EP2933382B1 - Road device with a frame comprising tabs suitable for installing and supporting a safety grid - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates generally to a road device.

Such a device is known comprising a rectangular frame sealed in the ground or a floor and whose opening provides access to a visit chimney or inspection of an underground network and a crowning element, such as a buffer , housed in the frame to close the opening of the frame and can be removed from the frame to clear the opening of this frame.

For safety reasons, this road device may also include a fall protection safety grid and supported relative to the frame at a safety position closing the opening of the frame.

For this purpose, the frame comprises support tabs of the safety grid, which are integrated during the manufacture of the frame, for example by welding, to an inner peripheral rib of the frame projecting into the opening of the latter and facing each other as described in the document FR 2 792 662 .

However, such a design requires to have a particular type of frame integrated brackets of support of a fall protection grid in addition to standard identical frames for which it is not necessary to provide fall protection grilles.

The present invention aims to overcome the above disadvantages of known roadway devices.

For this purpose, according to the invention, the road device comprising a rectangular frame whose opening is delimited by four internal walls forming a peripheral rib integrally perpendicular to the side walls of the frame, said device comprising at least two legs fixed by bolts respectively with two parallel internal walls of the frame projecting into the opening of the frame and adapted to allow the introduction and the support of a fall protection safety grid, said device being characterized in that the legs extend in a plane perpendicular to the two inner walls and each tab is substantially Z-shaped, the upper wing is fixed under the corresponding inner wall of the frame and the lower wing extends below this inner wall, the lower wings of the tabs being located in the same plane parallel to the frame to serve as a support for the rectangular safety fall arrest grille and in that each tab is fixed under the corresponding inner wall of the frame via a an angled part of which one of the wings is fixed by a bolt to the connecting wing of the two upper and lower wings of the tab so that the inner wall is sandwiched between the other wing of the square part and the upper wing of the paw.

Preferably, the device comprises two pairs of tabs fixed by bolts respectively to the two parallel inner walls of the frame, the two tabs of each pair being spaced apart from each other along the corresponding inner wall.

Advantageously, each lug comprises a heel integral with the end of its upper flange perpendicular to this flange and which bears on the outer face of a side wall of the frame when the lug is fixed to the inner wall integral with this side wall. .

The two legs of the same pair, attached to one of the two inner walls of the frame, comprise on their lower wings respectively two parts at right angles, two of whose wings are secured perpendicularly to the two lower wings of the legs and the other two wings are parallel to the lower wings of the legs to delimit with these lower wings two housings configured on the one hand to receive one side of the fall protection grid and retain the grid resting on the lower wings of all the legs and secondly to rotate the grid of fall arrest around this side to a position allowing it to be released from the housing and removed from the frame.

The end of each wing of an angled portion parallel to the lower wing of a tab is spaced from the connecting wing of the upper and lower wings of this tab to define a space for the introduction or withdrawal of the side of the fall protection safety grid in the housing or of this housing delimited by this part at right angles.

The fall protection grid comprises a rectangular flat frame to which grid bars are secured and one of the sides of the flat frame comprises along this side a cylindrical rod serving as a retaining pin and pivoting of the grid in the housing. parts at right angles.

The support brackets of the fall arrest safety grid are attached to the inside walls of the frame before it is sealed in the ground or in a roadway.

When the frame is sealed in the ground or the roadway, at least a portion of the upper wings of the legs are also sealed in the floor of the roadway and each piece at right angles can be detached from the connecting wing of the upper and lower wings of each leg.

The invention also relates to a method of installation in the ground or a roadway of a road device as defined above and which is characterized in that it consists of manually fixing each tab to the corresponding inner wall of the frame by a bolt, to seal the frame in the ground or the roadway and to put in place the fall protection safety grid resting on the legs.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective éclatée d'un dispositif de voirie complet conforme à l'invention ;
• la figure 2 est une vue en perspective éclatée du dispositif de voirie de la figure 1 sans le tampon de fermeture ;
• la figure 3 est une vue de dessus du dispositif de voirie avec une grille de sécurité antichute mise en place dans le cadre ;
• la figure 4 est une vue en coupe suivant la ligne IV-IV de la figure 3 avec le cadre scellé dans le sol ;
• la figure 5 représente en vue de côté montrant l'assemblage au cadre d'une patte permettant le support et le pivotement d'un côté de la grille de sécurité antichute ; et
• la figure 6 est une vue en perspective d'une autre patte et qui est fixée au cadre pour supporter le côté opposé de la grille de sécurité antichute.

The invention will be better understood, and other purposes, features, details and advantages thereof will appear more clearly in the following explanatory description made with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings given solely by way of example illustrating an embodiment of the invention and in which:

• the figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a complete road device according to the invention;
• the figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the road system of the figure 1 without the closure stamp;
• the figure 3 is a top view of the road system with a fall arrest safety grid placed in the frame;
• the figure 4 is a sectional view along line IV-IV of the figure 3 with the frame sealed in the ground;
• the figure 5 is a side view showing assembly to the frame of a tab for supporting and pivoting one side of the fall protection safety grid; and
• the figure 6 is a perspective view of another leg and which is attached to the frame to support the opposite side of the fall protection grid.

Referring to the figures, the reference numeral 1 designates a road device, which comprises a frame 2 that can be sealed in the ground or pavement by concrete 3 to access an underground network inspection or inspection chimney, symbolized in FIG. 4, through the opening 5 of the frame 2.

The road device 1 further comprises a cover element 6 such as a buffer or cover that can occupy a closed position of the opening 5 of the frame 2 by registering or housing in this frame resting on a rib internal seating device 7 of the frame 2.

The road device 1 may also include a fall arrest safety gate 8 which can be place at a given position under the frame 2 as will be seen later to ensure the safety of people when the buffer 6 is removed from the frame 2 to access the inspection chimney or inspection of the underground network.

In this case, the frame 2 is of rectangular shape delimited by four side walls 9 extending vertically when the frame 2 is sealed in the ground or the roadway. The peripheral rib 7 of the seat pad 6 is constituted by four inner walls 10 protruding into the opening 5 of the frame 2 and integral, perpendicular to them respectively of the four side walls 9 of this frame. Thus, the inner walls 10 extend in the same plane perpendicular to the side walls 9 of the frame 2 and constitute a bottom portion of the frame delimiting the opening 5.

According to the invention, the frame 2 can be equipped with tabs 11 manually attached to two of the inner parallel plates 10 of the frame 2, for example the two inner plates 10 respectively associated with the two side plates 9 constituting the width of the frame 2, and which are adapted to allow the installation and the support of the fall protection grid 8.

As shown, two pairs of support lugs 11 are provided, two lugs 11 of the same pair being attachable to one of the inner walls 10 of the frame 2 respectively in two planes perpendicular to it and projecting in the opening 5 of the frame 2, while the two other support lugs 11 of the other pair can be fixed to the other inner wall parallel to the previous one of the frame 2 projecting into the opening 5 of this frame and extending respectively in two planes perpendicular to this other inner wall 10.

The two lugs 11 of the same pair can be fixed to the corresponding inner wall 10 while being spaced parallel to each other along the wall 10 at a selected adjustable distance.

More specifically, each tab 11 is substantially Z-shaped comprising an upper flange 12 which can be fixed under the corresponding inner wall 10 of the frame 2 and a lower flange 13, parallel to the upper flange 12 and connected thereto by a wing intermediate 14 perpendicular to the two wings 12, 13.

When fixed to the two parallel inner walls 10 of the frame 2 by their upper wings 12, the tabs 11 have their lower wings 13 which are located in the same plane parallel to the plane of the inner walls 10 and below the latter at a distance dependent on the height of the intermediate wings 14 of the legs 13.

