GB2129905A

GB2129905A - Set of angle brackets

Info

Publication number: GB2129905A
Application number: GB08330143A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Joseph Robinson Mcteer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-11-13
Filing date: 1983-11-11
Publication date: 1984-05-23
Also published as: GB8330143D0; GB2129905B

Abstract

Each bracket 1, 2 of a set for connecting frame members at corners of a frame 15 comprises a planar body with two convergent sides from which side flanges project, so that the body can lie on co-planar surfaces of the frame members and the side flanges can embrace side surfaces of the members at the corner. There are holes in the brackets for fixing them by e.g. screws or nails to the frame members. For coupling to a similar bracket of another frame, at least one bracket has coupling means, which may comprise a tie plate 17, 24 with holes, slots, or a hole and one or more slots for engagement with e.g. screws or nails at the brackets. One or more of the brackets may have a spike 9 for driving into the ground. Frames constructed with the brackets may be included in modules 14, 21 for fruit cages, staging, fencing or other structures of various kinds. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Set of angle brackets adapted for use in the construction of a frame This invention relates to a set of angle brackets adapted for use in the construction of a frame.

The present invention consists in a set of angle brackets adapted for securing together members of a frame at corners thereof, each bracket comprising a planar, or substantially planar, body having two convergent sides disposed at an angle corresponding to the angle of a corner of the frame, side flanges projecting from said sides normal to one surface of the body such that the body can lie against co-planar surfaces of two frame members meeting at the corner of the frame and the side flanges can embrace side surfaces of the frame members at the corner, and means whereby the bracket can be fixed to the frame members, and at least one of the brackets having coupling means whereby it is able to be coupled to a similar bracket included in another frame.

Preferably the brackets are made of metal.

Particularly for light duty use the brackets may be made from metal sheet cut and pressed to shape, the flanges of each bracket so formed being integral with the body. Alternatively the brackets may be of composite construction, for example each comprising a plate which forms the body and angle-section members fixed to the plate by one of their flanges such that their other flanges form the side flanges of the bracket.

The brackets may possibly be made of plastics or combinations of metal and plastics.

In a preferred form the brackets of the set are adapted to secure members together to form a closed-figure frame. Most commonly there will be four brackets in the set for securing members of a quadrangular frame together. There may possibly be three brackets or more than four for making up a closed-figure frame of another polygonai shape.

In a set of four of the brackets the convergent sides of the body of each bracket will generally be disposed at a right angle for securing frame members at right angles to make up a rectangular frame. The convergent sides may, however, be disposed at other angles for making up frames of rhomboidal, trapezium or other quadrangular shapes.

The means whereby the brackets can be fixed to the frame members may comprise holes for the insertion of screws, bolts, nails or like fastening elements to be engaged with, or which are attached to, the frame members. The holes may be formed in the body and the side flanges.

The coupling means may comprise a stud or like element on the or each respective bracket which engages with a slot in a tie plate which extends between the bracket and the similar bracket. The slot may be open-ended such that the tie plate hooks over the stud or like element, or be closed-ended, for example of key-hole form. The stud or like element and the tie plate may be arranged to provide close coupling of the bracket to the similar bracket which restrains the brackets from movement relative to one another, or they may be arranged to provide a coupling which allows some adjustment of distance and/or angular relationship between the brackets. A tie plate may be pivoted to the or the respective bracket and have a slot which engages with a stud or like element on the similar bracket.In another form the stud or like element may be adapted to be pressed into a socket on the other bracket to couple the brackets together. It may have a head which has frictional engagement with the socket.

The stud or like element may be on a plate which attaches to the bracket, conveniently by means of screws. As a further possibility the coupling means may comprise a tie plate which is attached to the respective bracket by a screw engaged in an internally screw-threaded hole in the bracket, and is adapted to be similarly attached to the similar bracket.

For use in the construction of a frame which is intended to be stood on the ground in use, at least one of the brackets may be provided with a locating spike for driving into the ground.

