AMELIORATIONS PORTANT SUR LA FORMATION DE PATTES DE FIXATION

IMPROVEMENTS IN BRACKET STRIPPING

Abrégé français

L'invention concerne une feuille métallique (1) comportant des rangées d'orifices longitudinaux et orthogonaux sur toute sa surface. Ces orifices sont carrés ou en forme de losange (2), les diagonales de chaque orifice s'étendant dans des directions longitudinales et orthogonales de la feuille. On peut ainsi découper et/ou plier la feuille le long des diagonales pour former des pattes (6) de fixation ou des éléments d'assemblage, ou d'autres formes convenant à la fois pour l'usage domestique et pour la plupart des industries.

Abrégé anglais

A sheet metal (1) having rows of longitudinal and orthogonal holes across the
entire sheet. The holes are square or diamond shaped (2) with the diagonals of
each hole extending longitudinally and orthogonally of the sheet where by the
sheet may be cut and/or folded along the-diagonals to be formed into brackets
(6) or joiners or other shapes to be used in both the home and most industries.

Revendications

6
CLAIMS
1 A sheet of material suitable for the construction of a bracket, connector or
joiner, said sheet material having a least one series of shaped apertures to
facilitate
the folding or cutting of the sheet material.
2 A sheet of material as defined in claim 1 wherein the shaped apertures are
in
rows longitudinally and orthogonally of the sheet.
3 A sheet of material as defined in claim 1 or claim 2 when the material is
sheet
metal.
4 A sheet of material as defined in claim 2 wherein the shaped apertures have
an apex or point extending longitudinally and orthogonally of the sheet.
A sheet of material as defined in claim 4 wherein the shaped apertures are
square or diamond shaped.
6 A sheet of material as defined in claim 4 wherein the sheet is provided with
a series of rows of round holes positioned between the rows of shaped
apertures.
7 A method of constructing a bracket or joiner including the step of providing
a
sheet having rows of apertures extending longitudinally and orthogonally of
the
sheet, said apertures being so shaped to provide for folding and/or cutting
longitudinally and/or orthogonally of the sheet, and cutting and bending the
sheet to
form a bracket or joiner.
8 A method as defined in claim 7 wherein the shaped apertures are squares
or diamonds with the diagonals extending longitudinally and orthogonally of
the
sheet.
9 A method as defined in claim 7 wherein the sheet is provided with rows of
round attaching holes spaced between the rows of shaped apertures.
Bracket or joiner when made by the method of any one of claims 7 to 9.

Description

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IMPROVEMENTS IN BRACKET STRIPPING
This invention relates to brackets, and more particularly to the production of
brackets to suit particular requirements.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Brackets to hold, support or join various components are well known and are
available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. However a person in the field
often is confronted with a situation where a particular bracket is required.
Usually the
person would carry brackets which may normally be required in the situation in
the
field, but it is often not feasible for the person to carry a supply of every
type of
bracket which may be required in that particular situation.
Thus the person often has to try to modify an existing bracket, or to try to
obtain a
piece of sheet material and try to make a suitable bracket using the limited
tools
available. For example it is often difficult in situations such as this to
bend the sheet
material to form a right angle with the bend being a tight sharp bend. This is
particularly so when the sheet material has to be bent or folded in more than
one
plane.
Thus it is an object of this invention to provide a sheet material suitable
for making a
bracket or connecting plate or element, which bracket can be made on site or
in the
field to suit the individual requirements.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a sheet of metal suitable
for making
a bracket, the sheet being provided with at least one series of apertures to
facilitate
the making of a bracket, joiner or connecting element.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a metal sheet having at
least one
series of apertures aligned longitudinally and laterally of the sheet of
metal.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a sheet of metal
suitable for
forming at least one bracket, connector or joiner there from, said sheet of
metal

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having a series of diamond or rectangular shaped apertures therein, said
diagonals
of the apertures being longitudinal of the sheet and lateral to the sheet.
BRIEF STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION
Thus there is provided according to the invention a sheet of material suitable
for
making a bracket, connector joiner or like object, said sheet of material
including at
least one series of apertures to facilitate the construction of at least one
bracket,
connector or joiner there from.
Preferably the sheet of material is a metal sheet, but it is also intended
that it will be
made from plastic or other materials.
Preferably the series of apertures are arranged longitudinally and laterally
of the
sheet of material.
Preferably the at least one series of apertures are diamond or square in
shape.
Preferably the diamond or square apertures are arranged with the diagonals
longitudinal and lateral of the sheet to facilitate the folding and cutting of
the sheet.
Preferably there is a further series of apertures, preferably round for the
receipt of
fastening means to fasten the bracket, joiner or connector.
Also there is provided according to the invention a method of constructing a
bracket, joiner or fastener including the steps of providing a metal sheet
having at
least one series of apertures arranged longitudinally and laterally of the
sheet, and
cutting and/or folding the metal sheet along selected portions of the series
of
apertures.
Preferably the at least one series of apertures are diamond or square shaped
with
the diagonals of the apertures are longitudinal and lateral of the sheet, and
folding
and/or cutting the sheet along selected diagonals of selected apertures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order to more fully describe the invention reference will now be made to
the
accompanying drawings wherein:-

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3
Figure 1 (a),(b),(c) show in plan three examples of the sheet,
Figure 2 (a) and (b) show in perspective an example of a sheet and formed into
an angle bracket,
Figure 3 shows an example of cutting the sheet,
Figure 4 shows how the sheet can be bent,
Figure 5 illustrates a further example of bending the sheet material,
Figure 6 illustrates an example of the use of the formed bracket to attach a
beam to
the top of a post,
Figure 7 illustrates a formed channel,
Figure 8 illustrates an example of further use of the sheet material, and
Figure 9 shows the sheet material formed cut as a strip.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERED EMBODIMENT
The metal sheet is shown with a series of spaced rows of diamond shaped holes
extending along the sheet of metal. Preferably the longitudinal spacing of the
diamond holes in each row is 25mm and the spacing between the rows, with the
diamond holes extending laterally across the sheet at right angles to the rows
is
20mm, this gives the user maximum bracket size options. It is also our
intention to
produce this product with other hole spacing options. The sheets can be
produced in various lengths and widths, either flat, or as shown at an angle
either in
the centre of the sheet or along any portion of the sheet including an edge of
the
sheet.
Each of the diamond shaped holes are so arranged that one of the diagonals of
each hole extend in the longitudinal direction of the sheet and the other
diagonal
extends at right angles thereto laterally of the sheet.
The dimensions of the diamond shaped holes and the spacing between the holes
both longitudinally of the sheet and laterally of the sheet is such that the
metal sheet

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can be folded and bent along either of the diagonals by hand without the
necessity
of requiring any sophisticated tools or implements. The bending results in a
clean
sharp bend in a straight line. The bending follows the diagonals of the holes.
The diamond holes can be used to attach the bracket to the elements or
structure.
However it is preferred to provide a second series of round holes to be used
to
attach the formed bracket to elements or the structure. The second series of
holes
are round, each row of the round holes being spaced between the rows of
diamond holes both longitudinally and laterally of the sheet.
The sheet can be bent and cut to various shapes with the bends at right
angles.
However it is to be realised in some situations the sheet portion can be bent
into
angles other than at right angles to either acute or obtuse angles. The sheet
can be
bent into channel shapes, and a channel with side flanges. Thus by a
combination
of cutting and folding brackets can be shaped on site to suit a particular
situation.
The sheet can be bent by hand, and if a very tight angle is required, the bend
can
be made by using either one or two pairs of pliers.
When the sheet has to be cut, the cut is across a diagonal of the diamond or
square
holes and it is easy to cut in a straight line by following the diagonals of
successive
holes.
Figures 1 (a) (b) and (c) illustrate a sheet of material 1 having rows of
square
diamond shaped holes 2 and rows of round holes 3. The holes 2 extend across
and along the sheet 1 with the holes 3 being spaced between the rows of holes
1.
The sheet 1 can be produced in various lengths and widths, the examples 4 and
5
may be produced in these widths, or can be cut from sheet 1 by cutting with
tin
snips along the diagonals of a row of holes 2.
A perspective view of example 4 is shown in Figure 2 (a), and an example of an
angle bracket is 6 formed by folding along the diagonals of a row of holes 2.
As shown in Figure 3 the sheet material can be cut along the diagonals of the
holes
2 by tin snips 7, or easily bent by hand along the diagonals of holes 2 as per
Figures 4 and 5.

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An example of brackets to attach a beam 8 to the top of a post 9, the brackets
having a channel portion 10 to be attached to the beam 8, the base 11 of the
channel 10 continuing to the base 11 of a bracing channel 12, the base also
continuing to the base of channel 13 attached to the post 9.
5 Further examples are shown in Figure 7, a channel 14 with side flanges 14,
and
Figure 8 a further example of attaching beam 8 to post 9 by angle brackets 16
and
17. It is realised the brackets 16 and 17 could be formed as a single bracket.
Figure 9 illustrates the use of a single strip of material with turned ends 19
to form a
tie to hold an object to a supporting structure.
Thus there is provided according to the invention a means for making a bracket
on
site by the provision of a sheet material having rows of diamond shaped holes
whereby the sheet can be easily folded along the diagonals of the holes. The
diagonals of the row of holes are used to cut the material in a straight line.
Although various examples of the invention have been described it is to be
realised the sheet of material having the square of diamond shaped holes can
be
produced in any desired width and length. Also it is to be appreciated the
round
holes suitable for fastening the formed bracket to a member are not essential
to the
invention for fasteners may be used in the square or diamond shaped holes.

Dessin représentatif