GB2242211A

GB2242211A - Brickwork support apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2242211A
Application number: GB9023514A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Butler; Tony Buttling
Original assignee: Wincro Metal Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Wincro Metal Industries Ltd
Priority date: 1989-11-14
Filing date: 1990-10-29
Publication date: 1991-09-25
Anticipated expiration: 2010-10-29
Also published as: GB2242211B; GB9023514D0

Abstract

Apparatus for supporting the outer skin of a cavity wall includes a bracket (12) with a slot (14) for receiving a clamping bolt (20), and a wedge member (24) extending slidably through aligned slots (16) in side flanges of the bracket, the wedge member (24) acting against the clamping bolt (20) to adjust the height of the bracket. So that load applied to the bracket (12) will not tend to urge the wedge member (24) laterally, an edge of said wedge member is serrated and acts against the clamping bolt through a serrated edged washer (18) through which the clamping bolt extends. The washer may be integral with a clamping plate (28). <IMAGE>

Description

Brickwork support apparatus.

The invention relates to apparatus of the kind for supporting the brickwork or other facade forming the outer skin of a cavity wall in a inulti- storey building having a concrete or steel framed inner wall structure.

Generally, in order to support the brickwork or other facade forming the outer skin of such a cavity wall, fixing elements such as fixing bolts or studs are secured in position when constructing the inner wall structure. However, such fixing elements can never be exactly aligned horizontally and it is usual to provide apparatus of the kind to which the invention relates whereby a support plate, or a number of support plates arranged end to end, which are to carry the courses of bricks or other facade material forming the outer skin, are capable of some limited vertical adjustment to compensate for any variations in alignment of the fixing elements.

It is known for apparatus of the kind referred to above to be constituted by a horizontally extending support plate, at least one bracket secured to said support plate and having a central vertical slot and side flanges with aligned vertical slots, and a washer plate extending slidably through said aligned slots, the washer plate having an inclined slot, the arrangement being such that, in use of the apparatus, a fixing bolt can extend through the central vertical slot in the bracket and through the inclined slot in the washer plate so that the lateral adjustment of said washer plate relative to the bracket can adjust the vertical position of the bracket relative to the fixing bolt.

Such known apparatus is useful but suffers from one particular disadvantage, this being that the lateral adjustment of the washer plate is not positive. In other words, the washer plate is sometimes able to slip out of adjustment before the fixing bolt has been tightened to lock the arrangement in an adjusted position. It will also be understood that load applied to the support plate tends to urge the washer plate laterally if the fixing bolt is not secured very tightly.

The invention has for its object to at least alleviate this disadvantage.

According to the invention, there is provided apparatus of the kind for supporting the brickwork or other facade forming the outer skin of a cavity wall in a multi-storey building having a concrete or steel framed inner wall structure, the apparatus including a support plate, at least one bracket secured to said support plate and having a central vertical slot and side flanges with aligned vertical slots, a serrated edged washer adapted to overlie the central slotted part of the bracket, a serrated edged wedge member extending slidably through the aligned vertical slots in the side flanges of the bracket with the serrations of the wedge member engaging the serrations of the serrated edged washer, and a clamping washer, larger than said serrated edged washer, adapted to overlie the latter and a part of the wedge member, the arrangement being such that, in use of the apparatus, a fixing bolt can extend through the central vertical slot in the bracket and through the serrated edged washer and clamping washer so that the lateral adjustment of said serrated edged wedge member relative to the bracket, in increments of movement corresponding to the spacing of the serrations, can adjust the vertical position of the bracket relative to the fixing bolt, the wedge member being positively fixed in position when the fixing bolt has been tightened. The serrated edged washer may be a circular washer, with serrations formed around its entire circumference or around only a part of its circumference, or it may be of square shape or of some other irregular shape with serrations extending along one edge.If the serrated washer is of circular shape with serrations extending around only a part of its circumference, or if it is of square shape or some irregular shape with serrations extending along one edge, it will preferably be provided with a balance weight part arranged always to bring the serrations to an uppermost position when the washer is freely located on the fixing bolt.

In order that the invention can be fully understood and readily carried into effect, the same will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:- Figure 1 is a front view of a brickwork support apparatus embodying the invention, Figure 2 is a plan view thereof, Figure 3 is a part sectional view on the line 3-3 in Figure 1, Figure 4 is an exploded view which illustrates the component parts of the apparatus, and Figures 5 to 7 are views similar to Figure 4 which illustrate possible modifications which will be referred to.

Referring now to Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings, the brickwork support apparatus there illustrated includes a support plate 10 constituted by a length of angle section material. The apparatus also includes a bracket, generally indicated 12, welded to the support plate, as shown, or a number of such brackets welded to the support plate at intervals along its length.

The or each bracket 12 is of channel section, as shown, and extends vertically from the support plate. An upper portion of the bracket has a central vertical slot 14 and aligned slots 16,16 in its side flanges at the intersections of the side flanges with the web of the channel which, in use of the apparatus, is clamped against a concrete or steel framed inner wall structure of a buiding.

A serrated edged washer 18 is adapted to overlie the central slotted part of the bracket, as shown, on a fixing bolt 20 which is shown extending from the concrete or steel framed inner wall structure 22 and extending through the slot 14 in the bracket. A serrated edged wedge member 24 extends slidably through the aligned vertical slots i6 in the side flanges of the bracket with the serrations 26 of the wedge member engaging the serrations of the serrated edged washer 18. A clamping washer 28, larger than the serrated edged washer 18, is adapted to overlie the latter and a part of the wedge member 24, as shown. When a nut 30 has been tightened on the fixing bolt 20, the clamping washer holds the wedge member and washer 18 flat against the central part of the bracket.

The arrangement is such that, in use of the apparatus, with the nut 30 slackened off, the lateral adjustment of the serrated edged wedge member relative to the bracket, in increments of movement corresponding to the spacing of the serrations, can adjust the vertical position of the bracket relative to the fixing bolt, as shown by the chain-dotted lines in Figure 1.

During such adjustments the serrated edged washer will remain in the position in which it is shown in Figure 1, because it is located by the fixing bolt.

The nut 30 will have been slackened only slightly (or of course may not already have been tightened but will have been run some way along the fixing bolt) whereby the wedge member will be free to slide relative to the bracket without there being sufficient free movement axially of the fixing bolt for the wedge member or the serrated edged washer to be able to move one behind the other.

It will be understood that the positive adjustment of the serrated edged wedge member completely overcomes any tendency for that element to be urged laterally out of adjustment by the load applied to the support plate, so much so that even if a workman failed by inadvertence to fully tighten the nut 30, the wedge member would be very unlikely to move out of adjustment. Only if the nut was very fully slackened off could the serrated edged washer and wedge member move out of engagement by moving one behind the other and such slackness would almost certainly be observed.

Referring now to Figure 5, in the apparatus there illustrated, which is otherwise the same as that previously described, the serrated edged washer 18 and clamping washer 28 have been spot welded together. In addition, the clamping washer has been provided with a downwardly depending portion which, when the parts are loosely located on the fixing bolt, acts as a balance weight and ensures the serrated edged washer being located in the position in which it is shown in Figure 5, that is to say with the serrations uppermost and ready to engage the serrations of the wedge member 24. This facilitates the assembly of the apparatus and its subsequent adjustment.

In Figure 6 there is illustrated a further possible modification in which the serrated edged washer of quadrilateral shape in the apparatus originally described has been replaced by a serrated edged washer 32 of circular shape. With this modified form of apparatus, vertical adjustment can be effected by laterally adjusting the position of the serrated edged wedge member, this causing the washer 32 to rotate on the fixing bolt.

In Figure 7 there is illustrated an arrangement very similar to that just described except that the circular washer 32 has been replaced by a washer 34 which is serrated around only a part of its periphery. In this case the washer 34 has been spot welded to the clamping washer 28 and the latter has been provided with a downwardly depending portion acting as a balance weight. The arrangement is such that when the apparatus is first being assembled, and during its subsequent adjustment, the washer is disposed with its serrations uppermost and ready to be engaged by the serrations of the wedge member 24.

Various other modifications may be made. For example, the support plate 10 may be strengthened by the provision of one or more gusset plates welded within the angle of the section in the region of the or each bracket 12, as shown in chain-dotted lines in Figure 3. If such gusset plates are provided, some of the bricks which are laid on the support plate will need to have portions chipped away to accommodste the gusset plates.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. Apparatus of the kind for supporting the brickwork or other facade forming the outer skin of a cavity wall in a multi-storey building having a concrete or steel framed inner wall structure, the apparatus including a support plate, at least one bracket secured to said support plate and having a central vertical slot and side flanges with aligned vertical slots, a serrated edged washer adapted to overlie the central slotted part of the bracket, a serrated edged wedge member extending slidably through the aligned vertical slots in the side flanges of the bracket with the serrations of the wedge member engaging the serrations of t.le serrated edged washer, and a clamping washer, larger than said serrated edged washer, adapted to overlie the latter and a part of the wedge member, the arrangement being such that, in use of the apparatus, a fixing bolt can extend through the central vertical slot in the bracket and through the serrated edged washer and clamping washer so that the lateral adjustment of said serrated edged wedge member relative to the bracket, in increments of movement corresponding to the spacing of the serrations, can adjust the vertical position of the bracket relative to the fixing bolt, the wedge member being positively fixed in position when the fixing bolt has been tightened.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the serrated edged washer is a circular washer, with serrations formed around its entire circumference or around only a part of its circumference, or is of square shape or of some other irregular shape with serrations extending along one edge.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the serrated washer is of circular shape with serrations extending around only a part of its circumference, or is of square shape or some irregular shape with serrations extending along one edge, a balance weight part of said washer being arranged always to bring the serrations to an uppermost position when the washer is freely located on the fixing bolt.

4. Apparatus of the kind for supporting the brickwork or other facade forming the outer skin of a cavity wall in a multi-storey building having a concrete or steel framed inner wall structure, the apparatus being constructed and arranged, and adapted to be adjusted, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.