GB2456817A

GB2456817A - Platform system used as a fall prevention system and a working platform in the building trade

Info

Publication number: GB2456817A
Application number: GB0801380A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Stephen Bond; Peter Anthony Bond
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-01-25
Filing date: 2008-01-25
Publication date: 2009-07-29
Anticipated expiration: 2028-01-25
Also published as: GB2456817B; GB0801380D0

Abstract

The invention relates to a platform system used as a fall prevention system and a working platform in the building trade. The platform system comprises rectangular panels 10, stanchions 12, couplers 14 for connecting the stanchions to the panels, and spacers 16 for connecting the bottoms of at least four of the stanchions together in a rectangle. The components may be assembled to form modules 50 which are stable and can be manoeuvred. The modules are linked by intermediate panels 52 to form a platform. A later embodiment relates to a method of assembly of a platform using said system.

Description

TITLE

Platform systems, e.g. for fall-prevention during building construction

DESCRIPTION

This invention relates to platform systems. The invention was initially conceived as a platform system for use in fall prevention and providing a working platform in the building trade. However, the invention also has other applications.

People need to work at height during construction of a building. It is customary to erect a scaffolding structure around the outside of the shell of a building as ills being built, especially if the building has more than one storey, and such scaffolding structures usually have fall-prevention systems to reduce the risk of somebody falling from the scaffolding structure outwardly of the building. However, there is still a risk when, for example, the joists and boards or panels of an intermediate floor are being laid, that somebody will fall to the ground (or the floor below) within the shell of the building. The drop may be of the order of 2� to 3 m, sufficient to cause serious injury or worse. It is therefore becoming customary (and in some countries mandatory) to erect a fall prevention system inside the building when construction has reached the stage where somebody might fall more than a particular distance.

A fall-prevention system for this purpose is described in patent document EP1584722A2. That system comprises: a plurality of rectangular panels which can be arranged in an array to form a platform; a plurality of stanchions; a plurality of couplers each for connecting a top of a respective one of the stanchions to a corner of one of the panels, or to two, three or four adjacent corners of two, three or four adjacent panels in the array; and a plurality of locking pins for locking each coupler to its stanchion and panel or panels. The foot of each stanchion has a respective shoe (which may be similar to the couplers). In practice, the stanchions are about 2 m long, so that a platform can be erected slightly over 2 m high. Once the platform has been constructed, it can be braced against the surrounding shell of the building.

A problem with this arrangement is that it cannot readily be assembled and disassembled by a single person. Furthermore, until the platform has been braced against the surrounding shell, and particularly while the platform is only part built, it can be very wobbly.

A somewhat similar system is marketed under the name Swaledek, but omits the pins for locking each coupler to its stanchion and panel or panels. As a result, until the platform has been braced against the surrounding shell, and particularly while the platform is only part built, it can be extremely wobbly and prone to collapse. Furthermore, the stanchions can readily be knocked out of the vertical by somebody gaining access under the platform, as a result of which the platform may collapse especially if a load is then placed on it. Bracing gates are therefore used, formed from wire, which can be clipped onto selected adjacent pairs of the stanchions in an attempt to keep them vertical. However, it is not unknown for the gates to be removed and not subsequently replaced by a thoughtless person gaining access under the platform. Moreover, it is skilled job to disassemble the system without it collapsing and causing injury part-way through disassembly.

An aim of the present invention, or at least of specific embodiments of it, is to provide a platform system which can be assembled and disassembled safely and quickly even by a single person and which is less prone to having its stanchions disturbed while the platform is assembled.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a platform system, like those described above, comprising: a plurality of rectangular panels which can be arranged in an array to form a platform; a plurality of stanchions; and a plurality of couplers each for connecting a top of a respective one of the stanchions to a corner of one of the panels, or to two, three or four adjacent corners of two, three or four adjacent panels in the array.

However, by contrast to the known systems, the system of the first aspect of the invention also includes a plurality of spacers each arranged to connect a rectangular arrangement of four of the stanchions together at or adjacent the feet of the stanchions.

