Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1
A VOID PLATFORM AND A METHOD FOR PROVIDING A PLATFORM SUPPORT
ACROSS A BUILDING VOID
TECHNICAL FIELD
This disclosure relates to a support assembly for a void platform and a
void platform for covering a void in a building. It also extends to a method
of providing
a platform support across a void in a building.
This disclosure relates particularly but not exclusively to a void platform
for providing a temporary floor across a void for a stair case, a lift shaft
or an atrium in
a building, e.g. a high set house during a construction process. The
disclosure also
relates particularly to a method of providing a platform support that extends
across a
void in a building during a construction process. It will therefore be
convenient to
hereinafter describe the disclosure with reference to this example
application.
However, at the same time, it must be recognized that the disclosure is
capable of
broader application. For example, the teaching in the disclosure could also be
used in
applications other than buildings under construction.
In the specification, the terms 'stud' and plate' shall be understood to
refer to the vertical and horizontal members respectively of a frame, e.g. a
timber
frame, of the type that is used in framed building construction. The spaced
vertical
members of the frame are called studs and the interconnecting horizontal
members of
the frame are called plates.
In the specification, the term "floor mounting bracket" is to be interpreted
broadly and shall be understood to mean a bracket that can be mounted on the
floor.
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However, the bracket is not limited to being mounted on the floor and for
example can
also be mounted on other components including a plate of a wall frame.
In the specification, the term "tube" is to be very broadly interpreted and
is not limited to hollow members. For example, it includes within its scope
members
that are solid and not hollow. It also includes members that are not circular
in cross
sectional shape.
In the specification, the term "swivel" shall be interpreted broadly and
shall include within its scope a pivoting action where a member undergoes an
angular
movement in a plane relative to a stationary member.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A void in a building is a space that is created in a building which occupies
more than one level of the building. Voids are created in buildings to
accommodate
stair wells, atriums and elevators. Very often there is a considerable
vertical drop in a
void space and safety measures are required to resist construction workers
from falling
into the void and suffering harm during the construction process. In fact,
there are
strict workplace health and safety measures to making voids safe during
building
construction and thereby protect workers.
Some safety systems that are used in voids are scaffolds, hand rails and
the like. However, these systems have their shortcomings and do not prevent a
tradesman or builder from falling into the void. Further, they do not provide
workers
with access to the building structure in the region of the void including wall
and ceiling
structures. This is a significant limitation because often work has to be done
in these
areas. For example, plasterboard is often applied to the full height of a wall
surfaces in
the void. Further, once plasterboard is applied to the full height of wall it
needs to be
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plastered and painted. Yet further services, e.g. electrical and mechanical
services,
need to be installed on walls and ceilings around the void.
One approach to these challenges has been to provide a temporary void
platform extending across the void. This provides a temporary floor support
broadly at
the same level as an upper level floor that extends across the void which
prevents
workers from falling through the void. The void platform also provides a
working deck
to provide workers with access to the walls and ceilings of the structure
adjacent the
void, e.g. to apply plasterboard, paint walls and provide electrical and
mechanical
services. The additional benefit of providing a useful work platform over the
other prior
art solutions has caused it to be the preferred solution by tradesmen and
construction
workers and this has led to a large uptake of void platforms by builders.
One prior art void platform is the FLEXISAFE SYSTEMTm by
OLDFIELDS. Another prior art system was developed by Liggins, Flaus and
Mackinnon. However, these prior art void platforms have significant
limitations. In
particular, they are difficult to install and many are not failsafe. Further,
they are not
very versatile and flexible and they cannot easily be adapted to different
shapes and
sizes of voids.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided a void platform for providing
a working deck for tradesmen and construction workers across a void in a
building
having a floor, the void platform comprising:
a first and second support strut extending across the void in the building,
at least one support strut comprising:
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at least one elongate support member having a first open end and
an opposed second open end, wherein the at least one elongate support member
comprises first and second elongate sections and a connector positioned
between the
elongate sections for operatively coupling the first and second elongate
sections to
each other;
a first floor mounting bracket mounted on a free end of the first
elongate section remote from the connector, and a second mounting bracket
mounted
on a free end of the second elongate section remote from the connector,
wherein the
axial position of each of the first and second mounting brackets on the
respective
elongate members is adjustable, each floor mounting bracket including an angle
section for mounting on an external support and a support formation, each
angle
section including a wall plate from which the support formation projects, and
a flange
extending transversely away from one end of the wall plate, wherein the
support
formation of each floor mounting bracket is received within an end of the
elongate
section, and the flange of the floor mounting bracket is either positioned
above the wall
plate, or the flange of the floor mounting bracket is inverted so it is
positioned below
the wall plate, wherein a distance that the support formation is received in
the open
end of the elongate section can be selected to match a distance to be spanned
across
the void; and
at least one decking panel mounted on the first and second support
struts having a first end and an opposed second end and strut engaging
formations
positioned at each of the first and second ends, wherein the strut engaging
formations
are mounted on the two support struts, and the strut engaging formations are
configured to retainingly engage the elongate sections on the first and second
support
struts.
