GB2508797A

GB2508797A - Temporary staircase

Info

Publication number: GB2508797A
Application number: GB1217827.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Francis Stanley Chapman
Original assignee: ADVANT Ltd
Current assignee: ADVANT Ltd
Priority date: 2012-10-05
Filing date: 2012-10-05
Publication date: 2014-06-18
Anticipated expiration: 2032-10-05
Also published as: GB2508797B; GB201217827D0

Abstract

A self-contained staircase for use with a multi-storey temporary building comprises a framework constructed from two substantially rectangular side frames 10,11 connected together by cross-members 12-15, so as to have substantially rectangular vertical and horizontal cross-sections. Ground engagement pads in the form of feet 49 are provided on lower members of the framework and at least one side frame 11 has connectors 43,45 to allow the staircase to be connected to the temporary building 50,51. At least one flight of stairs 20 is substantially contained within the confines of the framework. The flight of stairs may be divided into two connected flights with a half-landing 21 provided between those flights and appropriate handrails 27,28,32 for safety may be furnished for use by personnel climbing or descending the stairs.

Description

SELF CONTAINED STAIRCASE

This invention relates to a self-contained staircase, particularly (but not exclusively) suitable for use with temporary or portable buildings such as may be used on construction sites.

On almost all building and other construction sites it is necessary to provide a number of offices and welfare rooms for personnel working at the site.

Such facilities, referred to hereinafter as "cabins", are often based on standard ISO cargo containers sizes and fittings, to allow easy transport from site to site, handling with container lifts and so on. Because of the pressure of space on many construction sites, it is now a common practice to stack cabins two-high, using the standard fittings provided on ISO containers to lock together upper and lower cabins.

To allow a cabin to be used where required, one would not normally include a staircase. Consequently, to give access to an upper cabin attached to a lower cabin supported on the ground, it is the usual practice to provide an external stairway or staircase leading from ground level to the normal entrance to the upper cabin. Such a staircase is assembled on site from a plurality of staircase components, but this can be difficult to do having regard to local ground conditions including the firmness of the ground and any ground slope, perhaps in two directions, leading to the necessity to provide a base and maybe packing for the lower members of the stairway. Moreover, there are health and safety considerations when assembling a stairway; the weight of the components may require the use of lifting tackle or cranes but frequently several people are needed anyway to position and align the components, and the personnel may have to use fall-restraints and so need training.

Having regard to the above, there is a need to reduce the time and number of personnel required to assemble a stairway for the upper cabin of a pair stacked two-high, and to increase safety for those personnel.

According to this invention, there is provided self-contained staircase for use with a multi-storey temporary building, the staircase comprising a substantially rigid framework constructed from two substantially rectangular side frames connected together by cross-members so as to have substantially rectangular vertical and horizontal cross-sections, ground-engagement pads being provided on lower members of the framework and at least one side frame including connectors for connection to a temporary building, there being at least one flight of stairs substantially contained within the confines of the framework.

It will be appreciated that with the self-contained staircase of this invention, it becomes possible to provide a staircase for stacked cabins without the need to assemble the staircase from separate components. By using the staircase connectors to connect the framework to the cabins, the staircase frame in effect hangs off the cabins, so that no, or only a small degree of, reliance is placed on the ground conditions and levels below the framework.

Rather, the staircase may be fully supported by the cabins and the ground-engagement pads serve primarily to stop flexing of the framework and so add stability to the structure.

Further, the staircase may be transported as a single unit, and craned off the transport at the installation location and immediately connected to the cabins which the staircase is to serve. The operation is thus relatively quick to perform and the attachment effected by a single operator.

Each connector of the framework may comprise a plate securely attached to the framework and including an aperture for receiving a fastener associated with a temporary building with which the staircase is to be used. At least some of the connectors may project laterally from the framework, in or adjacent the upper plane thereof, for connection to mounts provided at the base of the upper cabin of a two-high stack thereof. When the staircase is used with cabins based on ISO cargo container formats, the connectors may be arranged for direct coupling to an ISO mount on the upper cabin, and possibly also on the lower cabin.

In a preferred embodiment, there are two flights of stairs within the framework, the upper end of one flight leading to the lower end of the other flight. A half-landing may be provided between the two flights, the upper end of said one flight leading to the half-landing and the lower end of said other flight rising from the half-landing. With such an arrangement, said one flight (the lower flight) may rise in a first direction parallel to a first side frame, and said other flight (the upper flight) then rising in the opposite direction, also parallel to the first side frame. The above arrangement may have the half-landing extending across the width of the framework, in a direction normal to the plane of the side frames. This preferred embodiment of a staircase allows for a very compact assembly, allowing it to be easily transportable from site to site, as may be required, and then handled on site with a minimum of personnel.

The preferred embodiment has the upper end of the other flight leading to a landing also contained within the framework, which may lie substantially in the plane of the upper members of the framework. In this case, a handrail assembly may be provided for the landing, which handrail assembly can be mounted on the landing or on the framework adjacent the landing, to upstand from and at least partially around the landing. The handrail may be demountable for transport of the staircase. The handrail assembly may include an openable gate to give selective access to the other flight, from the landing, or to close off such access.

To facilitate installation, the handrail assembly may be open on a side thereof lying in substantially the same plane as the adjacent side frame. That side will, in use, be against a wall of the cabin having an access door, such that the open side of the handrail allows immediate access from the cabin door to the landing.

Each ground engagement pad may comprise a leg projecting downwardly from the framework and having a enlarged foot at the lower end thereof. The projecting length of each ground engagement pad leg may be adjustable, to allow for engagement of the associated foot with the ground even if the ground is not level or is otherwise uneven.

By way of example only, one specific embodiment of a self-contained staircase for use with temporary building having two cabins stacked one on the other will now be described in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an isometric view of the embodiment of a self-contained staircase; and Figure 2 is an isometric view of the staircase of Figure 1 connected to the two cabins of the temporary building, to give access to the upper cabin.

The embodiment of staircase shown in the drawings comprises a framework having a pair of side frames 10, 11 held in a spaced apart disposition by lower cross-members 12, 13 and upper cross-members 14, 15. Each side frame 10, 11 is constructed from four members 16, 17, 18 and 19, typically of box-section steel welded together to define a rectangular frame. Similarly, the cross-members 12, 13, 14 and 15 are also of box-section steel and are welded to the side frames to form a substantially rigid strong cuboidal framework.

A prefabricated stairway 20 extends upwardly from lower cross-member 12 to a half-landing 21 provided part-way up the height of the frame and secured to side frame members 19 of the two side frames 10, 11. The half-landing 21 is also suspended from the upper frame members 18 by columns 22, and horizontal rails 23 extend between the columns to assist the security of personnel when standing on the platform. The stairway has a width equal to slightly less than the width of the frame between the vertical side frame members 17, and a second, shorter stairway 24 extends upwardly from the half-landing 21 to a landing 25 provided in the plane of the upper side frame members 18 and the upper cross-members 14, 15.

Handrail assemblies 27, 28 are provided to each side of the stairway 20, each handrail assembly having a top rail 29 and a pair of lower rails 30, 31.

The second stairway 24 has a pair of demountable handrail assemblies 32 extending upwardly from the half-landing to the landing, each handrail assembly 32 having a top rail 33 and a pair of lower rails 34. The assemblies 32 are bolted in position such that they may be removed when the staircase is to be moved, but when in use the handrail assemblies may be secured in position to confer safety to users of the staircase.

Similarly, the landing 25 is provided with a demountable handrail assembly 35, bolted in position as shown but removable when the staircase is to be moved to another location. This handrail assembly 35 has an end part 36 extending over and in alignment with the upper cross-member 14 for part of the length thereof, and a second part 37 extending along the edge of the landing parallel to the upper side frame member 18 of side frame 11. Each handrail part 36, 37 includes uprights 38, a top rail 39 and lower rails 40.

