AU754750B2

AU754750B2 - An anchor device

Info

Publication number: AU754750B2
Application number: AU57956/01A
Authority: AU
Inventors: William Ainsworth
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-10-10
Filing date: 2001-08-10
Publication date: 2002-11-21
Anticipated expiration: 2020-10-10
Also published as: AU734873B3; AU5795601A

Description

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AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Applicant(s): WILLIAM AINSWORTH Invention Title: AN ANCHOR DEVICE The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 2 AN ANCHOR DEVICE Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an anchor device for facilitating secure connection of a user's safety line to a rigid structure.

Background of the Invention Several arrangements for facilitating connection of a user's safety line to a rigid structure are known. One such arrangement involves providing two generally horizontally spaced anchorage points and connecting a static line between the anchorage points. This enables a user to connect the user's safety line to the static line to thereby limit the distance which the user may fall.

However, in some circumstances, it is a requirement of safety regulations that a user must be secured such that the potential falling distance is maintained below a predetermined distance.

Summary of the Invention In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an anchor device including a bracket portion removably connectable to a portion of a 25 rigid structure, and an anchorage portion connected to the bracket portion such that in use the anchorage portion extends upwardly of the bracket portion, wherein the bracket portion includes a first bracket member having an upper portion and downwardly depending side portions provided with apertures, and a second bracket member engageable with the first bracket member, the upper portion being shaped so as to be complementary to the shape of an upwardly facing surface of said portion of the rigid structure, the second bracket member being substantially U-shaped such that legs of the U are extendable through the apertures in the side portions so as to thereby engage with the first bracket member, the 3first and second bracket members being arranged to surround said portion of the rigid structure when the first bracket member is engaged with the second bracket member, and the anchorage portion being arranged to facilitate connection in use of a safety line to the anchorage portion at a location upwardly of said portion of the rigid structure.

The first bracket member may be generally angle-like in configuration. Alternatively, the first bracket member may be generally channel-like in configuration.

The second bracket member may include first fixing means arranged to restrict disengagement of the second bracket member from the first bracket member. The first fixing means may include at least one fixing pin engageable in a corresponding at least one aperture in the second bracket member.

Preferably, the first bracket member includes second fixing means arranged to restrict movement in use of the bracket portion relative to a portion of the rigid 20 structure to which the bracket member is connected. The second fixing means may be a bolt which is engageable with the rigid structure to which the bracket member is connected so as to clamp the bracket member to the rigid structure.

25 Preferably, the anchorage portion includes a sleeve member connected to the first bracket portion and a beam member receivable in the sleeve member. Fixing means may be provided for releasibly fixing the beam member to the sleeve member. The fixing means may be at least one fixing pin engageable in corresponding apertures in the beam portion and the sleeve portion. Alternatively, the beam member may be connected directly to the first bracket portion.

Brief Description of the Drawings An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the 4 accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side view of an anchor device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the anchor device shown in Figure 1.

Detailed Description of an Embodiment of the Invention Referring to the drawings, there is shown an anchor device 10 having a bracket portion 12 for facilitating connection of the anchor device 10 to a rigid structure, and an anchorage portion 14 for facilitating connection of a safety line of a user to the anchor device 10 at a location above the rigid structure.

The bracket portion 12 includes a first bracket member 16 and a second bracket member 18, the first and second bracket members 16, 18 cooperating with each other so as to engage with a beam portion 20 of a rigid structure.

20 The first bracket member 16 includes a first portion 21 of angle-like configuration having a shape which corresponds with the shape of the beam portion 20, and a second portion which includes two oppositely disposed parallel panels 23.

25 The second bracket member 18 is of generally U-shape configuration, and includes two legs 25 and a cross member 27.

The second bracket member 18 is configured such that the legs 25 may pass through apertures 29 in the panels 23, with the cross member 27 being located adjacent an outwardly facing surface of one of the panels 23 when the legs 25 are fully extended through the apertures 29 in both panels 23.

The second bracket member 18 also includes first fixing means in the form of fixing pins 22 which extend through first fixing apertures in ends of the legs remote from the cross beam 27.

5 The first bracket member 16 also includes second fixing means in the form of an externally screw threaded bolt 24 which cooperates with the beam portion 20 such that when the bolt 24 is moved sufficiently towards the beam portion, the bolt 24 acts to clamp the bracket portion to the beam portion and thereby restrict lateral movement of the bracket portion 12 relative to the beam portion 20. When the bolt 24 is moved sufficiently away from the beam portion, the bracket portion 12 is not clamped to the beam portion and the bracket portion is laterally movable relative to the beam portion The anchorage portion 14 includes a sleeve member 28 fixed to the first bracket member 16, and a beam member receivable in the sleeve member 28. The anchorage portion 14 also includes three anchorage elements 32 which facilitate connection of a users safety line to the anchor device The sleeve member 28 is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed sleeve apertures 34 and the beam member is provided with oppositely disposed beam apertures (not shown), the sleeve apertures 34 and the beam apertures being arranged to receive fixing means in the form of a fixing pin (not shown). The fixing pin serves to removably fix the beam member 30 to the sleeve member 25 28. Of course, the sleeve member and/or beam member may be provided with an additional pair or oppositely disposed apertures disposed on the sleeve member and/or on the beam member such that the beam member may be received in the sleeve member in any orientation and fixed relative to the sleeve member by a fixing pin.