In addition, each leg 11 comprises a heel 15 secured to the end of the upper flange 12 of the lug 11 perpendicularly to this flange to allow the flange 12 and the heel 15 to abut respectively under the corresponding inner wall 10 and a part of the outer face of the side wall 9 of the frame 2 to which the inner wall 10 is associated.

Each lug 11 may be fixed under the corresponding inner wall 10 of the frame 2 by means of a square piece 16, one wing 17 of which is fixed by a bolt 18 to the flange 14 connecting the two flanges 12, 13 of the tab 11 so that the corresponding inner wall portion 10 is sandwiched between the other wing 19 of the bracket 16 and a portion of the upper wing 12 of the tab 11.

Each bolt 18 has its screw 18a passing through an oblong hole 17a of the flange 17 of the square part 16 and a bore 14a of the intermediate flange 14 to bring the flange 19 of this piece bearing against the corresponding inner wall 10 before blocking by the bolt 18 by means of the nut 18b the wing 17 to the intermediate flange 14 of the lug 11 to enclose the portion of the wall 10 between the wing 19 of the square part 16 and the upper wing 12 of the lug 11.

Two lugs 11 of a pair that can be attached to one of the inner walls 10 of the frame 2 comprise, projecting from the upper face of the lower flange 13, an angled portion 20 of which one of the wings 21 is secured. of this upper face perpendicular thereto in the vicinity of the free end of the lower flange 13 and the other flange 22 extends parallel to above the lower flange 13 to define a housing 23 whose role will be explained later. The free edge of the flange 22 of the angled portion 20 of each lug 11 is located at a distance from the flange 14 connecting the upper flanges 12 and lower 13 of the lug 11 to define a passage 24 communicating with the passage 23.

The fall arrest safety grid 8 comprises a flat rectangular frame, three of the sides of which are constituted by three rectangular flat plates 25 situated in the same plane to form the two length sides and one of the width sides of the frame of the grid 8 and the remaining width side is formed by a cylindrical rod 26 integral with the ends of the two plates 25 constituting the two length sides of the grid 8.

The sides 25 and 26 of the frame of the grid 8 define a rectangular opening closed by longitudinal and transverse grid bars 27 fixed to the frame of the grid 8.

Where appropriate, the frame of the grid 8 may further comprise a loop 28 secured to the frame projecting perpendicularly from it on the same side as the gate bars 25 and 27 and which can cooperate with a loop 29 integral with the lower flange 13 of one of the lugs 11 not having an angled portion 20 to lock the gate 8 to this example paw with a padlock engaged in both handles in opposite 28, 29 once the grid 8 placed on the legs 11.

When an operator wishes to seal the frame 2 in the ground or the roadway by providing a fall arrest safety grid, before sealing this frame, he first starts by attaching to the two parallel inner walls 10 of the frame 2 the legs 11 of rack support 8.

For this purpose, it grasps each lug 11 so as to bring the upper flange 12 and the heel 15 of this lug bearing under the corresponding inner wall 10 and on the lower part of the outer face of the side wall 9 associated with the internal wall 10, then it places the part at right angle 16 resting on the flange 14 of the lug 11 and the upper face of the inner wall 10. Then, the operator introduces the screw 18a through the oblong hole 17a of the angle piece 16 and the piercing 14a of the connecting flange 14 of the lug 11 and the nut 18b is screwed onto the screw 18a until the bolt 18 is locked so as to grip the corresponding portion of the inner wall 10 between the wing 19 of the square part 16 and the upper wing 12 of the leg 11.

Preferably, the two tabs are fixed to one of the inner walls 10 so as to be arranged respectively facing the two tabs 11 fixed to the other parallel inner wall 10.

Once the brackets 11 have been fixed to the frame 2, the operator seals the frame 2 in the ground or pavement with concrete 3 as shown in FIG. figure 4 which shows that the concrete 3 surrounds the side walls 9 of the frame 2 by being flush with the upper edge of this frame, the heel 15 of each lug 11 is embedded in the concrete and a portion of the upper flange 12 of the lug 11 located under the corresponding inner wall 10.

