U.S. patent application number 16/477403 was filed with the patent office on 2019-12-12 for pillar with load-branching nodes and adjustable run-out angle.
This patent application is currently assigned to ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG. The applicant listed for this patent is thyssenkrupp AG, ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG. Invention is credited to Michael BRUGGENBROCK, Andreas COTT, Stephan DREWES, Lothar PATBERG, Klaus PLAUMANN, Marcus RAUHUT, Ingo ROGNER, Ralf STEGMEYER.
Application Number | 20190376244 16/477403 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 61024753 |
Filed Date | 2019-12-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20190376244 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
BRUGGENBROCK; Michael ; et
al. |
December 12, 2019 |
PILLAR WITH LOAD-BRANCHING NODES AND ADJUSTABLE RUN-OUT ANGLE
Abstract
The present invention relates to a free pillar having a shaft, a
load-branching node provided at the upper end of the shaft and at
least two cantilever arms which are each connected at one end to
the load-branching node and at the other end support the
superstructure, and is characterized in that the load-bearing node
includes a dome surface and a number of cantilever arm connections
which corresponds to the number of cantilever arms, and in that the
cantilever arm connections are arranged in such a manner that the
center axes of the cantilever arm connections and of the shaft meet
at a common point of intersection.
Inventors: |
BRUGGENBROCK; Michael;
(Rosendahl, DE) ; COTT; Andreas; (Dusseldorf,
DE) ; DREWES; Stephan; (Monchengladbach, DE) ;
PATBERG; Lothar; (Moers, DE) ; RAUHUT; Marcus;
(Mulheim an der Ruhr, DE) ; ROGNER; Ingo;
(Ingolstadt, DE) ; STEGMEYER; Ralf; (Medebach,
DE) ; PLAUMANN; Klaus; (Bergkamen, DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG
thyssenkrupp AG |
Duisburg
Essen |
|
DE
DE |
|
|
Assignee: |
ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe
AG
Duisburg
DE
thyssenkrupp AG
Essen
DE
|
Family ID: |
61024753 |
Appl. No.: |
16/477403 |
Filed: |
January 16, 2018 |
PCT Filed: |
January 16, 2018 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2018/050943 |
371 Date: |
July 11, 2019 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04C 3/32 20130101; E01D
4/00 20130101; E04B 1/24 20130101; E04B 2001/2406 20130101; E04H
12/185 20130101; E01D 19/02 20130101; E04B 1/58 20130101 |
International
Class: |
E01D 19/02 20060101
E01D019/02; E01D 4/00 20060101 E01D004/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 17, 2017 |
DE |
10 2017 200 671.4 |
Claims
1. A free pillar having a shaft, a load-branching node provided at
the upper end of the shaft and at least two cantilever arms which
are each connected at one end to the load-branching node and at the
other end support the superstructure, wherein the load-branching
node includes a dome surface and a number of cantilever arm
connections which corresponds to the number of cantilever arms, and
in that the cantilever arm connections are arranged in such a
manner that the center axes of the cantilever arm connections and
of the shaft meet at a common point of intersection.
2. The pillar as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dome surface
comprises a form which is at least symmetrical to a plane of
symmetry running through the center axis of the shaft or
rotationally symmetrical to the center axis of the shaft.
3. The pillar as claimed in claim 2 wherein, the dome surface is
realized substantially in the form of a spherical segment, and in
that the cantilever arm connections are connected to the dome
surface via circular surfaces, as a result of which the common
point of intersection of the center axes lies in the center of the
spherical segment.
4. The pillar as claimed in claim 3, wherein the cantilever arms
are connected to the cantilever arm connections by means of screw
flanges.
5. The pillar as claimed in claim 3, wherein the cantilever arm
connections are realized in one piece with the cantilever arms.
6. The pillar as claimed in claim 5, wherein the load-branching
node includes a transition, wherein the dome surface is connected
to the shaft by means of the transition, and wherein the transition
compensates for at least one of different diameters and
cross-sectional forms of the shaft and of the dome surface.
7. The pillar as claimed in claim 6, wherein the transition
comprises at least one of a continually changing diameter and cross
section.
8. The pillar as claimed in claim 7 wherein the parts of the
load-branching node are welded together.
9. The pillar as claimed in claim 8 wherein bulkhead plates are
provided in the load-branching node.
10. The pillar as claimed in claim 9 wherein the cantilever arms
are realized as tubing with one of a constant and conical cross
section.
11. The pillar as claimed in claim 10, wherein the cantilever arms
are one of curved and molded in 3D.
12. The pillar as claimed in claim 11 wherein the shaft is realized
as a spirally welded tube.
