WO2013017812A1

WO2013017812A1 - Improvements in or relating to support arrangements

Info

Publication number: WO2013017812A1
Application number: PCT/GB2012/000595
Authority: WO
Inventors: Malcolm Eric HARCOMBE
Original assignee: Cornerhouse Promotions Limited
Priority date: 2011-07-30
Filing date: 2012-07-16
Publication date: 2013-02-07
Also published as: GB201113239D0

Abstract

Apparatus (10) is for use with a support arrangement (12). The arrangement (12) has a pole (14) which is received in a blind socket (18) in a body (16), such as a loud speaker enclosure. A similar arrangement of blind socket (20) and loud speaker enclosure (22) is at the other end of the pole (14). The apparatus (10) is a plate (30) which extends away from the pole (14) to bearing points (26). The plate (30) is mounted on the pole (14) at (24), by a releasable mechanism which allows the plate (30) to slide along the pole (14) to a bracing position (broken lines in the drawing) at which the bearing points (26) bear on the loud speaker enclosure (16) to provide bracing between the pole (14) and the enclosure (16).

Description

Improvements in or relating to support arrangements

The present invention relates to support arrangements and in particular, but not exclusively, to support arrangement used in the entertainment industry for supporting relatively heavy objects, such as loudspeaker enclosures.

A common arrangement for supporting loudspeaker enclosures or other equipment within the entertainment industry uses a support pole arranged vertically and carrying the loudspeaker enclosure at its upper end. The loudspeaker enclosure has a socket in which the upper end of the support pole is received. The bottom end of the support pole may be similarly received in a socket, such as a socket in another loudspeaker enclosure, or supported by a tripod arrangement. The sockets are usually designed to provide some tolerance when receiving the support pole, to allow for easier insertion and removal of the support pole when the arrangement is being set up or dismantled. The pole and/or socket may be made of material which exhibits wear, during use. As a result, a common problem is that the upper loudspeaker enclosure can wobble on the end of the support pole, particularly if it is heavy, or if the centre of gravity is poorly aligned with the socket and support pole, and particularly if the lower end of the support pole is also in a socket. Even if the loudspeaker enclosure is, in fact, safely supported by virtue of the penetration of the support pole into the socket or sockets, this wobble can be alarming and cause health and safety concerns. ^;

Examples of the present invention provide apparatus for use with a support arrangement having an elongate support pole and a body defining a blind socket in which an end of the support pole is received, the apparatus comprising: a mounting mechanism operable to mount the apparatus to the support pole; and the apparatus extending away from the mounting mechanism to at least one bearing point; the mounting mechanism being releasable to allow the apparatus, in use, to be moved along the pole to a bracing position at which the bearing point or points bear on the said body to provide bracing between the pole and the body.

The apparatus may extend from the mounting mechanism to a plurality of bearing points. There may be three bearing points.

The apparatus may comprise a plate attached to the mounting mechanism and providing the or each bearing point spaced from the mounting mechanism. The plate may have one or more corners, there being a bearing point in the region of each corner. The plate may be triangular. The or each bearing point may project from the plane of the plate. The mounting mechanism may comprise an open-ended passage for receiving a pole, and an arrangement to grip against the poll. The grip arrangement may include a cam arrangement operable to create grip on the pole. The grip arrangement may comprise a threaded member carried in a threaded mount to be advanceable to create grip on the pole. The cam arrangement and/or the threaded member may bear directly on the pole, in use, or bear on one or more intermediate clamp members positioned around the pole.

The apparatus may comprise at least one aperture for receiving a safety chain. In another aspect, the invention provides a support arrangement comprising: an elongate support pole; a body defining a blind socket in which an end of the support poll is received, in use; brace apparatus comprising a mounting mechanism operable to mount the brace apparatus to the support pole and providing at least one bearing point spaced from the pole when the brace apparatus is mounted on the pole; the mounting mechanism being releasable to allow the apparatus, in use, to be moved along the pole to a bracing position at which the bearing point or points bear on the said body to provide bracing between the pole and the body.

In this aspect, the brace apparatus may have any feature or combination of features of the apparatus set out in accordance with the first aspect of the invention.

Examples of the present invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in section, of an example support arrangement;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a brace apparatus of the arrangement of Fig. 1 ;

Figs. 3 to 5 are side views, partly in section, of example mounting mechanisms for the arrangement; and

Fig. 6 is a base view of the example of Fig. 5.

Overview

Turning to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows apparatus 10 for use with a support arrangement 12 having an elongate support pole 14 and a body 16 defining a blind socket 18 in which an end of the support pole 14 is received. In this example, the body 16 is illustrated as a loudspeaker enclosure supported on the upper end of the pole 14. The lower end of the pole 14 is received in another blind socket 20 in another loudspeaker enclosure 22. Alternatively, a blind socket may be used only at one end of the pole. For example, a loudspeaker enclosure may be supported on the upper end of the pole 14, with the lower end of the pole 14 supported by a tripod arrangement.

The apparatus 10 comprises a mounting mechanism indicated generally at 24 and operable to mount the apparatus 10 to the support pole 14. The apparatus 10 extends away from the mounting mechanism 24 to bearing points 26. The purpose of the bearing points 26 will be described below. The mounting mechanism 24 is releasable to allow the apparatus 10, in use, to be moved along the pole 14 to a bracing position (illustrated in broken lines in Fig. 1) at which the bearing point or points 26 bear on the loudspeaker enclosure 16 to provide bracing between the pole 14 and the enclosure 16.

Support arrangement

In more detail, the upper and lower enclosures 16, 22 each have blind sockets 18, 20 for receiving the ends of the pole 14. The term "blind socket" is used to refer to a socket having one open end and another closed end. Thus, the pole 14 can be introduced through the open end of the socket until bearing on the closed end of the socket, preventing further penetration of the pole 14. Accordingly, the pole 14 is held generally upright by inserting the lower end of the pole 4 into the socket 20. The upper enclosure 16 is supported on the top end of the pole 14, by the location of the pole 14 in the socket 18.

Loudspeakers 28 or other entertainment equipment are provided within the enclosures 16, 22 and are schematically illustrated in Fig. 1.

In a typical arrangement, the pole 14 may have an outside diameter of 35 mm. The internal diameter of the sockets 18, 20 will be a little larger than this, to allow for easier insertion of the pole 14 into the sockets 18, 20. It is this size difference which causes the problem of wobble in a conventional arrangement. Brace apparatus

In the drawings from Fig. 2 onwards, the brace apparatus 10 is shown in more detail. In this example, the apparatus 10 is a plate 30 of generally triangular shape, thus having three corners 32. At each corner 32, the material of the plate 30 is turned up, out of the plane of the plate 30, as can be seen from Figure 3 et al. Each turned up corner 32 creates a bearing point 26.

A central aperture 34 is formed in the plate 30, for receiving the pole 4, as will be described. Other apertures 36 may be provided in the plate 30, for receiving safety chains 37, security chains or the like, to further secure the enclosures 6, 22.

Mounting mechanism The mounting mechanism 24 is provided centrally of the plate 30, in association with the aperture 34. The mounting mechanism 24 can take various forms, illustrated in Fig. 3, 4, 5 and 6. In Fig. 3, the mounting mechanism 24 is in the form of a short tube 38 providing an open ended passage 40 for receiving the pole 4. An arrangement at 42 is provided for creating grip on the pole 14, when within the passage 40. In the example of Figure 3, the grip arrangement 42 includes a threaded member 44 in the form of a thumbscrew received in a threaded socket 46. Alternatively, the socket 46 may be unthreaded, there being a threaded nut 48 attached to the outside of the tube 38, e.g. by welding. The threads of the socket 46 or the nut 48 allow the thumbscrew 44 to be tightened against a pole 14 received in the passage 40, or to be loosened to release the pole 14. When tightened, the thumbscrew 44 can tightly grip the pole 14, locking the apparatus 10 against movement along the pole .

Fig. 4 illustrates an alternative form of mounting mechanism 24. In this example, a tube 38 is again used to provide a passage 40 for receiving the pole 14. However, the grip arrangement 42 is in the form of an eccentrically mounted cam wheel mounted in the tube 38 and controlled by a lever 52. Manipulation of the lever 52 allows the wheel 50 to be turned to grip a pole 1 in the passage 40, or to release the pole 14, by virtue of the eccentric mounting of the wheel 50.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a further alternative form of mounting mechanism 24, closely related to the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 4. In this example, the cam wheel 50 is mounted to the outside of the tube 38. Within the tube 38, there are two clamp members 54 (Fig. 6). Manipulation of the cam wheel 50 results in the clamp members 54 being pressed together or released, thereby gripping or releasing a pole 14 in the passage 40. It is to be understood that many other alternative arrangements for mounting mechanisms could be envisaged. Linchpins, clevis pins or bolts could be used, located in pre-formed holes.

Use of the apparatus

In order to make use of the apparatus which has been described, a clamp apparatus 10 is first fitted over the end of the pole 14, so that the pole extends through the open ended passage 40, and the plate 30 is based some distance from the extreme end of the pole 14. In Fig. 1 , two clamp apparatus 10 are illustrated in this condition. This is because the example of Fig. 1 shows both ends of the pole 14 being received in sockets 18, 20. In other situations, it may be necessary to use the brace apparatus 10 only at one end of the pole 14. For example, the lower end may be mounted securely in another manner. The pole 14 is then assembled to the enclosures 16, by inserting the ends of the pole 14 into the sockets 18, 20. At this point, the enclosure 16 is supported above the enclosure 22, but is vulnerable to the problem of "wobble", discussed above.

The final stage of the process is to slide the or each brace apparatus 10 toward the corresponding end of the pole 14 until the bearing points 26 come into contact with the respective enclosure 16, 22. This is the position 25 indicated by broken lines in Fig. 1. At that point, the grip arrangement 42 is operated to grip the pole 14, preventing further movement of the brace apparatus 10 along the pole 14. The consequence of this gripping action, and the engagement of the enclosures 16, 22 by the bearing points 26, results in the enclosures 16, 22 being prevented from further wobble of the sockets 18, 20 and the ends of the pole 14. Consequently, the upper enclosure 16, in particular, is braced against wobbling.

When the arrangement is to be dismantled, it is a simple matter to release the grip arrangements 42 to slide the brace apparatus 10 away from the ends of the pole 14, thereby releasing the enclosures 16, 22 from the bracing effect and allowing them to be removed from the ends of the pole 14, in conventional manner.

Concluding remarks Many different modifications and variations can be made to the apparatus described above, without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the shape of the plate 30 can be varied significantly, as can be the number of bearing points 26. However, it is envisaged that the provision of three bearing points will be helpful in providing a form of tripod effect to ensure stability. Many different materials can be used for the apparatus, but it is envisaged that the plate 30 may be made from a suitably strong metal. Many alternative forms of grip arrangement 42 could be envisaged, as noted above. The apparatus 10 may be used as a support for other apparatus, such as lighting. Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

1. Apparatus for use with a support arrangement having an elongate support pole and a body defining a blind socket in which an end of the support pole is received, the apparatus comprising: a mounting mechanism operable to mount the apparatus to the support pole; and the apparatus extending away from the mounting mechanism to at least one bearing point; the mounting mechanism being releasable to allow the apparatus, in use, to be moved along the pole to a bracing position at which the bearing point or points bear on the said body to provide bracing between the pole and the body.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus extends from the mounting mechanism to a plurality of bearing points.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, there being three bearing points.

4. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising a plate attached to the mounting mechanism and providing the or each bearing point spaced from the mounting mechanism.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the plate has one or more corners, there being a bearing point in the region of each corner.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the plate is triangular.

7. Apparatus according to claim 4, 5 or 6, wherein the or each bearing point projects from the plane of the plate.

8. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the mounting mechanism comprises an open-ended passage for receiving a pole, and an arrangement to grip against the pole.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the grip arrangement includes a cam arrangement operable to create grip on the pole.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the grip arrangement comprises a threaded member carried in a threaded mount to be advanceable to create grip on the pole.

1 1. Apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the cam arrangement and/or the threaded member bear directly on the pole, in use, or bear on one or more intermediate clamp members positioned around the pole.

12. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, comprising at least one aperture for receiving a safety chain.

13. A support arrangement comprising: an elongate support pole; a body defining a blind socket in which an end of the support poll is received, in use; brace apparatus comprising a mounting mechanism operable to mount the brace apparatus to the support pole and providing at least one bearing point spaced from the pole when the brace apparatus is mounted on the pole; the mounting mechanism being releasable to allow the apparatus, in use, to be moved along the pole to a bracing position at which the bearing point or points bear on the said body to provide bracing between the pole and the body.

5 14. A support arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the brace apparatus is apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 12.

15. Apparatus substantially as described above, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

o

16. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter disclosed herein, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims. 5