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Voids in modern buildings come in different sizes and shapes and
Applicant has recognized that void platforms need to be able to adapt to
different sized
void spaces and also different shaped void spaces. Applicant has also
recognized the
benefits that would be enjoyed if a void platform could be installed quickly
and
efficiently to provide a horizontally extending working deck. Further,
Applicant has also
recognized the need for void platforms to be failsafe so that if there is a
failure it is not
catastrophic.
One or more of the support formations may be in the form of tubes
having a central axis. Optionally the tubes may be cylindrical having a
circular cross
section with a central axis. Further, optionally the tubes may conveniently be
hollow to
save weight but they are not required to be hollow to implement the
disclosure.
Each tube may be positioned on the wall plate such that the elongate
support member extends horizontally when one floor mounting bracket is mounted
on
a bottom plate of a wall frame on a floor support, with the flange positioned
uppermost
extending across an upper surface of the plate, and the other floor mounting
bracket is
inverted relative to said one floor mounting bracket, with the flange
positioned
lowermost and mounted directly on the floor support. This ensures that the
support
strut extends horizontally when installed by virtue of the design without any
skill being
required of the installer.
The central axis of the tube on the wall plate may be positioned halfway
up a combined height of the wall plate and the thickness of the flange so that
when the
floor mounting bracket is inverted and mounted directly on the floor support
the tubes
of the two brackets will be positioned at substantially the same vertical
height. This
causes the elongate support member extending between the two brackets, and the
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support strut as a whole, to be substantially horizontally extending, without
any
intervention by the installer.
The support formation that is a tube has a central axis that may be
positioned a distance of 35-40mm from the end of the wall plate adjacent to
the flange
to correctly position the tube, e.g. 37-39mm. This correctly positions the
tube when
stud timber having a height of 70mm is being used for the bottom plate for the
frame
and the flange of the support formation has a thickness of 1-8mm, e.g. 6mm.
The support formation on each floor support bracket may have a length
of 100mm-300mm, and the extent to which the support formation on the floor
mounting
brackets are received within the ends of the elongate support member is
selected to
match the width of the void, e.g. so that the support strut spans the void.
That is, the
support formation may be axially displaced into the open end of the support
member to
an extent appropriate to span the void being covered.
The support strut may include a locking element towards each end
thereof for locking the support formation of each floor mounting bracket in a
selected
axial position on the support member.
The locking element may include a screw threaded bore formed in the
elongate support member and a screw threaded element which is screwed through
the
screw threaded bore to frictionally engage the support formation received in
the end of
the support member and lock it in position, e.g. the threaded element has a
terminal
end that engages the support formation of the floor mounting bracket and
frictionally
locks it in position.
The floor mounting bracket may further include a swivel formation
positioned intermediate the support formation and the angle section that
permits the
support formation to be pivoted relative to the angle section and thereby
extend away
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from the angle section at a range of different angles. This enables the
support
formation to extend at different angles to the angle section and is useful in
void spaces
having sides that are not rectilinear.
The support formation may pivot in a horizontal plane about a vertical
axis whereby to maintain the horizontal orientation of the support strut.
The swivel formation may include a swivel mounting formation projecting
from the wall plate of the angle section and a complementary swivel mounting
formation projecting away from an adjacent end of the support formation, and
said one
and complementary formations interact to pivot relative to each other.
The one and complementary swivel mounting formations may have
aligned apertures through which a swivel pin is passed to permit the support
formation
of the floor mounting bracket to be pivoted in a horizontal plane while the
angle section
thereof remains stationary, e.g. mounted on an adjacent bottom plate or floor
support.
Each angle section may include at least one aperture formed therein for
passing a fastening element there through for fixing the floor mounting
bracket to an
external support, e.g. a horizontal floor support or a side surface of a
bottom plate of a
timber frame.
In particular, each angle section may include at least one aperture on the
wall plate of the angle section, e.g. for receiving a fastener mounting the
floor mounting
.. bracket to a side surface of the bottom plate.
Further, each angle section may include at least one aperture on the
flange for mounting the floor mounting bracket directly to a horizontally
extending
surface of a floor support, e.g. for receiving a fasteners therein for
fastening the angle
section to the floor support.
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The elongate support member may comprise two elongate sections
arranged end to end, and a connector operatively coupling the two elongate
sections
to each other, to increase the length of the elongate support member, e.g. to
span a
building void of greater length than an elongate support member of standard
length.
The connector may have an external configuration that is sized and
configured to be received in the open end of the elongate support member with
some
clearance.
The connector may further include a radial outward projecting stop
formation for limiting travel of the connector into the end of the elongate
section.
According to another feature herein, there is provided a floor mounting
bracket panel including, an angle section and a support formation, each angle
section
including a wall plate from which the support formation projects, and a flange
extending transversely away from one end of the wall plate.
The floor mounting brackets may include any one or more of the features
of the floor mounting bracket defined in the preceding aspect of the
disclosure.
According to yet another feature of this disclosure, there is provided a
void platform for providing a working deck across a void in a building
adjacent to a floor
support, the void platform including:
at least one pair of support struts as defined in any one of the preceding
aspects of the disclosure, mounted directly or indirectly on the building
adjacent the
void; and
at least one decking panel having strut engaging formations mounted on
the spaced support struts to form the working deck.
