WO2009015416A1

WO2009015416A1 - Temporary support apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2009015416A1
Application number: PCT/AU2008/001072
Authority: WO
Inventors: Nick Koikas; Cleo Koikas
Original assignee: Nick Koikas; Cleo Koikas
Priority date: 2007-07-27
Filing date: 2008-07-24
Publication date: 2009-02-05

Abstract

A temporary support apparatus suitable for temporarily supporting a wall panel in an erect position. The temporary support apparatus includes: an elongate major prop which includes at least one removable non-penetrating face grip operatively mounted to one end of the major prop for removably gripping a face of the wall panel; and an attachment means at the other end of the elongate major prop for attaching to a substantially rigid structure, the temporary support apparatus providing at least some lateral constraint into and away from the wall panel in the erect position.

Description

TEMPORARY SUPPORT APPARATUS

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to apparatus for temporary support of building elements, such as for example prefabricated concrete walls, other wall panels and glass. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are suitable for the provision of temporary structural support for vertically configured elements that would otherwise have low stability or be at risk of toppling over.

Background of the Invention

Prefabricated and modular building elements are typically heavy and have a high centre of gravity when erect, leading to instability and the risk of toppling if insufficiently supported. Under-supported building elements can represent a major occupational, health and safety risk.

Support apparatus are sometimes used to provide structural support and stability for the prefabricated and modular building elements during construction. However, the majority of available support apparatus have practical shortcomings such as for example they often do not provide adequate constraint of the building element when in operation, or mark the surface of the prefabricated and modular building element, and the process of securing the apparatus to the building element and/or structural element and then removing the apparatus after use is often time consuming and laborious.

The present invention seeks to ameliorate one or more of the abovementioned disadvantages Smnmary of the Invention

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a temporary support apparatus suitable for temporarily supporting a wall panel in an erect position, the temporary support apparatus including: an elongate major prop which includes at least one removable non-penetrating face grip operatively mounted to one end of the major prop for removably gripping a face of the wall panel; and an attachment means at the other end of the elongate major prop for attaching to a substantially rigid structure, the temporary support apparatus providing at least some lateral constraint into and away from the wall panel in the erect position.

Preferably the attachment means includes a second removable non-penetrating face grip for removably gripping a flat surface without penetration.

Preferably the removable non-penetrating face grips are vacuum suction cups.

Preferably the removable non penetrating face grips are pivotable about the elongate major prop so as to allow the prop to adopt a range of angles of elevation while still providing at least some lateral constraint into and away from the wall panel.

Preferably a pivot apparatus is provided at each end of the elongate major prop, the pivot apparatus including a clevis or yoke having spaced-apart posts mounted to or integral with the or each removable non-penetrating face grips for allowing pivoting movement of the end of the prop, and an axle disposed between the clevis posts.

Preferably the removable non-penetrating face grips (vacuum suction cups) are fitted with quick release devices.

Preferably the major prop is a steel or aluminium rectangular section. Preferably a minor prop is provided to facilitate plumb erection of the wall element, wherein a connecting means is provided to attach the minor prop at an intermediate region of the elongate major prop, so that the minor prop extends therefrom.

Preferably the connecting means includes a pivot for pivotal movement of the minor prop relative to the major prop.

Preferably the connecting means includes a aperture so as to provide relative linear movement between major and minor props.

Preferably a third removable non-penetrating face grip is provided at one end of the minor prop so as to facilitate lateral constraint of the wall in an erect position.

Preferably the third removable non-penetrating face grip is pivotable relative to the minor prop.

Preferably the attachment means includes a base plate element suitable for receiving a penetrating fastener so as to fasten the plate to the substantially rigid structure.

Preferably locks are provided to lock the pivot apparatus and connecting means to inhibit relative movement between the props and removable non-penetrating face grips.

