FR2732706A1 - Single piece safety rails for outer edge of scaffolding - Google Patents

Abstract

The safety rail (1) has an upper rail (2) and a midrail (3) made in one section and is installed from the previous level of planking. It has two arms (7, 10) which are hinged (8, 11) at the ends (9, 12) of the upper rail (2) so that the arms are parallel to the rail when folded and at right angles to it when it is in use. Each hinged arm (7, 10) has a device (17, 18) on the side to fix it to the scaffolding frame (25, 26, 34, 35). At the free ends of the arms there is a device (21, 22) which rests on the rail of a lower safety rail (1, 28). The upper rail has clips (23, 24) to hold the arms in the folded position.

Description

 The present invention relates to scaffolding and is more particularly concerned with railings which, in accordance with the regulations in force, equip scaffolding to provide protection against falls, vis-à-vis personnel working at height, especially on the outside of the scaffolding.

 These railings are positioned on each floor level of the scaffolding. They generally consist of an upper rail and a sub-rail.

In the oldest railing designs, the top rail and the sub-rail are separate elements. Increasingly, the railings are monobloc, that is to say that the heald and the sub-heald are connected to each other by vertical bars, and if necessary by oblique elements, welded at their top on the rail and at their base on the sub-rail.

The installation of railings, of monobloc structure or in separate parts (beams and sub-beams), is traditionally carried out from the scaffolding floor to be protected, the successive stages of erection of scaffolding from '' a level completed being the following
1. Installation of the upper floor.

 2. Operator access to the upper floor.

 3. Installation of vertical frames, above this floor.

 4. Installation of guardrails, between the opposite vertical frames.

 During this sequence, the operator having taken place on the upper floor to continue the erection of the scaffolding is not at all protected from falls to the outside, as long as he has not put in place the railing. In particular, the operator is not protected during the operation of fitting the railing itself, until the railing is fixed.

 In order to mitigate the risk of falls to the outside, scaffolding manufacturers have recently developed a type of railing, which is installed from the lower floor. Thus, after having installed the upper floor, the operator can take a seat on this upper floor, where he will be immediately protected from falls. He can then set up the vertical frames, then fix on these frames a new railing for the next level, this safely.

Such a railing, installed from a given floor level and which must protect the level immediately above when the fitter accesses this level, must for this purpose integrate
- a heald and a sub-heald, or any equivalent protective device forming a "barrier", of sufficient height above the floor of the upper level,
- handles protruding enough, under the previous part, to allow the operator to lift the railing and hang it from the lower level,
- fixing means to block the railing on the lower level frames,
- other fixing means to also immobilize the railing on the upper level frames, when these have been installed,
- braces or similar diagonal elements ensuring the rigidity of the railing during handling and during transport, but also during its use.

 This known design of railings still retains many and serious drawbacks.

 First, the railing is very bulky. For example, in the case of a common scaffolding comprising spans of 3 meters in length, and a height of 2 meters between two levels of successive floors, the dimensions of the railing are generally 3m x 1.7m. Thus the transport of such railings from one place to another, for example from a site to a depot or from a manufacturing plant to a subcontractor, requires large capacity trucks, while the weight transported remains low, if we relate it to volume. The storage of railings on a site, or in the factory, also occupies a large surface and / or volume, and is therefore expensive.

 During the erection of the scaffolding, or during handling on site or in the factory, the handling and movement of this railing by a single person is impossible, given its dimensions and weight. In some cases, handlers may suffer bodily injury (spinal injuries, etc.).

 In particular, when assembling the scaffolding, this railing whose weight is between 15 and 20 kg cannot be put in place by a single person, because it is by holding the railing at the end of arm that the fitter must engage the means of fixing the railing in the complementary fixing members belonging to the frames. The installation of a railing is therefore commonly performed by two people, instead of just one, resulting in a loss of productivity.

 In addition, the manufacture of this railing remains complex and expensive, because many constituent parts are to be manufactured separately, then to be assembled.

 Finally, the protection of this type of railing, in particular with regard to corrosion, is generally ensured by hot galvanizing. Hot-dip galvanizing requires that all railing tubes be drilled to allow liquid zinc to penetrate. Being made up of numerous tubes, the known railing considered here therefore becomes even more costly to produce, to this in addition to the fact that hot-dip galvanizing is usually carried out by subcontractors, so that costs linked to transport are also taken into account, costs which are higher the larger the size of the guardrails (see above).

 The present invention aims to overcome all these drawbacks, therefore to provide a scaffolding railing of reduced and light bulk, which can be set up from the lower level by a single operator, being easy to manipulate and safe, compactness and lightness of this railing also facilitating its transport and storage, and its constructive simplicity allowing economical and standardized manufacturing.