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The support struts may include any one or more of the optional or
preferred features of the support strut defined in the preceding aspect of the
disclosure.
Each end of the support strut has a floor mounting bracket thereon and
the floor mounting brackets may be mounted on a bottom plate of a wall frame
on the
floor support adjacent to the void and/or directly on the adjacent floor
support.
Each decking panel may have a first end and an opposed second end,
and strut engaging formations may be positioned at each of the first and
second ends
which engage the spaced support struts to support the decking panel.
The strut engaging formations may be configured to retainingly engage
the elongate members on the support struts while also permitting the decking
panels to
be manually released from the support struts, e.g. by a movement in a certain
direction.
The void platform may include a hatch panel defining a hatch opening
which is mounted on a pair of further support struts alongside the decking
panels, and
the hatch panel may include a hatch door pivotable between an open position
providing access to the working deck and a closed position closing off the
hatch
opening.
The hatch panel may have releasable attachment formations along
opposite sides of the hatch opening, and the hatch door may have complementary
releasable attachment formations, so the hatch door can be selectively and
releasably
mounted on each side of the hatch opening so that a side can be selected to
suit a
given application, e.g. so that the hatch door does not interfere with use of
the hatch
when pivoted to an open position.
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According to yet another feature of the disclosure, there is provided a
support strut for supporting a void plafform in a void of a building, the
support strut
including:
an elongate support member having a first end and an opposed second
end;
at least one deck joiner bracket engaged with the first end and a further
bracket engaged with the opposed end of the support member,
the deck joiner bracket includes a support formation and a wall plate
extending therefrom, the wall plate having a pair of parallel extending plates
extending
perpendicularly away therefrom for receiving an edge region of a deck panel
there
between.
The parallel extending plates are configured and spaced from each other
so as to receive an edge of a decking panel therein with a sliding or working
clearance
and securely engage the edge of the decking panel so that the void platform
can carry
its rated load.
The support formation may be in the form of a tube, e.g. a hollow tube,
which is received within one end of the elongate support member.
The further bracket mounted over the opposed end of the support
member may be a further deck joiner bracket having the same features as said
one
deck joiner bracket.
Instead, the further bracket may be a floor mounting bracket, a masonry
mounting bracket or a transverse strut mounting bracket. The floor mounting
bracket,
masonry mounting bracket or transverse strut mounting bracket may include any
one
or more of the features of these brackets defined in the other aspects of the
disclosure.
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According to another feature of this disclosure, there is provided a deck
joiner bracket including, a support formation and a wall plate extending
therefrom, the
wall plate having a pair of parallel extending plates extending
perpendicularly away
therefrom for receiving an edge region of a deck panel there between.
The deck joiner bracket may include any one or more of the features of
the deck joiner mounting bracket defined in the preceding aspect of the
disclosure. In
particular, the support formation may be in the form of a tube.
According to another feature of the disclosure, there is provided a
support strut for supporting a void platform in a void of a building, the
support strut
including:
an elongate support member having a first end and a second opposed
end;
a transverse strut mounting bracket engaged with the first end and a
further bracket engaged with the opposed second end of the support member, the
transverse strut mounting bracket includes a support formation for engaging
one end
of the support member and a saddle formation extending away from the tube that
can
be removably mounted over an elongate support member of another support strut
extending transverse to said one strut.
The saddle formation may be configured to complement the elongate
support member over which it is mounted, e.g. to fit over and around the
support
member with a small clearance so as to securely retain the support member
therein.
Optionally, the saddle formation may have a U-shaped configuration. Instead,
the
saddle formation may have a plurality of facets or straight edges much like
half a
hexagon or half an octagon.
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The further bracket may be a floor mounting bracket, a masonry
mounting bracket or a deck joiner bracket. The floor mounting bracket, masonry
mounting bracket or a deck joiner bracket may include any one or more of the
features
of these brackets defined in the other aspects of the disclosure. Conceivably
the
further bracket mounted over the opposed end of the support member may be a
further
transverse strut mounting bracket but this is less typical.
According to yet another feature of the disclosure, there is provided a
transverse strut mounting bracket including, a support formation for engaging
an end
of an elongate support member, and a saddle formation extending away from the
.. support formation that can be removably mounted over an elongate support
member of
an adjacent support strut extending transverse to the support strut associated
with the
transverse strut mounting bracket, whereby to vertically support the support
strut. This
enables the support member to be supported by a transverse extending elongate
support member instead of the adjacent floor support around a void. This
assists an
installer to design a void platform to fit a particular void configuration.
The transverse strut mounting bracket may include any one or more of
the features of the transverse strut mounting bracket defined in the preceding
aspect of
the disclosure.
According to another feature of the disclosure, there is provided a hatch
panel for mounting on two spaced support struts, the hatch panel including a
hatch
door mounted thereon extending across a hatch opening that can be moved
between
open and closed positions.
The hatch door may be capable of being removably mounted on said one
and opposite side of the hatch opening so it is able to be removed from one
side and
placed on the other side.
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This enables the door to be selectively mounted on the door hatch on a
side of the hatch opening that best suits a particular application.
