Safety apparatus

Abstract: The safety apparatus for carrying out work on roofs of buildings has a plurality of safety units (1) distributed over the roof (2, 3) in such a way that the its entire surface is made accessible, coupled to the roof and equipped with means for anchoring (8, 9, 11, 12) for attaching one of the ends of a safety cable (6) whose other end may be attached to the operator (P); the safety units (1) are interconnected by means of connection (4) for joining one safety unit (1) with the preceding and/or following safety unit (1), at least one of said safety units (1) being situated by a preferential access route (7, S) to the roof (3).

Description: The invention concerns a safety apparatus for carrying out work on the roofs of buildings, that is, a set of safety elements to prevent operators who are working at a considerable height off the ground from falling, for example, when putting up the roofs of residential, or industrial buildings in general, when installing, or repairing, television aerials, telephone or electrical cables, when working on walls, or painting, and any other such operation. Prior art comprises extendible ladders mounted on lorries, with, at their free end, a basket for carrying in it at least one operator and some equipment required for carrying out zu particular type of job. Alternatively, scaffolding is put up, possibly having working platforms that may be elevated, equipped with safety railings to enable work to be carried out at different heights on the wall and up to the roof of the building. With these ladders and scaffolds, however, it is not possible to carry out work on areas of the roof that are distant from its edge, that is, they do not permit access to the innermost parts of the roof, and as a result, operators are poorly protected, or completely unprotected, when they are required to work in these areas; this represents a source of serious personal danger, as well as being an onerous responsibility for the commissioning agent. From the foregoing emerges the need to resolve the technical problem of inventing an apparatus to prevent personnel operating at heights from falling, both towards the inside and towards the outside of buildings, that allows maximum freedom of movement as well as a high degree of safety. The invention resolves said technical problem by adopting a safety apparatus having at least one safety unit comprising means for fixing one of the ends of a safety cable having an other end which may be securely attached to the operator. In particular, it is known from document US-A-4 607 724 a safety apparatus that has features as comprised in the preamble of claim 1. Such an apparatus however has to be necessarily fixed onto the ridge of a roof and it is not adapted to be fixed, for example, on a pitched surface or on a vertical one. The invention provides a safety apparatus suitable for fixing to any off-ground surface and that has the features set forth in Claim 1. Each safety unit has a base structure which is securely anchored to the roof. The various safety units are preferably distributed over the roof in such a way that the entire surface is made accessible and, furthermore, they are interconnected with each other with lengths of cable stretching from one unit to the next and/or previous one. This affords the operator maximum safety, in that it allows movement on the roof with the continuous protection of the safety cable. In a particularly advantageous version, at least one of said safety units is located at a preferred access route to the roof, for example, in proximity to a skylight, a gutter, or other suitable structural element. This enables the safety of the operator to be ensured as he is also secured to the apparatus during the critical access phases when climbing up to and down from the roof. In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a safety unit comprising a base structure that may be anchored to the upper surface of the roof and post means having a lower end which may be anchored to said base and an upper end coupled to means for supporting the end of a safety cable having its other end attached to the operator. This ensures maximum safety when working at heights, particularly as regards preventing falls inside the building, which are very frequent with industrial building that do not have load-bearing roofs. In a particularly advantageous version said means of support is rotationally coupled to the end of the post means. This allows the safety cable to be positioned in function of the position of the operator with respect to the safety unit: all this to allow the greatest freedom of movement for the operator. In a further advantageous version, said means of support consists of a revolving sleeve rotationally coupled to the upper end of said post, from which protrude an upper shelf whose free end is angled slightly downwards and has means for hooking on to a body of a safety cable reel, and a lower shelf having a fork-shaped free end angled slightly upwards to stabilise the position of said reel body. This keeps the cable in a correct position avoiding getting in the way of the operator. In a further advantageous version, said base structure comprises an anchoring plate for fixing it to the surface of the roof by means of anchoring devices, said plate being coupled to the lower end of said post by means of a joint that may be locked in predetermined angular positions. This enables the safety unit also to be positioned on inclined portions of roof, even with variable inclination along the branches of the safety apparatus according to the invention. In a particularly advantageous version, said joint consists of a vertical plate projecting from said anchoring plate in a median zone of it, having a pin for hinging the lower end of said post and a set of holes distributed along at least one row having a curved path for the insertion, in one of the holes, of a locking bolt. This enables the angularly adjustable coupling joint to be easily and reliably achieved. An embodiment of the invention is illustrated, purely by way of example, in the six tables of drawings attached in which: Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of the roof of a building equipped with safety apparatus as described, showing the operating range of an operator; Figure 2 is a schematic side view of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic view from the left of Figure 2; Figure 4 is an elevation of a safety unit forming part of the safety apparatus; Figure 5 is a detailed view, enlarged and interrupted, of the upper end of the safety unit in Figure 4; Figure 6 is the view from the right of Figure 4, without the safety cable reel; Figure 7 is section VII-VII of Figure 6; Figure 8 a detailed view, enlarged and interrupted, of the base of the safety unit as described, moreover in an inclined configuration. A safety apparatus comprises a plurality of safety units 1 uniformly distributed over the surface 2 of the roof 3, that is, in such a way that an operator P is able to reach every zone of the surface 2 to carry out the required operations on it, whilst remaining permanently attached to said safety apparatus: to this end, the safety units 1 may be distributed in line every 10 - 20 m along the apex of an inclined roof 3. The safety units 1 are interconnected by lengths of cable 4 by means of fixed means of tightening 13a, or adjustable 13, in such a way that, when an operator finishes operating in a zone Z that lies within the operating range L and has to therefore move in order to hook the reel 5 of the safety cable 6 at another safety unit 1, the operator may remain anchored to the cable 4 by means of a relative spring catch and a short safety rope not shown, thereby maintaining the condition of maximum safety for the operator even when moving between the unit 1 and the next unit. The safety apparatus has preferential positions for climbing up and/or down, that may consist of skylights 7 of branches S (Figures 1, 3) of the apparatus that extend to an area of the edge of the roof in proximity to the eaves, or gutters. As shown in Figure 4, each safety unit 1 may comprise a post 10, advantageously consisting of a tubular element, having a base 15 provided with a plate 16 anchored to the upper surface 2 of the roof 3; the upper end of the post 10 supports in a pivotable manner a sleeve 9, which is kept in a predetermined axial position by means of a safety ring 27, acting also as a means for anchoring the means 13, 13a for tightening the cable 4 and by a transverse upper bolt 26. Projecting from the external surface of the sleeve 9 there are an upper shelf 8, having a free end folded downwards to couple with a spring catch 7a on the rear of the body of the reel 5 for the safety cable 6, and a lower shelf 11 having a fork-shaped end 12 pointing upwards, around a front portion of the lower part of the body 5 of said reel, allowing the safety cable to run freely and stabilising the position of said reel. The base structure 15 comprises a base plate 16, anchored to the surface 2 by means of means for anchoring comprising a counter plate 17 fixed to a load bearing beam 14 of the roof by means of tie bolts 18, and a vertical plate 19 projecting from the median area of said base plate and strengthened by ribs 23. The lower end 20 of the post 10 is formed by a pair of elements having U-shaped sections positioned opposite each other and associated with a plate of the lower end of said post. There is a lower through hole in the vertical plate 19, coupled with a lower threaded pin 21 acting as a hinge for the end 20 of the post 10; there are also two formations of through holes 24, 25 in said vertical plate 19, extending in two identical curved distributions around the hinge 21 and destined to engage with a removable means of connection 22, for example, a bolt, for setting and locking the angular position of the post 10 with respect to the surface 2. It is to be noted that the safety units 1 making up the safety apparatus may be lowered, when operators are not required to go onto roof, by simply removing the bolt 22 and rotating the posts 10 around their respective hinges 21: this, in order not to alter the architectural harmony of the building. In practice the materials, dimensions and details of execution may be different from, but technically equivalent to those described and therefore they will be comprised within the scope of the appended claims. Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of exaniple by such reference signs.

Claims: A safety apparatus for operators carrying out off grounds works on a load bearing surface (2), in particular on a building roof (3), including at least one safety unit fixable to the load bearing surface (2); said safety unit comprising: - a base structure (15) fixable at said load bearing surface (2); - a post (10) having a lower end (20) anchored to said base structure (15) and an upper end ; - joint means (19, 23) for anchoring said lower end (20) of the post (10) to said base structure (15); - setting and locking connection means (21, 22, 24, 25) for connecting said base structures (15) and hinging said joint means (19, 23) to the lower end of the post (10); - fixing means (8, 9, 11, 12) rotationally coupled to said upper end of said post (10); and - a safety cable (6) connectable at an end thereof to said fixing means (8, 9, 11, 12) and to the opposite end to an operator (P), wherein said base structure (15) includes a base plate (16) connected to said joint means (19, 23) and fixedly connectable to said load bearing surface (2) by way of anchoring means (18), characterised in that - the base plate (16) is fixedly connected to said joint means (19, 23), and in that - the setting and locking connection means (21, 22, 24, 25) allow setting and locking of said base structure (15), with respect to said post (10), to inclinations matching the inclinations of the load bearing surface (2), so that the inclination of the post (10) with respect to said base plate (16) is adjustably set and locked by way of said connection means (21, 22, 24, 25), for use at predetermined angular positions ranging from a position in which the post is adjacent and parallel to said base plate (16) to positions in which the post is away from, and at an angle with respect to said base plate (16). A safety apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of safety units (1) to be distributed over a roof (3) at a chosen spacing. A safety apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that said safety units (1) are interconnected to each other by a connection cable (4). A safety apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that said plurality of safety units (1) comprises at least one safety unit (1) adapted to be positioned at a preferred access route (7) of the roof (3). A safety apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said safety cable (6) comprises, at said end connected to said fixing means (8, 9, 11, 12), a reel (5). A safety apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said fixing means (8, 9, 11) comprise a rotatable sleeve (9) rotationally coupled to the upper end of said post (10). A safety apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that said rotatable sleeve (9) is upwardly locked in positions by a transverse upper bolt (26). A safety apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that said fixing means further comprise, projecting from said sleeve (9), an upper shelf (8), the free end whereof is inclined downwards, and equipped with means for hooking (7a) onto the body of the reel (5) for said safety cable (6), and a lower shelf (11), the free end whereof (12) is fork-shaped and inclined upwards to stabilize the position of said reel body (5). A safety apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said joint means (19, 23) comprise a vertical plate (19) protruding from said plate (16) at a median zone thereof. A safety apparatus according to any of the claims 1 or 9, characterized in that said connection means comprise a pin (21) for hinging the lower end (20) of said post (10), at least one set of holes (24, 25) arranged spaced along a curved line on said vertical plate (19), and a removable connecting element (22) insertable in said holes for setting and locking in position said post (10). A safety apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the lower end(20) of said post (10) is formed by a pair of U-shaped elements positioned opposite to each other, and connected at the top side to a plate (20a) projecting from the lower section of said post (10). A safety apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that it comprises safety ring (27), said rotatable sleeve (9) being downwardly locked in position aground the upper end of said post (10) by way of said safety ring (27). A safety apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that it comprises fixed and/or adjustable tightening means, said connection cable (4) being connected to said safety ring (27) of each of said safety units (1) by way of said fixed or adjustable tightening means (13, 13a). A safety apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said anchoring means comprises a counted plate (17) that is fixed to a load bearing beam (14) of the building roof by way of tie bolts (18).

Inventors: BORSARI SILVANO, BORSARI, SILVANO
Applicants: BORSARI SILVANO, BORSARI, SILVANO
Application year: 1996
Main classification: E04G21
IPC codes: E04G21