GB2432598A

GB2432598A - Cover for hole in beam or floor

Info

Publication number: GB2432598A
Application number: GB0622843A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher Jon Massey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-11-24
Filing date: 2006-11-16
Publication date: 2007-05-30
Anticipated expiration: 2026-11-16
Also published as: GB0622843D0; GB2432598B; GB0523850D0

Abstract

A cover assembly for temporarily closing a hole 12 in a concrete beam or floor comprises a substantially planar cover member locatable over and to cover the hole 12, and a pair of elongate strips 22 extending below the cover member and resiliently engaging with the sides of the wall 12 to retain the assembly in position. A spacer 36 may be located beneath the strips 22 and engageable therewith to push them apart. The spacer 36 can be mounted to the cover member by an elongate toothed member 38 engageable through a locking member provided on the cover member.

Description

Cover Assembly This invention relates to cover assemblies, and

particularly but not exclusively to cover assemblies for temporarily covering holes in concrete floor beams or concrete floors, and apparatus and a method for temporanly covering such holes.

Holes are often provided in concrete floor beams and concrete floors to receive services such as soil pipes, other pipework, and cables etc. Such holes can be a single circular hole, or for instance an elongate cut out. Such holes may be formed in beams during manufacture, or may be formed in beams or floors on site. These holes can form a trip hazard when installed or during installation, or even for instance when beams are being carried on a lorry. Furthermore, when in situ there is a potential for objects falling through such holes and causing damage or injury below.

Conventionally such holes have been temporarily covered by wooden boards, which in themselves generally provide a trip hazard. Such boards are generally mounted on the beams or floor by screws, and therefore require power tools for mounting. If such boards are for instance accidentally kicked off, then they cannot be simply replaced in position but require remounting.

According to the present invention there is provided a cover assembly, the assembly including a substantially planar cover member locatable over a hole and to extend beyond at least part of the hole so as to at least partially close the hole, and engagement means extending in use beneath the cover member to engage with substantially opposite side walls of the hole to retain the cover member in position.

The engagement means may include a pair of engagement members which are resiliently urged apart to engage with the respective hole side walls.

The engagement members may extend from one end from the cover member, and may in use be inclined downwardly and outwardly relative to the cover member. The engagement members may be resiliently urged towards an orientation generally parallel to the cover member.

The engagement members may comprise elongate members mounted at one end to the underside of the cover member, with the elongate members being mounted to a generally central part of the cover member.

Formations may be provided on the free ends of the engagement members to facilitate engagement with the hole side walls.

Urging means may be selectively engageable with the engagement members to urge same against the hole side walls. The urging means may include a member locatable in use beneath the engagement members which can be moved upwardly to urge the engagement members towards the cover member and hence urge the engagement members into engagement with the hole side walls.

Lock means may be provided for retaining the urging means in a required position relative to the cover member. The lock means may include a profiled elongate member and a locking member on the cover member to retain the elongate member in a required position. The locking member may be arranged so as to permit the elongate member to move therethrough in a first direction, but to automatically prevent movement of the elongate member therethrough in an opposite direction. The elongate member may be provided with a plurality of formations along the length thereof, with which formations the locking member is engageable The locking member may be provided on the cover member, and may be provided substantially centrally thereon. The locking means may be arranged such that the elongate member extends upwardly through the locking member to above the cover member, to a required extent.

Formations such as recesses or openings may be provided on the engagement members with which the urging means is engageable.

Surface formations may be provided on at least an outer part of the upper surface of the cover member, which formations can aid the grip of a person standing or walking thereon.

Surface formations may be provided on at least an outer part of the lower surface of the cover member, which formations can in use engage with the edge of a hole to be covered.

The respective lower and upper surface formations may be engageable with each other when adjacent cover members overlap. The surface formations may be resilient.

The cover member is preferably less than 25mm thick.

The cover assembly may be integrally formed. The cover assembly may be made of plastics material and may be made of polypropylene or nylon.

The invention also provides apparatus for temporarily covering a hole in a concrete beam or concrete floor, the apparatus being according to any of the preceding fourteen paragraphs.

