[0001] The present finding essentially concerns an improvement to the connecting stake with
a fixing stirrup with clamps, for the assembly of concrete floors on wooden beams,
described in European patent no. 0742323, to the same Applicant.
[0002] It is known that for some time the construction of structures made up of wood and
concrete has been in use, particularly for making concrete slabs supported by wooden
beams. The European patent quoted above allows a connecting stake equipped right from
the start with a fixing stirrup with clamps to be made, which can be mounted on a
wooden beam for a stable and long-lasting fastening to an element made from concrete.
[0003] Such a patent foresees, in particular, a connecting stake, consisting of a cylindrical
rod, equipped with an enlarged head, as well as a square base plate with corners bent
down.
[0004] The fastening of this structure onto the wooden structure is carried out by screwing
or another analogous mechanical fastening method, so as to make the fixing members
penetrate in the wooden beam, in which the bent down corners of the plate act as clamps,
which firmly stabilise the fastening of the stake to the wooden beam.
[0005] Such a device is simple from the constructive point of view and also its fastening
does not require the use of long and complex operations, such as the removal of wooden
material, the insertion of bicomponent resins, the insertion of rods or other, foreseen
in previously known devices.
[0006] However, the device according to the quoted patent also has the drawback due to the
fact that in order to be able to effectively ensure that the structure is fixed to
a wooden beam and therefore to a concrete slab, it is advantageous to use screws as
fasteners that have a threaded portion, which inserts into the concrete part and that
has a slightly greater external diameter than the end portion of the screw itself,
which is, vice-versa, smooth and which is arranged itself, which is, vice-versa, smooth
and which is arranged close to the head of the screw and which, in operating conditions,
goes right at the hole in which the screw itself is inserted.
[0007] This means that there is a certain clearance, although low, but still noticeable,
between the outer surface of the unthreaded portion of the screw and the inner surface
of the hole in which it is inserted, which determines a possibility of low, but still
noticeable sliding between the screw and the plate, even for low stress values.
[0008] This is, of course, disadvantageous, since with such a device it is not possible
to ensure a perfect seal by the plate of the various elements that make up the structure.
[0009] The purpose of the present finding is that of foreseeing a device that is able to
avoid this drawback, allowing, in particular, a perfect adhesion between stem of the
screw and plate in which it is inserted, avoiding any possible sliding between the
aforementioned two elements.
[0010] This is obtained, according to the finding, by foreseeing that the holes in which
the screws are inserted, as well as the portions of the stems of the screws situated
near to the heads thereof, have a frusto-conical profile. In this way, by forcefully
inserting the screw in its seat, the screw is stably fixed in the seat.
[0011] These and other characteristics of the finding shall now be described in detail,
with reference to a particular embodiment thereof, given as a non-limiting example,
with the help of the attached tables of drawings, where:
- fig. 1 illustrates a side view of the connecting stake, with the base plate sectioned;
- fig. 2 represents the side view of the aforementioned stake;
- fig. 3 illustrates a plan view from above of the aforementioned stake;
- fig. 4 illustrates a detail of the connection area between plate and fastening screw.
[0012] As can be seen from the attached figures, the connecting stake consists of a cylindrical
rod 1, equipped with an head 2 with enlarged diameter, advantageously obtained by
cold deformation, and with a plate 3, advantageously square, equipped with corners
4 bent down, which can advantageously be obtained through cold bending of the aforementioned
plate. The plate is equipped with two holes 5 and 6, in which the fixing elements
can be introduced.
[0013] Indeed, the fixing on the underlying wooden structure (not illustrated in the figures)
is in this case carried out through screwing, thanks to a screw 7 (figure 4). It is
also foreseen that the corners 4 of the plate 3, bent down, which act as clamps, are
suitable for firmly stabilising the fastening of the stake to the wooden beam.
[0014] A fundamental characteristic of the device according to the finding consists of the
fact that, as can clearly be seen in figure 4, the holes 5 and 6 are frusto-conical
shaped, with the portion with a smaller section facing downwards, just as an analogous
configuration is foreseen at the portion 8
I of the stem 8 of the screw 7 closest to the head 9 thereof.
[0015] In this way, two contrasting requirements are reconciled:
- the first, consisting of the need to foresee a sufficiently large hole, also at its
narrowest portion (the lower portion), to allow the easy passage of the threaded portion
8II of the screw 8, which, clearly, has a slightly greater external diameter than the
unthreaded portion thereof;
- the need to ensure a stable contact between the portion of the screw arranged inside
the holes 5 and 6 and the inner walls of the aforementioned holes, to avoid the possibility
of even minimal sliding in the transversal direction of the head of the screw, which,
in similar known devices, can cause problems for the stability of the entire fixing
unit.
[0016] Moreover, it is possible to foresee a particular embodiment suitable for ensuring
a more effective firm fitting between the rod 1 and the plate 3. Indeed, as can be
seen in figure 1, the portion 1
I of the rod 1 that goes into contact with the plate 3 is double frustum of cone shaped
1
II, 1
III, whereas the plate has a hole in which one of the ends of the rod is inserted, the
edges of said hole 3
I going into the contact area between the two frustums of cone 1
II and 1
III. Above said two elements the rod has a widened area 1
IV, which traps the edges 3
I of the hole present in the plate 3, avoiding any possible oscillation of the rod
with respect to the plate.
[0017] It can thus be seen how through the device according to the finding it is possible
to quickly, securely and cost-effectively obtain the assembly of a concrete floor
on wooden beams.
1. CONNECTING STAKE WITH A FIXING STIRRUP WITH CLAMPS, FOR THE ASSEMBLY OF A CONCRETE
FLOOR ON WOODEN BEAMS, of the type comprising a cylindrical rod (1), equipped with
an upper head (2) with enlarged diameter, the opposite end of which is fixed to a
shaped plate (3), equipped with a pair of holes (5, 6) suitable for allowing the passage
of the stem of a screw (7), on which the concrete floor is then laid, which completes
the structure, also foreseeing clamps, obtained by bending the corners (4) of the
base plate, suitable for firmly penetrating in the wooden beam below, the connecting
stake being characterised in that the holes (5, 6) are frusto-conical shaped, with a smaller section at the surface
of the plate that is arranged towards the wooden beam, with it also being foreseen
that the portion (8I) of the stem (8) of the screw (7) situated close to the head (9) is frusto-conical
shaped.
2. CONNECTING STAKE, according to claim 1, characterised in that the portion (1I) of the rod (1) that goes into contact with the plate (3) is double frustum of cone
shaped (1II, 1III), whereas the plate has a hole in which said portion (1I) inserts, the edges (3I) of said hole going into the contact zone between the two frustums of cone (1II, 1III), with it being foreseen that, above said two elements, the rod has a widened area
(1IV), that traps said edges (3I), avoiding any possible oscillation of the rod (1) with respect to the plate (3).