GB2557340A

GB2557340A - Barrier system

Info

Publication number: GB2557340A
Application number: GB1620834.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dunn Gordon
Original assignee: Terex GB Ltd
Current assignee: Terex GB Ltd
Priority date: 2016-12-07
Filing date: 2016-12-07
Publication date: 2018-06-20
Also published as: GB201620834D0

Abstract

The barrier system 14A comprises interconnectable moulded reinforced plastic tubes 26A, 26B, 26C, 26D, each tube being at least partly filled by an inserted reinforcing material 40. The reinforcing material may be metallic, or a settable polymer such as polyurethane foam. The reinforced plastic tubes may comprise woven glass or carbon fibres in a polymer matrix. Each tube may be non-extruded. Each tube may have connectors 30A, 30B for connecting to the connectors of other tubes. The tubes may have a body with a circular cross-section, and a base 28A, 28B having a rectangular cross section. Also claimed is a barrier installation comprising the system installed around a catwalk. Also claimed is a method of forming barrier parts, the method comprising providing a mould, inserting at least one woven braid of fibres into the mould, adding polymer matrix material to the mould, and moulding the braid and polymer matrix to form a barrier part.

Description

(71) Applicant(s):

Terex GB Limited

200 Coalisland Road, Dungannon, County Tyrone, BT71 4DR, United Kingdom (72) Inventor(s):

Gordon Dunn

(51) INT CL:
E01F 13/02 (2006.01) E04H 17/14 (2006.01)	E04F 11/18 (2006.01)
(56) Documents Cited: GB 2477636 A CN 201339167 Y US 5303900 A KR 20060131181	GB 1445853 A US 6427403 B1 US 4953830 A
(58) Field of Search: INT CL E01F, E04F Other: EPODOC, Patent Fulltext, WPI

(74) Agent and/or Address for Service:

FRKelly

Mount Charles, BELFAST, Northern Ireland, BT7 1NZ, United Kingdom (54) Title of the Invention: Barrier system

Abstract Title: Barrier formed of fibre reinforced plastic tubes (57) The barrier system 14A comprises interconnectable moulded reinforced plastic tubes 26A, 26B, 26C, 26D, each tube being at least partly filled by an inserted reinforcing material 40. The reinforcing material may be metallic, or a settable polymer such as polyurethane foam. The reinforced plastic tubes may comprise woven glass or carbon fibres in a polymer matrix. Each tube may be non-extruded. Each tube may have connectors 30A, 30B for connecting to the connectors of other tubes. The tubes may have a body with a circular cross-section, and a base 28A, 28B having a rectangular cross section. Also claimed is a barrier installation comprising the system installed around a catwalk. Also claimed is a method of forming barrier parts, the method comprising providing a mould, inserting at least one woven braid of fibres into the mould, adding polymer matrix material to the mould, and moulding the braid and polymer matrix to form a barrier part.

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At least one drawing originally filed was informal and the print reproduced here is taken from a later filed formal copy.

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Barrier System

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to barrier systems. The invention relates particularly to barrier systems for catwalks.

Background to the Invention

Conventionally barrier systems for catwalks are formed from steel-extruded tubes with welded joints. Steel handrails require forming using a tube bender, after which the various parts of the system are welded together. Once assembled and welded, the barrier system needs to be cleaned and painted or galvanized. Such barriers are considered to be costly, heavy and not amenable to being fabricated or customized on-site.

It would be desirable to provide a barrier system that mitigates the problems outlined above.

Summary of the Invention

A first aspect of the invention provides a barrier system comprising a plurality of interconnectable barrier parts, wherein each barrier part comprises a respective moulded reinforced plastic tube, wherein at least one of said barrier parts is at least partly filled by a reinforcing material.

Said reinforcing material may be metallic. Said reinforcing material may comprise a settable polymer material.

Preferably said reinforced plastic tube comprises at least one reinforcing structure in a polymer matrix. Said at least one reinforcing structure preferably comprises woven fibres, more preferably one or more woven fibre braids. The or each woven fibre braid is preferably in the form of a sleeve.

