U.S. patent application number 11/372993 was filed with the patent office on 2006-12-14 for support column assembly.
Invention is credited to E. Bane Kroeger.
Application Number | 20060278476 11/372993 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37523127 |
Filed Date | 2006-12-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060278476 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kroeger; E. Bane |
December 14, 2006 |
Support column assembly
Abstract
A support column assembly is provided that comprises a first
support tube having an opening therein and extending
perpendicularly from a bearing plate, a second support tube
extending perpendicularly from a support base and being axially
disposed within the opening of the first support tube, and a clamp
assembly for clamping the first support tube relative to the second
support tube. In this embodiment, the clamp assembly comprises a
cylindrical sleeve and a cylindrical clamp. The cylindrical clamp
has a tapered opening therein for receiving a tapered end portion
of the cylindrical sleeve, wherein the cylindrical clamp is
configured to compress the cylindrical sleeve when the tapered
opening of the cylindrical clamp is pressed onto the tapered end
portion of the cylindrical sleeve, such that the cylindrical sleeve
compresses the first support tube onto the second support tube to
effectively clamp the first support tube relative to the second
support tube.
Inventors: |
Kroeger; E. Bane;
(Carbondale, IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Bryan K. Wheelock;Suite 400
7700 Bonhomme
St. Louis
MO
63105
US
|
Family ID: |
37523127 |
Appl. No.: |
11/372993 |
Filed: |
March 10, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60660577 |
Mar 10, 2005 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
188/67 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04C 3/005 20130101;
E21D 15/32 20130101; E04C 3/32 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
188/067 |
International
Class: |
B65H 59/10 20060101
B65H059/10 |
Claims
1. A clamp assembly for compressively securing first and second
telescoping support tubes to form a support column, the clamp
assembly comprising: a sleeve having a tapered exterior face
portion and an opening therein adapted to receive the first and
second support tubes; and a clamp having an opening therein for
receiving the cylindrical sleeve, the cylindrical clamp having a
tapered interior face configured to engage the tapering exterior
face of the cylindrical sleeve and compress the sleeve upon
relative axial movement of the clamp and the sleeve, to
compressively secure first and second telescoping support tubes
disposed in the opening in the sleeve.
2. The clamp assembly of claim 1 further comprising at least two
longitudinally extending slots in the tapered exterior face portion
of the cylindrical sleeve.
3. The clamp assembly of claim 1 wherein the tapered exterior face
portion of the cylindrical sleeve is between about 4 and about 6
inches long.
4. The clamp assembly of claim 1 wherein the tapered exterior face
portion of the cylindrical sleeve tapers angle in the range of
between about 0.5 degrees and about 5 degrees.
5. The clamp assembly of claim 1 further comprising at least two
longitudinally extending slots in the tapered face portion of the
cylindrical sleeve, the slots each being at least as long as the
length of the tapered face portion of the cylindrical sleeve.
6. The clamp assembly of claim 1 further comprising a shoulder on
the cylindrical sleeve adapted to engage the end of the first
support tube.
7. An adjustable support column assembly comprising: a first
support tube having first and second ends, and an opening in the
first end; a second support tube having first and second ends, the
first end of the second support tube being telescopingly received
in the first end of the first support tube such that the second
support tube may be positioned relative to the first support tube
to provide for adjusting the height of the support column assembly;
a cylindrical sleeve having a tapered exterior face portion and an
opening therein for receiving the telescoped first and support
tubes and a cylindrical clamp having an opening therein for
receiving the cylindrical sleeve, the cylindrical clamp having a
tapered interior face configured to engage and compress the
tapering exterior face of the cylindrical sleeve upon relative
axial movement of the clamp and sleeve such that the cylindrical
sleeve compresses the first support tube onto the second tube to
effectively clamp the first support tube relative to the second
support tube.
8. The adjustable support column of claim 7 wherein the cylindrical
sleeve includes at least two slots extending longitudinally in the
tapered exterior face portion;
9. The adjustable support column of claim 7 wherein the first
support tube comprises at least two slots longitudinally extending
from the second end to increase the flexibility of the second
end.
10. The adjustable support column of claim 7 wherein the tapered
exterior face portion of the cylindrical sleeve has a length of
between about 4 and about 6 inches.
11. The adjustable support column of claim 7 wherein the tapered
portion of the cylindrical sleeve has a taper angle of between
about 0.5 degrees and about 5 degrees.
12. The adjustable support column of claim 7, wherein the
cylindrical sleeve includes at least two slots extending
longitudinally in the tapered exterior face portion.
13. The adjustable support column according to claim 7 further
comprising a bearing plate on the first end of the first support
tube, and a bearing plate on the second end of the second tube
support.
14. A method of supporting a roof with a telescoping support column
comprising a first support tube having first and a second end, the
second end of the first support tube having an opening therein; a
bearing plate on the second end of the first support tube, a second
support tube having first and second ends, a bearing plate on the
second end of second support tube, the first end of the second
support tube being telescopingly received in the first end of the
first support column, a locking wedge overlying the telescoping
overlap between the first and second support tubes, the locking
wedge having an exterior tapered face portion; and a cylindrical
clamp having an opening for receiving at least a portion of the
locking wedge, the clamp having a tapered interior surface for
engaging the exterior tapered face portion of the locking wedge,
the method comprising: extending the telescoping support column
until one of the bearing plates engages the roof and the other
bearing plate engages the floor, and moving the cylindrical clamp
axially over the locking wedge to compresses the first end of the
first support tube to effectively clamp the first support tube
relative to the second support tube.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application Ser. No. 60/660,577, filed Mar. 10, 2005, the
entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to adjustable vertical support
column assemblies for supporting roofs and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Support columns are often used to counteract the force that
gravity exerts on a mass supported by a roof or other overhead
structure. Support columns may also be positioned between two
vertical objects under load to keep the objects spaced apart from
each other. In underground mining, for example, support columns are
used as supports for mine roofs. These support columns are
generally positioned perpendicularly between the mine floor and the
mine roof. The required length of the support column assembly will
accordingly vary with respect to the height of the mine roof to be
supported. Fabricating support columns of varying length can be
costly, and trimming or adjusting the length of the columns during
installation can be time consuming.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Various embodiments of the present invention comprise a
support column assembly that provides for assembling the column in
place to support a roof or other structure under load. In
accordance with one aspect of the invention, some embodiments of a
support column assembly comprise a first support tube having an
opening therein and extending perpendicularly from a bearing plate,
a second support tube extending perpendicularly from a support base
and being axially disposed within the opening of the first support
tube, and a clamp assembly for clamping the first support tube
relative to the second support tube. In one embodiment, the clamp
assembly comprises a cylindrical sleeve and a cylindrical clamp.
The cylindrical clamp has a tapered opening therein for receiving a
tapered end portion of the cylindrical sleeve, wherein the
cylindrical clamp is configured to compress the cylindrical sleeve
when the tapered opening of the cylindrical clamp is pressed onto
the tapered end portion of the cylindrical sleeve. The cylindrical
sleeve compresses the first support tube against the second support
tube that is axially disposed within the first support tube. This
compression effectively clamps the first support tube relative to
the second support tube. In some embodiments, the cylindrical
sleeve may comprise at least two slots longitudinally extending
from the tapered end of the cylindrical sleeve. As the cylindrical
clamp is gradually driven onto the tapered end of the cylindrical
sleeve, the slots allow portions of the cylindrical sleeve to
deflect and compress the first support tube against the second
support tube, such that the first support tube frictionally grips
the second support tube to effectively clamp first support tube
relative to the second support tube.
[0005] Further areas of applicability of the present invention will
become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter.
It should be understood that the detailed description and specific
examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the
invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are
not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] The present invention will become more fully understood from
the detailed description and the accompanying drawings,
wherein:
[0007] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of one embodiment of
an assembled vertical support column in accordance with the
principles of the present invention;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a side view of one embodiment of an unassembled
vertical support column; and
[0009] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of a second embodiment
of a clamp assembly in accordance with the principles of the
present invention; and
[0010] Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding
parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS
[0011] One embodiment of a vertical support column assembly is
shown generally as 20 in FIG. 1. The vertical support column
assembly 20 comprises a first support tube 26 having an opening
therein and extending perpendicularly from a bearing plate 28, a
second support tube 24 extending perpendicularly from a support
base 22 and being axially disposed within the opening of the first
support tube 26, and a clamp assembly for clamping the first
support tube 26 relative to the second support tube 24. In this
embodiment, the clamp assembly comprises a cylindrical sleeve 30
and a cylindrical clamp 40.
[0012] As shown in FIG. 2, the cylindrical clamp 40 has a tapered
opening 42 therein for receiving a tapered end portion 32 of the
cylindrical sleeve 30, wherein the cylindrical clamp 40 is
configured to compress the cylindrical sleeve 30 when the tapered
opening 42 of the cylindrical clamp 40 is pressed onto the tapered
end portion 32 of the cylindrical sleeve 30. The cylindrical sleeve
30 compresses the first support tube 26 onto the second support
tube 24 axially disposed within the first support tube 26 to
effectively clamp the first support tube 26 relative to the second
support tube 24.
