AU751461B1

AU751461B1 - Roof safety guardrail system

Info

Publication number: AU751461B1
Application number: AU24744/01A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Stephan Romanowski
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-02-27
Filing date: 2001-02-27
Publication date: 2002-08-15
Anticipated expiration: 2021-02-27

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE

SPECIFICATION

STANDARD~

PATENT

ROOF SAFETY GUARDRAIL

SYSTEM

The following statement is a full description of this Invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: ROOF SAFETY GUARDRAIL SYSTEM Tis Invention relates to improvements in the provision of a support bracket and vertical member for a Safety Guard Rail System.

It is a Work Place Health and Safety requirement that a Safety Guard Rail is provided when work is carried out on roofs in excess of 2.4 meters in height. The main function of ,4 the Safety Guard Rail is to prevent workers falling from the side of the roof.

There are currently two basic forms of guad rail support bracket on the market. The first type of bracket is fixed to the top face of the rafter, it has a slot at the opposite end to the fixing point, into which a second bracket is slotted. The vertical member of the guard rail is then fixed into this second bracket. There are two main deficiencies with this form of lo bracket. Frtythe bracket is quite thick, when itis fixed to the top of arafer and tiled or sheeted over, it tends to distort the roof sheet or lift the roof tile, unless it falls directly on a ridge in the tile sheeting. The second disadvantage is the fact that the support bracket comes in two pieces which reduces the 'useability' of the product.

The second type of bracket on the market is fixed to the under side of the rafter and loops Sup and around the outside face of the fatscia to support the vertical member. This form of bracket lacks versatility as it can only be used when working on new roof installations where there is no soffit lining preventing access to the underside of the rafter. Once the soffit is installed this system cannot be used, it is therefore not viable for work on existing roofs. This system is non-sacrificial.

The alternative to using the current forms of guad rail systems, is scaffoli& However scaffolding must be erected from the ground level, and as such, tends to be cost prohibitive.

These problems are overcome by the present invention. This type of bracket vertical support is fixed to the top face of the rafter prior to the installation of the roof sheet. The 2 end of the bracket fixed to the rafter has aseries of alft ative fxing holes alowing the installer greate versatility in the final positioning of each bracket. This means the installer can, angle the bracket slightly, if so required, to avoid a flat section of roof tileI sheet, thus reducing roof distortion. The support bracket for the system is sacrificial, it is left in place when the rest of the guard rail is removed. The bracket is obscured from view by the line of the gutter. This allows for acontractor to revisit the site at any time and re-erect a guard rail with minimal effort and expense.

The special feature of this bracket is the introduction of a threaded rod with a spacer washer, at the base of the bracket Thve threaded rod facilitates easy installation of the vertical guard rail member as the vertical member possesses a threaded shaft at its base.

3 The vertical member is therefore simply screwed into place. A spacer washer is used to lock the vertical member in the correct direction to allow installation of the horizontal safety rails. The whole bracket, including the screw thread, is stepped into the gutter so it is invisible from ground level.

In another form of the invention, the threaded rod is replaced by a round or square rod.

The vertical member, w~ith a round or square base shaft can be slotted over the rod in the i3 bracket and locked in place via a grub screw or other form of locking pin.

The guard rail support bracket may be fabricated from mild steel plate (bent or welded) or forged in metal (made in a foundry). The threaded rod, or round square rod, may vary in size, dependant on the sain of the brackets along the roof.

To assist in understanding the invention reference will now be made to the attached odrawings, which show one example of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 shows an example of the Roof Safety Guard Rail Support Bracket Vertical Support Member according to tis invention; Figure 2 shows the application of such a Roof Safety Guard Rail Support Bracket/ I S Vertical Support Member fixed to a rafter supporting a Roof Safety Guard Rail System.

Referring to Figure 1 it can be seen that the Roof Safety Guard Rail Support Bracket Vertical Support Member according to this invention comprises a metal bracket with a series of holes at one end for fixing the bracket in to the timber of the rafter or purlin At the other end of the bracket is the threaded rod or pin into which the vertical Ssupport of the Safety rail is conniectecL. The threaded rod is welded to the base plate of the bracket.

The bracket is stepped at one point along its length so it may sit inthe valley of the gutter The step is formed by welded joint connecting the three sections of steel that comprise the base of the bracket. A web plate or diagonal brace is welded to the side of the bracket at the point where it steps to provide additional strength to the device Figure 2 shows the Roof Safety Guard Rail Support Bracket Vertical Support Member in operation. It canbeseen that arafter with aascia fixed to its end fice has a Roof Safety Guard Rail Support Bracket fixed to its top fatce. The bracket steps down over the fascia and is concealed by the gutter The vertical member of the Roof _S0 Safety Guard Rail is fixed into place over the threaded rod or pin In the case of the threaded rod connection the spacer washer allows correct positioning of the face of the vertical member to which the horizontal guard rails (10) are secured.

It will be realized that the Roof Safety Guard Rail Support Bracket Vertical Support Member according to this invention is not restricted to the form of connection between Sc the bracket and the vertical safety guard rail member. The invention may use a round or square pin in lieu of the threaded rod, where the round or square pin is secured to the vertical safety guard rail member by a grub screw, locking pin or other locking device.

In another aspect this invention resides in a mounting bracket for detachably connecting the upright for a safety rail to the outer end of a rafter, said mounting bracket having an inner portion containing attachment holes for bolting to the top surface of a rafter, an outer portion bent downwards to fit within a gutter attached to the rafter, and a mounting member in the form of a screw thread attached to and projecting upwards from said outer portion for structural engagement with the complementary threaded lower end of an upright.

Suitably, a mounting bracket wherein there is provided between said bracket and the upright, a spacer of thickness appropriate for allowing the upright to be screwed up to said bracket in a desired rotational position.

1:-

Claims

1. A mounting bracket for detachably connecting the upright for a safety rail to the outer end of a rafter, said mounting bracket having an inner portion containing attachment holes for bolting to the top surface of a rafter, an outer portion bent downwards to fit within a gutter attached to the rafter, and a mounting member in the form of a screw thread attached to and projecting upwards from said outer portion for structural engagement with the complementary threaded lower end of an upright.

2. A mounting bracket according to Claim 1, wherein there is provided between said bracket and the upright, a spacer of thickness appropriate for allowing the upright to egfewed up to said bracket in a desired rotational position. S. ROMANOWSKI 2 June, 2002