HK1108932B - Platform support device for lifting loads or persons the height of a structure - Google Patents

Description

Platform support device for lifting a weight or a person at the height of a building

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a platform support device for lifting a heavy object or a person at the height of a building, in particular for performing work on said building, comprising: in combination with a platform, winching platform lifting elements for controlling the level of elevation of the platform as required, forming masts to reach a desired height, engageable modular members, each mast element being mounted from a heavy platform, the platform being connectable on the one hand to the mast by the winching lifting elements, which lifting elements can be disengaged from said mast as required, and on the other hand using means for temporarily fixing the platform relative to the modular elements of each mast to allow the addition or removal of at least one modular element at the top of the mast according to the desired elevation of the platform when the platform is fixed.

Background

Work on the facade level of buildings with a high height is usually carried out using so-called suspended scaffolding. Such scaffolding consists of a platform with a hoist thereon, which is suspended from the roof of the building via a cable having a portion connected to the roof. This method is satisfactory when the roof is easily accessible, and when it is possible to install the anchoring elements of the cable and the counterweight for correct operation of the assembly. In the opposite case, the operator is incapacitated.

Another method is to place the lifting platform from the ground. However, none of the existing methods are satisfactory, as they do not allow reaching very high heights, despite the use of an elevator. This is the case with the scaffolding described in patent FR- A-2,624,173. This document describes a scaffolding comprising at least one substantially vertical mast supported on one hand on a substantially horizontal surface and on the other hand on a substantially vertical surface for anchoring a cable of an elevator, which cable is adapted to raise or lower a sliding sleeve belonging to a carriage supporting a work platform at the height of the mast. Apart from the fact that the installation of the masts is not addressed in this document, it is pointed out that the position of the masts extending along one longitudinal edge of the platform has a limitation in raising the platform, since they must be coupled to the facade of the building to prevent any overturning of the components of the building. In this document, therefore, the masts are connected by an anchor, shown in the figures by 9, which indicates the end of the raised platform and makes it impossible to use such scaffolding for working at high heights.

The system described in patent US-A-3,323,616 consists of A platform that moves along two masts, formed with telescopic modular elements, requiring the two masts to be assembled simultaneously or to be disassembled separately. Also, the sleeves belonging to the carriages supporting the work platform slide along the mast, so that the mast cannot be anchored in any way to the front face and the platforms must be moved synchronously. Since the system cannot have means allowing it to be attached to the front face, the system is not suitable for working at very high heights.

The system described by patent US-A-3,612,219 consists of two ladders and A platform. The ladders are cross-braced to allow them to be held in an upright condition, thus making independent disassembly from one of the ladders impossible. Platforms raised by elevators carried on the platform are not guided along the ladder, thus making such systems unsuitable for raising to high heights.

Patent FR- A-625,646 describes A scaffolding whose platform is carried by A separate mast that can be coupled to the facade using A support. In this case, the platform is also formed by a carriage and two sleeves, each sliding along a mast as shown in fig. 1 of the patent or at column 2, lines 19 to 26 of the description. The prop thus constitutes an obstacle to lowering the platform, which can only be lowered completely when the mast is dismantled and the prop is removed. This approach thus prevents the platform from freely raising and lowering along the mast. Furthermore, the use of a sliding sleeve platform/mast coupling in the case of a three mast structure requires the entire platform to be moved synchronously.

Patent EP- ｃA-612,899 describes plates attached to two ladders by means of pivoting hooks which hang on the rungs of said ladders. The apparatus allows the platform to be raised and lowered along the mast, with the movement being controlled from within the platform or from the ground using an elevator. However, a system for guiding the platform along the uprights of the ladder is not described here. During the vertical movement, the platform is also made free to move horizontally, which makes the system dangerous and unsuitable for working at very high heights. Also, because the ladder is made integral with the diagonal members, one of the ladders cannot be removed without removing the other.

The above document therefore does not describe a scaffold which can be used at very high heights, the platform of which can be moved vertically over the entire height of the uprights without adversely affecting the safety of the assembly. Moreover, none of these documents describes a device that allows asynchronous movement of two plates along two guide surfaces of the same mast.

Disclosure of Invention

One object of the present invention is therefore to propose a platform support device for lifting a heavy object or a person at the height of a building, which is designed so as to be able to reach any height, and in particular very high heights.

Another object of the invention is to propose an apparatus of the aforementioned type whose design allows to optimize the assembly and disassembly opportunities of the mast in the case of a frontal situation with a very high width.

Another object of the invention is to propose a device of the aforementioned type whose design allows the entire front face to be covered while limiting the number of masts that should be used.

Another object of the invention is to propose a plant of the aforementioned type whose design allows to reuse most of the components of the plant in traditional assemblies of the suspended platform type.

To this end, the invention is directed to a platform support device for lifting a heavy object or a person at the height of a building, in particular for performing work on said building, comprising: in combination with a platform, winching platform lifting elements for controlling the level of lifting of the platform as required, modular members that can be assembled and form masts to reach a desired height, each mast element being assembled from a heavy platform, which platform can be connected at least on the one hand to a mast by the winching lifting elements, which lifting elements can be disengaged from said mast as required, and on the other hand means for temporarily fixing the platform with respect to each mast with modular elements for allowing the addition or removal of at least one modular element at the top of the mast according to the desired height of lifting of the platform when the platform is fixed, characterized in that each platform is placed between two separate modular masts forming a lifting and guiding path, each mast having at least two guiding paths, each capable of interacting with the platform to allow, inter alia, either with the same mast, synchronously, or asynchronously, raising both platforms in parallel, or, after the lateral displacement of one mast, again with a separate mast forming a raising path by interaction with the mast already in place, a surface that is not subjected to any pressure during the movement of the platform or platforms along the mast is arranged along the generating line of each mast to allow the coupling of a mast member to the building using suitable connecting means, the mast member being positioned along the building without adversely affecting the movement of said platform, so that the platform can be moved more or less over the entire length of said mast.

Due to the relative positioning of the platform and the mast, the mast is positioned at the end of the platform, which is thus accommodated in the space remaining open between said masts, so that there is no longer a restriction with respect to raising the platform due to the anchoring of the mast to the building.

Moreover, this method makes it possible to use the same mast as the guiding and supporting element in the suspended state of the two platforms, which can be moved synchronously or asynchronously over the entire height of the mast. In this way, the number of modular elements necessary for erecting the mast is limited, which is a particularly important feature when the mast can reach tens of metres. Furthermore, when the apparatus should be moved laterally along the front, it is sufficient to dismount the individual mast to obtain a new lifting path in which the platform is placed by interaction with the mast that is kept in place. The result is a very significant saving in assembly and disassembly time.

Drawings

The invention may be better understood by reading the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 shows an overall view of the apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of one modular element of the mast;

FIG. 3 shows a general view of one element of the top of the mast coupled to the modular elements of the mast;

FIG. 4 shows a general view of the device for mounting two members of the mast top on the same modular element of the mast;

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the means of the mast for guiding the platform;

figure 6 shows an overall view of the device for temporarily fixing the platform along the mast in a position ensuring that the platform is fixed;

FIG. 7 shows an overall view of the apparatus for temporarily securing the platform along the mast in a position that allows movement of the platform;

FIG. 8 shows an overall view of two devices positioned along the front;

FIG. 9 shows a partial view of two platforms using two different guide surfaces of the same mast for ensuring their guidance;

FIG. 10 shows an overall view of a system for guiding a platform along a mast;

FIG. 11 shows a top view of a system for guiding a platform along a mast;

figure 12 shows a general view of the safety system controlled by the tension of the cables in their tensioned position, to allow vertical movement of the platform; and

figure 13 shows an overall view of the safety system controlled by the tension of the cable in its relaxed position to ensure the platform is fixed.

Detailed Description

As mentioned above, the platform support apparatus 1A, 1B which is the object of the present invention should allow individuals and/or heavy objects to be lifted to a high height, typically of the order of 50 meters or more, in order to facilitate in particular repairs to the facade of a building. The platform support apparatus should be capable of being installed from the ground without the use of the roof of a building. The platform support apparatus, as described above, has winched platform lifting elements 2, 3 in combination with the platform 1A or 1B for controlling the level of elevation of the platform 1A, 1B as required, and modular members 4, 6 which can be assembled and form masts to achieve a desired height. An advantage of such a platform support apparatus 1A, 1B is that each mast element 4 is mounted from a heavy platform 1A, 1B, which platform can be connected to the mast by means of, on the one hand, a winching lifting element 2, 3 which can be disengaged from the mast as required, and, on the other hand, hook means 5 for temporarily fixing the platform 1A, 1B relative to the modular elements 4 of each mast. Thus, in the fixed state of the platforms 1A, 1B, the temporary fixing means 5 enable the addition or removal of at least one modular element 4, 6 at the top of the mast according to the desired elevation of the platforms 1A, 1B. When the modular elements of the mast 4 have been coupled to the top of the mast and the lifting elements 2, 3 have been connected to the mast again, the winching device 2 is actuated again to allow the platforms 1A, 1B to be lifted until the platforms are temporarily fixed again along the mast, and then new modular elements 4 are added again for each mast. This operation can thus be repeated until the desired height is reached. In theory, the platform can thus be raised to any height, since the platform 1A, 1B is placed between the two modular masts 16, 17, which masts form the raising path. Thus, anchoring the masts 16, 17 to the facade of the building does not hinder such elevation of the platform. Moreover, because the system is designed to reach high heights, the number of modular elements used to form each mast is large. It is therefore important to optimize the number of parts that should be stored for manufacturing the mast. Due to the arrangement of the masts on both sides of the substantially rectangular platform end, the masts then extending beyond the lateral edges of the platform, it is possible to use the same masts to allow for parallel raising of both platforms synchronously or asynchronously, as shown in fig. 9. After the lateral displacement of one mast, it is also possible to use a separate mast for forming the lifting path by interaction with the mast that has been held in place. Finally, the platform support apparatus 1A, 1B has the advantage of allowing most of its elements to be reused for realising a suspended platform. All of these advantages will be given in more detail below based on the detailed description of the platform support apparatus.

As described above, the elevation levels of the platforms 1A, 1B can be controlled as desired via the lifting elements 2, 3. These are constituted by at least one winching device body 2 carried on the platform 1A, 1B and by a cable 3 extending between the mast and the platform 1A, 1B. The winching device body 2 is carried on the platforms 1A, 1B, allowing one platform and one winching device to be ready for suspending the platforms during the dismantling of the platforms. The winching device body 2 is of the type that continuously passes through a cable of any length to avoid the need for the platforms 1A, 1B to support the entire weight of the cable 3 under certain conditions. In fact, unlike the prior art, the winching device is not a winch, where the cable is wound on the winching device body and unwound or respectively wound up when the platform is raised. An example of such A winching device, which continuously passes through A cable having any length, is described in particular in patent FR- A-2,618,421. These winching devices are mainly constituted by a pulley provided with an engagement groove and by a cam designed to block the cable in said engagement groove. Based on the winching device as shown in fig. 1, the cable may extend beyond the clamping area and thus tend to rest on the ground. Thus, in the case of very long cable lengths, the platform does not need to support the entire weight of the cable as in a system constituted by winches. The method has thus proved to be particularly advantageous in platform support devices whose platform is designed to reach a very high height.

The hawser 3 is connected to the mast by means of a modular mast element systematically comprising a top mast element 6. The top mast element 6 is more particularly shown in fig. 3 and 4. In the illustrated example, each modular mast element 4 is constituted by uprights 7, preferably at least four uprights, interconnected with inclined or horizontal braces 8 to form a lattice structure, the uprights 7 of the structure being used in pairs to guide the platforms 1A, 1B as they are raised along said masts 16, 17, while some of the braces 8 of the crossbar interact with temporary fixing means 5 carried by the platforms 1A, 1B for fixing the latter. The modular mast element 4, which is designed to be supported on the ground, differs from the other modular elements 4 by the fact that it integrally has a ground support plate 15 on one of its ends. The board has means for adjusting its base to ensure that the masts 16, 17 are perfectly vertical when it is raised. Each mast is made in the form of a mast independent of the other mast. It is thus automatically stabilized so that the mast 17 can be disassembled without disassembling the adjacent mast 16 with which it has interacted.

