GB2471124A

GB2471124A - A heat shrinking covering sheet for scaffolding

Info

Publication number: GB2471124A
Application number: GB0910520A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Aubrey Kingsbury; Ewan Lake
Original assignee: KINGSBURY LAKE Ltd
Current assignee: KINGSBURY LAKE Ltd
Priority date: 2009-06-18
Filing date: 2009-06-18
Publication date: 2010-12-22
Also published as: GB0910520D0

Abstract

A heat-shrinkable sheet 1 having discrete areas 6, 7 and 8 of tough reinforced material containing attachment holes 9. The reinforced material may be bonded to the heat-shrink sheet 1 on opposite sides of the holes so that ties can be inserted through the holes passing between the material and the sheet to secure the cover to scaffolding. The reinforced material is inset from two edges 3 and 5 to form flaps 21 and 22 which overlap adjacent sheets. Bands of adhesive 13 and 14 may be provided to bond the flaps to the adjacent sheets. The sheet 1 can be heat-shrunk after attachment of the cover and may provide a tight fit and neat appearance. The cover sheets may be recyclable, and may be suited to display brand information.

Description

SCAFFOLDING COVERS

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to covers for attachment to scaffolding.

BACKGROUND

Covers are often secured to scaffolding to shelter workers and/or the work area from the worst excesses of the weather, e.g. rain, snow, wind or strong sunlight. Such covers also protect the environment around the site from dust and debris generated by the work, e.g. sandblasting or jetting, help to reduce noise levels, and improve the overall appearance of the site while work is taking place.

Generally, sheets of tough waterproof material are tied to the scaffold tubes using bungee cords or other ties which are inserted through holes or eyelets in the sheet. Whilst this is an unskilled job, and easy to apply, the result is often unsightly. Furthermore, the sheets are prone to bellow and flap in strong winds, sometimes even causing the sheets to self-destruct.

A material which is currently in widespread use for scaffold covers is a reinforced scrim comprising LDPE (low density polyethylene) reinforced with an encapsulated reinforcing layer of woven polyester yarn. An example of a scaffolding cover made from such a material is disclosed in GB 2 273 519 A. This cover comprises a sheet of fibre-reinforced polyethylene with a strip of material such as polypropylene secured to the sheet to enclose a polypropylene strap. A row of holes are provided in the sheet or the strip such that a tie can be passed through one of the openings and looped around the strap to secure the cover to the scaffolding.

Shrink wrap sheet has been used for covering and enclosing scaffold structures for approximately ten years. Such covers may again be formed of LDPE, but there is no reinforcement since this would prevent heat shrinkage. The sheets are supplied in rolls which are typically 7 or 12m wide and ranging from 15m to 30m in length. The required length of sheet is unwound from the roll and heat-welded around the scaffold tubes using a hot air gun. Heat is then applied over the area of sheet causing it to shrink so that sheet becomes taut. Shrink wrap coverings have gained widespread approval because they form a continuous bonded skin around the scaffold structure creating much more effective containment and weather protection than traditional sheeting products. The covering is taut and cannot flap or bellow in the wind, producing a very low repair rate.

With the appropriate skills, any size or shape of structure can be covered.

The coverings are completely recyclable, they are also quick to remove, and generally provide a smart professional appearance.

Nevertheless, shrink wrap coverings have a number of significant disadvantages. Firstly, the welding process is time consuming.

Considerable skill is required to create a good finish, and the heat welds can vary in quality and strength, and often look untidy. It is difficult to train scaffolders to handle every kind of installation that they are likely to encounter, and mistakes are common, particularly if the scaffolding structure is not erected such that the covered faces are flush. Large areas of sheet can be difficult to control, and rolls are heavy, ranging from 58 kg to 116 kg for 12m widths, giving rise to safety problems. The installation process is weather dependent since large areas are difficult to shrink in breezy conditions. Finally, since the sheets may be used in any orientation it is not possible to apply effective branding directly to the product. This is an important point since if users and casual observers are not able to recognise good quality products and installations there is less incentive for the industry to maintain high standards.

The present invention seeks to provide a new and inventive form of cover which is quick and easy to fix yet has a good appearance with a low risk of movement in strong winds.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention proposes a cover element which includes a heat-shrinkable sheet having discrete areas of tough reinforcing material containing attachment holes.

Although the reinforcing material may be heat-shrinkable the essential thing is that they provide strong areas which can be used for attachment of the sheet using suitable tie elements, although the sheet can be heat-shrunk after attachment.

The areas of tough reinforcing material are preferably provided by reinforcing pieces attached to the sheet. Each reinforcing piece is preferably provided with a plurality of holes, which are preferably arranged -4-.

in a row. The reinforcing pieces may be attached to the sheet on opposite sides of the holes, allowing a tie to be inserted through one hole, passed between the reinforcing piece and the sheet, and out through another hole.

The sheet may be substantially rectangular, with the reinforcing pieces extending along opposite longitudinal edge regions of the sheet. The reinforcing pieces are preferably spaced from two adjacent edges of the sheet to define connecting flaps which can overlap the sheet of an adjacent cover element. The flaps can be provided with an adhesive layer for bonding the flap to an adjacent cover element.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following description and the accompanying drawings referred to therein are included by way of non-limiting example in order to illustrate how the invention may be put into practice. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of a scaffold cover element in accordance with the invention; FLgure 2 is a cross sectional detail of the cover element on the plane A-A; and Figure 3 is a perpendicular cross-section on the plane B-B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring firstly to Fig. 1, the cover element is formed from a single sheet 1 of heat shrinkable thermoplastic material, typically LDPE. The sheet has a single uniform layer without integral reinforcement so that the material will shrink with suitable application of heat, e.g. from a hot air gun. The sheet is substantially rectangular, having parallel longitudinal top and bottom edges 2 and 3 and opposing ends 4 and 5. Although the sheets can be provided in various sizes, typical dimensions may be 2.4m wide by 5.8m long.

The top longitudinal margin of the sheet I is provided with a reinforcement strip 6 extending along the length of the sheet. The reinforcement strip extends from the left hand end 4 and terminates just short of the right hand 5, leaving a clear marginal edge region or end flap 21. A second reinforcement strip 7 extends parallel to the strip 1 along the same length of the sheet 1, but this strip is inset from the bottom edge 3, typically providing a spacing of 2.15m between the two strips 6 and 7. A second marginal edge region or bottom flap 22 is therefore formed extending along the bottom of the sheet. The flaps 21 and 22 are provided to overlap with the end and top edges 4 and 2 of adjacent sheets. A third relatively short reinforcement strip 8 is secured half way between the strips 6 and 7, also inset from the right hand edge 5 to remain clear of the end flap 21.

The strips 6, 7 and 8 are formed of a tough non-heat-shrinkable material which is less resistant to stretching or tearing than non-reinforced LDPE.

The preferred material is a reinforced LDPE sheet with encapsulated woven warp and weft fibres of a tough non-stretchable plastic such as polyester or polypropylene. The strips can conveniently be heat welded to the sheet 1, although other bonding methods can be used such as ultrasonic welding, adhesives etc. The strips 6, 7 and 8 each contain a row of punched holes 9. As shown in the cross-sectional views of Figs 2 and 3, each strip 6, 7, 8 is bonded to the sheet I by spaced parallel top and bottom seams 10 and 11, on opposite sides of the holes 9, so that a longitudinally extending sleeve 12 is formed between the strip and the sheet.

Referring back to Fig. 1, the flaps 21 and 22 are provided with respective bands of contact adhesive 13 and 14 extending along the two adjacent edges 3 and 5, which, prior to use, are protected by a peelable backing.

The adhesive bands enable the overlapping flaps 21 and 22 to be secured to adjacent cover elements so that multiple cover elements can be joined together end-to-end and side-to-side. A complete cover of any required size and shape can therefore be formed by joining the appropriate number of cover elements together without requiring any additional materials. It will however be appreciated that other methods may be used to join the flaps 21 and 22 to adjacent cover elements, e.g. hot melt adhesives, or strips of double-sided adhesive tape.

The cover elements are fixed to a scaffold structure by inserting suitable ties 15 through the holes 9 and threading them along the pocket 12 to emerge from another adjacent hole 9, as shown in Fig. 3. The ends of the tie are then passed around the scaffold tube and joined together, securely attaching the cover to the tube. Ratchet-type plastic ties may be used, although other forms of tie such as lengths of cord or wire could be used if desired.

The spacing between the top and bottom strips 6 and 7 is such that in a conventional 2m scaffolding lift these strips can be used to secure the cover element to two horizontal scaffold tubes. The intermediate strip 8 can be used to secure the cover to an upright tube if desired. The bottom flap 22 will overhang any adjacent cover element, and the end 5 will similarly overlap an adjacent cover element, to which the two flaps would be bonded using the adhesive bands 13 and 14. It should be noted that additional cover elements can be joined on in the same manner after installation, so that the cover can easily be extended where scaffolding has to be erected in stages.

The configuration of the cover elements dictates that this is the only convenient way of orientating the elements using traditional scaffolding methods. Therefore, if the cover elements have brand information printed on them the information will be displayed in the correct orientation.

Once the scaffold has been covered the sheets 1 may be heat shrunk using a hot air gun to draw the cover tightly over the scaffolding structure.

Removal of the cover is simply a matter of removing the ties, which are the sole means of securing the cover to the scaffold.

It will thus be appreciated that the cover is very easy to apply and remove, and provides a very neat professional appearance whether or not branding is applied. The cover elements are easy to handle even under windy conditions, the scaffolding structure does not need to be erected with flush faces, and the materials are 100% recyclable after use.

Furthermore, the cover can withstand high winds without any tendency to flap and bellow.

Whilst the above description places emphasis on the areas which are believed to be new and addresses specific problems which have been identified, it is intended that the features disclosed herein may be used in any combination which is capable of providing a new and useful advance in the art.

* * * * * * * *

Claims

CLAIMS1. A cover element which includes a heat-shrinkable sheet having discrete areas of tough reinforcing material containing attachment holes.
2. A cover element according to Claim 1 in which the areas of tough reinforcing material are provided by reinforcing pieces attached to the sheet.
3. A cover element according to Claim 1 or 2 in which the reinforcing pieces are each provided with a plurality of holes.
4. A cover element according to Claim 3 in which the holes are arranged in a row.
5. A cover element according to Claim 2, 3 or 4 in which the reinforcing pieces are superimposed on the sheet.
6. A cover element according to Claims 5 and 3 in which the reinforcing pieces are attached to the sheet on opposite sides of the holes, allowing a tie to be inserted through one hole, passed between the reinforcing piece and the sheet, and out through another hole.
7. A cover element according to any preceding claim in which the reinforcing pieces are attached to the sheet by heat welding.
8. A cover element according to any preceding claim in which the sheet is substantially rectangular.
9. A cover element according to Claim 8 in which the discrete areas of tough reinforcing material extend along opposite longitudinal edge regions of the sheet.
10. A cover element according to Claim 9 in which one of the areas of tough reinforcing material is spaced from the adjacent longitudinal edge to define a connecting flap which can overlap the sheet of an adjacent cover element.
11. A cover element according to Claim 8, 9 or 10 in which the areas of reinforcing material are spaced from one end of the sheet to define a connecting flap which can overlap the sheet of an adjacent cover element.
12. A cover element according to Claim 10 or 11 in which the or each connecting flap is provided with an adhesive layer for bonding the flap to an adjacent cover element.
13. A cover element according to Claim 12 in which the adhesive layer is provided with a peelable backing prior to use.
14. A cover formed from a plurality of cover elements according to any preceding claim.
15. A scaffold structure provided with a cover according to Claim 14.
16. A cover element substantially as described with reference to the drawings.* * * * * * * *