Material storage rack

Abstract

A storage rack (20) for use on an aerial lift (10) having a work platform (12) surrounded by a safety barrier(17)with a kick plate (14) adjacent the platform (12), the storage rack (20) having at least one leg (21) with a foot (22) which in use rests on the platform (12), the leg (21) 4. A storage rack as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the leg (21) having at its lower end portion a catch (36) which is engagable with the kick plate (14) to hold the foot (22) adjacent the kick plate.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to material storage rack and in particular to apparatus used for the storage of lengths of material, in particular pipes or tubes, during construction of buildings.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Building construction sites for large buildings frequently employ construction equipment for lifting large and heavy components into position during the construction of a building. For example, lengths of standard 8 inch (200 mm) diameter steel pipe are typically 6 meters in length and may weigh in the order of 150 kgs. During construction of commercial building the overhead pipe work is typically lifted and fixed into position using aerial lifts.

A typical aerial lift is a mobile scissor lift available from JLG Ind. and which has a work platform which may be lifted into the air by a hydraulically operable scissor mechanism. For safety the work platform is surrounded by a safety barrier or fence.

As is described in WO 2005/077711, these lifts may be provided with auxiliary material handing equipment which is secured to the lift platform. The material handing apparatus described includes a pipe storage rack for the storing lengths of pipe on the aerial lift prior to their installation.

The present invention provides a material storage rack for use on an aerial lift and which can be independently fitted to the lift platform.

STATEMENTS OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a storage rack for use on an aerial lift having a work platform surrounded by a safety barrier with a kick plate adjacent the platform, the storage rack having at least one leg with a foot which in use rests on the platform, the leg having coupling means thereon for securing the rack to kick plate.

The storage rack comprises a pair of spaced apart legs and preferably the two feet are interconnected by a base plate which also rests against the platform. At least one arm which in use also rests against platform may be attached to the base plate to extend normally inwardly thereof.

Each leg at its lower end portion is provided with a catch which is engagable with the kick plate to hold the respective foot adjacent the kick plate.

The upper end portion of the or each leg is detachably connected to an elongate material support, preferably comprising a pair of spaced apart holders, the material support having coupling means thereon for securing the storage rack to said barrier.

The or each leg may comprise two inter-connectable limbs, a lower limb connected to a respective foot, and a detachable upper limb having a coupling means thereon also for securing the storage rack to said barrier.

The elongate support may comprise a single assembly, or may comprise two inter-connectable portions.

The invention further comprises an aerial lift having a work platform surrounded by a safety barrier including a kick plate adjacent the platform, and a material storage rack according to the first aspect of the invention located within the safety barrier and having at least one foot in use resting on the platform with coupling means securing the rack to said barrier.

Preferably the platform is a rectangular platform with at least one rack secured to at least one side of the platform.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an aerial platform

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a material storage rack according to the present invention,

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the rack of FIG. 1 in use on an aerial platform,

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the rack shown in FIG. 1 with the upper portion of the legs removed,

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the rack of FIG. 3 in use on an aerial platform,

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the rack during fitting,

FIG. 7 shows a kit of components that make up the material storage rack.

FIG. 8 shows a second catch means for use with a second type of kick plate and

FIG. 9 shows a third catch means for use with another type of kick plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INENTION

FIG. 1 shows an aerial lift 10 in the form of a self drive mobile scissor lift available from JLG Ind. The lift 10 has a drivable vehicle body 11 having wheels 15 and a work platform 12 located on its body and which in use can be raised or lowered relative to the ground. The platform 12 is shown in a lowered condition and the vehicle body is provided with stabilisers 16 at its corners which are lowered to provide stability during use of the lift. The work platform 12 is raised or lowered by a scissor type mechanism 13 typically operated by a powered hydraulic system provided on the lift. The platform 12 has extendable end portions 19 and the whole platform is provided with a safety barrier 17 including a kick plate 14 adjacent the platform 12. The kick plate 14 typically has an upper edge with an inwardly turned lip 119 having a downward flange 120. Alternative forms of kick plate are also known. An access ladder 18 is provided on the body 11 for access to the platform 12 when in the lowered condition.

With reference now to FIGS. 3 to 5, there is shown a storage rack 20 for use on the aerial lift 10. The storage rack 20 has at least one leg 21, and preferably two spaced apart legs 21, each of which has a foot 22 at its lower end which in use rests on the platform 19. The two feet 21 are interconnected by a base plate 23 which also rests against the platform. The two feet and the base plate may be formed as a single assembly 30 as shown in FIG. 7. At least one arm 40 (shown in FIG. 7 only) which in use also rests against platform, may be attached to the base plate 23 to extend normally inwardly thereof (that is inward relative to the platform). This helps further stabilise the rack.

Each leg 21 is formed from one lower limb 25 which is secured to its respective foot 22, with an optional and separable upper limb 26. The upper end limb 26 is provided with a lower end portion 27 which is a sliding fit within the upper end portion of the lower limb 25. Should a higher level rack is required the two limbs 25,26 may be secured together by suitable locking means, e.g nuts and bold, pins etc. This is shown in FIGS. 2 & 3. If a lower level rack is required, the upper limb 26 may be omitted, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

An elongate material support 28 is detachably mounted to the upper end portion of either limb 25 or 26 depending upon the rack height. The material support comprises two inter-connectable 28 struts 29,31, with a pair of spaced apart material holders 34 secured one at each remote end of the inter-connected struts. The under-side of each strut 29,31 is provided with a connector means 32,33, substantially similar to the end portion 27, for detachably connecting support 28 to the two legs 21. The material support 28 is further with coupling means 35 thereon for securing the storage rack to the barrier 17 on the platform 19. Preferably the coupling means 35 are in the form of downwardly facing hooks which are located one on each side of each respective connector means 32 and 33. The material holders 34 may be shaped to any required shape suitable for supporting the material to be stored on the rack. The support assembly 28 may also be supplied as a single unit.

The upper limb 26 of each leg is also provided on its outwardly facing surface with a coupling means 37 thereon for securing the rack to the barrier. The coupling means 37 is substantially the same as coupling means 35. The lower limb 25 of each leg 21 is provided on an outwardly facing surface (outward with respect to the platform) with a catch 36 adjacent its foot 22 which is engagable with a detent on the kick plate, conveniently formed by the downwardly turned flange 120 of the kick plate 14, to hold the respective foot 22 in proximity to the kick plate 14. The catch means 36 in the form of a rod which is engagable within the downwardly turned flange 120 of the kick plate 14, to hold the base in proximity to the kick plate 14.

The storage rack 20 is installed on the work platform 19 by placing the lower assembly, comprising the two lower limbs 25 of the legs 21, feet 22 and base plate 23, onto the platform 19 within the safety barrier 17 adjacent the kick plate 14. The lower limb 25 is tilted outwardly as shown in FIG. 6 to engage the catch 36 under the lip 119 of the kick plate 14 and is then brought upright with the feet 22 resting flat against the platform. The legs are now substantially upright and coupled to the kick plate.

The material support 38 can now be assembled to the upright lower limbs 25 with the hooks 35 engaging over the barrier rail 17A, as shown in FIG. 5. Alternatively, the upper limbs 26 assembled to the lower limbs 25 with the hooks 37 engaging over the lower rail 17A of the barrier as shown in FIG. 3, and the support 38 then assembled to the upper limbs 26 with the hooks 35 engaging over the top rail 17B. The storage rack 20 may be used for the storage of lengths of the pipe P on one side of the platform 19, leaving the centre of the platform open. In use, the storage rack 20 with the pipe in situ is lifted into position using the aerial lift.

With reference to FIG. 7, the storage rack 20 is supplied as a kit of separate parts which are then assembled together. The parts comprise the assembly 30, upper limbs 26, the stabilizing arm 40, and the struts 29 & 31 with holders 32 optionally secured in place.

Referring now to FIG. 8, there is shown a second coupling means 80 for use with a flat kick plate having no upper flange. In this case the catch 86 is a downward facing hook which is a push fit over a flat kick plate (not shown).

FIG. 9 shows another coupling means 90 for use with a kick plate 14 having an outwardly turned lip 91 with a downwardly turned outer flange 93. In this case the catch 96 comprises a downward facing open hook which engages over the lip 91 and flange 93 and has a detent 97 at the end of the hook 96 which engages with the underside of the flange 93.

Claims

1. A storage rack for use on an aerial lift having a work platform surrounded by a safety barrier with a kick plate adjacent the platform, the storage rack having at least one leg with a foot which in use rests on the platform, the leg having coupling means thereon for securing the rack to the kick plate.

2. A storage rack comprises as claimed in claim 1 and comprising a pair of spaced apart legs the two feet of which are interconnected by a base plate which in use also rests against the platform.

3. A storage rack as claimed in claim 2 further comprising at least one arm which in use also rests against platform and which is attached to the base plate to extend normally inwardly thereof.

4. A storage rack as claimed claim 1, wherein each leg at its lower end portion is provided with a catch which is engagable with a detent on the kick plate to hold the respective foot adjacent the kick plate.

5. A storage rack as claimed in claim 4, wherein the coupling means comprise a catch which engagable under a lip formed on the kick plate.

6. A storage rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the or each leg comprises two inter-connectable limbs, a lower limb connected to a respective foot, and an optional detachable upper limb having a coupling means thereon also for securing the storage rack to said barrier.

7. A storage rack as claimed in claim 6, wherein the upper end portion of the or each leg is detachably connected to an elongate material support having further coupling means thereon for securing the storage rack to said barrier.

8. A storage rack as claimed in claim 7, wherein the elongate support comprises two inter-connectable portions.

9. A storage rack for use on an aerial lift having a work platform surrounded by a safety barrier with a kick plate adjacent the platform, the storage rack comprising a kit of parts comprising: 1) an elongate material support having coupling means thereon for securing the storage rack to said barrier,2) a first pair of spaced apart leg portions connectable to the support and having two feet which is use rest against the platform and are interconnected by a base plate which also rests against the platform, each leg comprising coupling means for engaging the kick plate, and3) a further pair of leg portions connectable to both the support and first leg portions also having coupling means connectable to barrier.

10. An aerial lift having a work platform surrounded by a safety barrier including a kick plate adjacent the platform, and a material storage rack as claimed in claim 1, located within the safety barrier and having at least one foot in use resting on the platform with coupling means securing the rack to said kick plate.