18 taken on line 7-7 of Figure 4. The cross section illustrates the internal shape of the opening 28 which is molded on the upper surface 44, the lower surface 50 and the side wall surface 48 of the retaining bar 18. The purpose of the special internal shape is described in detail with reference to Figure 9. Figure 8 is a cross section of the holding bar 18 taken on line 5-5 of Figure 5, showing the opening 28 and is described in more detail with respect to Figure 9. Figure 9 is an enlarged view of the lateral portion 48 of the holding bar 18 shown in Figure 5, and the opening 28 formed therein. The opening 28 is generally semi-cylindrical in shape, and includes an upper wall portion 52 of elongated diameter, a lower wall portion 54 of reduced diameter, and a horizontal sleeve seating portion 56 extending radially outward from the portion of wall 54 of reduced diameter. A horizontal portion 58 extends radially inward from the upper wall portion 52 of elongated diameter, and is joined to the sleeve seating portion 56 by an angled wall portion 60 to form a slot 61. The upper portion 52 in diameter elongate includes a flange portion 62 extending inwardly. Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the generally cylindrical sleeve member 30 which is preferably formed of a urethane material of a durometer smaller than that which is used for the retainer bars 18 and the fixing pins 32. Preferably, the sleeve members 30 are of a material having a durometer of about 75A + 10, while the retaining bars 18 preferably have a durometer of 90A ± 10. The fixing pins 32 preferably have a hardness of 55D or harder. The sleeve member 30 has a generally cylindrical outer shape that is complementary to the interior shape of the opening 28 shown in Figure 9. The sleeve member 30 includes an upper outer wall portion 64 of elongated diameter, an outer wall portion. intermediate diameter 66 and a lower wall portion 68. Lower wall portion 68 is shown in figure 10 being of a smaller diameter than wall portion 66, but could also be of the same diameter as shown at 68 ' in Fig. 12, or of a larger diameter 68"as shown in Fig. 13, for reasons to be described in relation to Fig. 15. The sleeve member 30 includes a horizontal seating surface 70 which is adapted to be seated on the surface 56 of the retention bar 18 when a pair of retention bars is placed in abutting relation with their semi-cylindrical openings aligned with each other to form r cylindrical openings or receptacles 29. An annular ring portion indicated generally at 72 comprises the lower portion of the wall portion 64, the lower horizontal portion 74 and an angled interior wall portion 76. When the sleeve member 30 is assembled to a pair of retaining bars 18, as shown in Figure 11, the horizontal portion 74 is seated on the horizontal seat portion 58 of the slot 61, and the angled interior wall portion 76 engages the angled wall portion 60. Since the ring portion 72 of the sleeve is annular and continuous, it will cause the abutting retainer bars 18 to be held firmly in contact with each other. Fig. 11 shows the sleeve member 30 of Fig. 10 inserted into the opening 28 of the retaining bar 18 shown in Fig. 9. The lower outer wall portion 68 of the sleeve member passing through a sleeve is also shown. opening 14 in the support channel 12. The interior of the sleeve member 30 has an internal opening 80 extending along its axis, which is adapted to receive the fixing pin member 32 shown in Figure 14. The opening 80 has an elongated diameter inlet portion 81 joined by a chamfered portion 81 'to a wall portion 82. The wall portion 82 is conically tapered from a diameter 82' at its upper end which is just slightly smaller than the diameter of the grooved shaft portion 83 of the fixing pin 32 to a diameter at its lower end 82"which is considerably smaller, in this way, as the fixing pin 32 is driven in the handle Twist 30, will force the elastic material of the sleeve, which is more elastic and less rigid than the pin 32, to expand outwardly to a shape such as that shown in Figure 15. As can be seen in Figure 15, this expansion will cause opposite portions of the lower wall portion 68 that are separated by the slot 84 to have a diameter that is much larger than the diameter of the opening 14 in the support channel 12, and will thus retain the series of retainer bars 18 in firm contact with the support channel. Some typical dimensions are 1.29 cm for the slotted pin portion 83, 1.42 cm for the upper portion of elongated diameter 81, 1.07 cm for the upper diameter portion 82 'and 7.5 mm for the lower diameter portion 82". see in Figures 14 and 15, the fixing pin 32 has a tapered opening 86 formed therein.When it is necessary to remove the fixing pins 32, such as when the screening panels 20 are going to be replaced, the tapered openings 96 they can be coupled by a suitable tool (not shown), such as a wood screw extending downward from a T-grip handle. Once the fixing pin is firmly coupled by the removal tool, a member of wedge can be forced into the space between the T-grip handle and a portion of the upper surface of the retaining bar 18 adjacent to the top of the fixing pin for the evading the fixing pin upwards outside the sleeve member 30. The grooves 88 formed in the sides of the upper portions 90 of the fixing pins 32, are configured to be complementary to the flanges 62 of the retaining bars. Since the holding bars 18 are of a smaller durometer than the pins 32, the flanges 62 are compressed as the pins are assembled. After assembly, the top surfaces 92 of the pins 32 will be flush with the top surface 44 or the retainer bars. This situation makes it possible to visually observe that all the pins have been properly assembled.

Although the invention has been shown and described particularly in relation to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various alterations in form and detail can be made therein without departing from its spirit and scope.

Claims (6)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - A fastening system for holding and allowing the rapid replacement of a plurality of modular sieve panels (20) with respect to a plurality of uniformly spaced holes (14) in a plurality of longitudinally extending support members (12) carried by a sifting platform; the fastening system comprising a plurality of modular screening panels (20) having transversely extending support rods (24) and wires (22) extending longitudinally on their upper surface, which are welded to said support rods that extend transversely; a plurality of support members (12) extending longitudinally with a plurality of holes (14) uniformly spaced therein, in at least one series of two elongated longitudinally extending retaining members (18) made of elastomeric material wear resistant; each of said retaining members (18) having a plurality of openings (26) in a side edge (40) that are adapted to receive the support rod portions (24) that extend transversely of said screening panels; each of said retaining members further having a plurality of openings (28) extending vertically at a second lateral edge (48) extending from its upper surface (44) to its lower surface (50) and are uniformly spaced apart so as to correspond to the plurality of holes (14) formed in said plurality of longitudinally extending support members; a plurality of elastomeric sleeve members (30) each having a central opening (80) extending vertically, extending downwardly from its upper surface; each of said sleeve members further having a lower end portion (63); the lower end portions of said sleeve members being of sufficient length, so that they will pass completely through and beyond said plurality of uniformly spaced holes (14) formed in said plurality of longitudinally extending support members (12) carried by a screening platform, while said series of two retaining members (at least one) covers said support members (12) and is arranged so that their openings (28) extend vertically at their second side edges (48). ) are aligned and adjoin each other; and a plurality of fastening pins (32) that are adapted to be pressed on the upper ends (81) of the openings (80) in said sleeve members; said fixing pins having an outer diameter at their lower ends (83), which is greater than the inner diameter of the openings (82") at the lower ends of said sleeve members, whereby the descending insertion of said pins (32) in said sleeve members (30) will cause the outer wall (68, 68 ', 68") of said sleeve members to be radially outwardly forced to increase the outer diameter of the portions of said sleeve members that are extend below the holes (24) in said support members, thereby making the retaining members and the support members firmly secure to each other; said fastening system being characterized in that each of said retaining members (18) has a flat bottom surface (50) that is adapted to cover and be supported by at least a portion of the width of one of said support members (12); said plurality of openings (28) extending vertically in said retaining members comprising depressions formed in said retaining members, which are complementary in shape to said plurality of elastomeric sleeve members (30) that are adapted to be assembled to the same; said depressions formed in said retaining members having retaining portions (61) cooperating with the retaining portions (72) formed on the outer surface of said sleeve members when the sleeve members (30) are assembled in the openings ( 28) that extend vertically in said series of two retaining members (at least one) to cause said retaining members to be fixed to said sleeve members before radial movement.

2. The fastening system according to claim 1, further characterized in that the depressions (28) formed in said retaining means (18) that are complementary in shape to the plurality of elastomeric sleeve members (30) that are adapted to be assembled thereto, they include a retaining portion comprising a semicircular groove portion (61) extending downward formed in each retaining bar that is complementary to a half of a continuous retaining portion (72) in shape of ring formed on each sleeve member whereby, when a pair of retainer bars is in adjacent contacting relationship, said continuous ring-shaped retaining portion (72) in said sleeve member will be seated in the slot portion. semicircular (61) extending downwardly formed in each of said pair of retaining bars, and will firmly hold said two bars and resist its knowing ration.

3. The fastening system according to claim 2, further characterized in that the depressions (28) formed in said retaining members (18) include a portion of upper outer wall (52) generally vertical, a portion of lower interior wall (54) generally vertical and an intermediate portion (56, 58, 60) that joins the outer wall portion with the inner wall portion, said outer wall portion and said inner wall portion overlapping each other in a vertical direction with the inner diameter of the upper wall portion (52) which is substantially larger than the inner diameter of the lower wall portion (54), said intermediate portion comprising a radially extending lower portion (58) extending inward from said portion of outer wall, an upper portion (56) extending radially extending outwardly from said inner wall portion, and a angled portion extending upwardly and inwardly joining said lower portion extending radially to said radially extending upper portion (60).

4. The fastening system according to claim 1, further characterized in that each of said retaining bars (18) includes a radially inwardly projecting flange portion (62) formed just below its upper surface (44). ) in each of said plurality of openings (28) extending vertically and in a position that is above the position of the upper surface of a sleeve member (30) that is adapted to be inserted into said openings extending vertically

5. The fastening system according to claim 1, further characterized in that each of said fastening pins (32) has an elongated hollow opening (86) extending axially formed at its upper end, which is adapted to be coupled by a pin removal tool.

6. The fastening system according to claim 1, further characterized in that the elastomeric sleeve members (30) have a durometer that is smaller than that of the fastening pins (32). 7- The fastening system according to claim 1, further characterized in that the retaining members (18) and the sleeve members (30) are made of urethane, and the durometer of the sleeve members is 75 A + 10, while the durometer of the members of retention is 90 A + 10.