GB2078842A

GB2078842A - Improvements in or relating to safety rails

Info

Publication number: GB2078842A
Application number: GB8120399A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1980-07-02
Filing date: 1981-07-01
Publication date: 1982-01-13
Also published as: GB2078842B

Abstract

A generally "T"-shaped, multi- section safety rail 10 for use by workers on a tower 15, has laterally-extending side flanges 11 which, in use, carry a mobile unit or runner (not shown) secured to the worker by a safety belt. The stern of the "T"-shaped rail 10 defines an internal channel slot 22 with side wall parts or lips 12 which embrace the "U"-shaped ends 16,16a of attachment brackets 13 and 13a. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to safety rails This invention relates to safety rails, and is concerned with safety rails for fall prevention systems.

According to the invention, a safety rail is constructed so as to embrace an end of a cooperating support bracket.

The rail may define an internal channel slot for receiving said end of the support bracket.

The rail may be generally "T"-shaped in lateral cross section, said channel slot being in the stem of the "T".

The invention also comprises, in combination, said safety rail and a plurality of cooperable support brackets.

The rail may comprise a plurality of rail sections and cooperable brackets, said one end of each rail section being secured to a lower part of the respective top bracket, so that the upper part of said respective top bracket can receive the lower end of an adjacent rail section.

An end stop may be fixed to the lowermost bracket.

The brackets may be flanged for embracing two sides of a structure.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one rail in association with a wood upright, Figure2 is a horizontal section of Figure 1 on an enlarged scale showing the rail and a bracket, Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 of a rail in association with an angle upright of metal, Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 of a rail in association with a metal ladder, Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2 of a rail in association with a tubular mast of metal, Figure 6 is a perspective view of a rail and column, Figure 7 shows a section of one form of bracket arrangement, Figure 8 is a side view of Figure 7, Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 7 of another arrangement, and Figure 10 is a side view of Figure 9.

In the Figures, like reference numerals refer to like components.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a generally "T"shaped, multi-section safety rail 10, for example of aluminium, has laterally-extending side flanges 11.

The flanges 11 in use, carry a mobile unit referred to later. The stern of the "T"-shaped rail 10 defines an internal channel slot 22 with sidewall parts or lips 12 which embrace the "U"-shaped ends 16, 16a of attachment brackets 13 and 13a. The brackets 13, 13a are, at least initially, a relative free sliding fit in the channel slot 22 and are received thereby. The brackets 13, 13a are sized so as to be clamped or bolted at 14to an uprighttowerstructure or ladder 15 of rectangular cross-section whereby the rail 10 is supported.

The brackets 13, 13a are generally flat but are angled at 17 and 17a adjacent the corner of the upright 15. The "U"-shaped ends 16, 16a are shown diagramatically in Figure 1. The lips 12 have shoulders 12a engageable with ends 16, 16a of brackets 13, 13a so as to resist movement of the rail transverse to the direction of relative sliding movement between the rail and the bracket with which it cooperates.

The rail 10 is conveniently installed in sections of about 3 metres in length, so that on a 30 metre tower, there will be ten sections with nine joints. The joints in the rail, which allow for differential movement but which present no significant interruptions, are effected by using a double width bracket 13a.

The lower half of a bracket 13a is welded at 19 to the upper end of a rail section 1 0a. The protruding upper half of the bracket 13a is used as a plug to be socketted into the lower end of the channel slot 22 of the rail section above (not shown). When installed, each three metre section of rail is therefore suspended from its own top bracket. The bottom of the lowermost rail section 10b is supported by a double width bracket 13a, the upper half of which extends upwardly so as to form a plug which is slidably received by slot 22 of the rail section 1 Ob. The lower half of the bracket 13a has a short, downwardly extending section 10c of rail welded on at 26 so as to form an end stop.

To secure a section of rail 10 to the structure 15, one or more intermediate brackets 13 are slidably inserted into the slot 22 and attached, where access permits, to the tower structure 15 at approximately one metre intervals starting from the bottom. Of each pair of contiguous, upper and lower rail sections, each upper section of the pair, with a bracket 13a welded thereto (at its upper end), is then secured to tower 15, with the lower end of the rail section fitted over the bracket 13a below. The intermediate bracket(s) are then secured to the tower 15.

Step or foot-support bolts 28 are secured to the upright 15 as required, so as to extend laterally therefrom.

If during installation, a rail section top bracket 13a fouls an obstruction so that it cannot be fixed to the tower 15 where required, the rail section is shortened at the bottom thereof so as to secure the upper bracket 13a at a more convenient point.

When installed, each rail section is rigidly attached to the tower 15 by bracket 13a at top and bottom ends of the section so as to accept vertical loads, with intermediate brackets 13 serving as guides in order to maintain rail alignment.

In use, the rail 10 serves as a personal safety rail for workers at height. A mobile unit or runner, for example as disclosed by British Patent Specification No.1,218,432, is engaged by the flanges 11 of rail 10 and is connected by a releasable coupling to a safety harness or belt worn by the worker. The mobile unit can freely ascend the rail during normal climbing conditions, being pulled upwardly by the user through the coupling. To descend, the mobile unit should be kept below the safety belt or harness of the user in order to prevent the unit jamming on the rail. Should the user slip, causing the mobile unit to be subject to a downward load, the mobile unit will grip the rail whereby the user is prevented from falling.

