FR2887574A1 - Balustrade for scaffolding of building, has articulated fixation finger cooperating with bush of vertical frame to permit pivoting of balustrade around horizontal axis while placing balustrade - Google Patents

Abstract

The balustrade has an upper rail (17) and a middle rail (18) joined together by terminal posts (19, 20) to form a monoblock structure. Fixation fingers (22, 23) are provided at one end of the balustrade and an articulated fixation finger (25) is provided at the other end of the balustrade. The finger (25) cooperates with a bush (8) of a vertical frame to permit pivoting of the balustrade around a horizontal axis while placing the balustrade.

Description

The present invention relates generally to scaffolds and,

  in particular, the railings that equip the scaffolding, at their different levels of floors.

  According to the regulations in force, the scaffolding must be equipped with guardrails and skirting boards at each floor level, to provide protection against falls, vis-à-vis staff working at height, at least on the outside of scaffolding (in the case of a scaffold installed in front of a building facade or other building).

  Scaffolding railings usually include a top rail and a sub-rail, which provide true protection against falling operators. In the older railing designs, the top rail and the sub-rail are separate elements, separately attached to the scaffold structure. The guardrails of more recent design are "monobloc", that is to say that the upper rail and the sub-rail are rigidly connected to one another, permanently, by amounts or bars vertical, and if necessary by oblique elements, welded on the one hand to the upper rail and on the other hand to the sub-smooth.

  The protection is complemented by baseboards, used in particular to prevent falling objects from a floor of the scaffolding. The skirting boards can be attached directly to the edge of the corresponding floor. In the case of a "monobloc" railing, a plinth can also be incorporated in the railing, the installation of the railing then bringing its plinth along the longitudinal edge of the corresponding floor.

  The installation of railings "monoblocs" or composed of separate elements, as well as skirting, is traditionally done from the scaffolding floor to be protected, the successive phases of mounting a scaffolding from a finished floor level being the following: Installation of an immediately higher floor, 30 Access of the operator to the upper floor, Installation of guardrails and skirting associated with the upper floor, Installation of upper vertical frames , especially in the form of "H", above the two ends of this floor.

  When the operator enters the upper floor which has just been put in place, and during the installation phase of the guardrails and skirting boards, the operator is not at all protected against falls outward, as long as he has not set up and secured the bodyguard.

  In order to mitigate the risks of falling outwards during the erection of a scaffolding, it has already been proposed special guardrails whose implementation is from the lower floor (relative to the floor said higher to be protected by the railing considered). Thus, after setting up the upper floor, the operator can access the upper floor and take place there, are immediately protected against falls by the guardrail already set up previously from the lower floor. The operator can then set up the vertical frames, then fix on these frames a new railing for the next floor level, and so on, this allowing in principle a safe assembly of the scaffolding, whatever its height.

  The special guardrails for this use, such as those manufactured and marketed by the Applicant COMABI, are composed of: the upper rail and the sub-rail, optionally, a baseboard, terminal posts, extended towards the low by gripping handle portions sufficiently long to allow the operator to lift the railing and to hook it, from the level of the lower floor, with fastening means for hanging the railing, by its ends, on the vertical frames of the scaffolding, these fastening means being four or more, braces or diagonal elements ensuring the rigidity of the railing, these elements can in particular connect, obliquely, the base of each handle to the middle region of the upper arm.

  These railings remain heavy and very bulky. For example, in the case of a scaffolding current having spans of 3 meters in length, and having a height of 2 meters between two levels of successive floors, the dimensions of the guardrail are of the order of 3 mx 1, 5 m to 3 mx 1.7 m, given the length of the handles, and such railing weighs more than 20 kg.

  Consequently, two operators must simultaneously intervene to handle the railing and fix it in the structure of the scaffolding being assembled, holding it at arm's length, which naturally also applies to the dismantling of the scaffolding. . These handling operations are often the source of bodily injuries, especially in the spine, for operators.

  In addition, given their size, such railings are difficult to handle and store on a construction site, and they also pose transport difficulties on trucks, resulting in a significant cost of transport.

  It should also be considered that these railings are made of steel tubes, and hot-dip galvanized in galvanizing lines which are equipped with swings on which are hung the components. In order to optimize the cost of this treatment, each swing has to be "loaded" to the maximum of its capacity, before starting the hot-dip galvanizing cycle, which is carried out step by step. The cost of galvanizing thus carried out remains high because the swings can not be loaded to the maximum in the case of these special railings. In addition, the costs associated with the transport of guardrails to be treated, in the case where the hot-dip galvanizing treatment is carried out by a specialized subcontractor, these costs being all the greater as the dimensions of the guardrails is important (see above).

