TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a balcony arrangement with at least one, but preferably several mutually superposed balcony slabs secured in at least two substantially vertical mounting rails which extend along, or recessed in, or behind a building facade, and which are secured to the building by the intermediary of anchorage fittings preferably located flush with the flooring structures of the building, the mounting rails for each balcony slab being provided with fastenings partly for support fittings which cooperate with an inner portion of the balcony slab, and partly for struts which cooperate with outer portions of the balcony slab.

BACKGROUND ART

Balcony arrangements of the type described by way of introduction are previously known in this art. In the mounting of such balcony arrangements, the flooring structures are localized in the building and, in each flooring structure, there are secured those anchorage fittings required for securing a mounting rail, the fittings being disposed in line above one another. Once these anchorage fittings have been measured off, the positions for the anchorage fittings are measured to the second mounting rail, so that the anchorage fittings are located pairwise.

Once the anchorage fittings have been applied in place, the mounting rails are raised and marked up for those bolts which secure the mounting rails in the anchorage fittings. In the same way, the positions are marked up partly for the support fittings and partly for the struts which cooperate with outer portions of the balcony slabs.

It will be apparent from the above brief description of the background art that assembly of balconies in place according to this technology cannot be effected a rational manner, since the parts included must be adapted on site to the relevant dimensions of the building. In this instance, it should be observed that the storey height (the height between the centre points of two mutually superjacent flooring structures) may vary from storey to storey and possibly even locally within one and same floor. Furthermore, the thickness of the

flooring structures may of course vary, not only from structure to structure but possibly also locally within one and the same flooring structure. In other words, the variations are so great that prefabrication applying the prior art technology is impossible.

PROBLEM STRUCTURE

The present invention has for its object to devise a balcony arrangement of the type disclosed by way of introduction, the balcony arrangement being designed in such a manner as to obviate the above drawbacks. Thus, the present invention is intended to devise a balcony arrangement which may be prefabricated in the form of a universally applicable building kit system which may readily be adapted to the relevant dimensions. The present invention further has for its object to realize a balcony arrangement which generally facilitates and economizes on assembly work costs, at the same time as due consideration is paid to high mechanical strength requirements and esthetic aspects.

SOLUTION

The objects forming the basis of the present invention will be attained if the balcony arrangement disclosed by way of introduction is characterized in that the mounting rails are sectionally divided, with section lengths which are less than or equal to the storey height; that each section has a first hole series for vertically adjustable securement in the anchorage fittings by means of bolts; and that adjacent sections are interconnectible via joint pieces and bolts which, by means of hole series or elongate apertures, permit vertical adjustment of mutually superjacent sections in dependance upon the storey height.

One advantageous embodiment of the present invention is suitably further characterized in that the first hole series is located at the lower end of the section; and that it is placed and designed so as, in addition to cooperation with the anchorage fittings, also vertically adjustably to cooperate with the support fittings and other end portions of the joint pieces to a lower section.

Further advantages will be attained according to the present invention if this is also given one or more of the characterizing features as set forth in appended

Claims 3 to 5.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described in greater detail hereinbelow, with particular reference to the accompanying Drawings. In the accompanying Drawings:

Fig. 1 Shows in perspective a balcony included in a balcony arrangement according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 Shows a section of a mounting rail and associated lower and upper joint pieces;

Fig. 3 Illustrates a lower portion of a section of a mounting rail and associated anchorage fitting;

Fig. 4 Shows a lower portion of a mounting rail and an associated support fitting in a first position of cooperation;

Fig. 5 Is a view corresponding to that of Fig. 4 in which the support fitting is located in a second position of cooperation; and

Fig. 6 Is a view corresponding to Fig. 4 in which the support fitting is located in a third position of cooperation:

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Fig. 1 shows in perspective how a balcony 5 is disposed adjacent a building facade 1 and is secured in mounting rails 2 and 3 which, in a manner to be described hereinbelow, are secured in the building facade 1 and the ba: jny slab 7 proper.

The balcony slab 7 is provided with a balcony railing (intimated by broken lines 6) and has, on its underside, an inner beam 8 in the proximity of the inner edge 11 of the balcony slab, as well as an outer beam 9 in the proximity of the

outer edge 13. The beams 8 and 9 are preferably produced of steel and extend throughout the entire longitudinal direction of the underside of the balcony slab 7, substantially parallel with the facade, the inner edge 11 and the outer edge 13.

At its two opposing ends, the inner beam 8 is provided with engagement devices for cooperation with support fittings 10 which are secured on the mounting rails 2 and 3, preferably by means of bolts. In a similar manner, the opposite ends of the outer beam 9 are provided with engagement devices for cooperation with the two struts 12 which are secured in the mounting rails 2 and 3 a slight distance above the support fittings 10, for example in the region of the upper edge of the balcony railing 6.

As was intimated by way of introduction, the present invention is intended to be applied in an environment where the storey height (the vertical distance between the centre points of two mutually superjacent flooring structures) may vary within relatively large limits. In particularly difficult cases, the storey height may, in addition, vary locally for one and the same floor. Further parameters of which account must be taken are the thickness of the flooring structure. This thickness is the vertical height between the ceiling surface in a lower storey, up to the upper side of the floor surface in the storey lying above. In the same manner as the storey height may vary, the thickness of the flooring structure can, of course, vary from one flooring structure to another, but in severe cases even within one and the same flooring structure.

In order, in such an environment, to be able to mount balconies 5, it is necessary that the upper side of the balcony can be placed flush with or slightly below the floor level at each flooring structure.

According to the invention, the mounting rails 2 are sectionally divided such that the section height is less than or equal to the expected story height. In practice, it is sufficient with a small number of these sections of mounting rails, the sections being joined by means of joint pieces which are adjustable in the longitudinal (vertical) direction. As a practically usable example, mention might be made of a section length of 2 300 mm.

For interconnecting the different sections of the mounting rails 2 and 3, use is made of adjustable joint devices in the form of joint pieces 14 which may be

produced of sections of flat profiles in which two joint pieces are employed for each mounting rail which is preferably produced from a square tube.

As is apparent from Fig. 2, each section of the mounting rails 2 and 3 has a lower or first hole series 15 which is intended for accommodating bolts for a plurality of different purposes. Correspondingly with the first hole series on the sections of the mounting rails 2 and 3, the joint pieces 14 have an upper hole series 16 with the same hole spacing and same hole diameter as the first hole series 15 on each section of the assembly rails 2 and 3. Furthermore, the joint pieces 14 are provided, in the lower end, with two elongate apertures 17 which are intended vertically adjustably to cooperate with two corresponding holes 18 in the upper end of each section of the mounting rails 2 and 3. OBy bolts being passed through the elongate apertures 17 and the holes 18, two joint pieces 14 located on either side of a section can be steplessly adjusted in the vertical direction in relation to the section. Furthermore, by cooperation between the hole series 15 and 16, an additional adjustment possibility can be realized, in this instance stepwise, with the same adjustment step as the hole spacing in both of the hole series. It should here be observed that, normally, the size of this adjustment is limited by the fact that all holes in the upper series 16 should be kept free, for reasons which will be explained below.

By the adjustment of the different sections of the mounting rails 2 and 3 in a vertical direction by employing the hole series 15 and 16 and the apertures 17 and holes 18, respectively, it is possible - despite quite large variations of the flooring structure thickness and storey height - always to place the lower hole series 15 flush with a flooring structure. Those differences in storey height which may occur between different storeys in the same building or between different buildings may readily be compensated for by the above-described adjustment possibilities.

Securement of the mounting rails 2 and 3 to the facade 1 is effected in accordance with the present invention, with the aid of anchorage fittings 19 (see Fig. 3). Such an anchorage fitting has a plate 20 abutting against the facade 1, through which plate there extend screws or other anchorage members (not shown) which penetrate into the facade material, preferably right in to a flooring structure. The plate 20 is provided, on its side facing towards the facade 1 , with a transverse shelf 21 which is substantially horizontal in the assembled state and is accommodated in a groove provided in the facade 1.

Hereby, the anchorage fitting 19 will display a good load transferring capacity in the vertical direction. In addition, the employment of the plate 21 implies that large horizontal forces in a direction in towards the facade can be absorbed even if the facade material might, to some degree, be considered as fragile.

5

On its forward side, the plate 20 is provided with a projecting anchorage lug 22 which is substantially at right angles to the plate and thereby also to the facade, and which is located in a vertical plane in the correctly mounted position. The anchorage lug 22 has a number of holes 23 which are provided

I 0 with the same mutual spacing as the hole spacing in the first hole series 15 on the sections of the mounting rails 2 and 3. Hereby, a vertical adjustment can be achieved between the anchorage fitting 19 and the mounting rails 2 and 3.

In this context, it should be emphasized that both the anchorage lug 22 with its l 5 holes 23, and the hole series 16 on the joint pieces 14, and the hole series 15 on the mounting rails 2 and 3 have the same spacing. Furthermore, as has been mentioned above, the adjustment region between the joint piece 14 and the mounting rails 2 and 3 is suitably limited in such a manner that all holes of the joint piece 14 are kept open. This implies that, despite relatively large 20 vertical variations between the positions of the different components, there is always a sufficient number of openings available for accommodating the through-bolts which can preferably be employed for interconnecting mounting rails, anchorage lugs and joint pieces.

25 As has been intimated above, the balcony slab 7 proper rests on support fittings 10. Fig. 4 shows the cooperation between such a support fitting and a lower portion of a section of a mounting rail 2, 3. It will be apparent from Fig. 4 that the support fitting 10 has a vertical shank 24 which is intended for vertically adjustable cooperation with the mounting rails 2 and 3, and a

30 horizontal shank 25 which is intended for cooperation with the balcony slab 7 or the inner beam 8 disposed on the under side thereof.

The vertical shank 24 has a number, for instance three, of mutually superposed holes 26 which have a spacing which deviates from the hole 35 spacing in the lower hole series 15 of the mounting rails 2 and 3. In connection with the holes 26 and in line therewith, the vertical shank 24 is further provided with an elongate hole 27 which is also intended for cooperation with a bolt

which extends through one of the holes in the lower hole series 15 of the mounting rails 2 and 3.

If, for example, the lower hole series 15 has a hole spacing of 30 mm, it may be appropriate to cause the holes 26 in the support fitting 10 to have a hole spacing of 40 mm. In this case, a length of 25-30 mm of the elongate hole 27 may be suitable, and the distance between the upper elongate hole and the uppermost of the holes 26 may suitably amount to an integer multiple, for example 2 or 3 times the hole spacing in the lower hole series of the mounting rails 2 and 3. With this placing of the holes in the vertical shank 24, an adjustment can be effected by an adjustment step which is less than the hole spacing in the lower hole series 15.

Naturally, it is also possible to employ the same hole spacing on the support fitting 10 as in the first hole series 15, even though the adjustment step will then be larger and equal to the hole spacing.

With the above-disclosed figure examples, the relative vertical position between the mounting rails 2 and 3 and the support fitting 10 will be as illustrated in Fig. 4 when the lowermost of the holes 26 is employed together with the elongate hole 27. A height difference of approx. 10 mm between the lower edge of the support fitting and the lower end of the mounting rail 2 is indicated here by a broken line 28.

In Fig. 5, the vertical position is slightly different and, in reality, the support fitting 10 is located 10 mm lower than is the case in Fig. 4. In this instance, the centremost of the holes 26 cooperates with the next lowermost of the holes in the lower hole series 15, at the same time as the upper, elongate hole 27 is also employed.

In Fig. 6, the support fitting 10 has been lowered a further approx. 10 mm in relation to the mounting rail 2. In this case, the upper of the holes 26 and the elongate hole 27 cooperate with corresponding holes in the hole series 15. It should be emphasized that, in all adjustment positions according to Figs. 4 - 6, the support fitting 10 is connected with the mounting rail by means of two bolts. It should also be emphasized that these bolts may be common to the joint pieces 14 and the anchorage fittings 19 since the hole spacing in these is the same.

The horizontal shank of the support fitting has, in its lower edge, a substantially horizontally directed support shelf 29 which can both serve as mounting aid on laying the balcony slab 7 and as bearing aid once this has been mounted in place.

5

It is also apparent from Figs. 4 - 6 that the horizontal shank 25 of the support fitting 10 has two mutually superposed hole series 30, 31 which have the same hole spacing but which, in the horizontal direction, are offset half a spacing step. For cooperation with these hole series 30 and 31, the inner beam 8 is

I 0 provided, at its end, with a corresponding fitting with two straight superposed openings, whereby the possibility will be created for horizontal adjustment of the balcony slab 7 in relation to the support fitting 10, with an adjustment step which corresponds to half of the hole spacing in both of the hole series 30 and 31.

1 5

It will be apparent from Fig. 2 that the mounting rails 2 and 3 have an upper hole series 32 which preferably has the same hole spacing as the lower hole series 15 and which is intended for securing the upper ends of the struts 12.

0 The present invention may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended Claims.