AU746393B2 - An anchoring device - Google Patents

Description

DH Ref: 1128-1AU

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

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ORIGINAL

Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: NICHOLAS ROBERT COLLINS a New Zealand citizen of 27 Geddis Avenue, Napier, New Zealand NICHOLAS ROBERT COLLINS a New Zealand citizen of 27 Geddis Avenue, Napier, New Zealand Don Hopkins Associates Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys Level 33, St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street Sydney, New South Wales 2000, Australia An Anchoring Device The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- AUP3 "AN ANCHORING DEVICE" BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an anchoring device but more particularly an anchoring device which provides a fixing S"point for safety lines when performing rooftop operations.

10 When working on rooftops it has long been regarded as common sense for a person to be anchored to a fixed point by a safety line. In recognition of this it has become law that safety harnesses be utilised when working on roofs higher than three metres off the ground.

Various methods have been used to conform to this new requirement such as lines being thrown over the roof to be secured at the other side of the building or wooden frames being constructed which hook over the apex of a roof and provide an anchor point.

Known anchoring methods can be awkward and/or cause damage to the rooftop surface through scratching or dinting. Some socalled safety procedures can be more dangerous than having no safety line at all as a rooftop worker may be unduly reliant on faulty safety equipment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is thus to provide a simple, reliable roof anchoring point for fixing safety lines and/or harnesses while work on the roof is being carried out.

In one broad aspect of the invention there is provided an anchoring device including a bracket member adapted to be fastened to a structural member within a roof structure (eg a truss or purlin) wherein said bracket member includes a 0 coupling means, characterised in that the coupling means is adapted for engagement with a removable engagement means, wherein said removable engagement means is removable from outside the roof when a cladding is in place on thereof structure, said engagement means including a means for 5 receiving a safety line.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a front elevation view of an anchoring device according to a first embodiment of the invention, Figure 2 is a side elevation view of the device in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a cut-away view of an anchoring device in position on a roof, Figure 4 is a perspective view of a roof framework including a plurality of anchoring devices,

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Figure 5 is a front elevation of a further embodiment of the anchoring device according to the invention, Figure 6 is a side elevation view of the anchoring device from Figure 5, and Figure 7 is a cut-away view of the anchor device from S Figures 5 and 6 in place on a roof structure.

*DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The anchoring device of the present invention has been developed primarily with rooftop use in mind and it is 15 through examples in this area that the invention will be described. However, the general construction and anchoring system may have applications in other areas and would not fall outside the scope of the invention as it is intended.

The anchoring device as shown in Figures 1 and 2 is comprised principally of a mounting bracket 11, an internally threaded tube 12 (te thread being represented by dotted detail) and a threaded anchorage bolt 13.

Mounting bracket 11 is a preferably flat galvanised steel plate which is bolted to a roof truss or purlin as will be described hereinafter. A suitable fastener is passed through a selected hole 14 for entry into a structural member. Six holes 14 are arranged in bracket 11 so that at least four bolts may fasten the bracket to a standard sized structural member, eg a 4 x 2 truss (S in Figure 3 and The mounting bracket 11 may be fixed to the two inch or four inch face of a 4 x 2 truss or purlin and selection of holes 14 should be made accordingly so that at least two bolts are used each S"side of the threaded tube 12 for a secure fastening.

0 Alternative embodiments of the anchoring device may feature different methods of securing the bracket 11 to a structural member (S on Figure 3 and 4) but 12mm coach bolts have been found to be most appropriate for this embodiment because of their associated strength.

Mounting bracket 11 is preferably permanently affixed to internally threaded tube 12 by a suitable method such as welding. As shown by Figure i, tube 12 is welded onto the centre of the mounting bracket 11 perpendicular to the top edge. Alternatively, the tube may be more suited to an offcentre or angled position as is appropriate to manufacture or the angular nature of the structural member S of the roof construction.