  To avoid these drawbacks, it has already been proposed a scaffolding railing, comprising a top rail and a sub-smooth joined together in a one-piece structure, provided with fixing means to the vertical frames of the scaffold, and comprising two arms articulated respectively in the regions of both ends of the upper rail. Each arm can thus pivot between a transport and storage position, folded along the upper rail, and a position of use substantially perpendicular to the rail. This arm is provided laterally with a fastener on a vertical frame of the scaffolding and its lower end is provided with a support means on the upper rail of the lower guardrail.

  (See French patent 2732706 in the name of the Applicant).

  Such an embodiment allows, by folding the two articulated arms, to reduce the size of the railing for transport and storage, while the deployment of the arms down allows them to use as handles, to achieve the implementation in place of the bodyguard from a lower floor level, as for the special guardrails previously mentioned. However, a railing with articulated arms suffers from a lack of rigidity. In addition, it is a special solution, mainly suitable for scaffolding with closed rectangular vertical frames, while "H" shaped frames are more frequently used. Furthermore, the support of the articulated arms of a railing on the rail of the lower railing makes the correct positioning of a railing tributary of that of the lower railing, which is not desirable, also taking into account dimensional tolerances. Finally, the folding of the two arms certainly reduces the height of the railing for its transfer and storage but considerably increases its thickness so that the guardrail is not really compact.

  The present invention aims to overcome all the disadvantages described above, and is therefore intended to provide a scaffold railing designed to be implemented by one person from the lower floor level, being easily manipulated, and it safely, this railing having a really reduced size and being lighter, while maintaining high rigidity.

  For this purpose, the invention essentially relates to a scaffolding guardrail securely mounted, capable of being implemented at the level of scaffolding floor to be protected from the lower floor level, the railing comprising an upper rail and a sub-rail combined in a one-piece structure, in particular by end uprights and / or straight or oblique intermediate elements, and this railing being provided at its opposite ends with means of attachment to the vertical frames of the scaffolding, this railing being characterized in that said fixing means comprise, in the lower region of one end of the railing, a device adapted to cooperate with an element of a vertical frame and allowing the pivoting of the guard -body around a substantially horizontal axis, so in a substantially vertical plane, during the operations of establishment of the guardrail.

  In a preferred embodiment of the railing object of the present invention, the device for pivoting the railing around a substantially horizontal axis is constituted by a fastening finger hinged about a substantially horizontal pivot axis, at one end of the guardrail towards the base thereof, the portion of the hinged fixing finger under the pivot axis being adapted to be engaged in a socket of a vertical frame of the scaffolding. In particular, the articulated attachment finger can be pivotally mounted about a substantially horizontal axis between the two branches of a fixed yoke equipping the base of a terminal amount of the guardrail.

  Thus, while remaining posted on a floor of a lower level, the operator can grasp the railing and tilt it, and then very easily engage the articulated fixing finger in a socket located at the upper floor level, or in practice two meters above the floor on which the operator is posted; in this position, the guardrail can no longer "dump" to the outside. Then, the operator straightens the railing, by pivoting it around its articulation, now linked to the structure of the scaffolding, to bring the railing to its horizontal position and finally engage also its fastening means located at its other end in the sockets of a vertical frame of the scaffolding.

  Advantageously, the scaffolding railing object of the invention comprises, at its end equipped with the pivoting device and above this device, a guide device constituted by a double leg or a fork, provided to engage from and other vertical frame amount, at the end of straightening of the railing by pivoting. This guide device facilitates the pivoting movement of the railing, especially when, to engage in the bushings of a vertical frame the fastening means located at the opposite end, the operator must rotate the guardrail beyond its horizontal fixing position.

  Preferably, the guiding device, consisting of a double leg or a fork, is located towards the top of the end of the guardrail, at a height such that, in the horizontal position of attachment of the railing, it takes place under a socket of a vertical frame of the scaffolding.

  The guiding device, which facilitates the installation of the guardrail, also constitutes a fourth fixing point of the railing, when it is in its service position.

  Advantageously, this railing object of the invention further comprises, at its end equipped with the pivoting device and intermediate height, a stop lug which extends horizontally opposite the rails, and which is intended to take place under a socket of a vertical frame of the scaffold, thereby constituting an anti-lift safety device, when the guardrail is in place.

