The present invention relates to a mounting system for assembling a framework construction and fastening the same in a base.

In this case, framework construction means quite generally a stand construction, holder construction, bearing construction, support construction or protective construction, which consists of easily assemblable construction elements and is intended to be fastened or anchored in a base, preferably a horizontally arranged base. The framework construction can be either a three- dimensional construction or a construction of which the component construction parts are arranged in essentially the same plane.

The aim of the invention

The primary aim of the invention is to produce a new type of assembly and fastening system for "building kits" consisting mainly of tubular and bar-like construction elements for mountable framework constructions which are for example of the type indicated above and which are too bulky to be stored and transported in a finished, assembled state, or which for other reasons have to be available in an at least partially unassembled state in order to be capable of being set up in the intended place at all. An example of such a mountable kit is the construction kit for a tree protector or trunk protector which of course must be assembled from separate parts around the tree which is to be provided with the protector. Such a trunk protector usually comprises two, three or four such construction parts consisting of parallel bars or tubes.

The aim of the invention is also to produce a mounting and fastening system which is especially suitable for public environments, such as street, park and market environments in towns and communities, or general/public spaces indoors, for example in waiting

rooms, schools, sports facilities and other areas to which the general public has access and where there is a requirement for robust constructions which can withstand a certain degree of wear and tear and which are securely anchored or fastened so that they cannot without considerable difficulty be removed from their intended place when they have carefully been mounted and anchored there.

The mounting system must therefore make possible secure fastening of the actual framework construction consisting of a number of assembled construction parts.

A further aim of the invention is to offer a mounting system which makes possible assembly and fastening or anchoring of the actual construction using a minimum of special fastening and anchoring members, and without special tools or special mounting equipment being required to this end.

Yet another aim of the invention is that the assembly forces and locking forces necessary for the mutual assembly and secure fastening in the base of the construction elements constituting the construction are mainly to be brought about through mutual prestressing of the construction elements. This prestressing is then to be a result of appropriate dimensioning and design of the construction elements so that the assembly of the construction means that at least some of the elements included in it have to be bent or forced with given external force to assume their mutual fixing positions or locking-together positions in order that the assembly and fastening can be effected.

Description of the invention

The abovementioned aims can be achieved quite generally in a practical and cost-effective manner according to the invention by virtue of the system comprising two or more fastening sleeves, which form part of the base, for receiving one fastening part each of the framework construction. This framework construction comprises on the one hand at least two tubular or bar-

like construction elements with fastening parts in the form of pin-like end parts intended to be inserted in fastening sleeves of the base, and on the other hand connection elements which assemble these construction elements with mutual prestressing and thus lock them mutually and in the base and which are arranged at a distance from the fastening end parts of the construction elements.

The base for such a mounting system can for example be a metal construction with integrated fastening sleeves, or the base can also at least partly consist of a concrete construction with fastening sleeves preferably made of metal material embedded therein.

In particular when the mounting system is for a trunk or tree protector, the base expediently consists of a preferably horizontally arranged ground grating or the like with at least three fastening sleeves distributed in the circumferential direction with preferably slightly conical continuous fastening holes towards the ends for the fastening parts of the construction elements. The construction elements then comprise a number of fastening legs, corresponding to the number of fastening sleeves, for a three-dimensional stand or protective construction with vertical bars or tubular construction elements mutually connected by horizontal arched or annular support parts. The lower end parts of the fastening legs then constitute the fastening parts and their upper end parts are assembled by connection elements which are horizontal support bars or support arches with transverse end sleeves which can be pushed onto the upper end parts of the legs. Above the end sleeves, vertical bars, which form part of the protective construction and for example protect the actual tree trunk against collision damage which can occur as a result of for example a tailboard edge of a reversing vehicle, are then mounted on the upper parts of the legs.

A particularly appropriate embodiment of such a mounting system for a trunk or tree protector expediently has a ground grating which is provided with four

fastening sleeves distributed evenly in the circum¬ ferential direction, each of the four fastening legs comprising an essentially straight intermediate part with angled, mutually at least approximately parallel-directed end parts which constitute the fastening parts which are inserted in the continuous fastening holes of the fastening sleeves. The vertical bars are then, in the region of their upper ends, mutually connected by an upper set of transverse, preferably arched support bars with transverse end sleeves which can be assembled coaxially with the upper ends of the vertical bars.

For aesthetic reasons and in order further to improve the protection and stability of the actual trunk protector, the upper ends of the vertical bars can be connected in pairs by arched and/or U-shaped bows with tubular end parts which can be assembled coaxially with the upper ends of the bars or the end sleeves connected thereto, of support bars in the upper set of transverse support bars. The base which forms the ground grating is expediently a metal plate composed of a number of plate- shaped grating parts situated in the same plane, with a central opening for the tree trunk which is protected by the construction. This composite metal plate also has a large number of preferably oblong continuous grating openings in each grating part, and the fastening sleeves are sleeve parts integrated in these grating parts, the continuous fastening holes of which preferably have an axial length which is greater than the material thickness of the grating part in which the respective sleeve parts are included. With sleeve parts which are made in this manner, a more rigid fastening of the fastening legs of the mounting system is obtained.

When the mounting system comprises four fastening legs and/or when the ground grating does not lie completely in the desired plane or when for example the tree of which the trunk is to be surrounded by the trunk protector does not grow vertically in relation to the ground grating, it may be expedient that the fastening

legs are positionally adjustable in relation to the base/ground, grating.

This can be achieved by the fastening end parts of the fastening legs which can be inserted into the fastening sleeves being made as threaded fastening pins, on which are screwably received projecting members, e.g. nuts, which can be screwed until bearing against the upper end surfaces of the fastening sleeves. This affords the possibility of positional adjustment of the legs in relation to the base.

From inter alia the aesthetic point of view, it may be preferable that the connection elements at the upper end parts of the fastening legs are arranged in a common plane and that the support bars at the upper ends of the vertical bars are likewise arranged in a common plane.

Although the more special embodiments of the mounting system according to the invention which have been indicated above are intended for free-standing tree protection, it nevertheless applies for the invention in its general form that it may just as easily be a trunk protector of a wall protection model or any other support or holding construction, for example a park bench of which the end parts are anchored in a ground base according to the general principles of the invention or a table construction in which the table legs constitute the fastening legs fastened in a base.

Brief description of the associated drawings

The invention will now be described and further clarified below with reference to exemplary embodiments shown in the attached drawings of a mounting system in the form of a vertically upright trunk protector mounted around a tree.

In the figures of the drawings: Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically and partly in section a tree pit with a box-shaped foundation, surrounding the root system, for a ground grating;

Fig. 2 shows, on a larger scale, a conventional

trunk protector which can be mounted around the tree and fastened in the central opening in the ground grating according to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows in vertical projection and partial vertical section a trunk protector, with associated base, made as a mounting system according to the invention;.

Fig. 4 shows the trunk protector according to Fig. 3 in horizontal projection seen from above;

Fig. 5 shows, on a larger scale than Figs 3-4, one of the fastening legs and its receiving fastening sleeve according to Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 shows one of the horizontally arranged support arches for the mounting system according to Fig. 3; Fig. 7 shows in a view corresponding to Fig. 3 a trunk protector made slightly differently;

Fig. 8 shows the trunk protector according to Fig. 7 in horizontal projection seen from above, and

Fig. 9 shows finally, on a larger scale than Figs 7-8, one of the fastening legs and its receiving fastening sleeve according to Fig. 7.

Description of an exemplary embodiment

In Fig. 1, with reference to known technology, a tree pit in which the root system of a tree 2 is surrounded by a square concrete foundation assembled from four uniform concrete parts 4, on which a four-part ground grating 6 rests, of which only a quarter is shown in the intended mounting position on the concrete foundation, while the remaining three quarters of the ground grating are shown in a raised position above the tree pit. When the ground grating 6 is complete and rests on the concrete foundation, it leaves a round opening 8 around the trunk 10 of the tree 2 in a conventional manner. In the round ground grating opening 8, it is possible to mount around the tree a trunk protector 12 which surrounds the trunk 10 and is then expediently anchored at the bottom in the ground grating 6 with

anchoring bows (not shown here) . The trunk protector 12 is delivered to the tree pit in the form of two or three separate main parts. On assembly of the trunk protector around the tree trunk, these trunk protector parts are fixed together to form a complete trunk protector by means of screw connections or other types of fastening members.

Reference is now made to Figs 3-6 which show a trunk protector 12, made according to the invention as a mounting system, with an associated base made as a ground grating 6. The mounting system allows assembly of the trunk protector 12 made as a framework construction and fastening of the same in the base or ground grating 6.

The mounting system comprises in this case four fastening sleeves 14, which form part of a base made as a ground grating 6, each for receiving a vertically directed fastening part 16 of the framework construction made as a trunk protector 12. This framework construction is in this case composed of inter alia four tubular construction elements 18, the pin-like end parts 16 of which constitute the fastening parts of the framework construction.

The construction elements 18 comprise, in the embodiment shown, four fastening legs 20 which interact with the fastening sleeves 14 and the lower pin-like end parts constitute the fastening parts 16. The upper end parts 22 of the fastening legs 20 are interconnected in pairs by connection elements in the form of horizontal support bars or support arches 24, 26, 28 and 30. These support arches are at their ends provided with transverse end sleeves 32 which can be pushed onto the upper end parts 22 of the legs. In the regions above the coaxial end sleeves 32 which are connected axially to one another in pairs, there are vertical bars or tubular construction elements 34 which are mounted on the upper end parts of the legs 20 and form part of the trunk protective construction 12.

