GB2430226A

GB2430226A - Safety gate

Info

Publication number: GB2430226A
Application number: GB0616273A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Geoffrey Kent
Original assignee: Billington Structures Ltd
Current assignee: Billington Structures Ltd
Priority date: 2005-09-15
Filing date: 2006-08-16
Publication date: 2007-03-21
Also published as: GB0616273D0

Abstract

A gate 1 for location at an edge 2 of an elevated floor 3 of a multi story building, comprising a pair of spaced apart upright posts 4 and a gate member 5 comprising a front barrier 6 and an orthogonal rear barrier 7 with the front and rear barriers 6 7 each attached at opposite ends to common side frames 8 which are pivotally mounted on upper ends of each post 4. The base of the front barrier 6 engages the floor 4 of a building with the rear barrier 7 in an elevated position providing access to a loading/unloading area generally beneath the elevated rear barrier 7 and with the gate member 5 being manually pivotable through 90 degrees about a horizontal pivot 26 until the base of the rear barrier 7 engages the floor 3 and the front barrier 6 is lifted into an elevated position. Preferably the side frame may be in filled with wires, wire mesh or webbing. A handgrip 22 and toe plate may also be provided.

Description

Title of the Invention

S Gate

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a gate for installation on buildings under construction, particularly multi-storey buildings.

Background of the Invention

A frequently used safety item on multi-storey buildings under construction, is a perimeter barrier, made up of a plurality of individual panels located end-to-end, and possibly slightly overlapping, by hooking onto a plurality of spaced upright posts, with inwardly facing hooks on the posts.

However, it is frequently necessary to unload building materials at various floor levels, or to unload debris, which normally would involve the temporary removal of barrier panels and hence the exposure of the end of a floor, followed by the need to replace the barrier panels when access to the floor was no longer required.

Alternatively, in buildings under construction that are provided with conventional scaffolding to provide an edge barrier, various scaffold lengths need to be removed, and later replaced, to provide the required access for materials supply/removal.

Object of the Invention A basic object of the invention is the provision of a gate particularly, but not exclusively, for location at an edge of an elevated floor of a multi-storey building under construction where access to and from that floor is required from time to time.

Summary of the Invention

According to the present invention, there is provided a gate for location at an edge of an elevated floor of a multi-storey building, comprising: (i) a pair of spaced-apart, upright posts, and (ii) a gate member comprising a front barrier and an orthogonal rear barrier, with the front and rear barriers each attached at opposite ends to common side frames which are pivotally mounted on upper ends of each post, whereby with a base of the front barrier engaging a floor of a building, the rear barrier is in an elevated location, providing access to a loading/unloading area defined, generally, beneath the elevated rear barrier, and with the gate member being manually pivotable, through 900, until a base of the rear barrier engages the floor, and the front barrier is correspondingly lifted to an elevated position, with reverse rotation to return the gate to its initial position.

Advantages of the Invention The gate of the invention is particularly useful in the construction or renovation of multi-storey buildings, and compared with prior proposals, manual unfastening, removal, and later replacement, of barriers is avoided, as is the creation of an unprotected edge of an elevated floor, for when the gate in accordance with the invention is rotated, lifting the front barrier from its protective position at the edge of a floor, the previously elevated rear barrier simultaneously forms a safety barrier rearwardly of the edge of the floor.

Thus, in use, to load building materials into the building under construction and specifically onto the floor on which the gate in accordance with the invention is located, initially the front barrier is in its safety position in engagement with the floor and the rear barrier is elevated, the gate member is rotated so that the rear barrier is lowered by being pivoted from its elevated position, to a floor-engaging, safety position, and the front barrier is simultaneously rotated to an elevated position, thereby exposing an edge of the floor to receive building materials e.g. from a crane, on to the loading area. After deposit of the building materials, the gate member is rotated back through 900 to return it to its original position, whereby the building materials on the loading/unloading area are accessible beneath the then elevated rear barrier.

It follows that to remove debris from the building, the latter are deposited on the loading/unloading area, then the gate member is rotated through 900 to provide access for a crane etc. Preferred or Optional Features of the Invention Each post is attached at its lower end to a floor plate e.g. by welding, if required with supporting gussets.