A frame constructed with the aid of a set of the brackets may have frame members of timber, metal or plastics material. The frame may form part of a module for use in the assembling of structures of various kinds. In the module the frame may be covered with a variety of materials according to the intended use of the module.

Some examples of materials are: wiremesh; chain link; expanded sheet metal; plywood; boarding; roofing felt; sheet or plate metal; polyethylene or other sheet plastics materials. A doorway or other opening may be incorporated in the module.

Modules having frames constructed with the aid of sets of brackets in accordance with the present invention may be used, for example, in assembling structures for garden and horiticultural use, for agricultural and farming use, industrial use and in connection with building work. For garden and horticultural use, for example, the modules may be used to assemble cages for the protection of plants and fruits. At present fruit is usually protected from birds either by draping netting over the fruit bushes or by enclosing the fruit in fruit cages. Netting can be difficult to apply and remove.The fruit cages are commonly large permanent structures which, apart from being unsuitable or inconvenient for some garden plots, for the greater part of the year may be serving no real purpose since the fruit needs protection from birds for only two short periods in the year, one when the young buds are forming and the other when the fruit is ripening. Temporary cage structures may be assembled from the modules which by virtue of the use of the sets of brackets may be readily erected and dismantled, so that they may be moved from crop to crop, and in that way may be in use for much longer in a year than a permanent cage. As other examples of garden and horticultural use, cloches and greenhouses may be made up from suitably covered modules and structures for containing compost, for storing crops, constructing wind breaks, and providing cover for machinery and equipment.In agriculture and farming too the modules may be used to assemble structures for the protection of machinery and equipment, and also for such applications as the storage of crops and animal food; corrailing and/or sheltering of livestock, temporary fencing generally and vermin-proof enclosures. In regard to industry and building work, modules may be assembled to form staging structures, fencing and hoardings round work in progress, and, again, storage structures for equipment, tools and materials.

These are just some examples of structures which may be assembled from the modules. It will be understood that modules constructed with the aid of sets of brackets in accordance with the invention may be used for assembling other structures, and with particular advantage in respect of those structures which are required for temporary use where ease of erection and dismantling is desirable.

As they are easy for use, brackets in accordance with the invention may be used by the do-it-yourself user for making frames. However, they may also be used by manufacturers in the production of frames of purpose-built modules for structures of various kinds. Their simplicity and ease of application may facilitate, and reduce the costs of, manufacture of such items.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1 and 2 are front and end views respectively of one form of bracket in a set of angle brackets in accordance with the invention; Figures 3 and4 are front and end views respectively of a second form of bracket in the set; Figure 5 is a top perspective view of a cage constructed from modules incorporating sets of brackets as shown in Figures 1 to 4; Figure 6 is a diagrammatic top perspective view of an elongated cage constructed from modules incorporating sets of brackets as shown in Figures 1 to4; Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of brackets of the form shown in Figures 1 and 2 illustrating how they may be coupled together;; Figure 8 is a fragmentary view of a structure in which modules incorporating sets of the brackets as shown in Figures 1 to 4 are adjustably coupled together; Figures 9 and 10 are front and end views respectively of one form of bracket in a further set of angle brackets in accordance with the invention; Figures 11 and 12 are front and end views respectively of a second form of bracket in the further set; Figures 13 and 14 are top perspective views of the brackets shown in Figures 9 and 10 and in Figures 11 and 12 respectively; Figure 15 is a front view of brackets of the form shown in Figures 9 and 10 coupled together; and Figure 16 is a plan view of brackets of the form shown in Figures 9 and 10 coupled together.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings, a set of angle brackets is shown suitable for making up a rectangular frame. There are four brackets in the set, being a pair of top brackets 1 of the form shown in Figures 1 and 2 and a pair of bottom brackets 2 of the form shown in Figures 3 and 4.

The brackets of each pair are of opposite hands but otherwise are similar.