The upper ends of these vertical bars 34 are mutually connected in pairs by an upper set of

transverse, preferably arched support bars 36, 38, 40, 42 with transverse end sleeves 44, which can be interconnected coaxially with the upper ends of the vertical bars 34 via connection pins 46 fastened in the upper ends of these.

The upper ends of the vertical bars 34 are moreover connected in pairs by arched and/or U-shaped bows 48 with tubular end parts 50 which are coaxially interconnectable with the end sleeves 44 via the connection pins 46 inserted in the bars 34.

Reference is now made to Fig. 5 which shows on a larger scale one of the fastening legs 20 and its fastening part 16 received in the fastening sleeve 14.

In the embodiment shown in Figs 3 and 5, the base made as a ground grating 6 is a metal construction with fastening sleeves 14 integrated in it. As far as the invention is concerned, however, the base does not have to be a metal construction. It is equally conceivable that the base be at least partially a concrete construction with fastening sleeves preferably made of metal material embedded therein.

In the case shown, however, the base is considered to be a horizontally arranged ground grating made of metal. As can be seen clearly from Fig. 5, the fastening sleeves 14 are provided with continuous fastening holes 52 which widen slightly conically in a downward direction. The conical shape of the holes allows the introduction of the fastening parts 16 of the legs 20 and also allows the lateral bending of the legs which is required in order to produce the prestress of the construction elements 18 which are made as legs 20, which is required for the effective interconnection of the elements and locking in the base 6 with the aid of the connection elements 24, 26, 28 and 30. As can be seen from Fig. 5, each fastening, leg 20 comprises an essentially straight intermediate part 54 with angled, mutually at least approximately parallel- directed end parts 16 and 22. In Fig. 5, the fastening leg 20 is shown with a dot-dash contour line 20'

corresponding to the unstressed position of the leg in the unprestressed state, and respectively with a solid contour line 20" corresponding to the position which the leg adopts in its prestressed state when it is clamped and fixed between on one side the fastening sleeve 14 and on the other side (at the top in Fig. 5) the connecting end sleeves 32 of the support arches 24 and 30.

Reference is made finally to Fig. 1 which shows how a ground grating for the mounting system according to the invention, in a manner previously known per se, can consist of for example four plate-shaped grating parts situated in the same plane which when joined together form a metal plate with the central opening 8. In each grating part, there is a large number of preferably oblong, continuous grating openings 56 and 56' . As can best be seen from Fig. 5, the sleeve parts 14 integrated in the grating parts are dimensioned in such a manner that their continuous fastening holes 52 have an axial length L which is greater than the material thickness t of the grating part of which the sleeve part 14 forms part. A stronger fastening is thus ensured which is capable of absorbing a greater prestressing fastening bending moment than would otherwise be possible.

Lastly, with reference to Figs 7-9, an alternative embodiment is shown of a mounting system according to the invention made as a trunk protector. The parts of this embodiment which correspond to the embodiment shown in Figs 3-4 have been given the same references as in these figures. The differences between the embodiments according to Figs 7-9 and 3-5 respectively relate to three areas of the mounting system (the trunk protector) , namely its uppermost, terminating parts, the fastening parts of the fastening legs with associated fastening sleeves and also the design/positioning of the connection elements and the support bars at the upper end parts of the legs or at the upper ends of the vertical bars.

In this case, the upper ends of the vertical bars 34 are not connected by arched/U-shaped bows, but each

bar 34 is provided with a vertical terminating part 60, at the upper end of which a ball-shaped knob 62 is fastened.

Furthermore, the connection elements 24', 26', 28', 30' at the upper end parts of the fastening legs 20 are situated in a common plame and the same applies for the support bars 36', 38', 40', 42' at the upper ends of the vertical bars 34. This mutual positioning of the connection elements and the support bars respectively has been achieved by the associated end sleeves 32' and 44' respectively having been made in such a manner as can be seen from Fig. 7, i.e. with mutually complementary joint parts. The sleeves 32' rest on stop rings 66 which are firmly welded to the upper end parts of the legs 20. As an example of such joinable sleeves, L-shaped joints are shown at the end sleeves 44' and angle-cut joints respectively at the sleeves 32'. It is of course instead possible to use other sleeve designs with mutually complementary joint parts. As can be seen from Fig. 9, the end parts 16' of the fastening legs 20 inserted into the fastening sleeves 14' are in this case made as threaded fastening pins, on which there are screwably received adjusting nuts 64 which make possible separate positional adjustment of each leg 20 in relation to its associated sleeve 14' which in this case has a continuous fastening hole 52' which widens conically both upwardly and downwardly. With this hole design, insertion of the end parts 16' in the holes 52' and also the mutual prestressing of the legs 20, which requires inclination of the end parts 16' in the holes 52', are facilitated.