Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a scaffolding system suitable for use, for example, in providing protective cover for road crossings of overhead power lines during cabling thereof.

Background to the Invention

Conventionally, when an overhead power line is being cabled at a point where it crosses a road or railway, it is necessary to protect the road or railway by means of a net suspended beneath the course of the power line. Where the road is only narrow, horizontal poles are simply located on each side of the road and the net is omitted, any trailing cable being carried by the poles over the road. The poles and/or nets are mounted on scaffolding structures erected especially for the job.

The erection and dismantling of scaffolding is a skilled job, and the use of scaffolding is therefore relatively costly. Further, in order to ensure that the scaffolding is in position when the cabling is to be carried out, it is often necessary to have it erected some time in advance of when it is needed, according to availability of skilled scaffolders. For the same reason, the scaffolding may remain in position for some time after the cabling job has been completed. This can increase the cost further.

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In other uses of scaffolding, for example in general building and maintenance, similar considerations apply, with the cost and timing of scaffolding being an important factor in the overall cost. For example, as building work advances upwardly, it is necessary to call the scaffolders back to adjust the scaffolding at intervals before work can continue, and the adjustments are generally in fairly large steps, so that initially bricklayers, for example, are obliged to work lower down than might be ideal, while before the next adjustment they can be reaching up higher than is convenient or comfortable.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides a scaffolding system characterised by the following combination of features:- a) a pair of respective columns; b) means spacing the columns apart in use; c) means mounting each column on a respective one of two transportable bases; d) means rendering each column pivotable between a generally non-vertical out-of-use orientation and a generally vertical in-use orientation; e) locking means associated with each column to hold each column in its generally vertical in-use orientation; and f) connecting means attachable to each of the columns in the pair, when vertical, to extend therebetween.

Guy ropes or stays may be used to stabilise the columns, especially when their length is greater, for example over two metres. The guy ropes or stays may extend to ground anchorage points such as stakes, anchor frames or heavy weights such as concrete blocks.

The bases may carry an upright permitting the column to be raised and lowered in a falling derrick arrangement, with a lifting cable passing over the upright to attach to the column at a point intermediate its ends. The cable may be pulled by means of a hand winch or tensioner device. Alternatively, the columns may be lifted to their upright positions with the aid of a tractor or like vehicle.

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The columns are suitably formed from a lattice work, for example with a triangular section. The lattice section minimises the effect of wind on the columns while ensuring high strength and rigidity. The columns can be constructed from any suitable material with the required strength/weight characteristics and rigidity; galvanised steel and aluminium being particularly suitable. A column constructed wholly or substantially of aluminium, in particular, is especially easily transportable and manoeuvrable in use and so lends itself advantageously to the principle working conditions for which the invention was designed.

In a still further invention development of that last feature, the column(s) may be mounted on a vehicle for ease of manoeuvrability and in such a case a combination of light weight, rigidity, and resistance to torsional flexure, is especially important; and is provided by the invention.

For supporting netting for protecting roads during overhead cabling operations, the connecting means may comprise a simple beam or pole, but in a preferred embodiment a further lattice section is hinged down from one column to attach to the other column. In another embodiment, a reel of netting forms the connecting means between adjacent columns, the reel being installed before the columns are brought to their vertical position. The netting can then be unreeled across the road to the pair of columns on the other side. This substantially simplifies the installation of the netting, and reduces the risk of damage to the netting during installations, since in conventional operations it is usually necessary to drag the netting across the ground.

In a preferred embodiment, the connecting means is a working platform, for example of the general type disclosed in our European Patent Application No 92310837.7. The platform may then be used for working, in conventional manner, or it may even provide a temporary bridge, for example permitting workers to cross a motorway or other busy road safely, to permit working on both sides without interrupting the flow of traffic.

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In another embodiment, each column is provided with a track therealong, for example a rail, runner or groove engageable with guide means on the ends of a working platform, and lifting chains or cables whereby the platform may be hoisted up between the columns to, and held at, any desired working height. Thus, one disadvantage of conventional scaffolding, that of its being alterable in working height only in steps, is overcome.

The scope of the invention is defined in the Claims.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In the drawings, which illustrate alternative embodiments of the invention:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a column forming part of a system according to one embodiment;

Figure 2 is a view of the same column before being elevated to its working orientation, and with lifting means present;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the column shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a scaffolding system in use to protect a road during overhead power line cabling;

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic elevation of a scaffolding system according to another embodiment usable to provide a variable height working station; and

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic elevation of another embodiment of the scaffolding system in use as a temporary overhead road crossing.