Each top bracket 1 is pressed from a modified triangular blank of sheet metal, for example mild steel or aluminium, to form a flat body 3 in the shape of a right-angled isosceles triangle, and two side flanges 4 which project from a rear face of the body along the two equal sides of the body. The side flanges 4 meet at the right angle of the bracket. Plain holes 5 are drilled in the body and side flanges to receive screws or nails for fixing the bracket to frame members. Further plain holes 6, 7 are also drilled respectively in the body and side flanges to receive screws or nails for use in conjunction with tie plates, as will be described later with reference to Figure 5.

Each bottom bracket 2 has two components 8, 9 which are secured together. A main component 8 is substantially similar to a top bracket as described above, being pressed from a modified triangular blank of sheet metal, to form a flat body 10 in the shape of a right-angled isosceles triangle, and two side flanges 11 which project from a rear face of the body along the two equal sides. Plain holes 12 are drilled in the body and flanges to receive screws or nails for fixing the bracket to frame members. The other component 9 is shaped to form a tapering spike which is secured to and extends down from a bottom one of the side flanges 11 adjacent to the right-angle of the body.The spike 9 is of angle-section and has a flange 1 3 at its upper end extending at right angles to its length by which it is secured to the said bottom one of the side flanges 11. If desired the spike 9 may be integral with the main component 8.

The set of brackets described may be used, for example, with timber frame members which may be of square or rectangular cross-sections. For simplicity the frame members may be buttdointed at the corners of the frame. They are secured at top and bottom corners of the frame respectively by means of the top and bottom brackets. At each corner a bracket is arranged so that its body 3, 10 lies against co-planar surfaces of the two frame members meeting at the corner, and its side flanges 4, 11 embrace the surfaces of the frame members which extend at right angles to one another at the corner. Screws or nails engaged in the holes 5, 12 in the body and side flanges fix the bracket to the frame members. The spikes 9 of the bottom brackets maybe secured to said side flanges of the brackets by means of the screws or nails which are used to fix the brackets to the frame members at those side flanges.

Alternatively the spikes may be secured to the side flanges as by rivets or welding, or by bolting, if preferred.

A frame so constructed may be used in a module for use in making structures of various kinds. By way of example only, there is shown in Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings a fruit cage having side walls formed by four modules 14 each of which has a frame 1 5 constructed from timber frame members and sets of brackets as described. Each frame 1 5 is conveniently covered with wire or plastics mesh 1 6. The cage is located in a position for use by driving the spikes 9 into the ground. The modules are coupled together at the four corners of the cage by means of tie plates 1 7 acting between the top brackets 1 of the frames of adjacent modules.Each tie plate 1 7 is pivoted near one end to one of the pair of top brackets it acts between by means of a screw or nail 1 8 engaged in one of the plain holes 6 in the body 3 of the bracket and driven into the relative frame member. Towards its opposite end the tie plate has an open-ended slot 19 by means of which it hooks over a screw or nail 20 engaged in one of the plain holes 7 in the adjacent side flange 4 of the other top bracket and driven into the relative frame member of the respective frame.

Tie plates could be provided to act between the bottom brackets as well but generally they are unnecessary because the driving of the spikes into the ground locates the bottoms of the modules securely relative to one another.

The fruit cage shown in Figure 5 has a top module 21. A frame 22 of that module has its frame members connected together by a set of brackets 23 each of which is in accordance with the top bracket 1 described above. The top module 21 is coupled to the four side wall modules 14 by further tie plates 24 which act between the brackets 23 and the top brackets 1.

These tie plates 24 are similar to the other tie plates 1 7, being pivoted to some of the top brackets by screws or nails 25 engaged in others of the holes 6 in the bodies 3 of those brackets, and having open-ended slots 26 by which they hook into engagement with screws or nails 27 engaged in holes in the adjacent side flanges of the brackets 23 of the top module 21.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that just one basic form of bracket is used in the constructions of all of the modules of the fruit cage. Components are simply added to that form of bracket to provide the spikes of the bottom brackets. There may be instances where the spikes are not required and so the brackets could then ail be exactly the same throughout the structure.

Instead of the tie plates 1 7, 24 being pivoted to the brackets, they may each be formed with two open-ended slots, or key-hole slots, by which the plate can be engaged with screws, nails, studs or the like engaged with the brackets to be coupled together. For greater security between the top module brackets and those of the side wall modules of the cage, when the tie plates 24 have open-ended slots the slots may be inclined relative to the edge of the tie plate through which they open, or be of L-shape.

An elongated structure such as the fruit cage shown in Figure 6 may be constructed from modules as described by coupling modules together side-by-side. Here the tie plates 1 7 coupling the top brackets of adjacent side-by-side modules together engage with screws or nails engaged only in the holes 6 in the bodies of the brackets, as shown more clearly in Figure 7.

A further form of tie plate may be provided, as shown at 28 in Figure 8, which allows adjustment of a module relative to others to which it is coupled. Thus in regard to the cages of Figures 5 and 6 it may be used to enable the top module, or any one of the top modules, to be propped open, if required. For convenience it will be described with reference to its use with the cage of Figure 5 of which part is shown in Figure 8. The tie plate 28 is longer than those already described and has openended L-shaped slots 29 near its ends for engagement with the screws or nails 18, 27 respectively at one of the top brackets 1 of a side wall module and one of the brackets 23 of the top module. Inner limbs of the two L-shaped slots 29 are directed towards one another.There may be more than two of the slots to enable the top module to be propped open in more than one position relative to the side wall module.

Another form of the tie plate is shown at 30 in Figure 7 of the drawings which allows adjustment between modules but also is able to hold them closed together. By way of example with references to the elongated cage of Figure 6 of which part is shown in Figure 7, the tie plate may be used to allow one of the top modules to be propped open or to be held closed to a side wall module. This tie plate 30 is also elongated. It has a hole 31 near one end, an open-ended L-shaped slot 32 near the other end and a straight openended slot 33 at an intermediate part of its length which opens through the same longitudinal edge of the tie plate as the L-shaped slot 32. As shown in Figure 7, the tie plate is pivoted to a top bracket 1 of the side wall module by a screw 1 8 engaged in one of the holes 6 in the body 3.The L-shaped slot 32 can be engaged with a screw or nail engaged in one of the holes in the adjacent side flange of the relative bracket of the top module for the tie plate to prop the top module open, or the straight slot 33 can be engaged with that screw or nail for the tie plate to hold the top module closed.

Such a tie plate may be used to couple together adjacent top brackets of side-by-side modules. As an alternative to the L-shaped slot 32 there may be a further straight slot or slots which enable the tie plate to provide a range of adjustments.

The tie plates 28 and 30 which provide the adjustment, may be used in other ways. For example, they may couple together modules which are inclined together in a tent-like fashion, enable vertically standing modules to be coupled at an angle other than a right angle, or allow modules to be coupled in spaced relationship, either at angles to one another or in alignment.

Modules assembled in a tent-like fashion may be used in the garden, for example in the manner of cloches or as supports for climbing plants such as peas and beans.

In the illustrated examples of modules coupled side-by-side, the modules are all at the same level.

They may be coupled together at different levels by means of the various tie plates described, as for example when a structure is required to be assembled on a slope. Thus a tie plate acting between two adjacent modules may be attached to a bracket of one of the modules in the manners described and be engaged with a screw or nail at a lower level either on a bracket of the adjacent module or on a frame member of the adjacent module.

Reference will now be made to Figures 9 to 12 of the drawings in which are shown angle brackets of a further set suitable for making up a rectangular frame. These brackets are of heavier duty than the brackets described above. The set consists of a pair of top brackets 34 of the form shown in Figures 9 and 10, and a pair of bottom brackets 35 of the form shown in Figures 11 and 12, the brackets of each pair again being of opposite hands.

Each top bracket 34 comprises a flat body 36 of metal plate in the shape of a right-angled isosceles triangle and two similar angle-section side members 37 of metal which are welded to the rear face of the body adjacent to its equal sides. The side members 37 are welded with one of their flanges 38 flat against the body and their other flanges 39 projecting perpendicularly to the body adjacent to the equal sides. The side members meet at a mitre at the right angle of the body and project beyond the hypotenuse of the body. A screw-threaded hole 40 is formed through the body and flat flanges 38 near to the right angle, and further screw-threaded holes 41 are formed in the perpendicular flanges 39 near to the right angle. Plain holes 42 are formed through the flat flanges 38 in their end portions beyond the hypotenuse.

The bottom brackets 35 also each comprise a flat body 43 of metal plate in the shape of a rightangled isosceles triangle and two angle-section side members 44, 45 of metal which are welded to the rear face of the body in similar manner to the side members 37 of the top bracket described.

One side member 44 is substantially longer than the other side member 45. The side members are fixed to the body 43 such that they project similar distances beyond the hypotenuse of the body. The shorter side member 45 is butt-jointed to the longer side member 45 adjacent to the right angle of the body. The longer side member projects beyond the base side of the body and is tapered to form a spike 46. Plain holes 47 are formed through flat flanges 48 of the two side members at end portions thereof beyond the hypotenuse.

The set of brackets can be used to make up a rectangular frame. In Figure 1 3 one of the top brackets 34 is shown connecting two frame members 49 at a top corner of a frame, and in Figure 14 one of the bottom brackets 35 is shown connecting two frame members 49 at a bottom corner of a frame. The frame members may be of timber of basic square or rectangular sections. The top bracket is secured to the frame members by bolts 50 passed through the frame members and the plain holes 42 in the flat flanges 38 of the side members 37, and retained by nuts 51. The frame members are embraced at two adjacent sides by the flat and perpendicular flanges of the side members.Bottom bracket 35 is similariy secured to the frame members 49 by bolts 52 passed through the frame members and the plain holes 47 in the flat flanges 48 of the side members 44, 45, and retained by nuts 53. In both cases the frame members may be butt-jointed at their ends, or they may be otherwise suitably jointed together, such as by a tenon and slot mortise.

The frame so made may be included in a module which is covered with material appropriate to the intended use of the module, or it may be left uncovered so that it is of open skeletal form. In the skeletal form it may, for example, be used in the assembling of staging for building work or for storage purposes.

It will be understood that a set of four of the heavier duty top brackets 34 could be used in the construction of a frame if it is not required to have spikes.

Frames constructed with the aid of sets of the heavier duty brackets may be coupled together in structures by means of tie plates acting between adjacent top brackets. The tie plates are secured to the top brackets by means of screws which engage in plain holes in the tie plates and screw into the screw-threaded holes 40 formed through the bodies and flat flanges, or into the screwthreaded holes 41 in the perpendicular flanges, as apprnpriate. Two examples of coupling frames together are shown in Figures 1 5 and 16.In Figure 1 5 two side-by-side frames 54 and two frames 55 laid on top of them are coupled together by a single tie plate 56 which is secured by screws 57, 58 screwed respectively into the screw-threaded holes 40 of the bodies and flat flanges of the brackets of the two side-by-side frames 54, and into the screw-threaded holes 41 in the perpendicular flanges of the brackets of the two top frames 55. In Figure 1 6 two side-by-side frames 59 and a frame 60 extending at rightangles to the other two are coupled together by a tie plate 61 which is secured by screws 62 screwed into the screw-threaded holes in the perpendicular flanges of the adjacent brackets of all three frames.

The heavier duty brackets may be adapted instead, or in addition, for coupling together by means of tie plates in the manner of the firstdescribed set of brackets.

Frame members of timber have been mentioned in respect of the applications of both sets of brackets described in the forming of frames, but the brackets may also be used with frame members of metal and plastics.

Whilst cages and staging have been described and mentioned as structures which may be assembled from modules incorporating the brackets, it will be readily understood from the foregoing that both sets of brackets described may be used in the making of frames for modules for other structures as well.

Claims

1. A set of angle brackets adapted for securing together members of a frame at corners thereof, each bracket comprising a planar, or substantially planar, body having two convergent sides disposed at an angle corresponding to the angle of a corner of the frame, side flanges projecting from said sides normal to one surface of the body such that the body can lie against co-planar surfaces of two frame members meeting at the corner of the frame and the side flanges can embrace side surfaces of the frame members at the corner, and means whereby the bracket can be fixed to the frame members, and at least one of the brackets having coupling means whereby it is able to be coupled to a similar bracket included in another frame.

2. A set according to claim 1 wherein the side flanges of each bracket are integral with the body.

3. A set according to claim 1 wherein each bracket comprises a plate which forms the body and angle-section members fixed to the plate by one of their flanges such that their other flanges form the side flanges of the bracket.

4. A set according to any preceding claim wherein the brackets are adapted for securing members together to form a closed-figure frame.

5. A set according to claim 4 wherein there are four of the brackets.

6. A set according to claim 5 wherein the convergent sides of the body of each bracket are disposed at a right angle.

7. A set according to any preceding claim wherein the means whereby the brackets can be fixed to the frame members comprise holes for the insertion of screws, bolts, nails or like fastening elements to be engaged with, or which are attached to, the frame members.

8. A set according to any preceding claim wherein the coupling means comprises a stud or like element on the or each respective bracket with which a tie plate is engaged which is adapted to extend between the bracket and the similar bracket.

9. A set according to claim 8 wherein the tie plate has an open-ended slot which enables the tie plate to be hooked over the stud or like element.

10. A set according to claim 8 wherein the tie plate has a closed-ended slot which engages with the stud or like element.

11. A set according to claim 8 wherein the tie plate is pivoted to the bracket by the stud or like element, and has a slot by which it is able to be engaged with a stud or like element at the similar bracket.

12. A set according to claim 11 wherein the tie plate has a plurality of slots which are at differing distances from the pivotal connection of the tie plate to the bracket such that the relative positions of the frames including the bracket and similar bracket coupled together by the tie plate can be adjusted.

13. A set according to any of claims 1 to 7 wherein the coupling means comprises a tie plate which is secured to the bracket by a screw engaged in a screw-threaded hole in the bracket, and which is adapted to be secured by a screw to the similar bracket.

14. A set according to any of claims 1 to 7 wherein the coupling means comprises a stud or like element on the bracket which is adapted to be pressed into a socket on the similar bracket.

1 5. A set according to claim 14 wherein the stud or like element has a head which has frictional engagement with the socket.

1 6. A set according to any preceding claim wherein all the brackets are of the same form.

1 7. A set according to any of claims 1 to 1 5 wherein at least one of the brackets has a locating spike adapted for driving into the ground.

18. A set according to claim 17 wherein the spike is formed integrally with the bracket.

19. A set according to claim 17 wherein the spike is a component which is separately attached to the bracket by fastening means.

20. A set according to any of claims 17 to 1 9 wherein the spike extends from the angle of the bracket in alignment with one of the convergent sides.

21. A frame comprising a set of angle brackets as claimed in any preceding claim and frame members connected by the brackets.

22. A module which is adapted for use in the assembling of a structure and includes a frame as claimed in claim 21.

23. A set of angle brackets substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

24. A set of angle brackets substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

25. A set of angle brackets substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

26. A set of angle brackets substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 1 to 4 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.

27. A set of angle brackets substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 1 to 4 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.

28. A set of angle brackets substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 9, 10 and 13 of the accompanying drawings.

29. A set of angle brackets substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 9 to 14 of the accompanying drawings.

30. A set of angle brackets substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 9 to 1 5 of the accompanying drawings.

31. A set of angle brackets substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 9 to 14 and 1 6 of the accompanying drawings.

32. A frame substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.

33. A frame substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 1 3 and 14 of the accompanying drawings.