Patent Publication Number: US-2012036796-A1

Title: Floating Floor Structure

Description:
DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     1. Technical Background 
     It is known, or at least intuitive, how in environments intended for storing explosives, ammunitions, arms and the like, the operations for moving, collecting and depositing the material as well as other operations, are quite sensitive, due to the risks related to the characteristics of the material itself. 
     In such context, for obvious safety reasons, all auxiliary movement devices that might generate sparks must be avoided completely thus substantially leading to such operations being performed manually. 
     2. Objects of the Invention 
     In such context, the main object of the present invention is that of providing means for facilitating the movement of the material in the rooms for storing, ammunitions, arms and the like, reducing the physical effort for the respective manual movement and without any contraindications in terms of safety. 
     Another object of the present invention is that of attaining the previous object through a solution concept applicable in any environment used for storing explosives, ammunitions, arms and the like, even not expressly prearranged and—as a matter of fact regardless of any prearrangement—being linked to the solution concept the adaptation of the same to the environment in question. 
     Other objects of the present invention are those of attaining the previous object and simultaneously providing a device suitable for: 
     not causing any contraindications in terms of safety and hygiene; 
     attaining the highest application modularity and polyvalence possible, as well as easy adaptability to the existing structures; 
     allowing immediate implementation without entirely altering the structures it is intended to complete, 
     attaining a solution concept feasibly useable even in other applications with respect to that of storing explosives, ammunitions, arms and the like, for which it was expressly conceived. 
     In any case obtain a simple and efficient device, safe to operate and least expensive possible considering the results practically attained therewith. 
     SUMMARY OF THE SOLUTION CONCEPT 
     These and other objects are attained by the floating floor structure according to the invention, comprising bearing pillars ( 1 ) with revolving ball ( 3 ) constrained in the head ( 2 ), projecting on the floor surface ( 10 ), supported by a grid of crosspieces ( 7 ) suspended between the bearing pillars ( 1 ) and made of material suitable to prevent the generation of sparks under friction or impact and prevent the accumulation of electrostatic energy, the entirety being used for building floors particularly for rooms intended for storing explosives, ammunitions, arms and the like, in such a manner that the pallets of the respective support may be easily translated and moved manually on the floating floor rolling on the heads of the pillars in a safe manner. 
    
    
     
       IDENTIFYING THE ATTACHED DRAWINGS 
       Further characteristics and advantages of the floating floor structure according to the invention shall be clearer from the detailed description that follows of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment thereof, represented strictly for exemplifying and non-limiting purposes in the attached seven drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  shows a partial perspective view of the floating floor according to the invention; 
         FIGS. 2 and 3  show a constituting element respectively from a perspective view and a top-bottom view; 
         FIG. 4  shows a bottom perspective view of the same constituting element of the previous figures with a kit of specific accessories; 
         FIG. 5  shows a plan view of another constituting element; 
         FIGS. 6 and 7  respectively show a plan view and side view of the assembly. 
     
    
    
