AU708259B2 - Roof safety barrier - Google Patents

Description

Roof Safety Barrier Field of the Invention The following invention relates to a roof safety barrier. More particularly, though not exclusively, the invention relates to a safety barrier to aid in preventing tiling contractors or objects for example from falling from the roof of a building during construction thereof and subsequent maintenance.

It is possible that a tiler or other person working upon a roof of a building may loose his or her footing and fall from the edge of the roof sustaining serious injury or objects may slide off the roof.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above problem and/or more generally to provide a safety barrier for a roof.

Disclosure of the Invention There is disclosed herein a safety barrier assembly for a roof, comprising: a bracket to be secured to a roof member of a building, the roof member being situated beneath roof tiles, the bracket being sized and shaped so that the bracket can remain in place, secured to the roof member beneath a roof tile, substantially within the roof space of a completed roof, and a safety post removably connected to said bracket so as to extend substantially vertically in use, nearby an edge of the roof, attached to the bracket and adapted to engage a kick board which extends, in use, substantially vertically nearby the edge of the roof.

i Preferably, the safety barrier further comprises a safety post extending from said bracket and adapted to be secured to said kick board so as to extend in use substantially vertically beyond an upper edge of said kick board.

Preferably, said safety post is adapted to be pivotally engaged with said •o bracket.

Preferably, said roofing member to which the bracket is adapted to be attached •is a roof truss or rafter above which tiles are supported.

Preferably, said bracket is attached to the truss by means of nailing or screw S 30 fastening.

The bracket may comprise two components, one being a substantial mirror image of the other, and each being adapted to be fastened to a roof truss or rafter at ;opposed sides thereof by common fasteners.

Preferably, the bracket(s) comprises a bent or flattened portion adapted to pass over a fascia board of the building and under an edge tile, therebeyond providing a leg to which said kick board can be attached.

[N:\1ib11100290:KEH Preferably, a kick board mounting bracket is attached to the leg and adapted to be secured to the kick board by means of bolts or the like.

Preferably, extending from the leg is a landing onto which an intermediate member, such as an angle piece, may be received. Such an intermediate member can serve to restrain the assembly against the fascia board.

Preferably, the safety post comprises a latch by which it may be secured to an upper edge of the kick board.

Preferably, each safety post comprises one or more clamps by which horizontal posting members may be secured to pass from one said assembly to another.

Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a schematic elevational view of a safety barrier assembly, Fig. 2 is a schematic elevational view of a bracket, 15 Fig. 3 is a schematic plan view of a pair of bracket assemblies, and o.

Fig. 4 is a schematic plan view of a pair of bracket assemblies and associated parts affixed to the truss of a roof.

•g4o Description of the Preferred Embodiment In the accompanying drawings there is depicted a safety barrier assembly Assembly 10 comprises a pair of brackets 1la, llb, typically being fabricated as Hot Dip Galvanised steel. The brackets 1la and 1 lb are adapted to be fixed to a roof truss 16. Bolts may pass directly through each of say three holes 12 in each bracket 1 la, 1 lb and through the roof truss 16.

Each bracket also comprises a swivel mounting hole 13 through which a swivel S 25 mounting member 13' may pass over truss 16. Each bracket also comprises a flat portion 14 resulting from a bend in the bracket which allows that portion to pass over a fascia board 15 and into a gutter 22. The portion of the bracket extending into the gutter 22 comprises a leg 18 which extends essentially vertically downwardly to provide an abutment against which a kick board mounting bracket parts 21a and 21b may abut at either side. The mounting bracket parts 21a and 21b also sandwich a vertical leg of an intermediate member 20 against the vertical leg 18 of the bracket 11.

The bracket parts 21a and 21b, once bolted together by bolt 24 secure the bottom edge of a kick board 23 in place. Intermediate member 20, typically fabricated from a metallic angle piece, at its righter-most extremity as depicted in Fig. 1 abuts against the back edge of the gutter 22 which resides against the fascia board [N:\lib1100290:mff

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The kick board mounting bracket part 21b comprises an upper lip to secure the upper edge of the kick board 23. Kick board 23 extends substantially vertically from the gutter 22.

A safety post 26 comprising a curved lower extremity is attached to the swivel mounting pin 13' as shown in Fig. 4. The safety post 26 passes beneath the fascia board 15 and around the gutter 22. At an appropriate location upon the safety post 26, there is provided a pivotal assembly latch 25 which may be engaged with the upper edge of the kick board 23. To further secure the safety post 26 in place, a fixing plate 29 is welded or otherwise secured to the safety post 26. This fixing plate 29 may be fixed by a fixing pin 28 to the kick board 23 as depicted in Fig. 1.

Once in position, the safety post 26 extends essentially vertically, upwardly beyond the upper edge of the kick board 23. The post 26 provides at least one, though preferably two clamping devices 26 such as pipe clamps through which horizontally extending post members may pass to be secured.

A number of assemblies 10 may be provided about the periphery of the roof of S. a building under construction. The spacing of such assemblies might be from say one 0 to five meters or otherwise, depending on particular application.

Once work on the roof has completed, the brackets la and llb may be left connected to the truss 16 beneath the tiles 17 for later use if necessary. For example, the components may be either fully reassembled, or just the kick board may be positioned without the safety post depending on the particular circumstances.

It should be appreciated that modifications and alterations obvious to those skilled in the art are not to be considered as beyond the scope of the present invention.

For example, a single bracket 1 la may suffice instead of having a pair of brackets 1 la, b at each side of a truss 16.

[N:\Mib11J0029O:mff The claims defining the invention are as follows: 1. A safety barrier assembly for a roof, comprising: a bracket to be secured to a roof member of a building, the roof member being situated beneath roof tiles, the bracket being sized and shaped so that the bracket can remain in place, secured to the roof member beneath a roof tile, substantially within the roof space of a completed roof, and a safety post removably connected to said bracket so as to extend substantially vertically in use, nearby an edge of the roof, attached to the bracket and adapted to engage a kick board which extends, in use, substantially vertically nearby the edge of the roof.

2. The safety barrier of claim 1 wherein said roof member to which the bracket is adapted to be attached is a roof truss or rafter.

3. The safety barrier of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said bracket is attached to the truss by means of nails or screws.

4. The safety barrier of any one of the preceding claims wherein said bracket comprises two components, one being a substantial mirror image of the other, and each being adapted to be fastened to a roof truss or rafter at opposite sides thereof by common fasteners.

The safety barrier of claim 4 wherein the bracket(s) comprises a bent or flattened portion adapted to pass over a fascia board of the building and under an edge tile, therebeyond providing a leg to which said kick board can be attached.

6. The safety barrier of claim 5 wherein a kick board mounting bracket is attached to the leg and adapted to be secured to the kick board by means of bolts or S: 5i the like.

7. The safety barrier of claim 5 or claim 6 further comprising a landing %:extending from the leg and onto which an intermediate member can be received, such intermediate member serving to restrain the assembly against the fascia board.

8. The safety barrier of claim 1 wherein the safety post comprises a latch by which the safety post can be secured to an upper edge of the kick board.

30 9. The safety barrier of claim 1 wherein the safety post comprises one or more clamps to which horizontal posting members can be secured to pass from one said assembly to another.

A safety barrier substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Dated 25 May, 1999 James Charles Brown Master Tilers Slaters and Shinglers Association of NSW Incorporation Patent Attorneys for the Applicants/Nominated Persons SPRUSON FERGUSON [N:\lib1100290: KEH