The top mast element 6, like the other modular mast elements 4, is provided with a post designed to be assembled to the modular elements 4 by one of their ends. The elements 4, 6 of the modular masts 16, 17 can thus be nested with their uprights 7 placed end to end. A constriction may be provided to facilitate this nesting. Additional coupling elements, such as bolts between the modular mast elements 4, can likewise be provided for enhancing the mechanical strength of the assembly. In the example shown, the top mast element 6 can be made up of two parallel plates interconnected by struts, which are designed to comprise means 23 for coupling cables to the top mast element 6. A pipe designed to comprise two uprights for assembly by nesting the top mast element 6 in another modular mast element 4 is coupled to the structure. The plate is elongated to form an arm that terminates in a hook that opens to the top to be locked under the mast stay. These booms are laterally displaced from one top mast element 6 to the other top mast element 6 to allow positioning of both top mast elements on the same mast, as shown in fig. 4. Furthermore, rollers may be provided at the level of the top of the mast to facilitate handling of the mast elements. The design of each top element allows for quick and easy positioning of the elements.

In another embodiment of the invention, the top mast element 6 is made symmetrical with respect to the central longitudinal plane of the mast to allow in particular parallel coupling of at least two cables 3. This arrangement is even more particularly advantageous when the same mast is used to raise two platforms in parallel, each platform thus having a cable that can be coupled to the top mast element 6. Permanently coupling the hawser to the top mast element 6 enables to avoid any operating mistakes by an operator who, for each stage of adding or removing one modular element at the top of the mast, only needs to dismantle the top mast element 6 and then retrieve or remove the mast element 4 before repositioning the top mast element 6 without having to reach the coupling of the hawser 3 to the top mast element 6. The method enhances the safety of the assembly.

The masts 16, 17 formed by assembling modular elements of the aforementioned type comprise independent masts, which are stable and self-supporting in nature. An independent mast is defined as a pair of masts that can be disassembled independently of each other. In contrast to prior art ladders, each mast is highly rigid as it is made in the form of a beam. The mast is made in the form of a tubular element, the beams being hollow and formed from a lattice structure, so that the weight of the assembly can be reduced. Each mast preferably comprises at least four uprights 7 interconnected by inclined or horizontal braces 8. The pairs of uprights 7 of the same mast comprise guide paths 11, 12 of the platforms 1A, 1B. This enables having two different guiding paths 11, 12 for the same mast to allow parallel and unsynchronized raising of two different platforms 1A, 1B over more or less the entire height of the same mast 16, 17. These guide surfaces or guide paths 11, 12 are arranged on the mast to form a free surface 13 along the generating line of the mast, which allows anchoring of the mast to the facade of the building by means of suitable connecting means without adversely affecting the raising and lowering of said platforms 1A, 1B. The free surface 13 of the mast extends substantially on the mast between the guide paths or surfaces 16, 17 and separates them. In summary, a mast made in the form of a tubular element with polygonal cross section has two surfaces, each one used to guide and raise a different platform, while at least some of the other surfaces of the mast remaining free allow anchoring the mast to the building.

When raising the mast by adding modular mast elements 4, the platforms 1A, 1B need to be temporarily fixed during the addition phase. The platforms 1A, 1B can be temporarily fixed along the mast in different ways; this is necessary to allow for the addition or removal of one element of the mast. In the embodiment shown in fig. 6, the temporary fixation means 5 consist of spring-loaded hooks which form retractable catches during lifting of the platforms 1A, 1B and which hook onto the mast elements 4 when the platforms 1A, 1B are lowered. These hooks are carried by plates connected at the level of the base of the platform. The plate can be easily removed or retracted to allow removal of these elements, particularly during use in the form of a platform suspended from the system platform. In the phase of raising the platform along the mast, the hooks are automatically retracted and the springs move them into a position in which they are locked on the rods 8 forming the struts between the two mast uprights. In the stages of removing the modular mast elements, which are carried out in particular during the dismantling of the plant, the hooks are manually retracted between the two stages of removing the modular mast elements 4 and then coupled again to enter a position in which they lock the platform to the mast and thus allow the removal of one mast element.

