Levelling wedge clamp for slabs, especially tiles or paving stones

Abstract

A leveling wedge clamp (1) for use in a leveling system with wedges (17) and crossbars (18), comprising: a fixed jaw, consisting of a longitudinal guide bar (4) and a stirrup-shaped portion (10) for positioning on a distal side of the vertically perforated plate of a crossbar, overlapping a wedge, the stirrup-shaped portion (10) being able to slide along the bar and be immobilized thereon at a plurality of points spaced apart along a longitudinal adjustment section of the bar; and a movable jaw for pushing the wedge towards the fixed jaw, characterized in that the stirrup-shaped portion (10) can be continuously immobilized to the bar (4), i.e., at any point along the longitudinal adjustment section. Figure for the abbreviation: Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: Clamp for leveling plates, in particular tiles or floor tiles

[0001] The present invention relates to the leveling of plates, in particular tiles or floor tiles, laid on a floor, using wedges and spacers.

[0002] This system, called a "self-leveling system", is commonly used to obtain a smooth and uniform tiled floor. It is composed of a crosspiece consisting of a substantially horizontal base and a plate pierced with a window and projecting vertically from the base, and a wedge, in particular in the form of a beveled wedge. Once a first tile is placed in the desired location on the floor, the crosspiece bases are inserted around the first tile under it with their respective vertical plate abutting a field of the tile, and the adjoining tiles are placed around the first tile also on the base and abutting against the face of the vertical plate opposite that against which the field of the first tile abuts.A levelling wedge is then inserted into the window of each crosspiece by being pushed into it along the two panes between which the crosspiece is located by means of a clamp, one fixed jaw of which is positioned on one side of the vertical plate overlapping the wedge by a lower part in the form of a stirrup or bridge, the other movable jaw pushing against the rear side of the wedge, until the upper edge of the window prevents any further advance of the wedge through the window of the crosspiece.

[0003] The wedge, thus pressed using a leveling wedge clamp, to push it harder and harder into the window of the crosspiece, thus presses the tiles against the floor, until they are leveled and aligned. A leveling wedge clamp is composed of a fixed jaw comprising a stirrup-forming part intended to be positioned on one side of the crosspiece, in particular against a face of a vertical plate pierced with a crosspiece, and a movable jaw intended, on the other side of the crosspiece, to push the wedge to force it into the window of the vertical plate pierced with the crosspiece.

[0004] Depending on the type of tile to be leveled, spacers and wedges of different sizes can be used. The stirrup is thus mounted on the fixed jaw so that it can be fixed in several possible positions, in particular by means of adjustment notches.

[0005] Although this prior art tile leveling system with wedges and spacers is designed to achieve precise leveling, there are limitations in terms of accuracy. These prior art clamps may not allow for adjustment of leveling or alignment to the nearest millimeter, which is important for some projects. In addition, using these prior art clamps is very time consuming, especially because of the time required to adjust the position of the stirrup on the fixed jaw.

[0006] The present invention overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art by a leveling wedge clamp intended to be used in a wedge and crosspiece leveling system, comprising: a fixed jaw, consisting of a longitudinal guide bar and a stirrup-forming part intended to be positioned on a distal side of the vertically pierced plate of a crosspiece by overlapping a wedge, the stirrup-forming part being able to slide along the bar and be immobilized there at a plurality of points at a distance from each other along a longitudinal adjustment section of the bar; and a movable jaw intended to push a wedge towards the fixed jaw, characterized in that the stirrup-forming part can be immobilized to the bar continuously, that is to say at any point of the longitudinal adjustment section.

[0007] The shim can thus be tightened by a clamp set exactly to the right size without constraint. Wedges of different sizes can be tightened one after the other without losing adjustment time. This significantly reduces the time required for the operation of laying and leveling tiles.

[0008] Preferably, the fixed jaw comprises a spring, in particular a leaf spring, tending to maintain the stirrup-forming part in the immobilized position on the bar, an action by the user of the clamp on the spring, in particular by compressing it, allowing the user to slide the stirrup-forming part along the bar to position it in any position along the longitudinal adjustment section.

[0009] Preferably, the stirrup-forming part is pivotally mounted relative to the bar, the stirrup-forming part being able, by an action of the user causing it to pivot in a first direction, against the spring, to release the stirrup-forming part from its immobilization relative to the bar of a first adjustment position and to slide it along the bar to a second adjustment position, the release of the stirrup-forming part by the user having the effect of pivoting the stirrup-forming part in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, and immobilizing the stirrup-forming part relative to the bar in the second adjustment position.

[0010] Preferably, the stirrup-forming part, in the immobilized position with respect to the bar, comprises at least one corner or edge buttressing the bar, the release of the stirrup-forming part, in particular by its pivoting, having the effect of moving the corner or edge away from the bar.

[0011] Preferably, the clamp pivots from an open position, in which the jaws are spaced apart, to a clamping position in which the stirrup-forming portion and the movable jaw, in particular a stop disposed at the distal end of the movable jaw, clamp a leveling wedge between them and in which the stirrup-forming portion The caliper overlaps part of the wedge and the movable jaw, in particular its distal stop, is in contact with one end of the wedge. In particular, the stop and the end of the wedge are complementary in shape, in particular with a convex and concave surface respectively. This complementary shape prevents the clamp from shifting or slipping off the wedge during tightening, thus improving the accuracy of leveling and alignment.

[0012] Preferably, the stirrup portion comprises a housing having a left wall, a right wall, an upper wall, a lower wall, a front, or distal, wall, and a rear, or proximal, wall, which define an interior space in which an angled plate and the spring are received, two openings being formed respectively in the front wall and the rear wall to allow the passage of the bar through the housing.

[0013] Preferably, a lower portion in the form of a stirrup or bridge projects from the lower wall of the housing.

[0014] Preferably, the bent plate consists of a first upper horizontal section extending against the inner face of the upper wall, followed by a second intermediate section making an acute angle, i.e. less than 90°, with the first upper section, in particular an angle between 45° and 75°, followed by a third lower vertical section, making an obtuse angle, i.e. greater than 90°, with the intermediate section, in particular an angle between 135° and 160°.

[0015] Preferably, the lower section of the plate is received, with a tight fit, between the front and rear walls of the housing, bearing against the inner faces of these two walls, thereby maintaining the bent plate in the housing.

[0016] Preferably, the intermediate section comprises an opening of a shape substantially complementary to the cross-section of the bar, being sufficiently larger so that the latter can pass through the opening when the intermediate section is arranged substantially vertically to the bar, but also sufficiently small so that the outer upper edge and / or the inner lower edge of the peripheral edge of the opening abut(s) against the bar when the plate is in a position in which the intermediate section is inclined relative to the vertical of the bar.

[0017] Preferably, at least one of the edges has a right-angled wedge shape.

[0018] Preferably, the spring, in particular a leaf spring, is arranged in the housing between the bar guide and the plate, in particular the upper section of the plate.

[0019] In particular, the spring is a leaf spring, in particular comprising a first vertical section, followed by a second section forming an angle of 90° with the first section, followed by a third section inclined at an acute angle relative to the second section towards the first section and followed by a fourth section inclined at an angle obtuse compared to the third section.

[0020] In particular, the leaf spring is arranged in the housing so that the first section bears against an inner face of the front wall of the housing, the second section bears against the bar and the fourth section bears against an inner face of the first section of the plate.

[0021] Preferably, the guide bar comprises at its free or distal end a stopper, so as to prevent the passage of the stirrup-forming part.

[0022] The present invention also relates to an assembly for laying tiles, comprising at least one spacer, at least one wedge and one clamp according to the invention.

[0023] In particular, the crosspiece or each crosspiece consists of a substantially horizontal base and a plate pierced with a window and projecting vertically from the base.

[0024] In particular, the or each wedge has the shape of a beveled corner.

