Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present invention relates to grandstands for use
in providing seating capacity at various public functions.
In particular the present invention relates to a
mobile grandstand of the type described and claimed in
British Patent Specification No. 1,413,325, comprising a base
which can be moved to any desired location, means for sup-
porting said base above the ground, a plurality of seats
mounted on the base in tiered rows ready for use, and a seat
extension formed by interconnected rows of seats hinged to
an edge of the base and arranged to be hinged downwardly to
provide seats up to the level of the base and to be hinged
upwardly ready for transportation.
In practice the base is the flat top of a lorry or
articulated trailer, the seats and seat extensions being
custom built on the existing flat top. This custom building
results in a complete, ready for use, mobile grandstand which
can be driven to an area in which it is to be operated.
However, if the grandstand is to be exported the complete
grandstand presents a bulky and costly item to ship. Further,
when not in use, the complete grandstands are bulky items to
park or store.
The aim of the present invention is to provide a
simple grandstand unit which can be transported to anywhere
in the world as cheaply as possible, and which may be con-
veniently stored when not in use for a period of time.
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SUMMARY OF THE IN~ENTION
In one of its aspects the subject invention is a
portable grandstand unit comprising a plurality of seats
mounted in a rectangular box-like framework in tiered
rows ready for use, the box-like framework including means
provided at each corner thereof for readily detachably
securing the unit to a raised support and for enahling
the unit to be removed from the support and stacked on a
unit of similar design and secured thereto.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention
the base is adapted to be attached by known I.S.O.* corner
unit to a standard container transporting articulated
trailer or flat top lorry. Preferably the grandstand unit
is built within a rectangular box-like container framework
so that the units can be stacked either in use or when
stored.
According to a second aspect of the present
invention there is provided a grandstand unit comprising
a plurality of seats mounted in a rectangular box-like
framework in tiered rows ready for use, and an extension
formed by interconnected rows of seats hinged to an edge
region of the framework. The framework includes means
provi.ded as each corner thereof for readily detachably
securing the unit to a raised swpport and for enabling the
unit -to be rernoved from the support and stacked Oll a unit
Oe similar desi~n and securecl thereto. The seat extension
.
* Abbreviation for the Interna-tional Standards Organization; a
world wide federation of national standards institutes whi.ch
sets standards :eor, among other things, container construction.
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is hinged to a position within the framework when not in use
to ready the grandstand unit for transportation. Thus the
units may be readily and relatively cheaply shipped to all
quarters of the World by conventional container transport
e.g. stacked in a container ship. On arrival at a
destination the unit or units may be conventionally
handled and secured on a standard container carrying
articulated trailer, trailer, or flat top lorry, the
grandstand being ready for immediate use once the seat
extension or seat extensions have been hinged downwards
towards ground level. If required the framework may be
boxed-in to ~protect the seating during transport and to
provide shelter when the grandstand is in use.
According to a third aspect of the present invention
there is provided a portable grandstand unit comprising a
plurality of seats mounted in a rectangular box-like
framework in tiered rows ready for use, the framework
including means for readily detachably securing the unit
to a raised support to thereby enable the unit to be
secured to a first type of support for transporting the unit,
removed therefrom, and secured upon a second type of support
for storage or operational purpose, and means for stacking
two or more of the units.
Whilst the grandstand unit of the present invention
may be permanently mounted on, for exam~le, an arti.culated
trailer, -the unit may of co~lrse be lifted off the trailer
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at a desired location and ~lounted, in the re~uired position.
If a seat extension or extensions are provided, the unit
can be lifted from the trailer, at a desired location, and
mounted with its base on a raised support of some other
kind e.g. legs, a fixed solid or hollow structure, or
a mound. The seat extension or extensions may then be
hinged downwardly providing seating to ground level. The
trailer may then be used for transporting a further
grandstand unit or conventional cargo container. A unit
without a seat extension may be mounted on top of a sited
unit to provide a raised stand with additional seats,
the I.S.O. container locks enabling the units to be
secured together. In such a case steps must be provided
to allow access to the upper unit.
The grandstand unit is also preferably provided
with an aisle of steps, and when one or more seat extensions
are provided, at least part of the aisle is hinged to the
said edge region of the base so that the aisle can be moved
in a similar manner to the seat extension or extensions,
the aisle in use allowing easy access to and from the
grandstand.
The present invention will now be further
described, by way of example, with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:-
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Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a grand-
stand unit according to -the present invention, and partially
disassembled;
Fig. 2 shows the unit of Fig. 1 being mounted on a
lorry; and
Fig. 3 schematically illustrates an arrangement of
units constructed according to the present invention.
The grandstand unit constructed according to the
present invention and illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises a
rectangular box-shaped framework 1 having standard I.S.O.
container locks 2 at each of its corners. Mounted on the
base 3 of the framework are rows of tiered seats 4 in a
ready~for~use position, and hinged to an edge of base 3 are
two extensions 5 and 6, each comprising a number of inter-
connected rows of seats 7. As can be seen from Fig. 1, each
seat extension can be hinged upwardly to a transport position
and downwardly to a ready-for-use position, by means not
shown e.g. winch or hydraulic means. The framework 1 is
boxed-in as illustrated in Fig. 1, it only being necessary
for the front side 8 to be removable or hinged to open the
grandstand. By boxing in the unit the seats can be protected
during transportation and shelter can be provided for spec-
tators when the stand is in use. However, alternatively the
framework 1 may be open if 90 desired.
To allow Eor access to -the tiered rows oE seats an
aisle oE s-teps 9 is provided, part of which can be
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hi~ged up~ards from the position illustrated in ~ig. 1 to
a ~osition ~ithin the space defined by frame~ork 1, ~hen
the grandstand unit is to be moved~
Fig. 2 illustrates the grandstand unit in a closed
positionl being located on a standard container carrying
trailer 10~ I.S.O~ locks 2 on the unit being complementary
to the loc~s 11 on the trailer. ~he provision of locks
2 at all eight corner~ o~ the unit facilitates stacking
if the unit is to shipped by boat~ Otherwise locks 2 need
only be provided on base part 3.
- The grandstand unit as illustrated in ~igo 1 can
be transported Dy s-tandard cont~iner transport i~e. road,
rail, boat andjor aeroplane 9 to a desired location and
whilst the unit may be readily used when mounted on a
mobile wagon or trailer, it may equally~well be located with
its base 3 on any other form of raised support e.g. legs~
a solid or hollow structure or even a mound.
Aæ schematically illustrated in Fig. 3 o~ the
accompanying drawings, units according to the presen~ invention
may be stacked and locked to~ether by means o~ the I.S.O~
locks or other suitable means, to provide additional raised
seating. In such a case additional steps must be provided
to allow ~or access to the raised seating, Such s-tackin~
may also be belle~1cially used for s~orlng such units when
not required ~or use.
