GB2503702A

GB2503702A - Side protection for collapsible working platform

Info

Publication number: GB2503702A
Application number: GB201211905A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Weston
Original assignee: Teletower com Ltd
Current assignee: Teletower com Ltd
Priority date: 2012-07-04
Filing date: 2012-07-04
Publication date: 2014-01-08
Anticipated expiration: 2032-07-04
Also published as: GB2503702B; GB201211905D0

Abstract

A collapsible structure includes two telescopically collapsible ladder frames 10, 12 disposed above the level of a platform, each ladder frame being formed of two stiles 20, 22 with telescopically collapsible sections, with rungs 24a-c, each extending between respective sections of the two stiles and latch mechanisms for locking the stile sections in the extended position of the ladder frame, wherein each of the stiles of a ladder frame incorporates a knee-level guardrail 32a, 32b, 34a, 34b mounted for rotation about the stile, which knee-level guardrail lies parallel to the rungs and is releasably secured to knee-level guardrail of the second stile of the same ladder frame when the ladder frames are collapsed, and wherein each of the knee-level guardrails is rotated to a plane parallel to a side of the platform and is releasably secured to the knee-level guardrail of a stile of the opposing ladder frame when the ladder frames are erected, characterised in that each knee-level guardrail consists of a two dimensional rigid plate (40, Fig 3), rotatable about and slidable relative to a stile.

Description

KNEE HEIGHT GUARDRAIL FOR AN ELEVATED WORKING PLATFORM

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a knee height guardrail for an elevated working platform of a telescopically collapsible structure.

Background of the invention

EP 1392940 discloses a collapsible scaffolding tower having an elevated working platform. There has also previously been proposed a podium in which a working platform is pivotably connected to the tops of two ladders, that may be telescopically collapsible and are used to climb onto tho platform. To moot safoty rcquiromonto and regulations, any such elevated working platform needs to be surrounded by guardrails.

Tn EP 1392940, the scaffolding tower consists of two telescopically collapsible ladder frames that are connected to one another by suitable stays and braces and the ends of the elevated working platform rest on two opposed rungs. In such a construction, the rungs of the ladder frames that are higher than the working platform can act as guardrails on two sides of the tower but at least two further guardraiis are reguired at the front and the back of the tower.

Similarly, in the case of a podium, it has been proposed to provide two short collapsible ladder frames, one at each end of the platform, that can be pivoted to lie parallel to the platform. The rungs of these ladder frames can serve as guardrails at the ends of the platform but once again two further guardrails are reguired at the front and the back of the podium.

Object of the invention The presenc invention seeks to provide a collapsible struoture that affords adequate protection to a person standing on an elevated platform yet does not require knee height guardrails to be stored and transported separately from the collapsible structure.

Summary of the invention

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a collapsible structure as set forth in claim 1 of the appended claims.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will now be described further, by way of oxamplo, with roforonco to tho aooompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows two collapsed ladder frames for positioning one at each end of a raised platform to provide hand and prior art knee level guardrails all round the platform, and Figures 2 and 3 show different stages in the deployment of the guardrails of the ladder frames shown in Figure 1.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiment(s) Figure 1 shows two ladder frames 10 and 12 in their collapsed state. The two ladder frames are intended to be located at opposite ends of a raised platform. The raised platform may be the platform of a scaffolding tower, as described in EP 1392940 or it may form part of a podium. In the case of a scaffolding, the platform may rest on a collapsible frame incorporating the two ladder frames 10 and 12. In the case of a podium, the platform is permanently pivotably connected to two support ladders that can collapse for storage under the platform whereas the two illustrated ladder frames 10 and 12 may be similarly connected to the platform to fold away above the platform. When fully erected, as shown in Figure 4, the ladder frames 10 and 12 provide a secure cage surrounding the platform on all sides with guardrails at both waist height and knee height.

Each of the ladder frames 10 and 12 includes two stiles and 22, made up of telescopically collapsible tubular stile sections labelled 20a, 20b, 20c and 22a, 22b, 22c of progressively smaller diameter. Rungs 24a, 24b and 24c extend between and are mounted on the respective pairs of stile sections 20a, 22a; 20b, 22b; and 20c, 22c. When the ladder frames 10 and 12 are extended, the rungs 24a to 24c themselves serve as guardrails at the opposite ends of the raised platform.

In addition, cach of thc two laddcr francs 10 and 12 includes components for erecting two further guardrails 30a and 3Gb arranged at waist height and two still further guardrails 32 and 34 arranged at knee height. Each knee guardrail is comprised of two interconnecting knee guard rail halves 32a, 32b and 34a, 34b. When deployed, these knee guardrails 32 and 34 lie parallel to the sides of the raised platform, i.e. perpendicular to the planes containing the rungs of the two ladder frames 10 and 12.

It is important to note that all components of the guardrails 30a, 30b, 32 and 34 when collapsed, lie in the planes of the rungs of the ladder frames so that they may be stored neatly and no further separately stored components are required for their assembly.

In Figure 1, the two guardrails 30a and 30b lie above the top rungs 24c of the respective ladder frames and the tubes of each guardrail 30 are received in the top sections 20c and 22c of rhe same ladder frame 10 or 12. lks shown in Figure 2, the guardrails 30 can be pulled cut of the upper sections 2Cc, 22c of the ladder frame on which they are stored and reinserted into the corresponding stiles of the other ladder frame after rotation through ninety degrees.

Thus, one of the tubes of the guardrail 30a is received in the top stile section 22c of the ladder frame 10 while its other tube is received in the top stile sectiou 2Cc of the ladder frame 12. The guardrails 30a and 30b are in this way used to conneot the two ladder frames 10 and 12 to one another to form a stable self-supporting framework.

This method of coupling the ends of the guardrails 30a, 30b to the stiles cannot be used for the guardrails 32 and 34 of the present invention that are at knee height.

Instead, each knee guardrail half 32a, 32b, 34a, 34b is permanently connected to collar 36 and 38 that can rotate about one of the stiles 20, 22 and may be releasably connoctod to a half of tho guardrail of an adjacont otilo depending on whether it is in the collapsed or erect position. This is more clearly seen by comparing subsequent figures.

The knee guardrail halves may be selectively connected to one another by a sliding sleeve 42. Preferably, permanent magnets in the sleeve 42 and in the guardrail halves hold the sleeve in the locked position in which it overlies the ends of both gace knee guardrail halves.

For added rigidity, which advantageously reduces racking of the podium, the knee guardrail halves 32a,32b and 34a,34b of the present invention, consist of a two dimensional sheet 40 or plate which forms a leaf of an actual gate or door into the podium. In this preferred embodiment, shown in figures 1 to 3, it is preferable for each knee guardrail half to be releasably secured to another knee guardrail half at an upper and lower edge to further increase seouricy and stability.

In Figure 1, the knee guardrail halves on the same ladder structure, 10 and 12 respectively, are connected to one another, resulting in the assembled guardrails resting parallel to the rungs 24, whereas in Ficure 3, the knee guardrail halves are rotated through 90° and connected to one another, 32a to 32b and 34a to 34b, with the guardrails extending parallel to the sides of the platform. Figure 2 shows an intermediate pcsition.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A collapsible structure that can be erected to provide an elevated working platform having two ends and two sides, wherein owo telescopically collapsible ladder frames are disposed above the level of the platform, one on each end of the platform, each ladder frame being formed of two stiles having telescopically collapsible sections, rungs each extending between respective sections of the two stiles and latch mechanisms for locking the stile sections in the extended position of the ladder frame, wherein each of the stiles of a ladder frame incorporates a cnee guardrail mounted for rotation about the stile, which knee guardrail lies parallel to the rungs and is releasably secured to knee guard rail of the second stile of the same ladder frame when the ladder frames are collapsed, and whoroin oach of tho knoo guardrailo is rotatod to a plane parallel cc a side of the platform and is releasably secured to the Knee guardrail of a stile of the opposing ladder frame when the ladder frames are erected, oharacterised in that each knee guardrail consists of a two dimensional rigid plate, rotatable about and slidable relative to a scile.
2. A collapsible structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the collapsible structure is a podium, wherein the knee guardrail is arranged at knee height above the platform and each guardrail part is connected to a brace of which the lower end is connected to a collar slidable over and rotatable about the lowermost section of the ladder frame.
3. A collapsible structure as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which a collar rotatably mounted on the stile and secured to the Knee rail and the collar connected to the lower end of the brace are coupled to one another by a rigid inextensible bar lying parallel to the axis of the stile about which the knee rail is rotatable.
4. A collapsible structure as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the knee guardrail parts are releasably connectible to one another by means a retractable sleeve retained on one of the guardrail parts and slidable over the end of the other guardrail part.
5. A collapsible structure as claimed in claim 4, wherein the sleeve is retained in a position overlying both guardrail parts by means of permanent magnets mounted on the sleeve and one of the guardrail parts.7. A collapsible structure as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the plate is securable to another knee guardrail sheet at an upper and lower edge.Amended claims have been filed as follows:-CLAIMS1. A collapsible structure that can be erected to provide an elevated working platform having two ends and two sides, wherein owo telescopically collapsible ladder frames are disposed above the level of the platform, one on each end of the platform, each ladder frame being formed of two stiles having telescopically collapsible sections, rungs each extending between respective sections of the two stiles and latch mechanisms for locking the stile sections in the extended position of the ladder frame, wherein each of the stiles of a ladder frame incorporates a Knee guardrail half mounted for rotation about the stile, which knee guardrail half lies parallel to the rungs and is releasably secured to the knee guard rail half of the second stile of the same ladder frame when the ladder frames are collapsed to form an assembled knee guardrail, and wherein each of the knee guardrails halves is rotated to a plane parallel to a side of the platform and is releasably secured to the knee guardrail half of a stile of the opposing ladder frame when the ladder frames are erected, characterised in that each knee guardrail half consists of a rigid plate having a height at least equal to the separation between two rungs of the extended ladder frame, the plate being rotatable about and slidable relative to a stile.2. A collapsible structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the knee guardrail halves are releasably connectible to one another by means a retractable sleeve retained on one of the guardrail halves and slidable over the end of another mating guardrail half.3. A collapsible structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sleeve is retained in a position overlying both knee guardrail halves by means of permanent magnets mounted on the sleeve and the mating knee guardrail half.4. A collapsible structure as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each knee guardrail half is securable to another knee guardrail half at an upper and lower edge.