GB2496931A - Stillage for sheet materials, particularly glass - Google Patents

Abstract

A stillage retains sheets of glass or other material vertically with lower edges in castellated plastic base rails (D) and an upper edge within a coarse plastic thread (C). The depth (height) of the sheet accommodated can vary due to a vertical support (F) being adjustable. A spring loaded safety interlock device ( H ) may be employed as a safety feature preventing unintentional rotation of the thread (C). The whole assembly is retained on a hollow section alloy base frame (M). The stillage may also be collapsible for ease of distribution and transportation, by means of pivotal connection (E, figure 3).

Description

Description.

Glasafe.

This invention has been born, primarily from the requirement to store glass and other sheet type materials, in a safe and manageable form. This can be within a workshop or on site prior to the fitting or utilisation of such products.

For example, It has been the practice for many yea N to either carry or hoist glass and other sheet type materials to the desired floor level on site and then to store this glass or other product in bulk prior to fining. This practice for example, has resulted in persons trying to retain, glass sheets in the vertical so that it is easy to handle by manual or mechanical means.

The main issue is that the glass or other products may have been leant against a column or other structure prior to use. The glass either during its removal from bulk or even singular state, can slip or topple, when in a static vertical but unsafe condition. Glass has on occasion slipped or fallen and caused severe injury to personnel.

Several health and safety conscious companies have now insisted that each individual sheet of glass has to be band wrapped to a glass stillage, which usually takes the form of a timber or steel A frame, prior to and during their use and storage. For example, if a sheet of glass is required for use and is un banded, should the sheet not be fitted immediately, it has to be taken back to the stillage and re banded. This is very time consuming, costly and can damage the glass on its face or edges. The additional issue of waste removal and the banding being a trip hazard should it not be disposed of correctly.

The Glasafe stillage retains the glass or other products between the base castellated plastic rail (D)see diag 3 and within the depth of the helical thread (C) see diag 1,2 &4. This is accomplished by placing the panel of glass centrally ( side to side) within the base plastic rail (0) see diag 1,2 & 3, so that the castelations retain the base of the glass in a secure manor within their depth. The helical thread (C) is retracted to the point above the inner most castellation allowing the glass to be 90 degrees to the base frame and thus resting on the face of the plastic thread. See diag 1,3 and expanded detail in Diag 5.

The frame (F) see diag. 1, is raised or lowered to suit the glass or product sheet size, so that the top edge of the product to be retained, will fall within the depth of the helical thread C but below the central core of the thread making sure the set position allows at least 10mm glass edge cover. See Diag S & 6 and position (P1) and (G) shown in diag 7. After the adjustable frame (F)see diag 1 has been raised or lowered to suit the product, a securing pin ( R) see Diag 1, in the expanded view of (R), is located so as to lock frame F in position. A safety clip(s) is then used to fix the pin ( R)into position.

See Diag 1.

After adjusting the frame (F) into the desired position and placing the glass into the lower castelations.

See Diag 1, and reverse view OFag 2, the thread (C) is rotated by handle (B) to put the thread (C) into the correct position, see Diag 5 and position P1 shown in Diag 6 & 7, In doing so the helical thread (C) laps the glass at its upper edge for one thread pitch. The safety plunger (H) See Diag. 4,5,6,7 and 8, will drop into the thread slot ( K) diag. 4 & S and prevent further rotation of thread (C). The next sheet is placed onto the open face of thread (C) as shown in flag. 4 position P2. The safety plunger (H $s manually lifted so as to overcome the force of the spring within, see Diag. 4,5 & S and the thread (C) is again rotated through the fixed nut (A) for one revolution so as to encapsulate the edge of the glass again. See P2 Diag. 4. The process is repeated until the desired number of sheets are retained within the helical thread (C) Diag. 1&2 and the lower castellated base (0).

To remove the glass for use, the process is reversed. The glass is held by hand or by the use of a glass suction device affixed to the front face of the glass sheet by operative number 1. whilst the second operative lifts the safety p'unger ( H) See diag. S & 8. Ihe operator number 2 rotates the thread (C)through the static nut (A) in the opposite direction until the thread releases the top edge of the first piece of glass, whilst still retaining the other sheets within the helical thread ( C) in a safe condition. As the glass comes to the point of release it is then in an unsafe condition and must be he'd by an operator until both have a good grip of the sheet and are ready to lift free from the castellated base ( D) for use or disthbution.

Due to the fact that once the helical thread (C) during either loading or unloading, has rotated one rotation through the fixed nut (A) the safety plunger ( H) is forced by its spring down into the thread cut out (K) see Diag S and prevents any further rotation of (C) until plunger (H) is manually lifted against the force of the spring.

The primary components, thread ( C), nut ( A) castellated plastic base rail ID) and adjustable upper frame (F) are all attached to the main hollow section alloy base frame (M) as shown in diag. 1 & 2.

The Glasafe stillage can be made to accommodate varying product sues by increasing the dimensions of the component parts,thread pitch and castellation pitch and width etc.

Claims (1)

1. <claim-text>Claims. Glassafe.A sheet glass holding stillage.Nb This can also be utilized for holding other materials which are in sheet form.1/The glass holding stillage promotes the safe storage of materials in sheet form, retaining the sheets in the vertical.</claim-text> <claim-text>2/The glass holding stillage according to claim 1, retains the sheet within the coarse plastic thread (C) at upper or top edge and the castellated plastic base rail at the base ( D).</claim-text> <claim-text>3/ A glass holding stillage according to Claim 2, can be adjusted by raising arid lowering ( F) to allow varying sheet sizes to be accommodated. A variety of products of varying lengths, thicknesses and widths can be accommodated by varying the size of the component parts.</claim-text> <claim-text>4/A glass holding stillage according to claim 3, can retain a number of glass sheets within the coarse thread and the plastic base rail provided that the height of the sheets are the same size within the tolerance of the thread depth. When a sheet is to be removed for use, the screw (C) is rotated through the nut ( A) which is fixed and mounted on the adjustable frame ( F) until the glass is released onto the front face of the thread, ready for removal by hand. The same in reverse for the loading of the sheets, ie place the sheet into the corresponding slot in the base rail ( D) and held in the vertical onto the face of the thread (G). Rotating the thread (C) thus encapsulates the sheet within the depth of the helical corkscrew) thread and thus is retained safely.</claim-text> <claim-text>5/A glass holding stillage according to the claim 4 above, which can be collapsed for ease of transport and distribution, by backing off the screw (C) or removing it from the nut (A) so that the vertical frame (F) can be rotated at point ( E)to make the assembly flat for distribution around site (on wheeled bogy or for ease of transport in a small van.</claim-text> <claim-text>6/A glass holding stillage according to the claims above, which has a safety plunger devise ( H) which locks the coarse thread (C) so that the sheets can not be accidently released when unattended or in use, thus holding the sheets in a safe manner. S 4AMENDMENTS TO THE CLAIMS HAVE BEEN FILED AS FOLLOWS1/A stillage adapted for the storage of at least one sheet of material in the vertical configuration comprising castellated base rails adapted to engage the lower edge of at least one sheet and a threaded member adjacent to the upper edge of the sheet adapted to engage said upper sheet edge within the threads, thereby holding the sheet vertically.2! A stillage as defined in claim 1, wherein the castellated base rails and the threaded member are formed from a plastics material.3/A stillage as defined by claim 1 or 2 adapted for the storage of panes of glass or other sheet materials.4/A stilage as defined in any proceeding claim wherein the height of the threaded member is adjustable to accommodate a range of sheet sizes.5/A stillage as defined by any proceeding claim further comprising a of a first frame carrying the base rails and a second frame pivotally connected tQ the first frame and carrying the threaded member, wherein the said pivotal connection is adapted to allow the frame to be folded flat.6/A stillage as defined in any proceeding claim, wherein the threaded member further comprises a safety plunger devise adapted to lock the threaded member in place and thereby prevent accidental rotation of the same.7/A method of storing a plurality of glass or other sheet material comprising; (a) providing a stillage according to any proceeding claims; (b) locating the rower edge of a sheet to be stored in the castellated base rails; (c) rotating the threaded member will bring it into engagement with the top edge of the sheet and; (d) repeating steps b-c with subsequent sheets. 8/A method of releasing a glass or other sheet materials for use comprising; with a stillage as defined by any of claims 1-6, rotating the threaded member to release the upper edge of a glass sheet or other sheet material and lifting the sheet clear of the stillage.S C, *SS 4SS S</claim-text>