GB2218128A - Balustrading for a staging structure - Google Patents

Abstract

In a staging structure which includes a number of rearwardly inclined box-section truss members 153, an upright baluster 251 is secured to the upper end of each truss member. Each baluster 251 is provided with a spigot 253 which is received in a socket 193 formed by an open upper end of the truss member. A gravity catch 254 locks the baluster to the truss member. The baluster is of box section and includes a number of longitudinally spaced apertures 258-261 for receiving headed pins secured to balustrade panels enabling such a panel to be mounted between each adjacent pair of baiusters. Gravity-catches retain the headed pins in the apertures. Sockets disposed along the length of the truss members 153 receive side balustrades 287 locked in position by catches 292. <IMAGE>

Description

STAGING This invention relates to stagi.ng of the kind comprising rearwardly inclined truss members and a plurality of decking members supported from the truss members in a stepped configuration. In particular, it is concerned with the provision of safety balustrading along the margins of the staging.

The present invention provides staging comprising: a pai.r of mutually spaced box-section truss members; means for supporting sai.d truss members with a rearward inclination upwardly, each truss member having an open upper end forming a socket; a plurality of decking members bridgi.ng said truss members in a stepped configuration; and a respective baluster upstanding from the upper end of each truss member for supporting guard rails extending transversely to the balusters1 each baluster having a spi.got which is axi.ally received in said socket of the respective truss member.

Each pair of balusters may support several separate guard rails, but the guard rails are preferably comprised in a panel for attachment to the balusters.

Preferably the outer end truss members of the staging have socket means provided at intervals along their length to receive side balusters upstanding from the said end trusses. The socket means preferably compri.ses an apertured plate extending laterally from the upper face of the truss member and a support plate extending laterally from the lower face of the truss member, the support plate including locati.ng means for the lower end of the side baluster. The locating means may, for example, comprise a locati.ng wall surroundi.ng or partially surroundi.ng the lower end of the side baluster, but preferably comprises an upstanding pin for engagement in the lower end of the baluster.

The invention will now be exemplified in the following description to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side vi.ew of a rear baluster secured to staging of the invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the top end of the baluster of Fig. 1, Figure 3 is a front view of a balustrade panel for use with the rear balusters, Figure 4 is a longitudinal section through the top end of the baluster of Fig.s 1 and 2, Figure 5 is a side vi.ew of a side baluster secured to staging of the invention, Figure 6 is a perspective view of the top mounting bracket for the baluster of Fig. 5, and Figure 7 is a side view of a balustrade panel for use with the side balusters.

Referring to Fig. 1, the rear baluster comprises a boxsection post 251 havi.ng a box-section prop 252 extending from part way along its rear face in a downwardly inclined position. A tongue 253 projects substantially perpendicularly from the lower end of the prop 252 in a forward direction for recepti.on in a socket 193 formed by the open upper end of a box secti.on truss member 153 of a staging structure. The staging comprises a number of such truss members which are supported in a rearwardly inclined position by any sui.table supporting structure, but preferably as disclosed i.n European Patent Specification No.

O 291 275, the disclosure of which is i.ncorporated herein by reference. The staging also includes a number of deck members (not shown) supported from the truss members 153 in a stepped configuration. A similar baluster will be secured to the upper end of each truss member of the staging.

A catch 254 projects through the front face of the prop 252. The rear end of the catch is pivoted about a hirozontal pivot 255 internally of the prop whereas the front end of the catch has a downwardly directed hook 256 for reception in a hole 257 towards the top of the upper face of the truss member 153. The leading end of the hook is inclined so that as the tongue 253 i.n i.nserted into the socket 193 the hook ri.des over the top face of the truss member but eventually drops by gravity into the hole 257, thereby locking the baluster to the truss member. To remove the baluster the catch is simply lifted by hand allowi.ng the tongue to be slid out.

At intervals along the length of the baluster there are formed pairs of substantially identical apertures 258 261. The shape of these is best shown i.n Fig. 2. Each aperture comprises a head portion 265 in the front wall of the baluster, from the side of whi.ch a neck portion 266 leads to the adjacent side wall. The aperture continues in the adjacent side wall in a horizontal portion 267 which ends in a depending portion 268. A balustrade panel can be secured between each adjacent pair of balusters by means of these apertures, and one such panel is shown in Fig. 3.

The panel of Fig. 3 comprises parallel upper and lower horizontal rail members 271, 272 joined at their ends by uprights 273, 274 and at spaced intervals by vertical bars 275. (Some of the bars 275 have been omitted for convenience of i.llustration.) Each upright 273, 274 has three vertically spaced headed pins 276 278 projecting from its outer face for reception in the apertures 258 - 261. The head of the pin is passed through the head portion 265 of the respective aperture and is then moved rearwardly until the neck of the pin can drop down the depending porti.on 268. Since the head is too large to pass through the depending portion of the aperture the panel is firmly held in position.

However, as an added safeguard agai.ns the panel bei.ng inadvertently lifted and coming free from the balusters a safety catch may be mounted in the upper ends of the balusters as shown in Fig. 4. This catch comprises a depending plate 280 which is freely pivoted about a horizontal pivot 281 at its upper end immediately above the depending portiuon 268 of the top aperture. As the respective pin 276 is inserted into the aperture the plate is pivoted rearwardly by the pin. However, once the pi.n drops i.nto place the plate i.s free to pivot back to a vertical position under gravity so that i.ts lower end lies immediately above the pin as shown in dashed outline, to prevent the pin from lifting.To remove the panel a special tool 282 is inserted into a hole 283 in the top wall of the baluster to pivot the plate 280 out of engagement wi.th the pin.

Each baluster can have a balustrade panel secured at each side so that a continuous balustrade formed of alternating panels and supporting balusters can be provided along the rear of the staging.

With the arrangement of pi.ns and apertures shown, each balustrade panel can be secured at any one of three different heights. In its heighest posi.tion pins 277 and 278 are i.nserted in apertures 258 and 260 respectively of each baluster. In the intermedi.ate position pins 276, 277 and 278 are i.nserted in apertures 258, 259 and 261 respectively. To achieve the lowest position the panel is inverted and pins 278, 277 and 276 are i.nserted in apertures 258, 260 and 261 respectively.

In order to provide balustradi.ng along the side ends of the staging a similar series of balusters can be secured in an upright position to each end truss member in the manner shown in Fig.s 5 and 6. The mounting plates 285 for the deck support brackets 15, which are secured at intervals along the length of the truss member, are each extended laterally to the outside of the staging. The extended porti.on 285a (Fi.g. 6) of the mounting plate contains an aperture 286 to receive the lower end of a side baluster 287 (Fig. 5) alongside the truss member. The bottom of each side baluster 287 contai.ns a socket 288 for reception of a locating pin 289 which is upstanding from a lower plate 290 which extends laterally from the lower face of the truss member vertically below the mounting plate 285.

In order to secure the side balusters in the apertures 286 each baluster contains a lazy-Z shaped catch 292 which is pivoted about a horizontal axis 293. The upper end 294 of the catch projects from the front face of the baluster. The lower end 295 projects from the rear face of the baluster and its lower edge is i.nclined as shown so that as the baluster drops into the apertire 286 the catch rotates in a clockwi.se direction, when viewed as in the drawing. When the baluster is fully seated on the pi.n 289 the catch i.s free to return under gravity to the position shown so that the lower end 295 locates beneath the plate 285.

To remove the baluster the front end 294 of the catch is manually lifted to pivot the catch and wi.thdraw the lower end 295.

Although not shown, the side balusters are provided with similar pairs of holes to the rear balusters, enabling side panels to be mounted between each pair of balusters extending longitudinally of the end truss members. The side panels (Fig. 7) are of the same construction as the rear panels except that they are in the shape of a parallelogram.

Most of the major structural components of the balustrading are of lightweight metal.

The balustrading panels could have horizontal bars or wi.re mesh in place of the upright bars.

The balusters are easily secured to and removed from the trusses yet are relaible in use.

Claims (18)

1. Staging comprising: a pair of mutually spaced box-section truss members; means for supporting said truss members with a rearward inclination upwardly, each truss member having an open upper end forming a socket; a plurality of decking members bridging said truss members in a stepped configuration; and a respective baluster upstanding from the upper end of each truss member for supporting guard rails extending transversely to the balusters, each baluster having a spigot which is axially received in said socket of said respective truss member.

2. Staging according to Claim 1, in which catch means are provided for locking the spigots in the sockets.

3. Staging according to Claim 2, in which each catch means comprises a pivoted gravity-operated catch which is arranged to automatically engage when each spigot is inserted into the respective socket.

4. Staging according to Claim 3, in which the gravity catch is pivotally coupled with the respective baluster, and the gravity catch includes a hook portion which engages in an aperture provided in the wall of the respective socket.

5. Staging according to any preceding claim, in which the outer end truss members of the staging have socket means provided at intervals along their length to receive side balusters upstanding from the said end trusses.

6. Staging according to Claim 5, in which each socket means comprises an apertured plate extending laterally from the upper face of the truss member and a support plate extending laterally from the lower face of the truss member, the support plate including locating means for location of the lower end of the respective side baluster.

7. Staging according to Claim 6, in which the locating means comprises an upstanding pin for engagement in the lower end of the baluster.

8. Staging according to any of Claims 5 to 7, in which catch means are provided for locking the side balusters in the respective socket means.

9. Staging according to Claim 8, in which each catch means comprises a pivoted gravity-operated catch which is arranged to automatically engage when each side baluster is inserted into the respective socket means.

10. Staging according to Claim 9, in which the gravity-operated catch is pivotally coupled with the respective side baluster.

11. Staging according to Claim 10 as appended to Claim 6, in which the catch includes a hook portion which engages beneath the said apertured plate to lock the side baluster in the respective socket means.

12. Staging according to any preceding claim, which includes a balustrade panel extending between each adjacent pair of balusters.

13. Staging according to Claim 12, in which the balustrade panels which extend between the side balusters are of generally trapezoidal shape.

14. Staging according to Claim 12 or 13, in which each baluster is of hollow section and includes a plurality of vertically spaced apertures for receiving fixing pins extending laterally from the respective balustrade panel.

15. Staging according to Claim 14, in which the said apertures each comprise a transverse portion which is located in a side wall of the baluster and which leads from a depending portion to an entry portion in a mutually perpendicular wall of the baluster.

16. Staging according to Claim 15, in which the fixing pins are headed and the entry portions of the apertures comprise a head portion and a narrower neck portion leading therefrom to the said transverse portion.

17. Staging according to Claim 16, in which each baluster includes a gravity catch which is arranged to pivotally move upon entry of a fixing pin into a respective aperture, but which thereafter pivots back under gravity to a locking position in which it prevents removal of the said pin from the respective aperture.

18. Staging provided with balustrading substantially as described with reference to the drawings.