[0025] By way of example, a preferred embodiment of a clamp according to the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0026] [Fig.l] is a perspective view of a clamp according to the invention;

[0027] [Fig.2] is a perspective view of the clamp of [Fig.l], taken from another direction ;

[0028] [Fig. 3] is a side view of the clamp of Figs. 1 and 2, with the housing omitted;

[0029] [Fig.4] is a longitudinal sectional view of the stirrup portion and guide bar of the clamp of the preceding figures;

[0030] [Fig.5] is a sectional view of the leaf spring of the clamp of the preceding figures; and

[0031] [Fig.6] is a sectional view of a part of the clamp according to the invention in use on a leveling wedge on the left of the figure or in adjustment on the right of the figure.

[0032] The clamp, identified as a whole by the reference 1, comprises two jaws, respectively fixed and movable, mounted to pivot relative to each other at a pivot point 8. Each jaw comprises a respective handle 3, 6 fixed, for example by overmolding, gluing, welding, screwing or the like, to the respective proximal end of the jaws, the two handles 3 and 6 being opposite each other.

[0033] The fixed jaw comprises a guide bar 4 of rectangular cross-section and a stirrup-forming part 10 slidably mounted along the bar 4. The stirrup-forming part 10 can slide over a major part of the bar, between its distal end and the articulation point 8. Preferably, a distal end stop 16 blocks the sliding of the stirrup-forming part beyond the distal end and prevents the stirrup-forming part from leaving the bar.

[0034] Thus, the stirrup-forming part 10 can slide along the bar 4 between a distal limit point defined by the distal stop 16 and a proximal limit point defined by a bulge of the bar at the pivot point 8. According to the invention, the stirrup-forming part 10 can thus be immobilized continuously at any point in the longitudinal direction of the bar between these two limit points, unlike the clamps of the prior art in which the stirrup-forming part could only be immobilized at a finite number of points along the bar, over a discrete and not continuous range as according to the invention.

[0035] The movable jaw comprises a bar 5, of rectangular cross-section and bent substantially perpendicularly, carrying the second handle 6 at its proximal end and a stop 7 at its distal end.

[0036] The stirrup portion 10 comprises a housing 20 having a left wall 21, a right wall 22, an upper wall 23, a lower wall 24, a front or distal wall 25, and a rear or proximal wall 26, which define an interior space in which an angled plate 9 and a leaf spring 15 are received.

[0037] Two openings are formed respectively in the front wall and the rear wall to allow the passage of the bar 4 through the housing.

[0038] A lower bridge-shaped portion 11 projects from the lower wall of the housing 20. The U-shape of the bridge has a width, between its two branches, substantially equal to, but slightly greater than, the width of a wedge which it is intended to straddle.

[0039] The bent plate 9 consists of a first upper horizontal section 9.1 extending in abutment against the inner face of the upper wall 23, followed by a second intermediate section 9.2 making an acute angle, i.e. less than 90°, with the first upper section 9.1, in particular an angle between 45° and 75°, followed by a third lower vertical section 9.3, making an obtuse angle, i.e. greater than 90°, with the intermediate section 9.2, in particular an angle between 135° and 160°.

[0040] The lower section 9.3 of the plate 9 is received, with a tight fit, between the front and rear walls 25, 26 of the housing, bearing against the inner faces of these two walls 25, 26, to thus lock the plate 9 in position with the housing 20.

[0041] The intermediate section 9.2 comprises a rectangular opening of a shape substantially complementary to the cross-section of the bar 4, being sufficiently larger so that the latter can pass through the opening when the intermediate section 9.2 is arranged substantially vertically (and therefore perpendicular to the bar 4), but also sufficiently small so that the outer upper edge 9.4 and the inner lower edge 9.5 of the peripheral edge of the opening abut against the upper surface and the lower surface respectively of bar 4 when plate 9 is in a position in which section 9.1 is horizontal (and therefore parallel to bar 4), section 9.3 is vertical (and therefore perpendicular to bar 4) and section 9.2 is inclined relative to the vertical and the horizontal, as shown in [Fig.4]. In this position, the inner upper edge and the outer lower edge of the peripheral edge of the opening are at a distance respectively from the upper surface and the lower surface of bar 4.

[0042] Preferably, the edges 9.4 and / or 9.5 have a right-angled wedge shape.

[0043] A leaf spring 15 is arranged in the housing between the guide bar 4 and the upper section 9.1 of the plate. This spring has the function of holding the housing 20 in an immobilized position on the guide bar 4.

[0044] As shown in [Fig.5], the spring 15 comprises a first vertical section 15a, followed by a second section 15b making an angle of 90° with the first section, followed by a third section 15c inclined at an acute angle relative to the second section 15b towards the first section 15a and followed by a fourth section 15d inclined at an obtuse angle relative to the third section.

[0045] The leaf spring 15 is arranged in the housing so that the first section 15a bears against the inner face of the front wall of the housing, the second section bears against the upper face of the bar 4 and the fourth section bears against the inner face of the first section 9.1 of the plate 9.

[0046] The stiffness of the spring is chosen so that the spring tends to move the section 9.1 of the plate 9 away from the upper face of the bar 4, which has the effect of tending to tilt the intermediate section 9.2 and to press the two edges 9.4 and 9.5 against the bar 4, to thus ensure immobilization of the stirrup-forming part 10 in a given position chosen by the user along the bar 4. Such a position is shown in Figures 1 to 5 and in the left part of [Fig.6].

[0047] When the user wishes to modify the position of the stirrup-forming part 10 relative to the bar, he takes the housing in his hand and pivots it against the action of the spring, which tends to compress it by bringing the third and fourth sections 15c and 15d of the spring closer to the second section 15b of the spring and this until the intermediate section 9.2 of the plate 9 is perpendicular to the bar 4 and as a result the edges 9.4 and 9.5 no longer abut against the bar 4. The user can then slide the housing 20, still holding it in his hand, to the new position he wishes to give to the stirrup-forming part. He then releases the stirrup-forming part, which tilts back, under the effect of the spring, into the position in which it is immobilized with the bar 4.

[0048] On the other hand, the spring blade 15 tends to press the two edges 9.4 and 9.5 with a force nevertheless allowing a transverse movement of the stirrup 10 if the force applied for this movement is transmitted at two points above and below the bar 4 giving a resultant located substantially in a parallel axis middle between the two longitudinal faces of the bar 4. By placing two fingers on these points, this makes it possible not to have to compress the spring blade 15 to carry out the adjustment and thus improve the comfort of use.

[0049] As shown in [Fig. 6], when a leveling wedge 17 is positioned in a crosspiece 18 between two elements 19 to be leveled, the bridge 11 is placed overlapping the wedge and the stop 7 against the rear end surface of the wedge, then the second handle 6 is brought closer to the first handle 3 causing the stop 7 to push the wedge 17 harder and harder into the opening of the bridge 11 and the window of the crosspiece 18 until the two adjacent elements 19 arranged on either side of the crosspiece 18 are leveled and aligned. The stirrup portion remains in position and does not move under pressure thanks to the action of the leaf spring 15 and the fact that the plate 9 and the housing 20 cannot tilt.

[0050] If the shim has dimensions such that the clamp cannot be correctly positioned, the clamp is pressed against the stirrup-forming part 10 which tilts the plate 9 and the housing 20 to the left, then the stirrup-forming part 10 is moved along the guide bar 4 and at any point along the length of the guide bar 4, then the stirrup-forming part 10 is released and the assembly returns to position under the effect of the leaf spring 15.

[0051] In [Fig.6], the wedge in the form of a beveled wedge, comprises a lower face in contact with the tiles to be leveled, a vertical lateral envelope, comprising a front face, a rear face and two left and right lateral faces, and an upper face inclined relative to the lower face, so that the front face extends over a lesser vertical height than the rear face. Furthermore, according to a variant, the front face may not exist, the two upper and lower faces joining at the front at a point.

[0052] According to one embodiment of the invention, the surface of the stop 7 is convex and the surface of the rear end of the wedge is concave so as to be complementary in shape to each other.

Claims

Claims

1. A leveling wedge clamp (1) for use in a leveling system with wedges (17) and crosspieces (18), comprising: a fixed jaw, consisting of a longitudinal guide bar (4) and a stirrup-forming portion (10) intended to be positioned on a distal side of the vertically pierced plate of a crosspiece by overlapping a wedge, the stirrup-forming portion (10) being able to slide along the bar and be immobilized therein at a plurality of points at a distance from each other along a longitudinal adjustment section of the bar; and a movable jaw intended to push the wedge towards the fixed jaw, characterized in that the stirrup-forming portion (10) can be immobilized to the bar (4) continuously, that is to say at any point of the longitudinal adjustment section.

2. Clamp (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixed jaw comprises a spring (15), in particular a leaf spring, tending to maintain the stirrup-forming part (10) in the immobilized position on the bar (4), an action of the user of the clamp on the spring, in particular by compressing it, allowing the user to slide the stirrup-forming part (10) along the bar to position it in any position along the longitudinal adjustment section.

3. Clamp (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the stirrup-forming part (10) is pivotally mounted relative to the bar (4), the stirrup-forming part being able, by an action of the user pivoting it in a first direction, against the spring (15), to release the stirrup-forming part from its immobilization with respect to the bar of a first adjustment position and to slide it along the bar to a second adjustment position, the release of the stirrup-forming part by the user having the effect of pivoting the stirrup-forming part in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, and immobilizing the stirrup-forming part with respect to the bar in the second adjustment position.

4. Clamp (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the stirrup-forming part (10), in the immobilized position with respect to the bar, comprises at least one corner or edge (9.4; 9.5; 9.4, 9.5) buttressing the bar, the release of the stirrup-forming part, in particular by its pivoting, having the effect of moving the corner or edge away from the bar.

5. Clamp (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the stirrup-forming part comprises a housing (20) having a left wall, a right wall, an upper wall, a lower wall, a front or distal wall, and a rear or proximal wall, which define an interior space in which an angled plate (9) and the spring (15) are received, two openings being formed respectively in the front wall and the rear wall to allow the bar (4) to pass through the housing (20).

6. Clamp (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that a lower part (11) in the form of a stirrup or bridge projects from the lower wall of the housing (20).

7. Clamp (1) according to one of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that the bent plate (9) consists of a first upper horizontal section (9.1) extending against the inner face of the upper wall, followed by a second intermediate section (9.2) making an acute angle, i.e. less than 90°, with the first upper section, in particular an angle between 45° and 75°, followed by a third lower vertical section (9.3), making an obtuse angle, i.e. greater than 90°, with the intermediate section, in particular an angle between 135° and 160°.

8. Clamp (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the intermediate section (9.2) comprises an opening of a shape substantially complementary to the cross-section of the bar, being sufficiently larger so that the latter can pass through the opening when the intermediate section is arranged substantially vertically to the bar, but also sufficiently small so that the outer upper edge (9.4) and / or the inner lower edge (9.5) of the peripheral edge of the opening abut(s) against the bar when the plate is in a position in which the intermediate section is inclined relative to the vertical of the bar.

9. Clamp (1) according to claim 2 and one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that the spring (15) is arranged in the housing (20) between the bar (4) and the plate (9).

10. Clamp (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that the spring is a leaf spring.

11. Clamp according to claim 10, characterized in that the leaf spring comprises a first vertical section (15a), followed by a second section (15b) making an angle of 90° with the first section, followed of a third section (15c) inclined at an acute angle relative to the second section towards the first section and followed by a fourth section (15d) inclined at an obtuse angle relative to the third section.

12. Assembly for laying tiles, comprising at least one spacer, at least one wedge and a clamp according to one of the preceding claims.

Images