 To this end, the subject of the invention is essentially a scaffolding railing, comprising an upper heald and a sub-heald joined in a single-piece structure, provided with means for fixing to the vertical frames of the scaffold, the guard body being able to be put in place at the scaffolding floor level to be protected from the lower floor level, and this railing being characterized in that it comprises two arms, articulated respectively by a terminal part in the regions of two ends of the upper arm and capable of pivoting each between a folded position substantially parallel to the arm and a position of use substantially perpendicular to the arm, each pivoting arm being provided laterally with at least one fixing member on a frame 'scaffolding, and being provided at its free end with a support means on the rail of a lower railing.

 Thus, the railing object of the present invention has the first advantage, thanks to its two articulated arms foldable along the heddle, to occupy only a reduced volume for its transport and storage. In the folded position, this railing has, for example, a space requirement of 3m x 0.5m, allowing a considerable reduction in the cost of transport and the space required for storage.

 As for the handling of the guardrail, it is greatly facilitated, a single person can easily transport this guardrail (the articulated arms being folded), by grasping it by its middle part.

 Even taking into account the ancillary members, in particular the articulation axes of the arms and the various fixing members, the railing object of the invention retains great constructive simplicity. This advantage is all the more noticeable since the railing according to the invention can be achieved by reusing standard railings, here constituting the one-piece structure bringing together smooth and sub-smooth, which suffices to be supplemented by the addition of articulated arms. The railings according to the invention can thus be produced by transforming an existing stock of standard railings, therefore with a reduced investment. It is also conceivable to manufacture standard railings, some being used as such and the others are fitted with articulated arms, which enables larger series to be produced and thus reduces costs (the standard railings remain directly usable in countries where safety standards are less stringent).

 From an assembly point of view, handling on site of the railing object of the invention is greatly facilitated, in particular for the installation of this railing from a lower floor level, which is entirely can be done by one person. In particular, from a given level, the fitter protected by the railing previously fixed can first unfold a first arm of the following railing and fix it, then unfold the second arm and fix it opposite from the first ; after accessing the upper floor level, now protected by the railing, the operator can then set up the vertical frames, and finally fix the railing to these frames.

 Advantageously, the upper rail of the body rail comprises retaining means, in particular of the clamp type, capable of immobilizing the articulated arms, in the folded position. The arms are thus temporarily blocked, the handling of this railing is further facilitated.

 The fixing members, laterally fitted to each articulated arm, can be produced in the form of a tab extending substantially perpendicularly to said arm, and presenting towards its free end a notch capable of being engaged on a gusset of a scaffolding frame .

 As for the support means, provided at the free end of each articulated arm of the railing, it can take the form of a simple fork, capable of being fitted onto a flattened area located at the end of the upper rail of the lower railing.

 According to another characteristic, each articulated arm of the railing has a telescopic structure, its end part articulated to the top rail being able to describe an axial movement of limited stroke relative to the rest of this arm. This advantageous arrangement allows, while the arms are already fixed to the frames of a lower level, to make the monobloc structure perform with smooth and sub-smooth a vertical movement of raising and lowering, in order to engage the ends of the heald and the sub-heald in the frames of a higher level. In particular, it is essential to be able to slightly lift the monobloc structure of the railing, if the installation of the frames of the upper level leads to the fixing means complementary to the railing and these frames at the same level, thus preventing direct engagement of the fastening means, one inside the other.

Anyway, the invention will be better understood with the aid of the description which follows, with reference to the appended schematic drawing showing, by way of example, an embodiment of this scaffolding railing
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a scaffolding railing according to the present invention, the articulated arms being shown in the deployed position of use
Figure 2 is another perspective view of the scaffolding railing, the articulated arms being shown in the folded position for transport and storage
Figure 3 is a perspective view, illustrating a first phase of assembly of this scaffolding railing
Figure 4 is a detail view, in perspective, showing the attachment of an arm of this railing by a side tab, on a scaffolding frame
Figure 5 is another detail view, in perspective, showing the support of the lower end of the arm on the rail of a lower railing
Figure 6 is a perspective view illustrating an intermediate phase of the mounting of the railing object of the invention;
Figure 7 is a perspective view, illustrating a final phase of the assembly of this railing
Figure 8 is a partial view in longitudinal section of a railing arm according to the invention, showing its telescopic part
Figures 9 and 10 are detailed perspective views, illustrating the procedure for fixing one end of the top rail on a scaffolding frame.

