US2557413A - Bleacher seat splice - Google Patents

Description

June 19, 1951 J. w. CRICHTON BLEACHER SEAT SBLICE Filed Aug. 30, 1949 4 INVENTOR, JAMES w. CRlCHTON ram M! m, 4 ffDk'n a Patented June 19, 1951 UNITED BLEACHER SEAT SPLICE James W. Crichton,.. Portland, reg., assignor to Timber Structures, Inc... Portland, 0reg., a core p r ionn De awar Application August 30, 1949, Serial No. 113,146

8 *Glaims. (Cl. 155e..130)

The present invention comprises an improve.- ment in seating structures such as temporary bleachers used to seat spectators at games, parades and other spectacles. The principal purpose of the present invention is to provide a sturdy knockdown structure of this type which is absolutely safe when in use, such purpose being achieved by interlocking means holding the bleacher seat boards or equivalent members in place on the inclined beams or equivalent members which provide the framework for the structure.

A further object of. the present invention is to provide a structure of the foregoing type in which seat boards extending'between adjacent sections need not be overlapped as in prior structures. overlapped seat boards are dangerous in that someone might stumble over the pro.- jecting end of the upper board. and, in any event, are annoying and decrease the available seating area in many cases. By the use of the present invention a bleacher comprising as many sections as are desired may be provided, in which the ends of all seat boards in all sections are abutted so as to provide continuous seats with all. portions thereof at the same levels.

A further object of the present invention is to provide bleacher seat board splicing means which absolutely prevent longitudinal separation of abutted seat boards maintained in horizontal alignment with each other. Such longitudinal separation of the seat boards and subsequent shifting of the boards to bring their ends tightly together again have resulted in serious damage claims, which is not possible with the present invention.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a bleacher seat construction in which the ends of each of the seat boards are prevented from longitudinal splitting, thereby .eli m i.- nating one cause of maintenance expense.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a seat board splicing construction which need not be assembled to exactly close tolerances since a portion of the construction comprises splicing means having a wedgin effect tending to maintain the abutted ends of boards in contact at all times.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention may be more readily ascertained from inspection of the following specification taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, while the features of novelty will be more distinctly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a portion of a bleacher using the present invention, the view being taken substantially along the line l-l of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is an isometric view of a portion of a bleacher showing the present invention in use;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken substantially along the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. .4 is a vertical section taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken in a. plane closely adjacent the plane of Fig. 3,. showing a modified form of latching means for the splice; and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing another modified' form of latching means. for the splice;

A bleacher formed. in accordance with the present invention comprises a plurality of inclined beams It included in the framework of the bleacher. A plurality of. seat board supports ll are maintained on top of each beam and a plurality of depending footboard supports I2 are maintained below each beam, the upper and lowersupports being held in position by bolts I3 extending through feet on. the ends of a pair ofupper and lower supports. As seen clearly in Fig. 1, the bolts It may extend normal to the longitudinal axes of the beams 10 and the shape of the supports H and I2 may be such as to maintain the forward edges of seat boards I4 vertically above the rearward edge of floor boards I5, supported on the supports H and I2 respectively. Each of the supports. I l preferably comprises a strap including a. saddle portion having a horizontal part l6 terminating in upward-1y extending bights l? extending at least partially around the side edges of the boards [4- to prevent lateral shifting of boards placed on the saddle portions. Each of the supports l2 comprises a saddle portion l8 of the same width as the floor boards 15 and the upwardly extending leg portions which partiallyv embrace the side edges of the boards to prevent lateral shifting thereof.

As seen most clearly in Fig. 2, a pair of seat boards It may be disposed upon the saddle portion of one of the supports H with their ends in abutting relation to each other. Inorder to maintain the seat boards in such position, means areprovided .to prevent longitudinal separation .of the abutted ends thereof and vertical separar tionof the abutted ends of the boards from th saddle portion .of the support, such means pref..- erably comprising a T-shapedsplice 26 adapted enough beyond the bolts 2| to permit free in sertion of the wedge tips of the arms and the stitch bolts 2! are positioned far enough from the end edges of the boards so that the cam surfaces of the tip portions 23 draw the end edges of the boards firmly together. The ends of the boards thus are provided with inwardly extending depressions terminating in openings through the boards.

with the top of the boards, but in new constructions the stitch bolts 2| may be spaced far enough from the end edges of the boards to prevent flush seating of the splice, which may :be corrected by driving the splice downwardly with a maul, or the splice may project a slight distance above the seat board without being uncomfortable. The leg 24 of the splice projects downwardly through a central opening 25 in .the horizontally disposed portion 16 of the sup- .port ll, the leg of the splice thus preventing longitudinal displacement of the boards from the support. In order to prevent vertical separation of the boards from the support, displaceable means are provided to latch the leg 24 against being lifted through the opening 25, in Figs. 3

.and 4 the same comprising a split ring 26 which is inserted through an opening 21 in the leg 24 and projects laterally beyond the surface of .the leg 24 to a greater distance than the width of the opening 25.

The arrangement is pref- .erably such that the top of, the splice rests flush and is preferably locked in position by a sleeve nut 30 seated in a countersunk opening in the opposite edge of the board so as to lie flush with the rounded surface thereof.

The floor boards conceivably could be overlapped at their ends since it is not necessary .that the ends thereof should lie flush with each other, but in order to eliminate the possibility of someones tripping over a projected end, and in order to provide fioor boards which may be interchangeably used as seat boards and thus reduce to a further extent the different types of boards used in a temporary seating arrangement, the boards l5 are preferably identical to .the boards l4 and are preferably placed in abutting relationship to each other on the horirate displaceable means such as the split ring '1' 2B. This form of latching means, compr sesa arrangement.

short chain fixed at one end to the horizontal portion [6 of the support, and carrying at its other end a Wire hook 36 adapted to pass through the opening 21 in the leg 24.