The invention still further provides a method for temporarily covering a hole in a concrete beam or concrete floor, the method including mounting a cover assembly according to any of said preceding fourteen paragraphs in and to at least partially surround, the hole.

The urging means may be employed to cause the engagement members to be urged against the hole side walls. Following engagement of the engagement members, any part of the elongate member extending above the cover member can be cut away.

A plurality of cover assemblies may be used to close a hole, with JO adjacent cover members overlapping each other.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Fig. I is a diagrammatic cross sectional side view of a cover assemty in a rest condition adjacent a hole to be covered; Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1 but with the assembly covering the hole; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the assembly of Fig. 1 in a rest condition; Fig. 4 is a view from beneath of the assembly of Fig. I in a rest condition; Fig 5 is a similar view to Fig. 2 but with the assembly incorporating urging means; and Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic cross sectional view of two cover assemblies according to the invention closing a larger hole.

Figs. 1 to 4 show a cover assembly 10 for temporarily closing a hole 12 in a concrete beam 14, The hole 12 is circular in cross section and is formed in the beam 14 during manufacture and is intended to receive services such as a waste pipe and/or cabling.

The assembly 10 is integrally formed of polypropylene and includes a substantially planar cover member 16 and engagement means 18 extending therebelow. The cover member 16 is substantially square in plan view and is provided with a surface formation 20 extending along two sides thereof for approximately a quarter of the width of the member 16. The surface formation comprises a plurality of resilient saw tooth projections, and is provided on the upper and lower faces of the member 16.

The engagement means 18 comprises a pair of elongate strips 22 extending on opposite directions parallel to the side edges of the cover member 16 on either side of a central hole 24 on the under side of the cover member 16. A chevron cut out 26 is provided on the end of the strips 22 to define two points 28.

A plurality of formations 30 such as slots or recesses are provided in the strips 22 as shown in Fig. 4. At rest the strips 22 will lie at an acute angle to the underside of the cover member 16 as shown in Fig. 1. Mounted on the upper side of the cover member 16 around the hole 24 is a locking member 32 similar to that found in cable ties.

The assembly 10 can be mounted to close the hole 12 by pushing the strips 12 towards each other to permit them to be inserted into the hole 12.

When no longer being held the strips 22 spring outwardly as shown in Fig. 2, such that the ends of the strips 22 and particularly the points 28 engage with the side walls of the hole 12. The surface formation 20 on the underside of the cover member 16 also provides some engagement with the edge of the hole 12. The thickness of the cover member 16 is chosen such that the assembly 10 does not provide a significant trip hazard, and the cover member 16 should be significantly less than 25mm thick.

Fig. 5 shows an arrangement incorporating an urging means 34. The urging means 34 incorporates a spacer 36 which is mounted substantially centrally to an elongate toothed member 38. The free end of the elongate member 38 passes through the locking member 32, and the members 32, 38 are arranged such that the elongate member 38 can be pulled upwardly through the locking member 32 but cannot pass back downwardly therethrough. The spacer 36 can be pulled upwardly by the elongate member 38 so as to urge the strips 22 apart to cause engagement of the strips 22 with the side walls of the hole 12. At least initially, the ends of the spacer 36 may engage with a one of the formations 30. Once the spacer member 36 is in position the part of the elongate member 38 extending above the locking member 32 can be cut off and discarded.

In some instances larger holes such as the hole 40 shown in Fig. 6 are provided in beams, for instance to accept services for a number of floors in the building. In Fig. 6 the hole 40 has been closed by two cover assemblies 42 with respective cover members 16 overlapping each other. The respective surface formations 20 on the upper and undersides of the cover member 16 engage with each other. The engagement strips 44 of the cover assemblies 42 are shown with a different end profiles including two points 46, for providing engagement with the hole side walls.

The cover assemblies 10, 42 can readily be removed for instance from beneath or using tools, for reuse or disposal at an appropriate time. Such assemblies may be brightly coloured such that they are readily visible.

Whilst the invention has been described above in relation to holes in concrete beams, the invention is equally applicable to holes in concrete floors or other similar structures which may be formed in situ.