In use, and in accordance with a second aspect of the invention, part of a main run of a platform can therefore be assembled by: assembling a first one of the panels, a first one of the spacers, a first four of the stanchions and a first four of the couplers to form a first platform module; assembling a second one of the panels, a second one of the spacers, a second four of the stanchions and a second four of the couplers to form a second platform module; connecting an adjacent pair of corners of a third one of the panels (an "intermediate" panel) to an adjacent pair of the couplers of the first platform module: and connecting the other corners of the intermediate panel to an adjacent pair of the couplers of the second platform module. Of course, further modules can then be assembled and joined to the part-constructed platform by further intermediate panels to form a 2D array of the panels.

Before assembly of the intermediate panel, the modules can be designed, due to the use of the spacers, so that they are each relatively wobble-free, stable and can be moved as a module to the required position. By stable, it is meant that the module is in a state of stable equilibrium when standing by the feet of the stanchions on level ground. During disassembly, the intermediate panels can be removed, leaving their supporting modules free-standing without risk of collapse, and then the modules can be disassembled.

Preferably, each spacer is arranged to hold the respective stanchions generally parallel to each other so as to reduce the wobbliness of the modules.

In a preferred embodiment, each spacer comprises four connecting portions each for connecting to a respective one of the stanchions, and bridging portions connecting the connecting portions together. The bridging portions are preferably formed as a cross extending between diagonally-opposite pairs of the connecting portions. As a result, at the edges of the platform where special steps may need to be taken to achieve a good fit of the platform in the surrounding shell of the building, the extents of adjacent spacers can overlap each other even though their respective stanchions are aligned. Also, a further connecting portion may be provided at the centre of the cross, for use with a further stanchion and coupler to provide support for the middle of the respective panel so as to increase the load-bearing capacity of the panel.

Although the spacers will, in the main, typically be fitted at or adjacent the feet of the respective stanchions, each spacer is preferably designed so that it can also connect a rectangular arrangement of four of the stanchions together part-way along the lengths of the stanchions. For example, two spacers may be used to connect the same four stanchions at different positions along the stanchions so as to increase the resistance of the stanchions to buckling. Also, one spacer may be used to connect four stanchions together, and another spacer may be used to connect two (or one) of those stanchions to a different two (or three) stanchions.

In a preferred embodiment, each coupler comprises a support portion on which the corners of the panels can be supported. Each coupler may have four elements of a spigot-and-socket arrangement and each corner of each panel may have a complementary element of the spigot-and-socket arrangement. The spigot-and-socket connections can therefore simply position the couplers relative to the panels in the horizontal direction, which is useful during construction of the platform even if the couplers are subsequently secured to the panels by some other securing means. In this case, each panel may have a rectangular array of further such complementary elements of the spigot-and-socket arrangement arranged between said complementary elements at the corners of that panel. Accordingly. a coupler and stanchion may be positioned at other locations in addition to the corners of the panel.

In a preferred embodiment, the system further includes means for securing the corners of the panels to the couplers. The securing means may comprise screw-threaded bolts, which may pass through holes through the couplers into screw-threaded holes at the corners of the panels. In this case, the holes through the couplers may also be screw-threaded so that the bolts can releasably be held captive with couplers when the couplers are not secured to the panels. In the case where the spigot-and-socket arrangements are provided, the screw-threaded holes of the panels are preferably aligned with the complementary elements of the spigot-and-socket arrangements. Also, in the case where each panel has a rectangular array of further such complementary elements of the spigot-and-socket arrangement, they are preferably aligned with further such screw-threaded holes. This not only enables a coupler to be secured to a panel at other locations in addition to the corners of the panel, but also, at the edges of the platform where special steps may need to be taken to achieve a good fit of the platfonn in the surrounding shell of the building, one panel can be secured to another in an overlapping manner.

The panels are preferably generally square, but the system may further comprise at least one further such panel which is not generally square, for example half a square, which may be of use at the edges of the platform to achieve a good fit of the platform in the surrounding shell of the building.

Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described, purely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a panel; Figure 2 is a sectioned side view of the panel taken on the section line 2-2 shown in Figure 1: Figure 3 shows the right end of Figure 2 on an enlarged scale; Figure 4 is a side view of a stanchion; Figure 5 is a plan view of a coupler; Figure 6 is an under plan view of the coupler; Figure 7 is a sectioned side view of the coupler, on the enlarged scale, taken on the staggered section line 6-6 shown in Figure 4; Figure 8 is a plan view of a spacer; Figure 9 is a side view of the spacer; Figure 10 is a partial sectioned view of the spacer, on the enlarged scale, taken on the section line 9-9 shown in Figure 7; Figure 11 is a side view, on the enlarged scale, of a bolt; Figure 12 is a partially cut away sectioned view of a platform, on the enlarged scale, taken on the section line 12-12 shown in Figure 14, with one of the bolts unfastened; Figure 13 is an isometric view, on a reduced scale, of a platform module; Figure 14 is an isometric view of the two such platform modules joined by an intermediate panel; Figure 15 is an isometric view, on the reduced scale, of four platform modules joined by five intermediate panels; Figure 16 is similar to Figure 13, but showing the module with an additional spacer; Figure 17 is a sectioned side view, on the enlarged scale, of an extension piece for the stanchions; Figure 18 is similar to Figure 15, but showing an extension to the platform; Figure 19 is an underplan view of the platform shown in Figure 18; Figure 20 is a sectioned side view, on the enlarged scale, of a modified extension piece for the stanchion; Figure 21 is a plan view of a modified panel; and Figure 22 is an underplan view of a more complex platform, with unused holes in the panels being omitted for clarity.

Referring to the drawings, the main components of the platform system are:- * panels 10, as shown in Figures 1 to 3 and 12; * stanchions 12. as shown in Figures 4 and 12; * couplers 14, as shown in Figures 5 to 7 and 12; * spacers 16, as shown in Figures 8 to 10 and 12; and * bolts 18. as shown in Figures 11 and 12.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, each panel 10 is moulded from plastics material and is generally square having sides of length A of 1 in and a thickness B of 35 mm. Although shown solid in the drawings, the panel 10 may be hollow or it may be ribbed underneath. The upper edges 20 of the panel 10 are ramped. A square array of formations 22 is arranged across the panel 10. For a panel 10 having a 1 m x 1 m outline, a 10 x 10 array of formations 22 may be provided having a pitch C of 100 mm. The four formations 22 at the corners of the panel 10 are therefore inset from the edges of the panel by a distance �C of 50 mm. Referring in particular to Figure 3. each formation 22 comprises a socket 24 in the top face of the panel 10, an aligned symmetrical socket 26 in the bottom face of the panel 10, and an aligned screw-threaded hole 28 joining the sockets 24,26. The screw-threaded hole 28 has a substantially smaller diameter than the sockets 24,26 and a coarse thread with relatively few turns. Each screw-threaded hole 28 may be formed by tapping a plain hole moulded into the panel 10. or by moulding a metal or plastics screw-threaded insert into the panel 10. A pair of handholds 29 are formed through the panel 10, as a result of which four of the formations 22 are lost.

Referring to Figure 4, each stanchion 12 is formed from plastics pipe having a length D of about 1.8 m, an outside diameter E of 68 mm and an inside diameter F of 60 mm.

Referring to Figures 5 to 7, each coupler 14 is moulded from plastics material and has a plate portion 30 beneath which depends a collar portion 32 having an inside diameter which is a clearance fit for the outside diameter E of the stanchions 12 and which is shouldered deep inside the collar portion 32 to a diameter no greater than the inside diameter F of the stanchions 12.

Four spigots 34 are provided on the top face of the plate portion 30 in a square array having a pitch C equal to the pitch C of the formations 22 in the panels 10. Each spigot 34 is sized so that it can form a spigot-and-socket connection with the sockets 26 in the undersides of the panels 10. Four aligned bosses 36 are formed on the underside of the plate portion 30. A hole 38 is formed between each aligned pair of spigots 34 and bosses 36 and is screwed-threaded part-way through the hole 38 with the same size thread as for the holes 28 in the panels 10. The centre of the screw-threaded portion of each hole 38 is disposed a distance �B below the top face of the plate portion 30 which is half of the thickness B of the panels 10. The lower face of each lower boss 36 is disposed a distance B below the top face of the plate portion 30 which is about equal to the thickness B of the panels 10.

