GB2322400A

GB2322400A - Safety and support structure

Info

Publication number: GB2322400A
Application number: GB9726299A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul John Darrington
Original assignee: GRACELAND HIRE Ltd
Current assignee: GRACELAND HIRE Ltd
Priority date: 1997-02-20
Filing date: 1997-12-12
Publication date: 1998-08-26
Anticipated expiration: 2017-12-12
Also published as: GB9703575D0; GB2322400B; GB9726299D0

Abstract

A structure designed to support a worker whilst walking thereon comprises a plurality of legs (2) supporting at least one substantially rigid planar panel (1). The panel is so apertured (5) and of sufficiently resiliently deformable material as to also provide a degree of impact absorption to a body falling thereon. The panel (1) may be made of plastic, and may overlap so as to fill a void in a building completely.

Description

SUPPORT STRUCTURE The present invention relates to a support structure. More particularly, but not exclusively, it relates to a support structure which is intended to be placed in an internal void at such a height below a working surface that any person working on that surface and who should chance to fall will have their fall arrested without undue damage to them. The structure should also be able to support the weight of a rescuer or of the possibly injured person walking to safety.

It is known to provide scaffolding around the outside of buildings as they are being erected.

However, until each floor is put in place, there is a void above the next lower floor which may be of the order of 2.5 metres or more. In order to provide a reasonable degree of safety it is advisable that the furthest distance a person should be allowed to fall is no more than 900cm and accordingly the present support structure should be maintained at that distance below a working surface.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a support structure which can be maintained at a safe height below a working surface and which can be readily assembled and disassembled as the working surface progresses upwardly.

According to the present invention there is provided a support structure comprising a plurality of support leg means, at least one substantially rigid planar panel supported by said leg means at a plurality of locations of the structure, each location being spaced one from another, said panel being so apertured and of sufficiently resiliently deformable material as to render it able to absorb some of the impact stress of a body falling thereupon, while being sufficiently rigid as to allow at least one person to walk upon the structure.

Preferably, a support structure panel may be combined with others to fill a void.

The support structure panels may be overlapped so as to fill the void completely.

The support legs may be attached to each support structure panel, or each may be attached to a corner of each panel so as to support two or four such panels.

In the latter case, there may be provided an extending arm, attachable to the leg and adapted to transfer to the leg any weight placed on the support structure panel at a median portion thereof.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a support structure panel, in this case having four support legs; Figure 2 shows in more detail a part of the support panel; Figure 3A shows in cross-section a locating plate and pins at an upper part of a leg; Figure 3B shows a plan view of the locating plate of Figure 3A; Figure 4 shows in plan view. corners of four panels and a supporting locating plate; and Figure 5 shows in cross section the supported junction area shown in Figure 4.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in Figure 1 an element of a support structure which comprises a rectangular panel 1 formed of upstanding plastics strips crossing as a grid to define apertures 5. The grid of the panel 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 has dimensions 1200cm by 1000cm. Although not shown, there are preferably 20 spaces in its major dimension and 25 spaces in its minor dimension. The size is, however, unimportant provided that the structure is sufficiently strong, and is light enough to be moveable when not in use.

The grid formed by such orthogonally intersecting members having a depth of 3 to 5 mm may be moulded from a plastics material such as polypropylene or ABS. It is strong enough to support the weight of an average person, but is resilient to help cushion the impact of such an average person falling thereupon from a height of less than 1 m.

Each support structure panel 1, as described above, may be held above a surface at a convenient height by legs 2 which are described in more detail below. In order to cover a void area, a plurality of said panels 1 are combined together. Where the void area is not an exact multiple of the size of the support surfaces, they may be so overlapped as to fill it. The walls of the void provide lateral support to prevent the support structure from sideways movement.

Each panel 1 is supported, as shown in Figure 1, by four legs 2 which are of either fixed or adjustable height. Each leg 2 is a tube having a rubber or plastics foot 8 to spread the weight applied. The tube connects into a locating plate 3 at its upper end. On an upper, in use, surface of the locating plate 3 there are provided four upstanding pins 4 each adapted to be accommodated within an aperture 5 of the panel 1. Each locating plate 3 has four holes 6 each adapted to receive a tie 7 to hold a panel to the plate 3.

In Figures 4 and 5 , there is shown a system in which the support legs 2 are engagable at a corner of the panel 1. By using each leg 2 to support the corners of four panels 1, the number of support legs 2 needed to support an overall structure covering a void can be reduced. One of the four pins 4 co-operates with an aperture 5 in each panel 1.

Claims

1. A support structure comprising a plurality of support leg means, at least one substantially rigid planar panel supported by said leg means at a plurality of locations of the structure, each location being spaced one from another, said panel being so apertured and of sufficiently resiliently deformable material as to render it able to absorb some of the impact stress of a body falling thereupon, while being sufficiently rigid as to allow at least one person to walk upon the structure.

2. A support structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein each panel comprises an open grid of intersecting strips of plastics material.

3. A support structure as claimed in either Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein a plurality of panels are combined substantially to fill a void.

4. A support structure as claimed in Claim 3, where said plurality of panels are overlapped so as to fill the void completely.

5. A support structure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each support leg means is attached to a respective support structure panel.

6. A support structure as claimed in Claim 5 wherein each panel is supported by four leg means.

7. A support structure as claimed in Claim 6, wherein each leg means is located at a corner of each panel so as to support two or four such panels.

8. A support structure as claimed in Claim 7, where an extending arm is attachable to the leg means and is adapted to distribute any weight placed on the support structure panel at a median portion thereof.

9. A support structure substantially as described herein with reference to the Figures of the accompanying drawings.