AU2015246153A1 - A roof anchor for a safety device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a roof anchor, and a method of use of a roof anchor, to provide a temporary safety aid for a person working on a roof. The roof anchor has an elongate body portion which is configured to attach to a supporting roof member under the roofing material using fasteners. The elongate body portion includes an anchor attachment which is configured to accept an attachment such as a safety rope or the like. The roof anchor includes at least one stabilizing member which extends at right angles from a side of the elongate body portion. The stabilizing member is configured to contact the roofing material when the roof anchor is attached to the roof. In the event of a fall the stabilizing member may reduce the risk of the fasteners becoming loose due to a twisting or rotational force along the longitudinal axis of the elongate body member.

Description

A ROOF ANCHOR FOR A SAFETY DEVICE TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a safety device for use on a roof. In particular it relates to a temporary anchor configured for attachment to a roof, the temporary roof anchor including an engagement portion for attachment of a safety device. BACKGROUND ART There is major concern in the building industry around ensuring the safety of any person working on a roof, particularly an inclined one. It can be difficult for a person to retain their footing and balance when working on a roof and falls are not uncommon. It is usual practice in recent times for the worker to wear some form of safety harness which can be attached to an anchor point on the roof. There can be several problems with this, not the least of which is locating a suitable anchor point. It has been found that merely screwing an eye-bolt or similar device into the roof structure is not sufficient; if a person falls the loading on the eye-bolt and its connection to the roof structure can lead to the eye-bolt being pulled away from the roof. A number of solutions have been disclosed to address this problem. Many of these include the use of a safety attachment attached to a rigid elongate member that has holes or slots along its length. The holes or slots can be aligned with various roof members, so that the elongate member can be attached firmly to the roof members at several locations up the roof. This arrangement may provide greater security under a fall than the single attachment eye-bolt arrangement mentioned above. While use of an elongate member aligned across of the roof can provide improved security, it has been found that during a fall a significant twisting force can be generated on the elongate member which can lead to failure of the attachments to the roof members. AU 2005201318 B2 discloses a device in which a safety device, such as an eye-bolt, is attached to a pair of elongate members arranged in a cross-wise fashion. Each of the elongate members has slots and/or holes along its length for attaching the anchor to various roof members both up and down, and across the roof. One problem with this arrangement is the time taken to attach it to a roof. Typically a hole or slot is aligned with existing roof attachment means, such as screws or nails through the roof into the rafters or other underlying roof members. The screw or nail is removed prior to laying out the elongate member, and subsequently re-inserted through the elongate member and the 1 roof into the underlying roof member. This can be a time consuming job during which the worker may not be securely fastened to a safety anchor. With the device disclosed in AU 2005201318 the time is at least double that required to attach a single elongate member; this at least doubles the time and labour cost, and is generally inconvenient. A further disadvantage is the required size of a device like that disclosed in AU 2005201318, especially when used with a corrugated iron roof. When such roof material is attached to the underlying roof members it is common that the attachments are much further apart up and down the roof than they are across the roof. This means that the elongate member to be aligned up and down the roof needs to be significantly longer than the elongate member to be aligned across the roof. Another disadvantage of the device disclosed in AU 2005201318 is the increased length of material, and hence the increased weight, of the two cross-members over a single elongate anchor. This arrangement requires at least twice the material which can add significantly to the cost. The increased weight can also be a problem for the person attaching it to the roof. It is an object of the present invention to address the foregoing problems or at least to provide the public with a useful choice. All references, including any patents or patent applications cited in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference. No admission is made that any reference constitutes prior art. The discussion of the references states what their authors assert, and the applicants reserve the right to challenge the accuracy and pertinency of the cited documents. It will be clearly understood that, although a number of prior art publications are referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that any of these documents form part of the common general knowledge in the art, in New Zealand or in any other country. Throughout this specification, the word "comprise", or variations thereof such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps. Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a roof anchor, including: an elongate body portion having a plurality of apertures spaced along a length thereof, wherein two or more of the plurality of apertures are spaced so as to correspond, in use, with a fastening hole in a roofing material; and 2 an anchor attachment attached to the elongate body portion, wherein the roof anchor includes a stabilizing member extending orthogonally from the elongate body portion, the stabilizing member configured, in use, to contact a surface of the roofing material without attachment to it. In a preferred embodiment the elongate body portion includes a 'U'- shaped cross section. A U-shaped body portion is a convenient shape for placing onto a surface of the roof. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that many other shapes could also be used, for example a flat elongate plate, and that reference to a'U'-shaped cross section only throughout this specification should not be seen as limiting. In a preferred embodiment a base of the U-shaped section is flat. In a preferred embodiment the anchor attachment is located substantially at the midpoint of the elongate body portion. Locating the anchor attachment at the midpoint of the elongate body portion may be advantageous as the anchor attachment is then supported by attachments to the roof members on each side of the roof anchor (which in use is preferably aligned across the roof). In a preferred embodiment the anchor attachment is an inverted U-shaped member attached to the elongate body portion. In a preferred embodiment the anchor attachment is welded to the elongate body portion. An inverted U-shaped anchor attachment is a convenient shape for attaching a range of safety devices, for example a carabiner attached to an end of a safety rope. Furthermore, the inverted U-shaped anchor attachment may conveniently be welded to the interior walls of the "U'-shaped elongate body portion. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that many other shapes could also be used, for example an eye-bolt, and that reference to an anchor attachment in the form of an inverted U-shape only throughout this specification should not be seen as limiting. In a preferred embodiment the stabilizing member is an 'L' shaped member extending from a side of the elongate body portion. Preferably a side of the 'L'-shaped stabilizing member is located in the same plane as the base of the elongate body portion, such that when the roof anchor is placed on the roofing material a side of the stabilizing member is in contact with the roofing material. An advantage of using an L' shaped stabilizing member may be the added rigidity this arrangement provides over a flat bar for example. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that many other shapes could also be used, for example a flat bar, and that reference to a stabilizing member in the form of 3 an 'L'-shape only throughout this specification should not be seen as limiting. In a preferred embodiment the stabilizing member is welded to the side of the elongate body portion. In a preferred embodiment the roof anchor includes two stabilizing members, one extending from each side of the elongate body portion. In the normal orientation of the elongate body portion across the roof, the stabilizing members extend up and down the roof from the elongate body portion. An advantage of this may be that if, for any reason, the forces on the roof anchor are such as to create a twisting force (i.e. rotation about the longitudinal axis of the elongate body member) which could loosen the roof attachments, the twisting force may be resisted by the stabilizing members acting against the roofing material. In a preferred embodiment the two stabilizing members are aligned with the anchor attachment. According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of use of a roof anchor, including: an elongate body portion having a plurality of apertures spaced along a length thereof, wherein two or more of the plurality of apertures are spaced so as to correspond, in use, with a fastening hole in a roofing material; and an anchor attachment attached to the elongate body portion, wherein the roof anchor includes a stabilizing member extending orthogonally from the elongate body portion, the method including the steps of: locating a region of the roof where the roofing material is fastened to a supporting roof member(s); placing the elongate body portion on the roofing material such that at least one aperture on either side of the anchor attachment on the elongate body portion is aligned with the supporting roof member(s) and such that a surface of the stabilizing member is in contact with a surface of the roofing material; and attaching the roof anchor to the roofing material by applying fasteners through the aperture on each side of the anchor attachment on the elongate body into the supporting roof member(s). In a preferred embodiment the method the step of attaching the roof anchor includes: removing two or more fasteners attaching the roofing material to the supporting roof member(s); placing the elongate body portion on the roofing material such that at least one aperture on either side of the anchor attachment on the elongate body member is aligned with a hole in the roofing material left by the removed fasteners and such that a surface of the 4 stabilizing member is in contact a surface of the roofing material; and attaching the roof anchor to the roofing material by reinserting the removed fasteners. In a preferred embodiment of the method a safety device is attached to the anchor attachment. Roof anchor according to the present invention may have several advantages over similar prior art roof anchors, including: greater safety due to the stabilizing members resisting any twisting or rotational force applied to the elongate body portion, thus lessening the risk of the fasteners being pulled out of the room members during a fall; cost efficiency as the stabilizer members are significantly shorter than the elongate body portion, thus requiring less material than a cross-wise anchor formed from two elongate members as in the prior art; and less labour cost as the stabilizer members do not require attachment to the roof. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a roof anchor according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is an in use depiction of the roof anchor of Figure 1; BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A roof anchor according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is generally indicated by arrow 1 in Fig. 1. The roof anchor includes an elongate body portion 2 in the form of a U-shaped channel having a flat base 3 and sides 4 and 5 which are orthogonal to the flat base. The 'U'-shaped channel has internal dimensions of 60 mm wide (base) by 35 mm high (sides) by 1000 mm long. The elongate body portion is formed from 5 mm thick steel plate. The applicants have found that an anchor 1000 mm long is generally sufficient to span a plurality of fastening holes as used to attach roofing material onto most roof types. However, 5 those skilled in the art will appreciate that roofing anchors having different dimensions may be used and reference throughout this specification to a roof anchor of the above dimensions should not be seen as limiting. The roof anchor includes an anchor attachment 6 in the form of a'U' shaped member formed from 10 mm steel rod. The inverted U-shape of the anchor attachment is welded to the interior sides of the elongate body member substantially at the midpoint along the channel. The flat base includes eight 20 mm long slots 7, four on either side of the anchor attachment 6 arranged symmetrically about the anchor point. The slots on either side of the anchor attachment are spaced 75 mm apart. The roof anchor includes two stabilizing members, 8 and 9 in the form of 'L'-shaped members having internal dimensions of 35 mm x 35 mm x 100 mm. The stabilizing members are formed from 5 mm thick steel plate. The length of each stabilizing member is chosen to be greater than the typical separation between adjacent peaks of a corrugated iron sheet roof. A stabilizing member is welded to each outer side of the elongate body portion in the vicinity of the anchor attachment (i.e. midway along the channel) so that a flat surface 10, 11 of each stabilizing member 8, 9 is in the same plane as the base 3 of the elongate body member. In this way when the flat base 3 of the elongate body portion is placed on the surface of the roofing material at least some portion of the flat surface 10, 11 of each stabilizing member is in contact with a portion of the roofing material, whether the roofing material is flat or corrugated. Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown a roof anchor, as generally indicated by arrow 1, in use and attached to a section of roofing material 12. The roofing material to which the anchor can be attached may vary between uses and should not be seen as being limited to the style depicted. The corrugations shown could differ in shape, spacing and frequency, or could be entirely absent as would be the case for a flat non-corrugated roofing material. The roofing material could be steel, zinc, aluminium or a composite material. The method of attaching the anchor 1 includes the steps of locating a region of the roof where the roofing material 13 is fastened to a supporting roof member (not shown). Typically such fastening is identified by the presence of fastening screws, nails or the like 13 that pass through the roofing material and into the supporting roof member. In use the fasteners 13 are removed from the location where the anchor is to be attached to the roofing material and supporting roof member. The elongate body portion 2 is placed on the roofing material 12 such that at least one elongate slot 7 on either side of the anchor attachment 6 on the elongate body portion 2 is aligned with where a fastener 13 has been removed and such that a surface of the stabilizing member 8, 9 is in contact with a surface of the roofing material 13. In figure 2 the stabilizing member 8, 9 is in contact with a raised 6 corrugation of the roofing material 13. The roof anchor 1 is attached to the roofing material 13 and supporting member by fastening at least two fasteners through the elongate slots 7 on each side of the anchor attachment 6. In some situations the fasteners used to attach the anchor are located through apertures in the roofing material left by the fasteners that were removed. In some circumstances however it may be necessary to add further fasteners. In use an operator attaches a safety device such as a carabineer and rope to the anchor attachment. Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it should be appreciated that modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the appended claims. SAFETY & MEDICAL MANUFACTURERS LTD by their authorised agents JAMES & WELLS 7

