GB2147196A - Support bar - Google Patents

Abstract

A support bar 20 is disclosed for use in a structure comprising a panel 9 with longitudinal grooves formed adjacent opposite parallel edges of the panel by edge members 8 of the panel. The support bar comprises a metal part of uniform I cross- section providing a central web 22, and, on opposite sides of the web 22, respective channels with restricted mouths. At each end, the bar 20 carries a resilient hook formation 25, of wire engageable in a respective groove at the respective end of the panel to hold the bar 20 on the panel. The outer channel of the bar 20 may receive a channel-section cover (30, Fig. 4) which with the bar 20 forms a length of trunking for electrical cables. One of the hook formations may be movable longitudinally of the bar by a cam and lever arrangement (102, 104, Fig.5) to clamp the support bar to a panel. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Support Bar This invention relates to a support bar for a structure of the kind comprising at least one panel with parallel opposite edges. The invention is of particular, but not exclusive applicability to a temporary structure, for example for displays at exhibitions and the like, comprising a plurality of vertical panels interconnected along adjoining edges, such as a structure ofthe kind disclosed in our co-pending Patent Application No. 8226563.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a support bar by means of which ancillary fittings or members may be secured to such a structure.

According to the invention there is provided a support bar for a structure of the kind comprising at least one panel with parallel opposite edges or parallel spaced-apart grooves, the support bar comprising an elongate major part providing a surface or surfaces for engagement with a major surface of such a panel and carrying, at either end thereof, a respective hook formation shaped for engagement with a said edge or in a said groove whilst said surface or surfaces of the elongate member engage said major surface of the panel, the support bar having, on its side opposite said surface or surfaces thereof for engagement with such a panel a formation for engagement with an attachment or fitting to be secured to the support bar.

Preferably, at least one said hook formation is mounted for movement relative to the elongate member between a first position relatively remote from the other hook formation and a second position, nearer the other hook formation, in which it can engage the opposite edge or other said groove of such a panel whilst said surface or surfaces of the elongate member engage said major surface of the panel, means being provided on the bar for locking said one hook formation in said second position thereof.

The invention also includes within its scope, the combination of a structure of the kind comprising at least one panel with parallel opposite edges or parallel spaced-apart grooves and a support bar according to the above-noted aspect of the invention, secured to said panel by means of said hook formations engaging said opposite edges or grooves thereof, and engaging, by said surfaces thereof, one of the major surfaces of the panel.

The support bar may be used in combination with an elongate housing detachably secured to said elongate part and defining therewith trunking for electrical cable extending therealong.

An embodiment of the invention is described below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a fragmented perspective view showing a structure, incorporating panels and having attached thereto a support embodying the invention, Figure 2 is a fragmentary view, in horizontal section, showing the mounting of the support bar to the panel, Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing one end of the support bar, with a plastics moulding secured thereto to define cable trunking, Figure 4 is a view in section of the cable trunking shown in Fig. 3, looking towards the end shown in Figure 4, Figure 5 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of the end of the support bar opposite to that shown in Figure 3 and, Figure 6 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a structure incorporating pivotally interconnected panels and a support bar embodying the invention.

Referring to the drawings, a structure, for example forming part of a display at an exhibition or the like, and substantially as described in our copending Patent Application No.8226563 comprises a plurality of generally rectangular flat panels arranged vertically and pivotally connected along adjacent vertical edges thereof by means of gear-like inter-meshing edge members. For a more detailed description of the nature of these edge members, reference should be had to our copending Patent Application No.8226563.

Each edge number comprises a metal support part on which is clipped a plastics cover part affording elongate gear teeth. For ease of illustration, only the metal support parts are shown in Figure 2.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the metal part of each said edge member 8 includes a portion, secured to the respective vertical edge face of the respective panel which portion provides, in horizontal section, a central web 10 providing the innermost surfaces of two channel-like slots 12 providing respective openings on respective surfaces 14 which form continuations of the respective major faces 7 and 8 of the panel. As shown in Fig. 2, the side wall, facing away from the body of the panel, of each said channel 12 is formed with a groove 16 adjacent the mouth of the channel.

A relatively thin wall 17, provides, by its outer face, part of the face 14, and provides, by its inner face one side of the groove 16.

As shown in Figures 1 and 5, one or more of the panels 9 has secured thereto, extending horizontally across one of its major faces, a respective support bar 20, extending from one vertical edge of the panel to the other.