A pair of upper connector plates 43 are welded to the upper member 18 of side frame 11 to extend away from the side frame, each connector plate including an elongate aperture 44. Similar connector plates 45 are welded to the lower cross-members 12, 13 to extend towards each other within the confines of the framework, and connector plates 46 are welded to the lower frame member 16 of side frame 10. Two further connector plates 47 are welded to the lower frame member 16, to extend generally vertically upwardly.

Adjustable legs 48, each having a foot 49, are secured to the lower corner regions of the frame, at the ends of the lower frame member 16. Each leg has two telescopically slidable parts which may be secured together at a selected disposition by means of a pin extending horizontally through aligned openings in the two leg parts.

Figure 2 shows the staircase in use with a pair of site cabins 50, 51 mounted one above the other and each constructed on the ISO cargo container format. Using the connector plates 43, the staircase is hung from the connectors (not shown) of the two cabins, which inter-engage in the apertures 44 of the two connector plates. Lugs projecting from the lower cabin are secured to the connector plates 45 on the frame member 13, to hold the frame securely to the assembly of the two cabins. Rigidity is imparted to the staircase by adjusting the legs 48 so that the feet 49 bear on the ground, and should the ground conditions change, the legs may be adjusted to ensure that the staircase remains stable for users.

When the staircase is to be moved to another location, the handrail assemblies associated with the second stairway 24 and the landing 25 should be removed to keep the overall height of the staircase to no more than that of a single cabin. These assemblies are relatively small and so easily handled by a single operator. Then, the staircase may be transported as a single unit by being craned on to a truck once the connector plates 43 and 45 have been released. The operation is thus relatively quick to perform and the attachment may be effected by a single operator. The working environment for the operator is relatively safe, and there is no need to provide fall-arrest equipment. The installation of the staircase to a pair of stacked cabins and the removal therefrom is thus quick and easy to perform, and a relatively low risk operation.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A self-contained staircase for use with a multi-storey temporary building, the staircase comprising a framework constructed from two substantially rectangular side frames connected together by cross-members so as to have substantially rectangular vertical and horizontal cross-sections, ground-engagement pads being provided on lower members of the framework and at least one side frame including connectors for connection to a temporary building, there being at least one flight of stairs substantially contained within the confines of the framework.
2. A self-contained staircase as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are two flights of stairs within the framework, the upper end of one flight leading to the lower end of the other flight.
3. A self-contained staircase as claimed in claim 2, wherein there is a half-landing between the two flights, the upper end of said one flight leading to the half-landing and the lower end of said other flight rising from the half-landing.
4. A self-contained staircase as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein said one flight rises in a first direction parallel to a first side frame, and said other flight rises in the opposite direction parallel to the first side frame.
5. A self-contained staircase as claimed in claim 4, wherein the half-landing extends across the width of the framework, in a direction normal to the plane of the side frames.
6. A self-contained staircase as claimed in any of claims 2 to 5, wherein the upper end of the other flight leads to a landing also contained within the framework.
7. A self-contained staircase as claimed in claim 6, wherein the landing lies substantially in the plane of the upper members of the framework.
8. A self-contained staircase as claimed in claim 7, wherein a handrail assembly is provided for the landing, which handrail assembly is mountable on the landing to upstand therefrom and is demountable therefrom, for transport of the staircase.
9. A self-contained staircase as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the handrail assembly includes an openable gate giving selective access to and closing off the other flight, from the landing.
10. A self-contained staircase as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the handrail assembly is open on a side thereof lying in substantially the same plane as the adjacent side frame.
11. A self-contained staircase as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein each ground engagement pad comprises a leg projecting downwardly from the framework and having a enlarged foot at the lower end thereof.
12. A self-contained staircase as claimed in claim 11, wherein the projecting length of each ground engagement pad leg is adjustable.
13. A self-contained staircase as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein each connector comprises a plate securely attached to the framework and including an aperture for receiving a fastener associated with a temporary building with which the staircase is to be used.
14. A self-contained staircase as claimed in claim 13, wherein at least some of the connectors project laterally from the framework, in or adjacent the upper plane thereof.
15. A self-contained staircase for use with a multi-storey temporary building and as claimed in claim 1, and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.