The hatch door may include hinge formations extending down each side
of the hatch opening and a complementary hinge formation extending down one
side
of the hatch door, and said one and complementary hinge formations on the
hatch
panel and hatch door respectively can be releasably engaged with each other.
According to yet another feature of the disclosure, there is provided a
support strut for supporting a void platform in a void of a building
including:
at least one elongate support member having one end and an opposed
end ; and
a floor mounting bracket mounted on at least one end of the support
member, each floor mounting bracket including an angle section and a support
formation extending away from the angle section, and each angle section
including a
wall plate on which the tube is located and a flange extending transversely
away from
the wall plate.
The strut may include a further bracket mounted on the other end of the
support member, and the further bracket may be selected from: a floor mounting
bracket; a masonry wall mounting bracket, the bracket including a vertically
extending
plate for mounting directly on a masonry wall; a deck joiner mounting bracket
for
mounting the end of the support member on an adjacent deck panel; and a
transverse
strut mounting bracket for mounting the end of the support member on an a
transverse
extending elongate support member.
The masonry mounting bracket may include a flange for mounting on a
vertically extending wall surface and a support formation extending
transversely to the
support formation.
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The transverse strut mounting bracket may include any of the features of
the transverse strut mounting bracket defined in any preceding aspect of the
disclosure.
The deck joiner mounting bracket may include any of the features of the
deck joiner mounting bracket defined in any preceding aspect of the
disclosure.
The floor mounting bracket and the elongate support member may also
include any one or more of the features of floor mounting bracket defined in
any one of
the preceding aspects of the disclosure.
According to yet another aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a
masonry mounting bracket for mounting directly on a masonry wall, the bracket
including a flange and a support formation extending transversely to the
support
formation, the flange being for mounting on a vertically extending wall
surface.
The support formation may include any of the features described above for the
other
support brackets. Further, the flange may include one or more openings through
which a fastening element may be passed the anchor the flange to the wall.
According to yet another aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a void
platform for
providing temporary floor support across a void during a building process,
comprising:
at least one support strut in accordance with any one of the preceding
aspects of the disclosure; and
at least one decking panel mounted on the support strut forming a
working deck for building workers.
The support struts may include any of the features of the support struts in
the preceding aspects of the disclosures. In particular, the mounting brackets
on the
support struts may include any of the features of the mounting brackets
defined in the
preceding aspects of the disclosure.
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The decking panels may include any of the features of the decking
panels in the preceding aspects of the disclosures.
The void platform may further include any of the features of the decking
panels in the preceding aspects of the disclosures. In particular, the void
platform may
include a hatch panel as defined in any one of the preceding features of the
disclosure.
According to yet another feature of the disclosure, there is provided a
system for providing a void platform across a void in a building, the system
including:
at least one floor mounting bracket;
at least one elongate support member for being operatively coupled to a
bracket at each end thereof; and
at least one decking panel for mounting on the support member to form a
deck.
The system may further include at least one transverse strut mounting
bracket.
The system may further include at least one deck joiner bracket.
Yet further, the system may include a plurality of masonry wall mounting
brackets.
The transverse strut mounting bracket, masonry wall mounting bracket
and the deck joiner bracket may include any one or more of the features
described
above in the preceding aspect of the disclosure.
The system may yet further include at least one ACCRO post mounting
bracket. Optionally, the system may include at least one ACCRO post for
supporting a
building structure.
The system may further include at least one hatch panel for providing
building workers with access up onto the void platform.
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Yet further, the system may include at least one connector tube for
operatively coupling two elongate support elements together to form a
lengthened
elongate support member.
Preferably the system includes a plurality of each of the mounting
brackets described above, a plurality of elongate support members, and also a
plurality
of decking members.
According to yet another feature of the disclosure, there is provided a
method of providing a void platform across a void in a building adjacent to a
floor
support, the method including:
selecting two mounting brackets and mounting them on first and second
ends of a support member; and
selecting two further mounting brackets and mounting them one and
opposed ends of a further support member; and
mounting a deck panel on the one and further support members.
The method may include repeating the method steps above to cover a
building void.
The step of selecting may include spacing the brackets a suitable
distance apart from each other so that the support member spans the void and
then
fixing the brackets in position using a locking arrangement.
The disclosure also extends to a building including a void platform as
defined in any of the preceding aspects of the disclosure.
The void platform may include any one or more of the features of the
support struts defined in the preceding aspects of the disclosure. In
particular, the void
platform may include any of the support brackets or support struts described
above in
the other aspects of the disclosure including the optional features thereof.
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The building may include wall and floor structure defining a building void
and the void platform may be mounted on the wall and floor structure.
