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(11) | EP 2 141 305 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Wall anchor for connecting a scaffolding to a wall |
| (57) A wall anchor (1) is assembled from a tube (3) with an insert (5) which is fixed
at an outer end therein and which is provided with an axially protruding hook (9),
wherein in projection the hook is present wholly within the outer periphery of the
tube. The hook (9) is attached with a first outer end (9a) to the insert at a position
close to the outer periphery of the tube and the second outer end (9b) of the hook
is situated diametrically opposite. The second outer end (9b) is provided on one side
with a perpendicular protrusion (17) which grips under an edge of an anchor eye, and
on the other side with a shoulder (19). This protrusion (17) and shoulder remain wholly
within the outer periphery of the tube.
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[0001] The invention relates to a wall anchor for connecting a scaffolding to a wall, comprising an elongate anchor body which is provided at an outer end with an anchor member extending in longitudinal direction beyond the outer end for the purpose of engaging, in coupled position, in an anchor eye extending from the wall.
[0002] Such a wall anchor is per se known and is mainly used for securing a scaffold on or in a wall against which the scaffold is placed. The known wall anchor herein comprises a tube part with an outer wall onto which is welded, close to an outer end, a perpendicular hook which extends beyond the outer end. Fixed on or in the wall is a matching anchor eye with an opening into which the hook grips during placing. The tube part is connected with a standard rigid or rotatable scaffold coupling to the scaffolding, which is thus fixed to the wall. The scaffold can be completed safely by arranging sufficient of such wall anchors adapted to the size and load of the scaffold.
[0003] During mounting in a cavity wall the inner wall is usually taken as fixing base for the anchor eye and at this location a passage is left clear in the outer wall through which the wall anchor with the tube part protrudes. A drawback of the known wall anchor here is that the passage has to be disproportionately large in order to also provide space for the hook placed on the tube.
[0004] An object of the invention is to improve a wall anchor for a scaffolding in the above stated and other respects.
[0005] For this purpose a wall anchor of the type stated in the preamble is characterized according to the invention in that the anchor member comprises a hook which extends longitudinally from the outer end and which, in axial projection, falls at least substantially wholly within an outer periphery of the anchor body. In a particular embodiment the wall anchor according to the invention is characterized here in that the anchor body comprises a tube, wherein in axial side view the hook is present at least substantially wholly within an outer periphery of the tube.
[0006] Other than in the known wall anchor, the hook does not therefore protrude in transverse direction outside the outer periphery of the anchor body, so that an oversized passage in an outside wall is not required here. This provides more flexibility and convenience when laying the outside wall. In addition to absorbing tensile forces, the wall anchor according to the invention can also absorb pressure forces and even lateral forces.
[0007] An embodiment of the wall anchor according to the invention is characterized in that the hook comprises a substantially longitudinal first hook part which is connected to the anchor body with a fixed outer end close to the outer periphery, and also comprises a substantially transverse further hook part which ends, at least in projection, within the outer periphery with a free outer end diametrically opposite the fixed outer end.
[0008] A further embodiment of the wall anchor according to the invention is characterized in that the further hook part comprises a protrusion close to the free outer end which extends substantially transversely thereof and grips in the coupled position behind an edge of the opening. The protrusion thus also locks the wall anchor in vertical direction, whereby the wall anchor is secured in three-dimensional sense. In a first particular embodiment the wall anchor according to the invention is characterized here in that the protrusion extends substantially transversely of the first hook part. Using the protrusion the further hook part can, by means of a rotation of the wall anchor about a longitudinal axis thereof, thus be brought into engagement with the anchor eye. At the end of this operation the protrusion herein hooks behind an edge of the anchor eye.
[0009] The protrusion is preferably positioned here relative to the further hook part such that the described inward rotation can be performed in a direction opposite to a pitch direction of a screw thread of the anchor eye with which it is fixed in the wall. During an outward rotation of the wall anchor in opposite direction the anchor eye will therefore be rotated out of the wall and herein be co-displaced by the protrusion hooking behind an edge thereof. Thus is achieved that, when the wall anchor is removed, the anchor eye can also be removed in simple manner, thus avoiding undesirable thermal bridges and sound bridges in the cavity wall. The anchor eye is moreover suitable for reuse if desired.