As best shown in Fig. 4, the support bar 20 comprises an elongate member of uniform crosssection, for example a length cut from an aluminium extrusion. The cross-sectional form of the bar 20 is that of a "I" with a central web 22 providing the upright of the "I" and perpendicular webs 21 providing the cross members of the "I". Each of the last mentioned webs 21 bears, at each of its edges remote from the web 22, a respective flange 24 extending from the respective web 21, parallel with the web 22, towards the opposite web 21, but stopping short of the opposite flange 24 so that there is defined between the free edges of the flanges 24 on either side of the web 22 a respective rectangular channel with a restricted mouth.The support bar 20 is secured to the respective panel with the outwardly directed surfaces of the flanges 24 on one side of the web 22 lying against the respective major face of the panel.

The support bar is held in position on the panel by means of hook formations 25, 26 at either end thereof. As viewed in plan (Fig. 2) each hook formation includes a portion 25a, 26a extending from the respective end of the bar generally perpendicular to the plane of the major faces of the respective panel, the portion 25a, 26a extending through the mouth of the respective channel 12 into the channel, and an end portion 25b, within the respective channel, extending approximately parallel with the last-noted plane into the respective groove 16.

As shown in Fig. 3, the hook formation 25 may take the form of a closed rectangular loop of steel wire comprising two straight vertical portions 25c and 25d, parallel with one another, the portion 25c affording the free "end" of the respective hook portion which engages in the respective groove 16 and the other vertical portion being trapped between the web 22 and a washer 27 riveted to the web portion 22. The two vertical portions are connected at their ends by respective lengths of wire bent into U-shape to define the portions 25a and 25b visible in Figure 2. The hook formation 26 is similarly formed of steel wire, the portions 26a to 26dthereof corresponding to the portions 25a to 25d of the formation 25.The hook formation 26 is arranged to be movable, in the longitudinal direction of the bar 20, by means of a cam and lever arrangement, 102, 104 (see Figure 5) between a first position in which the spacing between the two hook formations is sufficientiy great two allow the two hook formations to be inserted in the respective channels 12 atthe opposite vertical edges of the panel and a second position, in which the two hookformations are closertogether, sufficiently close, in fact, to clamp the panel, between its edges, between the hook formations and to prevent withdrawal of the two hook formations from the respective channels 12, the hook formations being so resilientiy distorted, in said second position, when engaged with the edge members, that a constant clamping force is exerted by the hook formations on the edge members.

Referring in more detail to Figure 5 the cam and lever arrangement is pivotally mounted in a circular aperture 90 cut in the web portion 22 of the bar 20.

The arrangement comprises a plug 102, of plastics, inserted through the aperture 90 from the side of the web 22 remote from the hook formation 26 and a lever 104, also of plastics, applied from the other side of the web 22 and engaged, as a snap fit, over the portion of the plug 102 which projects through the aperture 90. The plug 102 has an enlarged head (see Figure 1) which engages the web 22, around the aperture 90, on the face of the web remote from the lever 104 to prevent the plug pulling through the aperture 90 and a stem extending through the aperture 90. The lever 104 has portions 106,108 providing faces which engage the adjoining face of the web 22, the remainder of the lever 104 being spaced outwardly from the plane of the adjoining face of web 22.The stem of the plug 9 is completely cylindrical, externally, only over a portion, immediately adjacent the head, which is of axial length substantially equal to the thickness of web 22, to provide a journal portion for which the periphery of aperture 90 acts as a bearing. The remainder of the stem of the plug is externally of the part cylindrical form shown in section in Figure 5.

The portion 25dof hook formation 26 is held captive on the one hand between the web 22 and an opposing face of the lever 104 and, on the other hand, between portion 106 and the part-cylindrical portion of the stem of plug 102.

The part-cylindrical portion of the stem of plug 102 forms a cam acting on the portion 26d. In the position of the lever 104 shown in Figure 5, the portion 26d is on the highest part of the cam and the hook formation 26 is in said second position, whilst movement of the lever 104 anti-clockwise as viewed in Figure 5 allows the portion 26dto move onto the low part of the cam to allow movement of hook formation 26 to said first position thereof. The major part of the lever 104, from adjacent the plug 102 to an end formation 110, is set back sufficiently from the web 22 to allow the lever to clear the adjacent flange 24 of the bar during pivotal movement of the lever. In the position of the lever shown in Figure 5, only the end formation 110 projects below the bar 20.

In a variant, the hook formation at each end of the bar 20 may be a loop of resilient steel wire fixed to the bar in the manner shown in Figure 3, with either the hook formations and/orthe respective channels 12 in the edge members being so formed that the hook formations will flex apart resiliently when the bar 20 is pushed into place on the panel, to enterthe channels and snap resiliently into place when the bar 20 is in full engagement with the panel, and that the bar can be detached from the panel in a like manner. Alternatively, with fixed, resilient hook formations at either end of the bar, these may simply be slid into the respective channels 12 from the respective ends thereof as the bar 20 is slid over the upper or lower end of the panel to the desired position.