IS The floor plate is provided with bolt holes, whereby the post may be temporarily bolted e.g. to concrete or to steelwork of the floor in question.

Each post is of tubular section.

Each post is provided at an upper end with a U'-channel defining a portion of the pivotal connection to the gate member.

Each channel carries a pivot pin.

In a first embodiment of gate, each side frame comprises spaced-apart top and bottom tubes interconnected by common, angled side tubes.

The tubes of the side frames are formed by bending from a single length of tube.

Each side frame is in-filled with wires and/or wire mesh.

Terminal edges of both the front barrier and the rear barrier, are provided with a toe plate.

A handgrip tube extends along the top of the front and the rear barrier.

The front and rear barriers, when deployed, extend to approximate waist height of a construction worker standing on the floor in question.

The location of the pivotal connection of each sidewall to its upright post is such that the gate is reasonably in balance, for ease of operation, but is biased towards closure with the front barrier wall in its closure position.

In a second embodiment of gate, the gate member is generally of inverted "L"- shape to define the front barrier and the orthogonal rear barrier.

The gate member comprises a plurality of spaced-apart "L"-tubes interconnected by a plurality of parallel beams to define the perimeter of the front barrier wall and the barrier roof.

The parallel beams are of tubular section.

The spaces between the parallel beams are in-filled with wire mesh panels.

The side frames are in-filled with wires and/or wire mesh.

Terminal edges of both the front barrier wall and the barrier roof, are provided with a toe plate.

A handgrip, for manual pivoting of the gate, is provided on each toe plate.

Each post is provided at an upper end with a "U"-channel defining a portion of a pivotal connection to the gate.

Each channel carries a bearing tube forming a portion of the pivotal connection.

Each post is provided with a captivated, removable pivot pin for insertion into aligned holes of the gate and the bearing tube.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Two examples of gate in accordance with the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a first embodiment of a gate in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is an end elevation of a gate of Figure 1, indicating its two positions; Figure 3 is a front perspective view of a second embodiment of gate in accordance with the invention, and Figure 4 is an end elevation of Figure 3.

In both embodiments, like components are accorded like reference numerals.

A gate 1 for location at an edge 2 of a floor 3 of a multi-storey building under construction, comprises a pair of spaced-apart, upright posts 4 and a gate member 5.

The gate member 5 comprises a front barrier 6 and an orthogonal rear barrier 7, both barriers being attached, at opposite ends, to common side frames 8.

In the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, each side frame 8 is generally trapezoidal comprising top and bottom parallel tubes 9 and 10 interconnected by side tubes 11 at 450 to the bottom tube 10; each side frame being in-fifled with wires 12.

The top and bottom tubes 9 and 10 are also connected by a centre strut 13, and beneath the bottom strut extends a mounting 14 with a pivot hole for pivotal mounting of each side frame 8, and hence of the gate member 5 on the upright posts 4.

The front and rear barriers 6 and 7 are identical, each being generally rectangular and comprising upper and lower parallel tubes 15, 16 connected to common side tubes 17 defining a rectangular opening in- filled with mesh 18. Above the upper tube 15 is a parallel, tubular handrail 19, and beneath the lower tube is a parallel bottom tube 20, between which the lower tube 16 is secured a toe plate 21, whilst a handgrip 22 is attached to the toe plate.

Each post 4 is attached to the floor 3 by bolts (not shown) passing through a floor plate 23 with supporting struts 24 extending between the floor plate 23 and opposite sides of the post 4. At the upper end of each post is welded a U"-channel 25, the limbs of which are provided with coaxial, transverse holes to receive a bolt 26 the stem of which serves as a pivot for the gate member 5 by passing through the pivot hole of the mounting 14, the bolt 26 being provided with a nut and locknut.

