AU665128B2 - Improved safety railing - Google Patents

Description

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

I.

a a a a.

r 0 t a at (0 a

K~

Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for service WEATHERALL ROOFING SERVICE PTY. LTD.

ROBERT FRANCIS NAGLE in Australia: CARTER SMITH BEADLE 2 Railway Parade Camberwell Victoria 3124 Australia w 093 Invention Title: IMPROVED SAFETY RAILING Details of Associated Provisional Application: PL6012 filed 24 November 1992 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of perfoming it known to us The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us !3 -2- This invention relates to an improved safety railing and relates particularly, although not exclusively, to a demountable railing for use during building construction and maintenance to provide a temporary safety railing along the edge of a roof, floor structure or the like.

During building construction and maintenance work, and particularly during the fixing of roofing material it is necessary to provide a safety rail to prevent workers inadvertently falling from the edge of the roof structure. Similarly, during multi-floor building construction, a guard rail is provided around the edge of each floor.

Heretofore such guard rails have generally taken the form of a bracket fixed to a purlin or outer perimeter member, the bracket having an upstanding leg over which engages a socket member of a section of guard rail. With such an arrangement, particularly with regard to guard rails used on roofing sites, it is necessary to provide a full length of rail along two opposed sides of the roof 15 structure even though the roofing personnel can only work in a relatively small area at any one time. Accordingly, the cost of providing such safety rails is relatively high. In addition, the cost of securing the brackets is also relatively high, each being required to be fastened to a purlin or other support structure. While such brackets i r I' may remain in place when the guard rail is removed, in many instances the brackets are unsightly and their removal is also required on completion of the roofing.

It is desirable to provide an improved safety railing structure which avoids at c least some of the disadvantages referred to above.

It is also desirable to provide an improved safety railing structure which is Al relatively simple and easy to manufacture, is easy to erect and is simplo lo use.

It is also desirable to provide a safety railing structure which is able to be Si used by a number of people at different locations on a roofing or construction site.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a safety rfil'ng structure comprising: I a guide rail defining a track; mounting means for mounting the guide rail to a support structure; and 'DCCq:TG:#12o48.CAP 4 Novembcr 1993 1 A ii -3railing means engaged with and moveable along the track whereby the railing means may be moved along the track such that the railing means is adjacent a desired location on the support structuie.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a safety railing structure comprising a guide rail defining a track, means for mounting the guide rail to a building structure, a plurality of wheeled support carriages engaged with and movable along the track, either the support carriages or the guide rail including means preventing lateral disengagement of the carriages from the track, and railing means engaged with and carried by the support carriages.

In one particular form of the invention, the guide rail comprises an elongated member of substantially C-shaped cross-section which is fastened to a building structure with the opening of the elongated member facing outwardly. The wheeled support carriage for this embodiment includes a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted on a frame structure and engaged within the elongated member, internal 15 surfaces of which define a track. The frame structure includes an outwardly and upwardly extending leg to which is fastened a post engageable within a hollow, vertically extending railing member. The wheeled carriage is movable longitudinally within the elongated member thereby carrying with it the safety railing attached Sthereto.

C 20 The guide rail may be fixed to a building structure by any suitable means which allows movement of the wheeled carriage along the track. In one form of the invention used for providing a safety railing for floor constructions in a multi-storey building, the guide rail is attached to a perimeter beam which carries the edging member defining the floor perimeter. The guide rail may be clipped to the I-beam or may be fastened by appropriate brackets welded, bolted or otherwise secured to the supporting I-beam.

In order that the invention is more readily understood, some embodiments thereof will now described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:- Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional, end elevational view of a first preferred embodiment of a safety railing structure in accordance with the invention; Dcc:TG:#:048.CAP4 4 November 1993 -4- Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a wheeled carriage engaged within a guide rail in accordance with the invention; Fig. 3 is an isometric view of the carriage of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a reverse isometric view of the carriage of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional, end elevation view of a second preferred embodiment of the safety railing tructure; Fig. 1 illustrates the manner in which the b vention is used in providing a safety railing structure (10) for the roof of a building while roofing material is secured. Such a safety railing is a temporary structure and is designed to be removed on completion of the roofing. A perimeter roof purlin 12 which is of Cshaped cross-section, is, according to standard building practice, located on the building roof structure with the opening 14 facing inwardly. The purlin 12 extends along the full length of the building structure 16, generally as a plurality of abutted or joined beams.

S 15 In accordance with the invention, a plurality of brackets 17 are engaged with the roof purlin 12 at spaced intervals of, for example, 1.8 metres. The brackets 17 have a reversely-turned inner end 18 which hooks around the upper edge of the roof purlin 12 as shown in Fig. 1. An outwardly extending upper leg 19 has a downwardly turned shoulder 20, and a lower support leg 21 extends outwardly from S 20 the brackets 17 to define a guide rail receiving socket.

