Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6454487
-
Patent Number
6,454,487
-
Date Filed
Wednesday, September 27, 200024 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, September 24, 200222 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Browne; Lynne H.
- Garcia; Ernesto
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 403 384
- 403 400
- 403 396
- 403 391
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A device for fastening elements to at least one first grating composed of wires, the device has at two essentially flat elements which are connectable to each other and clampable around the wires of the at least first grating, the elements having at least one side with side edges and ribs provided along the side edges of the at least one side of the elements and leaving corner regions of the side edges open, the ribs having sides, the sides of the ribs and the sides of the elements being placeable at least partially against the wires of the at least first grating, the at least one side of the at least one having a first raised area with a surface area that is smaller than a surface area of the at least one element, the first raised area being provided with a second raised area with a surface area that is smaller than the surface area of the first raised area, the second raised area having sides, the sides of the second raised area and the surface area of the first raised area being arranged to rest at least partially against the wires of a second grating.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention is based on a device for fastening elements to a grating comprised of wires. Usually, binding wires, sheet metal strips that can be suspended and crimped, or sheet metal elements that can be riveted are used to fasten elements, such as signs, information panels, handles, or the like, to a grating comprised of wires. These parts have the disadvantage that they must be cut to length for each use and are sometimes expensive to mount.
SUMMARY
It is therefore an object of present invention to provide a device for fastening elements to a grating comprised of wires which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.
In keeping with these objects, one feature of present invention resides, briefly stated, in the device of this type in which two essentially flat elements are provided that are connectable to each other and used to clamp around the wires of the grating.
The device according to the invention for fastening elements to grating comprised of wires, has the advantage over the prior art that it is simple to mount. It is particularly advantageous to provide at least one of the elements with projections which encompass in a form-fitting manner with the grating since the device is thus adjusted in its position. In this connection, it is particularly advantageous to provide the device with projections so that the device can be fastened to different gratings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
An exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawing and will be explained in detail below. The sole FIGURE shows a device and two symbolically depicted different gratings in a perspective, exploded view.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The FIGURE shows a device
10
which is comprised of two essentially flat elements
12
which can be connected to each other and which have a square surface area. The one side of the elements
12
, which is labeled
14
in the FIGURE, is embodied as flat and has rounded edges. On the other side, which is referred to below has the mounting side
15
, projections in the form of ribs
18
are embodied along the side edges
16
and leave the corner regions of the side edges
16
open. A square raised area
20
is formed onto the center of the mounting side
15
and has a surface area
22
that is smaller than the mounting side
15
. A second raised area
24
is formed onto the first raised area
20
and has a surface area
26
that is smaller than the surface area
22
of the first raised area
20
. The edge length of the raised area
24
advantageously corresponds to the length of the ribs
18
. In the center of the elements
12
, recesses are provided through which fastening means, not shown, can be inserted and which have the form of an oblong hole
28
. Next to the one long side of an oblong hole
28
a recess in the form of a bore
30
is embodied in the second raised area
24
. Next to the other side of the oblong hole
28
, a split pin
32
is provided on the second raised area
24
. The bore
30
and the pin
32
are embodied so that when the elements
12
are assembled, a press fit is produced.
Two first wires
34
of a mesh of a first grating
36
are symbolically depicted in the right region of an element
12
in the FIGURE and two second wires
38
of a mesh of a second grating
40
are symbolically depicted in the left region of the element
12
. The wires
34
,
38
can be embodied as straight rods or in a wavy shape of the type that is known in woven wire gratings. The wires
34
are embodied as thicker than the wires
38
and are arranged in such a way that a larger mesh widths is produced than with the wires
38
. The opposing sides
42
of the ribs
18
are spaced so that they rest against the wires
38
of the grating
36
. The height of the ribs
18
is dimensioned so that the regions of the mounting side
15
adjoining them likewise rest against the wires
34
of the grating
16
when the elements
12
are assembled. The height of the sides
44
of the second raised area
24
is dimensioned so that when the elements
12
are mounted onto a grating, the wires
38
of the second grating
40
rest against the sides
44
of the second raised area
24
and against the surface area
22
of the first raised area
20
encompassing the sides
44
. Due to this advantageous embodiment of the ribs
18
and the raised areas
20
,
24
, both the grating
36
and the grating
40
can be encompassed by the device
10
in a form-fitting manner, as a result of which the device
10
can be affixed to different gratings
36
,
40
. Moreover, both the height of the ribs
18
and the heights of the raised areas
20
,
24
are dimensioned so that they do not at first touch when the elements
12
are mounted to a grating
36
,
40
; i.e. they are less than half the thickness of a grating
36
or
40
.