Alternatively, said at least one reinforcing structure comprises a plurality of particulate reinforcing structures, for example fibres or microspheres, dispersed in said polymer matrix.

Said at least one reinforcing structure may comprise glass fibres or carbon fibres.

Preferably each respective moulded reinforced plastic tube is non-extruded. In preferred embodiments, each barrier part is formed by hand lay up moulding.

Typically each barrier part includes at least one connector for connecting with a corresponding connector of one or more other of said barrier parts.

In typical embodiments, at least one of said barrier parts is a post and at least one of said barrier parts is a rail. The, or each, rail may comprise an open ended linear tube. The, or each, post may include at least one connector disposed for connection with a corresponding connector in a direction that is oblique to, preferably perpendicular to, the longitudinal axis of the post. At least one of said barrier parts may be a U-shaped end piece. The, or each, post may comprise a base portion with a rectangular cross section.

Typically, at least some and preferably all of said barrier parts comprises a body with a circular cross-section. Optionally one or more portions of at least one of said barrier parts has a rectangular cross-section.

In preferred embodiments, the system comprises a plurality of barrier sections, each section comprising a plurality of said barrier parts interconnected in a respective one of a plurality of configurations.

A second aspect of the invention provides a barrier installation comprising the barrier system of the first aspect of the invention installed around a catwalk, the barrier system comprising one or more barrier sections coupled to and extending upwardly from said catwalk. A toe board may extend at least partly around said catwalk, the or each barrier section being fixed to said toe board.

A third aspect of the invention provides a method of forming barrier parts said method comprising: providing at least one mould shaped to define at least one type of barrier part; inserting at least one woven braid of fibres into said at least one mould; adding polymer matrix material to said at least one mould;

moulding said at least one braid with said polymer matrix to form a barrier part.

Further advantageous aspects of the invention will be apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of a specific embodiment and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

An embodiment of the invention is now described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals are used to denote like parts and in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a material processing apparatus including a catwalk and a barrier system embodying one aspect of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the catwalk and a barrier system shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3A is a perspective view of a first assembly of barrier parts, providing a section of the barrier system of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 3B is a perspective exploded view of the assembly of Figure 3A;

Figure 4A is a perspective view of a gate assembly, being part of the barrier system of Figure 1;

Figure 4B is an alternate perspective view of the gate assembly of Figure 4A; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a second assembly of barrier parts, providing a section of the barrier system of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 6 is a sectioned side view of part of the assembly of Figure 3A; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a base of a post, the post being part of the barrier system of Figure 1.

Detailed Description of the Drawings

Referring now in particular to Figure 1 of the drawings there is shown, generally indicated as 10, a material processing apparatus. Only those parts of the apparatus that are helpful for understanding the present invention are shown. In general, the apparatus 10 may be configured to perform any one or more of a plurality of processes, such as feeding, screening, separating, crushing, waste recycling or demolition and/or washing, on one or more types of aggregate or other material, for example rocks, stones, gravel, sand and/or soil, or any other material that is quarried, mined or excavated. The apparatus 10 may be mobile, in which case it may include one or more wheels or tracks (not shown).

A catwalk 12 is provided to allow a human operator (not shown) to access any relevant parts of the apparatus 10 for the purposes of operating, inspecting and/or maintaining the apparatus, or any other purpose. A barrier system 14 is provided around the catwalk 12 to prevent the operator from falling off. In alternative embodiments (not illustrated) more than one catwalk may be provided, each having its own barrier system. It will be understood that barrier systems embodying the invention are not limited to use with material processing apparatus and may alternatively be used around any catwalk or precarious walkway, especially those provided on a machine, vehicle or industrial installation.

Referring now to Figure 2, the catwalk 12 comprises a base 16 to which the barrier system 14 is coupled. The base 16 comprises a platform 18 and typically also a wall 20 extending around at least part of the platform 18. The wall 20 preferably extends around substantially the entire periphery of the platform 18 although one or more gaps 22 in the wall 20 may be provided for access to the catwalk 12. Typically a ladder 24 or other set of rungs or steps is aligned with the gap 22 to allow the operator to climb up to or down from the catwalk. The obverse surface of the platform 18 provides a floor or walkway for the operator.

The wall 20 extends upwardly (in use) from the platform 18 and is usually perpendicular to the floor. The wall 20 is a low-level wall (typically being between 20 mm and 200 mm high) and is commonly referred to as a toe board. The wall 20 may be integrally formed with the platform or may be fixed thereto by any conventional means, e.g. welding or fixings.

The base 16 may be formed from any suitable material, usually a metal or metal alloy, most typically steel. The platform 18 may comprise a frame 18A to which one or more floor panels 18B are fixed. Optionally, the floor panels 18B may be formed from fibre-reinforced plastic, for example glassreinforced plastic (GRP). In the illustrated embodiment, the frame 18A and wall 20 are formed, preferably integrally formed, from a first material, typically steel, while the floor panels 18B are formed from a second material, preferably fibre-reinforced plastic, in particular glass-reinforced plastic (GRP). This provides the platform with sufficient strength while reducing its weight and cost in comparison with, for example, an all-steel platform since the second material is cheaper and lighter than the first.

Referring in particular to Figures 2 to 5, the barrier system 14 comprises one or more barrier sections 14A, 14B, 14C, which may be separate from one another (see for example sections 14A and 14C) or which may be connected to each other (see for example sections 14A and 14B). The barrier sections 14A, 14B, 14C extend upwardly (in use) from the platform 18, and are usually perpendicular to the floor.

Each barrier section 14A, 14B, 14C is advantageously formed from a plurality of inter-connected barrier parts 24. Each barrier part 24 comprises a tube formed from reinforced plastic, preferably fibre-reinforced plastic and more preferably glass-reinforced plastic (GRP). In preferred embodiments, the GRP comprises a continuous woven braid of glass fibres embedded in a plastic matrix to form a GRP tube. The plastics matrix may take any suitable form, for example comprising a thermosetting plastic, e.g. an epoxy resin, polyester resin or a vinylester resin, or a thermoplastic. Advantageously, the GRP tubes are formed by moulding, whereby the woven braid of glass fibres, which may be in the form of a tube or sleeve, is co-moulded with the plastic matrix using an appropriate tube mould (usually having inner and outer mould parts between which the tube is defined).

The woven braid is typically flexible, allowing it to be manipulated, e.g. bent, to take the relevant mould. The woven braid may be formed in a shape that matches the relevant mould. More than one woven braid may be used in combination to conform to the shape of the mould. More than one mould may be overlapped or layered with one another to increase the strength of the reinforcing structure.

In alternative embodiments, other types of reinforced plastics may be used to form the tubes for the barrier parts, for example carbon-reinforced plastics. The reinforcing structure is preferably a woven braid of fibres, e.g. carbon or glass fibres, but may alternatively take other forms, for example chopped fibres, microspheres or other particulate form dispersed in the polymer matrix.

Advantageously, the barrier parts 24 are modular and may be combined in any one of a plurality of ways to create the barrier sections 14A, 14B, 14C. To this end the preferred barrier system 14 comprises a plurality of types of barrier parts 24, namely an end post 24A, an intermediate post 24B, an end piece 24C and a rail 24D.

The end post 24A has a body 26A, which is preferably linear, extending from a base 28A, and having at least one connector 30A for connecting the post 24A to other parts 24. The preferred end post 24A has first and second spaced apart connectors 30A, the first preferably being located at the end of the post 24A that is opposite the base 28A, the second being located intermediate the first connector and the base 28A. The connectors 20A are located on the same side of the post 24A and are preferably radially aligned with each other with respect to the longitudinal axis of the body 26A. The connectors conveniently comprise a length of tube projecting, preferably perpendicularly, from the body 26A. The post 24A may include a curved portion between the body 26A and its end connector 30A. The connectors 20A are preferably male type connectors. To this end, the connectors 20A may have a narrower cross section than the body 26A.

The intermediate post 24B has a body 26B, which is preferably linear, extending from a base 28B, and having at least two sets of at least one connector 30B for connecting the post 24B to other parts 24. The preferred intermediate post 24B has first and second sets of connectors), the sets being spaced apart from each other around the body 26B. In the illustrated embodiment, the first and second sets are located at opposite sides of the body 26B, but in alternative embodiments a different spacing may be used. The preferred intermediate post 24B has first and second spaced apart connectors 30B in each set, the first preferably being located at the end of the post 24B that is opposite the base 28B, the second being located intermediate the first connector and the base 28B. The connectors 20B in each set are located on the same side of the post 24B and are preferably radially aligned with each other with respect to the longitudinal axis of the body 26B. The connectors conveniently comprise a length of tube projecting, preferably perpendicularly, from the body 26B.

The post 24B may include a curved portion between the body 26B and its end connector 30B. The connectors 20B are preferably male type connectors. To this end, the connectors 20B may have a narrower cross section than the body 26B.

The end piece 24C has a body 26C, which is preferably linear, extending between first and second connectors 30C for connecting the end piece 24C to other parts 24. The connectors 20C are located on the same side of the body 26C and are preferably radially aligned with each other with respect to the longitudinal axis of the body 26C. The connectors conveniently comprise a length of tube projecting, preferably perpendicularly, from the body 26A. The end piece 24C may include a curved portion between the body 26C and each connector 30C. The preferred end piece 24C is U shaped.

The preferred rail 24D comprises a body 26D, which is preferably linear, and which has a connector 30D at either end. The connectors 30D are preferably aligned with the longitudinal axis of the body 26D for connection with another part 24 in the axial direction. Conveniently, each end of the body 26D itself serves as the respective connector 30D. In particular the open ends of the tube that forms the body 26D may serve as female connectors. Conveniently this facilitates cutting the tube that forms the rail 24D to any desired length when assembling a barrier section.

In other embodiments (not illustrated), any one or more of these part types 24A, 24B, 24C, 24D may be omitted depending on the required configuration of the barrier sections. In any event moulds (not shown) are provided to make barrier parts 24 of the desired shapes.

One or more instances of any one or more types of barrier part 24 may be assembled to form barrier sections of desired configurations. To facilitate this it is preferred that the longitudinal spacings between connectors on the posts 24A, 24B and end piece 24C are matched so that they may be aligned in use for interconnection (either directly or by a rail 24D). The tubes that form the respective bodies 26A, 26B, 26C, 26D preferably have the same cross-sectional shape (conveniently circular), and typically also the same cross-sectional size (e.g. diameter). Male type connectors may be formed by providing the respective tube with a narrower cross-section at the location of the connector such that the narrower connector part of the tube can fit inside the open end of a regularly sized tube portion, e.g. the open end of the rail 24D, which therefore serves as a female connector. Preferably the arrangement is such that a friction fit is obtained between male and female connectors.

Figure 6 shows the preferred connectors 30. Each connector 30 is of a male type 30M or a corresponding female type 30F. Conveniently the female connectors 30F are provided by the open end of the respective tube that forms the respective part 24. The male connectors 30M may be formed by a narrowed portion at the relevant end of the tube that forms the respective part 24. The narrowed portion is shaped and dimensioned to fit inside the ends of tubes that serve as female connectors, preferably with a friction fit. The male connectors preferably taper in an outward direction to facilitate self-alignment of the male and female connectors. Typically, an adhesive is applied to the connectors to fix them together once interconnected. In preferred embodiments each rail 24D has a female connector 30F at each end. It is also preferred that each end piece 24C has a female connector 30F at each end. In the preferred embodiment the posts 24A, 24B have male connectors.

The rail 24D may be connected at each end to a respective post 24A, 24B. The preferred arrangement is such that, when so connected, the rail 24D runs substantially perpendicular to the post(s) 24A, 24B. This is conveniently arranged by orienting the connectors 30A, 30B to project perpendicularly from the post 24A, 24B and to connect axially with the rail 24D.

In the preferred embodiment, the barrier section 14A comprises first and second instances of the rail 24D connected between an instance of the end post 24A and an instance of the intermediate post 24B. An instance of the end piece 24C is connected to the intermediate post 24B opposite the rails 24D.

The barrier section 14C comprises first and second instances of the rail 24D connected between first and second instances of the end post 24A.

The barrier section 14B comprises first and second instances of the rail 24D connected to an instance of the end piece 24C. The free end, or connector, of each rail 24D is connected to a first part 32A of a hinge assembly 32. This allows the barrier section 14B to serve as a gate. To this end, a second part 32B of the hinge assembly 32 may be coupled to another barrier section (section 14A in the illustrated example), and more particularly to a post 24A of the other barrier section, the arrangement being such that the gate barrier section 14B is pivotably coupled to the other barrier section 14A by the hinge assembly 32 for pivoting about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the post 24A. The hinge assembly 32 is typically formed form metal, conveniently steel.

As can best be seen from Figure 7, the base 28A, 28B of each post 24A, 24B preferably has a rectangular cross section. This facilitates seating the base 28A, 28B against the wall 20, especially at a corner of the wall where the base engages with the wall at two adjacent faces, and/or to a bracket 33 with a rectangular or right-sided cross section which may be provided for coupling the post to the wall 20. The body 26A, 26B of the post 24A, 24B is preferably of circular cross section. Creating this mix of cross sectional shapes is facilitated by the moulding fabrication process. One or more apertures 34 are formed in the base 28A, 28B for receiving a fixing 35, e.g. a bolt, for fixing the post 24A, 24B to the wall 20, either directly or via the bracket 33 as required. One or more aperture 34 may be formed in two or more adjacent faces of the base, longitudinally spaced apart.

One or more apertures (not visible) may be formed in the body 36A, 36B of the post 34A, 34B for receiving a fixing 38, e.g. a bolt, for fixing the hinge parts 32A (or any other item as required by the system, e.g. a bracket, support or accessory) to the post 24A, 24B.

In order to strengthen the barrier parts 24, particularly in load bearing regions such as the base 24A, 24B, and/or regions where items such as hinge parts 32A are to be mounted on the barrier part 24, reinforcing material 40 (Figure 3B) is provided inside the tube that forms the barrier part. The reinforcing material may fill the entire, or substantially the entire, body 26 of the part 24, or may be provided only in one or more load bearing regions. In any given barrier section or barrier system, one or more of the respective barrier parts 24 may include reinforcing material as required. In preferred embodiments the reinforcing material is introduced into the tube after moulding, e.g. by insertion or injection through an open end of the tube. Preferably, the reinforcing material comprises a settable material that is introduced into the tube in fluid form and subsequently hardened, e.g. by drying and/or curing as applicable, when inside the tube. For example a heavy duty polyurethane (HD PU) foam may be used as the reinforcing material, although other settable polymer materials may be equally suitable. Any one or more of the barrier parts 24 may be reinforced in this way as required.

Preferably, any required apertures 34, 36 are formed, e.g. drilled, in the part 24 after the reinforcing material has been inserted and hardened. Alternatively, the reinforcing material 40 may comprise a rigid structure for incorporation within the barrier part 24, e.g. by insertion through an open end of the tube or during the moulding process. The reinforcing material 40 may be metallic, e.g. formed from steel or aluminium, or non-metallic, e.g. formed from graphene, a polymer or composite material. In any event, the reinforcing material advantageously fills the interior of the or each region of the respective barrier part 24, i.e. is in contact with the inner walls of the tube, to provide a strengthening effect.

Conventionally, GRP parts would be formed by “pultrusion”, which is an extrusion process that involves pulling the GRP material. However, a disadvantage with GRP pultruded parts is that the fibres are typically short and the overall strength of the parts is relatively low.

Advantageously, therefore, the barrier parts 24 are formed by moulding without extrusion, i.e. they are non-extruded moulded parts. To this end, respective moulds are provided for each barrier part, each comprising an inner and outer former shaped to match the desired part shape. The glass fibres are provided in woven form, preferably as a woven braid (not illustrated) and may be placed in the mould prior to the introduction of the plastic matrix. The preferred moulding process is hand lay-up moulding in which the reinforcing structure(s) (the woven braid(s) in preferred embodiments) is placed in the mould after which the plastic matrix is introduced, in liquid or flowable form, into the mould around the reinforcing structure(s) and subsequently caused to set. Conveniently this moulding process may be peformed manually. The woven braid can be provided in either a single layer or in multiple layers. The cross section of the braid can vary to suit the shape of the respective part, e.g. varying from a relatively large circular diameter to a smaller circular diameter, and/or from a circular to square cross section, and so on. Optionally, the tubes are coloured during the moulding process, and do not require painting.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment(s) described herein but can be amended or modified without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A barrier system comprising a plurality of interconnectable barrier parts, wherein each barrier part comprises a respective moulded reinforced plastic tube, wherein at least one of said barrier parts is at least partly filled by a reinforcing material.

2. The barrier system of claim 1, wherein said reinforcing material is metallic.

3. The barrier system of claim 2, wherein said reinforcing material comprises a settable polymer material.

4. The barrier system of any preceding claim wherein said reinforced plastic tube comprises at least one reinforcing structure in a polymer matrix.

5. The barrier system of claim 4 wherein said at least one reinforcing structure comprises woven fibres.

6. The barrier system of claim 5, wherein the said at least one reinforcing structure comprises one or more woven fibre braids.

7. The barrier system of claim 6, wherein the or each woven fibre braid is in the form of a sleeve.

8. The barrier system of claim 4 wherein said at least one reinforcing structure comprises a plurality of particulate reinforcing structures, for example fibres or microspheres, dispersed in said polymer matrix.

9. The barrier system as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein said at least one reinforcing structure comprises glass fibres.

10. The barrier system as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein said at least one reinforcing structure comprises carbon fibres.

11. The barrier system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each respective moulded reinforced plastic tube is non-extruded.

12. The barrier system of any preceding claim wherein each barrier part is formed by hand lay up moulding.

13. The barrier system of any preceding claim, wherein each barrier part includes at least one connector for connecting with a corresponding connector of one or more other of said barrier parts.

14. The barrier system of any preceding claim wherein at least one of said barrier parts is a post and at least one of said barrier parts is a rail.

15. The barrier system of claim 14, wherein the, or each, rail comprises an open ended linear tube.

16. The barrier system of claim 14 or 15, wherein the, or each, post includes at least one connector disposed for connection with a corresponding connector in a direction that is oblique to, preferably perpendicular to, the longitudinal axis of the post.

17. The system of any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein at least one of said barrier parts is a Ushaped end piece.

18. The system of any preceding claim, wherein at least some and preferably all of said barrier parts comprises a body with a circular cross-section.

19. The system of any preceding claim, wherein one or more portions of at least one of said barrier parts has a rectangular cross-section.

20. The system of claim 19 when dependent on claim 14, wherein the, or each, post comprises a base portion with a rectangular cross section.

21. The system of any preceding claim comprising a plurality of barrier sections, each section comprising a plurality of said barrier parts interconnected in a respective one of a plurality of configurations.

22. A barrier installation comprising a barrier system as claimed in any preceding claim installed around a catwalk, the barrier system comprising one or more barrier sections coupled to and extending upwardly from said catwalk.

23. The barrier installation as claimed in claim 22, further including a toe board extending at least partly around said catwalk, the or each barrier section being fixed to said toe board.

24. A method of forming barrier parts said method comprising:

providing at least one mould shaped to define at least one type of barrier part; inserting at least one woven braid of fibres into said at least one mould; adding polymer matrix material to said at least one mould;

Intellectual

Property

Office

Application No: Claims searched:

GB1620834.0

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