As shown in Fig. 3 and 4, the member 20 may be used in conjunction with a channel-section cover 30, for example of plastics material, to provide trunking for electrical cables etc., the open side of the channel section cover facing the web 22. The cover 30, as shown in Figure 4, is, in cross-section, ~ substantially in the form of a rectangular channe with a base 31 and with the side walls 29 of the channel having, at their edges remote from the channel base 31, outwardly turned flanges 32 which engage under the flanges 24 on the side of the bar 20 remote from the panel to which the bar is secured. For insulation purposes and to take up any play between, on the one hand, the flanges 32 and, on the other hand, the web 22 and opposing flanges 24, a strip 34 of insulating material may be interposed between the base 22 and the flanges 32.

Conveniently, the trunking incorporates, in addition to cable, sundry electrical fitments such as multiway plugs and sockets, and these may be secured to the strip 34.

The channel member 30 may simply be of the cross-section shown in Fig. 4 throughout its entire length, being severed at right angles to its length at either end thereof. Alternatively, however, each cover 30 may have an end formation at either end thereof, so that the trunking is effectively closed at either end except for a relatively narrow gap 35 adjacent the web 22 for the electrical cables to pass through.In the arrangement shown in Fig. 3, the cover 30 terminates in a sloping end wall 36, inclined at substantially 45" to the longitudinal dimension of the cover, this arrangement enabling two similar lengths of trunking with a common cable or common set of cables running therethrough, to be disposed at the same level on one side of two panels which are joined along adjacent vertical edges thereof and are at an angle of between 180 and 90 with respect to each other.

Where the panels are disposed at 90 with respect to each other, of course, the adjacent faces 36 of the adjacent trunking covers may engage one another after the manner of a mitre joint.

Whilst the support bar has been described in the drawings as applied to cable trunking, it will be appreciated that the bar may be used to support various ancillary fittings, such as shelf brackets or the like, extending generally perpendicularly from the major face of the panel to which the support bar is fitted.

Whilst in the arrangement illustrated, the hook formations 25 and 26 are engaged in grooves 12 provided in fittings secured to the edges of the panel, it will be appreciated that where, for example, no such fittings are provided, the hook formations 25 and 26 may extend either wholly around the respective opposite vertical edges of the panel, to extend partly over the major face of the panel remote from that engaged by the bar 20, or may extend partly around the respective opposite vertical edges of the panel into vertical grooves formed in the respective edge faces of the panel.

Claims (8)

1. A support bar for a structure of the kind comprising at least one panel with parallel opposite edges, or parallel spaced-apart grooves, the support bar comprising an elongate major part providing a surface or surfaces for engagement with a major surface of such a panel and carrying, at either end thereof, a respective hook formation shaped for engagement with a said edge or in a said groove whilst said surface or surfaces of the elongate member engage said major surface of the panel the support bar having, on its side opposite said surface or surfaces thereof for engagement with such a panel, a formation for engagement with an attachment or fitting to be secured to the support bar.

2. A support bar according to claim 1 wherein at least one said hook formation is mounted for movement relative to the elongate member between a first position relatively remote from the other hook formation and a second position, nearer the other hook formation, in which it can engage the opposite edge or other said groove of such a panel whilst said surface or surfaces of the elongate member engage said major surface of the panel, means being provided in the bar for locking said one hook formation in said second position thereof.

3. A support bar according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said elongate major part is a length of material of generally "l"-shaped constant crosssection, with the flanges affording of the crossmembers of the "I" bearing, at their edges remote from a central web affording the upright of the"l", further flanges each extending, parallel with the central web, from the cross-member with which it is united, towards the opposite cross-member, so as to define, on each side of said central web, a respective channel with a restricted mouth, said further flanges on one side of the elongate part providing, on their outer sides, said surfaces for engagement with a said panel.

4. A support bar according to claim 3 in combination with a channel-section cover having its open side fitted to said bar on the side thereof remote from that intended for engagement with said panel, whereby said support bar and said cover together define an elongate enclosure, suitable, inter alia, for electrical cables.

5. The combination of a structure of the kind comprising at least one panel with opposite edges or parallel spaced-apart grooves, and a support bar according to claim 1,2 or 3, or the combination of such a structure with the combination of claim 4, the support bar being secured to said panel by means of said hook formations engaging said opposite edges or grooves of the panel and engaging, by said surfaces of said further flanges thereof, one of the major surfaces of the panel.

6. A support bar substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

7. The combination of a support bar and panel to which the support bar is secured, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

8. Any novel feature or combination offeatures described herein.