GB2465676A

GB2465676A - Wood surface protector element

Info

Publication number: GB2465676A
Application number: GB0920695A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mark Wilsher
Original assignee: SET UP
Current assignee: SET UP
Priority date: 2008-11-27
Filing date: 2009-11-26
Publication date: 2010-06-02
Anticipated expiration: 2029-11-26
Also published as: GB2465676B; GB0920695D0; GB0821656D0

Abstract

A wood surface protector element (1) has a main body (1) with an internal bore (2) through which the body of a fixing may enter. means (5) projecting from the wood engaging side of the protector element retain the protector element (1) in a required position whether or not a fixing is present.

Description

This invention relates to facilitating the protection of a wooden surface into which fixings such as screws, bolts or other metal fasteners are required to be inserted.

In particular the present invention is concerned with at least reducing the common occurrence in the use of fixings such as above mentioned of damaging the surface of the wood in the vicinity of the head of a fixing as a result of the forces produced during insertion and/or reinsertion and the tightening up of fixings.

It is well known that the insertion of a screw effectively damages/distorts the fibres of the In practice, the very action of inserting a fixing such as a screw into a piece of wood results in the production of a Continuous spiral walled bore the formation of which results in wood fibres being crushed or distorted during the formation of the bore during insertion of the fixing.

This distortion is at its greatest in the vicinity of the head of the fixing since th distortion at this region is substantial in relation to the dimensions of the head of the fixing.

In situations, for example, where fixings fdr whatever reason need to be repeatedly inserted and removed the possibility of damage is enhanced particularly in applications where pieces of wood joined by fixings are required frequently to be assembled and dissembled.

in practice, in such situations it is more thah likely that the rotational forc required to be used when fixings are repeatedly removed nd replaced progressively changes as a result of damage to the bores into which they are inserted.

Thus, as a consequence of each such reinsèrtion it has been commohly bund that each time a fixing is replaced it is usually necessary toincrease the tightening fbfte in order to achieve an adequately satisfactory tightness to the fixing.

Ultimately a position is reached at which it may not be possible to achieve adequate tightness without unacceptably marking/damaging the surface of the wood involved in the vicinity of the fixing hole.

A further aspect of this situation is that as a result it may prove no longer possible firmly to connect two pieces of timber together with a required rigidity It is an object of the present invention to provide means whereby damage such as above mentioned can at least he reduced Broadly, according to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a wood protector element washer having an internal bore through which the body of a fixing may enter, and means projecting from the wood engaging side of the protector element for defining means for retaining the protector element in a required position whether or not a fixing is present.

Preferably, the protector element includes in one form a main body having a bore through which the body of a fixing may pass and a projecting region for firmly engaging with the 1 5 mouth region of a fixing receiving bore in the wood so as positionally to locate the protector element relative to the screw bore whether or not affixing is present In a further preferred construction the protector element is provided with a plurality of prongs adapted to dig into the surface of a piece of wood on positioning the protector element in a required position of use.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how to carry the same into effect reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:-Figure 1 is aside view of afirst embodiment of a protector element incorporating the concepts of the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the protector element shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side view of a second embodiment of a protector element incorporating the concepts of the invention, Figure 4 is a plan view of the protector element shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a side view of a third embodiment of a protector element incorporating the concepts of the invention, and Figure 6 is plan view of the protector element shown in Figure 5.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2 the protector element shown therein includes a main body 1 of annular form having a central bore 2 with a wall 3.

The outer peripheral regions 4 of the main body are deformed to produce four similarly shaped and pointed prongs 5 that project from the same side of the main body 1. The prongs 5 are produced by forming four sUts 6 positioned at right angles to each other with each such slit extending from the main outer periphery 7 of the main body 1 to terminate at a diametrical line of the main body. With this arrangement adjacent slits 6 are perpendicular to each other whilst alternate slits 6 are parallel to each other.

The portions of the main body 1 that are located to the outside of a slit are deformed so as to extend perpendicular to the main body to form the prongs 5.

It will be understood that the outermost edge regions 8 of the prongs are curved since 1 5 they originally formed part of the circular periphery of the main body. As a result the deformed portions are pointed as shown at 9 in the Figure 1.

The above described protector elements are mounted to a wood surface (not shown) at a location at which it is required to insert a fixing or after an initial insertion of a fixing and its removal such that the centre axis of the bore 2 is coaxial with the required axial position of the fixing and pressure is exerted upon the protector element so as to push pointed prongs into the wood surface (not shown) Once the protector element has been so inserted/positioned it will remain in its set position.

In practice, the dimensions of the protector element will depend upon the size of the fixing that is to be used and will be such that the head of the fixing and the fixing body adjacent to the head will be a clearance fit in the bore 2. In other words the dimensions of a protector element main body and in particular the diameter of the bore 2 will be determined by the gauge of the fixings to be associated therewith.

With this arrangement it has been found that repeated insertions and removals of the associated fixing does not lead to a weakening of the resulting connection between the fixing and the wood into which it is secured.

Referring now to Figures 3 and 4 which illustrate a second embodiment of a protector element incorporating the concepts of invention.

The protector element shown therein is generally similar in form to that shown in Figures 1 and 2, the difference there between is that in the embodiment of Figures 3 and 4 the slits which establish the form of the prongs 5 are notched' at their free ends so as to have the form of a half arrow head. As a result of this formation the prongs resulting from the modified slit formation has a barb 10 at its pointed end.

In practice, the provision of the barb 10 enhances grip between a prong and the wood into which it is inserted and in consequence at least reduces the possibility of the protector element 1 from separating from the wood.

Referring now to Figures 5 and 6 which illustrate a further embodiment of a protector element incorporating the concepts of the invention.

It will be seen from Figures 5 and 6 that the protector element comprises a main body 1 having a central bore 2 effectively defined by a cylindrical sleeve 13 that in practice, replaces the prongs of the previously discussed embodiments and thus serves the same purpose as that of the prongs.

Whilst it is not shown in the Figures the outer surface of the periphery of the bores provided in the main body 1 of each protector element can be provided with a shallow recess to facilitate the usage of wood fixings such as, for example, screws that are provided with heads that are intended to be countersunk.

Claims

ICLAIMS1. A wood protector element having a main body with an internal bore through which the body of a fixing may enter, and means projecting from the wood engaging side of the protector element for defining means for retaining the protector element in a required position whether or not a fixing is present.
2. A wood protector element as claimed in claim 1, and including main body having a bore through which the body of a fixing may pass and a projecting region for firmly engaging with the mouth region of a fixing receiving bore in the wood so as positionally to locate the protector element relative to the screw bore whether or not a fixing is present
3. A wood protector element as claimed in claim 1, and including at least two prongs each adapted to dig into the surface of a piece of wood on positioning the protector eloement in a required position of use.
4. A wood protector element as claimed in claim 3, and wherein the prongs are produced by forming slits in the outer peripheral region of the main body in such manner as to 1 5 produce by each slit formation a strip of the periphery of the main body that is deformabte so to project outwardly relative to the surface of the remainder of the main body.
5. A wood protector element as claimed in claim 4, and including four prongs equiangularly spaced around the periphery of the main body, and wherein the associated slits are positioned at right angles to each other.
6. A wood protector element as claimed in claim 3, and wherein each prong is produced by providing a slit extending from the outer periphery thereof and deforming a strip like portion of the main body formed by the production of the slit as to be perpendicular to the remainder of the body of the element.
7. A wood protector element as claimed in claim 6, and including four prongs equiangularly spaced around the main boy of the element.
8. A wood protector element as claimed in claim7, and wherein the slits of the four prongs are perpendicular to each other.
9. A wood protector element as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each the prong has a tapered free end..
10. A wood protector element as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each prong has a barbed free end.
11. A wood protector as\claimed in claim 1 or 2, and wherein a cylindrical projection extends from one surface of the main body, the free circular end of the projection providing an edge for engaging with the surface of wood with which the element is associated.
12. Awood protector element, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, Figures 3 and 4 or Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.