It is to be realised that a wide range of modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For instance the cover members may be a different shape. The assemblies may be made of different materials, and other plastics materials such as nylon may be used.

Different urging means may be provided if required. Different surface formations could be used, and it may in some circumstances be possible not to provide these.

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.

Claims

CLAIMS

1. A cover assembly, the assembly including a substantially planar cover member locatable over a hole and to extend beyond at least part of the hole so as to at least partially close the hole, and engagement means extending in use beneath the cover member to engage with substantially opposite side walls of the hole to retain the cover member in position.

2. An assembly according to claim 1, in which the engagement means includes a pair of engagement members which are resiliently urged apart to engage with the respective hole side walls.

3. An assembly according to claim 2, in which the engagement members I 5 extend from one end from the cover member.

4. An assembly according to claim 3, in which the engagement members in use are inclined downwardly and outwardly relative to the cover member.

5. An assembly according to claim 4, in which the engagement members are resiliently urged towards an orientation generally parallel to the cover member.

6. An assembly according to any of claims 3 to 5, in which the engagement members comprise elongate members mounted at one end to the underside of the cover member, with the elongate members being mounted to a generally central part of the cover member.

7. An assembly according to any of claims 2 to 6, in which formations are provided on the free ends of the engagement members to facilitate engagement with the hole side walls.

8. An assembly according to any of claims 2 to 7, in which urging means are selectively engageable with the engagement members to urge same against the hole side walls.

9. An assembly according to claim 8, in which the urging means include a member locatable in use beneath the engagement members which can be moved upwardly to urge the engagement members towards the cover member and hence urge the engagement members into engagement with the hole side walls.

10. An assembly according to claims 8 or 9, in which lock means are provided for retaining the urging means in a required position relative to the cover member.

11. An assembly according to claim 10, in which the lock means include a profiled elongate member and a locking member on the cover member to retain the elongate member in a required position.

12. An assembly according to claim 11, in which the locking member is arranged so as to permit the elongate member to move therethrough in a first direction, but to automatically prevent movement of the elongate member therethrough in an opposite direction.

13. An assembly according to claim 12, in which the elongate member is provided with a plurality of formations along the length thereof, with which formations the locking member is engageable 14. An assembly according to any of claims 11 to 13, in which the locking member is provided on the cover member.

15. An assembly according to claim 14, in which the locking member is provided substantially centrally on the cover member.

16. An assembly according to any of claims 11 to 15, in which the locking means is arranged such that the elongate member extends upwardly through the locking member to above the cover member, to a required extent.

17. An assembly according to any of claims 8 to 16, in which formations such as recesses or openings are provided on the engagement members with which the urging means is engageable.

18. An assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which surface formations are provided on at least an outer part of the upper surface of the cover member, which formations can aid the grip of a person standing or walking thereon.

19. An assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which surface formations are provided on at least an outer part of the lower surface of the cover member, which formations can in use engage with the edge of a hole to be covered.

20. An assembly according to claim 19 when dependent on claim 18, in which the respective lower and upper surface formations are engageable with each other when adjacent cover members overlap.

21. An assembly according to any of claims 18 to 20, in which the surface formations are resilient.

22. An assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which the cover member is less than 25mm thick.

23. An assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which the cover assembly is integrally formed.

24. An assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which the cover assembly is made of plastics material.

25. An assembly according to claim 24, in which the cover assembly is made of polypropylene or nylon.

26. Apparatus for temporarily covering a hole in a concrete beam or concrete floor, the apparatus being according to any of the preceding claims.

27. A method for temporarily covering a hole in a concrete beam or concrete floor, the method including mounting a cover assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in and to at least partially surround, the hole.

28. A method according to claim 27, in which the urging means is 5 employed to cause the engagement members to be urged against the hole side walls.

29. A method according to claim 28, in which following engagement of the engagement members, any part of the elongate member extending above the cover member is cut away.

30. A method according to any of claims 27 to 29, in which a plurality of cover assemblies are used to close a hole, with adjacent cover members overlapping each other.

31. A cover assembly substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

32. A method for temporarily covering a hole in a concrete beam or concrete floor, the method being substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

33. 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.