GB2531351A - Mounting - Google Patents

Abstract

A mounting, for attaching a panel to the outer vertical side of a ledge 30, having a first bracket 20 with one or more fixings to connect to the ledge and a second bracket 10 that interlocks with the first and has at least one fixing to connect to an internal side of a panel, assembled by sliding the second bracket into the first, the brackets being sandwiched between the panel and the ledge. The mounting may include at least two fasteners, for securing the brackets together, that are adjustable in opposite directions to adjust alignment of the brackets. There may be an elongate adjustment member acting between the brackets to cause vertical spacing. One of the brackets may have a hollow vertical slot for the adjustment member, the top of the slot may be threaded allowing a screw to adjust the protrusion of the opposite end of the member from the slot. The first bracket may have a horizontal base 23 at the lower end to support the second bracket. The first bracket may be C-shaped and the second may be H-shaped.

Description

MOUNTING

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a mounting. It is particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with a mounting for attaching sheet panels to an outer side of a ledge and with a method of mounting a sheet panel on the outer side of a ledge.

Background of the Invention

Many buildings are designed with balconies which are surrounded by a balustrade to prevent the occupants from falling from the balcony. The balustrades may be wooden or metal, but are increasingly made from glass panels which have a low visual impact whilst providing the necessary structural integrity.

On some buildings the balconies are made in concrete sections off site, and the balustrade is then attached at ground level just before the complete balcony is lifted up into position.

To form such balustrades, glass balustrade panels are typically bolted onto the vertical outer face(s) of the concrete balcony, either by using resin anchors, or by attaching to a socket which is cast into the concrete. However, this approach is far from ideal as, once the balcony is lifted onto the building, due to the tolerances in the concrete construction, the balustrade panels can end up out of line and/or out of level. To correct such problems, access to the bolts is required (to loosen, re-position the balustrade panel and re-tighten), but this is often very difficult as there may be no scaffold around the building, and access equipment can be expensive and slow and even not possible where the balcony forms part of a high rise apartment building.

Furthermore, if a glass panel gets damaged (either during installation or later in its life), access to the outside is needed to unbolt it for replacement, causing similar difficulties.

In other known configurations the balustrade itself, or a fixing bracket, is mounted on top of the concrete slab forming the balcony. This means that the fixings can be accessed afterwards (thus addressing some of the problems indicated above). However, this configuration takes up balcony space and can be a trip hazard for occupants.

Therefore there is a need to provide a way of quickly and simply mounting balustrade panels, particularly glass balustrade panels, onto a pre-cast concrete balcony prior to lifting the balcony onto the building, but which allows for easy adjustment from within the balcony.

Summary of the Invention

At its broadest, a first aspect of the present invention provides a mounting which allows a panel to be mounted on the outer vertical side of a ledge by sliding brackets attached to each of the panel and the ledge together.

A first aspect of the present invention preferably provides a mounting for attaching a panel of sheet material to the outer vertical side of a ledge, the mounting comprising: a first bracket having one or more fixings arranged to connect to the outer side of the ledge; and a second bracket, designed to interlock with the first, and having one or more fixings arranged to connect to an internal side of the panel; wherein the first and second brackets are assembled by sliding the second bracket into the first such that the mounting is substantially sandwiched between the panel and the ledge.

The mounting of this aspect allows the panel (such as a balustrade) to be mounted on the ledge (such as a balcony) by simply sliding the two brackets together, preferably without the need for bolting. This can result in a very quick and simple process for mounting panels onto the ledge.

In particular, the mounting of this aspect can remove any need to affix the panel to the ledge using bolts which pass through the panel from the outside. This can allow the relative position and/or orientation of the panel and the ledge to be adjusted after fitting by adjusting the relative positioning of the brackets to each other, rather than needing to access bolts on the outside face of the panel.

Mounting in this manner also makes it easier to lift out and replace damaged or broken panels after the balcony has been installed.

The mounting of this aspect is particularly useful for affixing a panel which is aftached (using the bracket) at or near its base and cantilevered from there up (i.e. with no further supports).

The mounting is preferably designed to withstand such cantilever forces, for example due to the action of wind on the panel.

Part of the mounting may extend above or below the ledge, and a slight projection of the second bracket at least above the top surface of the ledge may provide for further support for the panel which may allow the thickness of the panel to be reduced, resulting in weight and cost savings, but preferably none of the mounting extends over the top surface of the ledge. As the mounting is sandwiched between the panel and the ledge, there are no fixings on the top surface of the ledge which would take up space on a balcony and be a potential trip hazard for users.

Preferably the mounting further includes one or more fasteners for securing the brackets relative to each other. The fastener(s) may act by forcing the brackets into contact with each other, thereby creating a frictional resistance to relative movement. Preferably the use of fasteners is such that no packing is required between the brackets to fix their relative positions.

Preferably there are a plurality of fasteners and at least two of said fasteners are adjustable and act in opposite directions such that the relative alignment of the brackets can be adjusted. This configuration allows relatively precise adjustment of the position and/or orientation of the panel relative to the ledge.

In particular embodiments, the fasteners include a plurality of grub screws which each engage in a threaded hole in one of the brackets and are arranged to bear against the other of the brackets when the mounting is assembled.

The mounting preferably further includes an elongate adjustment member which acts between the first bracket and the second bracket to cause a vertical spacing between the brackets. Preferably the adjustment member can be moved so that the vertical spacing between the brackets can be adjusted and the height of the panel relative to the ledge adjusted accordingly.

In one arrangement, one of the brackets may have a hollow vertical slot through which the adjustment member passes, the top of said slot being threaded to allow a screw to bear against the top of the adjustment member and thereby adjust the amount of protrusion of the opposite end of the adjustment member out of said slot. Inserting a grub screw into that threaded portion then allows the height of that bracket relative to the other to be adjusted by tightening or loosening that grub screw.

Preferably the arrangement of the fasteners and brackets is such that, when the mounting is assembled, all of said fasteners are accessible from the ledge side of the mounting. This allows adjustment and levelling (and potentially fifting, removal and replacement) of the panel to be carried out from the ledge and therefore avoids the need for safety equipment and or access equipment for such work.

The first bracket may have a substantially horizontal base section at its lower end which provides vertical support to the second bracket when the mounting is assembled. The bottom of the adjustment member described above may, where provided, bear against this base section.

The mounting may further include a cap element which fits over the top of the first and second brackets when assembled. The cap preferably covers all of the fastenings and adjustment members, thereby giving a neat overall appearance and preventing access to tamper with the fastenings etc. once the panel and ledge have been installed and are in use.

The cap can also be adapted to prevent dirt from entering into the mounting.

Preferably the top of the cap is slanted at a relatively steep angle to prevent use as a base for climbing.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the first bracket has a substantially C-shaped cross-section in the vertical direction including a back wall which is arranged to lie against the vertical side of the ledge and a pair of arm sections which, together with the back wall, define a vertical channel.

In a corresponding particularly preferred embodiment, the second bracket has a substantially H-shaped cross-section in the vertical direction including first and second walls joined by a rib.

The C-and H-shaped profiles of the brackets allow the main part of the brackets to be extruded, for example from aluminium. Additional elements, such as the cap and the base section may be cast separately and joined to the profiles. This configuration allows for a securely interlocking mounting to be constructed from a relatively small amount of material, whilst retaining a high level of rigidity in the individual brackets and in the mounting as a whole.

The mounting of this aspect may include some, all or none of the above described preferred or optional features in any combination.

A second aspect of the present invention provides a kit of parts comprising a mounting according to the above first aspect, including some, all or none of the above described preferred or optional features of that aspect and a balustrade panel forming said sheet material.

Preferably the balustrade panel is formed of laminated glass. Laminated glass provides a safer balustrade, particularly in that it will stay in place even if the glass breaks or is damaged.

Optionally, this aspect also includes a capping running along the top of said panel. The capping can prevent water from settling on the top edge of the panel, which would, over time result in delamination of the glass. The capping can also provide a handrail for the balustrade and be finished accordingly to meet decorative requirements.

A third aspect of the present invention provides a method of mounting a panel of sheet material to the outer vertical side of a ledge, the method including the steps of: attaching a first bracket to the outer side of the ledge; attaching a second bracket to one side of the panel; and mounting the panel onto the ledge by sliding the second bracket substantially vertically onto the first such that the first and second brackets interlock and are substantially sandwiched between the panel and the ledge.

The method of this aspect allows the panel (such as a balustrade) to be mounted on the ledge (such as a balcony) by simply sliding the two brackets together, preferably without the need for bolting. This can result in a very quick and simple process for mounting panels onto the ledge.

In particular, the method of this aspect can remove any need to affix the panel to the ledge using bolts which pass through the panel from the outside. This can allow the relative position and/or orientation of the panel and the ledge to be adjusted after fitting by adjusting the relative positioning of the brackets to each other, rather than relying on accurate casting of sockets or anchors in the ledge.

Mounting in this manner also makes it easier to lift out and replace damaged or broken panels after the balcony has been installed.

The method of this aspect is particularly useful for mounting a panel which is attached (using the bracket) at or near its base and cantilevered from there up (i.e. with no further supports).

The mounting is preferably designed to withstand such cantilever forces, for example due to the action of wind on the panel.

The method may further include the steps of: mounting said ledge to a building or other construction; after mounting said ledge, adjusting the position of said panel relative to the ledge; and fastening the panel in position relative to the ledge.

The mounting of the ledge to the building or other construction may occur before or after the mounting of the panel onto the ledge.

The method may include the steps of mounting further panels to the ledge by the same process.

Preferably the step of adjusting includes adjusting the height of the panel relative to the ledge, the angle of the panel relative to the vertical and/or the horizontal position of the panel along the direction of the side of the ledge.

Itis desirable to be able to adjust the height of the panel so that the top of the panel can be levelled with other adjacent panels fitted to the same ledge. Similarly, the angle of the panel relative to the vertical can be adjusted so that the top edges of adjacent panels are aligned.

Horizontal adjustment allows gaps between adjacent panels to be avoided or reduced.

Preferably said steps of adjusting and fastening can be carried out entirely from said ledge.

This allows adjustment and levelling (and potentially also fitting, removal and replacement) of the panel to be carried out from the ledge and therefore avoids the need for safety equipment and or access equipment for such work.

The method may use the mounting of the above described first aspect or the kit of the above described second aspect, including some, all or none of the optional and preferred features of those aspects described above. However, the method may also use alternative mountings and kits.

The method may include some, all or none of the above described preferred and optional features.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a first fastening element forming part of an embodiment of the present invention; Figures 2a and 2b show, respectively, a perspective view and a front view of a second fastening element forming part of an embodiment of the present invention; Figures 3a and 3b show the connection of the fastening elements shown in Figures 1 and 2 to a concrete balcony and their interconnection; and Figures 4a-4d show the steps in a method of fastening a balustrade to a balcony according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description and Further Optional Features of the Invention Figures 1 and 2 show fastening elements of an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 shows a balustrade fastening element 10 which is designed to be attached to a glass balustrade. Figure 2a shows a perspective view of a balcony fastening element 20 which is designed to be attached to a concrete balcony. Figure 2b shows a front view (i.e. from the open side in Figure 2a) of the same balcony fastening element 20.

The balustrade fastening element 10 is an elongate aluminium extrusion having a substantially H-shaped cross-section when viewed from the end. The element 10 therefore has a first face 11 and a second face 12 which are joined by a rib 13. The first face 11 is designed to interlock with the balcony fastening element 20 by sliding into that element, as described in more detail below, such that the first face 11 is retained by the arms 22 of the balcony fastening element.

The second face 12 is designed to be secured against a glass balustrade panel. This face 12 may be secured to the glass of the panel itself, or it may be secured to a base which supports the glass panel, for example as shown in Figure 4b.

The balustrade fastening element 10 is attached to the balustrade panel using two M8 bolts with 60mm spreader washers and suitable gaskets. The bolts (not shown) pass through a countersunk disc (not shown) and holes 15 in a nylon spacer 14 which passes through a hole in the lower part of the balustrade panel to avoid the bolts contacting the glass of the balustrade panel. The bolts fasten into a tapped hole formed in the second face 12..