Referring to Figures 8 to 10, each spacer 16 is moulded from plastics material and comprises five parallel sleeve portions 40,42. Four of the sleeve portions 40 are arranged in a square array having a pitch A equal to the length of side A of the panels 10, and the fifth sleeve portion 42 is disposed at the centre of the square. Each of the corner sleeve portions 40 is connected to the central sleeve portion 42 by a respective arm portion 44. Each sleeve portion 40,42 has an inside diameter which is a clearance fit for the outside diameter D of the stanchions 12. The lower end of each sleeve portion 40,42 is shouldered internally and the upper end of each sleeve portion 40,42 is complementarily shouldered externally so that the spacers 16 can be stacked for storage.

Referring to Figure 11, each bolt 18 is made of plastics or metal and has a short screw-threaded portion 45 with the complementary size thread for the holes 28 in the panels 10 and the holes 38 in the couplers 14. The centre of the screw-threaded portion 45 is disposed a distance 1 �B from the head 46 of the bolt 18 which is one and a half times the thickness B of the panels 10. The shank 48 of the bolt 18 between the screw-threaded portion 45 and the head 46 has a diameter less than the minor diameter of the screw-threaded portion 45. The head 46 of the bolt 18 has a suitable formation 50 to enable it to be turned by hand.

Figure 12 shows the lower end of a stanchion 12 fitted into a sleeve portion 40 of a spacer 16; the upper end of the stanchion 12 fitted into the collar portion 32 of a coupler 14; the corners of two panels 10 resting on the plate portion 30 of the coupler 14 with two of the upper spigots 34 of the coupler 14 engaged in spigot-and-socket fashion in the lower corner sockets 26 of the panels 10; and with one of the bolts 18 (to the left) passing through one of the holes 38 of the coupler 14 and tightened into the screw-threaded portion above the socket 26 in its panel 10.

The other bolt 18 is shown released from its panel 10, but held captive with the coupler 14 by the screw-threaded portion in its hole 38 in the coupler 14. It will be appreciated, however, that the bolts 18 can be removed from the coupler 14, for example if they need replacing, by unscrewing them through the holes 38.

Figures 13 to 15 illustrate the assembly of the components described above to form a simple three-panel by three-panel platform. Referring first to Figure 13, initially, four stanchions 12 are fitted to the corner sleeve portions 40 of a spacer 16. Then four couplers 14 are fitted to the tops of the four stanchions 12. Then a panel 10 is fitted to the couplers 14 so that one upper spigot 34 of each coupler 14 engages in a lower socket 26 at a respective corner of the panel 10. The appropriate four screws 18 at the corners of the panel 10 are then tightened. Thus, a first platfonn module 50 as shown in Figure 13 is built. In this form, the module 50 can be manoeuvred into position by lifting it or dragging it on the ground, and the module is self supporting. In other words, it will stably stand upright on level ground without risk of it toppling or falling apart. A second similar platform module 50 is then constructed and placed next to the first module 50 with the panels of the two modules 50 generally aligned and spaced apart by 1 m. A further panel 10, now referred to as an "intermediate" panel 52, is then offered up in the space between the modules 50, and the sockets 26 at two of the corners of the intermediate panel 52 are engaged with the appropriate spigots 34 of the first module 50. The position of the second module 50 is then adjusted if necessary to enable the sockets 26 at the other two corners of the intermediate panel 52 to be engaged with the appropriate spigots 34 of the second module 50. The appropriate four bolts 18 at the corners of the intermediate panel 52 are then tightened. Thus, a three-panel platform 54 as shown in Figure 14 is built. The platform 54 can then be extended by constructing further modules 50 and linking them to the existing platform 54 by further intermediate panels 52. As shown in Figure 15, four modules 50 and five intennediate panels 52 have been assembled to produce a basic platform 54 having a size of 3 m x3m.

In order to resist any tendency of the stanchions 12 to buckle under load, as shown in Figure 16, any of the platform modules 50 may be fitted with an extra spacer 16 disposed about half way up the height of the stanchions 12. The additional spacer 16 may held in place by wrapping sticky tape around the stanchions 16 immediately below the additional spacer 16.

Alternatively, the stanchions 12 may be permanently fitted with short collars about half way along the stanchions 16.

In order to provide greater flexibility in the sizes of platforms which can be constructed, as shown in Figure 17, an extension piece 56 may be provided for the stanchions 12. The extension piece 56 is moulded, or extruded and turned, from plastics and is in the form of a tube having a stepped outside diameter. At the lower end of the extension piece 56, its outside diameter E is the same as the outside diameter E of the stanchions 12. However, at a height B above the lower end equal to the thickness B of the panels 10. the outside diameter of the extension piece 56 reduces to a clearance fit Ibr the inside diameter F of the stanchions 12. The extension piece 56 can therefore be fitted into the lower end of a stanchion 12 so as to increase its overall length by the thickness B of the panels 10.

Figures 18 and 19 show the fitting of three further panels 10 (now referred to as "overlap" panels 58) to the platform 54 of Figure 15. (In Figure 19, the unused formations 22 in the panels 10 have been omitted for reasons of clarity.) Instead of abutting the other panels edge-to-edge, each overlap panel 58 overlaps one of the other panels by any amount G between 100 mm and 9(X) mm in steps of 100 mm, so that the overlap panels 58 project from the panels by a distance A-G of between 900 mm and 100 mm. The distal corners of the overlap panels 58 are connected by couplers 14 to stanchions 12 to which extension pieces 56 have been fitted to take account of the overlap panels 58 being higher than the other panels 10. The proximal edges of the overlap panels 58 are secured to the underlying panels 10 by bolts 18 (see Figure 19) identical to the bolts 18 used for securing the couplers 14 to the panels 10. If the stanchions 12 with extension pieces 56 are sited where the risk of them being knocked out of place is low, they may be used without spacers 16. However, if additional spacers 16 are used, referenced 16' in Figures 18 and 19, it will he noted that their arms 44' overlap the arms 44 of the other adjacent spacers 16. These additional spacers 16' are fitted, under the proximal edges of the overlap panels 58 with stanchions 12 (without extension pieces 56) and couplers 14.

In order to provide even greater flexibility in the sizes of platforms which can be constructed, a further extension piece 60, as shown in Figure 20, may be provided for the stanchions 12. The longer extension piece 60 is identical to the extension piece 56 of Figure 17 except that the outside diameter of the extension piece 60 reduces to a clearance fit for the inside diameter F of the stanchions 12 at a height 2B above the lower end equal to twice the thickness B of the panels 10. The extension piece 60 can therefore be fitted into the lower end of a stanchion 12 so as to increase its overall length by the thickness 2B of two overlapping panels 10.

Also, as shown in Figure 21, panels 62 may be provided which are identical to the panels 10 except that: they are half-square having an outline measuring A x �A (for example 1 m x 500 mm); they have a 10 x 5 array of the formations 22; and only one handhold 29 is provided.

The underside of a platform 54 within the shell 64 of a building is shown in Figure 22 (again with unused formations 22 in the panels 10 and half-panels 62 omitted for reasons of clarity). The basic methodology of construction of the platform 54 follows that suggested above.

but with the following points of interest. In each of the regions 66, the spacer 16 shares two of the stanchions 12 with the adjacent module to the right. In each of the regions 68, an additional stanchion 12 is fitted to the centre sleeve portion 42 of the spacer 16 and is coupled to the panel with an additional coupler 14. In the region 70, an additional spacer 16 is provided sharing the stanchions 12 with the modules above and below and is fitted with a central stanchion 12 and coupler 14. Accordingly, the load-bearing capacity of the platform 54 in the regions 68,70 is increased. In the regions 72,74,76, square overlap panels 58 are provided, as described with reference to Figures 18 and 19. In the regions 78, half-square overlap panels 62 are provided, with two of the three stanchions 12 not being fitted to a spacer 16. In the region 80, a half-square overlap panel 62 is employed, overlapping the square overlap panels 58 in the regions 74,76 and secured at two of its corners by bolts 18 to the square overlap panels 58. At its distal corner, the half-square overlap panel 62 in region 80 is supported by a stanchion 12 fitted with the longer extension piece 60.

Once the platform 54 has been constructed, it is preferably braced against the shell 64 of the building using known ratchet devices to prevent the platform 54 swaying.

