GB2367088A - Safety barriers - Google Patents

Abstract

A safety barrier comprises a gate (1) in the form of a C-shaped frame (2) joined by a connecting rod (3). The gate is mounted within a hinge (4) which enables the gate to pivot about an axis oriented at an acute angle to the vertical. The hinge portion is connected to two horizontal arms (5,6) which terminate in standard scaffolding clamps (7) for mounting to a vertical scaffold pole. The upper arm (5) is longer than the lower arm (6) to provide the required orientation of the pivot axis. The gate can pivot between open and closed positions, and the orientation of the hinge portion gives the gate a bias towards the closed position, by virtue of its weight, unless opened by a worker. The lower end of the hinge is provided with a concave surface for mating with the gate when closed.

Description

SAFETY BARRIERS

The present invention relates to safety barriers for use in scaffolding constructions.

A problem with scaffolding constructions relates to their safety in use. When workers climb scaffolding, there is a need to walk on to working platforms located at various levels by means of ladders, arranged either outside of or within the main scaffolding construction.

In either arrangement, there may be an unrestricted access from the top of the ladder to the adjacent platform. Alternatively, workers may be required to climb beneath a handrail to gain access to the platform, which is inconvenient. In addition, in either of these cases, this gives rise to the risk of a worker falling from the platform.

It would be possible to overcome this problem by providing a barrier, such as a rope or a chain, at the top of the ladder which could be temporarily removed manually by a worker wishing to gain access to the platform and then replaced by the worker. However, such an arrangement would be inconvenient in use, especially since workers in such an environment are commonly carrying building equipment necessitating the use of both hands.

It would therefore be desirable to provide a safety barrier for use in a scaffolding construction which permits ready access to a platform at the top of a ladder and which closes automatically.

It would further be desirable to provide such a safety barrier which is arranged so as to prevent a worker, after having passed the barrier, from accidentally falling back through the barrier.

Thus, in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a safety barrier for use in a scaffold construction, the barrier comprising means for attachment to a scaffold pole, a gate and a hinge defining an axis about which the gate can pivot between open and closed positions.

Such an arrangement permits easy access for workers to working platforms without requiring the workers the move a barrier manually. The gate is preferably biased into its closed position, since this will cause the gate, once opened by a worker, to close automatically.

This removes the need to workers to close the gate after climbing on to a working platform.

The means for attachment preferably comprises means for attachment to a substantially vertical scaffold pole, and the pivot axis is preferably inclined at an acute angle to the vertical when attached to a said scaffold pole, the arrangement being such that the centre of mass of the gate is at its lowest point when the gate is closed, thereby biasing the gate into its closed position.

Such an arrangement provides a convenient means of causing the gate to close automatically without requiring addition means, such as a spring. However, as an alternative, it would be possible to incorporate a spring in the safety barrier, which would provide a suitable bias without requiring the pivot axis to be inclined to the vertical.

The hinge is preferably connected to the means for attachment by means of two substantially horizontal arms mounted vertically one above the other, when so connected to a vertical scaffold pole. This provides a convenient means of ensuring the correct angular orientation of the hinge.

The gate preferably comprises a projection from the side remote from the hinge, thereby to abut a further scaffold pole when the gate is closed so as to prevent the gate from opening backwards. When mounted to a vertical scaffold pole, this projection would be oriented substantially horizontally.

The safety barrier preferably further comprises means, acting substantially only when the gate is in its closed position, for retaining the gate in its closed position in the absence of a manually exerted force to open the gate.

The retaining means preferably comprises a cradling arrangement between the gate and the hinge, which may be provided by one end of the hinge being formed with a profiled surface which mates with a corresponding profiled surface of the gate when in its closed position.

Preferably, the profiled surface of the one end of the hinge is generally concave and the profiled surface of the gate is convex.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of mounting a gate to a scaffold construction, wherein the gate is arranged to pivot about an axis between open and closed positions.

The method preferably also comprises the step of biasing the gate in its closed position.

Such biasing can be provided by arranging the pivot axis at an acute angle to the vertical, the arrangement being such that the centre of mass of the gate is at its lowest point when the gate is closed. Alternatively, a spring could be provided to provide the bias.

The gate is preferably mounted such that it is possible to be opened in only one sense of rotation from its closed position.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure I illustrates a safety barrier in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention in its closed position; and Figure 2 illustrates the safety barrier shown in Figure 1, but in its open position.

A safety barrier comprises a gate 1 in the form of a C-shaped tubular metal frame 2 joined by a connecting rod 3. The upper limb of the C-shaped frame 2 (as viewed in the drawings and also when in use) is shorter than the lower limb, such that the connecting rod 3 is at an acute angle to the vertical portion of the frame 2. The gate 1 is mounted to a tubular

metallic hinge portion 4 which enables the gate 1 to pivot about an axis which is oriented at an acute angle to the vertical.

The hinge portion 4 is connected to two horizontal connecting arms 5,6 which terminate in standard scaffolding clamps 7 for mounting to a vertical scaffolding pole (not shown). The upper connecting arm 5 is longer than the lower connecting arm 6, to provide the desired orientation of the hinge portion 4, and hence the pivot axis, to the vertical.

The arrangement thus permits the gate 1 to pivot between open and closed positions, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 respectively, and the orientation of the pivoting axis at an acute angle to the vertical causes the gate 1 to remain in its closed position under its own weight, unless moved into its open position by a worker.

A metal bar 8 is connected, e. g. by welding, to the mid-points of the frame 2 and the connecting rod 3 and extends beyond the frame 2 to form a projection 9. The projection 9 serves to abut a further scaffolding pole (not shown) to prevent the gate 1 from being pivoted in both rotational senses away from its closed position and thus provides a major safety feature of preventing a worker from accidentally falling back through the gate 1.

The lower end of the hinge portion 4 is provided with a concave upper surface which mates with the tubular profile of the gate 1 to provide a cradling arrangement which additionally serves to retain the gate 1 in its closed position, and thereby prevents the gate from swinging to and fro when the gate closes automatically after having been opened.

Claims (17)

CLAIMS :

1. A safety barrier use in a scaffold construction, the barrier comprising means for attachment to a scaffold pole, a gate and a hinge defining an axis about which the gate can pivot between open and closed positions.

2. A safety barrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gate is biased into its closed position.

3. A safety barrier as claimed in claim 2, wherein the means for attachment comprises means for attachment to a substantially vertical scaffold pole, and wherein the pivot axis is inclined at an acute angle to the vertical when attached to a said scaffold pole, the arrangement being such that the centre of mass of the gate is at its lowest point when the gate is closed, thereby biasing the gate into its closed position.

4. A safety barrier as claimed in claim 3, wherein the hinge is connected to the means for attachment by means of two substantially horizontal arms mounted vertically one above the other, when so connected to a vertical scaffold pole.

5. A safety barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the gate comprises a projection from side remote from the hinge, thereby to abut a further scaffold pole when the gate is closed so as to prevent the gate from opening backwards.

6. A safety barrier as claimed in claim 2, wherein the gate is so biased into its closed position by means of a spring.

7. A safety barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising means, acting substantially only when the gate is in its closed position, for retaining the gate in its closed position in the absence of a manually exerted force to open the gate.

8. A safety barrier as claimed in claim 7, wherein the retaining means comprises a cradling arrangement between the gate and the hinge.

9. A safety barrier as claimed in claim 8, wherein the cradling arrangement is provided by one end of the hinge being formed with a profiled surface which mates with a corresponding profiled surface of the gate when in its closed position.

10. A safety barrier as claimed in claim 9, wherein the profiled surface of the one end of the hinge is generally concave and the profiled surface of the gate is convex.

11. A method of mounting a gate to a scaffold construction, wherein the gate is arranged to pivot about an axis between open and closed positions.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising the step of biasing the gate into its closed position.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein axis is arranged at an acute angle to the vertical, the arrangement being such that the centre of mass of the gate is at its lowest point when the gate is closed, thereby to bias the gate into its closed position.

14. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the gate is so biased into its closed position by means of a spring.

15. A method as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the gate is mounted such that it is possible to be opened in only one sense of rotation from its closed position.

16. A safety barrier for use in a scaffold construction substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

17. A method of mounting a gate to a scaffold construction substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.