In Figure 2, the gate 1 is shown in its closed position closing off the edge 2 of the floor 3, and defining, beneath the rear barrier 7, a rectangular loading/unloading area of width shown by arrow W and length shown by arrow L for the deposit e.g. by fork lift truck, wheelbarrow etc, of materials to be removed. When a crane (not shown) is available for removal, an operative grips the handgrip 22 and rotates the gate member 5 anti-clockwise through 90 , as indicated by arrow A thereby lifting the front barrier 6 away from the edge 2 to provide crane access to the loading/unloading area, and simultaneously bringing the rear barrier 7 into use as a barrier, upon engagement with the floor 3. After unloading has been completed, the gate member 5 is rotated clockwise through 90 to re-attain the Figure 2 position.

It follows that, to deliver building materials, the gate 5 is again rotated anti- clockwise to expose the loading/unloading area, and then rotated clockwise to provide access to the delivered materials.

In the embodiment of Figures 3 and 4, the gate member 5 is generally of inverted L'-shape comprising three spaced-apart L'-tubes 27, interconnected by three parallel tubes 28. At each end of the gate member 5, a hypotenuse tube 29 serves to define side frames 8. As with the first embodiment, both the side frames and the front and rear barriers are infilled with wire/mesh 18. Also in Figures 3 and 4, the pivot for the gate member 5 is provided by a pin 30 captivated on a chain 31 passing through aligned holes.

The mode of operation of the second embodiment is identical to that of the first embodiment.

Claims

1. A gate for location at an edge of an elevated floor of a multi-storey building, comprising: (I) a pair of spaced-apart, upright posts, and (ii) a gate member comprising a front barrier and an orthogonal rear barrier, with the front and rear barriers each attached at opposite ends to common side frames which are pivotally mounted on upper ends of each post, whereby with a base of the front barrier engaging a floor of a building, the rear barrier is in an elevated location, providing access to a loading/unloading area defined, generally, beneath the elevated rear barrier, and with the gate member being manually pivotable, through 900, until a base of the rear barrier engages the floor, and the front barrier is correspondingly lifted to an elevated position, with reverse rotation to return the gate to its initial position.

2. A gate as claimed in Claim 1, wherein each post is attached at its lower end to a floor plate e.g. by welding, if required with supporting gussets.

3. A gate as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the floor plate is provided with bolt holes, whereby the post may be temporarily bolted e.g. to concrete or to steelwork of the floor in question.

4. A gate as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each post is of tubular section.

5. A gate as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each post is provided at an upper end with a U'-channel defining a portion of the pivotal connection to the gate member.

6. A gate as claimed in Claim 5, wherein each channel carries a pivot pin.

7. A gate as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each side frame comprises spaced-apart top and bottom tubes interconnected by common, angled side tubes.

8. A gate as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the tubes of the side frames are formed by bending from a single length of tube.

9. A gate as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each side frame is in-filled with wires and/or wire mesh.

10. A gate as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein terminal edges of both the front barrier and the rear barrier, are provided with a toe plate.

11. A gate as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a handgrip tube extends along the top of the front and the rear barrier.

12. A gate as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the front and rear barriers, when deployed, extend to approximate waist height of a construction worker standing on the floor in question.

13. A gate as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the location of the pivotal connection of each sidewall to its upright post is such that the gate is reasonably in balance, for ease of operation, but is biased towards closure with the front barrier wall in its closure position.

14. A gate substantially as herein before described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

15. A gate as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the gate member is generally of inverted "L"-shape to define the front barrier and the orthogonal 1 5 rear barrier.

16. A gate as claimed in Claim 15, wherein the gate member comprises a plurality of spaced-apart "L"-tubes interconnected by a plurality of parallel beams to define the perimeter of the front barrier wall and the barrier roof.

17. A gate as claimed in Claim 16, wherein the parallel beams are of tubular section.

18. A gate as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the side frames are in-filled with wires and/or wire mesh.

19. A gate as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein terminal edges of both the front barrier wall and the barrier roof, are provided with a toe plate.

20. A gate as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each post is provided at an upper end with a "U"-channel defining a portion of a pivotal connection to the gate.

21. A gate as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each channel carries a bearing tube forming a portion of the pivotal connection.

22. A gate as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each post is provided with a captivated, removable pivot pin for insertion into aligned holes of the gate and the bearing tube.

23. A gate substantially as herein before described with reference to Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.