EP0583611A1 - Metallic enclosure with easy installation - Google Patents

Abstract

A metallic enclosure comprising load-bearing uprights (2), cross-members (3) associable with the uprights, and intermediate elements (4) associable with the cross-members in a substantially vertical or inclined position. The intermediate elements are insertable in through holes (10) formed in the cross-members and have, along their longitudinal extension, at least two oppositely arranged shoulders (11) which are engageable, at the holes of the cross-members, so as to longitudinally lock the intermediate elements without having to weld.

Description

• The present invention relates to a metallic enclosure with easy installation.
• Known metallic enclosures are generally constituted by load-bearing uprights, driven into the ground or walled in seats specifically formed in party walls, and by cross-members, pre-assembled together with the uprights or assembled during installation, usually by resorting to spot welds. Intermediate elements are generally provided between the cross-members and have the purpose of adequately reducing the space between the cross-members and also have a decorative function. The intermediate elements are also associated with the cross-members by means of welds performed in the workshop or directly on site.
• Metallic enclosures currently in use have some drawbacks.
• In fact, due to the large number of welds required to mutually assemble the various elements composing them, these kinds of enclosure must be assembled by specialized firms or must be custom-made so as to leave to the final user only the task of fixing them to party walls or to the ground.
• Naturally, the installation of enclosures requiring a large number of welds entails long times and high costs.
• The custom manufacture of enclosures, despite avoiding the intervention of specialized personnel for installation, also entails high costs.
• A principal object of the present invention is to obviate the drawbacks described above with reference to known enclosures by providing a metallic enclosure having such a structure that it can be installed without problems even by non-specialized personnel.
• Another object of the invention is to provide an enclosure which does not require the execution of welds both during assembly and during installation.
• Another object of the invention is to provide an enclosure capable of ensuring an aesthetic result which is comparable to that of known enclosures.
• A further object of the invention is to provide a metallic enclosure which can have a low cost with respect to known enclosures.
• With these and other objects in view, there is provided, according to the present invention, a metallic enclosure comprising load-bearing uprights, cross-members which can be associated with said uprights, and intermediate elements which can be associated with said cross-members in a substantially vertical or inclined position, characterized in that said intermediate elements are insertable in through holes formed in said cross-members, said intermediate elements having, along their longitudinal extension, at least two oppositely arranged shoulders which can engage, at said holes, at least two of said cross-members which are mutually vertically spaced for the longitudinal locking of said intermediate elements.
• Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
• figure 1 is a front elevation view of the enclosure according to the invention;
• figure 2 is an enlarged and partially exploded perspective view of an upright;
• figure 3 is a perspective view of the connection of two cross-members to an intermediate element having a circular cross-section;
• figure 4 is a partially sectional perspective view of the assembly of an upright, of a cross-member and of an intermediate element having a polygonal cross-section;
• figure 5 is a partially sectional front elevation view of the enclosure according to the invention;
• figure 6 is a sectional view of figure 5, taken along the plane VI-VI;
• figure 7 is a sectional view of figure 5, taken along the plane VII-VII;
• figures 8 and 9 are longitudinal sectional views of the assembly of an intermediate element and of two cross-members;
• figure 10 is a sectional view of figure 9, taken along the plane X-X;
• figure 11 is a cutout perspective view of a portion of a cross-member at one of the through holes;
• figure 12 is a plan view of the enclosure;
• figure 13 is a sectional view of the assembly of a cross-member and of an upright, taken along a vertical plane.
• With reference to the above figures, the enclosure according to the present invention, generally designated by thereference numeral 1, comprises load-bearinguprights 2,cross-members 3 to be associated with theuprights 2, andintermediate elements 4 to be connected to thecross-members 3 in a substantially vertical position or in a variously inclined position according to the requirements.
• Theuprights 2 preferably have a tubular structure withfins 5 diverging at their lower end, suitable to be embedded in aconcrete casting 6 or otherwise rigidly fixed in the ground.
• On at least one side of their lateral surface, theuprights 2 are provided withlugs 7 connected to the body of the upright for example by welding and in whichslots 8 elongated in a horizontal direction, for supporting thecross-members 3, are formed.
• Thecross-members 3 are preferably constituted by profiled elements having a C-shaped transverse cross-section and suitable to be associated with theuprights 2 by arranging theintermediate wing 3a upwardly and the two end wings 3b downwardly. For this purpose, proximate to the longitudinal ends of thecross-members 3, on the end wings 3b, there areslots 9 elongated in a transverse direction and adapted to be superimposed on theslots 8. The mutual assembly of thecross-members 3 and of theuprights 2 can be performed by riveting or bolting at saidslots 8 and 9.
• Throughholes 10 are formed in theintermediate wing 3a of thecross-members 3, and theintermediate elements 4 are insertable therein.
• The throughholes 10 can have a circular or polygonal shape, according to the configuration of theintermediate elements 4.
• Theintermediate elements 4 have a tubular structure with a transverse cross-section which matches the shape of theholes 10, and along their longitudinal extension they are provided with at least two oppositely arranged shoulders engageable, at theholes 10, with at least twocross-members 3 which are mutually vertically spaced in order to longitudinally lock saidintermediate elements 4.
• Preferably, the shoulders of the intermediate elements are constituted byprotrusions 11 located proximate to the regions of saidintermediate elements 4 suitable to be coupled to theholes 10.
• Theprotrusions 11 are conveniently constituted by outward plastic deformations, or studs, of the walls of theintermediate elements 4.
• In the illustrated embodiment, each shoulder is constituted by fourprotrusions 11 which are mutually angularly spaced around the axis of theintermediate element 4.
• Thecross-members 3 are furthermore provided, at theholes 10, with acollar 12 surrounding each hole and extending toward the inside of the related cross-member. Thecollars 12 have such dimensions that they can be crossed by theintermediate elements 4 except for the region provided with theprotrusions 11. Furthermore, eachcollar 12 is provided withseats 13 which are mutually spaced around the axis of therelated hole 10 so as to match theprotrusions 11 and are open toward the free end of the collar so that they can receive theprotrusions 11 when the intermediate elements are inserted in theholes 10 from their side provided with thecollar 12.
• The engagement of theprotrusions 11 in theseats 13 also prevents the rotation of theintermediate elements 4, if they have a circular cross-section, about their longitudinal axis with respect to thecross-members 3.
• Conveniently, theprotrusions 11 have a circular base and can be obtained by punching theintermediate elements 4 from the inside outwardly.
• The upper end of theintermediate elements 4, as well as the upper end of theuprights 2, is closed byplugs 14 and 15.
• Installation of the enclosure according to the present invention is preferably performed as follows.
• Initially, thecross-members 3 are assembled together with theintermediate elements 4 and with theuprights 2.
• As shown particularly in figures 8 and 9, theintermediate elements 4 are inserted in theholes 10 so that for eachintermediate element 4 there is a group ofprotrusions 11, forming one shoulder and resting on the upper face of theintermediate wing 3a of across-member 3 around thehole 10, whereas the other group ofprotrusions 11, forming the other shoulder, enters theseats 13 of the collars of theother cross-member 3. In this manner, theintermediate elements 4 are locked both axially and torsionally.
• Once assembly is ended, the enclosure is fixed to the ground or to a wall by embedding the lower end of theuprights 2 in a concrete casting.
• In practice it has been observed that the enclosure according to the present invention advantageously does not require welds during installation and therefore it can be quickly installed even by non-specialized personnel.
• Furthermore, by virtue of its simple installation, it can be sold directly to the user, who can install it personally.
• In practice, the materials employed, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to the requirements and the state of the art.
• Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims (11)