A guide rail 22, preferably fabricated of aluminium section, is dimensioned i to engage within the socket with clearance between a lower surface 23 and the lower support leg 21. This clearance is taken up by a locating member 24 which is slid into place between the lower surface 23 and the lower support leg 21 with the guide rail 22 in a raised position so that the upper edge engages behind the shoulder The locating member 24 has an inner end which abuts against the brackets 17, an upstanding shoulder portion 26 which engages against the guide rail 22 to prevent outward movement of the lower edge thereof, and a pin 27 engages through aligned holes in the locating member 24 and the lower support leg 21 of the brackets 17 to lock the shoulder portion 26 in position. The pin 27 is preferably provided with DC'TG:#1204&CAP 4 Nwembcr 1993 some form of locking means, such as the pivoted catch 28 which is pivoted for movement within a slot within the pin 27.

It will be appreciated that the plurality of brackets 17 are quickly located in position on the roof purlin 12 and a length of guide rail 22 may be quickly located within the brackets 17 and the respective locating members 24 and pins 27 placed to positively hold the guide rail to the brackets 17. No drilling is required, no screw threaded members are necessary and the structure is able to be assembled quickly without the use of skilled labour.

Abutting ends of guide rail are preferably interconnected by a sleeve which engages on one end of one of the guide rails and into which slides an opposing end of an adjacent guide rail. If desired, appropriate locking screws may be provided to positively locate the guide rails within the sleeves.

The guide rail 22 defines a track along which a support carriage 31 is i movable. As more clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the support carriage 31 15 comprises a hollow core section 32 on which are mounted two pairs of guide wheels 33 the axis of rotation of which are substantially vertical, in use. Extending downwardly from each end of the core section 32 is a pair of forks each mounting a support wh el 34 for rotation about substantially horizontal axis, in use.

Extending outwardly from one side of the core section 32 is a guard rail c 20 attaching arm 36 which has a downwardly extending portion 37 which carries a further guide wheel 38. i ci ('In use, the support carriage 31 is engaged within the guide rail 22 so that the guide wheels 33 engage inner track surfaces on each side of the guide rail 22 while the support wheels 34 engage with the guide rail base 28. The further guide wheel 34 is positioned outside the rail 22 and engages an outer surface 39. j Reverting to Fig. 1, a guard rail 41 is constructed with a plurality of spaced, substantially vertically extending posts 42 interconnected by substantially horizontally extending rails 43. The guard rail 41 is attached to the guard rail attaching arms 36 of spaced support carriages 31 by engaging the hollow posts 42 over upwardly extending sections 44 fixed to the guard rail attaching arm 36. Thus, DCCfTO:#12048.CAP 4 Novcmbet 1993 J~ u, -6-

S

C C C

I

II

I i the guard rail 41 is supported by two or more support carriages 31, the support carriages 31 being movable along the guide rail 22 attached along the length of the roof purlin 12. With this arrangement, a guard rail of any desired length may be erected on the building structure 16 and is movable along the length of the structure as the workmen progressively fix the roof material or conduct other work on the building structure 16. With the structure of the invention, it is not necessary to have a guard rail running the full length of the building structure 16. The guard rail itself may be formed by a number of inter-engaging lengths each supported on two or more support carriages 31. With this arrangement, if it is necessary for a workman to move along the edge of the building structure 16 away from the location of the guard rail 41, an end section may be detached and the workman can move that section to provide the safety of the rail during such movement. Because the rail is able to be moved easily along the length of the building it is able to be used as a support as well as a guide for workmen moving along the building edge.

The structure of the support carriage 31 is designed to provide maximum load support capabilities for the guard rail 41 with the further guide wheel 38 able to transfer load directly to the guide rail 22. It will be seen that any excess load produced by, for example, a person leaning against the guard rail, will cause the further guide wheel 38 to press the lower outer leg of the guide rail 22 inwardly 20 against the 1 jwer guide wheels 33 which will provide a positive support therefor.

A particular advantage of the present invention is the speed with which the safety railing structure is able to be assembled to a building structure and then disassembled on completion of the work. A further particular advantage of the invention is that the guard rail attaching arm 36 is able to be extended by 25 appropriate extension brackets (not shown) so as to extend the arm past any wall cladding which may be in position on the building structure prior to the roof fixing operation. Because the carriages are able to be engaged within the guide rail from one end, an appropriate bracket can be selected to engage on the guard rail attaching arm to ensure that the guard rail is positioned free from any wall cladding or other obstruction. Thus, the structure of the invention is able to be used in locations DCC:TO:#1204.CAP 4 Novecmber 1993 -7where other forms of guard rail would be difficult to locate.

The guide rail and support carriage structure of the present invention is also particularly useful for construction or maintenance purposes where no roof purlin exists to carry the brackets 17 to support the guide rail 22. In these circumstances, alternative brackets may be fixed directly to the building structure, such as to prefabricated concrete panels, vertical columns, wall purlins or the like.