  Thanks to the provisions of the invention, a single operator can easily handle and set up the railing, the latter being of simple, lightweight and compact structure. In particular, the dimensions of the railing object of the invention can be of the order of 3 mx 1 m, and its weight, in the case of steel manufacture, can be less than 15 Kg, weight still lower can of course be obtained in the case of an aluminum construction. The small dimensions of the railing also facilitate storage and transport. Moreover, the simplicity of structure of this railing allows its manufacture at a relatively low cost.

  In an advantageous embodiment, the railing object of the invention is provided at its base with a plinth, which connects the lower ends of its two end uprights. This plinth takes place along a longitudinal edge of the scaffolding floor protected by the railing considered.

  In a variant of the scaffold railing, object of the invention, the device for pivoting this railing around a substantially horizontal axis is constituted by a fork attached to one end of the railing, towards the base thereof, and pointing downwards, said fork being pivotally engageable on a horizontal crossbar of a vertical frame of the scaffold, in particular a frame shaped "H".

  In any case, 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 examples, embodiments of this scaffold railing: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a scaffold provided with a railing according to the present invention, set up at a first floor level; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the railing alone; Figure 3 shows, on an enlarged scale, a detail of the railing of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a detail view of guardrail of Figure 3, in another position; Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating an intermediate phase of the establishment of such a railing, at a second floor level of a scaffolding; Figure 6 is a perspective view similar to Figure 5, illustrating a final phase of the establishment of the guardrail at the second floor level of the scaffolding; Figure 7 is a perspective view of a variant of the scaffold railing 5 according to the invention; Figure 8 shows an enlarged scale, a detail of the railing of Figure 7, in a phase of the establishment of this railing; Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8, illustrating a subsequent phase of the establishment of the same railing.

  Referring to Figure 1, and incidentally to Figures 5 and 6, it will first be described a tubular scaffold structure, adapted to receive a railing according to the invention, as shown in Figures 2 to 4.

  More particularly, FIG. 1 shows the base of a scaffolding, comprising two first opposing vertical frames 2 and 3, which rest on the ground by feet 4 and which are interconnected by horizontal tubes 5, as well as by a diagonal 6. In known manner, the uprights 7 of the vertical frames 2 and 3 comprise, at different levels, bushings 8 of vertical axis, allowing the assembly of components of the scaffolding, such as the horizontal tubes 5, to these frames. verticals 2 and 3.

  The vertical frames 2 and 3 considered receive a scaffold floor 9, located at a first level, which is assumed here already set up, from the ground. The floor 9 is equipped at its ends with hooks 10 for fixing it to the horizontal crosspieces 11 of the vertical frames 2 and 3. The scaffolding floor 9 may be provided with an access hatch 12, allowing access from the ground (or from a lower level) by a ladder 13.

  Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, and considering the continued assembly of the same scaffolding, the vertical frames 2 and 3 hitherto considered will be extended respectively upwards by two other vertical frames 14 and 15, between which may be mounted a scaffolding floor (not shown but identical to the previous one) located at a second level, and so on according to the height that one wishes to achieve.

  Note that, in the example illustrated, the current vertical frames, such as those 14 and 15, are "H" shaped frames, with two uprights 7 interconnected by a single horizontal cross member 11 located at half height 7. The floors are therefore, themselves, halfway up the vertical frames, such as 14 and 15.

  At each floor level, at least on the outer side of the scaffold if it is installed in front of a facade, a railing 16 must be set up, which will now be described with reference to Figures 2 and 4.

  The railing 16, whose length substantially corresponds to that of the floor 9, has an upper rail 17 and a sub-smooth 18, which connect two opposite end posts 19 and 20 so as to form a monobloc structure. The lower ends of the two uprights 19 and 20 may, in addition, be joined by a plinth 21.

  A first end upright 20 of the railing 16 has, at its top and at its base, respective fixing members 22 and 23, in the form of hooks or fixed fingers directed downwards, and located in the plane of the guardrail. 16, opposite the smooth 17 and 18. To its top, the second end post 19 railing 16 comprises a double fixed tab 24, which protrudes horizontally in the plane of the guardrail 16, opposite the smooth 17 and 18.

  At its base, the second end upright 19 of the railing 16 comprises, as shown in detail in FIGS. 3 and 4, an articulated fixing finger 25. The base of the second end upright 19 is equipped with a fixed yoke 26, whose two branches protrude horizontally in the plane of the railing 16, opposite the smooth 17 and 18. The fixing finger 25 is pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis 27, between the two branches of the yoke 26. Thus, this finger 25 can hang freely under the yoke 26, maintaining a vertical orientation even if the yoke 26 tilts (see in particular Figure 4).

  The second end upright 19 also comprises, at mid-height, a stop lug 28, which extends horizontally opposite the rails 17 and 18.

  Note that the double tab 24, as well as the yoke 26 have a flared entry, facilitating the mounting of the railing 16, which assembly will now be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6.

  More particularly, these figures illustrate the establishment of a guardcorps 16, as previously described, at a second floor level of the scaffold, after the two vertical frames 14 and 15 have been put in place in the extension of the first vertical frames 2 and 3.

  The establishment of the guardrail 16 is performed by a single operator posted on the floor 9 already in place at a first level, it being understood that this floor 9 is already protected by the guard rail 16 corresponding, previously set square.

  The operator grasps the new railing 16, places it in a vertical plane, and tilts it so that its pivoting attachment finger 25 is brought over a bushing 8 of the vertical frame 14, plus particularly a bushing 8 located at the crosspiece 11 of the vertical frame 14, - see Figure 5. Then, the operator engages the fastening finger 25 in the bushing 8, according to the arrow FI of Figure 5, by lowering the corresponding end of the railing 16 while straightening it horizontally along the arrow F2, the railing 16 is always maintained in a vertical plane, and pivoting in this plane.

  The fixing finger 25 is thus fully inserted into the socket 8.

  The rectification movement of the railing 16 continues, thanks to the articulation of the finger 25, the double leg 24 will finally engage on both sides of the amount 7 of the frame 14, below another bushing 8 of this frame 14. See Figure 6. The two fastening fingers 22 and 23, located at the other end of the railing 16, are then respectively above two bushes 8 of the other frame vertical 15, the railing 16 having been pivoted beyond its normal horizontal fixing position.

  Finally, the operator rotates the railing 16 downwards, as indicated by the arrow F3, again by taking advantage of the articulation of the finger 25, so as to engage the two fixing fingers 22 and 23 in the two Sockets 8 corresponding frame 25. The guardrail 16 is thus set up, the second floor level of the scaffolding.

  Once in place, the railing 16 is immobilized vertically, at its two ends, on the one hand by the fixed finger 23, located at one end, which is provided in a manner as per itself with a retaining lock on the corresponding socket 8 (lock feasible according to French patent 2781242 in the name of the Applicant), and secondly by the tab of the stop 28, located at the other end, which has taken place under a socket 8 of the vertical frame 14, thus constituting an anti-lifting device.

  After placing the railing 16, as described above, the floor of the second level can itself be brought and implemented (in a manner not shown) and the operator will access this new floor already being protected by the guardrail 16 which has just been put in place as described above.

  It goes without saying that the operations described above for the single span of scaffolding shown (this for the purposes of explanation), are carried out level by level regardless of the total number of spans of the scaffolding, which achieves a complete and continuous protection on each level, resulting from the succession of all the guardrails 16 set up.

  Starting from a complete level of scaffolding protected by the railings 16 put in place, the scaffolding can be raised, under the same conditions as described above.

  The railings 16, set up as described, have the character of permanent railings which not only provide protection during erection of the scaffold, but remain in place to provide protection for the duration the use of scaffolding.

  During the dismantling of the scaffolding, the withdrawal of each guardrail 16 is also performed from the floor level below that protected by the railing, in the manner opposite to that previously described for the establishment guardrail. In particular, the disassembly of the railing 16 begins with an action exerted on the latch of the fixing finger 23, to unlock the latch and thus, in a single gesture, quickly release the two fingers 22 and 23 of the respective sleeves 8, by a slight rotation of the railing 16 upwards, around the axis 27 of articulation of the finger 25. The operator can then rotate the railing 16 downwards, so that the double leg 24 emerges automatically from its engagement position on the upright 7 of the frame 14. Finally, the operator releases the hinged finger 25 of the corresponding sleeve 8 so that the guardrail 16 is fully released and can therefore be freely handled, for then stored or transported to another location or reused on site.

  FIGS. 7 to 9, on which the elements previously described are designated by the same references, show a variant of the railing 16, in which the hinged finger previously described is replaced by a fork 29, fixed to the base of the end post 19 railing, and pointing downwards, the fork 29 being shifted inwards relative to the plane of the railing 16. During the operation of setting up the guard rail 16, the fork 29 is engaged on the horizontal crosspiece 11 of the frame in the form of "H", according to the arrow FI (Figure 8) so as to form a pivot then allowing the rotation of the guardcorps 16 in the direction of its recovery, according to the arrow F2 (Figure 9). Of course, the assembly of this guard rail 16 with fork 29 is performed, as previously, by a single operator posted on the floor located at the level below that to be protected by said guardcorps.

