GB2205871A - Method of supporting elements such as safety barriers on a building - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of supporting an element on a building comprises the stop of securing one or more tensioned members around at least two walls of the building. Preferably, the tensioned member or members 3 are secured around all of the wall of the building, i.e. it or they encircle the building completely. Preferably, the building is fitted with corner plates 2 at each corner to protect the structure of the building and then the member or members to be tensioned are fitted over the corner plates. <IMAGE>

Description

METHOD OF SUPPORTING ELEMENTS ON A BUILDING.

The present invention relates to a method of supporting elements on a building.

Safety regulations state that anybody working on a roof or other flat surface more than six foot above ground level must be provided with a safety barrier to prevent him from accidentally falling off the building.

The conventional method of providing this safety barrier is to put up scaffolding around the building with the top horizontal member of the scaffolding forming the safety barrier. Constructing such scaffolding is very time consuming and expensive, especially where the roof is several floors above ground level.

Similarly, where platforms are needed above ground level for working on buildings, it is conventional practice to put up scaffolding to support the platform.

According to the present invention there is provided a method of supporting an element on a building comprising the step of securing one or more tensioned members around at least ' two walls of the building.

Preferably, the tensioned member or members are secured around all of the walls of the building, i.e.

it or they encircle the building completely.

Preferably, the building is fitted with corner plates at each corner to protect the structure of the building and then the member or members to be tensioned are fitted over the corner plates. A vertical post may be fitted to each corner plate and around the vertical post, above roof level, may be fitted guard rails or safety barriers which preferably take the form of a cable or other member under tension.

Further, a working platform may be suspended from the corner plate or other member secured to the building by means of the tensioned member or members.

For the purposes of this application, a round chimney is considered to have more than one wall so that the invention does cover tension members encircling the chimney.

Where a building cannot easily be encircled by a tensioned member, for example where the building is an extension built against the wall of an existing house, the tension members must be secured adjacent the corners of the building abutting the wall of the house before the tension can be applied. Preferably, this securing is achieved by means of suction pads which adhere to the wall of the building and provide for anchor points for the tensioned member or members.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below, by example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein; Fig. 1 shows an elevation of a building around which tensioned members have been fitted to secure an element of the building; Fig. 2 is a detail showing a corner plate for use in the method of the invention; Fig. 3 shows a preferred form of the invention; and Fig. 4 shows a structural element comprising suction pads for providing anchor points for the tension members.

Fig. 1 shows one wall 1 of a building. At the top of each corner of the building are provided corner plates 2, illustrated in more detail in Fig. 2.

Around the building, over the top of the corner plates, are fitted to tension cables 3. The cables pass through spring loaded eyelets 4 on the corner plates.

On each corner plate are mounted brackets 5, 5', in which are fitted vertical guard rail support posts 6. Above the level of the roof line, safety guard rails or barriers 7 are formed by means of tensioned cables passing through spring loaded eyelets 8 on the guard rail support posts 6.

As more clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, each corner plate 2 includes load distributing plates 9 for spreading the load onto the walls of the building.

This avoids the corners of the building being damaged when the cables are tensioned.

As shown in Fig. 3, a doorway 10 may be provided in the cables, which doorway can be accessed by a ladder 11. The verticals of the doorframe are attached between ends of the cables encircling the guard rail support posts and the verticals are connected together at the top and bottom.

As shown in Fig. 4, a building element 12 comprising at least two suction pads 13 may be used to provide anchor points for the cables when they cannot encircle the entire building. Each pad is as described in Patent No. 5290325 and is supplied by Woods Power Grip Company Inc. Montana 59201, U.S.A.

Each pad is modified by the addition of a soft rubber layer for adhesion to the rough surfaces of buildings.

Further, the place on the building where the pad is to be secured is prepared by applying a penetrative coating. This coating may be a mixture of a rubber solution and a conventional weather sealing prepration.

The building element illustrated in Fig 4 comprises six pads 13 each hingedly mounted, by means of an arm 14, on a central shaft 15. Further, each pad may swivel on its arm by means of a universal ball joint. Thus, the building element can be secured at corners of buildings or on non-uniformly surfaced buildings. This building element can be considered as an invention in its own right, as well as forming a preferable aspect of the method of the invention using the tensioned cables.

To use the method of the invention, each corner plate is located at a corner of the building by means of the horizontal locking plate 16 illustrated in Fig.

2. The lugs 17 shown on the top of the corner plate 2 are inserted into the slots in the horizontal locking plate 16 and folded over to secure the corner plate in place. Next the cables 3 are lowered over the edge of the building and secured loosely around the building.

They are then tightened by means of a rachet mechanism.

Next, the vertical posts 6 are inserted in brackets 5,5' on the corner members 2 and lastly the safety barrier cables 7 are fitted around the vertical posts and again tensioned with a rachet mechanism.

Using a similar set of corner plates and cables, the method of the invention can equally well be used to provided for platforms against the side of a building.

In the case of a round chimney, corner plates as illustrated in Fig. 2 will obviously not be used; instead a number of curved plates will be fitted around the edge of the chimney.

When the required work on the roof or chimney has been completed, the entire assembly is dismantled leaving the building as it was found.

In summary, the invention provides for a very simple, cheap and safe method of providing for barriers above ground level.

Claims (7)

CLAIMS:

1. A method of supporting an element on a building comprising the step of securing one or more tensioned members around at least two walls of the building.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the or each tensioned member encircles the building.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, including the step of temporarily fitting corner plates to the building, before the members are tensioned, to prevent damage to the building.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the corner plates are fitted with uprights which in turn support a sefety barrier around the top of the building.

5. A method according to any preceding claim wherein the tensioned member or members support a platform.

6. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein a unit comprising a number of specially adapted suction pads is used to provide an anchor point for the or each tensioned member.

7. A method of supporting an element on a building substantially as herein described.