GB2404582A

GB2404582A - Protective shield for a gripper rod

Info

Publication number: GB2404582A
Application number: GB0416182A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Gererd Loynd
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-07-26
Filing date: 2004-07-20
Publication date: 2005-02-09
Anticipated expiration: 2024-07-20
Also published as: GB0317567D0; GB0416182D0; GB2404582B

Abstract

A protective shield for a gripper rod adapted to provide a protective barrier whilst a carpet is lifted. The shield comprises an elongate member which has a cross section such that it may be laid over and cover the gripper rod. The elongate member further comprises recesses 7 to accommodate intersecting gripper rods, end connecters to allow a plurality of members to be connected together and a flange 22 which may be held by a user.

Description

DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to a protective shield and in particular to a shield for a gripper rod. Gripper rods, comprising strips of wood having a plurality of spikes extending upwardly therefrom, are secured around the periphery of a room for the purpose of securing a fitted carpet in place. When a room is being redecorated, it is preferable for the carpet to be removed from the gripper rods and folded back to allow access to the likes of skirting boards fixed to the walls at floor level, down to floor level, or at least a level below the surface level of the carpet. This allows the skirting boards to be prepared for painting and/or staining or otherwise and for application of the paint or other surface finish after preparation. However, the presence of the gripper rod presents a safety hazard to a workman, as any operation requiring hand movement along the skirting parallel to the floor is likely to cause injury to the workman by snagging on the spikes of the gripper rods.The nature of the spikes is such that the use of protective gloves is rarely satisfactory. The only solution is to remove the gripper rods. This is time consuming and inevitably costly as they are difficult to remove without damage, frequently rendering them unsuitable for re-use and necessitating costly replacement. Painting shields are known comprising a simple planar element with handle, but their shape and configuration is not readily suited to providing the required protection. If used they would shield too much of the skirting, because the free edge of the shield is displaced upwardly by contact with the gripper rod. The present invention aims to provide a solution that avoids the above disadvantages. Accordingly, the present invention provides a protective shield for a gripper rod comprising an elongate member having a cross-section which is adapted, in use, to fit over a gripper rod. One embodiment has a channel shaped section. More particularly the elongate member has first and second side edges that are spaced apart and a bridging section therebetween which raises up from one edge and down to the other edge relative to the position of use. One of said edges is preferably a ground contacting edge. Preferably both edges are ground contacting edges. There may be one or more intermediate legs that are configured as ground contacting legs. In one form, the elongate body is semi-circular in cross-section. It is advantageous if the body is curved or otherwise inclined toward one side edge when in its position of use so as to expose the maximum amount of skirting board. The body may be continually curved between the two side edges or comprise a plurality of interconnected flanks disposed at angles to one another. The elongate body has a width that is at least great enough to bridge the gripper rod. It may carry an extension to form an entrapment flange that in use is leaned on or knelt on by the workman to retain it in position. In order the facilitate positioning of the guard in situations where gripper rods join at angles to one another - usually at right angles at the comer of a room, projecting walls or hearths or other locations such as the comers of alcoves, it is preferable that the ground contacting side edges thereof and/or any intennediate legs thereof are relieved upwardly for a prescribed distance from the end position so as to bridge over any such junctions of gripper rods. More preferably, the side edges comprise a series of troughs and ridges. The present invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings; in which:- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of gripper rod shield in accordance with the invention, Figures 2 to 6 illustrate a selection of alternative cross-sectional configurations, Figure 7 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of protective shield provided with end connection means, Figure 8 is an enlarged perspective view of a male end, and Figure 9 is an enlarged perspective view of a female end. Referring firstly to figure 1, a gripper rod shield according to the present invention comprises an elongate body 1 having a semi-circular configuration. It has opposite side edges 3, 5 that are provided with a series of troughs 7 and ridges/ground contacting legs 9. The body is conveniently 1m in length, and the troughs are conveniently 50mm in length and disposed every 50mm along the length thereof or otherwise as necessarily adjusted to provide a recess at the opposite ends of the body. The depth of the recesses is sufficient to clear the height of a typical gripper rod. The body is conveniently formed of plastics, but any other suitable material may be used. Figure 2 illustrates an alternative cross-section which is an inverted rectangular channel with side legs 3', 5' and a bridge section 6' that , in use, spans the gripper rod shown at X. Again the legs are relieved to form the troughs and ridges of the first embodiment. Figure 3 illustrates an alternative embody which has a bridge portion 16 for spanning the gripper rod X, and which extends to one side of an intermediate ground engaging leg 18 - in a cantilever fashion. Its end 20 may extend toward the ground surface, but may not actually contact it. A flange 22 depends from the leg 18 to form a contact pad for kneeling or leaning on. It may have a greater extent than that illustrated. It may depend from the bottom of the leg, rather than the top, in which case it may be substantially planar.Figure 4 describes yet another embodiment in which the body has a generally planar bridging portion 24 extending from a first upright ground engaging leg 26 and tenninating in an inclined ground engaging limb 28. Again the edges have troughs and ridges. Figure 5 describes a yet further embodiment in which the body is formed by two sloping flanks 31,33 interconnected along a ridge 35 and defining a space thereunder to bridge the gripper rod shown at 39. The ridge may be rounded. The edges 37 of the flanks are shaped to be parallel to the floor surface. Again the edges 37 are cut away to form troughs and ridges as previously described, Figure 6 shows yet another alternative where the elongate body has an entrapment flange 22' that may extend a sufficient distance to be held by a workman. It is disposed to one side of the gripper rod - shown at X.It has a ground engaging leg 18 to the same side of the gripper rod X. The elongate member has an extension 16' that projects over the gripper rod X. Referring now to Figures 7, 8 and 9, a modified embodiment of protective shield is illustrated. It is essentially the same as the embodiment described with reference to Figure 1 and like reference numerals have been used to denote corresponding parts and in that respect the previous description applies. The modification concerns the provision of means for attaching two or more of the elongate body members together in end to end relationship. To that end one end of the elongate body it has a first tongue 71 projecting from the end thereof. The end 73 thereof has a reduced depth the purpose of which will be described hereinafter. It is conveniently tapered. Said end also has two shorter tongues 75, 77 to either side of the first tongue 71, also with chamfered ends 75', 77' and set radially inwardly of the end surface 79 of the elongate body and also of the first tongue. The other end of the elongate body has a recess 81 formed in its periphery which is dimensioned to receive a tongue 71 of another protective shield. An opening 83 is formed between an inset end wall 85 of the elongate body and the base wall 81' of the recess 81. The opening 83 receives the reduced depth end 73 of the tongue 71. The base wall 81' also has a recess 87 positioned to receive a lug 89 on the underside of the tongue 71 when pushed home - to serve as a detent. The two shorter tongues 79, 77 are received on the inside of the end wall 85'. It will be apparent how the aforedescribed configuration enables the two protective shields to be slid together axially and secured releasably with respect to one another. The features of the various embodiments may be combined or used individually to produce any advantageous combination of the above features.

