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STRAND, Gunnar (Landåslien 70, Bergen, N-5097, NO)
| CLAIMS 1. A coupling device (1) for joining vertical and horizontal structural parts (10, 20) for building scaffolding, covering structures, tents, storage rooms, etc. wherein the coupling device (1) comprises at least a cage arrangement (13) located on the vertical structural part ( 0) for receiving a hook means (27) located on the horizontal structural part, and a wedge body (30, 31) for being inserted into the coupling device (1), the horizontal structural part (20), in its joining area, being provided with at least a through-hole (21, 24, 25) for receiving the wedge body (30, 31), characterized in that the wedge body (30, 31) is formed with an upper main section (35) and at least a lower leg section (40) comprising, respectively, a first wedge-shaped leg (43) for being inserted between the hook means (27) and the cage arrangement ( 3) and a second impact leg (50) which, following insertion of the wedge body (30, 31), protrudes from and is accessible in a lower area of the coupling (1). 2. The coupling device (1) of claim 1 , characterized in that the upper main section (35) of the wedge body has a maximum length dimension in the upper area thereof which is parallel to the horizontal structural part (20), with said length dimension decreasing in a region below the upper surface / impact surface (36) of the wedge body, and said wedge body being formed with an inward notch (38) at the rear edge (37) thereof. 3. The coupling device (1) of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the second impact leg (50), in the lower area thereof, is provided with a transverse hole (55) relative to a longitudinal direction of the horizontal structural part. 4. The coupling device (1) of claim 1 , characterized in that the horizontal structural part (20) further comprises upper and lower horizontal structural elements (22,23) having upper and lower through-holes (24, 25), respectively, for receiving the wedge body (30, 31), with the wedge body being provided with an additional lower leg section (41) being an extension of the second impact leg (50). 5. The coupling device (1) of claim 4, characterized in that the upper horizontal structural element (22) is provided with a through pin (26) extending transversally to the longitudinal direction of the upper through-hole. 6. The coupling device (1) of any of the previous claims, characterized in that the cage arrangement(s) (13) has/have a cup- shape with an outer plane wedge surface (15) sloping / tapering inwards from the upper edge (16) towards the lower edge (17) thereof. |
STRUCTURES, TENTS, STORAGE ROOMS, ETC
The present invention relates to a coupling device for joining vertical and horizontal structural parts for building scaffolding, covering structures, tents, storage rooms, etc. wherein the coupling device comprises at least a cage arrangement located on the vertical structural part for receiving a hook means located on the horizontal structural part, and a wedge body for being inserted into the coupling device,
Currently, coupling devices for joining structural parts as mentioned above are known wherein a cage arrangement on the vertical structural part is used for receiving a hook means on the horizontal structural part. Also, structural parts, in the form of wedge element, for example, have been fastened into the connection area in order to stiffen the connection.
A problem associated with the prior art solutions is that the wedge element is a separate part which is not fixed to the coupling device or easily accessible during assembly of the coupling device.
The insertion and removal of the wedge element Into/from the coupling device may also be difficult, hence presenting a great challenge for the operator.
An object of the present invention is to provide a coupling device that is reliable and stable and provides a rigid coupling connection.
Another object is that an operator shall be able to assemble the coupling in a simple and quick manner.
A third object is that the coupling device shall not be comprised of detached structural parts. Each structural element needed shall be bound to the structural parts to be assembled so that the operator does not have to spend time locating unattached elements during assembly.
A fourth object is that it shall be possible to disassemble the coupling in a simple and quick manner. This applies in particular to the removal of the wedge element, which may often present a great challenge to the operator.
The objects of the present invention are achieved by a coupling device for joining vertical and horizontal structural parts for building scaffolding, covering structures, tents, storage rooms, etc. the coupling device comprising at least a cage arrangement located on the vertical structural part for receiving a hook means located on the horizontal structural part, and a wedge body for being inserted into the coupling device, characterized in that the horizontal structural part, in the joining area thereof, is provided with at least a through-hole for receiving the wedge body, the wedge body being formed with an upper main section and at least a lower leg section comprising, respectively, a first wedge- shaped leg for being inserted between the hook means and the cage
arrangement, and a second impact leg which, following insertion of the wedge body, protrudes from and is accessible in a lower area of the coupling.
Preferred embodiments of the coupling device are pointed out with more particularity in claims 2 through 6.
