GB2419375A

GB2419375A - Saftey rail mounting bracket for I-beam

Info

Publication number: GB2419375A
Application number: GB0521452A
Authority: GB
Inventors: S Langston; A Trotter
Original assignee: GUARD UK Ltd K
Current assignee: GUARD UK Ltd K
Priority date: 2004-10-22
Filing date: 2005-10-21
Publication date: 2006-04-26
Also published as: GB0423488D0; GB0521452D0

Abstract

A bracket for mounting an on an I-beam 15 comprises a clamping arrangement for engagement with a flange 14 of the I-beam 15. The clamping arrangement may comprise a first part 7 for receiving an element to be supported 3, for example a safety rail, and an elongate element 8 connected to the first part 7 to extend across the width of a flange 14 of the I-beam 15. The elongate element 8 may carry a first clamping part 10 which may be an inclined clamping jaw. A second clamping part 22 may be positionally adjustable relative to the elongate element 8 so that the clamping parts 10, 22 can be moved together to clampingly engage opposite edges 16, 19 of the flange 14 of the I-beam 15. The second clamping part 22 may be mounted on a threaded member 9 having a rotatable locking means 23 so that rotation of the locking means 23 in one direction causes the clamping parts 10, 22 to move together and rotation in the other direction causes them to move apart. A plurality of the brackets can be used to mount posts of a barrier system. The barrier system may include frame work and mesh sheet.

Description

241 9375

MOUNTING ELEMENTS TO SUPPORTS

This invention relates to the mounting of elements to rolled steel joists, I beams or the like members without it being necessary to form holes in the flanges of the l beam or other wise need to carry out a welding or like operation.

In particular the present invention relates to apparatus for facilitating the mounting of support posts/pillars or the like to I beams forming part of the framework of a building in such manner that the posts/pillars can be utilsed as the support posts for safety barrier systems at the edge regions of such structural frameworks at least during the construction of the building Present day building regulations require that any exposed area or region of a building should be provided with a suitable barrier of such forth and construction as to satisfy all appropriate current building working and safety regulations then in place.

One well known form of barrier provision involves the erection of a scaffolding/framework adjacent to the side walls of a building during building construction and/or subsequent repair/maintenance, to which scaffolding suitable barrier forming sheeting is mounted at those locations usually immediately adjacent to the exposed side regions of the building.

As is well known the erection of scaffolding is an expensive time consuming activity involving not infrequently several work persons and is additionally one which frequently intrudes upon ground areas surrounding the building.

In practice the provision of such barrier systems can be a difficult operation particularly in cases where the building involved incorporates many floors for example five or more.

In many building constructions the building incorporates a structural steel framework that defines the overall dimensions of the building and the locations at which it is desired to provide floor space, major internal space dividing walls and supporting uprights within the general outer framework. Conventionally these frameworks are formed from lengths of steel commonly known as rolled steel joists (RSJ) or I beams. Ilereinafter the specification will refer to I beams.

Once the frame has been constructed it is then necessary for floors and equipment to be installed in the then relatively open framework.

As will be appreciated this need to work in relation to an open framework requires from personnel safety aspects the provision of arrangements for preventing persons from falling outwardly from the framework, and within the building itself.

The present Application is principally concerned with the provision of support arrangements which inter alla serve as mounting arrangements for the installation of the components of a protective barrier system mountable to the rolled steel 1 5 joists.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means for enabling provision of a barrier system that does not involve any drilling or like operation to be performed on the I beams.

Broadly, according to a first aspect of the invention there is provided an element support/mounting unit including means an element to an I beam forming part of a framework of a building or the like, the element including a clamping arrangement adapted for engagement with the flanges of the I beam whereby the unit can be securely mounted at a required position on the I beam. -. - 3-

Preferably the clamping arrangement incorporates a bracket assembly adapted to engage with a first flange of the I beam and including a first part for receiving an element to be supported, an elongate element connected to the first part in such manner as to be able to extend across the width of the flange, and a clamping member adapted engage with the first flange, and wherein the arrangement also includes a second clamping part positionally adjustable relative to the elongate element and adapted for clampingly engaging with the edge region of the flange of the I beam located to the other side of central body (web) of the I beam relative to the first flange Preferably, the bracket is adapted to mount a post/pillar.

Preferably, the post/pillar forms part of a personal protection barrier system.

Broadly according to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a barrier support system for use with a frame work comprising I beams, the system incorporating one or more barrier forming constructions provided at each end with 1 S a support post/pillar, wherein each support post/pillar is arranged to be mounted to an associated I beam by an element support apparatus including means for mounting a support for the post/pillar and clamping arrangements adapted for engagement with the flanges of the I beam whereby the apparatus can be securely mounted to the I beam.

2 0 Preferably, each post/pillar includes an upper support and connection member for the upper part of a barrier forming unit and a lower support and connection member for the lower part of a barrier forming unit with at least one of said members providing a locking arrangement.

Preferably, the barrier forming units each includes a rectangular framework incorporating first and second side members maintained in spaced apart relationship by upper and lower spacing members with the interior space between the side members being enclosed by mesh sheet or other means serving as the barrier forming means.

Preferably means are provided for closing in the lower parts of the barrier forming units in such manner as to form a wall for preventing displacement of articles through the said lower parks.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how to carry the same into effect reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which.

Figure I is a schematic side view of apparatus incorporating the concepts of the invention; Figure 2 is an oblique view of the apparatus illustrated in Figure l; and Figure 3 illustrates application of the apparatus of Figures I and 2 to a protective barrier system mounted from support posts upstanding from the apparatus of Figures I and 2, Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, the element, i.e., post, pillar or the like support means shown therein includes clamping arrangement formed by a bracket unit l including a first part in the form of a tubular upright 2 of rectangular cross section and with which a tubular member 3 (intended for supporting engagement with the post, pillar or the like (not shown) is telescopically engageable so as to project upwardly by a selectively variable amount. The tubular member 3 can be positioned at a desired height relative to the tubular upright 2 by means of the engagement of a pin 4 in any selected one of a number of bores S provided at spaced intervals along the tubular member 3 and complementary bores 6 provided in the side walls 7 of the tubular upright 2.

The bracket unit 1 includes a further tubular member 8 of rectangular cross section projecting at right angles from one of the side walls 9 of the tubular upright 2 that lie transverse to the walls 7 having the pin receiving bores 6.

The outer free end region of the further tubular member 8 is adapted to receive a screwed rod 9 that extends in prolongation of the further member 8.

The bracket unit 1 is provided with an first inclined clamping jaw 10 extending outwardly and upwardly from the upright member 2 at an appropriate angle to the vertical. The clamping jaw 10 provides two d spaced plane plates 12 located in a common plane and extending to either side of the side walls of the upright member 2. This common plane intersects the plane of the upper surface 13 of the tubular member 8 at the line of the join of the surface 13 with the upright member 2.

This member 8 could be of a non-rectangular cross section provided that it provides a plane upper surface or means equivalent thereto such as, for example, a flat upper surface part, or at least spaced longitudinal ridges effectively lying in a common plane parallel to that of the plates 12.

Conveniently the angle of inclination can be thirty and sixty degrees of arc. In practice, the inclination is chosen so that when the apparatus I is required to be mounted to a lower flange 14 of an I beam 15 whose outer edge region 16 is able to tuck into the angle between the said plates 12 and the upper surface 13 of the first tubular member 8 to allow the apparatus 1 firmly to nest into the position shown in the Figures 1 and 2. As will be noted the upper corner 17 of the flange 14 is in contact with the undersides ofthe inclined plates 12.

As will be noted from Figure 1 the length of this tubular member 8 is such that it reaches shortly beyond the upright 18 of the I beam and partially engages under a portion of the other flange 19 of the I beam 15 with which unit engages The screwed rod 9 carries an additional tubular member 20 having an external S cross section corresponding to that of the further tubular member 8 so that the upper surface 21 of the member 20 can be arranged to lie in the same plane as the surface 13 of the further tubular member 8 whereby the two upper surfaces 21 and 13 are are able simultaneously to co-operate with the outer surface of the I beam lower flange 14.

This additional tubular member 20 mounts a second clamping plate like jaw 22 that is inclined in the opposite sense to the clamping jaw 10 This second clamping jaw 22 is intended to co-operate with the other edge region of the I beam lower flange 19.

The unit 1 also includes rotatable locking means 23 that is engageable with the rod 9 whereby rotation of the locking means in a first direction causes the clamping jaw 22 to move towards initially to contact the upper edge of the flange 19 and then to push against it and thus effectively to lock the unit 1 against displacement relative to the I beam flange 19 whereas rotation in the reverse direction allows clamping jaw 22 to be moved away from the I beam flange 19 to 2 0 permit removal of the unit from the I beam.

When it is desired to mount the clamp unit 1 to the I beam flange the apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2 is offered up to the I beam flange 14 so that the clamping jaw 10 engages with the I beam flange 14, as shown in the Figures but with the other inclined clamping jaw 22 initially positioned such that at this stage it does not impede the positioning of the unit 1 to a required position on the I beam 1 S. Once the unit 1 has been appropriately positioned the other inclined jaw clamping jaw 22 is moved into engagement with the outer edge of the flange l9 of the I beam 15. The locking means 23 is then rotated so as to advance the inclined clamping jaw 22 into firm contact with the I beam flange l9 as is indicated in the Figures Once this position has been reached the unit l is firmly secured in place upon the I beam.

As so far described it will be noted that the mounting of the unit I has in practice effectively mounted the member 3 in a vertical setting relative to the I beam without involving drilling, welding or the like means to mount posts, pillars or other elements In practice, the upper end of the member can be adapted to serve as a mounting for a post forming part of a safety barrier system.

With such an application of the unit l the member 3 can be set so that the upper end thereof is substantially flush with the upper surface of the upper flange 24 of the I beam IS. This feature enables the apparatus of the invention to accommodate differing depths of I beams.

As so far discussed the apparatus has been mounted to the lower flange of the I beam so that the member 3 projects upwards. If for any reason it is desired to have the member directed downwards that apparatus of the invention can be mounted to the upper flanges of the I beam so that the member 3 hangs downwards.

The use of the arrangement shown in Figures I and 2 in relation to a a safety barrier system is very schematically illustrated in Figure 3. -I.

Referring now to Figure 3 as may be seen the barrier system shown includes side by side barrier units 25 each including a rectangular framework including upper and lower transverse rails 26,27 and vertical end rails 28. A mesh 29 bridges the rectangular space defined by the rails. The vertical rails are adapted for enabling the units to be mounted upon support posts 30.

These support posts are such as to be able to engage in the upper ends of the members 3 of the apparatus of the present invention.

In other words the associated barrier support post mounting is then inserted into the bracket upright to such position that the upper end thereof is substantially in the same plane as the upper surface of the other flange of the I beam.

Thus once the apparatus column has been appropriately positioned the above discussed support post of the barrier system can be secured to the clamp apparatus post. It will be understood that the apparatus upright is dimensioned such that the lower end of the support post can telescopically engage with the upper end of the apparatus post the barrier post is held in place by a pin engaging in bores in the lower part of the barrier post and the upper part of the apparatus post.

It will be understood that the apparatus of the invention would be mounted to the J beam at spaced intervals corresponding to the spacing requirements of the barrier system. - 9 -

Claims

1. An element support/mounting unit including means an element to an I beam forming part of a framework of a building or the like, the element including a clamping arrangement adapted for engagement with the flanges of the I beam whereby the unit can be securely mounted at a required position on the I beam.

2 An element support/mounting unit claimed in apparatus as claimed in claim 1, and wherein the clamping arrangement incorporates a bracket assembly adapted to engage with a first flange of the I beam and including a first part for receiving an element to be supported, an elongate element connected to the first part in such manner as to be able to extend across the width of the flange, and a clamping member adapted engage with the first flange, and wherein the arrangement also includes a second clamping part positionally adjustable relative to the elongate element and adapted for clampingly engaging with the edge region of the flange of the I beam located to the other side of central body (web) of the I beam relative to the first flange 3 An element support /mounting unit as claimed in claim 2, and wherein the clamping arrangement includes an inclined clamping jaw the extending outwardly from the first part at an appropriate angle to the vertical and including two spaced plates located in a common plane, and wherein this common plane 2 0 intersects the plane of the upper surface of the elongate element at the line of the join of the elongate element and the included clamping jaw..

4 An element support/mpounting unit as claimed in claim 3, and wherein the angle of inclination of the jaw lies in the range of thirty and sixty degrees of arc relative to the longitudinal direction of the elongate element. - 1 0

5. An element support/mounting unit as claimed in claim 3 or 4, and wherein when the bracket is mounted to the first flange of the I beam, the outer edge region of the first flange is able to tuck into the angle between the jaw member and the elongate element to allow the flange firmly to nest into the unit..

6. An element support/mounting unit as claimed in any preceding claim 2 to 5, and wherein the length of the elongate element is such that it reaches shortly beyond the web of the I beam and partially engages under a portion of the other flange of the I beam with which unit engages.

7. An element support/mounting unit as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6, and l o wherein the second clamping part is mounted on a threaded member extending from the elongate element, and wherein the treaded member mounts a rotatable locking means the arrangement being such that rotation of the locking means in a first sense causes the clamping jaw to move towards initially to contact the upper edge of the other flange and then to push against the upper edge and thus effectively to lock the unit against displacement relative to the I beam and such that rotation in the reverse sense allows the clamping jaw to be moved away from the I beam to permit removal of the unit from the I beam.

8.. An element support/mounting unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, and wherein the post/pillar forms part of a personal protection barrier system provided upon a building.

9 A barrier protection system adapted for use with for use with a framework of a building the framework comprising I beams, the system incorporating one or more barrier forming constructions provided at each end with a support post/pillar, wherein each support postlpillar is arranged to be mounted to an associated I beam by an element support/mounting units as claimed in any one of the preceding claims. v -1 1-

A barrier protection system as climd in claim 9, an wherein each postipillar includes an upper support and connection member for the upper part of a barrier forming unit and a lower support and connection member for the lower part of a barrier forming unit with at least one of said members providing a locking arrangement.

11. A barrier protection system as claimed in claim 9 or 10, wherein the barrier forming units each includes a rectangular framework incorporating first and second side members maintained in spaced apart relationship by upper and lower spacing members with the interior space between the side members being enclosed by mesh sheet or other means serving as the barrier forming means.

12. A barrier protection system as claimed in claim 9,10, and 11 and wherein means are provided for closing in the lower parts of the barrier forming units in such manner as to form a wall for preventing displacement of articles through the said lower parts.

13,. An element support/mounting unit apparatus constructed and arranged to operate substantially as herein before described with reference to Figures 1,2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings