GB2137275A

GB2137275A - Scaffolding guard

Info

Publication number: GB2137275A
Application number: GB08407136A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stanley Love
Original assignee: Hickman & Love
Current assignee: Hickman & Love
Priority date: 1983-03-30
Filing date: 1984-03-19
Publication date: 1984-10-03
Also published as: GB2137275B; GB8407136D0

Abstract

A scaffolding guard comprises a screen (11) and a plurality of members (12, 12') movably mounted on the screen (11), each of the members (12, 12') having a respective hook portion (13, 13') suitable for hooking the guard onto a scaffolding pole (18). Each member (12, 12') is longitudinally movable to vary the extent to which the hook portion (13, 13') thereof protrudes beyond the periphery of the screen (11). Each member (12, 12') is rotatable about a stem (14, 14') enmeshed in the screen (11) between a hooking position wherein the hook portion (13, 13') lies transverse to the screen (11), and an inoperative position which facilitates stacking together of a plurality of guards. Longitudinal movement of each member (12, 12') is capable of being limited by a limiting means (15, 15') of the respective member (12, 12'), and each limiting means (15, 15') has associated with it auxiliary retaining means (17, 17') for hindering unintentional rotation of the respective member (12, 12') away from its hooking position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A guard This invention relates to a guard primarily, but not exclusively, intended for use on scaffolding.

A conventional scaffolding guard comprises a generally rectangular screen afforded by longitudinal and transverse strands welded together in a generally rectangular configuration, hooks being welded to one side of the screen to enable the screen to be hooked over a scaffolding pole; in order to suspend the screen beneath the scaffolding pole so as to lie generally within the plane containing the longitudinal axis of the scaffolding pole.

Such conventional guards lack versatility, particularly in that problems are encountered in positioning the guards for use so as to maximise the protection afforded thereby, and in stacking the guards.

According to the invention, there is provided a guard suitable for use on scaffolding comprising a screen and a plurality of members having respective hook portions, the members being movably mounted on the screen.

At least some of the members may have auxiliary retaining portions connected to, but spaced from, respective hook portions thereof.

The members may protrude from the screen, and at least some of the members may be movable relative to the screen so as to adjust the extent to which respective hook portions thereof protrude from the screen.

Where for example the extent to which the members protrude beyond the periphery of the screen is adjustable, the screen may be positioned relative to the members so as to be capable of providing maximum safety.

At least some of the members may be movable relative to the screen between respective hooking positions which enable the guard to be hooked onto scaffolding via the hook portions, and respective inoperative positions in which the members do not cause damage to other guards when a plurality of the guards are being stacked together.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, each hook portion extends generally transversely to the screen when the respective member is in its hooking position, and lies generally co-planar with the screen when the respective member is in its inoperative position.

Preferably the hook portion of each member is rotatable between the hooking and inoperative positions, each member comprising a stem which extends generally in the plane of the screen and which defines an axis of rotation of the hook portion.

Preferably, the stem of each member is enmeshed in the screen.

Each member may comprise means for limiting longitudinal movement of the member relative to the screen.

Each member may be movable between a first attitude in which said longitudinal movement is limited by the limiting means and a second attitude in which said longitudinal movement is not limited.

Said first attitude may correspond to the hooking position, and said second attitude may correspond to the inoperative position.

Each such limiting means may be associated with one of said auxiliary retaining portions and said auxiliary retaining portion may be substantially co-planar with the hook portion of the respective member.

An example of a guard in accordance with the invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a plan view of the guard, depicting two methods of putting the invention into practice; and Figure 2 is a perspective view of portions of the guard of Fig. 1.

A guard 10 comprises a screen 11 and a plurality of members 12, 12' which are mounted for movement on the screen 11. The members 12, 12' provide means for anchoring or suspending the guard 10 for use on a member such as a pole 1 8 of a scaffolding structure. The screen 11 comprises a mesh of longitudinal and transverse strands. The screen 11 illustrated is generally planar in form, but it will be appreciated that a guard in accordance with the invention may comprise a screen which defines more than one plane or which is curved.

Each member 1.2 comprises a stem 1 4 from which a hook portion 1 3 extends. Each member 12' comprises a stem 14' from which a hook portion 1 3' extends. The stems 14, 14' lie in the plane of the screen 11, and each member 1 2 or 12' is mounted on the screen 11 so that the respective hook portion 1 3 or 13' is capable of protruding both transversely to, and beyond the periphery of, the screen 11.Each hook member 1 2 or 12' is rotatable about an axis defined by the respective stem 14, or 14' between a hooking position (shown in full lines in Fig. 2) in which the respective hook portion 1 3 or 13' protrudes generally transversely to the plane of the screen 11, and an inoperative position (shown in broken lines) in which the respective hook portion 1 3 or 13' lies generally co-planar with the screen 11.

In the illustrated example of guard, each stem 14 or 14' is enmeshed in the screen 11 and extends in a direction which is generally parallel to the longitudinal strands of the screen 11 and generally transverse to the transverse strands. The transverse strands of the screen 11 are shaped to define passages through which the stems extend.

Each member 1 2 comprises a means in the form of a flattened portion 1 5 of the stem 14 for limiting longitudinal movement of the member 12 relative to the screen 11. The flattened portion 1 5 is substantially co-planar with the hook portion 1 3. The member 1 2 can be moved between a first attitude and a second attitude. When in the first attitude, a region 1 6 of the flattened portion 15 engages a transverse strand of the screen 11 upon longitudinal movement of the member 12, to limit such longitudinal movement, and the hook portion 13 3 of the member 12 is in a hooking position.When the member 1 2 is in the second attitude, corresponding to said inoperative position, the flattened portion 1 5 lies generally co-planar with the screen 11 and can be moved past the transverse strands of the screen 11 so that the extent to which the hook portion 1 3 protrudes beyond the periphery of the screen 11 can be adjusted.

Upwardly extending auxiliary retaining portions 1 7 of the flattened portions 1 5 hinder unintentional rotation of the respective member 1 2 away from said first attitude.

Each member 12' comprises means in the form of a limb 15' of the stem 14' for limiting longitudinal movement of the member 12' relative to the screen 11. The member 12' can be moved between a first attitude and a second attitude. When in the first attitude, a region 16' of the limb 15' engages a transverse strand of the screen 11 upon longitudinal movement of the member 12', to limit such longitudinal movement, and the hook portion 13' of the member 12' is in a hooking position. When the member 12' is in the second attitude, corresponding to said inoperative position, the limb 15' lies generally coplanar with the screen 11 and can be moved past certain transverse strands of the screen 11 so that the degree to which the hook portion 13' protrudes from the screen can be adjusted.An auxiliary retaining portion 17' is provided on each limb 15' and is substantially co-planar with the respective hook portion 13'.

When the guard 10 is to be mounted on scaffolding, the members 12, 12' are rotated into respective hooking positions in which the hook portions 13, 13' extend transversely to the plane of the screen 11 so that the hook portions 13, 13' can be hooked over, for example, the pole 1 8 of the scaffolding structure.

In order to hinder unintentional rotation of a member 12' away from said first attitude, the auxiliary retaining portion 17' of the member 12' is caused to overlie a further part 1 9 (for example a wooden plank) of the scaffolding structure. Additionally, pivotal movement of the entire guard 10 about the pole 1 8 may be prevented by such overlying by the auxiliary retaining portion 17', thereby improving safety, especially when the guard 10 is mounted on an outwardly facing portion of the scaffolding structure.

When the guard 10 is not required for use, the members 12, 12' are rotated so as to occupy inoperative positions. The guard 10 can then for example be stacked on a pile of other guards without the hook portions 13, 13' or the limiting means 15, 15' of the members 1 2, 1 2' damaging or interfering with other guards on the pile.

Although the guard 10 illustrated employs both the members 1 2 and the members 12', the members 1 2 and the members 12' respectively embody two methods of putting the invention into practice, and if desired only the members 1 2 need be used or only the members 12' need be used, or alternatively any combination of numbers of the members 1 2 and 12' may be used.

The guard may alternatively be suspended from two or more scaffolding poles which extend generally transversely to the plane of the screen, for example by employing annular links to link the poles to respective hook portions of respective hook members of the guard.

The feature disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, or a class or group of substances or compositions, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

1. A guard suitable for use on scaffolding comprising a screen and a plurality of members having respective hook portions, the members being movably mounted on the screen.

2. A guard according to Claim 1 wherein at least some of the members have auxiliary retaining portions connected to, but spaced from, respective hook portions thereof.

3. A guard according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the members protrude from the screen and at least some of the members are movable relative to the screen so as to adjust the extent to which respective hook portions thereof protrude from the screen.

4. A guard according to Claim 3 wherein the extent to which the members protrude beyond the periphery of the screen is adjustable.

5. A guard according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein at least some of the members are movable relative to the screen between respective hooking positions which enables the guard to be hooked onto scaffolding via the hook portions, and respective inoperative positions.

6. A guard according to Claim 5 wherein each hook portion extends generally transversely to the screen when the respective member is in its hooking position, and lies generally co-planar with the screen when the respective member is in its inoperative position.

7. A guard according to Claim 6 wherein the hook portion of each member is rotatable between the hooking--and inoperative positions, each member comprising a stem which extends generally in the plane of the screen and which defines an axis of rotation of the hook portion.

8. A guard according to Claim 7 wherein each stem is enmeshed in the screen.

9. A guard according to Claim 3 or Claim 4 or according to any one of Claims 5 to 8 where appendant to Claim 3 or Claim 4 wherein each member comprises means for limiting longitudinal movement of the member relative to the screen.

10. A guard according to Claim 9 wherein each member is movable between a first attitude in which said longitudinal movement is limited by the limiting means and a second attitude in which said longitudinal movement is not limited.

11. A guard according to Claim 10 where eventually appendant to Claim 5 wherein said first attitude corresponds to said hooking position, and said second attitude corresponds to said inoperative position.

12. A guard according to Claim 10 or Claim 11 where eventually appendant to Claim 2 wherein each such limiting means is associated with one of said auxiliary retaining portions, said auxiliary retaining portion being substantially co-planar with the hook portion of the respective member.

1 3. A guard substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 4. Any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed herein and/or shown in the accompanying drawings.