Fig. 5 illustrates an alternative safety rail structure (48) wherein the guide rail is formed as an aluminium box section having a longitudinally extending opening 52 at the top thereof. The guide rail 50 defines a track for movement of carriage 54.

The carriage 54 has two pairs of guide wheels 55, the wheels of each pair being located at opposite ends of a vertically oriented axle 56. The carriage 54 is further provided with a pair of downwardly extending forks 57, similar to those provided on the carriage 31 of the first embodiment, the forks 57 each mounting a support wheel 58 for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis.

S. 15 Extending upwardly from the carriage 54 through the longitudinal opening 52 is a guard rail attaching arm 59 which may be attached to a guard rail (not shown) in a similar manner as that shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 also illustrates an alternative bracket 60 for mounting the guide rail to a beam of the building structure, in this case a steel C-section beam 61. The I bracket 60 has a first L--shaped portion 63 for supporting the outer side and the underside of the guide rail 50 and a second clip portion 64 welded to the first portion 63 for retaining the bracket 60 on the beam 61. The clip portion 64 is welded to the first portion 63 such that a space is provided to receive the lower flange of the beam 61 therebetween. A holding clip 65 holds the top of guide rail 50 to the beam 61.

To assemble the safety rail structure, brackets 60 are slid onto the beam 61 from the ends thereof, and slid into position along beam 61 such that the brackets are evenly spaced from each other. The guide rail 50 is then dropped into position in the brackets 60 and the holding clip 65 positioned to hold the guide rail 50 in position.

DCC:TG:#12048CAP 4 November 1993 -8- Many other modifications may be made in the design and/or construction of a safety railing structure in accordance with the present invention. Thus, the support carriage may be designed with a different configuration of guide wheels and support wheels whilst performing a similar function to that of the particular embodiments described. The wheels may be of any suitable construction, including metal, plastic, rubber or the like. The guide rail 22 may be formed with integral locating brackets or with drilled lugs to receive securing bolts to secure the guide rail in position on a building structure. Also such modifications which come within the scope of the invention shall be deemed to be within the ambit of the above described.

4* t.

9t Ct.

it t DCC:TG:#12048.CAP 4 November 1993

Claims (11)

1. A safety railing structure: comprising a guide rail defining a track; mounting means for mounting the guide rail to a support structure; and railing means engageable with and moveable along the track whereby the railing means may be moved along the track such that the railing means is adjacent a desired location on the support structure.

2. A safety railing structure as claimed in claim 1 further including guide wheels on the railing means to facilitate sliding engagement with the track.

3. A safety railing structure as claimed in claim 2 further inchlding a plurality of spaced carriages, each carriage incorporating one or more of said guide wheels for sliding engagement with said track.

4. A safety railing structure as claimed in claim 3 wherein each carriage has two sets of guide wheels, each set having an axle oriented at right angles to the axle of 15 the other set.

5. A safety railing structure as claimed in claim 2, 3 or 4, further including means preventing lateral disengagement of the guide wheels from the track.

6. A safety railing structure as claimed in claim 5 wherein said means preventing lateral disengagement comprises the guide rail being in the form of a channel S 20 section, a portion of each wheeled carriage being received within the chamnnel t section, the channel section having a restricted longitudinal opening to prevent the portion of each wheeled carriage being removed laterally from the channel section.

7. A safety railing structure as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6 wherein each carriage is in the form of a frame structure having an upwardly extending leg and the railing means has a plurality of hollow support legs, each engageable with a respective upwardly extending leg.

8. A safety railing structure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims further including brackets adapted for attachment of the guide rail to a perimeter beam of the support structure.

9. A safety railing structure as claimed in claim 7 wherein the brackets are DCC:TG:N12048.CAP 4 NoVember 1993 AW o' i I W.

10 adapted to clip onto the perimeter beam. A safety railing structure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED: 23 November 1993 CARTER SMITH BEADLE Patent Attorneys for the Applicant: WEATHERALL ROOFING SERVICE PTY. LTD. to* as* to* *4 A 4 t 4 4 4 *1 A it LI DCC'rU:#1204S.CAP 1Nvrbr94 4 Nomber 1994

11 ABSTRACT A safety railing structure (10, 48) comprising a guide rail (22, 50) defining a track and a railing means (41) engaged with and moveable to a desired location along the track (22, 50). The railing means (41) may have spaced wheeled carriages (31, 54) associated therewith to facilitate sliding of the railing means (41) along the track (22, A preferred application of the safety railing structure (10, 48) is in the protection of workers on a building structure. As such, the railing means (41) may be moved along the track (22, 50) to the vicinity of the workers' location. o 0. S. C: 0S 0 t t C t S r C L C C ~c Cr C DCC:TG:012048&CAP 4 November 1994