Claims (13)

1. A roof anchor, including: an elongate body portion having a plurality of apertures spaced along a length thereof, wherein two or more of the plurality of apertures are spaced so as to correspond, in use, with a fastening hole in a roofing material; and an anchor attachment attached to the elongate body portion, wherein the roof anchor includes a stabilizing member extending orthogonally from the elongate body portion, the stabilizing member configured, in use, to contact a surface of the roofing material without attachment to it.

2. A roof anchor as claimed claim 1 wherein the elongate body portion includes a 'U' shaped cross section.

3. A roof anchor as claimed in claim 2 wherein a base of the 'U'-shaped section is flat.

4. A roof anchor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the anchor attachment is located substantially at the midpoint of the elongate body portion.

5. A roof anchor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the anchor attachment is an inverted U-shaped member attached to the elongate body portion.

6. A roof anchor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the anchor attachment is welded to the elongate body portion.

7. A roof anchor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the stabilizing member is an 'L' shaped member extending from a side of the elongate body portion.

8. A roof anchor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the stabilizing member is welded to the side of the elongate body portion.

9. A roof anchor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the roof anchor includes two stabilizing members, one extending from each side of the elongate body portion.

10. A roof anchor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the two stabilizing members are aligned with the anchor attachment.

11. A method of use of a roof anchor including: an elongate body portion having a plurality of apertures spaced along a length thereof, wherein two or more of the plurality of apertures are spaced so as to correspond, in use, with a fastening hole in a roofing material; and an anchor attachment attached to the elongate body portion, wherein the 8 roof anchor includes a stabilizing member extending orthogonally from the elongate body portion, the method including the steps of: locating a region of the roof where the roofing material is fastened to a supporting roof member(s); placing the elongate body portion on the roofing material such that at least one aperture on either side of the anchor attachment on the elongate body portion is aligned with the supporting roof member(s) and such that a surface of the stabilizing member is in contact with a surface of the roofing material; and attaching the roof anchor to the roofing material by applying fasteners through the aperture on each side of the anchor attachment on the elongate body into the supporting roof member(s).

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the step of attaching the roof anchor includes: removing two or more fasteners attaching the roofing material to the supporting roof member(s); placing the elongate body portion on the roofing material such that at least one aperture on either side of the anchor attachment on the elongate body member is aligned with a hole in the roofing material left by the removed fasteners and such that a surface of the stabilizing member is in contact a surface of the roofing material; and attaching the roof anchor to the roofing material by reinserting the removed fasteners.

13. A method as claimed in either one of claims 11 or 12 wherein a safety device is attached to the anchor attachment. 9