Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Separable-fastener or required component thereof – With third detached member completing interlock
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-13
2001-09-04
Sakran, Victor N. (Department: 3626)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Separable-fastener or required component thereof
With third detached member completing interlock
C024S346000, C024S370000, C024S598700, C024S598500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06282762
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a connecting element for sheet piles sheet piles extending at an angle to each other. The connecting element has a central web strip with an upper hook strip and a lower hook strip extending outward on the two longitudinal edges thereof. The hook strips point with their curvature in opposite directions and are adapted to engage corresponding hook strips of the shet piles to be connected.
Such connecting elements are known in a plurality of shapes and designs; they are used for interconnecting sheet piles of sheet-pile walls, in particular for interconnecting two abutting sheet piles of sheet-pile walls extending at an angle to each other.
A known connecting element, designated corner section
20
, for connecting the sheet piles of sheet-pile walls extending at a 90° angle to each other has approximately an S-section and a substantially straight web strip with two oppositely directed hook strips extending on the two sides thereof. One of the hook strips is formed smaller than the other; both engage corresponding hook strips of the sheet piles to be connected.
This element can only be used for connecting sheet piles extending at a 90° angle to each other. When the connecting elements are driven, however, it sometimes happens that the smaller of the hook strips jumps out of the corresponding hook strip of the sheet pile to be connected so that—if this is noticed at all—work must be interrupted and started again.
A further connecting element, designated a delta and described in DE-OS 20 18 199, again has a small hook strip on one side of a web strip and a larger hook strip of sickle-shaped cross section on the other side thereof. This section has the advantage that one can connect sheet piles to the sickle-shaped hook strip over a certain angle range and thus also interconnect sheet-pile walls extending at an angle other than 90°. The angle stated is between 90° and 135°. The smaller of the hook strips has the same construction in this section as in the abovementioned corner section
20
, so that during driving this hook strip can in fact slide out of the corresponding hook strip of the sheet pile to be connected.
For these reasons it is the rule to weld the abovementioned corner section
20
and the delta section with their smaller hook strips to one of the sheet piles and only then drive this assembly. This results in considerable labor for producing sheet piles.
DE-A1 3907348 discloses extruded connecting elements to which one can connect sheet piles of the abovementioned Larssen type but also the knob-and-claw type. The connecting elements have for this purpose differently shaped hook strips which, as indicated by
FIGS. 4
to
6
therein, always require shape-mating with the locks of the sheet piles. Thus the same difficulties are given here as with the abovementioned corner section
20
. However, the continuous casting production method permits more diverse shapes of the connecting strips and smaller dimensional tolerances to be achieved than with rolled sections.
It is common to all three aforementioned sections that they are only used in conjunction with one type of sheet-pile wall. The most frequent sheet piles are ones with so-called Larssen locks having on their two longitudinal edges hook portions corresponding approximately to the smaller hook strip of the connecting element according to abovementioned DE-OS 20 18 119. The dimensions of these hook strips in addition vary from manufacturer to manufacturer so that one can only use connecting elements and sheet piles from the same manufacturer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is based on the problem of providing a connecting element for sheet piles of the kind in question which can be used in conjunction with existing sheet pile sections in particular with Larssen locks and which cannot jump out of the hook strip of a pile to be connected. Furthermore, the connecting angle of sheet-pile walls extending at an angle to each other should be clearly enlarged over the prior art.
This problem is solved according to the invention by the following features:
a) both hook strips have substantially the same construction and a continuous sickle-shaped curvature, the arcs of the curvature being greater than 180° and no more than about 250°;
b) on the upper part of the central web strip is a projection which at the same time forms the beginning of the upper hook strip and whose direction is approximately perpendicular to the flat area of the central web strip;
c) the lower part of the central web strip passes continuously into the lower hook strip;
d) an imaginary prolongation in the direction of the extension of the end of the upper hook strip points away from the central web strip and forms an acute angle of about 25° to 30° with a vertical direction parallel to the flat area of the central web strip;
e) a center line through the opening and the interior space of the upper hook strip is inclined downward and forms an acute angle of about 45° with the prolongation of the flat area of the web strip;
f) an imaginary prolongation in the direction of the extension of the end of the lower hook strip is directed toward the central web strip; and
g) a center line through the opening and the interior space of the lower hook strip forms an acute angle with the flat area of the web strip.
The hook strips are accordingly of C-shaped or sickle-shaped cross section, the arcs of the two sickle-shaped hook strips being greater than 180° and preferably in the range between about 225° and 250°. The sickle opening of one, upper hook strip points away from the web and begins on a projection on the upper part of the central web strip, while the sickle opening of the lower hook strip, which is a continuous extension of the lower part of the central web strip, points in a direction substantially parallel to the web strip and slightly inclined toward it.
The smooth arc-shaped inside walls of the two hook strips generously encompass the corresponding hook strips of the sheet piles to be connected, producing three-point contact or sufficient interlocking between the hook strips of the sheet piles to be connected and the hook strips of the connecting element. This manner of encompassing, in particular the curvature shape of the hook strips in conjunction with the projection as a stop and the sickle opening directed slightly toward the web strip, cause the lock, i.e. the hook strip of a sheet pile to be connected, to be quasi bolted so that the connecting element cannot slide out of the hook strip of the sheet pile to be connected during driving.
A further advantage is that the sheet-pile walls to be connected via the connecting element according to the invention can assume an angle between about 45° and about 125°, a reliable connection being given in all angle ranges and the element being reliably prevented from jumping out of the hook strip during driving. The angle range is determined by the lock size, i.e. the size of the hook strips of the sheet piles to be connected.
The generously dimensioned sickle-shaped hook strips not only prevent the element from jumping out of hook strips of sheet piles to be connected, but also permit a relatively great tolerance range for sheet-pile walls to be joined since the connecting elements can be swiveled to compensate dimensional tolerances in the range of a few centimeters.
For a full understanding of the present invention, reference should now be made to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 912021 (1909-02-01), Neilson
patent: 1003777 (1911-09-01), Neilson
patent: 1806967 (1931-05-01), Dougherty et al.
patent: 3374620 (1968-03-01), Gower
patent: 5692270 (1997-12-01), Dunn
patent: 5836056 (1998-11-01), Cooper
patent: 410707 (1925-03-01), None
patent: 443556 (1927-05-01), None
patent: 734616 (1943-04-01), None
patent: 2018119 (1970-11-01), None
patent: 3907348 (1990-09-01), None
patent: 29718052 (1998-12-01), None
patent: 19725143 (1999-01-01), None
Milde Hoffberg & Macklin, LLP
Sakran Victor N.
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