GB2317040A

GB2317040A - Scaffolding pole warning indicator

Info

Publication number: GB2317040A
Application number: GB9618906A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Monaghan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-09-10
Filing date: 1996-09-10
Publication date: 1998-03-11
Also published as: GB9618906D0

Abstract

A scaffolding pole warning indicator is disclosed and comprises a cylindrical tube (2) split along its length and made from a resilient plastics material. The tube (2) may be expanded by opening the slit to allow the tube to be fitted to a scaffolding pole (9). The tube (2) is brightly coloured to contrast the scaffolding pole (9) to provide a visual warning indicator for pedestrians who may not have otherwise seen the obstruction. In an alternative form, the split may be formed helically along the length of the tube. In a further form, the tube may be replaced by a flexible plastics sheet which may be wrapped around the pole and held in place by a suitable fastener.

Description

SCAFFOLDING POLE WARNING INDICATOR The present invention relates to a scaffolding pole warning indicator and more specifically to a visual indicator for attaching to scaffolding poles on a building site or extending across or into a path or pavement to warn pedestrians or builders of their presence.

When a new building is constructed, or the outside of an existing building is cleaned or painted, it is common for scaffolding to be erected to enable workmen to safely reach the parts of the outside of the building that require attention. Conventionally, heavy steel poles are used which are clamped together to form a rigid supporting structure on which wooden planks are laid to provide a platform for the workmen on the exterior of the building. A problem with scaffolding so erected is that the poles supporting the scaffold near to the ground often partially block or extend into the pavement or other public right of way surrounding the building. This presents a danger to pedestrians who may inadvertently walk into a scaffolding pole and injure themselves.

In order to overcome the aforementioned problem it is common for groups of scaffolding poles erected close to the ground to be enclosed in sheets of plywood or chipboard which are usually painted a bright colour to enable the obstruction to be clearly seen. However, this solution is time consuming for the builders who erect the scaffolding and is also impractical when the scaffold is only required for a short period. An alternative solution is to wrap brightly coloured plastic tape around each scaffolding pole and stretch it between them.

However, this 'Barrier Tape', as it is more commonly called, breaks very easily and falls off the scaffolding which can increase the danger to pedestrians who may trip over the tape lying on the ground. A further problem is that it is thrown away after it is used once, thus increasing costs when regular use of the tape is required.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially alleviate the aforementioned problems by providing an easy to use and reusable scaffolding pole warning indicator.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a scaffolding pole warning indicator comprising a tube made from a resilient material, the tube being split along its length and expandable in a radial direction to open the split and allow the tube to be fitted around a scaffolding pole.

In one embodiment, the split is formed helically along the length of the tube. This enables the tube to be wrapped around the scaffolding pole to grip it firmly.

In the preferred embodiment, the tube has an internal diameter which is less than or equal to an external diameter of the pole. This allows the tube to be clamped around the pole to retain it in any position along its length.

Preferably, the colour of the tube is selected to contrast the colour of the scaffolding pole. This ensures that the indicator is eye catching to clearly indicate to pedestrians the presence of the scaffolding pole.

Preferably, the tube is coated with a reflective or fluorescent material to enable it to be clearly seen, even in dark or very low light conditions.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 shows a perspective view of the scaffolding pole hazard warning indicator, and FIGURE 2 shows the scaffolding pole hazard warning indicator of Figure 1 being fitted to a scaffolding pole.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown generally at 1 in Figure 1 a scaffolding pole warning indicator according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprising a thin walled cylindrical tube 2 which is split along its length from the upper to the lower end 3,4 of the tube 2 to form a small gap 5 in the wall between the flat edges 6,7 of the tube on either side of the split. The reason for the split will be explained in more detail hereafter.

The tube 2 is made from a resiliently deformable and hard wearing plastics material such as PVC and is made by extruding heated and softened plastic through a mandrel.

The outer surface 8 of the tube 2 is painted a bright colour or combination of colours to make it as visible as possible. The tube 2 may instead be made from a brightly coloured plastics material or be coated in a fluorescent or reflective coating.

The tube 2 is about 12cm long and has an internal diameter which is less than or equal to the outer diameter of a standard scaffolding pole 9 so that the tube 2 grips the pole when fitted around it. It will be appreciated that these dimensions are given by way of example only and that the tube 2 may be made in various different lengths and diameters in order to be usable with scaffolding poles 9 of varying dimensions.

Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown a tube 2 being fitted to a scaffolding pole 9. The tube 2 is expanded by pulling it open along the length of the split. This is achieved by the user inserting the fingers of each hand in the gap 5 and pulling the edges 6,7 away from each other in the direction indicated by the arrows A in Figure 2 to resiliently deform the tube 2 into a 'horseshoe' shape when viewed from one end 3,4. The tube 2 is then passed over the scaffolding pole 9 by pushing the opened gap 5 over it in the direction of the arrow B in Figure 2. When the tube 2 is pushed all the way onto the pole 9, the edges 6,7 are released and the expanded tube 2 springs back to its original shape as shown in Figure 1, thereby clamping the scaffolding pole 9 within it. As the tube 2 has a diameter which is less than or equal to the diameter of the scaffolding pole 9, it is retained in position thereon but can be slid over the pole 9 to place it in an alternative position when required. It will be appreciated that a particular advantage of the preferred embodiment is that it is not necessary to slide the tube 2 on from one end of the scaffolding pole 9 before the scaffolding has been erected and can be fitted after this job has been completed.

Although the tube 2 in figure 2 is shown being fitted around a section of scaffolding pole 9, it can also be fitted around the exposed end of a pole 9 so that only part of the tube 2 is on the pole 9. In this case, if a person inadvertently walks into the pole 9 or otherwise impacts it, the tube 2 will slide further onto the pole 9 thereby preventing bodily injury or harm.

In another embodiment, the scaffolding pole warning indicator may comprise a flexible plastics sheet which may be wrapped around the scaffolding pole and held in place with any type of reusable fastener such as Velcro&commat;, snap fastener or plastic tape. The flexible plastic sheets may be provided on a roll, each sheet being separated from its adjacent sheet by a frangible section to enable each sheet to be easily removed from the roll for use. One edge of the roll may be provided with an adhesive strip for joining it to its opposite edge when wrapped around the scaffolding pole.

Claims

1. A scaffolding pole warning indicator comprising a tube made from a resilient material, the tube being split along its length and expandable in a radial direction to open the split and allow the tube to be fitted around a scaffolding pole.

2. A scaffolding pole warning indicator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the split is formed helically along the length of the tube.

3. A scaffolding pole warning indicator as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the split tube has an internal diameter which is less than or equal to an external diameter of the pole.

3. A scaffolding pole warning indicator as claimed in claim any preceding claim, wherein the tube is coloured to contrast the colour of the scaffolding pole.

4. A scaffolding pole warning indicator as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the tube is coated in a fluorescent or reflective material.

5. A scaffolding pole warning indicator substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to or as shown in the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A scaffolding pole warning indicator comprising a tube made from a resilient material, the tube being split along its length and expandable in a radial direction to open the split and allow the tube to be fitted so as to directly grip a scaffolding pole.

4. A scaffolding pole warning indicator as claimed in claim any preceding claim, wherein the tube is coloured to contrast the colour of the scaffolding pole.

5. A scaffolding pole warning indicator as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the tube is coated in a fluorescent or reflective material.

6. A scaffolding pole warning indicator substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to or as shown in the accompanying drawings.