During all stages of operation of the platform, the platform is guided in rolling or sliding contact along the masts 16, 17. The means for guiding the platforms 1A, 1B along the masts consist, for example, of rollers 9, preferably with grooves, carried by a support 10 that can be removably connected to the platforms 1A, 1B. The grooved rollers 9 of one support thus roll along the two uprights 7 of the mast forming the guide path 11 or 12 of the mast. An embodiment of the guiding means is given in fig. 5.

It is clear that the same platform comprises two supports 10 equipped with rollers 9, each support 10 interacting with a guide path 11 or 12 of the mast 16, 17. The rollers forming the rolling support contact elements may be replaced by contact support guide elements sliding along the upright without departing from the scope of the invention. The fact that the support 10 of the roller holder 9 can be coupled to the platform by simple bolting allows the assembly to be easily dismantled to allow the platform to be reused in the form of a suspended platform.

In the example shown, two pairs of rollers are provided on each of the ends of the platform, each pair interacting with a mast upright. Since each modular mast element 4 is made up of at least four uprights, it is possible to guide two platforms in parallel and out of phase on the same mast.

Finally, due to the safety and prevention of any overturning of the platform support apparatus, the mast elements 4 can be coupled to the building along which they are positioned, in particular by means of shock anchorage (especially when raised to a very high mast height). Thus, as the raising continues, the operator periodically anchors the mast element to the building facade. Brace elements between the mast posts can be used for this purpose. Anchor rods can likewise be used, which are coupled to the mast at one of their ends and protrude from the mast through the free surface 13 of the mast, so as to be coupled to the building through their other end. It is not absolutely necessary to anchor each modular mast element to the front face. One anchoring means may be provided for every two-three elements.

Finally, it is possible to have further safety devices, which are integral when the platforms 1A, 1B move, capable of keeping the platforms 1A, 1B in the supporting position on the mast in case of breakage of the cables 3 of the winching device 2. The operation of these safety devices is controlled by the tension of the hoisting cable. In the relaxed state of the cable, the safety device is active, whereas in the tensioned state of the cable it is inactive.

In the example shown, the platform is equipped with at least two safety devices, each formed by at least one movable stop 14, preferably two movable stops 14, the movement of which is controlled by the tension of the hoisting cable 3 to pass from one position supported on the mast in the relaxed state of the cable to a retracted position in the tensioned state of the cable 3, allowing the platform to move freely along the mast in the tensioned state of the cable.

Thus, as illustrated in fig. 12 and 13, each stopper 14 is connected to the other stopper 14 by a shaft 18. The shaft 18 is itself coupled to a yoke 19 carrying rollers 20, the yoke 19 defining with its arms the passage of the hoist cable 3. The cable 3 acts on the rollers in tension to cause movement of the yoke-stop assembly in the direction of the platform centre, thus preventing the stop 14 from being supported on the mast stays 8. Conversely, in the relaxed state of the cable 3, the stop moves in the direction of the mast and embraces the crossbar 8, thus ensuring that the platform is held along the mast.

Thanks to the above platform support device, it is possible to easily reach a high height with the platform. Moreover, the stages of dismantling and repositioning the mast along the front can be facilitated. Finally, the use of such a platform support apparatus enables the entire front face to be covered while limiting the number of masts that should be used. This design therefore has a number of advantages over the prior art.

Claims (14)

1. A supporting arrangement for lifting a weight or a person above the height of a building, in particular a platform (1A, 1B) for performing work applied to the building, the arrangement comprising:

at least one platform (1A, 1B),

modular members (4, 6) which can be assembled and which form masts (16, 17) for reaching a desired height, the modular members (4, 6) forming at least two masts (16, 17) in an assembled state,

and, with respect to the two masts (16, 17) and the platforms (1A, 1B),

on the one hand, a winched platform lifting element (2, 3) for controlling the lifting height of the platform (1A, 1B) as required, and, on the other hand, a temporary fixing device (5) for temporarily fixing the platform (1A, 1B) with respect to the modular elements (4) of each mast (16, 17),

the platform raising elements (2, 3) and the temporary fixing means (5) are able to connect the platform and the mast,

winching platform lifting elements (2, 3) separable from the mast as required interact with the temporary fixing means (5) to allow, in the fixed state of the platform, the addition or subtraction of at least one modular member (4, 6) at the top of the mast depending on the desired elevation of the platform (1A, 1B), each mast element (4, 6) being mounted from a load platform (1A, 1B),

