GB2279392A

GB2279392A - Hand rail support

Info

Publication number: GB2279392A
Application number: GB9411806A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew William Archer; John Howard Willis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-06-11
Filing date: 1994-06-13
Publication date: 1995-01-04
Anticipated expiration: 2014-06-13
Also published as: GB9411806D0; GB2279392B

Abstract

A hand rail support comprises a ground engaging upright member 2 for supporting a hand rail, a stabiliser arm 6 for the upright member adapted to extend substantially at right angles to the hand rail, hinge means 7, 8 attaching the stabiliser arm to the upright member whereby the stabiliser arm can be pivoted about a substantially vertical axis from the said position at right angles to the hand rail to a position substantially parallel to the hand rail, means 10 for limiting vertical movement of the stabiliser arm on the upright member and ground engaging means 12 on the free end of the stabiliser arm, adapted for displacement out of contact with the ground to facilitate pivotal movement of the stabiliser arm. <IMAGE>

Description

TITLE: HAND RAIL SUPPORT DESCRIPTION The invention relates to a hand rail support, particularly, but not exclusively, for use in the building industry as temporary edge protection on structures which are above ground level, more particularly for use as flat roof edge protection.

One known kind of temporary hand rail is supported from scaffolding built up from ground level. Obviously this system is inconvenient where high structures are involved.

Another known kind of temporary hand railing is supported on top of the structure itself. It is known to clamp the hand railing to the edge of the structure and another known system relies on a type of cantilever arrangement to provide the necessary support.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a hand railing support which is simple but effective.

According to the present invention a hand rail support comprises a ground engaging upright member for supporting a hand rail, a stabiliser arm for the upright member and adapted to extend substantially at right angles to the hand rail, hinge means attaching the stabiliser arm to the upright member whereby the stabiliser arm can be pivoted about a substantially vertical axis from the said position at right angles to the hand rail to a position substantially parallel to the hand rail, means on the upright member for limiting vertical movement of the stabiliser arm on the upright member and ground engaging means on the free end of the stabiliser arm and which is adapted for displacement out of contact with the ground to facilitate pivotal movement of the stabiliser arm.

The word 'ground' may be defined as any surface on which the hand railing is to be supported, e.g. a flat roof surface.

The ground engaging end of the upright member may be arranged to be displaced out of contact with the ground so that the upright member is suspended from the hand rail.

Thus, the upright member may comprise a foot which is telescopically mounted in a tubular member forming the body of the upright member.

The stabiliser arm is preferably hinged to the upright member by means of a sleeve provided on the end of the arm and surrounding the upright member. Clamping means may also be provided at the end of the stabiliser arm to engage the upright member.

The stabiliser arm may be formed at its free end with an upright tubular portion in which is mounted a ground engaging foot. Preferably the stabiliser arm is adapted to carry a weight at or near its free end. Stop means may be provided on the arm to prevent the weight from moving along the arm towards the upright member.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a side on view of a hand rail support according to the invention, and Figure 2 shows an overhead view of the hand rail support of Figure 1 In the drawings there is shown a hand rail support (1) comprising an upright member in the form of a metal tube (2) to which are attached, e.g by welding, two sleeves (3, 4) positioned at the top and near the middle of the upright to allow attachment of tubular hand rails by passing the hand rails through the respective sleeves. The sleeves (3, 4) are provided with screw-threaded holes into which fit threaded bolts (3a, 4a) for securing the hand rails in the sleeves (3, 4).The upright (2) is formed at its lower end with a telescopic ground-engaging foot (5) which is secured in position by a threaded bolt fitted through a screwthreaded hole (2a) provided in the lower part of the upright metal tube (2). A spigot (not shown) may be provided on the base plate of the ground-engaging foot (5) to hold a guard board.

A V-shaped stabiliser arm (6) is mounted on the upright member and extends at right angles to the hand rail to stabilise the hand rail. The arm is hinged to the upright in two positions by means of sleeves (7, 8) provided on an end of the arm and surrounding the upright member. Clamp means (8a) is provided, to fix the arm against hinging movement, in the form of a screw thread bolt located in a threaded hole in one of the sleeves (8) and arranged to engage the upright member. To prevent vertical movement of the stabiliser arm on the upright member, metal stops (10) are provided on the upright member positioned above and below one of the sleeves (8). At its free end (9) the stabiliser arm is formed with an upright tubular portion (11) in which is mounted a ground-engaging foot (12).The foot is secured in position by a threaded bolt located in a threaded hole (lea) in the tubular portion (11). A weight (not shown) may be positioned at or near the free end of the arm (9) to provide extra stability. When the weight is positioned near the end of the arm, stop means (13) may be provided to prevent the weight from sliding along the arm when the arm is moved.

Several of these hand rail supports are used in forming a hand rail.

In order to move the stabiliser arm, for example to allow work to be performed on a roof, threaded bolt (8a) is loosened, the ground engaging foot (12) at the free end of the arm is lifted and clamped in position by means of the threaded bolt (lea). The free end of the arm may then be swung towards the hand rail until it is flush with it. If access to the ground directly below the upright is needed, the telescopic foot (5) may be lifted and clamped in position by means of threaded bolt (2a), the upright remaining suspended from the hand rail.

The specific embodiment thus provides a hand rail support which is simple to use but effective.

Claims

1. A hand rail support comprising a ground engaging upright member for supporting a hand rail, a stabiliser arm for the upright member and adapted to extend substantially at right angles to the hand rail, hinge means attaching the stabiliser arm to the upright member whereby the stabiliser arm can be pivoted about a substantially vertical axis from the said position at right angles to the hand rail to a position substantially parallel to the hand rail, means on the upright member for limiting vertical movement of the stabiliser arm on the upright member and ground engaging means on the free end of the stabiliser arm and which is adapted for displacement out of contact with the ground to facilitate pivotal movement of the stabiliser arm.

2. A hand rail support according to claim 1, wherein the ground engaging end of the upright member is arranged to be displaced out of contact with the ground so that the upright member is suspended from the hand rail.

3. A hand rail support according to claim 2, wherein the upright member comprises a foot which is telescopically mounted in a tubular member forming the body of the upright member.

4. A hand rail support according to claim 3, wherein the tubular member of the upright member is provided with clamping means adapted to engage the telescopically mounted foot.

5. A hand rail support according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the stabiliser arm comprises two arms which are hinged to the upright member in two positions and which converge and are joined at its free end.

6. A hand rail support according to any preceding claim, wherein the stabiliser arm is hinged to the upright member by means of a sleeve provided on the end of the arm and surrounding the upright member.

7. A hand rail support according to any preceding claim, wherein clamping means is provided at the end of the stabiliser arm to fix the arm against hinging movement on the upright member.

8. A hand rail support according to any preceding claim, wherein the stabiliser arm is formed at its free end with an upright tubular portion in which is mounted a ground engaging foot.

9. A hand rail support according to claim 8, wherein the upright tubular portion of the stabiliser arm is provided with clamping means adapted to engage the ground engaging foot.

10. A hand rail support according to any preceding claim, wherein the stabiliser arm is adapted to carry a weight at or near its free end.

11. A hand rail support according to claim 10, wherein stop means is provided on the stabiliser arm to prevent the weight from moving along the stabiliser arm towards the upright member.

12. A hand rail support substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

13. A hand rail comprising a hand rail support according to any of claims 1 to 12.