A further modification is disclosed in Fig. 6 wherein the displaceable latching member comprises. a leaf spring 40 having its lower end welded or otherwise afiixed to the lower end of the leg 24 and its upper end bent laterally and projecting into the opening 21 in the leg. The leaf spring is permanently biased outwardly so 'asto engage the strap l6 at one side of the open- [ing 25, but may be manually depressed so as to permit withdrawal of the leg from the opening, and will be automatically depressed upon forcing the leg downwardly through the opening.

It is to be appreciated that the present invention may be utilized in assembling other temporary structures and that the seat boards and floor boards herein illustrated are representative of elongated members which are to be maintained in horizontal alignment with their ends in firm abutting relationship.

Having illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the present invention, it should. be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention permits of modification in details and I claim as my invention all such modifications as come Within the true spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Means for holding a pair of elongated members such as bleacher seat boards horizontally in alignment with their ends maintained firmly in abutting relation to each other, comprising a support upon which the ends of a pair of end- -abutted, elongated members may rest, said support having an opening therethrough, each of said boards having a slot extending longitudinally from its end, means spanning each of said slots and cooperating with the sides and inner end thereof to define an opening, and a T-shaped splice spanning the joint between said members, said splice having depending portions on its arms engaged in' said openings for anchoring said members against longitudinal separation and having its leg passing through said opening for anchoring said members against longitudinal displacement from said support.

2. A portable bleacher construction comprising an inclined beam, a pair of boards extending horizontally in alignment with each other in a direction normal to said beam with their ends abutted, and means to maintain said boards in position comprising a support mounted upon said beam and including a saddle portion underlying the abutted ends of said boards and at least partially embracing the side edges thereof, said saddle portion having a central opening therethrough, stitch bolts spanning the ends of said boards inwardly from the end edges thereof, the ends-of said boards being longitudinally slotted 'to expose central portions of said stitch bolts,

and a T-shaped splice having its arms engaged with the'exposed central portions of said bolts to maintain the boards from spreading apart and its leg depending through the opening in said saddle portion to prevent longitudinal shifting of the ends of said boards from said saddle portion, and means cooperating with the leg of said splice to prevent lifting of said boards from said saddle portion.

3. A portable bleacher construction comprising .'a beam, a pair of seat boards extending horizontally in alignment witheach other ina direction normal to said beam with their ends abutted, and means to maintain said boards in position comprising a support mounted upon said beam and including a portion underlying the abutted ends of said boards, said portion having an opening therethrough, stitch bolts spanning the ends of said boards inwardly from the end edges thereof, the ends of said boards being longitudinally slotted to expose portions of said stitch bolts, and a T-shaped splice having its arm engaged with the exposed portions of said bolts to maintain the boards from spreading apart and its leg depending through the opening in said portion to prevent shifting of the ends of said boards from said portion, and means cooperating with the leg of said splice to prevent lifting of said boards from said portion comprising a displaceable latch member which, when in position, projects from said leg and is engageable'with the underside of said portion.

4. A seating structure comprising means for supporting seat boards including a horizontally disposed strap having an opening therethrough, a pair of seat boards having their ends resting on said strap, each of said seat boards having a slot extending longitudinally of its end portion and a transverse bar spanning said slot, a T shaped splice having a depending wedge tip on each arm disposed with its arms in the slots oi said boards, the depending wedge tips of said arms embracing said bars and its leg passing through said opening, and displaceable means cooperating with the leg of said splice below said strap to prevent accidental displacement of said splice from said strap.

5. A knockdown structure comprising a supporting strap, a pair of elongated members having their ends abutted and resting upon said strap, each of said elongated members having a longitudinal slot therein and a bar spanning said slot, a splice comprising a T-shaped member having depending tips on its arms, said tips having inwardly disposed cam surfaces adapted to embrace said bars and wedge the ends of said elongated members firmly together, and means for latching said splice to said strap to prevent displacement of the ends of said elongated members from said strap.

6. A portable bleacher comprising a supporting strap, a pair of boards having their ends abutted and resting upon said strap, each of said boards having a longitudinal slot therein and a bar spanning said slot, a splice comprising a T-shaped member having depending tips on its arms, said tips having inwardly disposed cam surfaces adapted to embrace said bars and wedge the ends of said boards firmly together, and means for latching said splice to said strap to prevent displacement of the ends of said boards from said strap.

7. A seating structure comprising a horizontal saddle, a pair of boards having their ends abutted and resting upon said saddle, each of said boards having a longitudinal slot extending inwardly from its end edge, means spanning each of said slots to define therewith a terminal opening, a splice comprising a T-shaped member having depending wedge tips on its arms disposed with its arms in said slots and the tips thereof depending through said terminal openings, said tips having inwardly disposed cam surfaces adapted to wedge the ends of said boards firmly together, and means for latching said splice to said saddle to prevent displacement of the ends of said boards a from said saddle.

8. A seating structure comprising a metal strap defining a horizontal saddle, a pair of elongated fiat members having their ends abutted and resting upon said saddle, each of said members having a longitudinal slot extending from its abutted end edge, means spanning each of said slots at a distance below the upper surface of the member and cooperating with the end and sides of said slot to define an opening, a splice comprising a T-shaped metal member having a depending portion on each arm, the arms of said splice being seated in said slots and resting on said means with their depending portions engaged in said openings, the upper surface of said splice being substantially flush with the upper surfaces of said members, said strap having an opening therethrough and the leg of said splice depending through said opening in the strap, and displaceable latch means cooperating with said leg and said strap to prevent separation of said members from said saddle.

JAMES W. CRICHTON.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Pinson et a1 Mar. 7, 1944 Number

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