[0013] In use, the support base 22 is positioned on a generally
horizontal surface and the cylindrical clamp 40 is placed over the
second support tube 24 extending from the support base 22. The
opening 34 in the cylindrical sleeve 30 is placed over the end of
the first support tube 26. The opening in the first support tube 26
is then placed or disposed over the end of the second support tube
24. The second support tube 24 is slidably disposed within the
first support tube 24, such that the second support tube may be
positioned relative to the first support tube to provide for
adjusting the height of the support column assembly. With the
cylindrical sleeve 30 positioned over the end of the first support
tube 26, the tapered opening 42 of the cylindrical clamp 40 is then
inserted onto the tapered end portion 32 of the cylindrical sleeve
30. The cylindrical clamp 40 may be gradually moved or driven onto
the tapered end portion 32 to compress the cylindrical sleeve 30
until the cylindrical sleeve 30 has compressed the first support
tube 26 against the second support tube 24. The displacement of the
tapered portion 32 within the tapered opening 42 of the cylindrical
clamp 40 provides a sufficient amount of compression of the first
support tube 26 against the second support tube 24 disposed within
the first support tube 26. This compression allows the first
support tube 26 to frictionally grip the second support tube 24 to
effectively clamp the first support tube 26 relative to the second
support tube 24. Thus, the vertical support column assembly 20 may
be placed on a horizontal surface and assembled in place to provide
a support means for a roof or other structure spaced above the
horizontal surface.
[0014] One embodiment of a clamp assembly is provided as shown in
FIG. 2, which comprises a cylindrical sleeve 30 having a tapered
exterior portion 32 and an opening 34 therein adapted to receive a
first support tube 26, and a cylindrical clamp 40 having a tapered
opening 42 therein for receiving the tapered portion 32 of the
cylindrical sleeve 30. The cylindrical clamp 40 is configured to
compress the cylindrical sleeve 30 when the tapered opening 42 of
the cylindrical clamp 40 is pressed onto the tapered end portion 32
of the cylindrical sleeve 30. The cylindrical sleeve 30 is capable
of compressing a first support tube 26 onto a second support tube
24 axially disposed within the first support tube 26, to
effectively clamp the first support tube 26 relative to the second
support tube 24. In some embodiments, the cylindrical sleeve 30
further comprises at least two slots 36 extending longitudinally
from the tapered end of the cylindrical sleeve 30 as shown in FIG.
1. In other embodiments, the at least two slots 36 in the
cylindrical sleeve 30 may alternatively extend longitudinally from
the end opposite the tapered end. The first support tube 26 may
also comprise at least two slots longitudinally extending from the
end of the first support tube 26, as shown in FIG. 2. As the
cylindrical clamp 40 is gradually driven onto the tapered end
portion 32 of the cylindrical sleeve 30, the slots 36 allow
portions of the cylindrical sleeve 30 to deflect and the opening 34
through the cylindrical sleeve 30 to be reduced, such that the
cylindrical sleeve 30 is compressed against the first support tube
26.
[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the first support tube when compressed
frictionally grips the second support tube 24 to effectively clamp
the first support tube 26 relative to the second support tube 24.
Thus, the cylindrical clamp 40 and cylindrical sleeve 32 may be
used to clamp any telescoping support column tube arrangement to
allow for assembling a support column to provide support for a roof
or other structure.
[0016] In a second embodiment of a support column assembly shown in
FIG. 3, the first support tube 26 has an opening therein and a
tapered end 27 that eliminates the cylindrical sleeve of the first
embodiment. A cylindrical clamping sleeve 40 having a tapered
opening 42 therein is positioned over a second support tube 24,
which is then slidably inserted within the opening in the first
support tube 26. The second support tube 24 is slidably disposed
within the first support tube 26 such that the second support tube
may be positioned relative to the first support tube to provide for
adjusting the height of the support column assembly. The
cylindrical clamp 40 is configured to compress the tapered end 27
of the first support tube 26 when the tapered opening 42 of the
cylindrical clamp 40 is pressed onto the tapered end 26 of the
first support tube 26. The tapered opening 42 in the cylindrical
clamp 40 may then be positioned over the tapered end 27 of the
first support sleeve 26, and gradually driven onto the tapered end
27 until the end of the first support tube 26 frictionally grips
the second support tube 24. The compression of the cylindrical
clamp 40 effectively clamps the first support tube 26 relative to
the second support tube 26. Thus, the second embodiment of a
vertical support column assembly 20' may be placed on a horizontal
surface and assembled in place to provide a support means for a
roof or other structure spaced above the horizontal surface.
[0017] The description of the invention is merely exemplary in
nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of
the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention.
Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the
spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *