This invention relates to a structural joint for joining a beam to a structural member such as a pipe.

It is often necessary to join a substantially vertical structural member such as a pipe to a substantially horizontal beam, for example a universal beam, when constructing or repairing buildings. For example, a vertical support member may be used to support a beam forming a ceiling or floor for building under construction.

Known methods of joining a member to a beam involve welding a member to the beam. Alternatively, the member and the beam may be bolted together, but this involves the drilling of holes in the beam and/or the member to receive bolts. In addition, such methods are time consuming, labour intensive and therefore expensive.

According to the invention there is provided a device for joining a structural member to a beam, the device comprising: a collar portion having an open end and a base end and adapted to receive an end of the member, the base end forming a central area of a plate portion, which plate portion lies in a plane substantially at right angles to the axis of the collar portion, and at least two arms extending oppositely from the central area; and attachment means attachable to each arm for securing a beam on the plate portion.

By means of the invention a structural member such as a pipe may be joined to a beam such as a universal beam in a manner which does not require any welding and drilling.

The member may be retained within the collar in any known manner, for example by means of a screw passing through the collar and pressing against a surface of the member thus holding the member securely within the collar portion.

SUBSTITUTE SHEET {RULE 26)

Preferably, the attachment means are attachable to each arm by means of at least one hole positioned towards the end of each arm remote from the central area of the plate portion. The attachment means may thus be attached to each arm by means of a screw or bolt passing through the hole and through the attachment means. A beam may then be secured to the plate portion by means of the attachment means, in such a way that a surface of the beam is held flush against the surface of the plate portion.

Advantageously, the plate portion comprises four arms extending from the central portion and forming a cross, the centre lines of each of the arms meeting at the centre of the central area, the centre lines of opposite arms being spaced apart by substantially 180°, and the centre lines of adjacent arms being spaced apart by substantially 90°.

By having four arms extending from the base in the configuration described above, a surface of a beam may be firmly secured in position by means of the attachment means associated with each arm.

Preferably, each arm comprises two holes formed towards the end of the arm remote from the centre area. The holes are positioned such that beams having a variety of widths may be secured on the plate portion. The positioning of the holes is such that a narrow beam width may be secured by attachment means fixed to the plate portion by a first of the two holes formed in each arm. A wider beam may be secured using the second hole in each arm to secure the attachment means. The configuration of the arm is such that by turning the device through 90°, two further widths of beam may be secured.

The configuration of the arms, and the positioning of the holes thus leads to a highly versatile device capable of securing beams having any of a number of widths.

The internal cross section of the collar may be any convenient shape, for example square, rectangular, circular and it may be adapted to receive a particular structural member.

Advantageously, the device further comprises an adaptor for adapting the shape and/or dimensions of the internal cross section of the collar portion in order to be able to receive a variety of different shapes and sizes of member.

Preferably the adaptor comprises a hollow elongate member having an outer size and shape adapted to fit inside the collar portion, and having an internal cross sectional size and shape suitable for receiving any appropriate member.

Thus the adaptor may be used to allow the collar to receive members having a variety of cross sectional shapes and sizes.

Advantageously, the attachment means comprise clamps which are secured to the plate portion by means of bolts passing through the holes in the arms.

The height of the clamps above the plate portion may be varied to suit different thicknesses of beam.

A plurality of devices according to the invention may be secured to a beam at spaced apart intervals in order that a plurality of members may be joined to the beam.

Thus the device according to the invention provides a means for joining a beam to a member, for example a universal beam to a hollow pipe, without having to drill or weld either the beam or the member. The configuration of the device is such that beams having a plurality of width and thicknesses may be secured to the device. In addition, members having a plurality of cross sectional shapes and sizes may also be secured to the device.

The device according to the inventino may be made of any

suitable material, for example plastics or metal, but preferably it is made of a malleable cast iron or aluminium alloy casting.

The invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the device according to the invention showing a beam secured to the plate portion in a first position;

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the device of Figure 1 showing a beam secured to the plate portion in a second position;

Figure 3 is a schematic representation of the plate portion of the device of Figures 1 and 2 showing the configuration of the arm;

Figure 4 is a schematic representation of the plate portion of Figure 3 showing how different beam widths may be secured to the plate portion;

Figure 5 is a schematic representation showing the collar portion of the device of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing examples of two types of adaptors suitable for adapting the collar portion of Figure 5;

Figures 7 and 8 are details of the adaptors of Figure 6; Figure 9 is a three dimensional representation of the device according to the invention; and

Figure 10 is a three dimensional representation of the device according to the invention with a structural member and a universal beam in place.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 a device according to the invention for joining a beam to a member is designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The device 10 comprises a collar portion 11 adapted to receive a structural member such as a pipe 12. The collar portion 11 comprises a base end 13 which forms a central area of a plate portion 14 of the device 10. The plate portion 14 is adapted to receive a beam 15 and to secure a surface of the beam 15 flush against the surface of the plate portion 14 by means of attachment means 16. The attachment means 16 comprise clamps 16 secured to the plate portion 14 by means of bolts 17. The height of the clamps 16 above the plate portion 14 may be varied by adding or removing spacers 18 in order to accommodate different beam thicknesses. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the beam 15 of Figure 1 is secured in a first position, and the beam of Figure 2 is secured to the plate portion 14 in a second position in which the device has effectively being rotated through 90° relative to the beam.

Referring to Figure 3, the plate portion 14 of the device 10 is shown in more detail. The plate portion comprises four arms 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d, which form a cross configuration. The centre lines of each of the arms 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d will meet at a point 31 substantially at the centre of the plate portion 14. The centre lines of opposite arms 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d are 180°, whilst the angular spacing of adjacent arms 30a, 30b is 90°. Each arm 30 comprises two holes 31, 32 positioned towards an end of each arm remote from the centre portion of the plate portion 14.

Referring to Figure 4, it is shown that beams having four different widths may be secured to the plate portion 14. A beam having a first width may be secured to the plate portion 14 by attachment means 16 attached to first holes 32 in each arm 30. A second width of beam may be accommodated by positioning the beam relative to the plate portion in the same way as previously described, but attaching the attachment means by means of second holes 33. Two more widths of beam may be

secured to the plate portion 14 by effectively rotating the plate portion 14 through 90° relative to the beam and then securing the attachment means either by first holes 32 or first holes 33 as appropriate.

Referring to Figure 5, the collar portion of the device 10 is shown in more detail. The collar portion 11 is hollow, and has an internal cross sectional shape and size appropriate for receiving a particular type of structural member. Once a member is positioned within the collar 11, a bolt may be applied through hole 51 which presses against a surface of the member 12 in order to retain it within the collar 11. A base end 13 of the collar 11 forms the central portion of the plate portion 14.

Referring to Figure 6, two types of adaptor 71, 72 which are adapted to fit inside a collar portion 11 are shown. Adaptor 71 comprises a round internal cross sectional shape, and therefore effectively changes the internal cross sectional size and shape of the collar 11, in order that a structural member having a circular cross section may be received in the collar 11. Adaptor 72 has a square internal cross sectional shape which is smaller than the cross sectional shape of the collar portion 11. The adaptor 72 thus allows a structural member having a square cross section but of a smaller size than the cross sectional shape of the collar portion 11 to be retained within the collar portion. Figures 8 and 9 show further details of the shape of the adaptor 71, 72.

Figures 9 and 10 are three dimensional representations of the device according to the invention.