The rib 13 has a hollow central portion 16 which allows a long thin adjustment plate 17 to be inserted which provides for vertical adjustment of the position of the balustrade fastening element 10 relative to the balcony fastening element 20 as described in more detail below.

The top portion of the central hollow 16 is threaded to receive a grub screw (not shown) for adjustment purposes.

Two threaded adjustment holes 18 are provided close to the top of the balustrade fastening element 10 which receive grub screws for levelling adjustment as described in more detail below.

The balcony fastening element 20 is also an elongate aluminium extrusion which has a substantially C-shaped cross-section when viewed from the end. The element 10 therefore has a face 21 and a pair of arms 22 which together form a channel into which the balustrade fastening element 10 can be slid. A cast aluminium base plate 23 closes off one end of the channel.

The base plate 23 also inserts into the end of the element 20 to which the base plate 23 is attached, so as to cause depth of the channel at a short distance from the base plate 23 to reduce and effectively taper. This tapering secures the bottom part of the first face 11 of the balustrade fixing element 10 when it is slid into the channel and reduces the degree of lateral movement of the two fixing elements relative to each other at this end, whilst still allowing the two elements to be easily slid together.

The face 21 of the balcony fastening element 20 is designed to be attached to the vertical outer edge of a concrete block which makes up a balcony using two MiD bolts (not shown) which pass through countersunk holes 24 in the face 21.

Towards the upper end of the balcony fastening element 20 a threaded adjustment hole 25 is provided which receives a grub screw for levelling adjustment as described in more detail below. Two further access holes 26 are also provided to allow user access to the adjustment holes 18 of the balustrade fastening element 10 when the elements are assembled together.

Figures 3a and 3b show the two fastening elements 10, 20 with the balcony fastening element 20 attached to the outer edge of a concrete block 30, but without the balustrade shown to demonstrate the engagement between the fastening elements 10, 20. The respective profiles of the fastening elements 10, 20 is chosen to give a high level of rigidity to withstand balustrade loads and wind pressures exerted on the balustrade and transferred to the fastening elements.

Vertical, levelling and sideways adjustment of the balustrade can be carried out by a worker located on the balcony and without the need to access the exterior of the assembly as described in detail below.

For vertical adjustment, an adjustment plate 17 is passed through the central hollow 16 of the balustrade fastening portion 10. Once the adjustment plate has been inserted, a grub screw is screwed into the top of the central hollow 16. The grub screw acts on the top of the adjustment plate 17 to force it downwards and causes it to extend out of the bottom of the central hollow 16 and to engage with the base plate 23 of the balcony fastening element 20.

Adjustment of the grub screw therefore allows the relative vertical position of the two fastening elements 10, 20 to be adjusted. The range of vertical adjustment is preferably between 2 and 20mm, more preferably between 5 and 15mm and typically approximately 10mm.

For levelling purposes, the vertical slant of the balustrade towards or away from the balcony can be adjusted using grub screws positioned in adjustment holes 18, 25. The grub screw passing through adjustment hole 25 acts against the first face 11 of the balustrade fastening element 10. Tightening this grub screw causes the top of the balustrade to lean away from the balcony. The grub screws passing through adjustment holes 18 act against the arms 22 of the balcony fastening element 20. These screws can be accessed through the access holes 26 in the face of the balcony fastening element 20. Tightening these grub screws causes the top of the balustrade to lean towards the balcony. By adjusting all three of these screws, the balustrade can be levelled. Together, these grub screws can allow adjustment of up to 5 degrees either side of the length axis of the fastening elements, or alternatively adjustment of up to 3 degrees either side.

Sideways adjustment of the balustrade (i.e. along the face of the balcony) can be achieved by loosening the levelling grub screws (those passing through adjustment holes 18, 25 as discussed above) and moving the balustrade fastening element 10 sideways relative to the balcony fastening element. Securing the grub screws then prevents further motion by friction. The amount of tolerance provided is based on the difference in size of the first face 11 of the balustrade fastening element 10 compared to channel of the balcony fastening element 20. The range of possible adjustment is preferably between 2 and 20mm, more preferably between 5 and 15mm and typically around 10mm.

