GB2564088A

GB2564088A - Spacer apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2564088A
Application number: GB1707963.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jon Massey Christopher
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2017-05-18
Filing date: 2017-05-18
Publication date: 2019-01-09
Anticipated expiration: 2037-05-18
Also published as: GB2564088B; GB201707963D0

Abstract

The spacer member 10 includes a body that has top 12, bottom 14 and side surfaces 16. Male 24 and female 20 stacking formations are included on the respective top and bottom surfaces for connection to similar formation on stackable similar spacers/shims. The male stacking formation can break with a vertical load such that it can be located within the female formation and leaving a flat top surface of the spacer. The side surfaces of the spacer include a single male or female formation 30 for attachment to adjacent spacers with similar formations, prefereably one pair of an opposing sides of a square spacer will have male formations and the other pair of opposing sides of the spacers will have the female formations.

Description

This invention relates to spacer members and also spacer apparatus.

In the construction industry there is often a requirement to build up height shortfalls. Such applications could be for instance concrete steps or terracing to provide a uniform height or to ensure that components meet correctly. To date shims and packers have been used but these can be difficult to stack and can also readily slide off each other when stacked. Such packers are also difficult to handle and can result in serious finger entrapment.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a spacer member, the member including a body which is polygonal in plan view and has top, bottom and side surfaces, male and female stacking formations are provided respectively one on the top surface and one on the bottom surface of the body, the stacking formations being engageable with corresponding female and male formations on other such members when the spacer members are arranged one above each other, to retain the spacer members in a stack, the male stacker formation being configured such that when a predetermined vertical load is applied thereto, the male stacking formation will break and substantially cease to extend from the body, a single respective male orfemale combining formation is provided on each side of the body to facilitate engagement with adjacent such spacer members, with a male combining formation engageable in a female combining formation on an adjacent spacer member.

The male stacking formation may be provided on the top surface in use of the body, and the female formation may be provided directly therebeneath. The female formation may be in the form of an opening. The spacer member may be configured such that if the male formation breaks upon a predetermined vertical load being applied thereto, the broken male formation will locate substantially into the female stacking formation.

The female stacking formation may be in the form of an opening extending through the body, with the male formation located directly thereabove and extending above the body. The male stacking formation may be connected to the body by a connection which is significantly thinner than the thickness of the body. For instance, the body thickness may be at least 10 times the thickness of the connection, and may be at least 20 times the thickness of the connection.

The body may be rectangular in plan view, and may be substantially square in plan view. The body may have rounded comers.

The stacking formations may be provided centrally on the top and bottom surfaces of the body.

The connecting formations may have a dovetail profile in plan view. With a rectangular body a pair of male connecting formations may be provided on one pair of opposite sides of the body, with a pair of female connecting formations provided on the other opposite sides of the body. The connecting formations may be provided centrally on the sides of the body.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided spacer apparatus, the apparatus including a plurality of spacer members according to any of the preceding seven paragraphs.

The apparatus may include a plurality of spacer members of different thicknesses.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:3

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a first spacer member according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic side view of the first spacer member;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic end view of the first spacer member;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic top perspective view of the first spacer member;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic bottom perspective view of the first spacer member;

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional side view of the first spacer member in a first condition;

Fig. 7 is a similar view to Fig. 5 but in a second condition;

Fig. 8 is a top perspective view of a second spacer member according to the invention;

Fig. 9 is a top perspective view of a third spacer member according to the invention;

Fig. 10 is a top perspective view of a fourth spacer member according to the invention;

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a stack of spacer members according to the invention; and

Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a number of spacer members according to the invention combined in a formation.

Figs. 1 to 7 show a first spacer member 10 suitable for use in the construction industry for making up height shortfalls and the like and can be used with other such spacer members. The first spacer member 10 is generally square in plan view with upper and lower walls 12, 14 and side walls 16, with rounded corners 18 between the side walls 16.

The spacer member 10 comprises a main solid body 18 except for a female stacking formation 20 in the form of a central through opening 22, with a male stacking formation 24 provided directly thereabove. The male stacking formation 24 comprises a cylindrical projection 26 which stands above the body 18. The projection 26 connects to the body 18 by a relatively thin connection 28 which in this instance is around 0.5mm thick.

Combining formations 30 are provided centrally on each side of the body 18. The combining formations 30 comprise a pair of male projections 32 with a dovetail shape in plan view on one pair of opposite side walls 16 of the body 18. Female combining formations 34 are provided on the opposite pair of side walls 16 of the body 18, and are in the form of dovetail profile recesses 36 in plan view, of a size to slidingly accept the male combining formations 30, from above or below.

Figs 8, 9 and 10 show respectively second, third and fourth spacer members 38, 40, 42 which are similar to the first spacer member 10 but respectively of sequential reduced thicknesses, to enable different shortfalls to be made up, or spaces filled.