As best seen in Figure 3, the tube section 12a preferably extends from mounting bracket 11 to a point just below hole H in the corrugated roofing iron I. Roofing iron I is spaced from truss S by a standard distance dictated by the dimensions of purlin P. Purlin P is commonly a 2 x 4 length and thereby provides a two inch gap between truss S and iron I. The length of tube section 12a from the bracket 11 is standardised to meet this requirement.

In the event of the gap between truss S and iron I being four inches (ie the 2 x 4 purlin is "on end") then the anchoring device may be fixed to the truss S "upside down" where the 1 0 other end of the tube, eg. section 12b, extends substantially 0 S.

twice the distance from mounting bracket 11 (this is the orientation shown in Figures 1 and 2).

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When the bracket/tube component is in place on a truss S and a hole H has been made in iron I at a corresponding position, the anchorage bolt 13 may be inserted and threaded into tube 12.

As seen in Figures 1 and 2, the anchorage bolt is threaded deeply into tube 12 in order to secure it confidently to the structural member (truss) S. Preferably bolt 13 is secured to tube 12 from on top of the roofing iron I, ie. outside the building, and a threaded tube/bolt arrangement is the most convenient way of performing this task (without having to get inside the roof to remove anchor means 13). Further embodiments may include locking arrangements other than a thread whereby the anchor means 13 can be disconnected from outside the building.

Located atop bolt 13 is a coupling ring 15 which provides the means for anchoring safety lines and harnesses to the roof mounted device. Preferably the bolt 13 and ring 15 are welded together and produced from mild steel which provides the necessary load bearing characteristics for supporting the expected weight of people or work equipment.

Ropes may be tied to ring 15 or carabineer type clips applied. Alternative embodiments may provide ring 15 itself in the form of a spring loaded clip arrangement for immediately securing a looped safety line.

1 Anchor bolt 13/ring 15 are only required to be present when roof work is being carried out and accordingly are detachable (via the thread) from tube 12. When bolt 13 is removed a similarly dimensioned flat-head bolt or plug-in member may be fitted into tube 12 to seal it and hole H in the roofing iron I. The plug (not illustrated) may include a sealing member (eg. a washer) which conforms to the roof profile to prevent leakage. Plug-in members may be coloured to blend in with the surrounding roof surface.

Figure 4 illustrates a general roof framework and suggests possible placements for anchoring device 10. Preferably a 8 device 10 will be located low on the roof (position A) for securing work equipment such as a ladder. Further devices can be located at convenient positions along the slope of the roof and at the apex (crossbeam A) at positions D and E. It is envisaged that an "average" home would require four or five anchoring points so a worker may be secured at any point on the roof by a safety line to at least one of the anchoring points.

10 An added feature of devices D and E being fitted to crossbeam A (apex) is that a modified plug-in member with small eyelets (not illustrated) may be applied wherein a thin wire extends above the roof surface between the two eyelets in anchoring points D and E to prevent birds landing on the roof and leaving "deposits" behind. This method of bird deterrent is well known but few constructions are available which are specifically produced for this purpose.

However, the optimum use of the anchor device has been found to be on the slope of the roof opposite to that where the worker is operating, ie. the safety line travels from the anchor, over the apex of the roof to the worker. In this way the worker is provided with a greater working radius.

Figures 5, 6 and 7 illustrate a further embodiment of the roof anchor according to the invention. This is essentially a more robust version of the anchor shown in Figure 1 and 2 and accordingly has equivalent reference numerals.

The main difference between Figure 1 and 5 is the shape and size of the mounting bracket 11. The bracket 11 in Figure tapers toward the upper portion of the tube 12b and is fixed to substantially the whole length of tube 12 unlike the previous embodiment of Figures 1 and 2. This modification greatly increases the structural strength of the bracket when 0 stressed at the ring 15 while still giving enough height to reach past a purlin P to the roofing iron I. The previous embodiment (Figures 1 and 2) could be prone to bending at portion 12b when subjected to high stresses. The anchor is still 'reversible', in the case of a smaller depth purlin P oooo (2 x 4 as opposed to 4 x by turning the unit up-side down and inserting bolt 13 into threaded portion 12a of the tube 12.

The tapered aspect of the bracket 11 ensures it may still be used close to the corrugations of roofing iron I if necessary.

An additional feature of the further embodiment as illustrated in Figure 6 is the use of a back plate B which is adapted to receive bolts which lead through holes 14 in bracket 11 through the truss S of the roof structure.

it As the back plate B provides added stability/strength, only one coach bolt (eg. 16mm diameter) will be necessary through holes 14 each side of the threaded tube 12 (ie. a total of two bolts per bracket).

The coach bolts should preferably be positioned substantially along a centre-line C of the truss S. Also, the back plate B should preferably remain level with the lower portion of bracket 11 as seen in Figure 6 no matter which set of holes 10 14 is selected (will be dependent on which set is closest to the centre-line C of the truss S).

The arrangement illustrated in Figure 3 and 7 shows corrugated iron I as the example of roof covering material

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but any roof surface can be used with the anchoring device so long as a hole can be drilled or formed through the outer surface for access of the bolt 13 into tube 12.

The simple construction and application method make the anchoring device easily included in new roof constructions or as retrofits to existing roofs.

It is envisaged that the bolt/ring members and bracket/tube fixed members may be supplied separately as bolt/rings will not be needed on all sides of a roof at any one time (unless there are many workers on a roof) and they may also have a tendency to get lost if not stored carefully.

The anchoring apparatus according to the present invention is thus a simple and effective construction which provides added safety to roof workers. The workers benefiting most will be chimney sweeps, cleaners, roofers and painters.

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Claims (17)

1. An anchoring device including a bracket member adapted to be fastened to a structural member within a roof structure (eg a truss or purlin), wherein said bracket member includes a coupling means, characterised in that the coupling means is adapted for engagement with a removable engagement means, wherein said removable engagement means is removable from outside the roof when a cladding is in place on thereof 10 structure, said engagement means including a means for receiving a safety line. :o

2. The anchoring device of claim 2 wherein the coupling means includes a tubular element with an internal thread and 15 the engagement means includes a corresponding threaded •o ~portion for removable engagement in said tubular element. go

3. The anchoring device of claim 1 or 2 wherein a portion i of the engagement means includes an O-ring or other aperture forming element.

4. The anchoring device of claim 1 or 2 wherein a portion of the engagement means includes a carabiner style member for engagement with a safety device.

The anchoring device of any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the engagement means includes a sealing means for sealing with the cladding of the roof structure.

6. The anchoring device of any one of the preceding claims wherein the bracket is in the form of an. apertured plate, said apertures sized to receive fasteners.

7. The anchoring device of claim 6 wherein the apertures are arranged such that the bracket can be positionally adjusted relative to the structural member to which it is to be attached. oooo

8. The anchoring device of claim 6 or 7 wherein a further apertured bracket element is provided to be positioned on an :opposite side of the structural member (and aligned with the apertures of the first bracket) to receive the fasteners engaged through apertures formed in the structural member. o 20

9. The anchoring device of any one of claims 1, 6, 7 or 8 oeo wherein the coupling means is elongate and is fixed to substantially the whole length of the bracket member.

The anchoring device of claim 9 wherein the coupling means projects at each end beyond an edge of the bracket.

11. The anchoring device of claim 9 or 10 wherein the bracket member includes a taper toward a distal end of the coupling means.

12. The anchoring device of any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein the tubular element provides two different positions for mounting the engagement means relative to the bracket.

13. The anchoring device of claim 12 wherein the tubular element is threaded at both ends, either end capable of receiving the engagement means.

14. The anchoring device of any one of claims 1 to 4 or 11 to 13 further including a plug member insertable into the 0 ee coupling means when the engagement means is removed.

The anchoring device of claim 14 wherein the plug means is in the form of a threaded member. .e 20

16. The anchoring device of claim 14 or 15 wherein the plug means includes a sealing means.

17. The anchoring device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 6th day of October 1998 Nicholas Robert Collins Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person DON HOPKINS ASSOCIATES b OFII