In order to mount the device
10
, a first element
12
is initially held against a grating
36
,
40
so that it encompasses a mesh of the grating
36
,
40
in a form-fitting manner. Then, another element
12
is guided against the grating
36
,
40
from the other side. Finally, the two elements
12
are pressed together. Through the embodiment of the opposing bores
30
and pins
32
, the two elements
12
can be pressed together by light finger pressure in order to clamp around the wires (
34
,
38
) of the grating (
36
,
40
). Finally, another element that is not shown, for example a sign, an information panel, or a door handle, can be fasten with a screw and a nut to the device
10
and consequently to the grating
36
or
40
. By means of the above-described dimensioning of the heights of the ribs
18
and the raised areas
20
,
24
, the elements
12
are pressed together so that they touch only by means of being screwed together with a screw and a nut. As a result, manufacture-induced tolerances of the gratings
36
,
40
can be eliminated.
The device
10
for fastening elements to a grating
36
,
40
comprised of wires
34
,
38
is a simple, inexpensive component made of plastic, which can easily be mounted to different gratings
36
,
40
.
Different modifications of the device
10
are conceivable. In lieu of the bore
30
and the pin
32
, for example, continuous bores can also be provided, through which screws are guided that hold the two elements
12
together by means of nuts. It is also possible for the two elements
12
to be embodied differently. For example, a first modified element can have ribs and raised areas and a second modified element can be embodied merely as a plate with flat surfaces on both sides. In lieu of plastic, the device
10
can also be embodied, for example, as a diecast metal part and consequently can transmit higher forces. In addition to a square surface area, other surface areas are also conceivable which are respectively adapted to the different mesh forms of gratings. If higher forces are to be transmitted, modified devices can also be used which are comprised of more than two elements.
Claims
- 1. A device for fastening elements to at least one first grating composed of wires, the device comprising at least two essentially flat elements which are connectable to each other and clampable around the wires of the at least first grating, said elements having at least one side with side edges, ribs provided along said side edges and leaving corner regions of said side edges being open, said ribs having sides, said sides of said ribs and said at least one side of said elements being placeable at least partially against the wires of the at least first grating, wherein a square, first raised area is formed onto a center portion of said at least one side of at least one of said elements, said square, first raised area having a surface area that is smaller than a surface area of said at least one element, wherein a second raised area is formed onto said square, first raised area, said second raised area having a surface area that is smaller than the surface area of said first raised area, said second raised area having sides, said sides of said second raised area and said surface area of said first raised area being arranged to rest at least partially against wires of a second grating.
- 2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of said elements has projections for encompassing the at least one first grating in a form-fitting manner.
- 3. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said elements are identical.
- 4. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein one of said elements has at least one recess while the other of said elements has at least one projection formed so that said elements are connectable to each other by a press fit.
- 5. A device as defined in claim 1,wherein said elements are provided with a recess for fastening means.
- 6. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said elements are composed of plastic.
- 7. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said elements are composed of metal.
- 8. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said elements are dimensioned so that they only touch each other when pressed together by fastening means.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
198 13 568 |
Mar 1998 |
DE |
|
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
PCT/DE99/00315 |
|
WO |
00 |
Publishing Document |
Publishing Date |
Country |
Kind |
WO99/50564 |
10/7/1999 |
WO |
A |
US Referenced Citations (12)
Foreign Referenced Citations (5)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2231432 |
Nov 1990 |
DE |
297 11 673 |
Sep 1997 |
DE |
29711673 |
Oct 1997 |
DE |
2 538 868 |
Jul 1984 |
FR |
2 231 432 |
Nov 1990 |
GB |