Brief Description of the Figures

The present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description of a preferred but non-limiting embodiment thereof, described in connection with the accompanying figures, and in those Figures:

Figure 1 is a side elevation view of one embodiment of the temporary support apparatus of the present invention; and Figure 2 is an isometric view of one embodiment of a removable non-penetrating face grip of the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention, Figures and Preferred Embodiments

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a side elevation view of one embodiment of the present invention, wherein there is provided a temporary support apparatus 1 suitable for temporarily supporting a wall panel 2 in an erect position. The temporary support apparatus 1 includes two props 10, a first one being in the form of an elongate major prop 12. There are three removable non-penetrating face grips 20 provided for attachment to various surfaces. The first removable non-penetrating face grip 22 is operatively mounted to one end of the elongate major prop 12 for removably gripping a face of the wall panel 2. At the other end of the elongate major prop 12, an attachment means 50 is provided for attaching the elongate major prop 12 to a substantially rigid structure 3. The attachment means 14 includes a second removable non-penetrating face grip 24 for removably gripping a flat surface of the substantially rigid structure 3 which in this case is the upper surface of the floor 4.

The other prop 10 is in the form of a minor prop 14 and is provided to facilitate plumb erection of the wall panel 2, wherein a connecting means 40 is provided to attach the minor prop 14 at an intermediate region of the elongate major prop 12, so that the minor prop 14 extends therefrom. The connecting means 40 includes a pivot 42 and an aperture 44 so as to facilitate relative angular movement and relative linear movement between the elongate major prop 12 and the minor prop 14. ^■ A third removable non-penetrating face grip 26 is provided at one end of the minor prop 14 so as to facilitate lateral constraint of the wall panel 2 in an erect position.

A pivot apparatus 30 is provided at each end of the elongate major prop 12, and at one end of the minor prop 14 for allowing pivoting movement of each end of the elongate maj or prop 12 and a wall end of the minor prop 14 respectively. Referring to Figure 2, there is shown an isometric view of a removable non-penetrating face grip 20 which is attached to one end of a prop 10 by way of the pivot apparatus 30. In this embodiment, the pivot apparatus 30 includes a clevis or yoke 32 having spaced-apart posts 34 integrated with the removable non-penetrating face grip 20, and an axle 36 disposed between the clevis posts 34.

The attachment means 50 includes a non-penetrating face grip 22, 24, 26. The nonpenetrating face grip 22, 24, 26 is in the form of a vacuum suction cup 27. The use of a vacuum suction cup as part of the attachment means is especially suitable for applications that require use of the temporary support apparatus on finished floor surfaces 4 such as, for example, vinyl flooring, polished glazed timber, ceramic tiles and/or glazed concrete floors. Utilisation of the vacuum suction cup 27 is advantageous as it does not require additional fastening to secure the temporary support apparatus, which may result in damage to the floor surface.

In operation the temporary support apparatus 1 is removably attached to the substantially flat and vertical wall element 2 by way of the non-penetrating face grips 20. The elongate major prop 12 of the temporary support apparatus 1 transmits transverse loads at the wall element into combined compressive and shear load at the removable non-penetrating face grips 20.

The elongate minor prop 14 has the removable non-penetrating face grip 24 on the wall end and the connecting means 40 at its other end. The connecting means 40 has a fastener which passes through both the elongate major prop and the minor prop. The fastener is fixed through the major prop. Locks 70 are provided to lock the connecting means from translation movement and pivoting movement between the two props 12 and 14.

The elongated minor prop 14 includes an elongated aperture 44 extending longitudinally along the major axis of the minor prop 14, located at the opposite end of the minor prop from the removable non-penetrating face grip 24. The aperture 44 may be about 10 to 15 cm in length, and the width of the aperture 44 is substantially similar to the diameter of the pivot element 42 of the connecting means 40. The provision of an aperture 44 on the minor prop 14 permits the minor element to slide and pivot relative to the major prop.

A base plate element 60 is provided which may be secured to the substantially rigid structure 3 with the use of one or more penetrating fasteners. Suitable penetrating fasteners may include, for example, Ramset powder actuated fasteners or the like. The base plate element 60 provides a stable foundation for connecting with the floor 4 when the floor 4 is undulating or porous, the connecting arrangement being such that the removable non-penetrating face grip 26 sucks onto the face of the base plate element 60 and then the base plate element 60 is fastened to the irregular floor 4 with penetrating fasteners.