The combination of these three adjustment possibilities mean that the fastening elements provide a very versatile fastening arrangement which can accommodate most misalignments in the fixings positioned in the concrete slab 30. No packing is required to be used in any of these adjustments.

After levelling adjustments are complete a top cap 27 is fitted over the top of the balustrade fastening element. The top cap 27 covers over all the adjustment grub screws to give a neat overall appearance and prevent tampering with those screws The top cap 27 also protects the fastening elements from the weather and accumulation of debris.

The top cap 27 has an inclined upper face 28 which makes it difficult to use for climbing, thereby improving the safety of the installation.

Figures 4a-4d show a method of installing a balustrade 40 onto a balcony 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention. For the purposes of this illustration, the balustrade 40 will only be attached on an outer edge of the balcony 30, but it will be appreciated that further balustrade panels can be provided along one or both side edges in a similar fashion to that described below.

As shown in Figure 4a, the balcony is prepared by attaching a plurality of balcony fastening elements 20 to the vertical outer edge of a concrete slab 30 which makes up the base of the balcony. The concrete slab 30 has preferably had a number of sockets cast into it during its formation, into which bolts passing through the balcony fastening elements can be screwed to secure these elements to the concrete slab. These sockets provide threaded holes in the desired positions and avoid the need to drill into the concrete slab 30 and potentially risk hitting reinforcing rods within the concrete slab.

The balustrade panel 40 is prepared by attaching a plurality of balustrade fastening elements to the lower part of one side of the balustrade panel. These fastening elements may be directly secured to a laminated glass balustrade, or may be secured to a base element 42 which supports a laminated glass balustrade 41. The balustrade panel 40 can have a top rail 43 which serves as a handrail and cap for the panel 41.

It will be appreciated that the order of performing the preparatory steps illustrated in Figures 4a and 4b is not important. In particular, the balustrade panels 40 may be prepared off-site and transported to the site with the fastening elements 10 already attached.

In the embodiment shown, each balustrade panel 40 has two fastening elements 10 attached, and a corresponding number of fastening elements 20 are provided on the outer edge of the balcony. However, it will be appreciated that any number of pairs of respective fastening elements may be provided for each panel being installed, depending on the weight of the balustrade panels 40, their size (and therefore the anticipated wind pressures) and the size of the fastening elements and their load-bearing abilities. It is preferable that there are at least two balustrade fastening elements 10 per balustrade panel 40 as this makes it easier to level the panel once secured. There is also generally a practical upper limit on the number of fastening elements 10 that can be provided per panel 40 based on considerations of cost and time to fit.

The first balustrade panel 40 is then attached to the balcony 30 by sliding the balustrade fastening elements 10 into the channels in the balcony fastening elements 20, resulting in the arrangement shown in Figure 4c. At this point the panel 40 can be secured in place, but its precise positioning can be adjusted later (as described above with reference to Figures 3a and 3b). As the balustrade panel simply slides together with the balcony fastening elements, no bolting is required, so it is very quick and simple to slide the balustrade panel onto the balcony.

Second (and further, where appropriate) balustrade panels 40 are then fitted in a similar manner until the whole balcony and balustrade construction is complete as shown in Figure 4d. The steps of fitting the balustrade panels 40 to the concrete slab 30 of the balcony will typically be performed at ground level adjacent to the building, as this removes the need for complex lifting and positioning of the balustrade panels 40 whilst they are being attached to the balcony.

However, in alternative embodiments, where the concrete panels of the balcony are formed integrally with other structural elements of the building, the balcony fastening elements may be secured in place working from an elevated platform (this operation being relatively quick and not involving significant loads) and the balustrade panels 40 slid on later.

Once attached, the whole balcony and balustrade construction can be lifted for attachment to the building. Once attached to the structure of the building, the heights of the balustrade panels can be adjusted and levelled by slightly loosening the fixing screws in one or more pairs of fastening elements and adjusting the relative positions of the two fastening elements before re-tightening the screws to re-secure the panel in position. This can all be done by working from the balcony itself as the fixings are all accessible without the need to access the outside of the balustrade.

As shown in Figure 4d, the balustrade panels 40 attach to the balcony 30 with the fastening elements sandwiched between the outer edge of the balcony floor and the balustrade panels themselves. This avoids having any fixings on the upper surface of the balcony which would take up space and potentially be a trip hazard for users. It also means that further surface finishes can be applied to the balcony without the need to work around the fixings making such surface finishing quicker and easier.

As shown in Figure 4d, once installed, the combined fastening elements of the balustrade and balcony project above the floor level of the balcony. This is useful for access for levelling and adjustment once the balcony construction is attached to the building, but also can provide partial support for the glass panel 41 of the balustrade which allows thinner glass to be used, reducing both the weight and cost of the balustrade panels 40.

An edging strip (not shown) may be fitted which fills or covers the gap between the balustrade panels 40 and the edge of the concrete slab 30. Alternatively, the gap can be left open to allow rainwater to drain freely from the edge without the risk of leaves and did blocking the outlet.

The attachment of the balustrade panels 40 to the concrete slab of the balcony in this manner also makes it very easy and safe to lift out and replace a damaged or broken panel if required in the future. All of the access to release the old panel and to secure the new panel can be achieved from the floor of the balcony itself, so no access platform or scaffold is required. Workers, secured to the building via a harness, can use glass suckers or other glass handling equipment to simply lift the old panel out and lower a new panel into its place.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments described above, many equivalent modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art when given this disclosure. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments of the invention set forth above are considered to be illustrative and not limiting. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

All references referred to above are hereby incorporated by reference.

Claims (18)