 Figures 1 and 2 show a scaffolding railing, generally designated by the reference 1, which comprises a one-piece structure formed by an upper rail 2, a sub-rail 3 and vertical bars 4,5 and 6 which connect the top rail 2 to the sub-rail 3.

 A first arm 7 is articulated, by an end part 8, to the upper beam 2 in the region of one end 9 of this beam 2. Symmetrically, a second arm 10 is articulated, by a terminal part 11, to the upper rail 2 in the region of the other end 12 of this rail 2. The respective articulation axes 13 and 14 of the two arms 7 and 10 are oriented perpendicular to the plane of the railing 1. Each arm 7 or 10 is thus pivotally mounted, in particular between a deployed position, substantially vertical and facing downwards (FIG. 1), which is its position of use, and a folded position, substantially horizontal and practically coincident with the top rail 2 (FIG. 2), which is its transport and storage position.

 The upper rail 2, the sub-rail 3 and the connecting bars 4, 5 and 6 are made of metal tubes, welded together. The tube forming the top rail 2 is flattened along a vertical plane in the regions of the two ends 9 and 12 of this rail 2, which constitute fixing means described in detail below. The two ends of the sub-rail 3 also have respective fixing means 15 and 16.

 The two articulated arms 7 and 10 are also mainly constituted by metal tubes.

Each arm 7 or 10 comprises, at an intermediate point of its length, a lateral tab respectively 17.18 extending perpendicular to this arm, and having towards its free end a notch 19.20 turned downwards.

 At its free end, which in the position of use is its lower end, each articulated arm 7 or 10 also comprises a fork, respectively 21, 22, extending in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the railing 1.

 In the folded transport and storage position, the two arms 7 and 10, folded along the top rail 2, can be held in place by means of elastic clamps 23 and 24 - see FIG. 2.

 FIG. 3 shows the base of a scaffolding, comprising two opposite vertical frames 25 and 26, which rest on the ground by feet 27 and which are connected to each other by two first railings 28 and 29, corresponding to the one-piece structure described above, as well as by a diagonal 30. In known manner, the uprights of the scaffolding frames 25 and 26 comprise, at different levels, sockets 31 of vertical axis allowing the assembly of the other components of the scaffolding to these frames 25 and 26.

 We will now describe the mounting operations of a railing 1, identical to that of Figures 1 and 2, to be implemented at a "higher" level (relative to the scaffolding part already built). These operations are carried out from the "lower" level (which is the ground level in the particular situation in FIG. 3).

 From this lower level the fitter, protected by the railing previously fixed, causes the new railing 1 to mount in a vertical plane, and he first unfolds the first articulated arm 7 of this railing 1. As the 'illustrates Figure 3, in this first phase the operator holds with his left hand the railing 1 by its sub-rail 3 and rotates it gradually tilting, while with his right hand he holds and guides the arm 7, and comes to fix this arm 7, by its lateral tab 17, on a gusset 32 of the frame 25 and, by its end fork 21, on the rail 2 of the lower railing.

 The detail of these operations is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. These consist, firstly, of fitting the fork 21 onto the flattened zone located at the end 9 of the heddle 2 of the lower railing, previously fixed , the end 9 itself being engaged in a socket 31 of the frame 25. Then the articulated arm 7 is pivoted so as to engage its lateral tab 17, by its notch 19, on the gusset 32 located in one of the upper corners of the frame 25. The arm 7 is thus rigidly fixed, in a vertical position, between the heddle 2 of the lower railing and the gusset 32 of the frame 25, the upper half of the arm 7 protruding above this frame 25, so above the upper floor level.

 In the following phase, illustrated by FIG. 6, the fitter still posted on the lower level grasps the second arm 10 of the railing 1, and unfolds it entirely while straightening it, the monobloc structure of the railing 1 then taking its horizontal final position. The second arm 10 is fixed, like the first, by fitting its terminal fork 22 on the opposite end 12 of the heddle 2 of the lower railing, and by engaging its lateral tab 18 on a gusset 32 of the frame. scaffolding 26, opposite the frame 25 previously considered.

 The fitter then sets up the floor 33 of the upper level, as shown in FIG. 7, and accesses this floor 33 while already being protected by the railing 1 which has just been put in place. It goes without saying that this protection is continuous on the same level, the construction of the scaffolding being carried out level by level regardless of the number of spans (a single span being shown here).

 Once posted on the floor 33 of the upper level, the fitter sets up, at the two ends, two vertical frames 34 and 35, assigned to this level, which extend upwards respectively the two frames 25 and 26 of the lower level.

 The following operation, completing the mounting of the railing 1 considered, consists in blocking the fixing means, located at the ends of its rail 2 and its sub-rail 3, to the two frames 34 and 35 which have just been put in place.

