GB2438711A

GB2438711A - A safety system to prevent a person falling

Info

Publication number: GB2438711A
Application number: GB0709388A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Geoffrey Kent; Peter Wroblewski
Original assignee: Billington Structures Ltd
Current assignee: Billington Structures Ltd
Priority date: 2006-05-31
Filing date: 2007-05-16
Publication date: 2007-12-05
Anticipated expiration: 2027-05-16
Also published as: GB0709388D0; GB2438711B; GB0610726D0

Abstract

A safety system for the arrest of a person falling from the deck of a trailer etc, comprises a plurality of clamps 5,6 attachable at spaced locations along each side edge 11 of a deck 4 of a vehicle 1 or trailer 3. A net support post 15 is releasably mountable at a lower end 14 on a clamp 5,6 and a support rail is releasably connectable between the upper ends of two adjacent support posts to define a rectangular aperture. A rectangular net 29 in-fills the aperture by being attachable to the support rail 24, to the deck 4 and to the adjacent support posts 15. Each clamp 5, 6 has a C-plate 9 to fit over the edge 11 with fixed nuts to receive clamp bolts. Clamps 5 have a spigot 13 ever which a post 15 can fit and clamps 6 have two adjacent spigots 13. A quadrant plate 18 pivotally mounts a spigot support 16 to allow angular adjustment of the spigots.

Description

Title of the Invention

Safety system

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a personnel safety system for a fitting to a flat back vehicle or trailer, and to such a vehicle or trailer provided with such a system. Whilst primarily intended for a road vehicle, the system is equally applicable to a rail car.

Background of the Invention

Tractor/trailer combinations are used extensively for the delivery of bulk products/materials, such as structural steelwork, timber A-frames etc required for delivery on site by construction companies. These products are usually unloaded by crane. Unloading normally requires operatives to mount the deck of the trailer in the course of connecting lifting chains, strapping etc as part of the unloading process, whilst the deck is some Im to 1.5m on above ground level. A not infrequent occurrence is the inadvertent stepping from the deck by an operative who is understandably concentrating on unloading procedures rather than awareness of the perimeter of the deck. In addition, even aware of the perimeter of the deck an operative may trip or stumble on the products/material resulting in an accidental fall from the deck.

Object of the Invention A basic object of the invention is the provision of a safety system for a flat back vehicle or trailer, and to a vehicle or trailer provided with such a system.

Summary of a First Aspect of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a safety system for the arrest of a person falling from the deck of a trailer etc, comprises:- (I) a plurality of clamps attachable at spaced locations along each side edge of a deck of a vehicle or trailer; (ii) a net support post releasably mountable at a lower end on each damp; (iii) a support rail releasably connectable at at least one end to an upper end of a support post which rail, together with the deck and two adjacent support posts define a rectangular area; and (iv) a rectangular net in-filling the aperture by being attachable along an upper edge to the support rail, and along an opposite, lower edge to the deck and along opposite ends to two adjacent support posts.

Summary of a Second Aspect of the Invention

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a vehicle or trailer deck fitted with a safety system in accordance with the first aspect.

Advantages of the Invention The safety system of the invention provides a restraint or arrest system for an IS operative falling from, or being knocked from, the deck by the operative being caught, or restrained, by the net.

Clearly, the posts and rails need to be of manageable and handleable lengths e.g. <3m, so that for a 40ft trailer, three or four clamps would be required along each side of the deck, with three or four posts and two rails.

The elements of the safety system may readily be fitted e.g. to a trailer arriving on site and be removed from the trailer after unloading.

Preferred or Optional Features of the Invention The clamps are releasably attachable to the deck.

Attachment of the clamps is by screw means.

The screw means comprises two spaced apart bolts, with ends of the bolts adapted to engage portions of the deck.

Each clamp comprises a square C'-shaped mounting plate with the arms of the C' being at such a spacing that the mounting plate may embrace, and be fitted over, the edge of the deck of a conventional trailer.

Two nuts are welded to the outside of each arm of the mounting plate each to receive one of the clamping bolts.

The releasable mounting between the lower end of the post and its clamp comprises a male spigot or female socket.

The spigot or socket is of fixed position, located vertically, or substantially so.

The spigot or socket is pivotally supported and is angularly adjustable, within limits, over approximately 90 between a vertical position and a horizontal position.

Angular adjustment is achieved by providing an index means with a plurality of user selectable holes on an arc, with a detent pin engageable with a selected hole and with a latching hole associated with the spigot or socket.

The index means comprises a pair of spaced apart quadrant plates.

