Steel prop capable of bearing bidirectional applied force

Details Steel prop capable of bearing bidirectional applied force Steel prop capable of bearing bidirectional applied force

2001-03-30

2002-10-22

Braun, Leslie A. (Department: 3632)

Supports

Brackets

On extensible column mounted between opposed surfaces

C248S354400

Reexamination Certificate

active

06467741

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a steel prop for supporting moldboards, and more particularly to a steel prop which is able to bear axial bidirectional applied force.
2. Prior Art
FIG. 1
shows a conventional steel prop
10
for supporting mold board. The steel prop
10
includes: an outer tube
12
; an adjustment seat
13
fixedly connected with top end of the outer tube; a retaining nut
15
screwed around the adjustment seat
13
for adjusting height of the prop; an inner tube
16
formed with several pin hole
17
at equal intervals, the inner tube
16
being nested in the outer tube
12
and the adjustment seat
13
; and an insertion pin
18
transversely passed through a slot
14
of the adjustment seat
13
and inserted in any of the pin holes
17
of the inner tube
16
. In use, the inner and outer tubes
16
,
12
are adjusted to a desired length. Then, the insertion pin
18
is inserted through the slot
14
of the adjustment seat
13
into one of the pin holes
17
of the inner tube
16
. Then, the retaining nut
15
is screwed as shown by phantom line of
FIG. 2
to retain the insertion pin
18
. Accordingly, the extending length of the inner and outer tubes
16
,
12
can be adjusted for supporting moldboards.
The above steel prop
10
has many imperfections. For example, when adjusting the length, it is time-consuming and inconvenient to operate the prop
10
. Moreover, the insertion pin
18
contacts with the periphery of the pin hole
17
only at a point with small contacting area. Therefore, a shear stress is likely to be applied to the prop and the strength of the prop is poor.
In order to solve the above problems, an improved steel prop
20
has been developed as shown in FIG.
3
. Such prop
2
includes an outer tube
22
, an inner tube
24
, two engaging members
25
and a locking member
28
. The top end of the outer tube is formed with a conic face
23
. The body of the inner tube
24
is formed with a thread and nested in the outer tube
22
. The inner circumference of each engaging member
25
is formed with transverse thread section
26
. The two engaging members
25
are positioned on the conic face
23
of the outer tube
22
and connected by a pin member
27
on one side. The locking member
28
is disposed on the other side of the engaging members
25
.
In use, as shown in
FIG. 5
, when the wedge locking bar
29
of the locking member
28
is positioned at an upper dead end, the two engaging members
25
are not mated with each other so that they do not mesh with the inner tube
24
. At this time, the inner tube
24
is upward pulled out as shown in FIG.
6
. After pulled to a certain length, a user can downward knock the locking bar
29
with a tool as shown in FIG.
7
. Accordingly, the two engaging members
25
are mated with each other and the thread sections
26
thereof mesh with the thread of the inner tube
24
as shown in FIG.
8
. Under such circumstance, the inner tube
24
is prevented from retracting into the outer tube
22
. Accordingly, the prop can be used to support moldboards.
Such steel prop
20
can be more quickly adjusted in length so that the time for adjustment is saved. In addition, the thread sections
26
of the engaging members contact with the inner tube on a face so that the inner tube is firmly clamped to provide higher supporting strength.
However, it is found that the above steel prop
20
still has shortcomings. For example, the steel prop can only bear axial pressure, while failing to bear axial tension. In other words, in locked state, the inner tube of such steel prop is prevented from retracting into the outer tube. However, the inner tube is not prevented from moving out of the outer tube. Therefore, when subject to a pulling force and pulled outward, the inner tube will slide within the outer tube. Accordingly, the steel prop can be only used in an upright state to resist against axial pressure, while failing to bear axial pulling force. Therefore, such prop can be hardly used in an oblique state or a horizontal state to support moldboards. As a result, the application field of such prop is limited.
In addition, the conventional steel prop has more components which are exposed to outer side. For example, the insertion pin
18
and the movable handle
151
of the retaining nut
15
of
FIG. 1
are exposed to outer side. Also, the locking bar
29
of
FIG. 3
is exposed to outer side. These exposed components tend to injure workers due to collision. Moreover, when transferring or stacking the steel props, the exposed components tend to damage due to collision.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a steel prop which is able to bear both axial pressure and pulling force. Therefore, the application field of the steel prop is widened.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide the above steel prop which is able to bear axial bidirectional applied force. In addition, the steel prop has no components projecting toward outer side so that the possibility of injury of workers and damage of the steel prop can be minimized.
The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:


REFERENCES:
patent: 2462662 (1949-02-01), Niceley
patent: 2556357 (1951-06-01), Baldwin
patent: 3059888 (1962-10-01), Lie
patent: 4111217 (1978-09-01), Victor
patent: 4221363 (1980-09-01), Jasper
patent: 4655426 (1987-04-01), von Dulong et al.
patent: 5056753 (1991-10-01), Lunau et al.
patent: 5116004 (1992-05-01), Luecke
patent: 5387239 (1995-02-01), Bianco et al.
patent: 5826847 (1998-10-01), Warner et al.
patent: 5836555 (1998-11-01), Ellsworth et al.

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