The operator can then introduce the fall arrest safety grid 8 through the opening 5 of the frame 1 by presenting substantially vertically to the frame 2 with the rod 26 inserted into the passage or space 24 defined between the flange 22 and the connecting flange 14 of each lug 11 and then tilts the gate 8 to bring the plate 25 constituting the width side of the grid 8 resting on the two lower wings 13 of the opposite lugs 11 by sliding this grid parallel to itself so as to have the rod 26 resting on the lower wings 13 of the two other legs 11 in the two housings 23 delimited by the two pieces at right angle 16 as shown in FIG. figure 4 . In this way, the fall arrest safety grid 8 is retained relative to the lugs 11 of the frame 2 at a horizontal position parallel to the plane of the inner walls 10 and below this plane.

It should be noted that the grid 8 does not completely obstruct the opening 5 of the frame 2 since it rests on the wings 13 projecting under this opening.

Once the safety fall arrest grille 8 is placed in abutment on the lower wings 13 of the lugs 11, the operator can close the opening 5 of the frame 2 by introducing therein the closure buffer 6. When an operator wishes to access the inspection chimney or inspection of the underground network 4, it first removes the buffer 6 from the frame 2 and then grasps the fall protection safety grid 8 by sliding it on the lower wings 13 of the legs 11 to disengage the rod 26 from the grid 8 of the two recesses 23 delimited by the angled portions 20 and bring this rod at the level of the passage 24 to allow it to tilt the gate 8 around the rod 26 in the opposite direction of the needles of a shows by considering the figure 4 to a substantially vertical position to which the grid 8 can be removed, through the opening 5, the frame 2.

It should be noted that once the frame 2 and its legs 11 are sealed in the ground or the roadway, the operator can, if necessary, remove the square pieces 16 of these tabs by removing the bolts 18.

According to an alternative embodiment not shown, only two lugs 11 for supporting the fall protection safety grid 8 can be respectively fixed to two parallel internal walls 10 of the frame 2 while being located opposite one another, one tabs 11 having the same structure as each lug 12 at right angle 20 described above and the other leg 11 being identical to the lug 11 without bracket part 20 described above. As a variant, each of these two lugs 11 may have a lower flange 13 of greater width than those previously described in order to provide a better seating of the grille 8. According to another variant, all the lugs 11 may be identical to that of the figure 6 so that the grid can rest freely on the lower wings 13 of these legs without being articulated.

Other variants can be made.

Thus, the invention can be applied to other types of grids than that described above, for example grids of the grid type, bars or grating.

In addition, the frame of the grid, instead of being flat, can be achieved by four angles fixed to each other to increase the rigidity of the frame. In this case, the pairs of legs will be fixed by the same means as previously described to two horizontal wings respectively two parallel angles of the frame.

Finally, the articulation of the grid may be different from that previously described. For example, the grid can be articulated by one of its sides on two adjacent tabs of the frame via a self-locking hinge, as such.

The road device described above of the invention thus offers the choice of fixing or not legs for setting up a fall protection safety grid using the same frame that is usually a standard frame. In other words, the user or operator has a leg kit 11 which he can order separately to enable him, if necessary, to fix the legs 11 to the frame 2 when it provides for the installation of a safety gate Anti fall. The invention thus makes it possible to use standard frameworks of roadway devices, manufactured in series, and thus to avoid having in stock other additional standard frames provided with integrated brackets, by welding, to this frame for the implementation. place of fall protection safety grilles. Finally, when the user does not wish to use a fall protection grid, the absence of the legs 11 allows the operator to access the inspection chimney or inspection of an underground network 4 without being injured, unlike the frames provided. fall arrest safety grids resting on tabs integrated therewith and protruding into the opening of this frame.