The present invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig.1 shows the joining of vertical and horizontal structural part wherein a first embodiment of a coupling device according to the present invention is used,
Fig. 2 shows the same coupling device in a bottom perspective view,
Fig. 3 shows the wedge body as employed in this first embodiment of the coupling device,
Fig. 4 shows the wedge body inserted into the horizontal structural part, as seen in a side view,
Fig. 5 shows the wedge body inserted into the horizontal structural part, as seen in a bottom view,
Fig. 6 shows the joining of vertical and horizontal structural part wherein a second embodiment of the coupling device according to the present invention is used,
Fig. 7 shows the same coupling device from another perspective, and Figs. 8A and 8B show the wedge body employed in this second
embodiment of the coupling device.
Referring to figs. 1 and fig. 2, a first embodiment of a coupling device 1 is shown used in the joining of vertical and horizontal structural parts 10, 20 for building scaffolding, for example. The vertical structural part 10 is fitted with a cage arrangement 13 for receiving a hook means 27 provided at the end of the horizontal structural part 20. A wedge body 30 is shown inserted into the coupling device 1. The wedge body 30 extends through a through-hole 21 in the horizontal structural part 20.
Now referring in particular to fig. 3, the wedge body 30 is shown in more detail. The wedge body 30 is formed with an upper main section 35 and a lower leg section 40. The upper main section 35 of the wedge body has a maximum length dimension in the upper area thereof, which is parallel to the horizontal structural part 20. Said length dimension decreases in a region below the top surface of the wedge body, which is also the impact surface 36 of the wedge body. The dimension of the wedge body decreases because the wedge body is formed with an inward notch 38 at the back edge 37. The wedge body 30 is provided with the notch 36 to enable the wedge body to be put in a so-called "resting" position by lifting the wedge body 30 and move it slightly backwards so that it may rest on the top edge of the horizontal structural part, in this case the upper boom of the scaffold railing into which it is inserted.
The lower leg section 40 of the wedge body further includes a first wedge- shaped leg 43 and a second impact leg 50, respectively. Hence, when the wedge body 30 is inserted into the coupling device 1 , which may be accomplished with a hammer blow on the upper surface or upper impact surface 36 of the upper main section, for example, the first wedge-shaped leg 43 will be driven into and jam between the hook means 27 and cage arrangement 13. After the wedge body 30 has been inserted, the second impact leg 50 will protrude from and thus be accessible in a lower area of the coupling device 1. This will hence facilitate disassembly in that the wedge body 30 may simply be blown upwards using e.g. a hammer on the lower end surface 52 of the impact leg. In the lower region thereof, the second impact leg 50 is provided with a transverse hole 55 e.g. for inserting a pin that will prevent the wedge body 30 from being disengaged from the horizontal structural part 20 when the wedge body 30 is released.
The cage arrangement(s) 13 has/have a cup-shape with an outer, plane key face 5 sloping or tapering inwards from the upper edge 16 towards the lower edge 17. Firstly, the tapered configuration of the cage arrangement will simplify the assembly/disassembly of the coupling device 1. Additionally, the tapered configuration of the outer plane wedge surface 15 and the configuration of the wedge-shaped leg 43 of the wedge body will provide a stable, reliable, and rigid connection which is also is easy to assemble.
Figs. 4 and 5 show more details of how the wedge body 1 is fitted into the horizontal structural part 20.
Referring to fig. 6, fig. 7, fig. 8A and fig. 8B, a second embodiment of the coupling device 1 is shown. In this case, the horizontal structural part 20
comprises upper and lower horizontal structural elements 22, 23 having upper and lower through-holes 24, 25, respectively. In this embodiment, a wedge body 31 has a different shape than wedge body 30. Wedge body 31 is provided with an additional lower leg section 41 which is an extension of the second impact leg 50. The function and operation of this "dual" wedge body 31 will be substantially the same as those of wedge body 30. Insertion and release of wedge body 31 will be accomplished in the same manner as for wedge body 30, i.e. through a
hammering impact on the upper impact surface 76 during assembly and a hammering impact on the lower impact leg surface 52 during disassembly.
In this second embodiment of the coupling device, the horizontal structural part 20 will be provided with a through pin 26 in upper horizontal structural part 22, with the pin 26 extending transversally to the upper longitudinal direction of the through-hole. Pin 26 will hence make sure wedge body 31 remains in place in the upper horizontal structural part 22 when it is disengaged. Due to its "dual" configuration, this second embodiment of the coupling device will provide a very reliable and stable connection which is very quickly assembled and disassembled.
Finally, it should be mentioned that the coupling device according to the present invention may have other configurations, depending on design
requirements, for example, but the unique with the solution is the shape of the wedge body 30, 31 in combination with the shape of the horizontal and vertical structural parts in the joining area.
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