[0010] In order to prevent the anchor eye accidentally sliding off the hook and falling after it has been released from the wall, a further preferred embodiment of the wall anchor according to the invention is characterized in that the further hook part comprises a longitudinal shoulder close to the free outer end. A further particular embodiment of the wall anchor has the feature herein that the shoulder comprises a wall of a longitudinally running recess close to the free outer end of the further hook part. During an outward rotation of the whole unit the anchor eye will thus come up against the shoulder, which keeps it from accidentally sliding off the hook.
[0011] In order to enhance a correct and problem-free engagement of the hook in the anchor eye, a further preferred embodiment of the wall anchor according to the invention is characterized in that the further hook part narrows, in particular conically, toward the free outer end. The tapered, relatively narrow outer end can thus be undersized and thereby fall easily into the eye, after which the hook falls further into the eye in self-orienting manner, wherein a wider part thereof at least partially reduces the lateral clearance.
[0012] A further particular embodiment of the wall anchor according to the invention is characterized in that the hook extends from a cylindrical insert fixed in the outer end of the anchor body. The use of such an insert simplifies assembly and production of the wall anchor, which can for instance thus be assembled from a hollow tube part with a fitting insert.
[0013] A further embodiment of the wall anchor according to the invention is characterized in that the anchor body is provided at an opposite free outer end with a protruding nut. The nut preferably forms part of a further cylindrical insert fixed in the opposite outer end of the anchor body. For the purpose of simple visual inspection of the whole, a further preferred embodiment of the wall anchor according to the invention is characterized herein in that a marking which indicates a position of the hook is arranged close to the nut.
[0014] The invention will be further elucidated hereinbelow on the basis of an exemplary embodiment of the wall anchor according to the invention shown in the drawings. Herein:
- figure 1
- shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a wall anchor according to the invention at the outer end thereof provided with a hook;
- figure 2
- shows a front view of the outer end of the wall anchor of figure 1 provided with the hook;
- figure 3
- is a perspective view of the wall anchor of figure 1 at the opposite outer end thereof provided with a nut;
- figure 4
- shows a side view of the wall anchor of figure 1; and
- figure 5
- shows the wall anchor of figure 1 applied in a wall.
[0015] Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the wall anchor according to the invention. Wall anchor 1 is assembled from a tube 3 having in an outer end a first insert 5 fixed therein and in the other outer end, see also figure 3, a second insert 7 fixed therein. The first insert is provided with an axially protruding hook 9, wherein in front view, see figure 2, hook 9 is present wholly within the outer periphery 11 of tube 3.
[0016] Hook 9 is attached with a fixed outer end of a longitudinal first part 9a to insert 5 at a first location 13 close to outer periphery 11 of tube 3. A free outer end of a transverse further part 9b of the hook is situated at a further location 15 close to outer periphery 11 of tube 3 lying diametrically opposite the first attachment location 13 of first part 9a. The further part 9b of hook 9 comprises a protrusion 17 extending substantially perpendicularly of hook 9. This protrusion 17 also lies, in projection, wholly within outer periphery 11 of tube 3 and provides for a locking in vertical direction in that this part engages behind an edge of an anchor eye.
[0017] In figure 5 wall anchor 1 is applied in a cavity wall with an outside wall 29 and a load-bearing inner wall 25. Fixed in the inner wall is an anchor eye 27 into which hook 9 of the wall anchor is hooked. The wall anchor can be placed in this position by carrying hook 9 into anchor eye 27 with a counter-clockwise rotation. Further hook part 9b herein comes up against an edge of anchor eye 27, and protrusion 17 engages thereunder.