 To facilitate this operation, as shown in detail in FIG. 8, the terminal part 8 or 11 of each articulated arm 7 or 10 is mounted movable, in the axial direction, relative to the rest of this arm. For example, the lower end of the terminal part 8 or 11 comprises a portion 36 engaged inside the tube forming the main part of the arm 7 or 10, and provided with a transverse pin 37 which passes through two opposite longitudinal slots 38 and 39 formed in the walls of the main tubular part of the arm. The end part 8 or 11 can thus describe an axial movement of limited stroke. In particular, if the main parts of the two arms 7 and 10 of the railing 1 remain fixed, the end parts 8 and 11 of these arms, and consequently the one-piece structure with rail 2 and sub-rail 3, can describe a limited vertical movement of lifting and lowering.

 Thus, as shown in FIG. 9, the upper arm 2 can be lifted, the end part 8 of the arm 7 moving away from the rest of this arm 7, so that the end 9 of the arm 2 is presented at- above a socket 31 of the frame 34. Next, the top rail 2 is lowered, and its end 9 is introduced into the socket 31 - see FIG. 10. This end 9 has a key 40, which can be pushed in and locked against the socket 31 using a hammer 41, which allows the blocking of the arm 2 on the frame 34.

 Simultaneously with the fixing of the end 9 of the upper rail 2, the fixing means 15 located at the corresponding end of the sub-rail 3 is engaged in another socket 31 of the frame 34, located under the socket receiving the end 9.

 Of course, the same operations being carried out at the two ends of the railing 1, the other end 12 of the heald 2 and the corresponding end of the sub-heald 3 are also fixed to the opposite frame 35. The fixing of the guard -body 1 is thus completed.

 An auxiliary railing 42 can also be put in place on the frame 34, if the latter is at the end of the scaffolding, for complete protection (see FIG. 8).

 From this situation, the erector still posted on the floor 33 can set up the railing of an even higher level, according to the same operating mode, and so on ..., if the scaffolding must reach a higher height important.

 Conversely, when the scaffolding must be removed, each railing 1 can be removed from the lower level, therefore from a level still protected by its own railing.

It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the only embodiment of this scaffolding railing which has been described above, by way of example; on the contrary, it embraces all of the variant embodiments and of applications which respect the same principle. It is thus, in particular, that one would not depart from the spirit of the invention.
- by constructive modifications to the one-piece structure of the railing, the number and arrangement of the connecting bars between the beam and the sub-beam can naturally vary
- By making the fixing means, at the ends of the heald and of the sub-heald, according to any suitable configuration;
- using the same railing on a scaffolding with vertical "H" frames, instead of the closed frames shown here.

Claims (5)

 1. Scaffolding railing (1), comprising an upper rail (2) and a sub-rail (3) joined together in a single-piece structure, provided with means (15,16,40) for fixing to the vertical frames (25 , 26, 34, 35) of the scaffolding, the railing (1) being able to be put in place at the level of the scaffolding floor (33) to be protected from the lower floor level, characterized in that it comprises two arms (7,10), articulated respectively by an end part (8,11) in the regions of the two ends (9,12) of the upper rail (2) and able to pivot each between a folded position substantially parallel to the heald (2) and a position of use substantially perpendicular to the heald (2), each pivoting arm (7,10) being provided laterally with at least one member (17,18) for fixing on a frame of scaffolding (25,26,34,35), and being provided at its free end with a support means (21,22) on the rail (2) of a lower railing (1,28).  2. Scaffolding railing according to claim 1, characterized in that its upper rail (2) comprises retaining means, in particular of the clamp type (23,24), capable of immobilizing the articulated arms (7,10) , in the folded position.  3. Scaffolding railing according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the fixing members, laterally equipping each articulated arm (7,10), are made in the form of a lug (17,18) s 'extending substantially perpendicular to said arm (7,10), and having towards its free end a notch (19,20) capable of being engaged on a gusset (32) of a scaffolding frame (25,26,34,35 ).  4. Scaffolding railing according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the support means, provided at the free end of each articulated arm (7, 10), is produced in the form a fork (21,22), capable of being fitted onto a flattened area located at the end (9,12) of the upper rail (2) of the lower railing (1,28).  5. Scaffolding railing according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that each articulated arm (7,10) has a telescopic structure, its end part (8,11) articulated to the top rail ( 2) being able to describe an axial movement of limited stroke with respect to the remainder of this arm (7, 10), to allow the engagement of the ends (9, 12, 15, 16) of the arm (2) and of the sub-arm (3) in the frames (34,35) of a higher level.