characterised in that the or each platform (1A, 1B) is interposed between two independent modular masts (16, 17) forming a lifting and guiding path,

wherein each mast (16, 17), made in the form of a tubular element with polygonal cross section, has at least two different guide paths (11, 12) allowing to raise two platforms in parallel and out of phase,

wherein the or each platform (1A, 1B) interacts with one guide path (11, 12) of each mast (16, 17) and is guided in rolling or sliding contact along one guide path (11, 12) of each mast (16, 17) by means of rolling or sliding contact support elements provided on each end of the platform, in particular to allow parallel raising of the two platforms (1A, 1B) either synchronously or asynchronously with the same mast (16), or to form again a raised path after a lateral displacement of one mast (16) using a separate mast (17) interacting with a mast (16) already in place,

wherein a surface (13) which is not subjected to any forces during the movement of the platform or platforms along the mast is arranged along the line of generation of each mast, in the state in which the mast is connected to the building, the means for connecting the mast elements to the building protrude from the free surface (13), and the free surface (13) of the mast extends on the mast between two guide paths (16, 17) and separates them,

thereby allowing the elements (4) of the masts (16, 17) to be connected to the building along which they are located by using the connection means without adversely affecting the raising or lowering of the one or more platforms (1A, 1B), so that the platforms can be moved more or less over the entire length of the masts.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each mast comprises at least four uprights (7) interconnected by struts (8), the two guide paths (11, 12) of the mast each being formed with a pair of uprights (7), and wherein the or each platform (1A, 1B) is guided in rolling or sliding contact along a pair of uprights (7) of each mast by means of rolling or sliding contact support elements (9) provided on each end of the platform.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the winching lifting elements (2, 3) are constituted by at least one winching device body (2) carried on the platform (1A, 1B) and by one cable (3) extending between the mast and the platform (1A, 1B), the winching device body (2) being of the type used for continuously passing a cable having any length to avoid the need for the platform (1A, 1B) to support the entire weight of the cable (3) in specific conditions.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the hawser (3) is connected to the mast by means of a modular mast element systematically comprising a top mast element (6).

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each modular mast element (4) is made up of at least four uprights (7) interconnected by struts (8) to form a lattice structure, the uprights (7) of the structure being used in pairs to guide the platforms (1A, 1B) as they are raised along said masts (16, 17), wherein some of the struts (8) of the crossbar interact with temporary fixing means (5) carried by the platforms (1A, 1B) for fixing the same.

6. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the temporary fixation means (5) are constituted by spring-loaded hooks which form retractable catches during lifting of the platform (1A, 1B) and which hook onto the mast element (4) when the platform (1A, 1B) is lowered.

7. Device according to claim 6, wherein the hooks forming the fingers are manually retracted between two stages of removal of the modular mast element (4).

8. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each platform (1A, 1B) is guided in rolling contact along the mast (16, 17) by guide means comprising rollers (9), wherein said rollers (9) are carried by a support (10) which can be removably connected to the platform (1A, 1B), the rollers (9) rolling along a pair of uprights (7) of the mast.

9. A device according to claim 5, wherein the elements (4, 6) of the modular masts (16, 17) can be nested by placing their uprights (7) end-to-end.

10. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the mast elements (4) can be coupled to a building, in particular by impact anchoring, wherein they are positioned along the building.

11. A plant according to claim 3, wherein said plant comprises at least one further safety device, which is integral when the platform (1A, 1B) moves, capable of keeping the platform (1A, 1B) in the supporting position on the mast in the event of breakage of the cable (3) of the winching device (2).

12. Device according to claim 3, wherein the platform is equipped with at least two safety devices, each safety device being formed by at least one movable stop (14), the movement of which is controlled by the tension of the hoisting cable (3) to pass from a position supported on the mast in the relaxed state of the cable to a retracted position in the tensioned state of the cable (3), allowing the platform to move freely along the mast in the tensioned state of the cable.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the stages are performed during disassembly of the apparatus.

14. A device according to claim 12, wherein each of said safety devices is formed by two movable stops (14).