ES2332966A1 - Safety device for installation in fixed metal scaffolds in order to avoid height falls during scaffolding and disassembly operations (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is constituted by a tensioned cable and by different support posts to install it on fixed metal scaffolds to which the safety belt retaining cable is secured in order to avoid falls of height during the assembly and disassembly operations of the scaffolding The innovation introduced by the present invention consists in providing a fall protection equipment to which the operators can be secured by means of a mobile connection that slides along the entire line and does not require the manual intervention of the operator to overcome the different points of suspension of the cable, thus leaving the operators both hands free to manipulate and transport the scaffolding elements. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

Safety device to install it in fixed metal scaffolding in order to prevent falls from height during the assembly and disassembly operations of scaffolding

The invention falls within the sector of construction or rehabilitation of buildings in particular in the occupational safety

Description of the invention

The features of the invention are set forth. in the main claims. The derived claims they expose variants to the idea of solution.

The device consists of the following elements:

1) a textile cable of varying length according to the length of the scaffolding in question (fig. 1 and fig. 2);

2) a cable terminal;

3) two cable suspension posts following types:

to)

post initial (fig. 2 and fig. 3a)

b)

post terminal (fig. 1 and fig. 3b)

4) if necessary, suspension posts cable of the following types:

to)

post intermediate (fig. 1 and fig. 4a)

b)

post corner (fig. 4b);

5) at least one anchor carabiner (fig. 5).

The present invention is constituted by a cable that is tensioned and by different support posts that are installed on fixed metal scaffolding, and to which the safety belt retention cable, to prevent falls from height during assembly and disassembly operations of scaffolding

In fact during such operations, in the last level, that is, the one who is preparing or dismantling, not side safety rails are present against the high falls such as tubular handrails, intermediate bars and perimeter skirting boards, along the entire scaffolding or part of East.

The innovation introduced by this invention is to provide protective equipment fall arrest to which operators can be secured through a mobile connection that slides along the entire line and that does not require manual operator intervention to overcome different cable suspension points, leaving the Operators both hands free to handle and transport Scaffolding elements.

The present invention has also been made to be able to install quickly, comfortably and in total safety, from the level below that of the platform to be mounted, thus avoiding having to access the upper level without railing.

Once a level is completed the device will Easily disassemble to replace it on the upper level and So continue assembling the scaffolding. The same applies in the order opposite in the phase of disassembly of the scaffolding.

The shape of the cable tie posts is adequate to allow the rope to pass in angular sections for scaffolds that are not straight.

Description of the drawings

Fig one

Cable, terminal, post assembly intermediate, corner post and anchor carabiner.

Fig 2

Set perspective formed by cable, pole initial, intermediate post and terminal post.

To simplify the representation they have arranged the posts in each of the uprights, but it is not It must be so.

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Fig. 3rd

The initial post is characterized by a fixation for the cable terminal, by a clamp upper, a tie rod and a lower clamp.

The fixation for the cable terminal is designed to allow two cables to connect to this post many other fall protection equipment that extends in opposite directions.

The upper clamp is made with the cylindrical inner surface to pamper first enter the top of the upright (of the completed level) during pole installation, and then the base of the post level under construction, during the top level auction.

The structure of the clamp will be adequate to consent to block the two uprights with a pin or similar before removing the post.

The upper clamp (fig. 6) is equipped with hinge opening with safety pin, to consent that your use be safe during level completion and to allow then remove the post once the base of the  level of the newly completed level at the top of the lower level stile.

Fig. 3b

The terminal post includes a ring on the part upper cable through, upper clamp, tensioner for the cable and lower clamp.

In front and behind the cable tensioner there are two rings through which the cable passes to prevent it from coming out accidentally of the tensioner jaws.

The tensioner is positioned in such a way that it allows tension the cable from the lower floor (protected with railings).

The tensioner jaws (fig. 7) open lowering the corresponding levers and tighten the cable.

To pull the cable it is enough to pull manually from the part of the cable that protrudes below the tensor. The automatic locking system deals with blocking the cable safely.

To release the cable, you must activate the corresponding levers for unlocking the tensioner.

The lower post clamp is a normal clamp that is fixed with a nut.

For the other elements, the aforementioned applies to the initial post.

Fig. 4th

The intermediate post includes a support for the cable, an upper clamp and a lower clamp.

This post is mounted when the cable length between two holding posts in a row is excessive.

The cable must be inserted into the space corresponding between the pulley and the protection plate located on top of the post

The structure of the cable holder is the suitable to allow the anchor carabiner to pass without the operator have to intervene manually: the force is sufficient exercised by the operator who when traveling along the scaffolding drag the anchor carabiner hooked to the belt security, even with busy hands.

For the other elements, the aforementioned applies to the initial post.

Fig. 4b

The corner post is characterized by a cable holder made with a ring through which the cable.

At the corner post the operator cannot pass the obstacle without disengaging.

For the other elements, the aforementioned applies to the initial post.

Fig. 5

The anchor carabiner is characterized by a Small size that allows it to easily pass through the pulley of the intermediate post and distinguished by the security system that requires to execute two deliberate movements in a row to open it,  so it avoids the involuntary disengagement of the equipment.

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State of the art

Referring especially to the scaffolding of prefabricated frame, in which the scaffolding is formed by racks arranged transversely and coupled about others to form each of the platforms, and by braces of union with the previous platform and with the next one, arranged to proper form and whose function is to provide tightness and Bracing, currently in the installation phase of said scaffolding, and especially in the assembly phase of a new level, proceed by placing on the platform of the newly closed level, fitting the new frameworks over those of the level in question, and to continuing to introduce braces and bracing, and to finish, the boards to realize the platform of the new level. The platform is done by conveniently arranging the  boards of wood or other suitable material, on the horizontal crossbars of the two adjacent frames. During this operation, when placing the frames of the new level of scaffolding, the operator is without railings or any other type of protection that exerts of security against falls of height to different level

If there is a risk of falls from a height it is the use of the safety belt whose cable of retention must be attached to stable parts of the fixed or provisional structures.

The proposed system performs a system of fall prevention anchor that hooks the operator through its harness to a secure anchor point, constituted by the scaffold.

The fall arrest cord that connects the harness to the anchor line should be as short as possible to prevent it from produce excessive force in case of fall.

Currently the scaffolding assembly is done hooking the harness rope (about 2 m long) directly to scaffolding or fixed parts.

This does not allow the user to have the necessary freedom of movement, so the worker prefers work without protection, with the risk of falls from a height.

The operator, to improve mobility, can deploy a wire rope along the scaffold on your own and risk, so it is explained below.

On the retention cable a very high energy as a result of a fall (eg of a weight of 100 kg), even if the belt hitch rope safety is short (eg 1.5 m), which generates at the ends of the cable (placed horizontally) excessive force for the resistance capacity of normal scaffolding elements to which the cable should be anchored (with the consequent plastic deformations or breaks), and / or for the stability of the scaffolding (with risk of collapse of the structure due to instability, detachment of the anchors, etc.).

The characteristics that PPE should have (personal protective equipment) against falls from height, for different applications (without explicitly mentioning the scaffolding) are prescribed in the community standard EN 795

Manufacturers of protective equipment individual horizontal, in compliance with said standard, need fasteners for manufacturing cable ends much more solid than normal scaffolding elements, that there are which also securely fasten with screws or otherwise, to parts stable support structure (eg to cement parts, steel, etc.), and must be performed before using them, tests of traction to guarantee the resistance of said protections.

The rule also establishes that it be introduced in the equipment an energy absorber that can limit the force exerted on the cable in the act of falling to 6000 N, precisely to further reduce the force on the elements of fixation.

In normal use of scaffolding to adopt this solution (hook the cable to the cement bearing structure, steel, etc) cable brackets should be mounted on the wall of the next building, creating anchor points on the wall at along the entire level and, obviously, at each level of the scaffolding, that should be checked with tensile tests, with a huge impact of time and expenses.

It is well known that how much more difficult to install and use are safety and prevention devices, less are used by operators.

All of the above, referring to the assembly phase is applied in the same way to the phase of dismantling of scaffolding. Moreover, if you think that by different reasons the joints between the structures present to often phenomena of strong coupling, more marked if the dismantling is done after a long time of the installation, it is understood how the dismantling phase, when involve more effort to disassemble the joints, presents increased risk of loss of balance by the operator.

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The innovation provided by the present invention It aims to improve operator safety in the phases of assembly and dismantling of construction scaffolding, eliminating the aforementioned inconveniences.

In addition the invention is installed easy and quickly, making it easier for you to be willingly accepted for use by operators in the sector.

Claims (20)

1. Tensioned cable device to ensure the seat belt during assembly operations and disassembly of fixed metal scaffolding for construction, of the type with tubular elements or with prefabricated frame; and that includes at least one cable, two holding posts, a device of retention of the end of the cable, a tensioning device and a anchor carabiner that slides along the entire cable; With this system the cable can be tensioned and is suitable for secure to it the retaining rope of a safety belt or of a harness during the assembly and disassembly phase of the scaffold. 2. Device set forth in the claim previous constituted by support posts that include minus two anchor clamps with which to fix the post to amount of scaffolding, and at least one suspension element and / or cable retention, located at the top of the post. 3. Device set forth in the claims earlier in which the support posts will have a length, a weight, arrangement and type of clamps, and others features such that allow to install each post and so both the entire device comfortably and in conditions of security from the level below the level to complete. 4. Device set forth in the claims earlier in which the support posts will have a length, a weight, arrangement and type of clamps, and others features such that allow disassembling each post and so both the entire device comfortably and in conditions of security from the level below the level completed. 5. Device set forth in the claims earlier in which at least one of the terminal posts it will be equipped with a tensioner placed near the bottom of the post or in another position that allows the cable to be tensioned from the level below the level to complete. 6. Device set forth in the claims above in which at least the top flange of the two installed in the support posts will be made with the cylindrical inner surface to pamper first enter the top of the upright (of the completed level) during pole installation, and then the base of the post superimposed from the upper level. The geometry of the flange will be the suitable to consent to block with a pin or similar the two uprights before removing the post. 7. Device set forth in the claims previous ones in which the upper clamp will be equipped with hinge opening with safety pin, to consent that your use be safe during level completion and to allow then remove the post once the base of the upper upright at the top of the lower upright. 8. Device set forth in the claims earlier in which the cable suspension elements will have the proper way to allow the anchor carabiner to pass for them without having to disconnect from the system and without the operator intervene manually, the force being sufficient received from the movement of the operator that when walking along the scaffolding carries with it the anchor carabiner connected to the cable holding, even with busy hands carrying components or performing another activity. 9. Device set forth in the claims above in which the suspension elements may have the suitable way to allow the cable to rotate angles in case of that the device be used on scaffolds that are not straight, but that include changes of direction to adapt to the structure to the They are connected. 10. Device set forth in the claims earlier in which the initial post will have the top of such that it allows two terminals of wire or two wires (if terminals are already installed), to to be able to exercise the function of initial post for two systems of anchor that extend in the same direction but in directions opposites 11. Device set forth in the claims earlier in which the cable terminal may not be integrated in the cable but in the initial post or terminal, to allow the cable passes through the corresponding supports without having to extend the entire cable coil. 12. Device set forth in the preceding claims, characterized in that it does not have to install a support post in each of the uprights. 13. Device set forth in the preceding claims which is characterized by having more than one support post between the two end posts (initial and final). 14. Device set forth in the preceding claims characterized by the fact that it has a tensioning device that allows the cable to be tensioned by pulling it manually, holding it below the tensioning device.
tense 15. Device set forth in the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a tensioning device that allows the cable to be tensioned by hand winch. 16. Device set forth in the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a tensioning device that allows the cable to be tensioned by hand winch. 17. Device set forth in the preceding claims, characterized in that it has more than one clamp for fixing the support posts to the scaffold stud. 18. Device set forth in the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a bolted flange as a clamp. 19. Device set forth in the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a cylindrical coupling joint as a splice of the support post, which may be incorporated in the support structure and that is coupled to an appendix of the scaffolding frame . 20. Device, set forth in the preceding claim, characterized in that the joint has a mechanical fastening device that prevents it from being involuntarily removed.