Assembly for covering a trench

Abstract

An assembly suitable for temporarily covering a trench comprises an anti-slip tile ( 30 ) and a separately formed trench cover. The anti-slip tile ( 30 ) may be releasably attached to the trench cover. The anti-slip tile ( 30 ) comprises a plurality of cylindrical protrusions ( 21 ) integrally formed with a body portion of the tile ( 30 ), protruding from an upper surface ( 6 ) of the body portion ( 5 ), and evenly spaced across the upper surface ( 6 ) to minimize the possibility of a wheel of a vehicle slipping as the wheel passes over the anti-slip tile ( 30 ) and over the trench cover. The body portion ( 5 ) has a plurality of openings ( 22 ) extending through the body portion ( 5 ), the openings ( 22 ) being spaced across the upper surface ( 6 ) to reduce the overall weight of the anti-slip tile ( 30 ), and to provide a means of draining rainwater from the upper surface of the body portion ( 5 ). Two openings ( 31 a ) are located at opposite end edges of the body portion ( 5 ). During assembly, a number of body portions ( 5 ) are placed on the surface of the trench cover and spaced at intervals to evenly cover the surface of the trench cover. A shaped, half round bracket is inserted into the matching opening ( 31 a ) in the surface of each body portion ( 5 ). The bracket can be fixed to the surface of the trench cover by means of a hardened nail fired from an impact gun.

1 . An anti-slip element for use with a separately formed trench cover, the anti-slip element comprising:
 a body portion, the body portion being attachable to a separately formed trench cover; and   means to minimise the possibility of another element slipping upon passage of the other element over the body portion.   
     
     
         2 . An element as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the body portion is releasably attachable to a trench cover. 
     
     
         3 . An element as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the body portion is attachable to a trench cover by means of a mechanical attachment. 
     
     
         4 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . An element as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the mechanical attachment includes an attachment member is configured to be driven into a trench cover by an impact gun. 
     
     
         8 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . An element as claimed in  claim 7  wherein the element comprises an attachment member for clamping the body portion to a trench cover. 
     
     
         23 . An element as claimed in  claim 22  wherein the attachment member comprises a lip for extending over at least part of the body portion to clamp the body portion to a trench cover. 
     
     
         24 . An element as claimed in  22  wherein the attachment member comprises a first wing configured to be fixed to a trench cover. 
     
     
         25 . An element as claimed in  claim 24  wherein the element comprises a fixing member drivable through the first wing to fix the first wing to a trench cover. 
     
     
         26 . An element as claimed in  claim 25  wherein the fixing member is configured to be driven through the first wing by an impact gun. 
     
     
         27 . An element as claimed in  claim 24  wherein the body portion comprises a fixing opening, the first wing being locatable in the fixing opening. 
     
     
         28 . An element as claimed in  claim 24  wherein the attachment member comprises a second wing configured to be located between the body portion and a trench cover. 
     
     
         29 . An element as claimed in  claim 28  wherein the body portion comprises a recess for accommodating the second wing. 
     
     
         30 . An element as claimed in  claim 22  wherein a single attachment member is configured to clamp the body portions of two or more elements to a trench cover. 
     
     
         31 . An element as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the body portion is attachable to a trench cover by means of welding. 
     
     
         32 . An element as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the slip minimisation means is integrally formed with the body portion. 
     
     
         33 . An element as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the body portion comprises an upper surface for facing away from a trench cover when the body portion is attached to the trench cover, and the slip minimisation means comprises one or more protrusions protruding from the upper surface. 
     
     
         34 . An element as claimed in  claim 33  wherein the slip minimisation means comprises a plurality of protrusions evenly spaced across the upper surface. 
     
     
         35 . An element as claimed in  claim 34  wherein each of the protrusions is substantially identical. 
     
     
         36 - 39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . An element as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the body portion comprises one or more weight-reducing discontinuities. 
     
     
         41 . An element as claimed in  claim 40  wherein the one or more discontinuities comprise one or more openings extending through the body portion. 
     
     
         42 . An element as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the body portion comprises drainage means. 
     
     
         43 . An element as claimed in  claim 42  wherein the drainage means comprises an opening extending through the body portion. 
     
     
         44 - 45 . (canceled) 
     
     
         46 - 56 . (canceled) 
     
     
         57 . A method for covering a trench, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing an anti-slip element;   providing a separately formed trench cover;   attaching the anti-slip element to the trench cover; and   positioning the trench cover with respect to the trench to cover the trench.   
     
     
         58 . A method as claimed in  claim 57  further comprising the step of attaching the anti-slip element to the trench cover before covering the trench. 
     
     
         59 . A method as claimed in  claim 57  further comprising the step of attaching the anti-slip element to the trench cover while the trench cover is in position covering the trench. 
     
     
         60 - 65 . (canceled) 
     
     
         66 . A method as claimed in  claim 57  wherein the step of attaching the anti-slip element to the trench cover further comprises the step of releasably attaching the anti-slip element to the trench cover. 
     
     
         67 - 95 . (canceled)