There are a wide variety of existing wooden or metal upright structures having legs with bracing on the legs at different pitches. Those structures provided with ladders are not uniform in rung pitch. The rail mounting has to cope with these variations.

The novel rail and its support brackets with their sliding relationship, enables the brackets to be installed to suit a particular structure. Attachment bolts between the rail and brackets which would sometimes necessitate site drilling are not employed, or are necessary. The form of bracket also enables one length of rail section to be joined to another.

Other rail constructions are possible.

Figure 3 shows the rail 10 associated with a steel tower 30 of "L"-shaped (lateral) cross-section. The bracket 13 includes an intermediate flange 31 enabling the bracket 13 to embrace the outer corner of the tower 30. The part 20 of the bracket 13 shown shaded is coated with "NYLON" in order to avoid corrosion set up by the dissimilar metals. The brackets 13 are attached to the tower 30 by combined fixing/step nut and bolt assemblies 32.

Figure 4 shows the rail 10 attached to a stile 33 of a steel or wood ladder, a rung of which is shown at 34.

The fixing bolt 14a passes through both the bracket 13 and the stile 33 and is secured by nut 35. One of a pair of laterally-extending intermediate flanges 36 formed on the bracket 13 enables the bracket to closely embrace two adjacent sides of the stile 33.

Figure 5 shows the rail 10 in association with a tubular steel lattice mast 37 having integral steps 38.

The mast 37 is firmly embraced by two opposed collars 39 secured together by bolts 40 and nuts 41 which also hold the bracket 13 in place. One of a pair of laterally-extending intermediate flanges 42 on the bracket 13 enables the bracket closely to embrace two adjacent sides of a collar 39.

In the arrangement illustrated by Figure 6, a plurality of step brackets 43 are provided on a column 37. Upper bracket 113a is welded at 44to a section of rail 10 and is bolted to a bracket 43. Lower bracket 113a is welded at 45 to a shortened rail section 25 and is bolted to a bracket 43. Intermediate brackets 11 3a are welded to brackets 43 but not to a rail section.

In Figures 7 and 8, a pair of cooperating collars 55 are held together by nut and bolt assemblies 46 to form a step bracket 43 which is deformed with an extension 50 to accept the bolts of the nut and bolt assemblies 14a. Ajoin between two adjacent rail sections, to allow for differential expansion and contraction, is shown at 110 (Figure 8), the top of one section being welded at 49 to the bracket 13.

In Figures 9 and 10 angle member 48 is welded directly (at 47) to the column 37 with a threaded feature which receives a nut and bolt assembly 14.

The bracket 13a is coated with "NYLON" in the shaded region 20a.

The invention is superior to arrangements wherein a rail section is rigidly bolted in place so as to form a continuous track.

It will be noted that the above-described raits are constructed so as to allow relative sliding movement between a rail section and a cooperating support or mounting bracket when the rails are fitted. Gaps between adjacent rail sections allow for differential expansion and contraction. Any tendency for a rail, section to flex about an intermediate support bracket causes jamming between the section and the bracket.

Claims

1. A safety rail constructed so as to embrace an end of a cooperating support bracket.

2. A safety rail as claimed in Claim 1, defining an internal channel slot for receiving said end of the support bracket.

3. A safety rail as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the channel slot has a pair of shoulders engageable with said end of the support bracket.

4. A safety rail as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, which is generally "T"-shaped in lateral crosssection, said channel slot being in the stem of the "T".

5. The combination of a safety rail and a plurality of cooperable support brackets disposed one above the other, said rail being shaped so as to embrace end portions of the support brackets, one end of said rail being fixed to an upper one of said brackets.

6. The combination claimed in Claim 5, in which said rail has a channel slot for receiving said end of a support bracket.

7. The combination claimed in Claim 6, in which said channel slot has a pair of shouiders engageable with said ends of the brackets.

8. The combination claimed in any of Claims 5 to 7, in which said rail is generally "T"-shaped in lateral cross-section, providing lateral flanges.

9. The combination claimed in any of Claims 5 to 8, comprising a plurality of said rail sections and cooperable brackets, said one end of each rail section being fixed to a lower part of an upper bracket, the upper part of said upper top bracket receiving the other end of an adjacent rail section.

10. The combination claimed in Claim 9, in which an end stop is fixed to a lower bracket.

11. The combination claimed in any one of Claims 5 to 10, in which the brackets are flanged for embracing two sides of a structure.

12. The combination of a safety rail and a plurality of support brackets substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

13. The combination of a safety rail and a plurality of support brackets substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 3 of the accom-panying drawings.

14. The combination of a safety rail and a plurality of support brackets substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

15. The combination of a safety rail and a plurality of support brackets substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.

16. The combination of a safety rail and a plurality of support brackets substantially as herein before described with reference to Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.

17. The combination of a safety rail and a plurality of support brackets substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.

18. The combination of a safety rail and a plurality of support brackets substantially as herein before described with reference to Figures 9 and 10 of the accompanying drawings.

19. The combination claimed in any one of Claims 5 to 18, wherein said brackets are secured to an upright structure with said rail also disposed upright.