The building may be a high set house and the building void may be a
staircase void.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a prior art work platform extending
across a building void;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a floor mounting bracket and elongate
member for a support strut for a void platform in accordance with one
embodiment of
the disclosure;
Figure 3 is an upper perspective view of a connector tube having
elongate support members mounted on each end thereof to form a support strut
of
increased length;
Figure 4 is an upper perspective view of two support struts mounted in
position extending across a void of a building structure;
Figure 5 is a schematic front view of a support strut shown in Figure 3
showing its horizontal orientation when extending between a plate member and a
floor;
Figure 6 is an upper perspective view of the support struts of Figure 4
with two decking panels mounted thereon extending across a building void;
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a horizontal swivel bracket that is a
variation on the floor or horizontal mounting bracket in Figure 2;
Figure 8 is a plan view of a support strut including the horizontal swivel
bracket of Figure 7 mounted on one end thereof and extending across the void;
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Figure 9 is a perspective view of a deck joiner bracket for joining an
elongate strut to an adjacent deck panel;
Figure 10 is an upper perspective view of a void platform showing the
deck joiner brackets of Figure 9 joining an elongate strut to the adjacent
deck panels;
Figure 11 is a transverse strut mounting bracket which is used for
mounting a deck panel transversely to an adjacent deck panel;
Figure 12 is an upper perspective view of a void platform including two
support struts having transverse strut mounting brackets at the ends thereof
for
mounting the struts on a further perpendicularly extending strut instead of on
a support
surrounding the void;
Figure 13 is a perspective view of an ACCRO mounting bracket;
Figure 14 is a perspective view of a masonry mounting bracket;
Figure 15 is an upper perspective view of a void platform extending
across a void including an ACCRO support prop and also a masonry mounting
bracket;
Figure 16 is an upper perspective view of a platform assembly in
accordance with the disclosure showing different brackets being used to
perform
different functions;
Figure 17 is an upper perspective view of an example platform assembly
in accordance with the disclosure being used to cover a void in a building;
Figure 18 is an upper perspective view of a hatch panel with a hatch door
in a closed position;
Figure 19 is an upper perspective view of the hatch panel of Figure 18
with the hatch door in an open position opening from the right side; and
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Figure 20 is an upper perspective view of the hatch panel of Figure 18
with the hatch door opening from the left side.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A support strut, a void platform and a system for providing a void platform
in accordance with this disclosure may manifest itself in a variety of forms.
It will be
convenient to hereinafter describe several embodiments of the disclosure in
detail with
reference to the accompanying drawings. Additionally, a method of constructing
a void
platform will also be discussed. The purpose of providing this detailed
description is to
instruct persons having an interest in the subject matter of the disclosure
how to carry
it into practical effect. However, it is to be clearly understood that the
specific nature of
this detailed description does not supersede the generality of the preceding
broad
description.
Figure 1 illustrates a prior art void platform extending across a building
void to provide a safe working platform for building workers. This prior art
void
platform has been discussed in the background section above and will not be
discussed further in the detailed description below.
Figure 2 illustrates a floor or horizontal mounting bracket 10 and elongate
member 22 for a support strut 20 in accordance with one embodiment of the
disclosure.
The floor or horizontal mounting bracket 10 comprises an angle section
12 and a tube 14 with an open end extending away from the angle section 12.
The
tube 14 is sized to be received within an elongate support member 22 with a
working
clearance so that the support member can be displaced within the tube 14.
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-16
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The angle section 12 in turn comprises a wall plate 16 on which the tube
14 is located and a flange 18 extending transversely away from an end of the
wall
plate 16. The angle section 12 further has holes or apertures 19 formed
therein on
each of the wall plate 16 and flange 18 for receiving fasteners therein in
use. The
fasteners are used to fix the bracket to an external support structure such as
stud
timber or a floor as will be described in more detail below.
The floor or horizontal mounting bracket 10 has left and right hand
versions to provide flexibility when installing a void platform to adapt it to
suit the
configuration of the surrounding building structure. If the clearance on a
plate frame
member 25 is greater on one side of a support strut than another, then the
left or right
version of the bracket 10 that suits this can be chosen.
The elongate support member 22 has two ends and the floor or
horizontal mounting brackets 10 are mounted on each end thereof. The tubes 14
of
the brackets 10 are received within the open ends of the support member 22
with a
working clearance that permits displacement relative thereto. This enables the
overall
length of the support strut 20 to be adjusted or adapted by sliding the
brackets 10 out
until they match the width of the void being covered. The brackets 10 are then
fastened on the elongate member 22 in these positions by fastening a locking
nut 24 at
each end thereof to lock the floor brackets 10 in a fixed position at each
end.
Figure 3 also illustrates a connector tube 30 for connecting the two
elongate support members 22 together. In practice, this is done to extend the
effective
length of the support member in a support strut 20 to enable it to span a void
that is
longer than the length of one support member 22 and the associated floor or
horizontal
mounting brackets 10 at its ends.
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-16
21
The connector tube 30 comprises a tube section 32 having two open
ends that are sized to receive a said elongate support member 22 thereon with
some
clearance. Each end of the tube section 32 extends over and around an end of
an
adjacent support member 22 as shown in the drawings. This connector tube 30
enables the overall or effective length of the support member to be extended
while still
providing the appropriate vertical load support. The tube section 32 has an
external
ring 34 mounted thereon that is centrally positioned that acts as a stop
formation. This
limits the extent to which each support member 22 can be received over the
tube
section 32.
Figure 4 shows two support struts mounted in position extending across
a void of a building structure.
The flange 18 of the horizontal mounting bracket on the left is positioned
uppermost and extends across an upper surface of a stud timber forming a plate
member 25 of a building frame. The other horizontal mounting bracket on the
right
side is inverted with its flange 18 positioned lowermost extending across a
floor 26
adjacent to the void.
The horizontal mounting brackets 10 are configured and dimensioned so
that the elongate support member 22 extends horizontally from said one end to
the
other end when the bracket 10A is mounted on the plate member 25 and the
bracket
10B is inverted and mounted on the floor 26. This is effectively achieved by
the
specific location of the tube 14 on the wall plate 16 of the angle section 12
when the
bracket 10 is fabricated. That is, a central axis of the tube 14 is positioned
midway up
the height of the wall plate 16 when the bracket 10 is mounted on the plate
member
25. That way, when it is inverted, the central axis is at the same height.
This is very
convenient because it ensures that the support strut 20 is horizontally
extending
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-16
22
without any effort or skill being required of the installer. It follows that
if both the
support struts 20 are at the same height and are horizontally extending, a
deck
mounted on the support struts 20 will automatically be horizontally extending.
Importantly, the horizontal orientation does not rely on the skill of the
installer to mount
the brackets 10 so that the strut 20 is horizontally extending. It uses the
standard
dimensions of stud timber used for building timber frames for houses to
provide a
bracket 10 that positions the tube 14 at the same height whether it is upright
or
whether it is inverted.
Figure 5 shows a piece of stud timber forming a plate member 25
mounted on a slab with the floor or horizontal support bracket 10 at one end
mounted
on the plate 25. The other floor or horizontal bracket 11 is inverted and
mounted on
the floor 26 on the other side of the void. As shown in the drawings, the
support strut
extends horizontally without any levelling action being required by an
installer. This
is due to the design and positioning of the tube on the wall plate of the
angle section.
15 Figure
6 illustrates a part of a void platform which is indicated generally
by the reference numeral 40 for providing a temporary floor support across a
void 42
during construction. The void platform 40 includes two parallel extending
support
struts 20 as described above and illustrated in Figures. 3 and 4. The support
struts 20
extend parallel to each other across a width of the void 42 and are spaced
apart along
20 the length of the void 42. Each strut 20 comprises an elongate support
member 22
having horizontal mounting brackets 10 at each end thereof as described above
and
illustrated in Figures. 2 and 3.
The void plafform 40 further includes a plurality of decking panels 44
mounted on the support struts 20. The decking panels 44 collectively form a
deck
surface for builders, tradesmen, certifiers, and engineers (hereinafter
referred to as
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-16
23
building workers) working on the construction. It provides a continuous
working
surface that extends across the void and prevents building workers from
falling through
the void. It also provides a useful work platform enabling building workers to
reach
work surfaces above the platform that they otherwise could not reach without a
ladder
or scaffold.
Each decking panel 44 has a first end and a second end, and mounting
formations 46 on these ends for engaging the support struts 20. The mounting
formations 46 are configured to engage the elongate members 22 in retaining
fashion
on the support struts 20 by having a curved engagement surface which fits over
and
around the support member 22.
In use, the void platform 40 is used to extend across a void 42 formed in
a building and provide a working platform. In a typical application on a high
set or
double story home, the void platform 40 is mounted at the same height as the
upper
level floor. A hatch door can be used to facilitate access to the void
platform from the
ground level by means of a ladder or the like.
The mounting brackets 10 are used to mount spaced pairs of support
struts 20 on the building structure around the void and then decking panels 44
are
mounted on these support struts. The struts 20 and panels 44 are formed and
arranged so as to substantially cover the space defined by the void 41. Once
the void
platform 40 is constructed, it can be used by building workers to access wall
and
ceiling surfaces above the platform without risk of falling through the void
onto a lower
level. Once building work on the void is complete, the void platform can be
quickly and
easily removed. A staircase or elevator can then be installed in the void.
Figure 7 illustrates a swivel mounting bracket which is indicated generally
by reference numeral 50 for a support strut in accordance with another
embodiment of
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-16
24
the disclosure. The mounting bracket 50 has some similarities with the
mounting
bracket in Figure 2 above and accordingly, the following description will
focus on the
difference between this bracket and that in Figure 2. Further, unless
otherwise
indicated, the same reference numerals will be used to refer to the same
components.
The swivel mounting bracket 50 has a swivel mounting formation 52 projecting
out
from the wall of the angle section 12 and a similar mounting formation 54
which is a
tube received in an adjacent end of the support member 22. These formations
52, 54
have aligned apertures through which a swivel pin 56 is passed. This enables
the
support member 22 to be pivoted or swiveled relative to the angle section 12
in a
horizontal plane while still providing vertical load support. The swivel
mounting
formation 52 does not permit the height of the tube 22 to be altered and only
the angle
at which the tube 14 extends horizontally away from the edge or side of the
void 42
can be adjusted. This bracket 50 enables the angle at which the elongate
support
member 22 extends away from the side of the void 42 to be selected to suit a
given
application.
Figure 8 is a perspective view of the swivel mounting bracket 50 in use
mounted on a wall plate 25. For example, as shown in Figure 8, the corner of
the void
has a diagonal edge and the swivel bracket is able to accommodate this
feature. In
the illustrated embodiment, the support member 22 extends at thirty to sixty
degrees,
e.g. at about forty-five degrees, to the side of the void 42 on which the
associated
swivel mounting bracket 50 is mounted. The void platform 40 needs to be able
to
adapt to the architectural features in place on a building and often a void 42
might
have a side that extends at an acute angle to its other sides. The swivel
mounting
bracket 50 enables the attached support member 22 to extend at any angle
between
about five degrees and ninety degrees to the adjacent side of the void. This
bracket
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-16
25
50 therefore confers significant versatility in enabling a void platform to be
provided for
different configurations of building voids. The mounting bracket (not shown)
used at
the other end of the support member 22 to the bracket 50 will typically be a
conventional horizontal mounting bracket like that shown in Figure 2. However,
if
required by the particular void configuration, another or second swivel
mounting
bracket 50 can also be used.
Figure 9 is an upper perspective view of a deck joiner bracket 60 in
accordance with the disclosure.
The deck joiner bracket 60 is used to receive and support a decking
panel therein to vertically hold and support the decking panel in position on
the void
platform 40. That is, it enables an end of a support strut to be supported by
a deck
panel instead of an external support surrounding the void. The deck joiner
bracket 60
includes a hollow tube 62 for being received in an end of a support member 22
like the
other brackets 10 described above and a wall plate 64 extending
perpendicularly to the
tube 62. Further, it also includes a pair of spaced parallel extending plates
66, 68
extending perpendicularly away from the wall plate 64 for receiving an edge
region of a
deck panel there between. The parallel plates 66, 68 are configured and spaced
to
receive an edge region of a deck panel sandwiched there between with a tight
fit.
The deck joiner bracket 60 is useful because it enables a support strut 20
to be supported at one or both ends by an adjacent deck panel 44. Thus instead
of
being mounted on the building structure around the void, the strut 20 can be
supported
by an adjacent panel 44 using this bracket 60. Basically the parallel plates
66 and 68
receive an edge region of the adjacent deck panel 44 therebetween. Thus the
support
strut 20 and its associated deck panel mounted thereon are vertically
supported on
their adjacent deck panels 44. Sometimes space limitations within the void
make it
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-16
26
difficult to have a support strut 20 extending across the full extent of the
void from one
side to another and in this scenario, the deck joiner bracket 60 is most
useful.
Figure 10 is an upper perspective view of a void platform showing two
deck panels that are mounted in position on the void platform using the deck
joiner
bracket 60. A short stub support member 22 has a deck joiner bracket mounted
on
each end thereof. An edge region of each adjacent deck panel 44 is inserted
between
the pair of outward facing engaging plates 66, 68 and is sandwiched there
between
with a tight fit. It will be appreciated that the pair of engaging plates 66,
68 are
designed with sufficient depth and width to receive enough width of the deck
panel 44
to provide appropriate and safe support for the void platform 40. In the
drawing, the
deck joiner bracket 60 is used to support one smaller deck panel 44 in
position in
between two longer deck panels 44. In this application, the deck joiner
bracket 60 is
used to help in filling in smaller areas of the void platform. For example,
the smaller
area may be defined by a point corresponding to an intermediate landing on a
stair
case where the stairs change direction as shown in Figure 10.
Figure 11 is an upper perspective view of a transverse strut mounting
bracket 70 used for mounting or hooking one support strut 20 onto a transverse
extending support strut 21. This ability can be useful when designing a void
platform
to cover certain shapes of voids in a building. The transverse saddle mounting
bracket
70 includes a hollow tube 72 for engaging an end of a support member 22 like
the
other brackets 10 described above. It also includes a saddle 74 which has a U-
shaped
configuration for mounting over an adjacent support member 22 of a transverse
support strut 21.
Figure 12 is an upper perspective view of a void platform showing two
pairs of orthogonally extending deck panels 44 mounted in position on the void
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-16
27
platform using the transverse saddle mounting bracket 70. This bracket enables
an
end of a support strut 22 to be supported by a transverse extending support
strut 21
instead of an external structure outside the void. The bracket 70 enhances the
versatility of the system because it enables a designer arrange groups of deck
panels
44 orthogonally to each other to cover the building void.
Figure 13 is an upper perspective view of an ACCRO post mounting
bracket 80 which is used for providing post support at an intermediate point
along the
length of a support strut. The ACCRO post mounting bracket 80 includes a
hollow
tube 82 with an open end for receiving an upper end of a vertically extending
support
member 22. The tube 82 is sized and configured in a similar way to the tubes
for the
other brackets 10 described above. Further, the bracket 80 includes a U shaped
channel 84 mounted on a closed end of the tube 82. The U shaped channel 84 is
sized and configured for receiving a support member 22 of a strut 20 therein
to
vertically support the member 22 at that point.
Figure 14 is an upper perspective view of a masonry wall support bracket
90 which is used for mounting a support strut 20 directly on a vertically
extending
masonry wall. The masonry wall mounting bracket 90 comprises a flat wall plate
92
and a tube 94 extending perpendicularly away from the flat wall plate 92. The
tube 94
is similar to the tubes described above for the other brackets and is
configured to be
received in an end of a support member therein with a working clearance. The
flat wall
plate 92 has two openings 19 formed therein through which fasteners, e.g.
DYNABOLTS, are passed to fix the bracket to the masonry wall.
Figure 15 is an upper perspective view of part of a void platform 40
showing the brackets 80 and 90 in use. A support bracket 84 with an ACCRO prop
80
.. is used for supporting an elongate support member 22 at an intermediate
point along
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-16
28
its length. The prop 80 extends up from a floor support, e.g. concrete slab,
on a level
below the void platform 40 and a downward opening tube 82 is mounted on an
upper
end of the ACCRO prop. This arrangement is typically used where the length of
the
support strut 20 is longer than a certain distance, e.g. where the void
platform is rated
for 200kg and the support strut spans a length that is greater than 4m. As the
structure and functioning of ACCRO props is well known in the building
industry, it will
not be described in further detail in this description.
Further in Figure 15, one of the support struts 20 is mounted directly onto
a vertically extending masonry surface using a masonry wall mounting bracket
90.
The bracket 90 is mounted directly on the wall with the wall plate 92 lying up
against
the wall surface and fasteners passed through the openings 19 in the wall
plate and
into the wall.
A masonry swivel mounting bracket (which has not been shown in the
drawings) is very similar to the swivel mounting bracket in Figures. 7 and 8
and is used
to directly mount the bracket onto a vertically extending masonry wall. This
masonry
swivel mounting bracket has a vertically extending wall plate (like the
mounting bracket
shown in Figure 14) instead of the wall plate 16 and flange 18 extending
transverse to
the wall plate 16 of the timber frame mounting bracket described above with
reference
to Figures. 7 and 8. This bracket functions in a similar way to that described
above
apart from the manner in which it is fixed to its external support.
Figures. 18 to 20 illustrate a hatch panel indicated by numeral 100 in
accordance with the disclosure. The hatch panel 100 is configured like the
other
decking panels 44 and has a hatch door 102 mounted on the hatch panel 100 that
can
be pivoted between open and closed positions to open and close a hatch
opening.
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-16
29
The hatch door 102 is removably mounted on the hatch panel by means
of a hinge formation 105 on the hatch door 102 and a complementary hinge
formation
106A extending along a side of the hatch opening. The hatch panel 100 has a
further
complementary hinge formation 106B extending along an opposing side of the
hatch
opening. The removable hatch door can then be mounted on either side of the
hatch
panel depending on what side is selected to suit any given application.
Further, in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 19, the hatch door 102
can be mounted in two different positions on each side of the hatch panel 100.
One
position is closely adjacent to the side of the hatch panel 100. Another
position is
spaced inward thereof closely adjacent to the hatch opening in the hatch panel
100.
Figures. 16 and 17 show two example void platforms using many of the features
of this
disclosure as described above and shown in the preceding drawings. Figure 16
is an
exploded upper perspective view of part of an example void platform in
accordance
with the disclosure. This drawing illustrates how the various mounting
brackets
described above can be used to form a platform extending across a void for
workers.
Figure 17 is an exploded upper perspective view of a building void having a
void
platform in accordance with the disclosure mounted thereon. Figure 17
illustrates how
the various brackets in the system are used to build a void platform that
covers across
a building void having a complex shape. Significantly, the void platform 40 is
able to
substantially cover the full void using the brackets and deck panels described
above
and illustrated in the preceding drawings. As shown in the drawing, the deck
panels
form a continuous deck across the void on which tradesmen and construction
workers
can safely work.
In the illustrated embodiment, the void platform includes a hatch for
providing access from a lower level up to the working deck. The hatch is
formed by a
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-16
30
hatch panel 100 forming part of the void platform 40 which has a hatch door
102 that is
pivoted up into an open position. As shown, the hatch can be lifted up to
permit a
ladder to be passed therethrough to provide ladder access up to the working
deck.
Further, the hatch door can be mounted on either side of the hatch panel. This
feature
enables the hatch door to be positioned so that it opens to an edge of the
void platform
and does not obstruct the platform deck.
A working advantage of the void platform and system for building a void
platform in the detailed description described above with a reference to the
drawings is
that the horizontal and swivel mounting brackets provide support struts that
extend
horizontally across a building void without any effort by the installer to
make them
level.
The swivel mounting bracket also achieves this advantage while enabling
the angle section to be mounted to a plate or floor support that does not
extend
orthogonally to the elongate support member of the support strut. The swivel
mounting
bracket accommodates a range of angles while still maintaining a strict
horizontal
orientation.
Another working advantage is that the system is very versatile and
permits a designer and installer of a void platform to substantially cover a
complex void
with deck panels using the brackets described above and illustrated in the
drawings.
This largely avoids the need to cut pieces of board and screw them onto the
deck
panels to fill in spaces between the deck panels to form a complete deck
surface.
Many prior art systems of which the Applicant is aware require this.
It will of course be realized that the above has been given only by way of
illustrative example of the invention and that all such modifications and
variations
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-16
31
thereto, as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art, are deemed to
fall within the
broad scope of the invention as is herein set forth.
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-03-16