     STATIC DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to such figures and in particular  FIG. 1 , indicated with  1  are the bearing pillars of the floating floor according to the invention, cylindrical-shaped in the illustrated embodiment, constrained in whose head  2  is a revolving ball  3 , in such a manner that projecting over said head  2  is a cap, indicated with the same reference number  3 . 
     Each pillar  1  abuts at the lower part against the support surface  16  by means of a foot  4 , associated thereto by means of a screw stem  5 , and it is also shaped with four parallelepiped-shaped radial projections  6 , mutually oriented orthogonally and provided with transverse through holes  9 . 
     Apically associated to the radial projections  6  are pairs of crosspieces  7 , all of the same length, fixed by means of screws  8  through said through holes  9 , in such a manner to form a square-meshed orthogonal grid, accommodated laying on which are the square panels  10  forming the floor surface, indicated with the same reference  10 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment the panels  10  are dimensioned each to cover four square-shaped meshes of the grid of crosspieces  7  and bearing circular central holes  11 , median half-circular grooves  12  at the sides and gored grooves  13  at the corners, to provide openings for the projection of the apical balls  3  of the pillars  1  in the entirety of the respective assembly. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the perimeter pillars  1  are also associated, through support elements  14 , to an edge  15  or perimeter guard element to be interposed on the walls  17  for the functions outlined hereinafter. 
     DYNAMIC DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT 
     Thus, having completed the static description of a preferred embodiment of the floating floor structure according to the invention, following is a dynamic description thereof: 
     the floating floor structure according to the invention may be easily laid on any surface, suitably positioning the pillars  1 , levelling them through the respective screw stems  5  for connecting to the respective feet  4 , connecting them to form a square-mesh through the crosspieces  7  and then laying the panels  10  thus formed over the grid to form the floor surface  10 . 
     In such manner, projecting on the floor surface  10 , through the respective holes  10 ,  12  and  13 , are the caps  3  of the revolving balls  3  constrained in the head  2  to the pillars  1 , in such a manner that flat surfaces and in particular the flat plate of the special metal pallets (not illustrated) used for supporting packages containing explosives, ammunitions, arms and the like, may be translated manually without straining on the floor surface  10 , sliding on the caps  3  of the balls constrained  3  rotating therein. 
     In order to ensure robustness and absence of contraindications in terms of safety, the elements that combine to form floating floor according to the invention preferably made up of: 
     the bearing pillars  1 , i.e. the elements for accommodating and supporting the balls  3 , are made of steel, designed and made to resist against heavy stresses and extremely heavy loads, produced specifically with numerical control machining centres using “FE 42 UNI 7070 TOLL: ISA h 11” drawn steel, 42 kg/sqm resistance or the like, cold zinc-plated and provided with an adjustable foot  4 , with insulating base fixable against the floor to prevent inadvertent slip-off in case of impact, designed to bear direct load under pressure amounting up to 2000 kilograms. 
     The balls  3  are massive, designed to bear heavy stresses and extremely heavy loads and over a long period of time, accommodated constrained in massive UNI 18 Ni CrM (UNI 7846-78/AFNOR 18NCD/B.S.EN353 steel boxes), carbonitrurated CM7, case-hardening plus tempered with hardness HRC; thickness 0.60.8 mm, with inner anti-dust gasket; the balls  3  are made of G10G16G20 ISO3290 chrome-plated steel, designed to bear direct load under pressure amounting up to 1500 kilograms. 
     The crosspieces  7 , i.e. the coupling elements, are produced specifically with numerical control machining centres, obtained using “FE 42 UNI 7070 TOLL: ISA h 11” drawn steel plates, 42 kg/sqm resistance or the like, cold zinc-plated, coupled by means of bolts with self-locking bolt. 
     The edges  14 , i.e. the elements for supporting and anchoring perimeter guard elements, are produced specifically with numerical control machining centres, made of “FE 42 UNI 7070 TOLL: ISA h 11” drawn steel, 42 kg/sqm resistance or the like, cold zinc-plated and provided with an aluminium guard plate 10 mm thickness, 60802T6 anti-spark alloy. 
     The panels  10 , i.e. the floor cover plates, are made of knurled aluminium, 5754 alloy 5+2 mm thickness, anti-skid and anti-spark, machined using specific machines with numerical control machining centres, laying on the support structure and easily removable for checking the underlying. 
     ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTS 
     It is obvious that in alternative embodiments, still falling within the innovation concept covered by the embodiment illustrated above and claimed below, the floating floor structure according to the invention may be alternatively implemented using technical and mechanical equivalents, with devices possibly having further integrative solutions, same case applying to all configurations of the constituents thereof that may be varied to suit the purpose. 
     In particular, strictly for exemplifying and non-limiting purposes: 
     the pillars, instead of being cylindrical like in the described preferred embodiment, may be of any other shape suitable for the purpose; 
     the grid of crosspieces, instead of being square-meshed like in the described preferred embodiment, may have a mesh of any shape and dimensioned in a manner suitable for the purpose; 
     the panels forming the floor surface, instead of being square-shaped and dimensioned each to cover four square meshes of the grid of crosspieces like in the described preferred embodiment, may be alternatively shaped and dimensioned in any other manner suitable for the purpose. 
     ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION 
     As clear from the detailed description above regarding a preferred embodiment and from the description also outlined above regarding some variant embodiments, the floating floor structure according to the invention offers advantages corresponding to the attainment of the preset objects and others: 
     as a matter of fact it integrates a safe, functional and polyvalent technology for facilitating the movement of packages containing explosives, ammunitions, arms and the like applicable in any arrangement and without risks of any kind, as a matter of fact, the material used guarantees complete absence of sparks even in case of accidental impacts and prevents the accumulation of electrostatic energy. 
     As a matter of fact, the extreme modularity thereof allows an easy and quick, maintenance and replacement of the single components, and also allows quick disassembly of the floor itself for possible reutilisation in other environments. 
     Furthermore, the product is also absolutely suitable to bear heavy loads over long periods of time. 
     KEY TO THE NUMBERS 
       
     
       
         
           
               
               
             
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                  1) 
                 pillars 
               
               
                  2) 
                 head of the pillars 
               
               
                  3) 
                 revolving ball constrained in the head against the pillars 
               
               
                  4)  
                 foot of the pillars 
               
               
                  5)  
                 screw stem of the foot 
               
               
                  6) 
                 parallelepiped radial projections of the pillars 
               
               
                  7) 
                 crosspieces 
               
               
                  8)  
                 screws for fixing crosspieces 
               
               
                  9) 
                 through holes in the parallelepiped radial projections of the pillars 
               
               
                 10)  
                 panels forming the floor surface 
               
               
                 11) 
                 circular central holes of the panels 
               
               
                 12)  
                 median half-circular grooves at the sides of the panels 
               
               
                 13) 
                 gored grooves at the corners of the panels 
               
               
                 14) 
                 elements for supporting the edge or perimeter guard element 
               
               
                 15)  
                 edge or perimeter guard element 
               
               
                 16)  
                 support surface 
               
               
                 17)  
                 walls