GB2354034A

GB2354034A - Scaffolding guard

Info

Publication number: GB2354034A
Application number: GB9917197A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Wayne Hodgetts
Original assignee: ROSEDALE Manufacturing Ltd
Current assignee: ROSEDALE Manufacturing Ltd
Priority date: 1999-07-23
Filing date: 1999-07-23
Publication date: 2001-03-14
Anticipated expiration: 2019-07-23
Also published as: GB9917197D0; GB2354034B

Abstract

A scaffolding guard (10) includes a generally rectangular mesh screen consisting of wires (12, 14) defining substantially rectangular openings (16). The scaffolding guard (10) includes at least one hook (18) from which the mesh screen may be hung, the hook (18) is so shaped and sized (28, 24) that it cannot penetrate and engage the openings (16) in the screen.

Description

2354034 Scaffolding Guard The invention relates to a guard for use in

scaffolding.

Scaffolding alongside a building or similar structure conventionally provides support for boards forming a walkway and for a safety rail above the boards, at about waist height. A further board is generally set on edge along the outer edge of the walkway, to provide a vertical kickboard, and a scaffolding guard may be hung from the safety rail to cover the gap between the safety rail and the kick-board. Conventional scaffolding guards comprise a generally planar mesh screen provided with a number of small wire hooks welded to the mesh. The hooks enable the guard to be hung from a scaffolding pole such that it lies in a generally vertical plane. Such scaffolding guards can prove difficult to stack because the hooks may penetrate and snag the mesh screen of an adjacent guard.

U.K. Patent GB2137275 discloses a scaffolding guard wherein the hooks are movably mounted on the screen for pivotal movement between operating and inoperative positions. In the inoperative position the hooks lie generally in the plane of the screen, allowing a number of screens to be stacked on top of one another.

According to the invention there is provided a guard for use in scaffolding, the guard including a screen member having a plurality of openings therein; and at least one hook from which the screen member may be hung; wherein the hook is so shaped and sized that it could not penetrate and engage the openings in the screen member.

Preferably the hook is mounted on the screen member. The hook may be rigidly attached to the screen member.

Preferably the hook includes a protruding portion which extends out of the general plane of the screen member. Preferably this portion is shaped such 2 that it is unable to penetrate and engage the openings in the screen member. Preferably the protruding portion has a width in a dimension parallel to the general plane of the screen member which is greater than the width of the openings in the screen member.

Preferably the hook includes a loop of elongate material, having no exposed ends. The protruding portion of the hook is preferably formed from the loop of material. The loop may include two side elements which may lie in a plane which is angled to the general plane of the screen member. The side elements may lie at an angle of between 20' and 60' to the general plane of the screen member. Alternatively each side element may be approximately semicircular in shape. A lateral element preferably connects the side elements. The lateral element may lie substantially parallel to the general plane of the screen member.

Preferably the screen member includes a mesh of elongate members defining the openings therebetween.

Preferably the loop of elongate material connects two elongate hook members which form part of the mesh. Preferably the two elongate hook members are spaced at least as far apart as the width of the openings in the mesh. Preferably the elongate hook members represent two elongate members of the mesh, and preferably there is at least one further elongate member located between the two elongate hook members.

Preferably the hook extends beyond an outer edge of the mesh. Preferably in use the hook extends above an upper edge of the mesh. The elongate hook members may extend upwardly in use beyond an upper edge of the mesh, and be connected together by the loop of elongate material thus forming the hook.

Preferably the elongate members form a mesh defining a plurality of substantially similar sized openings, which may be rectangular. Preferably the 3 mesh is generally rectangular, including longitudinal and transverse elongate members. Preferably the longitudinal members are substantially vertical in use and the transverse members are substantially horizontal in use. Preferably the elongate hook members represent longitudinal members of the mesh.

Preferably the longitudinal members are located approximately 100mm apart. Preferably the transverse members are located approximately 100mm apart.

Preferably the elongate hook members are between 3mm and 10mm in diameter, and preferably about 6mm in diameter.

The other longitudinal and transverse members may be between Imm and 8mm in diameter, and preferably about 4mm in diameter.

The mesh is preferably generally planar. However, the mesh may be curved. Where the "general plane of mesh" is referred to, this is intended to include the general profile of a curved mesh.

Preferably the overall size of the mesh is between 0.2m and 1.5m in the longitudinal direction and 0.5m to 3m in the transverse direction. The preferred size is about 0.8m in the longitudinal direction and about 1.3m in the transverse direction.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. I is a diagrammatic perspective view of a scaffolding guard according to the invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail in side view of a hook portion of the scaffolding guard of Fig. 1; 4 Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic end view of the hook portion of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a side view of an alternative scaffolding guard according to the invention; and Fig. 5 is an end view of the scaffolding guard of Fig. 4.

Referring to Figs. I to 3 of the drawings, a scaffolding guard 10 includes a generally planar rectangular mesh screen consisting of elongate longitudinal wires 12 and elongate transverse wires 14. The wires 12 and 14 are preferably of steel and are about 2mm to 4mm in diameter. 2.5mm steel or 10 gauge steel of 3.2mm diameter is suitable. The wires 12 and 14 are arranged to form a grid, defining openings 16 of about 50mm square.

The longitudinal wires 12 lie generally in a first plane and the transverse wires 14 lie generally in an adjacent plane, as can be seen in Fig. 3. The longitudinal 12 and transverse 14 wires are attached to one another, for example by welding, where they cross over one another, thus giving the mesh screen structural stability.

The size of the guard 10 is about 0.8m in the longitudinal direction and 1.3m in the transverse direction.

In use, the scaffolding guard 10 is suspended from a scaffolding structure such that the longitudinal wires 12 hang generally vertically and the transverse wires 14 extend generally horizontally.

The guard 10 is provided with two hook members 18, for suspending the guard 10 from a pole 20 of the scaffolding structure. Each hook member 18 is formed from a single elongate wire which is approximately 4mm to 5mm in diameter. The hook member 18 includes two leg portions 22 which are connected by a loop of material forming a hook portion 24. The leg portions 22 of each hook member take the place of two of the longitudinal wires 12 of the mesh screen. The leg portions 22 are spaced approximately 100mm apart and take the place of two longitudinal wires which would be adjacent but one to each other.

The leg portions 22 of each hook member 16 extend upwardly in use about 100mm beyond the uppermost transverse wire 14A of the mesh and beyond the top of the longitudinal wires 12. The hook portion 24 is angled downwards in use and lies in a plane which is at about 30' to the general plane of the mesh screen. The hook portion consists of elongate side elements 26 which are about 100mm long and an elongate lateral element 28 which is also about 100mm long and which extends between the side elements, substantially parallel to the transverse wires 14.

In use the hook portion 24 is able to hook over a scaffolding pole 30 as shown in Fig. 3. This holds the guard 10 in place, suspended in a substantially vertical plane.

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate an alternative embodiment of the invention in which the hook portion 24 has a rather different shape. Corresponding reference numerals are used for corresponding features. In this embodiment, the elongate side elements 26 are replaced with semicircular side elements 32 which enable the hook portion 24 to hook over a scaffolding pole.

The guards 10 may be easily stacked in a pile with similar guards, the hook portions 24 nesting together. Because the side elements 26 and 32 and the lateral elements 28 of the hook portions 24 are longer than the width of the openings 16 between adjacent wires 12 or 14 in the mesh, the hook portions 22 cannot penetrate and become caught in these openings. In addition, the hook members 18 consist of a single wire having no exposed ends which could catch in the mesh. Further, the leg portions 22 of the hook members 18 form an integral part of the mesh, requiring no additional components to be welded or otherwise attached to the mesh.

6 Various modifications may be made to the above described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. The guard 10 illustrated lies in a flat plane. However, the guard could be curved for example. The leg portions 22 of the hook members 18 need not be parallel and need not replace longitudinal elements of the mesh. The leg portions 22 also may be further apart or nearer together than in the illustrated embodiment. More than two hook members may be provided and the hook portions need not be provided at the top of the mesh. Various alternative materials may be used to make the mesh, or the hook members.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

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Claims

1. A guard for use in scaffolding, the guard including a screen member having a plurality of openings therein; and at least one hook from which the screen member may be hung; wherein the hook is so shaped and sized that it could not penetrate and engage the openings in the screen member.

2. A guard according to claim 1, wherein the hook is mounted on the screen member.

3. A guard according to claim 2 wherein the hook is rigidly attached to the screen member.

4. A guard according to any preceding claim, wherein the hook includes a protruding portion which extends out of the general plane of the screen member.

5. A guard according to claim 4, wherein the portion is shaped such that it is unable to penetrate and engage the openings in the screen member.

6. A guard according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the protruding portion has a width in a dimension parallel to the general plane of the screen member which is greater than the width of the openings in the screen member.

7. A guard according to any of claims 4 to 6, wherein the hook includes a loop of elongate material, having no exposed ends.

8. A guard according to claim 7, wherein the protruding portion of the hook is formed from the loop of material.

9. A guard according to claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the loop includes two side elements which lie in a plane which is angled to the general plane of the screen member.

10. A guard according to claim 9, wherein the side elements lie at an angle of between 201 and 601 to the general plane of the screen member.

11. A guard according to claim 9, wherein each side element is approximately semicircular in shape.

12. A guard according to any of claims 9 to 11, wherein a lateral element connects the side elements.

13. A guard according to claim 12, wherein the lateral element lies substantially parallel to the general plane of the screen member.

14. A guard according to any preceeding claim, wherein the screen member includes a mesh of elongate members defining the openings therebetween.

15. A guard according to any of claims 8 to 14 when apended to claim 7, wherein the loop of elongate material connects two elongate hook members which form part of the mesh.

16. A guard according to claim 15, wherein the two elongate hook members are spaced at least as far apart as the width of the openings in the mesh.

17. A guard according to claim 15 or claim 16, wherein the elongate hook members represent two elongate members of the mesh.

18. A guard according to any of claims 15 to 17, wherein there is at least one further elongate member located between the two elongate hook members.

19. A guard according to any of claims 14 to 18, wherein the hook extends beyond an outer edge of the mesh.

20. A guard according to any of claims 14 to 19, wherein in use the hook extends above an upper edge of the mesh.

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21. A guard according to any of claims 15 to 20, wherein the elongate hook members extend upwardly in use beyond an -upper edge of the mesh and are connected together by the loop of elongate material thus forming the hook.

22. A guard according to any of claims 14 to 21, wherein the elongate members form a mesh defining a plurality of substantially similar sized openings.

23. A guard according to claim 22, wherein said openings are rectangular, and the mesh is generally rectangular, including longitudinal and transverse elongate members.

24. A guard according to claim 23, wherein the elongate hook members represent longitudinal members of the mesh.

25. A guard substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.

26. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter disclosed herein, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.