GB2144088A - Load-transfer device and system - Google Patents

Abstract

The system comprises an elongate, relatively rigid guide rail 10, 11; at least one intermediate and/or end section 12 providing an extension of the rail which is formed with a recess; and a rotatable wheel 13 having a series of recesses 16 at spaced locations around its periphery with adjacent recesses being separated by a projecting part 15 of the wheel. Peripheral portions of said projecting parts of the wheel engage in said recess in said section of the rail for movement therethrough on rotation of the wheel and there also being provided arcuate interengaging means 17 on side surfaces of said projection parts of the wheel and the respective adjacent side wall of said recess, which interengaging means are adapted to allow rotation of the wheel 13 relative to said section 12 of the rail whilst locating the wheel with respect thereto. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Load-transfer device and system This invention relates to a load-transfer device and system which are adaptations of the type of devices described in British Patent No.

1,582,201 and systems described in British Patent No. 2,024,749.

In British Patent No. 2,024,749, there is described safety equipment for boats which comprise a life-line secured along peripheral portions of a boat, a lanyard which can be hooked onto the life-line and load-transfer devices of the type described in British Patent No. 1,582,201 providing intermediate attachment points for the life-line which allow lanyard hooks clipped onto the life-line to traverse each such attachment point while remaining attached to the life-line.The present invention provides a modified load-transfer device suitable for use in such systems and in other systems wherein a relatively rigid elongate member of the nature of a handrail in a boat, a bannister rail or other guide rail, is supported along a path to allow sliding elements to be clipped or hooked thereon for movement along said path and past the support points for the elongate member while remaining attached thereto.

The invention provides a load-transfer system comprising an elongate, relatively rigid guide rail, which may have a tubular section which is generally, but not necessarily, of cylindrical form; the rail including at least one intermediate and/or end section providing an extension of the rail generally conforming to the outer periphery thereof, which section is formed with a recess; and a rotatable wheel having a series of recesses at spaced locations around its periphery with adjacent recesses being separated by a projecting part of the wheel; wherein peripheral portions of said projecting parts of the wheel engage in said recess in said section of the rail for movement therethrough on rotation of the wheel and there being provided arcuate interengaging means on side surfaces of said projection parts of the wheel and the respective adjacent side wall of said recess, which interengaging means are adapted to allow rotation of the wheel relative to said section of the rail whilst locating the wheel with respect thereto.

Said interengaging means preferably comprise a set of arcuate recesses provided in the projecting parts of the wheel on each side thereof and a cooperating arcuate flange on each side wall of said recess, engaging with a respective set of said recesses.

In some constructions according to the invention, said section may be formed with a projection, at one or both ends thereof, adapted to engage in, and generally conform to the inner peripheral surface of, an adjoining portion of a tubular rail. The rail and/or said section may be made of metal or a suitable plastics material and said section may be fabricated in two separate pieces which are secured together.

The invention also includes a load-transfer device for a load-transfer system in accordance with the invention, the device comprising an elongate guide rail section adapted for incorporation in a guide rail, the section being formed, at a position intermediate its length, with a recess in its outer periphery; and a rotatable wheel having a series of recesses at spaced locations around its periphery with adjacent recesses being separated by a projecting part of the wheel; wherein peripheral portions of said projection parts of the wheel engage in said recess in said rail section for movement therethrough on rotation of the wheel and there being provided arcuate interengaging means on side surfaces of said projecting parts of the wheel and the respective adjacent side wall of said recesses, which interengaging means are adapted to allow rotation of the wheel relative to said rail section whilst locating the wheel with respect thereto.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a loadtransfer device embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a section of a load-transfer system embodying the invention; Figure 3 is a view partly in section of a modified wheel attachment for the device of Fig. 1; and, Figure 4 is a cross-section through a further system embodying the invention.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a portion of a load-transfer system embodying the invention comprising a rigid rail which is fixed along a required path by a series of load-transfer devices which allow connecting elements, slidably engaged with the rail, to pass the rail attachment positions while remaining attached to the rail.

In Fig. 2, there is shown two cylindrical, tubular rail sections (10,11) joined by an intermediate section (12) which forms part of a load-transfer device (13) (as seen in Fig. 1) that provides a means for attaching the rail to a fixed structure.

The load-transfer device (13) comprises a rotary wheel (14) having seven equi-angularly spaced, radially projecting parts (1 5) which define therebetween a series of spaced recesses (16). The projecting parts (15) of the wheel (14) are formed on each side thereof with arcuate grooves (17) which lie on a common circle centered on the axis of rotation of the wheel (14). The device further comprises an intermediate rail section (12) having a cylindrical central body part (18) and a coaxial, cylindrical projection (19) extending from each end of the body part (18). An arcuate recess (20) is formed in the body part (18) and receives peripheral portions of the projecting parts (1 5) of the wheel, which move through the recess (20) as the wheel rotates about its axis relative to the rail section (12).Arcuate flanges (21) (one visible in Fig.

2) are provided on each side wall of the recess (20) to engage and cooperate with the two sets of grooves (17) in opposite sides of the wheel, respectively, to allow the wheel to rotate relative to the body part (18) while it remains located with respect thereto.

