AU721823B2 - Support structure for roof safety system - Google Patents

Description

Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

(ORIGINAL)

*e a a.

Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: THOMAS MARTIN WEITACHER TERRY GRAEME O'SULLIVAN THOMAS MARTIN WEITACHER TERRY GRAEME O'SULLIVAN SANDERCOCK COWIE 69 Robinson Street, DANDENONG VIC 3175 SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR ROOF SAFETY SYSTEM Details of Associated Provisional Application(s): No(s): Australian Provisional Application No. P01866 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 1 970819,cmsdat.121,weitachcr.fi,1 la- TITLE: SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR ROOF SAFETY SYSTEM FIELD OF THE INVENTION 5 This invention relates to a support structure which is particularly, although not exclusively, suited for use in the erection of safety or guard rail systems intended for use on roofs during building and construction. The present .'invention further relates to the fastening of the support structure to a building structure.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION To ensure the safety of workers constructing or carrying out maintenance on a building roof such as the laying of tiles or other cladding on an inclined roof, it is 970819,nsdat.121,wcItacher-cap1 2 preferable, if not essential under various building safety regulations, for the workers to be protected by a temporary safety barrier conveniently at the lower ends of the rafters. Any system for this purpose should preferably not impede or complicate the laying of tiles including the lowermost rows of tiles and should therefore not be mounted to or through the roof frame.

Scaffolding, ground supported, has previously been used to provide a safety barrier, but this form of guard rail system is cumbersome and cannot always be used due to a lack of level ground or also a lack of room for ground scaffolding.

The use of stanchions or posts secured to the lower ends of the rafters in a manner requiring semi-permanent fixing means involving time and cost in their erection and disassembly.

Also there has been proposed the use of stanchions or posts secured by chains or like flexible gripping means adjustably secured around the lower ends of rafters to maintain the posts in a substantially upright position.

These proposals require the use of chain locating brackets and lengthy adjusting screws.

V The present invention provides a support structure in the form of a safety or guard rail that attaches to the lower ends of rafters that is of non-complicated, easily used 30 construction and effective and safe on location, and in accordance with Australian Standard AS 16/57.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with one aspect of the invention there is provided a safety rail support structure for use during work on the roof of a building comprising stanchions or 9f89pnsdat.121,weitacer.cp ,2 3 post members being at one end thereof of bifurcated construction for removable attachment over the lower ends of building rafters, rail members engageable in clamping sockets spaced apart along said post members above said bifurcated end of each said post, each said bifurcated end having aligned apertures for locating through-bolts or pins engageable against upper and/or lower surfaces of the rafters and screw-threaded apertures for locating screw members adapted to engage against or into the rafter members when the post members are located in their desired position on the rafters.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a stanchion or post member for a safety rail 15 support structure on building structures, said post member having a bifurcated structure at the lower end thereof for engagement over a rafter of the building structure and bracket members at spaced apart locations along the post .member for locating and clamping rail members, said 20 bifurcated structure having aligned apertures for locating through-bolts or pins engageable against upper and/or lower :surfaces of said rafter, and screw threaded apertures for locating screw members adapted to engage against or into e the rafter.

eo PREFERRED ASPECTS OF THE INVENTION 9.

The bifurcated portion of the stanchion or post preferably extends within the range of 150 to 350 to the longitudinal axis of the post proper.

The locating sockets for the rail members preferably extend from the post members on the opposite side of the posts from the inclined bifurcated portion so that the railing structure extends at a slight angle outwardly of the lower edge of the building at the lower edge of the roof.

In order to secure the corners of the safety rail structure 00317,cmsdat. 12 ,weitacber.cap,3 4 it is preferred that vertically hinged corner parts be utilised, said corner parts comprising two tubular parts hinged one above the other at their adjoining corners, said tubular parts incorporating screw-threaded apertures locating fixing screws securing the rail members at each corner of the rail structure. Said corner parts also act to line up the stanchions or posts.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, reference will now be made to an embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of part of the safety support structure of the invention located on a building structure; Figure 2 is a side view of a stanchion or post member of the support structure; Figure 3 is a front view of the post member of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a side view of the connection of the bifurcated lower portion of the post member on a rafter; Figure 5 is a similar view to Figure 4 on a different rafter angle; Figure 6 is a similar view to Figures 4 and 5 on yet another rafter angle; a.

Figure 7 is an underneath perspective view of Figure Figure 8 is a perspective view from above of the post and rail at the end of the laying of the majority of the tiles; 970819,cmsdat.121,weitaherxap,4 5 Figure 9 is a perspective view of the hinged corner parts of the railing structure; and Figure 10 is a perspective view of a rail throat joiner of the invention.

INTEGER LIST Stanchion or post 6. Bifurcated end of post 7. Base of bifurcated end 8. Leg part of bifurcated end 9. Leg part of bifurcated end Screw-threaded apertures in leg part 8 11. Fixing screws in apertures 12. Building rafter 13. Apertures for locating through-bolts 14. Through-bolts for apertures 13 Rail locating sockets 20 16. Rail members 17. Fixing screws in sockets 18. Swivelling corner parts 19. Socket on corner part 18 2019. Socket on corner part 18 Socket on corner part 18 21. Fixing screws on sockets 19, 22. Throat joiner part 23. Throat joiner fixing screws DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH RESPECT TO THE DRAWINGS Referring to the drawings, stanchion or post 5 is provided at its lower end with a bifurcated part 6 comprising a base part 7 and two leg parts 8 and 9, with a strengthening strap extending between base part 7 and the post Leg part 8 has screw-threaded apertures 10 accommodating fixing screws 11 for engagement with and/or into a rafter 970819cmsat.12,weitacherapS 6 12 when the post 5 of the support structure is in its desired position and attitude. It will be appreciated that these screw-threaded apertures 10 may be in leg part 9.

Extending through both legs 8 and 9 and in alignment therewith are apertures 13 locating through-bolts or pins 14 engageable against the upper and lower surfaces of rafter 12 in accordance with the angle of pitch of the rafter 12 on the roof and the depth of the rafter in measurement. These through-bolts 14 wedge the bifurcated part 6 against the rafter 12 either from below or above and below or with the base part 7 engaging the rafter from above with a through-bolt 14 engaging from below.

At spaced-apart intervals along post 5 there are provided locating clamping sockets 15 for locating rail member 16 with fixing screws 17 engaged therein.

In order to secure the corners of the safety rail, structure there are provided two swivelling corner parts 18 comprising tubular sockets 19 and 20 adjustably and hingedly connected one above the other at their adjacent S" corner locations. Both sockets 19 and 20 have fixing screws 21 for holding rail members 16 in fixed position therein. Whilst the rail members 16 as illustrated in Figure 9 are above each other, it is a simple matter to deflect rails 16 over the distance between posts 5 to align with post sockets For connecting the ends of rail members 16 between posts there are provided throat joiners parts 22 having fixing screws 23.

Figure 8 illustrates how roof tiles can be laid down to the eaves of a building with only two or three tiles to be laid after removal of the support railing structure.

970819xmsdat.121,wcitachrcTA 7 It will be appreciated that there may be made modifications in the shape and configuration of the detailed embodiment illustrated within the broad scope of the invention and all such modifications are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention.

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97O819,nsdat.121,weitcher.cap,7

Claims (9)

1. A safety rail support structure for use on the roof of a building comprising stanchions or post members being at one end thereof of bifurcated construction for removable attachment over the lower ends of building rafters, rail members engageable in clamping sockets spaced apart along said post members above said bifurcated end of each said post, each said bifurcated end having aligned apertures for locating through- bolts or pins engageable against upper and/or lower surfaces of the rafters and screw-threaded apertures for locating screw members adapted to engage against or into the rafter members when the post members are 15 located in their desired position on the rafters. o

2. A safety rail structure according to Claim 1, wherein *e the bifurcated portion of the post extends within the oo:. range of 150 to 350 to the longitudinal axis of the 20 post proper. ooee

3. A safety rail structure according to Claim 2, wherein the locating sockets for the rail members extend from the post members on the opposite side of the posts from the inclined bifurcated portions so that the :railing structure extends at a slight angle outwardly a0i. of the lower edge of the building at the lower edge of C the roof.

4. A safety rail structure according to Claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein the corners of the rail structure are secured by vertically hinged corner parts comprising two tubular parts hinged one above the other at their adjoining corners, said tubular parts incorporating screw-threaded apertures locating fixing screws securing the rail members at each corner of the rail Sstructure. 00317,cmsdat. 12 l,weitacher.cap,8 9 A safety rail structure according to Claim 4, wherein said corner parts in their secured location act to line up the posts along the lower edge of the roof.

6. A safety rail structure according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said bifurcated end includes a base part and two leg parts extending therefrom in parallel spaced fashion with a strengthening strap extending between the base part and its post.

7. A safety rail structure according to Claim 6, wherein one of said leg parts is provided with screw-threaded accommodating fixing screws for engaging with and/or into a rafter when the post is in its desired position o1 15 and attitude. A safety rail structure according to Claim 6 or Claim wherein aligned apertures are provided through both leg parts for locating through-bolts or pins adapted S 20 to be selectively engageable against the upper and lower surfaces of a rafter in accordance with the angle of pitch of the rafter on the roof and the depth of the rafter in measurement, said through-bolts a. *o S.acting to wedge the bifurcated end against the rafter 25 either from below, or above and below, or with the base part of the bifurcated end engaging the rafter a from above with a through-bolt engaging from below. 4

9. A post member for a safety rail support structure on building structures said post member having a bifurcated structure at the lower end thereof for engagement over a rafter of the building structure and having bracket members at spaced apart locations along the post member for locating and clamping rail members, said bifurcated structure having aligned apertures for locating through-bolts or pins Sengageable against upper and/or lower surfaces of said 003 17,cmsdat. 121 ,weitacher.cap,9 10 rafter, and screw-threaded apertures for locating screw members adapted to engage against or into the rafter.

10. A safety rail support structure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

11. A post member for a safety rail support structure on building structures substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 15 Dated this 1 7 t h day of March, 2000. PATENT ATTORNEYS FOR THOMAS MARTIN WEITACHER and TERRY GRAEME O'SULLIVAN 0• SANDERCOCK COWIE p 00317,cmsdat12Iweitacher.cap,