Description
FIELD
[0001] Pillars have long been known in civil engineering for
supporting higher positioned components. These are usually realized
in the form of columns which comprise a uniform cross section or a
narrowing, that is to say a tapering, from the base up to the
superstructure. For the support of overhangs with a larger-area
extent, a load-branched structure with an enlarged span is
necessary which conducts forces from a larger surface to the pillar
insofar as the superstructure has not been realized in a
self-supporting manner or dynamic loads occur. The use of
crossbeams or cantilever beams, in particular in conjunction with
multiple columns or the use of framework structures is usual for
this purpose.
BACKGROUND
[0002] CN 102259166 A discloses a spherical cast node, on which
multiple connection flanges are distributed over the surface in
order to enable the connection of struts. Said cast node is
provided, in particular, for application in framework structures. A
disadvantage in this connection, however, is the costly production
and the inflexible design, that is to say the lack of subsequently
being able to adapt to the positioning, size and number of the
connection flanges as the angles and positions can be different
depending on the realization of the respective application
SUMMARY
[0003] The object underlying the invention is, consequently, to
provide a pillar which comprises an enlarged span and is flexibly
adaptable to the conditions of the respective application. A
further object of the invention is to achieve the aforenamed object
with components which are as identical as possible or are designed
in as identical a manner as possible and require as small a space
as possible.
[0004] Secondary objects are an esthetic appearance and
cost-efficient producibility.
[0005] Said object is achieved by a free pillar, also designated
below in general as a pillar, with the features of claim 1.
[0006] It is provided according to the invention that a free pillar
having a shaft, a load-branching node provided at the upper end of
the shaft and at least two cantilever arms which are each connected
at one end to the load-branching node and at the other end support
the superstructure, is characterized in that the load-branching
node includes a dome surface and a number of cantilever arm
connections which corresponds to the number of cantilever arms, and
that the cantilever arm connections are arranged in such a manner
that the center axes of the cantilever arm connections and of the
shaft meet at a common point of intersection. As a result of such a
design, a relatively intricate look can be achieved for the pillar
structure, in particular when using steel as the material.
Consequently, only a relatively small installation surface is
required and, above all in connection with a corresponding equally
relatively intricate superstructure, there is only a small amount
of shading of the regions located below.
[0007] Preferred embodiments of the pillar are characterized in
that the dome surface comprises a form which is at least
symmetrical to a plane of symmetry running through the center axis
of the shaft or rotationally symmetrical to the center axis of the
shaft. Forms such as pyramids, cones and domes are generated in
this connection, which enables a correspondingly symmetrical
arrangement of the cantilever arms or of the cantilever arm
connections. The symmetrical design about the center axis improves
the introduction of force to the shaft, as a result of which the
flow of forces is able to be optimized. In dependence on the design
and the design requirements, the forms of the dome surface can
comprise rounded edges and/or, for example, can be realized as
truncated pyramids or cones. The surfaces with which the cantilever
arm connections are connected to the dome surface are simplified in
said design. A 3D trim can be necessary, nevertheless, in the case
of, for example, ellipsoidal dome surfaces.
[0008] A particularly preferred embodiment of the pillar is
characterized in that the dome surface is realized substantially in
the form of a spherical segment, and that the cantilever arm
connections are connected to the dome surface via circular
surfaces, as a result of which the common point of intersection of
the center axes lies in the center of the spherical segment. In
place of the simple tubular portions, realizations where the
run-out angle of the cantilever arms is able to be adjusted
variously with reference to the dome surface are naturally also
possible as a result of corresponding 3D trimming. The spherical
segment is a special form of the rotationally symmetrical
realization of the dome surface, through which simple tubular
portions can be used as cantilever arm connections and the run-out
angles of the cantilever arm connections are able to be adjusted
arbitrarily with reference to the shaft, an alignment of the center
axes according to the invention being ensured at the same time. It
is preferred, in this connection, that the segment height is
smaller than or equal to the radius, in a particularly preferred
manner smaller than or equal to half the radius, of the dome
surface. In order to be able to arrange the at least two cantilever
arm connections on the dome surface without them having to be
directly connected together, the minimum height of the dome surface
has, however, in this case, to fulfill the following condition,
where h.sub.k stands for the height of the spherical segment,
r.sub.k for the radius of the spherical segment and d.sub.A for the
diameter of the cantilever connection to the dome surface:
h K .gtoreq. d A 2 2 .times. r K ##EQU00001##
[0009] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the dome
surface is generated from a steel plate by means of a forming
process. Corresponding methods for the forming of steel plates are
known per se to the expert. An advantage of said preferred
embodiment is that correspondingly produced dome surfaces comprise
substantially more constant wall thicknesses than dome surfaces
produced, for example, by steel casting.
[0010] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the dome
surface is situated in the upper region of the load-branching node
and includes the connections to the cantilever arms entirely.
[0011] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the dome
surface is arched upward and outward.
[0012] In further embodiments of the invention, the pillar is
characterized in that the cantilever arms are connected to the
cantilever arm connections by means of screw flanges. In dependence
on the span and on the ratio between the shaft height and the
overall height of the pillar, long cantilever arms are necessary
where applicable. In order to simplify the assembly and the
alignment of the cantilever arm connections to the dome surface
here, said connections are realized separately from the cantilever
arms. The connection of the cantilever arms to the cantilever arm
connections is then effected by means of screw flanges, in
particular inside flanges, for which, where applicable, another
assembly opening has to be provided on at least one of the two
component parts.
[0013] In alternative embodiments to the aforenamed, above all in
the case of relatively small pillar heights, the pillars are
characterized in that the cantilever arm connections are realized
in one piece with the cantilever arms. As a result, the number of
parts is reduced, which reduces expenditure on transport and
production.
[0014] Further embodiments of the pillar are characterized in that
the load-branching node includes a transition, wherein the dome
surface is connected to the shaft by means of the transition, and
wherein the transition compensates for different diameters and/or
cross-sectional forms of the shaft and of the dome. With regard to
the design, identical cross-sectional forms of the shaft and the
dome surface are, as a rule, preferred, in the majority of cases
round or with a polygonal cross section, it being possible,
however, for the diameters to differ, the corresponding dimension,
such as edge length, periphery, inner circle, etc., in the case of
polygons also being included here with the diameter as designation
in the application. Different diameters can be provided for the
cantilever arm connections, for example on account of the space
requirement on the dome surface when a smaller diameter is
sufficient for the support load for the shaft.
[0015] In the case of embodiments of the pillar with transition,
the pillar can be characterized in that the transition comprises a
continually changing diameter and/or cross section. For example,
conical transitions, which widen the shaft diameter upward to the
diameter of the dome surface, are generated for this purpose in the
case of round cross sections. As an alternative to this, to
generate a mushroom-shaped appearance the transition can also be
realized as a solid level plate or as a cone directed downward from
the upper shaft end.
[0016] Embodiments of the pillar are characterized in that the
parts of the load-branching node are welded together. When using
steel as material for the components of the pillar, the latter are
welded together in a preferred manner, in particular the parts of
the load-branching node can be connected in this way to form an
assembly, as a result of which expenditure on transport and
assembly is able to be reduced.
[0017] For reinforcement, in embodiments of the invention pillars
can be characterized in that bulkhead plates are provided in the
load-branching node. In particular, in the case of larger
diameters, the rigidity of the components can be improved in this
manner without increasing the thicknesses of the walls.
[0018] Embodiments of the pillar are characterized in that the
cantilever arms are realized as tubing with a constant or conical
cross section. In the simplest and most cost-efficient production,
the cantilever arms can be produced from tubes with a constant
diameter. Cantilever arms, which taper conically upward and at the
same time enable a weight saving, are also sufficient on account of
the force progression and in view of the design.
[0019] Embodiments of the pillar according to the invention are
characterized in that the cantilever arms are curved or molded in
3D. Above all for design reasons or also in order to ensure
specific clear widths, such as vertical clearance at a certain
width of span between two pillars, the cantilever arms can also
comprise a curved progression. 3D molded cantilever arms are to be
understood as cantilever arms, the center axis of which is molded
in more than one direction over the length of the cantilever
arm.
[0020] Pillars of embodiments according to the invention are
characterized, in particular, in that the shaft is realized as a
spirally welded tube. Arbitrary diameters and tube lengths which
enable a constant or also conical cross-sectional development are
both easily possible as a result.
[0021] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the
outline of the center line of at least 2 cantilever arms does not
extend parallel to the outline of the center line of the lane of
the bridge structure.
[0022] Further areas of applicability of the teachings of the
present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed
description, claims and the drawings provided hereinafter, wherein
like reference numerals refer to like features throughout the
several views of the drawings. It should be understood that the
detailed description, including disclosed embodiments and drawings
referenced therein, are merely exemplary in nature intended for
purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the
scope of the present disclosure, its application or uses. Thus,
variations that do not depart from the gist of the present
disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the present
disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] The invention is explained in more detail below by way of
schematic drawings, similar-type components being provided with
identical reference symbols, in which in detail:
[0024] FIG. 1 shows a pillar in an embodiment of the invention,
[0025] FIG. 2 shows a further view of the upper part of the
embodiment in FIG. 1,
[0026] FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention
analogous to that shown in FIG. 2,
[0027] FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the lower parts of a pillar
according to the invention,
[0028] FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of the lower parts of a
pillar according to the invention,
[0029] FIG. 6 shows a further embodiment of the lower parts of a
pillar according to the invention including cantilever arm
connections,
[0030] FIG. 7 shows a use of the pillar according to the invention
as an example in the case of a bridge.
DESCRIPTION
[0031] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a free pillar (1)
according to the invention in an embodiment with four cantilever
arms (4) which are conical in basic form and are lightly curved.
Said cantilever arms (4) are connected by means of screw flanges
(6) to the load-branching node (3) which is explained in more
detail in the following figures. The load-branching node (3)
connects to the upper end at the top of a shaft (2).
[0032] FIG. 2 shows a load-branching node (3) and parts of the
cantilever arms (4) according to FIG. 1. In this connection, the
cantilever arms (4) are each connected by means of screw flanges
(6) to a cantilever arm connection (32), which cantilever arm
connections are connected to a dome surface (31) which comprises a
curvature upward. A transition (33) connects downwardly to the edge
of the dome surface (31), the lateral surface of which transition
tapers conically downward in the direction of the shaft (2) which
is not shown.
[0033] FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment to the variant shown
in FIG. 2. The design with regard to the cantilever arms (4)
covering the screw flanges (6) and the cantilever arm connections
(32) and the dome surface (31) are identical in this connection.
However, the transition (33) comprises smaller diameters, which is
why the transition (33) is not connected to the edge but to the
inside of the dome surface (31). As a further difference, the
transition (33) tapers in a conical manner to a smaller diameter
compared to the shaft (2) which is not shown. In order to
compensate for said difference in diameter, the transition (33)
comprises a connection plate which connects to the cone.
[0034] FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 each show the lower components of
different embodiments. Common to said embodiments is that the shaft
(2) extends from bottom to top and a conical transition (33), which
widens up to the diameter of the dome surface (31), is provided at
the upper end. The dome surface (31) is realized in each case as a
spherical segment. On account of the realization as spherical
segments, it is possible to use tubular portions with a circular
cross section for the cantilever arm connections (32) which are not
shown.
[0035] The difference consists in that in FIG. 4 the dome surface
(31) provides a hemisphere, consequently therefore the height of
the spherical segment or of the dome surface (31) corresponds to
the radius of the spherical segment. A relatively large dome
surface (31) which correspondingly provides space for an
arrangement for the cantilever arm connections (32) which are not
shown and at the same time, in particular for large spans, enables
a large run-out angle between cantilever arm connections (32) and
center axis of the shaft (2), is provided as a result.
[0036] In contrast to this, in FIG. 5 the height of the spherical
segment is smaller than the radius of the spherical segment. This
forms a dome surface (31) which is realized in a significantly
flatter manner, as a result of which a smaller run-out angle is
generated between cantilever arm connection (32) and center axis of
the shaft (2), which improves the flow of forces in the
components.
[0037] FIG. 6 shows a shaft (2) of a pillar (1) according to the
invention and the dome surface (31) connects in a direct manner to
the upper end of said pillar. A transition (33) is not provided in
said exemplary embodiment. Here the dome surface (31) comprises a
design which is symmetrical to the plane which extends
perpendicularly to the drawing plane through the center axis of the
shaft (2) and is designed for two cantilever arm connections (32).
As shown, the center axes of the cantilever arm connections (32)
and of the shaft (2) meet at a point. The position of said point on
the center axis of the shaft (2) can be modified in said exemplary
embodiment by modifying the height of the triangular cross section
of the dome surface (31) shown in the view and/or another angle of
the surfaces on the cantilever arm connections (32) for connection
to the dome surface (31), as a result of which the flow of forces
in the pillar is modifiable.
[0038] FIG. 7 shows an exemplary use of pillars (1) according to
the invention by way of a bridge as superstructure (5). In said
example, the pillars (1) support the superstructure (5) as a result
of a shaft (2) extending in each case from the ground upward and
branching into the cantilever arms (4) at the load-branching node
(3). The cantilever arms (4) branch out in order to enable a larger
support surface or span and are connected to the superstructure
(5).
[0039] The different features of the invention can be combined with
one another in an arbitrary manner and are not restricted to just
the examples of embodiments which are described or shown.
[0040] It should be understood that the mixing and matching of
features, elements, methodologies and/or functions between various
examples may be expressly contemplated herein so that one skilled
in the art would appreciate from the present teachings that
features, elements and/or functions of one example may be
incorporated into another example as appropriate, unless described
otherwise above.
LIST OF REFERENCES
[0041] 1 (Free) pillar
[0042] 2 Shaft
[0043] 3 Load-branching node
[0044] 31 Dome surface
[0045] 32 Cantilever arm connection
[0046] 33 Transition
[0047] 4 Cantilever arm
[0048] 5 Superstructure
[0049] 6 Screw flange
* * * * *