Fig. 11 shows a stack of spacer members with the respective male stacking formations 24 engaging in the respective female stacking formations 20 on the adjacent spacer member thereabove. In this instance a second spacer member 38 is provided with a third spacer member 40 thereabove, with a fourth spacer member 42 further thereabove. The male stacking formation 24 on the uppermost fourth space member 42 is still upstanding, thereby permitting further spacer members to be added to the stack if required.

Fig. 12 shows a formation of spacer members with a single first spacer member 10, attached by respective combining formations 30 to a stack of two spacer members comprising a third spacer member 40 on top of a second spacer member 38. A further fourth spacer member 42 engages with a male combining spacer member 32 on the first spacer member 10. The fourth spacer member 42 could be used for instance to move the other spacer members into position without requiring a person to place their hand within a gap, which could be hazardous. If height permits, the fourth spacer member 42 could be removed once the other spacer members are in position.

As can be seen in this instance the projections 26 of the male stacking formations 24 on the second and third spacer members 38, 40 have been depressed into the respective female stacking formation 20 provided therebeneath. The male stacking formation 24 could be broken when a load is applied in use, or could be manually broken prior to location into a required position of the spacer member or members.

Fig. 6 shows the first spacer member 10 with the cylindrical projection 26 of the male stacking formation 24 upstanding. Fig. 7 shows the position where the connection 28 between the body 18 and the projection 26 has been broken, and the projection 26 has been pushed into the central through opening 22 of the female stacking formation 20.

The spacer members in this instance are made of high impact polystyrene, but could be made of any appropriate material. Any selection of heights or spacer members can be provided to enable required shortfalls to be made up. For instance two, three and five mm thick spacer members could be provided, potentially with some thicker spacer members.

There is thus described spacer members and a spacer apparatus using a plurality of such spacer members which provide for a very flexible configuration, but which configurations are secure over a wide range of heights. The feature of the upper male stacking formation being breakable, 5 enables a flat upper surface to be provided.

It is to be realised that a wide range of other modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For instance the spacer members may have a different shape and/or size.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or 15 shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

1. A spacer member, the member including a body which is polygonal in

5 plan view and has top, bottom and side surfaces, male and female stacking formations are provided respectively one on the top surface and one on the bottom surface of the body, the stacking formations being engageable with corresponding female and male formations on other such members when the spacer members are arranged one above each other, to retain the spacer 10 members in a stack, the male stacking formation being configured such that when a predetermined vertical load is applied thereto, the male stacking formation will break and substantially cease to extend from the body, a single respective male or female combining formation is provided on each side of the body to facilitate engagement with adjacent such spacer members, with a 15 male combining formation engageable in a female combining formation on an adjacent spacer member.

2. A spacer member according to claim 1, in which the female stacking formation is in the form of an opening.

3. A spacer member according to claims 1 or 2, in which the male stacking formation is provided on the top surface in use of the body.

4. A spacer member according to claim 3, in which the female stacking 25 formation is provided directly beneath the male stacking formation.

5. A spacer member according to claim 4, in which the spacer member is configured such that if the male stacking formation breaks upon a predetermined vertical load being applied thereto, the broken male stacking

30 formation will locate substantially into the female stacking formation.

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6. A spacer member according to claim 5, in which the female stacking formation is in the form of an opening extending through the body, with the male stacking formation located directly thereabove and extending above the body.

7. A spacer member according to any of the preceding claims, in which the male stacking formation is connected to the body by a connection which is significantly thinner than the thickness of the body.

8. A spacer member according to claim 7, in which the body thickness is at least 10 times the thickness of the connection.

9. A spacer member according to claim 8, in which the body thickness is at least 20 times the thickness of the connection.

10. A spacer assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which the body is rectangular in plan view.

11. A spacer assembly according to claim 10, in which the body is substantially square in plan view.

12. A spacer member according to any of the preceding claims, in which the body has rounded corners.

13. A spacer member according to any of the preceding claims, in which the stacking formations are provided centrally on the top and bottom surfaces of the body.

14. A spacer member according to any of the preceding claims, in which the combining formations have a dovetail profile in plan view.

15. A spacer member according to any of the preceding claims, in which the combining formations may be provided centrally on the sides of the body.

16. A spacer member according to claim 10 and any claim dependent

5 thereon, which has a rectangular body in plan view, with a pair of male combining formations provided on one pair of opposite sides of the body, and a pair of female combining formations provided on the other opposite sides of the body.

10

17. Spacer apparatus, the apparatus including a plurality of spacer members according to any of the preceding claims.

18. Spacer apparatus according to claim 17, in which the apparatus qq includes a plurality of spacer members of different thicknesses.

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19. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter disclosed herein, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.