It will be appreciated that many modifications and developments may be made to the embodiments and examples of the invention described above. For example, the main panels 10 may be of different sizes and, although it is preferred that they are square, they may instead be rectangular. The stanchions 12 may be of other lengths. In particular, stanchions 16 may be provided having a length of, for example. about 0.5 m which can be used to construct a platform which will be of use, for example, to people working on fitting, plastering or decorating a ceiling. Other forms and lengths of extension pieces 56,60 may be provided. The stanchions 12 may be telescopically adjustable and lockable in length so that platforms 54 may be constructed of variable heights and/or so that the need for extension pieces 56,60 can be avoided. Means may be provided for locking the stanchions 12 into the collar portions 32 of the couplers 14 and sleeve portions 40,42 of the spacers 16. In addition to the standard length bolts 18, additional bolts may be provided which have a shank 48 which is longer than the shank 48 of the standard bolt 18 by an amount B equal to the thickness of the panels 10. These additional bolts may be used to connect a coupler 14 through one panel 10 to an overlap panel 58.

Alternative means to the bolts 18 may be provided for securing the couplers 14 to the panels 10,62 and for securing the panels 10.62 to one another.

It should be noted that the embodiments and examples of the invention have been described above purely by way of example and that many other modifications and developments may be made thereto within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A platform system comprising: a plurality of rectangular panels which can be arranged in an array to form a platform; a plurality of stanchions: a plurality of couplers each for connecting a top of a respective one of the stanchions to a corner of one of the panels, or to two, three or four adjacent corners of two, three or four adjacent panels in the array; and a plurality of spacers each arranged to connect a rectangular arrangement of four of the stanchions together at or adjacent the feet of the stanchions.

2. A platform system as claimed in claim 1, wherein an assembly of one of the spacers, four of the stanchions connected at or adjacent their feet by the spacer, one of the panels, and four of the couplers connecting the tops of the stanchions to the four corners of the panel is in a state of stable equilibrium when standing by the feet of the stanchions on level ground.

3. A platform system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein each spacer is arranged to hold the respective stanchions generally parallel to each other.

4. A platform system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each spacer comprises four connecting portions each for connecting to a respective one of the stanchions, and bridging portions connecting the connecting portions together.

5. A platform system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the bridging portions are formed as a cross extending between diagonally-opposite pairs of the connecting portions.

6. A platform system as claimed in claim 5, wherein a further connecting portion is provided at the centre of the cross.

7. A platform system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each spacer can also connect a rectangular arrangement of four of the stanchions together part-way along the lengths of the stanchions.

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8. A platform system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each coupler comprises a support portion on which the corners of the panels can be supported.

9. A platform system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each coupler has four elements of a spigot-and-socket arrangement and each corner of each panel has a complementary element of the spigot-and-socket arrangement.

10. A platform system as claimed in claim 9, wherein each panel has a rectangular array of further such complementary elements of the spigot-and-socket arrangement arranged between said complementary elements at the corners of that panel.

11. A platform system as claimed in any preceding claim, further including means for securing the corners of the panels to the couplers.

12. A platform system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the securing means comprise screw-threaded bolts.

13. A platform system as claimed in claim 12, wherein each bolt can pass through holes through the couplers into screw-threaded holes at the corners of the panels.

14. A platform system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the holes through the couplers are screw-threaded so that the bolts can releasably be held captive with couplers when the couplers are not secured to the panels.

15. A platform system as claimed in claim 13 or 14 when indirectly dependent on claim 9, wherein the screw-threaded holes of the panels are aligned with the complementary elements of the spigot-and-socket arrangements.

16. A platform system as claimed in claim 15 when indirectly dependent on claim 10.

wherein said further complementary elements of the spigot-and-socket arrangements are aligned with further such screw-threaded holes.

17. A platform system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the panels are generally square.

18, A platform system as claimed in claim 17, further comprising at least one further such panel which is not generally square.

19. A platform system, substantially as described with reference to the drawings.

20. A platform formed from a platform system as claimed in any preceding claim.

21. A platform substantially as described with reference to the drawings.

22. A method of assembly of a platfonn as claimed in claim 20 or 21. comprising the steps of: assembling a first one of the panels, a first one of the spacers, a first four of the stanchions and a first four of the couplers to form a first platform module; assembling a second one of the panels, a second one of the spacers, a second four of the stanchions and a second four of the couplers to form a second platform module; connecting an adjacent pair of corners of a third one of the panels to an adjacent pair of the couplers of the first platform module; and connecting the other corners of the third panel to an adjacent pair of the couplers of the second platform module.

23. A method of assembly of a platform, substantially as described with reference to the drawings.

24. A platform assembled by a method as claimed in claim 22 or 23.