The suction cups 27 are typically constructed from an elastomer or rubber material with appropriate mechanical properties for the application. Suction cup materials may be chosen from the group including Natural (Gum) Rubber, Silicone, Conductive Silicone, Vinyl, Nitrile, Neoprene, Thermal Polyurethane, Ethylene Propylene Diene Methylene (EPDM) and the like. Suitable materials may also include proprietary blends of elastomers such as, for example, ANVER Nomathane™ or ANVER Andurasoft™ or ANVER Viton®.

In one embodiment, at least one temporary support apparatus 1 is used on either side of the wall element 2.

The props 12, 14 are made of a suitable material for the specific application; the material chosen should have sufficient strength to support the wall element. Suitable materials for applications involving lightweight building elements such as glass panes and the like may include plastics, polymers, wood, ceramics and metals. For applications requiring the support of heavy building elements, suitable materials may include metals and composites.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the props 10 are made from aluminium, steel or alloys of aluminium and/or steel. Preferably the props 10 are in the form of standard rectangular hollow section (RHS), square hollow section (SHS) and/or circular hollow section (CHS) elements. This embodiment of the present invention is suitable for provision of temporary support for a wide range of building elements, as it has the mechanical strength to support large, heavy prefabricated concrete walls and the like.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention may be susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. It is to be understood that the present invention encompasses all such variations and modifications that fall within its spirit and scope.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. A temporary support apparatus suitable for temporarily supporting a wall panel in an erect position, the temporary support apparatus including: an elongate major prop which includes at least one removable non-penetrating face grip operatively mounted to one end of the major prop for removably gripping a face of the wall panel; and an attachment means at the other end of the elongate major prop for attaching to a substantially rigid structure, the temporary support apparatus providing at least some lateral constraint into and away from the wall panel in the erect position.

2. The temporary support apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the attachment means includes a second removable non-penetrating face grip for removably gripping a flat surface without penetration.

3. The temporary support apparatus in accordance with claim 1 or 2 wherein the removable non-penetrating face grips are vacuum suction cups.

4. The temporary support apparatus in accordance with any one of the previous claims wherein the removable non penetrating face grips are pivotable about the elongate major prop so as to allow the prop to adopt a range of angles of elevation while still providing at least some lateral constraint into and away from the wall panel.

5. The temporary support apparatus in accordance with any one of the previous claims wherein a pivot apparatus is provided at each end of the elongate major prop, the pivot apparatus including a clevis or yoke having spaced-apart posts mounted to or integral with the or each removable non-penetrating face grips for allowing pivoting movement of the end of the prop, and an axle disposed between the clevis posts.

6. The temporary support apparatus in accordance with any one of the previous claims wherein the removable non-penetrating face grips are fitted with quick release devices.

7. The temporary support apparatus in accordance with any one of the previous claims wherein the major prop is a steel or aluminium rectangular section.

8. The temporary support apparatus in accordance with any one of the previous claims wherein a minor prop is provided to facilitate plumb erection of the wall element, wherein a connecting means is provided to attach the minor prop at an intermediate region of the elongate major prop, so that the minor prop extends therefrom.

9. The temporary support apparatus in accordance with claim 8 wherein the connecting means includes a pivot for pivotal movement of the minor prop relative to the major prop.

10. The temporary support apparatus in accordance with claim 7 or 8 wherein the connecting means includes a aperture so as to provide relative linear movement between major and minor props.

11. The temporary support apparatus in accordance with any one of the previous claims wherein a third removable non-penetrating face grip is provided at one end of the minor prop so as to facilitate lateral constraint of the wall in an erect position.

12. The temporary support apparatus in accordance with claim 11 wherein the third removable non-penetrating face grip is pivotable relative to the minor prop.

13. The temporary support apparatus in accordance with any one of the previous claims wherein the attachment means includes a base plate element suitable for receiving a penetrating fastener so as to fasten the plate to the substantially rigid structure.

14. The temporary support apparatus in accordance with any one of the previous claims wherein locks are provided to lock the pivot apparatus and connecting means to inhibit relative movement between the props and removable non-penetrating face grips.

15. The temporary support apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the attached drawings.