Support structure

Abstract

Temporary support structure 100 for stabilising stacked construction components and comprising a U-shaped body 1, at least one bracket 2 attachable or integrally formed to the U shaped body, the brack

Description

Field of invention The present invention generally relates to a temporary support structure. In particular, the present invention relates to a support structure for use in the construction industry to aid in preventing accidental falling or collapse of newly constructed construction components such as stacked / laid bricks or blocks. Background It is well known that in the construction process it is necessary to stack construction components, such as bricks or blocks, in order to build structures such as walls which would form part of a larger structure, such as a building. In order to build large construction such as walls, multiple construction components such as blocks or bricks are required to be stacked one on top of the other, with each block or brick being secured by mortar or similar material. However, it is common that these newly constructed components can fall or collapse as the mortar or similar material is setting or through other means such as adverse weather conditions. This can lead to serious risk of injury or even death for people or animals that are in the vicinity of the stacked components. Prior art In the prior art, there have been means to address the concern of unstable construction materials. DE202023001173U1 discloses a device for use in securing wooden beam material to a building. The device comprises a body in an inverted, angular U-shape that is provided with one or more webs at an angle of 90° on the upper side attached or formed. The U-shaped body consists of sheet steel, which forms two side parts and a top side. The inner cross-section of the U-profile is matched to a defined commercially available squared timber cross-section. The device however is unsuitable for use in stabilising stacked components, such as bricks or blocks, as the inner cross-section of the U-shaped body is specifically designed to fit in with the appropriately sized timber and therefore not for use with bricks or blocks. As the device could not be designed to fit on a brick or block, it would therefore fail to provide sufficient placement and stabilisation to prevent stacked components from falling or collapsing. Additionally, the device does not contain at least one bracket component that is angled away from the U-shaped body so that an additional component, such as structural material, could be attached to the bracket component to provide stability to the support structure and stacked components when the support structure is in use. Therefore, the device could not be used to attach an additional component, such as structural material, such as wood, to serve as a prop to add stability to the support structure. It is the object of the present invention to seek to mitigate some or all of these disadvantages. Summary of invention According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a temporary support structure for stabilising stacked construction components, comprising a U-shaped body, at least one bracket component, wherein the at least one bracket component is attachable or integrally formed at a region of the U-shaped body and wherein the at least one bracket component comprises at least one aperture that is positioned so that an additional component can be attached to the at least one bracket using the at least one aperture to provide stability to the stacked construction components when the temporary support structure is in use. The temporary support structure is designed for use sit over the top course of newly constructed components such as bricks or blocks and is designed to be reused on a daily basis to provide temporary support to newly constructed construction components such as bricks or blocks. The invention provides the technical advantages of being able to be attached to stackable construction material such as newly constructed bricks or blocks and being able to be manufactured from thermoplastic (or similar material) by known means, which provides a cost-effective, lightweight, temporary strong support structure while the mortar sets. Additionally, the invention provides the technical advantage of being attachable to additional components, such as structural material, such as wood, that can serve as a prop to provide stability to the support structure when attached to stacked construction components, such as bricks or blocks. The support structure can be manufactured with one or more attachable or integrally formed bracket components at a region of the U-shaped body, that comprise at least one aperture that is positioned so that an additional component can be attached to the at least one bracket using the at least one aperture to provide stability to the support structure and stacked construction components when the support structure is in use. The aperture is positioned on the bracket component for attaching the additional component, such as structural material, so that the additional component is positioned at an acute angle at its shortest distance relative to the support structure. This also provides the advantage that the additional component, such as structural material, can be positioned to minimise a trip or fall hazard for any passing people or animals. Further, the invention provides the technical advantage of being able to be manufactured at any suitable length so that one or more support structures can be used adjacently to one another as appropriate. This means that depending on the intended use of the support structure, the user can have flexibility in choosing one or more suitably sized support structures for their project. Preferably, the at least one bracket component is attached or integrally formed at a region centrally or near centrally of the U-shaped body. It will be understood to the person skilled in the art that “near centrally” would fall within the range of 40-60% of the length of the U-shaped body. Alternatively, the at least one bracket component is attached or integrally formed at a region at or near the end of the U-shaped body. It will be understood to the person skilled in the art that “near the end” would fall within the range of 80-100% of the length of the U-shaped body. Alternatively, there may be two or more bracket components that are attached or integrally formed at any region across the U-shaped body. The bracket components may be attachable to the body of the U-shaped body by known means, be moulded to the U-shaped body of the support structure or otherwise be integral to the U-shaped body by other known means to the person skilled in the art. Preferably, the at least one bracket component extends at an angle away from the longitudinal axis of the U-shaped body. Preferably, the angle is between 85-95 degrees. It will be understood by the person skilled in the art, that the bracket components can be positioned at any suitable angle on the U-shaped body so that an additional component, such as structural material, can be attached to the bracket component through the one or more apertures. Preferably, the at least one bracket component comprises two or more apertures. Preferably, the one or more apertures are positioned so that an attached additional component attached to the bracket component is positioned at an acute angle at its shortest distance relative to the support structure. Preferably, the acute angle is 40-55 degrees. The apertures are preferably positioned in a linear direction across each bracket component for fixing the additional component, such as structural material, to the bracket component. The additional component, such as structural material, may be wood or any other type of material that is suitable for attaching to the support structure to provide the stability. Preferably the attached additional component, such as structural material, is angled between 40-55 degrees. The fixing means may be screws, bolts, nails or other suitable means that would be known to the person skilled in the art. Preferably an upper end of the bracket component is angled to provide a guide for the preferred angle at which the additional component is received. For example the upper end may be angled at 45 degrees relative to an upper surface of the U-shaped body. In this way the upper end of the bracket component serves as a visual and physical guide to locate the additional component that is typically a length of material such as a length of wood. The use of a substantially 45 degree angle provide optimal stability to support the structure. Preferably, the support structure is made from a thermoplastic. The use of thermoplastic makes the support structure cost-effective compared to metal, while also being lightweight, long-lasting and structurally strong. The thermoplastic is preferably a polyamide and is preferably a glass-filled nylon. The thermoplastic may also be any of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) and Other Specialist Styrenics Aramids PI Aromatic Polyamide, Cellulosics (CA, CAB, CAP, CN), Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA), Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), Expanded Polypropylene (EPP), Fluoroplastics PTFE FEP, Nylons (Polyamides) PA, PEEK™ (Polyaryletheretherketone), Polybutene-1 (PB-1), Polycarbonate PC, Polyacetals (POM), Polyesters (Thermoplastic) (PETP, PBT, PET), Polyethylene (High Density) (HDPE), Polyethylene (Low Density) (LDPE, LLDPE), Polyphenylene Oxide (PPO), Polyphenylene Sulphide (PPS), Polymethylpentene (PMP), Polypropylene (PP), Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH, PVA, or PVAI), Polystyrene (General Purpose) (GPPS), Polystyrene (High Impact) (HIPS), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Styrene Acrylonitrile (SAN) &Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate (ASA), Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE, TPR), Allylics (DAP, DAIP, ADC), Alkyds (AMC), Epoxies (EP), Furan and Melamines / Ure (Aminos) (MF, UF). It will be understood to the person skilled in the art that this list is not exhaustive and any other suitable thermoplastic (or similar material) could be used in the construction of the support structure. It will also be understood by the person skilled in the art that each component of the support structure can be manufactured by known means. Preferably, the length of the U-shaped body is at a range between 30cm-2000cm. The support structure can be manufactured at any suitable length so that one or more support structures can be used adjacently to one another as appropriate. This means that depending on the intended use of the support structure, the user can have flexibility in choosing one or more suitably sized support structures for their project. Preferably, during manufacture, the support structure is made as part of a kit of parts, that may include one or more bracket components that are either attachable to the U-shaped body or are integrally formed as part of the U-shaped body. Additionally, or alternatively, the kit of parts may contain fixing means such as screws, bolts, nails or other suitable fixing means. The kit of parts may also include additional components, such as structural material, such as wood, for attaching to the at least one bracket by the at least one aperture of the support structure. The flexibility in manufacturing the kit of parts provides options for the consumer in selecting the appropriate kit for their intended use. The invention also provides a method of using a temporary support structure for stabilising stacked construction components which is typically newly constructed construction components, comprising a U-shaped body, at least one bracket component, wherein the at least one bracket component is attachable or integrally formed to a region of the U-shaped body and wherein the at least one bracket component comprises at least one aperture that is positioned so that an additional component can be attached to the at least one aperture to provide stability to the support structure and stacked construction components when the support structure is in use. The invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying figures. Brief description of the Figures Figure 1 shows a schematic of an embodiment of the support structure. Figure 2 shows the support structure of Figure 1 in use from a first perspective. Figure 3 shows the support structure of Figure 1 in use from a second perspective. Detailed description of the Figures In reference to Figure 1, a preferred embodiment of the support structure (100) made from a glass-filled nylon is manufactured by known means, where the U-shaped body (1) is formed as a single structure and the bracket component (2) is formed as a separate structure. The bracket component (2) comprises two apertures (3, 4) and two arms (5, 6) that extend longitudinally from the body of the bracket component (2). This forms a U-shaped region (7) that serves as a slot for the bracket component (2) to attach to the U-shaped body (1) at the desired location. In an embodiment, the bracket component (2) slots into an aperture on the U-shaped body (1) for securing the bracket component (2) to the U-shaped body (1). In another embodiment, the bracket component (2) is placed on top of the U-shaped body (1) through the U-shaped region (7) so that each arm (5, 6) is placed either side of the U-shaped body (1). The bracket component (2) is then secured to the U-shaped body (1) through known means such as welding, bonding, interlocking means or an adhesive. In some embodiments the temporary support structure is made as a single part, for example being 3D printed. In a preferred embodiment, the bracket component (2) is attached at a region centrally or near centrally of the U-shaped body (1). In another embodiment, the bracket component (2) is integrally formed as part of the U-shaped body (1) at a region centrally or near centrally of the U-shaped body (1). In another embodiment, the bracket component (2) is attached or integrally formed at a region at or near the end of the U-shaped body (1). In another embodiment, one or more bracket components (2) are attached or integrally formed at any region of the U-shaped body (1). In another embodiment, two or more bracket components (2) are attached or integrally formed at any region of the U-shaped body (1). In a preferred embodiment, the bracket component (2) contains at least two apertures (3, 4) that are positioned in a linear orientation on the body of the bracket component (2) so that an additional component, such as structural material (300), can be attached to the bracket component through the one or more apertures by means of a fixing (8). As seen in Figure 1, in an embodiment, one of these apertures (3) is positioned at an angle of approximately 50 degrees. It will be understood by the person skilled in the art, that the one or more apertures can be positioned in any suitable location on the bracket component so that an additional component, such as structural material, can be attached to the bracket component through the one or more apertures. An upper end (9) of the bracket component (2) is angled to correspond to the preferred angle at which the additional component (300) is received and connected by fixing means (8). In the pictured embodiments the upper end is angled at 45 degrees relative to an upper surface ‘A of the U-shaped body. In this way the upper end (9) of the bracket component (2) serves as a visual guide to locate the additional component (300) that is typically a length of material such as a length of wood. In reference to Figures 2 and 3, in a preferred embodiment of the invention in use, the U-shaped body (1) of the support structure (100) is fitted on top of a stack of construction components (200) such as bricks or blocks at a desired location by the user. The placement of the U-shaped body helps stabilise the newly constructed stacked components (such as bricks or blocks) through the evenly distributed weight of the support structure on the newly constructed components. The user then places an additional component (300), such as a structural material, such as wood or other suitable structural material, against the bracket component and then fixes the structural material to the bracket component through the one or more apertures using screws, bolts, nails or other suitable fixing means (8). This then stabilises the support structure and newly constructed components such as bricks or blocks in place. In a preferred embodiment, the one or more apertures are positioned so that an attached additional component, such as structural material, to the bracket component is positioned at an acute angle at its shortest distance relative to the support structure. In a preferred embodiment, this angle is 40-55 degrees. This provides the technical advantage that the attached additional component, such as structural material, is angled as such, that it minimises the potential trip or fall hazard for any passing humans or animals. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, it is necessary that the additional component, such as structural material (shown as a piece of wood in this embodiment), is long enough so that the component connects with the floor or other suitable stable structure, so that it can stabilise the support structure and newly constructed stacked components when in use. When the support structure is no longer needed, the user can firstly remove the additional component, such as structural material, attached to the bracket component before lifting the support structure off of the stacked components such as bricks or blocks. Alternatively, the user can lift the support structure off the top of the newly constructed stacked components while the additional component, such as structural material, is still attached to the bracket component. It will be understood by the person skilled in the art that one or more support structures can be used simultaneously in a manner as described in the preferred embodiment above.

Claims

1. A temporary support structure for stabilising stacked construction components comprising: a U-shaped body, at least one bracket component, wherein the at least one bracket component is attachable or integrally formed to a region of the U-shaped body and wherein the at least one bracket component comprises at least one aperture that is positioned so that an additional component can be attached to the at least one bracket by the at least one aperture to provide stability to the stacked construction components when the temporary support structure is in use.

2. The temporary support structure of claim 1, wherein the at least one bracket component is attached or integrally formed at a region centrally or near centrally of the U-shaped body.

3. The temporary support structure of claim 1, wherein the at least one bracket component is attached or integrally formed at a region at or near the end of the U-shaped body.

4. The temporary support structure of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one bracket component extends at an angle away from the longitudinal axis of the U-shaped body.

5. The temporary support structure of claim 4, wherein the angle is between 85-95 degrees.

6. The temporary support structure of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one bracket component comprises two or more apertures.

7. The temporary support structure of any preceding claim, wherein the one or more apertures are positioned so that an attached additional component attached to the bracket component is positioned at an acute angle at its shortest distance relative to the support structure.

8. The temporary support structure of claim 7, wherein the acute angle is 40-55 degrees.

9. The temporary support structure of any preceding claim wherein an upper end of the bracket component is angled to provide a guide for the angle at which the additional component is received.

10. The temporary support structure according to claim 9 wherein the upper end angle is 40 - 55 degrees.11 .The temporary support structure according to claim 10 wherein the upper end angle is 45 degrees.

12. The temporary support structure of any preceding claim, wherein the support structure comprises two or more bracket components.

13. The temporary support structure of any preceding claim, wherein the support structure is made from a thermoplastic.

14. The temporary support structure of claim 13, wherein the thermoplastic is a polyamide.

15. The temporary support structure of claims 13 or 14, wherein the thermoplastic is a glass-filled nylon.

16. The temporary support structure of any preceding claim, wherein the length of the U-shaped body is at a range between 30cm-2000cm.

17. A kit of parts comprising the support structure of any preceding claim.

18. A method of using a temporary support structure for stabilising stacked construction components, comprising a U-shaped body, at least one bracket component, wherein the at least one bracket component is attachable orintegrally formed to a region of the U-shaped body and wherein the at least one bracket component comprises at least one aperture that is positioned so that an additional component can be attached against the at least one bracket by the at least one aperture to provide stability to the stacked construction components when the temporary support structure is in use.

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