The intermediate rail section (12) may be made in two halves, which are divided along a longitudinal, axial plane through the section, the halves being fastened together. For example the two halves may be fabricated as moulded plastics elements which are fastened together, e.g. by screws, or adhesive.

The wheel is carried in a mounting bracket (22) having a pair of generally triangular side walls between which the wheel is rotatably located. The base of the bracket (22) is bolted to the aforesaid fixed structure.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, a connector element, in this case a ring (40), is engaged to slide along the guide rail, which is provided by rail sections (10,11,12). When it is necessary for the connector element to traverse the load-transfer device (13), the connector element engages in a recess (16) in the wheel which, on further movement of the connector element, rotates relative to the body part (18) allowing the connector element to pass through the device (1 3) without becoming detached from the rail.

Fig. 3 illustrates an alternative mounting device for the wheel. In this embodiment, a U-bolt (23) extends through an aperture at the centre of the hub of the wheel and a pair of collars (24) are located on the U-bolt to abut opposite side faces of the wheel. The collars (24) are fixed onto the U-bolt by grab screws (25) to position the wheel generally centrally of the base portion of the U-bolt. The threaded ends of the U-bolt can then be fixed in apertures in a fixed structure by lock nuts (26).

A load-transfer guide rail system according to the invention can be used in many different applications. Each system is constructed of a number of main rail sections (10,11), generally of tubular form. These sections may be straight or curved or otherwise formed to change direction as required to conform to various desired guide paths The sections are connected by intermediate rail sections (12) having associated loadransfer devices (13) attached to fixed structures. The end projections (19) of the intermediate rail section (12) engage in the ends of the adjoining main rail sections (10,11) to provide a continuous rail as shown in Fig. 2, since the outer peripheral form of the body part (18) of the intermediate rail section (12) generally corresponds to the outer peripheral form of the adjoining rail sections (10,11).A number of load-transfer devices (13) can be provided at spaced locations along the rail and, in some cases, also as the ends of the rail to allow engagement therewith of a connector element.

One application of this system would be a safety attachment rail in a marine vessel, e.g.

a life-boat, where the hook at the end of a lanyard of a safety harness can be clipped onto the rail for free sliding movement along the rail.

Another application would be as a form of bannister along staircases, e.g. in hospitals, where an invalid could slip an attachment device onto the bannister to provide a firm attachment thereto. Another application would be a similar system for use in furniture removal.

A variety of connector elements can be used with a rail system embodying the invention. For example, a roller element, or a pair of rollers on a common axle, may be held in engagement with one side of the rail by a strap or similar U-shaped element associated with the axle of the wheel(s) and engaging around the rail. One such system is illustrated in Fig. 4, where a roller (30) runs on top of a rail (31) of a system according to the invention. A U-shaped keep member (32), located at its ends on the wheel axle (33), passes around the underside of the rail (31) to maintain the wheel in engagement therewith. This system could for example be used in an aeroplane where a pair of such rails are located along each side of an aisle between rows of seating and sheaves or wheels provided on a serving trolley are held in contact with the rails, as shown in Fig. 4, to keep the trolley firmly locked to the floor.

Claims (7)

1. A load-transfer system comprising an elongate, relatively rigid guide rail: at least one intermediate and/or end section providing an extension of the rail and generally conforming to the outer periphery thereof, which section is formed with a recess; and a rotatable wheel having a series of recesses at spaced locations around its periphery with adjacent recesses being separated by a projecting part of the wheel; wherein peripheral portions of said projecting parts of the wheel engage in said recess in said section of the rail for movement therethrough on rotation of the wheel and there being provided arcuate interengaging means on side surfaces of said projection parts of the wheel and the respective adjacent side wall of said recess, which interengaging means are adapted to allow rotation of the wheel relative to said section of the rail whilst locating the wheel with respect thereto.

2. A system according to Claim 1 wherein said interengaging means comprise a set of arcuate grooves provided in the projecting parts of the wheel on each side thereof and a cooperating arcuate flange on each side wall of said recess, engaging with a respective set of said grooves.

3. A system according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein said guide rail is tubular.

4. A system according to Claim 3 wherein said section is formed with a projection, at one or both ends thereof, adapted to engage in, and generally conform to the inner peripheral surface of, an adjoining portion of a tubular rail.

5. A system according to any preceding Claim wherein the guide rail is of cylindrical form.

6. A system according to any preceding Claim wherein said section is fabricated in two separate pieces which are secured together.

7. A load-transfer device comprising an elongate guide rail section adapted for incorporation in a guide rail, the section being formed, at a position intermediate its length, with a recess in its outer periphery; and a rotatable wheel having a series of recesses at spaced locations around its periphery with adjacent recesses being separated by a projecting part of the wheel; wherein peripheral portions of said projection parts of the wheel engage in said recess in said rail section for movement therethrough on rotation of the wheel and there being provided arcuate interengaging means on side surfaces of said projecting parts of the wheel and the respective adjacent side wall of said recess, which interengaging means are adapted to allow rotation of the wheel relative to said rail section whilst locating the wheel with respect thereto.