GB2322657A - Barriers - Google Patents

Abstract

A barrier element (10) has uprights (18,20) at the sides bearing complementary engagement tubes which provide spigots(52) and sockets(50) so that elements(120) can be pivotably joined together. The engagement tubes(50) at one side are offset, so that joined elements(10) can pivot until one lies flat over the other. The uprights(18,20) may also carry short tubes(54,56,58,60) engageable by the plastic clips conventionally used for joining barrier elements. The inner sides of the uprights(18,20) may have opposed pairs of sockets (28,30,32,34) in which sign boards (36,68) are mountable. Spaced elements(10) may be connected by extension boards(80) having complementary engagement tubes(86) provided at each end, preferably pivotably.

Description

Barriers The present invention relates to improvements in barriers, such as those used to shield manholes, small construction sites, trenches and other hazards. It is primarily concerned with an improvement to the method of linking metal frames commonly used to form such barriers.

In a second aspect it concerns extension sections and their coupling to such frames.

In a third aspect the invention relates to the provision of display faces of barriers.

A known form of barrier has a metal frame defined by an inverted U-shaped metal tube, which provides uprights at the two edges and a horizontal top section. The uprights are generally braced by one or more crosspieces, typically welded-on lengths of tube. They are also generally bridged by bands of flexible material (e.g. PVC) which provide warning display faces. Such barriers are linkable together by means of S-shaped plastics clips, which are clipped onto the adjacent uprights of two barriers. Typically two such clips are used for each connection. The connection allows the barriers to hinge. However such assemblies tend to be rather rickety.

The invention in its first aspect eliminates the need for clips by providing barrier elements (which may be substantially of the known type) with integral means of linkage. Thus there is provided a barrier element having complementary coupling means at opposite side edges so that like barrier elements can be joined together edge to edge. Typically a first complementary coupling means comprises one or more vertically extending spigot elements, and a second complementary coupling means comprises means defining one or more vertically extending sockets, the coupling means being disposed so that two barrier elements can be hingedly engaged by insertion of the spigot element(s) at one side of one barrier element into the socket(s) at one side of the other. (Of course it is also possible to provide barrier elements having only one type of coupling means, capable of coupling to elements having the complementary type, though this is not generally preferred).

A barrier element having uprights at its edges (e.g.

as in the prior art discussed above) may be provided with complementary coupling means by the attachment of two short additional pieces of tubing ("joining tubes").

These are of different diameters and are attached on opposite uprights, preferably at about half the height of the element. The frame elements can thus be linked by inserting the narrower joining tube of one frame into the wider joining tube of another frame. This means of linkage produces an assembly which may be constructed more quickly and which is less prone to buckling than one employing plastic clips. Additional disadvantages of the clips are that they are easily misplaced, are less robust than metal tubing and may be difficult to position with cold fingers or whilst wearing gloves.

It is possible to make the barrier elements compatible with the prior art system employing S-shaped clips. This may be done by attaching further pieces of tubing ("compatibility tubes") to provide unimpeded sites of attachment for plastic clips, thereby allowing new frames to be attached to known frames. The tubing pieces may be adapted to serve also as spigot and/or socket elements.

In a second aspect the invention provides an extension section, which may be fitted between two barrier elements according to the first aspect of the invention. A preferred embodiment comprises a length of barrier board, to each end of which is attached a spigot or socket element, which may be a short piece of tubing.

Thus one end of the extension section can be engaged with a barrier element by coupling its spigot or socket element with one of said complementary coupling means or compatibility tubes. Preferably, the spigot or socket element is pivotably mounted to the board, allowing the extension to link two barriers positioned on different levels.

The optional use of extension sections allows more adaptability in the use of barrier elements, for example in conveniently shielding hazards larger than manholes.

Furthermore barrier elements and extension sections, being flat, may be packed more efficiently than bulky plastic bollards, so their use may save space during the transport and storage of barriers.

In a third aspect the invention provides a barrier element which preferably also embodies the first aspect, and which has uprights at the side edges. The two uprights have one or more pairs of opposed socket elements, so that a display board is mountable with end regions in the socket elements. The element may include one or more such display boards mounted in the socket elements. Preferably the display boards are substantially rigid but sufficiently flexible to permit mounting and demounting.

Such boards may be made from a plastic-shelled extruded plastic foam, desirably of approximately lOmm thickness. This material may also be used for the extension section. Similar boards are known as roofing or fascia boards, though the material is not commonly available with a thickness of lOmm (the 20mm thickness being more usually sold) and it has not been used for the purpose of making barrier boards.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a barrier element according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a view (on A of Fig. 1) of the top of the frame; Fig. 3 is a plan view of an end region of an extension section barrier board embodying the invention; and Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the barrier element of Fig. 1 showing the connection of extension sections as shown in Fig. 3.

Figs. 1 and 2 show a barrier element 10. This has an inverted U-shaped frame 12 formed by bending steel tubing (suitably 20mm diameter) through two 900 bends 14, 16 so that the straight sections form two upright longer sides 18, 20 (i.e. "legs") and one shorter side 22 (i.e.

"top") of a roughly rectangular frame, the other short side being open. The rectangle may be 730mm by 1000mm.

Two further lengths of tubing 24, 26 are welded to the legs, parallel with the top. Also welded to the legs, two to each leg, are four metal brackets 28, 30, 32, 34, into which are fitted two parallel lengths of barrier board 36, 38 in the plane of the frame.

The frame bears six additional short pieces of steel tubing: two "joining tubes" 50,52 and four "compatibility tubes" 54,56,58,60. A preferred length is 50 to 150mm.

Each tube is welded to a small metal spacer 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, each spacer itself welded to the frame. The centre lines of the tubes all run parallel with those of the legs.

The four compatibility tubes 54-60 are of 20mm steel tubing and are attached in the plane of the frame, outside the area enclosed by the frame. One tube is positioned near each end of each leg.

One joining tube 50,52 is attached near the middle of each leg. They are of different diameters. The narrower one, the spigot tube 52, is of 15mm steel tubing and is attached in the plane of the frame, outside the area enclosed by the frame. The spacer 66 is positioned at the top end of the spigot tube 52.

The wider joining tube, or socket tube, 50 is of 20mm tubing and is attached by a spacer 72 projecting out of the plane of the frame. The spacer 72 is positioned at the lower end of the socket tube 50.

The joining tubes are positioned so that the spigot tube 52 of one barrier element 10 can be inserted into the wider (socket) tube 50 of another frame. The frames can then be pivoted so that the assembly may stand up on substantially level ground, supported at the open end of each frame by the legs. The fact that one of them (in this example the socket tube 50) is offset from the plane of the barrier element makes it possible to pivot two elements until they lie flat, one on top of the other.

This is convenient for storage and transport.

Fig. 3 shows an extension section. This is a length (e.g. 1000 to 3000mm) of barrier board 80 whose top edge region is embraced by a mild steel channel 82 (see Fig.

4). The channel enhances strength and stiffness. Near each end of the top edge, a hole runs through the channel and board, perpendicular to the board. A bolt 84 runs through each hole and through a hole near to one end of, and perpendicular to the centre line of, a short piece of 15mm tubing 86 (an "attachment tube"). A stiffnut 88 suitably adjusted on each bolt attaches the respective attachment tube to the board, so that the attachment tube may swing freely in a plane parallel with the plane of the board.

As shown in Fig. 4, the attachment tubes 86 of two extension section may be inserted into the compatibility tubes 54,60 of a barrier element 10, allowing two such elements 10 to be linked by one extension section or preferably two parallel extension sections. Because each attachment tube may rotate independently, frames so linked may be positioned at different levels.

Claims (12)

1. A barrier element having complementary coupling means at opposite side edges so that like barrier elements can be joined together edge to edge, wherein a first complementary coupling means comprises one or more vertically extending spigot elements, and a second complementary coupling means comprises means defining one or more vertically extending sockets, the coupling means being disposed so that two barrier elements can be hingedly engaged by insertion of the spigot element(s) at one side of one barrier element into the socket(s) at one side of the other.

2. A pair of barrier elements adapted to be joined together edge to edge, the first barrier element having at one side edge a first complementary coupling means comprising one or more vertically extending spigot elements, and the second barrier element having at one side edge a second complementary coupling means comprising means defining one or more vertically extending sockets, the coupling means being disposed so that the pair of barrier elements can be hingedly engaged by insertion of the spigot element(s) at one side edge of one barrier element into the socket(s) at one side edge of the other.

3. A barrier element according to claim 1 or a pair according to claim 2 wherein the or each barrier element is substantially planar and one of said first and second complementary coupling means is offset from the plane of its barrier so that two barrier elements whose complementary coupling elements are hingedly engaged can pivot so that they lie flat with one on top of the other.

4. A barrier element or pair according to any preceding claim comprising a barrier element to which are attached pieces of tubing arranged to provide unimpeded sites of attachment for plastic clips, for connecting barrier elements together.

5. A barrier element or pair according to any preceding claim comprising a barrier which has uprights at the side edges, wherein the two uprights have one or more pairs of opposed socket elements, so that a display board is mountable in the barrier with end regions in the socket elements.

6. A barrier element or pair according to claim 5 including one or more such display boards mounted in the socket elements.

7. A barrier element or pair according to claim 6 wherein the display boards are substantially rigid but sufficiently flexible to permit mounting or dismounting.

8. A barrier assembly comprising a pair of barrier elements' according to any preceding claim and an extension section having at each end a coupling means engageable with a complementary coupling means of a respective one of the barrier elements.

9. A barrier assembly according to claim 8 wherein the extension section has at each end a spigot or socket element which is pivotably mounted to it, allowing it to link two barrier elements positioned on different levels.

10. An extension section for use in an assembly according to claim 8 or claim 9, being an elongate element having a coupling means at each end.

11. A barrier element substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

12. A barrier assembly comprising a pair of barrier elements and an extension section and being substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.