Abstract:
An apparatus is disclosed which utilizes various clamps and clamping structures to adjustably securely engage two or more construction structural support members, providing in part the advantage of not having to weld or otherwise connect in a permanent-type manner such members during a construction process.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to construction equipment and methods. More particularly, it relates to an apparatus which is useable in construction techniques to provide a secure temporary connection.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     In many construction fields there is a need to temporarily provide structural frames of a structure under construction. For example, in ship building a metal frame structure is constructed to which is attached the additional components of construction, such as plates, pipes and other construction components. The frame is typically made of metal beams, such as I-beams and angle iron. To such a frame the additional components are positioned and fixed, but thereafter often requiring adjustments in the connections of the frame or components. To facilitate the frame components being securely fixed to the other components, the frame components themselves are welded or otherwise “permanently” connected. As construction progresses, these “permanent” connections are sometimes cut or otherwise disassembled and then welded additional times in the adjustment process. While such a methodology provides a secure connection which relative permanency facilitates the construction process, such methodology also incurs additional costs in materials, time and safety. There is needed an improved methodology in making these “permanent” connections.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The present invention is an apparatus for securing a structural member (an I-beam, for example) relative to another structural member in a permanent-like, but temporary, secure connection. The apparatus has a clamp for securing to the structural member. This clamp comprises two clamp members. These clamp members have means to adjustably engage securely the clamp to the structural member in a variety of ways. A slide plate member is attached to this clamp. The plate member can adjustably securely engage the clamp and an accompanying support member. Also on this support member are brackets having means to adjustably engage the support member and having means to adjustably securely engage another structural member, thereby providing a secure connection that is readily and safely adjusted until a truly permanent connection is made. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0004]      FIG. 1  depicts an exploded view of one embodiment of the present apparatus secured to an I-beam.  
         [0005]      FIG. 2  depicts an alternative clamp member for use in the  FIG. 1  embodiment.  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  depict side views of a clamp member of the aforementioned clamps used in the present invention.  
         [0006]      FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  depict side views of a complimentary clamp member to those depicted in  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b.    
         [0007]      FIG. 5  depicts a plate member used with the aforesaid clamp.  
         [0008]      FIG. 6  depicts a clamp and arm used also with the  FIG. 1  embodiment.  
         [0009]      FIGS. 7   a ,  7   b  and  7   c  depict alternative clamps used also with the  FIG. 1  embodiment. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0010]     Referring now to the figures, there is in  FIG. 1  an embodiment of an apparatus of the present invention. Depicted is a structural I-beam  10  made of web  11  and flange  12 , to which the apparatus attaches. Two clamp components, clamp members  20  and  40  fit together to act in a clamping manner to hold onto flange  12 . In this view there is shown making up a portion of clamp member  20  the elements of a top surface  21 , an end surface  22 , and set bolt members  23 . Engaging clamp member  20  is clamp member  40 , which interlocks by means not shown in  FIG. 1  but depicted in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , as hereinafter explained. Also shown is a slide plate  50  having a top surface  51 , receiving pipe  52  with an opening  53 , end surface  54  and side surface  55 . Top surface  51  can be solid or open below pipe  52  so as to either respectively block complete passage of a structure inserted into pipe  52  or permit such. Slide plate  50  and clamp member  20  interlock by means not shown in  FIG. 1  but depicted in  FIGS. 3 and 5 , as hereinafter explained. Also shown are brackets  60  and  70 . Bracket  60  has a receiving pipe  62  with opening  63 , flange  61  and arm  64 . In this embodied version arm  64  is a hollow square tube suitable for receiving a clamping mechanism as later described. Bracket  70  similarly has a receiving pipe  72  with opening  73 , flange  71  and arm  74 . Brackets  60  and  70  differ from each other in this version in that flange  61  extends below the bottom opening (not shown) of pipe  62  so that arm  64  does not attach directly to pipe  62 . Flange  71  is such that arm  74  attaches directly to pipe  72 . When support  75  is inserted sequentially through openings  73 ,  63  and  53 , arm  64  can be position to rest against the outer surface of pipe  52 . Not shown in  FIG. 1  are the mechanism by which these components become relatively fixed when in use.  
         [0011]     In  FIG. 2  there is shown an alternative arrangement for use of the present apparatus when used in conjunction with two parallel L-beams, e.g. angle irons  13 . In this configuration, the relative positions of clamp members  20  and  40  are reversed but still interlock as described hereinafter.  
         [0012]     In  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  there are depicted respectively a side view and an end view of clamp member  20  showing an upper T-rails  33  and  35  on the surface  21  of the top plate  32  of clamp member  20  and a lower T-rails  34  and  36  on the surface  31  underneath and opposite of surface  21 . Lower T-rails  34  terminates by intersecting surface  30 . Also is set bolt pin  23 . When clamping occurs, surface  29  is preferably biased against the edge of flange  12 . The upper and lower T-rails  33  and  34  have surfaces  24 ,  25 ,  26 ,  27  and  28 .  
         [0013]     In  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  there are depicted respectively a side view and an end view of clamp member  40  showing a pair of T-slots  42  for receiving the lower T-rails  34  depicted in  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  as well as surfaces  41 ,  43 ,  44 ,  47  and  48 . When clamp members  20  and  40  are interlocked, surface  31  is biased against surface  48  and set-pins  23 ,  45  and  46  are worked to bias against the undersurface of flange  12 .  
         [0014]     In  FIG. 5  there is depicted slide plate  50  having an upper surface  51  to which there is attached pipe  52  having opening  53 . Surface  51  is the top surface for the base plate  54  having a front edge surface  55 , a lock hole  56  and a pair of T-slots  57  and  58 . Lock pin  59  is inserted through lock hole  56  into an appropriate hole in the surface of upper T-rail  35 .  
         [0015]     In  FIG. 6  there is depicted clamping arm  80  having a stem arm  81  suitable for insertion into either of arm  64  or arm  74 . An appropriate means, not shown, of locking the relative positions of stem arm  81  in either of arms  64  or  74 , such as set-pins, set-screws or bolts for example, can be used. Clamp arms  82  and  83  are each provided with a gear means  85  and pin  84  which attaches each arm to stem arm  81 . The respective gear means  85  may be, but need not be, monolithically formed with each clamp arm. At the end of each clamp arm  82  or  83  here is similarly provided a clamping head  86  with a pin  87  for rotatably holding clamping head  86  to the respective clamp arm. Slot opening  88  permits use of a locking means, such as a pin or bolt, to fix the relative rotated position of each clamping head  86  to clamp arms  82  and  83 . To assist in gripping a structural member there is optionally provided teethed surface  89 . The bolt stem  90  of clamping bolt  93  extends through a biasing collar through a spring shell, wire or plate  92  on the outer surface of clamping arm  82 . The threaded end of bolt stem  90  extends through a rotatable embedded nut within clamp arm  83 .  
         [0016]     In  FIGS. 7   a ,  7   b , and  7   c  there are depicted further variations of clamping heads, clamping heads  100 ,  200  and  300 , substitutable for clamping head  86 . Similar to teethed surface  89  there are disclosed gripping surfaces  101 ,  201  and  301  to illustrate variations useable. Respectively there are disclosed pins  102 ,  202  and  302 . Slot openings  103 ,  203  and  303  are shown. Reversed point  304  is provided to enable use of a chain to secure a structural member.  
         [0017]     It is understood by those in the art that for all of the relatively moveable junctions or connections described hereinabove, that a variety of locking means are useable to temporarily secure the relative position of each item to another during use. Non-limiting examples are clamping type means; biasing means, such as springs and other biasing-expansion member; pins, turn bolts and slots or receiving holes, nuts and bolts, and other such mechanisms chosen as a matter of convenience of the user.  
         [0018]     Another embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus for securing a first structural member relative to a second structural member. This apparatus comprises  
         [0019]     (1) a first clamp for securing to the first structural member, the first clamp comprising a first clamp member and a second clamp member, the first and second clamp members having means to adjustably engage securely the first clamp to the first structural member;  
         [0020]     (2) a support member;  
         [0021]     (3) a slide plate member comprising means to adjustably securely engage to the first clamp and means to adjustably engage the support member;  
         [0022]     (4) one or more bracket(s) having means to slideably engage the support member and having means to adjustably securely engage the second structural member.  
         [0023]     Preferably, the apparatus is one wherein the first structural member is selected from a group consisting of an I-beam, a T-beam, a C-beam, and an L-beam. The first clamp can be configured to engage a flange of such first structural member.  
         [0024]     Another embodiment is an apparatus for securing a set of two or more first structural members relative to a second structural member, said apparatus comprising  
         [0025]     (1) a first clamp for securing each of said first structural member to said second structural member, said first clamp comprising two or more first clamp members, each of said clamp members having independent means to adjustably engage securely said first clamp to an independently mapped first structural member;  
         [0026]     (2) a support member;  
         [0027]     (3) a slide plate member comprising means to adjustably securely engage to said first clamp and means to adjustably engage said support member;  
         [0028]     (4) one or more bracket(s) having means to slideably engage said support member and having means to adjustably securely engage said second structural member.  
         [0029]     A non-limiting example of such apparatus is one used with two parallel angle iron structural members. In this particular use, the first clamp has one clamp member attached to one first structural member and the second clamp member attached to another first structural member. For instance, this embodiment can be, but need not be, effected by using C-clamps for the clamp members. These C-clamps can have flat plate surfaces which have slots or channels through which bolts or pins are secured after adjusting the relative positions of the clamp members.  
         [0030]     Additionally, a slide plat member can have one or more protrusion member(s) to operatively engage said slot.  
         [0031]     Although various preferred embodiments of the invention have been described herein in detail, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that variations may be made thereto.