Claims (9)

1. Roadway device (1) comprising a rectangular frame (2), the opening of which (5) is delimited by four internal walls (10) forming a peripheral rib, joined together with the lateral walls (9) of the frame (2) perpendicularly, this device comprising at least two legs (11) fixed by bolts (18) to two parallel internal walls (10) of the frame (2) respectively, projecting into the opening (5) of the frame (2) and adapted to allow a fall protection safety grille (8) to be put in place and supported, characterised in that the legs (11) extend in a plane perpendicular to the two internal walls (10) and each leg (11) is roughly in the shape of a Z, the top wing of which (12) is fixed under the corresponding internal wall (10) of the frame (2) and the bottom wing (13) of which extends below this internal wall, and in that the bottom wings (13) of the legs (11) are situated in one and the same plane parallel to the frame (2) to serve as support for the rectangular-shaped fall protection safety grille (8) and in that each leg (11) is fixed under the corresponding internal wall (10) of the frame (2) by means of an angle bracket part (16), one (17) of the wings of which is fixed by a bolt (18) to the wing (14) linking both the top (12) and bottom (13) wings of the leg (11) so that the internal wall (10) is inserted between the other wing (19) of the angle bracket part (16) and the top wing (12) of the leg (11).
2. Roadway device according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises two pairs of legs (11) fixed by bolts (18) to the two parallel internal walls (10) of the frame (2) respectively, both legs (11) of each pair being spaced from each other along the corresponding internal wall (10).
3. Roadway device according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that each leg (11) comprises a stub (15), joined together with the end of its top wing (14) perpendicularly to this wing, which is supported by the external face of a lateral wall (9) of the frame (2) when the leg (11) is fixed to the internal wall (10), joined together with this lateral wall (9).
4. Roadway device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that both legs (11) of one and the same pair, fixed to one of the two internal walls (10) of the frame (2) by bolts (18), comprise on their bottom wings (13) two angle bracket parts (20) respectively, two (21) of the wings (21, 22) of which are joined together with the two bottom wings (13) of the legs (11) perpendicularly and the two other wings (22) of which are parallel to the bottom wings (13) of the legs (11), to delimit with these bottom wings (13) two housings (23) configured on the one hand to receive a side (26) of the fall protection safety grille (8) and to keep this grille supported by the bottom wings (13) of all the legs (11) and on the other hand to provide pivoting of the fall protection safety grille (8) around this side (26) to a position allowing it to be released from the housings (23) and removed from the frame (2).
5. Roadway device according to claim 4, characterised in that the end of each wing (22) of an angle bracket part (20) parallel to the bottom wing (13) of a leg (11) is at a distance from the wing (14) linking the top (12) and bottom (13) wings of this leg to define a space (24) allowing the introduction or removal of the side (26) of the fall protection safety grille (8) into the housing (23) or from this housing, delimited by this angle bracket part (20).
6. Roadway device according to claim 4 or 5, characterised in that the fall protection safety grille (8) comprises a rectangular, flat frame, to which grille bars (27) are secured, and one of the sides of the flat frame comprises along this side a cylindrical rod (26) serving as a pin for retaining and pivoting the grille (8) in the housings (23) of the angle bracket parts (20).
7. Roadway device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the legs (11) supporting the fall protection safety grille (8) are fixed to the internal walls (10) of the frame (2) before the latter is sealed into the ground or into a road.
8. Roadway device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that, when the frame (2) is sealed into the ground or the road, at least a part of the top wings (12) of the legs (11) are also sealed into the ground or the road and each angle bracket part (16) may be disengaged from the wing (14) linking the top (12) and bottom (13) wings of each leg (11).
9. Method for installing a roadway device (1) such as defined in any one of claims 1 to 8 into the ground or a road, characterised in that it consists of fixing each leg (11) manually to the corresponding internal wall (10) of the frame (2) by a bolt (18) to seal the frame (2) into the ground or the road and to put the fall protection safety grille (8) in place supported by the legs (11).

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