1. Metallic enclosure comprising load-bearing uprights (2), cross-members (3) associable with said uprights, and intermediate elements (4) associable with said cross-members in a substantially vertical or inclined position, characterized in that said intermediate elements (4) are insertable in through holes (10) formed in said cross-members (3), said intermediate elements (4) having, along their longitudinal extension, at least two oppositely arranged shoulders (11) which can engage, at said holes (10), at least two of said cross-members (3) which are mutually vertically spaced for longitudinally locking said intermediate elements (4).
2. Metallic enclosure according to claim 1, characterized in that said shoulders are constituted by protrusions (11) formed on said intermediate elements (4) at the regions of said intermediate elements which can be coupled to said holes (10).
3. Metallic enclosure according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said protrusions (11) are constituted by plastic deformations of said intermediate elements (4).
4. Metallic enclosure according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said intermediate elements (4) have a tubular structure.
5. Metallic enclosure according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said intermediate elements (4) have a tubular structure with a polygonal cross-section.
6. Metallic enclosure according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said intermediate elements (4) have a tubular structure with a circular cross-section.
7. Metallic enclosure according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said shoulders are constituted by four protrusions (11) which are mutually angularly spaced around the axis of said intermediate elements (4), said cross-members (3) having, at said holes, a collar (12) which can be crossed by said intermediate elements (4) except for the region provided with said protrusions (11), said collar (12) having seats (13) which are arranged so as to match said protrusions (11) around the axis of the related hole (10) and are open toward the insertion side in order to receive said protrusions (11), producing the longitudinal and torsional locking of the related intermediate element (4).
8. Metallic enclosure according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said protrusions (11) have a circular base.
9. Metallic enclosure according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said uprights (2) are laterally provided with lugs (7) for fixing the longitudinal ends of said cross-members (3).
10. Metallic enclosure according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said cross-members (3) have a C-shaped transverse cross-section and are associated with said uprights (2) so that their two end wings (3a,3b) are directed downwardly.
11. Metallic enclosure according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one longitudinal end of said intermediate elements (4) is closed by a plug (14).

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