"Manufacturing process of artefact for building foundations, and artefact obtained according to said process"

The present patent application for industrial invention relates to a manufacturing process of an artefact for building foundations, and to the artefact obtained according to said process.

The peculiarities and advantages of the invention will become evident after a short description of the prior art.

For long the building sector has been making use of a metal foundation artefact consisting in a metal tubular rod, at the base of which a conical end is soldered as point, externally provided with metal spiral profile.

Of course, the conical shape of said end, in combination with the presence of said external spiral profile, allows for efficaciously driving into the ground the entire foundation artefact by means of a basically screwing operation.

Within such a traditional artefact, said tubular rod is provided on top with a flange in horizontal position that allows for stable coupling with an additional metal vertical component (basically another cylindrical tubular rod), suitably provided at the base with a corresponding back-flange.

So far, the manufacturing process of a similar foundation artefact has required the execution of the following operations:

- realization of said conical point by means of hammering starting from a metal tubular rod with circular section

- realization of a spiral conical profile starting from a steel plate

- soldering of the two aforesaid parts, after positioning said conical spiral profile on the outside of said conical point

- soldering of a metal tubular rod on top of said conical point

- soldering of a flange on top of the latter tubular rod

- final protection treatment against corrosion (either galvanic or hot treatment) of the artefact. It must be noted that, within such a situation, a further operation is necessary, consisting in soldering a corresponding back-flange at the base of the additional vertical element adapted to be fixed on top of a similar traditional foundation artefact.

A careful evaluation of a similar consolidated technology has identified some critical aspects, which are respectively:

- the need to execute a first soldering operation to assemble said conical point with the corresponding external spiral profile

- the need to execute a second soldering operation to fix said conical point, complete with spiral profile, at the base of a metal tubular rod

- the need to execute additional soldering operations to assemble said flange and back-flange, respectively to the top of said tubular rod of a similar foundation artefact and at the base of an additional vertical element adapted to be coupled and supported by the foundation artefact

- the need to submit the foundation artefact, or at least its conical point, to said anti-corrosion protection treatment.

The specific purpose of the present invention is to simplify and accelerate the manufacturing process of a foundation artefact of the aforementioned type.

The new process according to the present invention allows for avoiding the aforementioned soldering operations, as well as the aforementioned anti- corrosion treatment.

In fact, the main inventive idea of the present invention is to assemble the various components of the artefact using technologies other than soldering.

More precisely, the conical point, which is externally provided with spiral profile, is obtained as one-piece during a hot casting operation.

The stable coupling between the conical point and the lower end of the tubular rod is obtained by means of a mechanical deformation process (basically caulking). The upper end of the tubular rod is deprived of the traditional soldered flange, in favor of a bush adapted to be fixed by means of a simple set of three radial screws.

It must be noted that the screws are adapted to provide also the stable fixing of the additional vertical element adapted to be supported by the artefact of the invention, when the lower end of the first one is exactly inserted into the upper end of the tubular rod of the latter.

The presence of such a bush allows for eliminating a necessary operation according to the prior art, that is to say soldering of a back-flange at the base of said additional vertical element adapted to be fixed above the artefact of the invention.

In view of the above it can be understood that the advantage in using alternative technologies not only consists in avoiding the use of soldering operations - which is rather significant in itself - but also in allowing the realization of the conical point of the artefact with metal or non-metal materials that are intrinsically immune from corrosion.

Reference is made to cast iron or stainless steel, amongst metal materials, and nylon or similar materials, amongst non-metal materials.

Finally, it must be considered that the artefact of the invention is provided with a pair of diametrally opposite holes in which a drill rod is inserted to screw said conical point into the ground.

For purposes of clarity, the description of the invention continues with reference to the enclosed drawings, which are intended for purposes of illustration only and not in a limiting sense, wherein:

- figure 1 is an axonometric view of a first component used to obtain the artefact for building foundation of the invention;

- figure 2 is an axonometric view of a second component used to obtain the same artefact;

- figure 2A is a cross-sectional view with axial plane of the component of figure 2;

- figure 3 is an axonometric view of a third component used to obtain said artefact; - figure 3A is a cross-sectional view of figure 3 with a vertical diametral plane;

- figure 4 is an axonometric view of said artefact for building foundation in completely assembled condition, shown during coupling with a corresponding vertical element

- figure 5 shows a possible application of the artefact of the invention to support metal frames used to support photovoltaic panels.

Referring to said figures, the new manufacturing process of a foundation artefact (M) is composed of the following sequence of operational phases:

a) preparation of a cylindrical tubular rod (1 ) provided on top with a set of three holes (2) spaced by 120°, as well as, in lower position, with a pair of additional diametrally opposite holes (3);

b) casting of a conical point (4) externally provided with spiral profile (5) and provided on top with a cylindrical bulb (6) provided with a set of three basically rectangular niches (7) spaced by 120°, each of them being defined by two vertical borders (7a) converging towards the center of the bulb (6) c) insertion of said bulb (6) into the lower end of said cylindrical tubular rod

(1 )

d) execution of caulking operation in said lower end of the tubular rod (1 ), in such a way to cause the deformation and forced insertion of three vertical sections (1 a) disposed at 120° of the lower border inside said niches (7) of the bulb (6) of the conical point (4)

e) insertion outside the top of said tubular rod (1 ) of a bush (8), which is perimetrally provided with a set of three radial holes with horizontal axis (9) spaced by 120°, in such a way to be perfectly aligned with the holes (2) of said set of three holes provided towards the top of the tubular rod (1 ) f) mutual fixing of rod (1 ) and bush (8) by means of a set of three screws (V) designed to engage into said sets of three holes (2, 9) of rod (1 ) and bush (8), respectively.

It must be noted that the niches (7) have parallel direction to the longitudinal axis of the bulb (6). According to a preferred embodiment, the holes (9) of the bush (8) are made on box-shaped appendixes (9a) with basically square shape, on the internal side of which corresponding niches (9b) are generated.

Each of said niches (9b) is adapted to exactly house, following from insertion from the inside, a nut (not shown in the enclosed figures) on which the screw (V) inserted into the corresponding hole (9) is engaged.

The exact insertion of such a nut into the niche (9b) prevents rotation upon insertion of the corresponding screw (V); the stable position ensures the radial progressive forward movement of the screw (V) towards the center of the tubular rod (1 ), also using the passage section offered by the corresponding hole (2) of the latter.

In view of the above, it must be noted that the possibility of using the stable position of the nuts inserted in the niches (9b), in order to engage the screws (V) through bush (8) and tubular rod (1 ), avoids the need for making threads in correspondence of the holes (9, 2) of bush (8) and tubular rod (1 ).

Moreover, the set of three screws (V) can be also used to obtain stable fixing, inside the tubular rod (1 ), of the tubular element (10) inserted inside the same to be supported in vertical position.

It is understood that the final tightening of the screws (V) must be carried out only after the lower end of said tubular element, which basically consists in a compatible tubular rod (10), is inserted deep enough into the upper end of the rod (1 ) of the artefact of the invention (M).

Finally, with reference to the opposite pair of holes (3) obtained on the rod (1 ), it must be noted that the same can be used to insert, through the rod (1 ), a drill rod to screw the artefact of the invention (M) onto the ground.

Finally, it must be noted that if the rod (1 ) is not excessively long, it might be advantageous to obtain the rod (1 ) and conical point (4) in one cast piece.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a possible application of the artefact (M) as foundation for the support of metal frames to support photovoltaic panels; a further application may be in bathing establishments to support the post of beach umbrellas or the posts used to support metal structures covered with shade cloth.