[0018] Tube 3 of the wall anchor can be connected to a scaffold by means of a standard scaffold coupling. Outside wall 29 can then be erected. A marking provided for this purpose on the proximal outer end of tube 3 gives an indication of the correct orientation of hook 9. Anchor eye 27 can afterwards be rotated out of the inner wall by engaging a nut 21 provided for this purpose with a nut spanner and rotating wall anchor 1 out in counter-clockwise direction. With continued counter-clockwise rotation the anchor eye 27 is rotated out of wall 25 until it is eventually free of the wall. This can be done with a nut spanner which forms part of the standard equipment of a scaffolder and which connects fittingly onto nut 21 at the proximal outer end of anchor body 3. In this example nut 21 also extends from an insert 7 which is further provided with a symbol or marking 23 to indicate the actual position of hook 9 at the other, blind outer end of tube 3.
[0019] The further part 9b of hook 9 is also provided close to the free outer end with a shoulder 19 formed by an axially running recess 20 on a side of part 9b remote from protrusion 17. This shoulder 20 also lies, in projection, wholly within outer periphery 11 of tube 3. Once anchor eye 27 has been rotated completely out of the inner wall, due to the presence of shoulder 19 and recess 20 the eye remains suspended on the hook. Anchor eye 27 is now received in recess 20 against shoulder 19 in order to prevent the anchor eye unintentionally sliding off hook 9. Wall anchor 3 can now be taken out of the narrow passage 31 present in the outside wall, after which this hole 31 is sealed. The diameter of hole 31 need for this purpose be only slightly larger than the diameter of tube 3.
[0020] Further shown in the side view of figure 4 is that further hook part 9b narrows toward the outer end at an angle α indicated schematically in the figure. Owing to this narrowing at the outer end the hook part will be received more easily in the anchor eye and drop more deeply into it in self-orienting manner. On a base close to the bend between first part 9a and further part 9b the further part 9b has a diameter which fits closely into the diameter of the anchor eye for the purpose of thus enclosing the whole unit laterally and limiting lateral clearance.
[0021] Although the invention is elucidated in the foregoing with reference to the drawings, it must be noted that the invention is by no means limited to the embodiment shown in the drawings. On the contrary, many variations and embodiments can still be envisaged by a person with ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. The invention also extends to all embodiments differing from the embodiment shown in the drawings but falling within the scope defined by the claims.
1. Wall anchor for connecting a scaffolding to a wall, comprising an elongate anchor
body which is provided at an outer end with an anchor member extending in longitudinal
direction beyond the outer end for the purpose of engaging, in coupled position, in
an anchor eye extending from the wall, characterized in that the anchor member comprises a hook which extends longitudinally from the outer end
and which, in axial projection, falls at least substantially wholly within an outer
periphery of the anchor body.
2. Wall anchor as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the anchor body comprises a tube, wherein in axial side view the hook is present
at least substantially wholly within an outer periphery of the tube.
3. Wall anchor as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the hook comprises a substantially longitudinal first hook part which is connected
to the anchor body with a fixed outer end close to the outer periphery, and also comprises
a substantially transverse further hook part which ends, at least in projection, within
the outer periphery with a free outer end diametrically opposite the fixed outer end.
4. Wall anchor as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the further hook part comprises a protrusion close to the free outer end which extends
substantially transversely thereof and grips in the coupled position behind an edge
of the opening.
5. Wall anchor as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the protrusion extends substantially transversely of the first hook part.
6. Wall anchor as claimed in claim 3, 4 or 5, characterized in that the further hook part comprises a longitudinal shoulder close to the free outer end.
7. Wall anchor as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the shoulder comprises a wall of a longitudinally running recess close to the free
outer end of the further hook part.
8. Wall anchor as claimed in one or more of the claims 3-7, characterized in that the further hook part narrows, in particular conically, toward the free outer end.
9. Wall anchor as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the hook extends from a cylindrical insert fixed in the outer end of the anchor body.
10. Wall anchor as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the anchor body is provided at an opposite free outer end with a protruding nut.
11. Wall anchor as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the nut forms part of a further cylindrical insert fixed in the opposite outer end
of the anchor body.
12. Wall anchor as claimed in claim 10 or 11, characterized in that an orientation marking which indicates a position of the hook is arranged close to
the nut.