The spigot or socket is attached e.g. by welding to a support member, such as a short length of square section tubing, pivotally mounted towards its other end on a hinge pin carried by the quadrant plate, and, at a distance from the hinge pin axis, provided with the latching hole.

The spigot is a short length e.g. 0.3m of round bar e.g. of mild steel.

Each clamp carries a threaded stud adapted, when the clamp is fitted to a deck, to project slightly above the deck.

A tie strap extends transversely across the deck and is apertured so as to fit over the studs of opposite clamps, to receive securing nuts, so as to tie opposed clamps together.

One clamp, adapted to be located half way along the deck, is provided with two spigots or sockets e.g. two slightly spaced apart, parallel round bars.

Each support post is tubular, or comprises a tubular socket, to fit over a spigot of the clamp.

Each support post is covered by a slip-on, padded sleeve.

Each support post is of conventional scaffold tubing.

Each support rail is provided at one end with a short length e.g. O.lm orthogonal spigot to fit into the adjacent end of a tubular post, or tubular end fitting of a post.

Each support rail is tubular.

Each support rail is conventional scaffold tubing.

Sleeve connectors are provided to connect adjacent ends of adjacent coaxial support rails to form spigot and socket joints.

T-shaped connectors are provided for connecting adjacent ends of support rails to the twin posts of a twin clamp.

The net is of synthetic plastics material.

Brief Description of the Drawings

One example of safety system in accordance with the first aspect of the invention fitted to the trailer of a tractor/trailer unit in accordance with the second aspect of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tractor/trailer unit; Figure 2 is a plan view of the safety system of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an end view of the safety system of Figure 4; Figure 4 is a front elevation of a first embodiment of clamp; Figure 5 is a plan view of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a front elevation of a second embodiment of clamp; Figure 7 is a plan view of Figure 6; Figure 8 is a side elevation of the clamp of both Figures 4 and 6; Figure 9 is a plan view of a tie strap; Figure 10 is a side elevation of Figure 9; Figure 11 is a side elevation of a support post; Figure 12 is a side elevation of a first embodiment of support rail; Figure 13 is a side elevation of a second embodiment of support rail; Figure 14 shows a sleeve connector; and Figure 15 shows a T-connector.

Detailed description of the drawings

A vehicle I comprises a tractor 2 and a trailer 3.

The 40ft trailer 3 comprises a deck 4 and, in accordance with a first feature of the invention, a plurality of clamps, being end clamps 5 and intermediate clamps 6 are attached, at spaced locations as shown in Figure 1, along each side of the deck 4.

End clamps 6 are detailed in Figures 4, 5 and 8, whilst an intermediate clamp is detailed in Figures 6 and 7.

The clamps 5 and 6 are intended to be permanently attached to the deck 4, but because attachment is by screw means they may be removed, if required, for any reason.

In detail, each clamp 5 and 6 comprises two spaced apart bolts 7, with stems 8 of the bolts 7 adapted to engage portions of the deck. Each clamp 5, 6 also comprises a square C-shaped mounting plate 9 (as shown in Figure 8) with the arms of the C, being at such a spacing that the mounting plate 9 may embrace, and be fitted over side edge 11 of the deck 4. Two nuts 12 are welded to the outside of each of the lower arms 10, each to receive one of the clamping bolts 7.

The clamps 5 comprise a single, male spigot 13, whilst the clamps 6 comprise two slightly spaced apart male spigots 13, each spigot being adapted to removably receive a lower end 14 of an upright net support post 15. Each spigot 13, provided for example by a short length e.g. 0.3m of round bar e.g. of mild steel, is welded to one end of a length of square section tubing 16 mounted at its other end on a hinge pin 17 secured across a pair of spaced-apart quadrant plates 18 welded to the mounting plate 9. Consequently each spigot 13 is pivotally supported from the mounting plate 9 and is angularly adjustable, within limits, over approximately 90 between a vertical position (as shown in Figures 5 to 8) and a horizontal position by the operative engaging a captive detent pin 19 in one of a plurality of user selectable holes 20 on an arc, to provide an indexing means, the pin 19 also engaging latching means 21 in opposite vertical walls of the tubing 16.

As best seen in Figure 8, an end 22 of each bolt 7 is adapted, when the clamp is fitted to the edge 11 of the deck 4 to project slightly above the deck 4 so that a tie strap 23 may extend transversely across the deck being apertured so as to fit over the ends 22 of the bolts 7 of opposite clamps 5,5 or 6,6 to receive securing nuts, so as to tie opposed clamps 5,5 or 6,6 together.

Support rails 24 releasably connect at one upper end 25 of at least one support post 15. In detail) each support rail 24 is of conventional scaffold tubing and is provided at one end with a short length e.g. O.lm orthogonal spigot 26 to fit into the adjacent end of a tubular post 15, or tubular end fithng of a post 15.