1. CLAIMS1. A mounting for attaching a panel of sheet material to the outer vertical side of a ledge, the mounting comprising: a first bracket having one or more fixings arranged to connect to the outer side of the ledge; and a second bracket, designed to interlock with the first, and having one or more fixings arranged to connect to an internal side of the panel; wherein the first and second brackets are assembled by sliding the second bracket into the first such that the mounting is substantially sandwiched between the panel and the ledge.
2. 2. A mounting according to claim 1, further including one or more fasteners for securing the brackets relative to each other.
3. 3. A mounting according to claim 2 wherein there are a plurality of fasteners and at least two of said fasteners are adjustable and act in opposite directions such that the relative alignment of the brackets can be adjusted.
4. 4. A mounting according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the fasteners include a plurality of grub screws which each engage in a threaded hole in one of the brackets and are arranged to bear against the other of the brackets when the mounting is assembled.
5. 5. A mounting according to claim 3 further including an elongate adjustment member which acts between the first bracket and the second bracket to cause a vertical spacing between the brackets.
6. 6. A mounting according to claim 5 wherein one of said brackets has a hollow vertical slot through which the adjustment member passes, the top of said slot being threaded to allow a screw to bear against the top of the adjustment member and thereby adjust the amount of protrusion of the opposite end of the adjustment member out of said slot.
7. 7. A mounting according to any one of claims 2 to 6 wherein, when the mounting is assembled, all of said fasteners are accessible from the ledge side of the mounting.
8. 8. A mounting according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the first bracket has a substantially horizontal base section at its lower end which provides vertical support to the second bracket when the mounting is assembled.
9. 9. A mounting according to any one of the preceding claims, further including a cap element which fits over the top of the first and second brackets when assembled.
10. 10. A mounting according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the first bracket has a substantially C-shaped cross-section in the vertical direction including a back wall which is arranged to lie against the vertical side of the ledge and a pair of arm sections which, together with the back wall, define a vertical channel.
11. 11. A mounting according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the second bracket has a substantially H-shaped cross-section in the vertical direction including first and second walls joined by a rib.
12. 12. A kit of parts comprising a mounting according to any one of the preceding claims and a balustrade panel forming said sheet material.
13. 13. A kit of parts according to claim 12 wherein the balustrade panel is formed of laminated glass.
14. 14. A kit of parts according to claim 12 or claim 13 further including a capping running along the top of said panel.
15. 15. A method of mounting a panel of sheet material to the outer vertical side of a ledge, the method including the steps of: attaching a first bracket to the outer side of the ledge; attaching a second bracket to one side of the panel; and mounting the panel onto the ledge by sliding the second bracket substantially vertically onto the first such that the first and second brackets interlock and are substantially sandwiched between the panel and the ledge.
16. 16. A method according to claim 15 further including the steps of: mounting said ledge to a building or other construction; after mounting said ledge, adjusting the position of said panel relative to the ledge; and fastening the panel in position relative to the ledge.
17. 17. A method according to claim 16 wherein said step of adjusting includes adjusting the height of the panel relative to the ledge, the angle of the panel relative to the vertical and/or the horizontal position of the panel along the direction of the side of the ledge.
18. 18. A method according to claim 16 or claim 17 wherein said steps of adjusting and fastening can be carried out entirely from said ledge.Amendments to the claims have been made as follows:CLAIMS1. A mounting for attaching a panel of sheet material to an outer vertical side of a ledge, the mounting comprising: a first bracket having one or more fixings arranged to connect to the outer side of the ledge; and a second bracket, designed to interlock with the first, and having one or more fixings arranged to connect to an internal side of the panel; wherein: the first and second brackets are assembled by sliding the second bracket into the first such that the mounting is substantially sandwiched between the panel and the ledge; and when the mounting is assembled, all of said fasteners are accessible from the ledge side of the mounting.2. A mounting according to claim 1, further including one or more fasteners for securing (0 the brackets relative to each other.3. A mounting according to claim 2 wherein there are a plurality of fasteners and at 0 least two of said fasteners are adjustable such that tightening one of said fasteners causes Q) the relative alignments of the brackets to change in one direction, whilst tightening of the other of said fasteners causes the relative alignment of the brackets to change in an opposite direction.4. A mounting according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the fasteners include a plurality of grub screws which each engage in a threaded hole in one of the brackets and are arranged to bear against the other of the brackets when the mounting is assembled.5. A mounting according to claim 3 further including an elongate adjustment member which acts between the first bracket and the second bracket to cause a vertical spacing between the brackets.6. A mounting according to claim 5 wherein one of said brackets has a hollow vertical slot through which the adjustment member passes, the top of said slot being threaded to allow a screw to bear against the top of the adjustment member and thereby adjust the amount of protrusion of the opposite end of the adjustment member out of said slot.7. A mounting according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the first bracket has a substantially horizontal base section at its lower end which provides vertical support to the second bracket when the mounting is assembled.8. A mounting according to any one of the preceding claims, further including a cap element which fits over the top of the first and second brackets when assembled.9. A mounting according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the first bracket has a substantially C-shaped cross-section in the vertical direction including a back wall which is arranged to lie against the vertical side of the ledge and a pair of arm sections which, together with the back wall, define a vertical channel.10. A mounting according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the second bracket has a substantially H-shaped cross-section in the vertical direction including first and second walls joined by a rib.11. A kit of parts comprising a mounting according to any one of the preceding claims and a balustrade panel forming said sheet material.12. A kit of parts according to claim 11 wherein the balustrade panel is formed of laminated glass. a)13. A kit of parts according to claim 11 or claim 12 further including a capping running along the top of said panel.14. A method of mounting a panel of sheet material to the outer vertical side of a ledge, the method including the steps of: attaching a first bracket to the outer side of the ledge; attaching a second bracket to one side of the panel; mounting the panel onto the ledge by sliding the second bracket substantially vertically onto the first such that the first and second brackets interlock and are substantially sandwiched between the panel and the ledge; mounting said ledge to a building or other construction; after mounting said ledge, adjusting the position of said panel relative to the ledge; and fastening the panel in position relative to the ledge, wherein said steps of adjusting and fastening can be carried out entirely from said ledge.15. A method according to claim 14 wherein said step of adjusting includes adjusting the height of the panel relative to the ledge, the angle of the panel relative to the vertical and/or the horizontal position of the panel along the direction of the side of the ledge. (0 r a) r