(19)
(11) EP 1 980 685 B1

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION

(45) Mention of the grant of the patent:
13.06.2018 Bulletin 2018/24

(21) Application number: 08075258.7

(22) Date of filing: 01.04.2008
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC): 
E04G 25/00(2006.01)

(54)

A wedge extended with a second wedge

Ein mit einem zweiten Keil ausgebreiteter Keil

Coin prolongé par un deuxième coin


(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MT NL NO PL PT RO SE SI SK TR

(43) Date of publication of application:
15.10.2008 Bulletin 2008/42

(73) Proprietor: Nielsen, Nina
2970 Hoersholm (DK)

(72) Inventors:
  • Nielsen, Nina
    2970 Hoersholm (DK)
  • Nielsen, Finn
    2970 Hoersholm (DK)


(56) References cited: : 
EP-A- 0 844 344
DE-C- 207 905
US-A- 2 205 614
US-A- 4 625 489
DE-B- 1 247 577
DE-U1- 9 106 679
US-A- 4 135 335
   
       
    Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention).


    Description

    Background:



    [0001] Wedges have been used in construction work for a long time. They are typically used in order to fill small gaps or spaces between construction parts. Usually a wedge has a tapered body where one end (the front end) is thinner than the other end (the rear end). Wedges can be used singly, in pair or in pairs.

    [0002] When used in pair or in pairs, wedges made of plastic or metal tend to slide from each other under driving-in and setting. Many inventions are made to provide frictions between the interacting inclined planes of wedges. In DK141414, EP0844344 and US4135335 the paired wedges are provided with profiles on both their upper and lower surfaces to prevent them from sliding away from each other under driving-in and setting. US 4 625 489 A discloses a wedge with the features of the preamble of claim 1. The profiled wedge surfaces have been named as "rippled surfaces", "grooved surfaces", "toothed surfaces" or "serrated surfaces". When such wedges are applied in construction work, the profiled surface on one wedge become engaged by the mating profiled surface on the other wedge, and frictions between the two interacting surfaces of the paired wedges prevent the wedges from sliding away from each other.

    [0003] It is obvious that the wedges in pair should be long enough, so their front ends can reach and hold onto each other by at least one row of "ripples" or "teeth".

    [0004] In cases where the small spaces to be filled by wedges between construction parts are very small compared to the thickness of the wedges, the front ends of the two paired wedges cannot reach each other. In such cases, the profiled wedge surfaces serve no useful purpose. To solve the problem, wedges of different thickness are made. It is not uncommon to see a carpenter going with 5-10 types of wedges in different thickness at a construction site.

    The invention:



    [0005] In recognition of the disadvantage of the state of the art, it is an object of the invention to devise a wedge that is more flexible and is able to fill both small and bigger spaces between construction parts. This object is achieved by the wedge claimed in claim 1. The present invention will be explained in detail in the following with reference to drawings and embodiments which are:

    Fig. 1-4: The disadvantage of the state of the art is explained in those figures.

    Fig. 1: A commercial wedge (1) with profiled surfaces (2,3). Usually, the front end (4) of a wedge is thinner than the rear end (5).

    Fig. 2: A pair of wedges (6,7) are used in order to fill a space between two construction parts (8,9). Profiled surfaces on one wedge (10) become engaged by mating profiled surfaces on the other wedge (11), and frictions between the two interacting surfaces of the paired wedges prevent the wedges from sliding away from each other.

    Fig. 3: However, when the space to be filled by wedges between construction parts (8,9) is very small compared to the thickness of the wedges (6,7), the front ends of the two paired wedges (12,13) cannot reach each other. In such cases, the profiled wedge surfaces serve no useful purpose.

    Fig. 4: To solve the problem stated in Fig. 3, wedges of different thickness are made. In Fig. 4, the wedges (14, 15) are made thinner than the wedges in Fig. 2 and 3, so the front ends (16,17) can reach and hold onto each other by "ripples" or "teeth".

    Figs. 5-7 : other examples of wedges are illustrated in those figures.

    Fig. 5a-5b: The wedge is a wedge (18) that is extended with a second wedge (19) at its front end (20). The second wedge is thinner than the first wedge.

    Fig. 6: The said wedge (18) extended with a second wedge (19) has profiled surfaces. The profile on the first wedge (21) can be different from that on the second wedge (22).

    Fig. 7a: When the space between two construction parts (8,9) to be filled by paired wedges (18,37) is small enough, the second wedges (19,38) will reach and hold onto each other. The two paired wedges are thus prevented from sliding away from each other under driving-in and setting.

    Fig. 7b: When the space between two construction parts (8,9) to be filled by paired wedges (18,37) is big, the second wedges (19,38) serve no useful purpose. The two paired wedges are held onto each other by the profiled surfaces (21,24) on the first wedges (18,37).

    Fig. 8 : An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in this figure.
    Fig. 8: In this embodiment of the said wedge, the front end (35) of the first wedge (25) is extended with a second wedge (26). The first wedge has recess (29) in order to save raw materials. The second wedge (26) is rather a shim where the front end and the rear end have the same thickness. The wedge is provided with an inserting slot (30). Profile on the surface of the first wedge (27) is different from that on the surface of the second wedge (28).

    Figs. 9-10 : other examples of wedges are illustrated in these figures. In this wedge, the first wedge (31) is wider than the second wedge (32).
    Fig. 10: In this wedge, the second wedge (33) has recess (34) of different size and shape.




    Claims

    1. A wedge having serrated surfaces on its upper and lower surfaces characterized in that the wedge is extended with a serrated shim (26) at its front end, wherein the front end and the rear end of the shim (26) have the same thickness, wherein the shim (26) is serrated on its upper and lower sides, making it possible for the wedge, when used in pairs, to get engaged with the paired wedge by mating the profiles on the interacting surfaces of the shims in small construction gaps where it is not possible for the serrated surfaces of the paired wedges alone to get engaged with each other,
     
    2. A wedge extended with a serrated shim at its front end according to claim 1 characterized in that the serrated upper and lower surfaces of the shim are rippled, grooved, toothed or profiled in other way such that, when one surface reaches another of the same profile, the two interacting surfaces will become engaged by mating profiles on them,
     
    3. A wedge extended with a serrated shim at its front end according to claim 1 characterized in that, when used in pairs, and when the serrated surface of one shim got engaged with the serrated surface of the paired shim, the shim prevents wedges from sliding away from each other under driving-in and setting, keeping the wedges at the required position in construction work.
     


    Ansprüche

    1. Ein Keil (36 in Fig. 8) mit geriffelten Oberflächen (27 in Fig. 8) auf seiner Ober- und Unterseite, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Keil mit einem geriffelten Abstandsblech (26 in Fig. 8) an seinem vorderen Ende (35 in Fig. 8) verlängert ist, wobei das vordere und hintere Ende des Abstandsblechs dieselbe Dicke haben und das Abstandsblech (28 in Fig. 8) auf seiner Ober- und Unterseite geriffelt ist, was es dem Keil ermöglicht, bei Benutzung in Paaren (18 & 37 in Fig. 7a) mit dem entsprechenden Gegenkeil ineinanderzugreifen, indem die Profile der aneinanderliegenden Oberflächen der Abstandsbleche (19 & 38 in Fig. 7a) in schmalen Baufugen (8 & 9 in Fig. 7a) zusammengesteckt werden, in denen es für die geriffelten Oberflächen der zusammengehörenden Keile allein nicht möglich ist, ineinanderzugreifen,
     
    2. Ein Keil (36 in Fig. 8), der durch ein geriffeltes Abstandsblech (26 in Fig. 8) an seinem vorderen Ende gemäß Anspruch 1 verlängert ist, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Ober- und Unterseite des Abstandsblechs gewellt (28 in Fig. 8), gerillt (28 in Fig. 8), gezahnt (28 in Fig. 8) oder anderweitig profiliert sind, sodass, wenn eine Oberfläche eine andere mit demselben Profil berührt, beide aneinanderliegenden Oberflächen ineinandergreifen, indem die Profile auf ihnen zusammengesteckt werden (19 & 38 in Fig. 7a),
     
    3. Ein Keil (36 in Fig. 8), der durch ein geriffeltes Abstandsblech (26 in Fig. 8) an seinem vorderen Ende gemäß Anspruch 1 verlängert ist, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass, wenn sie paarweise verwendet werden, und wenn die geriffelte Oberfläche eines Abstandsblechs mit der geriffelten Oberfläche des Abstandsblech-Gegenstücks ineinandergreift, das Abstandsblech die Keile daran hindert, beim Einschlagen und Richten voneinander wegzurutschen, sodass die Keile in der gewünschten Position des Bauwerks gehalten werden (18 & 37 in Fig. 7a).
     


    Revendications

    1. Une cale (36 au schéma 8) possédant des surface dentelées (27 au schéma 8) au niveau de ses faces supérieures et inférieures, caractérisée en ce que la cale est prolongée par un élément de compensation dentelé (26 au schéma 8) à son extrémité avant (35 au schéma 8), dans lequel les parties avant et arrière de l'élément présentent la même épaisseur, et en ce que l'élément de compensation est dentelé (28 au schéma 8) sur son côté supérieur et inférieur, ce qui permet à la cale, si utilisée par paires (18 & 37 au schéma 7a), de s'engager à une cale appariée en accouplant les profils au niveau des surfaces des éléments de compensation en interaction (19 & 38 au schéma 7a) au niveau des petits joints de construction (8 & 9 au schéma 7a) là où il n'est pas possible pour les surfaces dentelées des cales appariées de s'engager seules les unes dans les autres,
     
    2. Une cale (36 au schéma 8) prolongée par un élément de compensation dentelé (26 au schéma 8) à son extrémité avant selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que les surfaces dentelées supérieures et inférieures de l'élément de compensation sont ondulées (28 au schéma 8), rainurées (28 au schéma 8), dentées (28 au schéma 8) ou profilée d'une autre manière de sorte que lorsqu'une surface touche une autre du même profil, les deux surfaces en interaction s'engagent en accouplant leurs profils (19 & 38 au schéma 7a),
     
    3. Une cale (36 au schéma 8) prolongée par un élément de compensation dentelé (26 au schéma 8) à son extrémité avant selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que, si utilisée par paires, et si la surface dentelée d'un élément de compensation s'engage dans la surface dentelée de l'élément apparié, l'élément de compensation empêche les cales de glisser et de se séparer l'une de l'autre en roulant dessus mais de mettre en place et de maintenir les cale à la position requise lors des travaux de construction (18 & 37 au schéma 7a).
     




    Drawing























    Cited references

    REFERENCES CITED IN THE DESCRIPTION



    This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only. It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.

    Patent documents cited in the description