Of course, instead of arranging the anchor device such that the beam member 30 is removable from the sleeve member 28, the beam member 30 and the sleeve member 28 may be formed as a single member, or the sleeve member 28 may be permanently fixed to the beam member 30, for example by welding.

It will be understood that the sleeve member 28 may 6be fixed to the bracket portion 12 and the anchorage elements 32 may be fixed to the beam member 30 by any suitably strong fixing means, for example by welds 36.

In use, a user working on or adjacent a rigid structure connects the bracket portion 12 to a fixed portion of the rigid structure, in this example, the beam portion 20, by placing the first bracket member 16 over the beam portion 20 and passing the legs 25 of the second bracket member 18 through the apertures 29. In order to fix the first and second bracket members 16, 18 together, the fixing pins 22 are engaged with the legs 25. It will be understood that the first and second bracket members 16, 18 serve to restrict movement of the anchor device in a generally vertical direction and in a direction generally transverse of the beam portion In order to restrict movement of the anchor device in a generally longitudinal direction of the beam portion the bolt 24 is rotated so as to move the bolt 24 towards the beam portion 20 to an extent such that the bolt 24 passes through the aperture in the beam portion The user then inserts the beam member 30 into the sleeve member 28 and passes a fixing pin through the sleeve aperture 34 and the beam aperture so as to restrict 25 removal of the beam member 30 from the sleeve member 28.

The user is then able to connect the users safety line to one of the anchorage elements 32 so as to thereby provide a connection point above the rigid structure.

Although the present invention has been described in relation to a bracket portion 12 which is configured so as to engage with an angle-type beam portion 20, it will be understood that the first bracket member 16 of the bracket portion 12 may be shaped so as to be suitable for fixing to any fixed portion of a rigid structure. For example, the first bracket member 16 may be of generally channellike configuration.

It will be appreciated that although the second 7 bracket member 18 of the above embodiment extends through apertures in the first bracket member 16 beneath the beam portion 20 so as to fix the bracket portion 12 to the beam portion 20, the bracket portion 12 and beam portion 20 may also be arranged so as to enable the second bracket member 18 to extend through apertures in the first bracket member 16 and the beam portion 20 so as to fix the bracket portion 12 to the beam portion Modifications and variations as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention.

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Claims

1. An anchor device including a bracket portion removably connectable to a portion of a rigid structure, and an anchorage portion connected to the bracket portion such that in use the anchorage portion extends upwardly of the bracket portion, wherein the bracket portion includes a first bracket member having an upper portion and downwardly depending side portions provided with apertures, and a second bracket member engageable with the first bracket member, the upper portion being shaped so as to be complementary to the shape of an upwardly facing surface of said portion of the rigid structure, the second bracket member being substantially U-shaped such that legs of the U are extendable through the apertures in the side portions so as to thereby engage with the first bracket *member, the first and second bracket members being arranged to surround said portion of the rigid structure when the first bracket member is engaged with the second 20 bracket member, and the anchorage portion being arranged to facilitate connection in use of a safety line to the anchorage portion at a location upwardly of said portion of the rigid structure.

2. An anchor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first bracket member is of generally angle-like configuration.

3. An anchor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the 30 first bracket member is of generally channel-like configuration.

4. An anchor device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second bracket member includes first fixing means arranged to restrict disengagement of the second bracket member from the first bracket member.

An anchor device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first fixing means includes at least one fixing pin engageable in a corresponding at least one aperture in the 9 second bracket member.

6. An anchor device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first bracket member includes second fixing means arranged to restrict movement in use of the bracket portion relative to a portion of the rigid structure to which the bracket member is connected.

7. An anchor device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the second fixing means is a bolt engageable with the rigid structure to which the bracket member is connected so as to clamp the bracket member to the rigid structure.

8. An anchor device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the anchorage portion includes a sleeve member connected to the first bracket portion and a beam member receivable in the sleeve member.

9. An anchor device as claimed in claim 8, further 20 including third fixing means for releasibly fixing the beam member to the sleeve member.

An anchor device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the S"third fixing means includes at least one fixing pin engageable in respective apertures provided in the beam portion and the sleeve portion.

11. An anchor device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the 30 accompanying drawings. Dated this 9 th day of August 2001 WILLIAM AINSWORTH By his Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK