AU726220B2

AU726220B2 - Balustrade support assembly

Info

Publication number: AU726220B2
Application number: AU61951/98A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Bradley Jones; Manuel Papas
Original assignee: BRAD INVEST Pty Ltd; PAPARD Pty Ltd
Current assignee: HANG ON SCAFFOLDS Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1997-04-17
Filing date: 1998-04-17
Publication date: 2000-11-02
Anticipated expiration: 2018-04-17
Also published as: AU6195198A

Description

i 1-' P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 r r e r cc r r rr

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: "BALUSTRADE SUPPORT ASSEMBLY" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: 2 "BALUSTRADE SUPPORT ASSEMBLY" THIS INVENTION relates to a balustrade support assembly especially adapted for attachment to slabs, floors, walls and staircases.

A first type of conventional balustrade support assembly for attachment to a concrete slab, for example, comprises a generally L-shaped tubular support having an upright and a foot wherein the foot was generally in bearing contact with a lower surface of the slab and part of the upright adjacent the foot was in bearing contact with a side el or end surface of the slab. There was also provided an upper clamping member and a lower clamping member wherein each clamping member included a tubular part for slidable attachment to the upright. The lower clamping member included bearing projections on its lowermost surface for contact with an upper surface of the concrete slab. The upper clamping member also included a screw-threaded bolt which contacted an upper surface of the bottom clamping member. The upright of an L-shaped support member supported a post of the balustrade. In this manner, a plurality of spaced posts were attached to the slab and interconnected by cross members.

In a second type of conventional balustrade support assembly, there was provided a modification of the first type of conventional balustrade support assembly wherein there was provided an L-shaped tubular support member as described above but instead of 3 upper and lower clamping members, there were provided a screw jack which engaged in bearing relationship with an upper surface of the slab. There was also provided a spacer clamp which interconnected the screw jack and the L-shaped tubular support member. Each upright of the balustrade in this arrangement was provided with the screw jack.

In a third type of conventional balustrade support ~assembly, a tubular post was provided with a foot which engaged an upper surface of the concrete slab and bolted thereto, eg., by a eo dynabolt. The tubular post then supported a balustrade upright.

The above described conventional balustrade support assemblies had disadvantages in that installation was often time consuming and labour intensive. They were also prone to slippage.

S. Thus, in relation to the first type of conventional balustrade support assembly, the upper clamping member was attached to the L-shaped support member with a grub screw which was prone to working loose.

In the second type of conventional balustrade support assembly, the spacer clamp was also prone to working loose and this also applied to the dynabolt of the third type of conventional balustrade support assembly.

Reference may also be made to FR 2589182 and US 4,569,577, which each disclose support brackets for balustrade posts wherein the post is attached to a top surface of a concrete slab and 4 there is provided a clamping mechanism in the form of a G-clamp which includes a bottom clamping member which is in abutment with a lower surface of the concrete slab. However, it is considered the support brackets disclosed in each of these prior art references would be subject to slippage by virtue of having the bottom clamping member.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a balustrade support assembly which may alleviate the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art at least to some extent.

The balustrade support assembly of the invention may be installed to a slab or wall and includes a pair of end support members, each having an elongate part, and an intermediate support member located between the pair of end support members, characterised in o that in use, an upright or rail of a balustrade may extend through the 15 elongate parts of each said support member and the intermediate support member to provide a pair of rigid connection points formed •oil by the intermediate support member and one end support member associated with the upright or rail on each side of the slab or wall.

Each of the elongate parts may comprise a sleeve or channel for accommodation of the balustrade upright or rail as is appropriate. In this arrangement, each of the elongate parts may be attached to the balustrade rail or upright by pins or other suitable fasteners to provide the pair of rigid connection points wherein the fasteners may extend 3 i- 2 through aligned attachment apertures of the respective elongate parts 2 and the upright or rail.

Preferably, one of the end support members is provided with a bolt or other elongate engagement member which bears against or engages a corresponding socket of the intermediate member.

Each of the end support members may also be provided with lateral parts having one or more bearing projections that bear against an adjacent surface of a slab which supports the balustrade.

Preferably, one of the end support members is provided with a foot for supporting the balustrade upright. This may occur when the end support members are in opposed relationship and are attached to an upright wall as described herein.

The intermediate support member is also provided with a foot for supporting the balustrade upright. This may occur when the foot is aligned with the respective elongate parts of the pair of end members.

The two end support members, when attached to a floor slab, for example, may be located in an upper orientation and a lower orientation separated by the intermediate member. On the other hand, each of the end members, when attached to an upright wall, may be located in opposed vertical planes.

Reference is now made to a preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in the attached drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a balustrade support assembly of the invention attached to a concrete slab; FIG. 2 is an end view of the balustrade support assembly shown in FIG. 1; and FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the balustrade support assembly fixed to a wall.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the balustrade support assembly fixed to a wall.

In FIGS. 1-2, there is shown the support assembly having end support member 11, intermediate support member 12 and end support member 13.

l• The end support member 11 includes an elongate part 14 which is of rectangular hollow section having a plurality of opposed apertures 15 in opposed walls 16. There is also provided a foot 17, also of rectangular hollow section, having a pair of opposed apertures 18 in opposed walls 19. The end support member 11 also includes a pair of strengthening gussets 20 interconnecting foot 17 and elongate 'part 14. The foot is also provided with a reinforcing collar 21. The elongate part 14 is also provided with a reinforcing collar 22.

The end support member 11 also provides a lateral component 23 and strengthening gussets 25 interconnect lateral component 23 and elongate part 14. The lateral component 23 also has bearing projections 26 which bear against a bottom surface 27 of slab 28.

The intermediate member 12 includes a body tube 29 of 7 RHS which is also provided with bearing projections 30 which engage with top surface 31 of slab 28. There is also provided a projection 32 having a cavity 33 which engages with bolt 40 hereinafter described.

There is also provided foot 32A also of RHS.

The end member 13 includes an elongate part 35 of RHS having a plurality of opposed apertures 36 in opposed walls 36A thereof. There is also provided a lateral component 38 and elongate part 35. There is also provided a screw-threaded bolt 40 having a head 41 which extends through a mating screw-threaded bore 42 in 10 lateral component 38.

In use, as shown in FIG. 1, the end support member 11 has bearing projections 26 to prevent slippage and also to create additional pressure upon surface 27 of concrete slab 28. This also applies to bearing projections 30 of intermediate member 12.

There is also shown balustrade upright 43 which is slidably attached to elongate part 14, foot 32A and elongate part as shown.

In FIG. 3, there is shown balustrade support assembly attached to a wall 44, such as a parapet, in similar manner as described above in FIG. 2. There is also shown foot 17 supporting a balustrade upright 43. There is also shown a balustrade rail supported by end member 11, intermediate member 12 and end member 13.

8 In use, the balustrade support assembly 10 of the invention, by virtue of having upper and lower pins 46 in opposed apertures 15 and 36, provides rigid connection points in relation to attachment to balustrade upright 43 and thus avoids use of a friction grip along the post which was the case with the prior art as described above.

Another advantage of the support assembly 10 of the invention is its versatility. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, it can be utilised on a slab floor or a wall or parapet. It can also be utilised on a. a 10 an oblique slab such as a stairway.

The support assembly of the invention is also readily installed to slabs such as floors or walls in minimal time and only one installer is required.

It will also be appreciated that while the end support members and intermediate support members have been described as being primarily of RHS, it will be appreciated that any other tubular cross section can be utilised, such as a round tube, for example.

It will also be appreciated that use of the intermediate support member is helpful in that it enables the support assembly of the invention to be completely adjustable in regard to choice of the relevant rigid connection points as described above. The intermediate member also enables pressure to be applied to the slab 28 on an adjacent surface thereof which is opposed to the pressure applied to 9 the slab by the lateral component 23.

It will also be appreciated that the term "rail" as referred to herein may refer in one aspect to rails oriented in a horizontal plane.

However, this is not essential and such rails may be oriented at an angle to the horizontal.

*go o *ooa

Claims

1. A balustrade support assembly for installation to a slab or wall including: a pair of end support members, each having an elongate part, and an intermediate support member located between the pair of end support members, characterised in that in use, an upright or rail of a balustrade may extend through the elongate parts of each said end support member and the intermediate support member to provide a pair of rigid connection points formed by the intermediate support member and one end support member associated with the upright or rail on each side of the slab or wall.

2. A balustrade support assembly as claimed in Claim 1 ".wherein: one of the end support members is provided with a bolt ooo oi or other elongate engagement member which bears against or engages a corresponding socket of the intermediate support member.

3. A balustrade support assembly as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 wherein: each of the end supports are provided with lateral parts 20 having one or more bearing projections that bear against an adjacent surface of the slab or wall.

4. A balustrade support assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein: ii dsone of the end support members is provided with a foot for supporting the balustrade upright in use 9* 9 9*9 9 11 A balustrade support assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein: the intermediate support member is provided with a foot which, in use, engages with the balustrade upright or rail.

6. A balustrade support assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein: in use, each of the end support members are orientated in an upper orientation and a lower orientation separated by the intermediate support member.

7. A balustrade support assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5 wherein: in use, each of the end support members are located on opposed sides of an upright wall.

8. A balustrade including: the balustrade support assembly of any preceding claim.

9. A wall or slab having the balustrade of Claim 8 attached thereto. A wall or slab having the balustrade support assembly of Claim 1 attached thereto wherein: each end support member is located on opposed surfaces thereof of the wall or slab.

11. A wall or slab as claimed in Claim 10 wherein: the wall or slab is oriented in a horizontal plane. 12

12. A wall or slab as claimed in Claim 10 wherein: the wall or slab is oriented in a vertical plane.

13. A balustrade support assembly substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this seventeenth day of April 1998. PAPARD PTY LTD and :.BRAD INVESTMENTS PTY LTD, 10 By their Patent Attorneys, FISHER ADAMS KELLY. *00