Detailed Description of the Illustrated Embodiments

The basic unit of the scaffolding system of the invention is shown in Figure 1 and consists of an anchor block 1, for example a concrete block, having pivotally mounted thereon a column 2 consisting of a plurality of triangular

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open lattice units 3 secured together to provide the desired height. For example, each unit may be of 2m in length. The pivotal mounting of the column is at two points 4 of the triangle, with the third point 5 provided with a removable locking bolt so that the column may be transported with the block 1 in the generally horizontal and out-of-use configuration illustrated in

Figure 2.

The anchor block 1 can take various forms so long as it serves to stabilize the base of column 2 in a fixed position. .An alternative to a concrete block is a heavy gauge metal plate (not illustrated) optionally with a spike or spear on the bottom to penetrate into the soft ground. The plate can be further fixed by driving anchor pins through pre-drilled holes the plate into the surface beneath. There are times when such additional anchorages may well be necessary in use and the applicants have discover that the arrangement just specified is a particularly effective solution to such problems.

To elevate the transported column to its generally vertical, in-use position, after positioning of the block at the desired location, a towing motor vehicle may be used to pull the column upright, or a derrick arrangement may be used as illustrated in Figure 2, with a pole 6 mounted on a separate block 7 and having a pulley 8 at its uppermost end over which a rope 9 passes from an anchor point 10 on the block 7 to a point on the column. A simple lever- operated pulling or tensioning device 11 may then be used to pull the column upright. When the column is in position, it may be stabilised by guy ropes 12, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, extending to stakes driven into the ground, to additional concrete blocks, or to anchor frames having legs engageable in soft ground.

In the embodiment of Figure 4, a pair of columns 40 is located on each side of the road to be crossed by the power line. (For the sake of clarity, the columns on only one side of the road are shown.) One of the columns has an upper lattice section 41 pivotally connected thereto, locked in position during lifting, but then released and lowered so that its free end comes to rest on the upper end of the other column, where it is secured by clips or other suitable securing means. A safety net 42 is then suspended between the pairs of

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columns over the road. This may be done in the conventional manner by simply laying out the net on the ground and then hauling it into position.

Alternatively, the net may be fitted in the form of a reel to the pair of columns before they are raised to their upright position, the net being unreeled across the road to the other pair of columns when the columns have been raised and secured.

A temporary anchor system can be used for some or all the guys comprising heavy gauge metal angle bar which can be driven into, and optionally further pinned to, the ground. This can be especially advantageous in certain extreme conditions of use of the system.

Figure 5 shows a configuration suitable for use as a replacement for conventional scaffolding in house-building and maintenance work, for example. Each column 50 is provided along one face with a track or tracks engageable by runners or wheels 51 provided on the ends of a working platform 52 having a safety rail 53 along at least the side therof away from the surface of the building being worked on. A pulley 54 is mounted at the top of each column, and a cable 55 passes over the pulley and is attached to the platform 52. Suitable winching means (not shown) are provided for the cables 55 to permit the platform to be raised and lowered along the columns, and to be secured at any desired elevation. Thus, any working height of the platform may be selected easily and varied continuously rather than in fixed, and rather large, increments as in conventional scaffolding.

Where work is being carried out against a building it will usually be necessary to anchor the columns to the building itself. This can be achieved by a wide variety of conventional means well known in this field of engineering and which can be chosen by the intended skilled addressee of this description. In themselves such measures are generally self-evident. However, the lattice- style column construction, especially when combined with the essentially triangular column cross-sectional; still more so when the column is constructed wholly or substantially of aluminium; makes the system particularly readily adaptable to building-anchorage whilst retaining all its

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inherent advantages of lightweight yet rigid construction.

This therefore constitutes a further invention development of the system.

It is frequently necessary for repairs to be carried out on busy roads without closing them to traffic. High speed roads such as motorways are unsafe for pedestrians to cross, and this can make it difficult for road workers to move between working sites on opposite sides of the road. The embodiment illustrated in Figure 6 overcomes this difficulty by providing a temporary walkway over the road. A single column 60 is erected on each side of the road 61 and stabilised by guy ropes (not shown) as hereinbefore described. A walkway 62 of essentially the same construction as the suspended platforms disclosed in our European Patent Application No 92310837.7 is then secured to each of the columns, and ladders 63 are fixed to each column to permit access to be gained to the walkway. While it may be possible to lift the walkway into place using a crane after the columns have been erected, an alternative approach, where the road can be temporarily closed, would be to fix the walkway to the ends of the columns while they are still lying generally horizontally, and then lifting the whole structure upright before securing the columns.

It will be appreciated that there will be other situation than just roads where the use of a high level temporary walkway will be advantageous. For example, railways, rivers and canals may also require the provision of temporary crossings.

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