  It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the embodiments of this scaffold railing which have been described above, by way of examples; it embraces, on the contrary, all variants of implementation and application respecting the same principle. Thus, in particular, that one would not move away from the spirit of the invention: by replacing the articulated finger 25, or the fork 29, by any equivalent device placed at the base of a zone d end of the railing, and allowing the rotation of the railing and its attachment to the structure of the scaffolding; realizing the railing with straight or oblique intermediate elements of the bar kind, connecting the upper rail 17 to the sub-rail 18, these elements completing the end posts 19 and 20 of the railing, or replacing them; by making this railing with a plinth 21 incorporated, or without skirting, in which case skirting is conventionally incorporated into the floors; applying the invention not only to scaffolds with "H" -shaped vertical frames, but also to scaffolds with closed vertical frames of generally rectangular shape, ie, two-post frames interconnected by a top rail and by a lower rail; using the guardrails objects of the invention not only on one side of a scaffold, but on both sides thereof, in cases where similar protection is desired or necessary on both sides; in this respect, it will be noted that the railing object of the invention, although asymmetrical (its ends being different from each other), is entirely contained in a plane and has "outside" and "inside" sides. undifferentiated authorizing any use, in one direction or the other.

Claims (11)

  1. Scaffolding guardrail with secure mounting, suitable for placement at the scaffold floor level to be protected from the lower floor level (9), the railing (16) comprising a top rail ( 17) and a sub-smooth (18) joined in a one-piece structure, in particular by end uprights (19, 20) and / or straight or oblique intermediate elements, and this railing (16) being provided at its opposite ends fastening means (22 to 25) to the vertical frames (14, 15) of the scaffold, characterized in that said fixing means comprise, in the lower region of one end of the railing (16), a device (25, 26, 27, 29) adapted to cooperate with an element (8, 11) of a vertical frame (14) and allowing the railing (16) to pivot about a substantially horizontal axis (27), therefore in a substantially vertical plane, during the operations of setting up the guardrail (16).   2. Scaffolding railing according to claim 1, characterized in that the device for pivoting the railing (16) about a substantially horizontal axis is constituted by a fastening finger (25) articulated around a substantially horizontal axis (27), at one end of the railing (16) towards the base thereof, the part of the hinged fixing finger (25) hanging under the pivot axis (27) being intended to be engaged in a socket (8) of a vertical frame (14) of the scaffold.   Scaffolding guardrail according to claim 2, characterized in that the articulated fixing finger (25) is pivotally mounted about a substantially horizontal axis (27) between the two branches of a fixed yoke ( 26) equipping the base with a terminal post (19) of the railing (16).   Scaffolding guardrail according to claim 3, characterized in that the two branches of the yoke (26) protrude horizontally in the plane of the guardrail (16), opposite the rails (17, 18). ).   5. scaffolding railing according to claim 1, characterized in that the device for pivoting the railing (16) about a substantially horizontal axis is constituted by a fork (29) attached to one end of the railing (16) towards the base thereof, said fork (29) being pivotally engageable on a horizontal crossbar (11) of a vertical frame (14) of the scaffold, in particular a shaped frame of "H".   Scaffolding guardrail according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises, at its end equipped with the pivoting device (25, 26, 27; 29) and above this device, a guide device (24) consisting of a double leg or a fork, designed to engage on either side of a vertical frame upright (7) (14) at the end of straightening of the railing (16) by pivoting (F2).   Scaffolding guardrail according to claim 6, characterized in that the guiding device (24) consisting of a double lug or a fork is located towards the apex of the relevant end of the guardrail (16). at a height such that, in the horizontal position of attachment of the railing (16), it takes place under a bushing (8) of a vertical frame (14) of the scaffolding.   Scaffold railing according to claim 7, characterized in that the double lug (24) projects horizontally in the plane of the railing (16), opposite the rails (17, 18).   9. scaffolding railing according to all of claims 4 and 8, characterized in that the double leg (24) as well as the yoke (26) have a flared entry.   10. scaffolding railing according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it comprises, at its end equipped with the pivoting device (25, 26, 27; 29) and at intermediate height, a an abutment lug (28) extending horizontally away from the rails (17, 18) and which is provided to seat under a bushing (8) of a vertical frame (14) of the scaffold.   Scaffolding railing according to one of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that at its base is provided a plinth (21) which connects the lower ends of its two end uprights (19). , 20).