Sleeve connectors 27 are provided to connect adjacent ends of adjacent coaxial support rails 24 to form spigot and socket joints) whilst 1-shaped connectors 28 are provided for connecting adjacent ends of support rails to the twin posts of a twin clamp 6.

A net 29 of synthetics plastics material, is attachable along one of its edges to the support rails 24 and along an opposite edge to the deck 4, so as to define an enclosed) rectangular aperture (best seen in Figure 2) with which personnel may work e.g. for loading/unloading of the trailer, with a greater degree of safety.

Claims

Claims 1. A safety system for the arrest of a person falling from the

deck of a trailer etc, comprises:- (i) a plurality of clamps attachable at spaced locations along each side edge of a deck of a vehicle or trailer; (ii) a net support post releasably mountable at a lower end on each clamp; (iii) a support rail releasably connectable at at least one end to an upper end of a support post which rail, together with the deck and two adjacent support posts define a rectangular aperture; and (iv) a rectangular net in-filling the aperture by being attachable along an upper edge to the support rail, and along an opposite lower edge to the deck and along opposite ends to two adjacent support posts.

2. A safety system as Claimed in Claim 1, wherein the clamps are releasably attachable to the deck.

IS 3. A safety system as Claimed in Claim 1, or Claim 2, wherein attachment of the clamps is by screw means.

4. A safety system as Claimed in Claim 3, wherein the screw means comprises two spaced apart bolts, with ends of the bolts adapted to engage portions of the deck.

5. A safety system as Claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein each clamp comprises a square C-shaped mounting plate with the arms of the C being at such a spacing that the mounting plate may embrace, and be fitted over, the edge of the deck of a conventional trailer.

6. A safety system as Claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5, wherein two nuts are welded to the outside of each arm of the mounting plate each to receive one of the clamping bolts.

7. A safety system as Claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the releasable mounting between the lower end of the post and its clamp comprises a male spigot or female socket.

8. A safety system as Claimed in Claim 7, wherein the spigot or socket is of fixed position, located vertically, or substantially so.

9. A safety system as Claimed in Claim 7, wherein the spigot or socket is pivotally supported and is angularly adjustable, within limits, over approximately 900 between a vertical position and a horizontal position.

10. A safety system as Claimed in Claim 9, wherein angular adjustment is achieved by providing an index means with a plurality of user selectable holes on an arc, with a detent pin engageable with a selected hole and with a latching hole associated with the spigot or socket.

II. A safety system as Claimed in Claim 10, wherein the index means comprises a pair of spaced apart quadrant plates.

12. A safety system as Claimed in Claim 7, and any Claim appendent thereto, wherein the spigot or socket is attached to one end of a support member which pivotally mounted towards its other end on a hinge pin carried by the quadrant plate, and, at a distance from the hinge pin axis, provided with the latching hole.

13. A safety system as Claimed in Claim 7, and any Claim appendent thereto, wherein the spigot is a short length e.g. 0.3m of round bar e.g. of mild steel. l0

14. A safety system as Claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein each clamp carries a threaded stud adapted, when the clamp is fitted to a deck, to project slightly above the deck.

15. A safety system as Claimed in Claim 14, wherein a tie strap extends transversely across the deck and is apertured so as to fit over the studs of opposite clamps, to receive securing nuts, so as to tie opposed clamps together.

16. A safety system as Claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein one clamp, adapted to be located half way along the deck, is provided with two spigots or sockets e.g. two slightly spaced apart, parallel round bars.

17. A safety system as Claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein each support post is tubular, or comprises a tubular socket, to fit over a spigot of the clamp.

18. A safety system as Claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein each support post is covered by a slip-on, padded sleeve.

19. A safety system as Claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein each support post is of conventional scaffold tubing.

20. A safety system as Claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein each support rail is provided at one end with a short length e.g. 0.lm orthogonal spigot to fit into the adjacent end of a tubular post, or tubular end fitting of a post.

21. A safety system as Claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein each support rail is tubular.

22. A safety system as Claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein each support rail is conventional scaffold tubing.

23. A safety system as Claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein sleeve connectors are provided to connect adjacent ends of adjacent coaxial support rails to form spigot and socket joints.

24. A safety system as Claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein 1-shaped connectors are provided for connecting adjacent ends of support rails to the twin posts of a twin clamp.

25. A safety system as Claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the net is of synthetic plastics material.

26. A safety system substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

27. A vehicle or trailer deck fitted with a safety system as defined in any preceding Claim.