Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connecting
system for interconnecting two elements together, and
more particularly, to a universal connector which is
securable to the end of concrete piles to interconnect
these piles end-to-end.
Description of Prior Art
It is known to interconnect concrete piles
end-to-end by securing circular end caps in the end of
the piles. At one end of the pile, a male connector cap
is provided and at its opposed end, a female connector
cap is provided. These connectors are interlocked
together by steel rods which are power driven into a
circular channel formed about the connectors when mated
with one another. A disadvantage of such connecting
system is that a power tool is required to drive the
interconnecting steel rods within these channels as the
channels have a curvature. Also, once the steel rods are
driven in the channels, it is extremely difficult to
remove the rods therefrom and, therefore, it is
time-consuming to disconnect the piles, if this is
required. Also, these steel rods can break in the
channel and make it extremely difficult then to
disconnect the piles. In such a case, it would be
necessary to cut the connectors with a torch or with
other type power tools and thereby destroying the piles.
Furthermore, with these connectors, it is necessary to
have both a female and a male type connector for each
pile and the construction is therefore more complex and
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costly and care must be taken during the construction of
each pile to make sure that the proper connector is
secured at both ends of the pile.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It is a feature of the present invention to
provide a connecting system for interconnecting two
elements together, such as concrete piles, and which
substantially overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages
of the prior art.
Another feature of the present invention is to
provide a connecting system utilizing a universal
connector plate and which may be used to connect two
objects together, such as concrete piles, concrete posts,
and any other type of object required to be supported on
an anchoring surface.
Another feature of the present invention is to
provide a connecting system for interconnecting two
elements together, end-to-end, and utilizing a universal
connector plate and wherein the plates are nested
together to form a connecting channel whereby the plates
are interlocked by straight locking bars which are
positioned in respective channels by standard hand tools
such as a hammer.
Another feature of the present invention is to
provide a connecting system for interconnecting two
concrete piles, end-to-end, and wherein the system
utilizes a universal connector plate and to which is
securable reinforcing steel rods having an enlarged
threaded securing stud at the end thereof, and further
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wherein the plates are precisely alignable with respect
to each other and provided with holes for the passage of
steel cables to prestress the concrete pile.
Another feature of the present invention is to
provide a connecting system for interconnecting two
concrete piles end-to-end and utilizing a universal
connector plate capable of forming straight locking
channels when two plates are nested together with the
channels being formed by a simple machining procedure.
Another feature of the present invention is to
provide a connecting system for interconnecting two
concrete piles end-to-end and utilizing a universal
connector plate which are interlocked together by a
straight locking bar and wherein the connector plates are
easy to interconnect together and to disconnect.
According to the above features, from a broad
aspect, the present invention provides a connecting
system for interconnecting two elements together. The
connecting system comprises at least two identical
connector plates each having an outer flat surface and at
least two opposed straight edge sections of predetermined
length. A locking groove is formed along the straight
edge sections and extends to the outer flat surface. The
locking groove has a clamping cavity and a retention
cavity therealong. A straight locking bar is slidingly
insertable in a locking channel formed by opposed locking
grooves of two of the plates when positioned in alignment
with their flat surfaces in contact and the locking
grooves aligned. The locking bar has clamping protruding
means locatable in the clamping cavities to lock the
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plates together and retention protruding means locatable
in the retention cavity to hold the retention bar in the
channel. Arresting means is provided to immovably secure
the locking bar in the locking channel.
BRIEF DESRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
A preferred embodiment of the present invention
will now be described with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective fragmented view of
the connecting system of the present invention as used
for interconnecting two concrete piles end-to-end;
FIGURE 2 is a cross-section view illustrating
the construction of the locking channel formed by two
connector plates positioned one on top of another;
FIGURE 3 is a section view showing the
configuration of the locking bar; and
FIGURE 4 is an exploded view showing the
assembly of the connecting system for interconnecting two
concrete piles end-to-end.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings, and more
particularly to Figure 1, there is shown generally at 10,
the connecting system of the present invention for
interconnecting two elements, herein concrete piles 11,
together and in an end-to-end relationship. The
connecting system comprises at least two identical
connector plates 12 and 12' each having an outer flat
surface 13 and at least two straight edge sections 14
(see Figure 4) of predetermined length. As herein shown,
the plates have a polygonal contour thereby providing
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eight straight edge sections 14. It is also conceivable
that the piles and connectors could be of triangular
cross-section.
Referring now additionally to Figures 2 to 4,
it can be seen that at least two opposed ones of the
straight edge sections 14 are provided with locking
grooves 15, four of these being shown in Figure 4 and
which are formed all along the straight edge sections 15.
As can be more clearly seen in Figure 2, these locking
grooves 15 extend to the outer flat surface 13 of the
connector plate 12.
As shown in Figure 2, the locking groove 15 is
a rectangular cross-section groove formed along the
straight edge sections 14. The groove defines a clamping
cavity 16 of rectangular cross-section and formed as an
undercut cavity which is spaced below the outer flat
surface 13 and formed in a vertical edge wall 17 of the
locking groove. Retention cavity 18, also of rectangular
cross-section, is disposed in a horizontal edge wall 19
of the locking groove.
When both plates 12 and 12' are positioned in
alignment with their flat surfaces 13 in contact with one
another and their locking grooves 14 aligned, the locking
grooves 15 formed in each of the plates 12 and 12'
thereby form a locking channel 20. In order to interlock
the plates 12 and 12' together, a straight locking bar 21
is slidingly insertable in the channel 20 from an end of
the channel.
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Referring now more specifically to Figure 3,
there is shown the cross-section configuration of the
locking bar 21. As herein shown, the locking bar is a
straight bar provided with two elongated spaced-apart
parallel ribs 22 extending along an inner wall 23 thereof
and these ribs 22 constitute clamping protrusions which
are received in the clamping cavity 16 to interlock the
plates 12 and 12' together. The locking bar 21 is also
provided with an elongated straight shoulder 24 extending
along opposed side walls 25 of the bar and extend
coextensive therewith in alignment with the longitudinal
axis of the locking bar. The bar also has a flat outer
wall 26 so that when positioned within the locking
channel 20, this wall 26 is disposed in flush alignment
with the straight wall section 27 on opposed sides of the
locking channel 20 not to cause any outer interference
with the pile.
Referring again to Figures 2 and 3, it is
pointed out that the thickness "a", "c" and "d" of the
ribs 22 is calculated to take stresses in the locking bar
due to axial load and/or the bending moment of piles
interconnected together. The distance "b", which is also
the distance between the ribs 22, is the combined
distance of the vertical edge wall 17 of two plates 12
and 12' joined together, is calculated to take stresses
in the plates due to axial load and/or the bending moment
of the interconnected piles. The locking bar 21 is
dimensioned for close friction fit within the locking
channel 20 and they are insertable therein by the use of
a hammer and accordingly no special pneumatic or electric
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tools are necessary to interconnect these connector
plates together. The plates and the locking bar are
constructed from steel material. Once the locking bar is
inserted in the locking channel 20, it is then arrested
therein by a threaded lock pin 30 which extends in a
threaded bore 31 formed in the flat outer wall 26 of the
locking bar 21 and extends therethrough. The lock pin 30
has an arresting inner end 32 to engage with a vertical
wall 17 of the locking channel 20 and is engageable by an
Allan key.
As shown more clearly in Figures 1 and 4, the
connector plates 12 and 12' are each provided with
alignment means in the form of an alignment pin 33 which
is disposed in aligning cavities 34 and 34' of opposed
connector plates 12 and 12' and centrally located in the
plates whereby these plates are perfectly aligned with
one another. In order for the locating grooves 15 to
also be aligned perfectly with one another, there is also
provided an anti-rotation means in the form of a further
pin 35 (see Figure 4) which is insertable in further
locating holes 35 and 35' provided in the outer surfaces
of both plates required to be interconnected. Thus, the
plates are perfectly positioned with respect to one
another with their locking grooves 15 aligned to form the
locking channels 20.
On the side opposite the outer flat surface 13,
herein outer side wall 36, there is provided attachment
means to secure the concrete piles and in the form of
anchoring reinforcing rods 37 which are each formed with
a securing end 38 which may be of enlarged cross-section
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and provided with a thread 39 thereabout. Accordingly,
the connecting end of the reinforcing rods 37 is not
weakened by having a reduced cross-section, if these rods
did not have an enlarged end and with threads having been
formed therein. This threaded securing end 38 is
connected to the outer side wall 36 in threaded bores 40
spaced apart circumferentially therein. The outer side
wall 36 is further provided with a plurality of bores 41
extending therethrough and which are aligned with one
another when two plates, such as plates 12 and 12', are
interconnected together whereby to permit passage for
steel cables (not shown) which are utilized to prestress
the concrete piles. A skirt 42 is welded about the
contour of the connector plates to form connector caps
for securing two opposed ends of the concrete piles. In
fact, when the piles are formed, the concrete is poured
in these caps.
Although the preferred embodiment herein
illustrates the connector plates as used in forming end
caps of concrete piles for interconnecting the piles
end-to-end, it is also within the ambit of the present
invention to utilize the connector plates to interconnect
other elements together. For example, the connector
plate 12' may be embedded in a concrete bed and the other
connector plate 12 may be secured to the bottom of a
post, such as a lamp post, to interconnect it to the bed.
With this method, the post could be easily connected and
disconnected and holes could be provided in the plates
and along the posts for the passage of electrical wiring.
Many other uses are foreseen for these connecting plates
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to interconnect elements together. The mechanical
connector can also be designed and used to support a
compression force, a tension force, and a flexural force
as well as a combination of an axial force and a flexural
force. As pointed out above, the machining of the
locking grooves 15 is simple as it extends along a linear
axis only. This provides two advantages and namely, that
the machining is limited to a small number of operations,
making the machining more expedient at a reduced cost,
and secondly, the mechanical tolerances are reduced to a
minimum (as dictated by field installation), and thereby
providing a more effective mechanical behaviour to
withstand the load. Because the locking groove is
located on the outer edge of the plates that are joined
together, it provides for a maximum resistance to a
bending moment.
It is within the ambit of the present invention
to cover any obvious modifications of a preferred
embodiment described herein, provided such modifications
fall within the scope of the appended claims.
