GB2513972A

GB2513972A - Apparatus and method

Info

Publication number: GB2513972A
Application number: GB1404090.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ed Kirk
Original assignee: DONALDSON TIMBER ENGINEERING Ltd
Current assignee: DONALDSON TIMBER ENGINEERING Ltd
Priority date: 2013-05-10
Filing date: 2014-03-07
Publication date: 2014-11-12
Anticipated expiration: 2034-03-07
Also published as: GB2513914A; GB201308454D0; GB201404090D0; GB2513914B; GB2513972B; WO2014181122A1

Abstract

The apparatus comprises a pair of brackets adapted to fit on a sloping support member 18, each bracket comprising an engagement member for connecting with a bar 20 such that when the brackets are connected to the support members the bar provides a generally horizontal platform. The engagement member comprises at least one bolt and a backing member such as a nut. The bar may have a plurality of holes for receiving the bolt. The bolt may have a handle and may be formed integral with the backing member. The bar may have an L-shaped cross section and may be formed from steel or aluminium. An elongate member may extend above the bar. The backing member may comprise a second bar. A construction building method including the use of a bar fitted to brackets to provide a horizontal stand is also claimed.

Description

APPARATUS AND METHOD

Description

The present invention relates to a step, stand or platform for use in the built environment and particularly for use in constructing roofs. A method of assembling such a platform, particularly in a roof, is also provided.

Background

Commonly a roof is constructed using prefabricated roof trusses to form a structural skeleton for the roof. Each roof truss comprises a triangular timber frame with internal web timbers to provide additional strength. The apexes of the triangular frames usually form the ridge of the roof and the longest sides of the triangles form the bases off the trusses and are laid horizontally Ofi the top of the building. These web timbers usually include two which extend from the apex of the triangular truss to the longest side, i.e. the base of the triangle.

The preiffabricated roof trusses are winched onto the top of a building, and set at spaced intervals along the roofline.

They are then fixed together with horizontal and diagonal longitudinal bracing timbers, including at least one at or close to the ridge of the roof. In order to fix the bracing timbers, and particularly the ridge bracing timber, carpenters usually have to climb up inside the trusses which requires them to stand on something to gain the necessary extra height, which can be dangerous.

To reduce the danger to the workers some tnisses are now supplied with a horizontal timber installed in the centre bay of the truss, nailplated to the web timbers. This provides a fixed step for the carpenter to stand on while he attaches the longitudinal bracing timbers. However it is complicated to fabricate for most factories, and increases the cost of the truss, and its fabrication rime.

Summary of the Invention

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus for providing a step or stand for use in the built environment, the apparatus comprising a pair of brackets each adapted to fit on a sloping support member, each bracket comprising an engagement means for connecting with a bar such that when the brackets are located on support members the bar provides a generally horizontal platform, wherein each engagement means comprises a bolt and a backing merrber wherein the bolt is arranged to engage with the bar and with the sloping support member.

Optionally, the bar comprises a hole for receiving the bolt.

A plurality of holes may be provided for receiving the bolt so that the position of the bar can be adjusted.

The plurality holes may be staggered, i.e. offset from each other in lines extending along the length of the bar.

Two bolts may be provided arranged one on each side of a sloping support member.

Nuts may be arranged to engage with respective bolts to retain the bolts in engagement with the bar and on the sloping support surfaces.

The backing member, which may be a nut, a washer, a plate or a second bar may be provided on the opposite side of the sloping support member.

The or each bar may have an h-shaped cross-section.

The bar may be formed of steel, or may be formed of aluminium to make it lighter. The bolts may be made of stainless steel for strength and resistance to corrosion. The nuts may be made of plastics material, particularly a hard plastics material, for lightness and to resist corrosion. The nuts may be formed with diameters several times that of the bolts so that they can be relatively easily turned to tighten or loosen them by hand. The circumference of the nut may be formed with a roughness or convoluted surface for ease of manual handling, e.g. gripping.

Alternatively the head of the bolt may be adapted for ease of manual handling, such as in a handle shape or a relatively large diameter wheel or knob, and a smaller nut may be used, or the hole in the bar or in the backing plate may be screw threaded for positive engagement with the bolt.

A bar may be arranged on each opposed side of the sloping support members and be connected by the bolts. In this way the bars and bolts form a rectangular yoke which fits around two sloping support members to provide a generally horizontal step or stand.

Another bar, or another yoke, may be likewise fitted to a second set of sloping support members spaced from the first set forming two spaced steps between which a deeper platform may be constructed. For example planks or custom made planar support members may be laid across the spaced steps created by the bars.

Optionally the steps are also provided with elongate members such as vertically extending members to engage the ends of planks or other planar support members to restrain longitudinal movement and achieve a safe platform to support workers and their tools while working on the roof trusses.

The bars may be formed with an h-shaped cross section.

The vertically extending member may be formed with a T cross section and may be held between back-to-back h-shaped bars resting on one or more separation blocks bolted between the h-shaped bars.

The bar may comprise a slot with at least one longitudinally extending first part and at least one second part extending at an angle to the longitudinal part, so that when the bar is engaged with at least one bracket the bar provides a step or stand for use in the built environment.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a building method comprising positioning a plurality of trusses at spaced intervals, each truss comprising at least two sloping timbers; placing brackets on respective sloping timbers and fitting a bar to the brackets to provide a generally horizontal step or stand, wherein placing the brackets on the sloping timbers comprises forming each bracket from a bolt and a backing nember. For example a method for assembling a roof may comprise positioning a plurality of roof trusses at spaced intervals along a roof line, each roof truss comprising at least two sloping timbers; and fitting apparatus according to the second aspect of the invention on the sloping timbers to provide a generally horizontal step or stand.

The method may further comprise assembling two bars at spaced apart positions to support a deeper platform between them.

The method may additionally comprise assembling bars on adjacent spaced trusses of a roof being constructed, and using the bars to support a platform.

For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of Drawings

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating one embodiment of the invention in a typical roof construction using a plurality of roof trusses.

Figure 2 is a front elevation view of the embodiment of Figure 1 in use.

Figure 3 is a front elevation view of a bar forming part of the apparatus according o Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the bar of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a front elevation view of an alternative embodiment of the apparatus of the invention in a roof truss.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the embodiment of Figure in use.

Figures 7 and B illustrate different embodiments of the fastening mechanism for the invention.

Figure 9 illustrates another embodiment of the invention.

Figure 10 is a front elevation of another embodiment of the invention.

Figure 11 is a plan view of a bracket for use in one embodiment.

Figure 12 is a front elevation view of the bracket of Figure 11 in use.

Full Description of Drawings

Figure 1 illustrates a house roof under construction and shows a series of roof trusses 1 arranged at spaced intervals along a roof line 2 on top of the brickwork 5 of a house being built. The trusses 1 are fastened together by horizontal bracing timbers 3 and diagonal bracing timbers 4.

Each roof truss 1 comprises a horizontal roof line timber 12 and two diagonally extending timbers 14a and 14b which are joined at the apex 16 of the truss 1. Internal web timbers 18 are fastened between the apex 16 of the truss 1 and the roof line timber 12 to increase The strength of the truss 1.

A bar 20 is supported on two brackets 24 located on respective web timbers 18. This provides a platform on which a carpenter or other worker can safely stand to work on the roof, for example to attach longitudinal bracing timbers 3 to connect a series of trusses 1 together.

The bar 20 is elongate and may be planar as shown in Figures 8 to 12 or have an inverted b-shaped cross section as shown in Figures 1 to 7, with two arms 21 and 22 perpendicular to each other. In use, when supported on the roof trusses, the first arm 21 is generally vertical and the second arm 22 provides a generally horizontal platform for a worker to step onto or to stand on. The bar 20 is formed of any strong, relatively rigid, material, which is capable of supporting at least one personTs weight. Steel is suitable as is aluminium which is lighter.

Figure 2 illustrates a single roof truss 1 fitted with the apparatus of the invention. The roof truss 1 comprises a horizontal roof line timber 12 and two outer timbers 14a and 14b which extend diagonally and are joined at the apex 16 of the truss 1. sloping internal web timbers 18 are fastened between the apex 16 of the truss 1 and the roof line timber 12 to increase the strength of the truss 1.

A bar 20 is shown in two alternative locations 23a and 23b supported at each end on respective internal web timbers 18.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate one embodiment of the apparatus in more detail, with Figure 3 showing a front elevation and Figure 4 showing an end elevation.

In Figure 3 an L-shaped bar 20 is shown with holes 51 at spaced intervals toward the two opposite ends of the bar 20.

As shown the bar 20 has a vertical arm 21 and a horizontal arm 22 which are shown more clearly in the enlarged version shown in Figure 4.

The bar 20 is fastened back-to-back with a second bar 20 as shown in Figure 4 separated by spacers 53 supporting an inverted T-shaped bar 54. Three nuts 58 and bolts 59 spaced along the length of the bars 20 keep the assembly together.

Figure 5 shows the bar 20 of Figures 3 and 4 in situ on the sloping internal web timbers 18 of a roof truss in which the internal timbers 18 at set at an angle of 52°. The back-to-back bars are arranged such that the holes 51 are aligned and the arrangement is supported on the sloping web timbers 18 by bolts fitting through one of both sets of holes and resting on the outside sloping edges 61 of the timbers 18. The combination of bolts and bars 20 forms a rectangular yoke around the two sloping timbers 18 which is restrained by its dimensions from sliding down the timbers and thus provides a safe step or a support for a platform for working on.

Two such supports may be attached to consecutively spaced internal timbers and a plank, or custom made platform of wood or metal may be located on the bars with its ends abutting the upstanding arm of the T-shaped members 54. In this way the plank or platform is restrained from longitudinal movement and is more secure in use.

The bolts may be screw threaded and engage directly in the holes or may engage with nuts to hold them in place. The head of the bolts may be made large for ease of manual handling and may for example be handle shaped so that no special tool is necessary.

Figure 6 shows such an arrangement in use with two elongate platform members 71 supported by facing horizontal arms 22 of spaced apart L-shaped bars 20 having their ends constrained by the upstanding part 54 of the I-shaped member.

In this figure the bolts 81 have handle shaped heads. This is shown in more detail in enlarged view in Figure 7. This form of bolt has a screw thread as shown, which engages directly with the hole in the bar 20.

In Figure 8 an alternative form of bolt 181 is shown with a relatively small head 183 and a large nut 184 with which it engages to fasten. The nut 184 may be made of a hard plastics material and have a ridged outer surface to make manual operation easier.

In Figure 9 another embodiment of the bar 20 is shown with two rows of holes 51 arranged on spaced rows 93 at offset positions, corresponding to the angle of slope of the web timbers 18. The bar 20 is on one side of the web timber 18 and the bolts (not shown) fasten it to a backing plate 29 on the other side which has corresponding holes.

The bolt may be integrally formed with the backplate.

The web timbers 18 and the bar 20 then form a rigid structure which holds the bar securely in place on the web timbers 18. Thus the bar 20 provides a secure and stable step, stand or platform for a worker to stand on to work within the roof truss, for example for a carpenter to secure braoing timbers.

The position of the bolt along the length of the bar can be changed to adjust the elevation of the bar and thus of the platform or step. This enables the position of the bar to be chosen to suit the worker and the job to be accomplished. The holes may be arranged in straight or staggered lines along the length of the bar 20.

More than one bolt may be used to form the bracket. Using two bolts provides a more secure fit to the bracket and enables the bracket to withstand higher loads than what would be withstood using just one bolt. The staggered lines of holes may form pairs of holes that are offset with respect to each other as is illustrated in Figure 9. A bolt is placed through each of a pair of holes on either side of a web member. Each bolt is then received through a corresponding hole in the backplate and secured, for example by screws 184 as shown in Figure 8.

One or more of the holes 51 could be replaced by slots, for example the vertical slots 28 as illustrated in Figure 10.

These can be connected by an elongate slot 26 to permit easy adjustment of the position of the bar relative to fixing bolts.

In this embodiment slot 26 has larger diameter portions 30 at each end which can be passed over the heads of bolts or the like and the position of the bar adjusted accordingly.

Instead of bolts and a backplate or a second bar, a bracket 24 as shown in Figure 11 may be used.

The bracket 24 forms a yolk or collar 25 which is placed over a web timber 18 so that a pin 32 extends generally horizontally away from the web timber 18, parallel to the roof apex 16. The yolk 25 abuts the outer facing side 37 of the web timber 18. The bar 20 is then located on the pin 32 of the bracket 24 by insertion of the pin 32 through the larger hole 30, and is moved so that the pin 32 slides along the longitudinal slot 26 In the bar 20 until the pin 32 of the bracket 24 on the other timber 18 is aligned with, and can be inserted into, the second hole 30. The bar 20 can then be positioned so that the two pins 32 are engaged in suitably positioned short slots 28 so that horizontal movement is restricted.

Suitable positions for the short slots 28 depend upon for example the pitch of a roof, and the required distance of the platform from the ridge of the roof. Some examples are shown in Figure 10.

A skilled person will be able to calculate appropriate positions of slots 28 or holes 51 for any particular application, such as a particular roof architecture.

By providing a plurality of holes or slots, the bar 20 can be made suitable for a variety of applications, and a standard form of bar can be made for use in many different situations, e.g. for different roof pitches. Hence the apparatus provides a more flexible solution than the known factory fixed platforms.

This apparatus also has the advantage that no factory -10-installation to individual trusses is required, saving cost and time, and the bar and brackets can be re-used multiple times.

Preferably the bar is formed of steel for strength and longevity but it could be formed of many other materials provided they are strong enough to bear the weight required by the application, e.g. of a human. Typically the bar could be made from a steel angle 80 mm wide, 60 mm deep and 7 mm thick and could be 2,400 mm long. The size of the slots or holes is chosen to suit the dimensions of the pins or bolts. In this example the stem of a bolt will typically be a 10 mm diameter and the head of the bolt about 20 mm diameter.

The brackets 24 shown in Figure U could be made of 5 rum steel plate. They could typically be about 120 mm long, and 80 mm deep with a width to fit that of typical web timbers, usually about 40 mm.

The apparatus could be used to provide a self-assembly step, stand or platform in any situation where sloping supports are available.

The apparatus could also be assembled in adjacent roof trusses and used to support planks to form a wider platform to provide more work space, e.g. to support more workers, or for difficult jobs for which balancing on a relatively narrow bar may be unaffordable or less safe. An even wider platform would be achieved by placing the apparatus on alternate trusses or on every third truss, and using the bars to support planks.

Tnstead of planks, a single wide piece of wood or other material could be used as a platform supported on the bars.

The platform may be prepared with clips or recesses to attach to the bars so as to make it more secure by restricting its movement. It may also be provided with a non-slip surface for safety. -12-

Claims

Claims 1. Apparatus for providing a step or stand for use in the built environment, the apparatus oomprising a pair of brackets each adapted to fit on a sloping support member, each bracket comprising engagement means for connecting with a bar such that when the brackets are located on support members the bar provides a generally horizontal platform, wherein the engagement means comprises at least one bolt and a backing member, wherein the bolt is arranged to engage with the bar and with the support member.
2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the bar has a hole for receiving the bolt.
3. Apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the bar further comprises a plurality of holes for receiving the bolt so that the position of the bar can be adjusted.
4. Apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein the plurality of holes are spaced along in at least two lines along the length of the bar, wherein the holes in the respective lines are offset from each other in the transverse direction.
5. Apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein the lines of holes are arranged so that a bolt in one hole of one line abuts one side of a support member and a bolt in an adjacent hole in the second line abuts the opposite side of the support member to form a yolk. n
6. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the backing member comprises a nut arranged to be placed on the bolt.
7. Apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein the nut is formed in -13 -with a diameter larger than the diameter of the bolt.
8. Apparatus according to Claim 6 or 7, wherein the nut is formed of a hard plastics material.
9. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the bolt comprises a handle.
10. Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the bolt is integral with the backing member.
11. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bar has an L-shaped cross-section.
12. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 11, further comprising an elongate member arranged to extend above the bar.
13. Apparatus according to Claim 12, wherein the elongate member is integral with the bar.
14. Apparatus according to Claim 12, wherein the elongate member is arranged to be held between the bar and the backing member.
15. Apparatus according to Claim 12, wherein the backing member comprises a second bar.
16. Apparatus according to Claim 15, wherein the elongate member is arranged to be held between back-to-back arranged L-shaped bars.
17. Apparatus according to Claim 16, wherein the elongate member is arranged to rest on one or more separation blocks fixed between the two L-shaped bars.
18. Apparatus according to Claims 12 to 17, wherein the elongate member is arranged to engage and restrain horizontal movement of a planar member resting on the or eaoh bar.
19. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the or each bar is formed of steel.
20. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 18, wherein the or each bar is formed of aluminium.
21. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bolts are formed of stainless steel.
22. A bar for use in apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a slot with at least one longitudinally extending first part and at least one second part extending at an angle to the longitudinal part, so that when the bar is engaged with at least one bracket the bar provides a step or stand for use in the built environment.
23. A construction building method comprising positioning a plurality of trusses at spaced intervals, each truss comprising at least two sloping timbers; placing brackets on respective sloping timbers and fitting a bar to the brackets to provide a generally horizontal step or stand, wherein placing the brackets on the sloping timbers comprises forming each bracket from a bolt and a backing member.
24. A method according to Claim 23, comprising assembling two bars at spaced apart positions to support a platform between them.
25. A method according to Claim 24, comprising assembling two bars on consecutive trusses and using them to support a platform.

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26. A method according to Claim 23, 24 or 25, comprising arranging a bar on each opposed side of the sloping support members and connecting the bars by a plurality of bolts to form a generally rectangular yoke around the sloping support members.
27. A method according to Claim 26, comprising fitting a second yolk to a second set of sloping support members spaced from the first set so as to form two spaced steps, and constructing a platform from planar support members laid across the spaced steps created by the bars.
28. A method according to Claim 27, comprising using vertically extending members to engage the ends of at least one planar support member to restrain longitudinal movement of the planar support member to form a platform to support workers.
29. A building method according to any one of Claims 23 to 28, wherein the trusses are roof trusses.
30. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with referenoe to the aocompanying drawings.
31. A bar substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
32. A method substantially as hereinbefore described with referenoe to the aocompanying drawings. -16-