Claims

1. A protective shield for a carpet gripper rod, the shield comprising an elongate member having a cross-section which is adapted, in use, to fit over the gripper rod.

2. A protective shield as claimed in claim 1 in which the cross-section is an inverted channel shape.

3. A protective shield as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which the elongate member has first and second side edges that are spaced apart and a bridging section therebetween which raises up from one edge.

4. A protective shield as claimed in claim 3 in which the bridging section extends down to the other side edge.

5. A protective shield as claimed in claim 3 or 4 in which at least one of said edges is a ground contacting edge.

6. A protective shield as claimed in claim 3 or 4 in which both the first and second side edges are ground contacting edges.

7. A protective shield as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6 in which there may be one or more intermediate legs between the first and second side edges that are configured as ground engaging legs.

8. A protective shield as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the elongate body has a semicircular cross-section.

9. A protective shield as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 in which the elongate body is curved or otherwise inclined downwardly to one edge.

10. A protective shield as claimed in claim 9 in which the body is continuously curved.

11. A protective shield as claimed in claim 9 in which the body has a series of interconnected parts disposed at angles to one another.

12. A protective shield as claimed in claim 9, 10 or 11 in which said one edge is a ground engaging edge.

13. A protective shield as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the body carries an extension to one side of a ground engaging edge.

14. A protective shield as claimed in claim 13 in which the extension serves, in use, to bridge the gripper rod.

15. A protective shield as claimed in claim 13 in which the extension serves as an entrapment flange.

16. A protective shield as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which ground contacting side edges thereof are relieved upwardly for a prescribed distance.

17. A protective shield as claimed in claim 16 in which the relieving extends from at least one end of the shield for a prescribed distance.

18. A protective shield as claimed in claim 16 or 17 in which the relieving comprises a series of recesses disposed at spaced positions along the length of the shield.

19. A protective shield as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and further comprising connecting means for securing two protective shields together in end to end relationship.

20. A protective shield as claimed in claim 19 in which the connecting means comprises at least one tongue projecting from one end of the elongate body and a mating recess in the other end of the elongate body for at least one said tongue of another protective shield.

21. A protective shield as claimed in claim 20 in which there are three tongues spaced apart circumferentially and wherein at least two are spaced apart radially to receive therebetween an end flange part of an opposite end of another protective shield.

22. A protective shield as claimed in claim 20 or 21 in which projection and recess means is provided to provide locking engagement between the tongue and a recess therefor.

23. A protective shield as claimed in claim 20, 21 or 22 in which an end of the at least one tongue is received in an opening facing towards the end of the elongate body.

24. A protective shield as claimed in claim 20, 21, 22 or 23 in which two tongues are located radially inwardly of said at least one tongue.

25. A protective shield constructed and arranged substantially as herein before described with reference to and as illustrated in any one of the accompanying drawings.