Guard rail assembly for a scaffold

Abstract

Preceding guardrail for a scaffolding system for buildup of a scaffold bay. The guardrail assembly comprises a guardrail, a base part, a mounting system for mounting of the base part to a part of the scaffold bay, at least a first post and a second post, and a lifting arm. The guardrail extends along a longitudinal axis. The base part extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the guardrail. The first and second post are each pivotably connected to the guardrail by a first pivoting point and pivotably connected to the base part by a second pivoting point, whereby the guardrail, the base part, the first, and the second post together form a parallelogram link system. The lifting arm is fixedly connected with the first post and extends in line with the first post from the second pivoting point away from the first pivoting point.

1 . A guardrail assembly for a scaffold comprising standards, ledgers, and floor parts, the guardrail assembly comprising:
 a guardrail extending along a longitudinal axis;   at least a first post and a second post each connected with the guardrail in a manner pivotable about a first pivoting point;   a mounting system for mounting the guardrail to a part of the scaffold, wherein the mounting system comprises a first and a second connector which are configured for engagement of a part of the scaffold, wherein the first post is connected with the first connector in a manner pivotable around a pivoting point and wherein the second post is connected with the second connector in a manner pivotable around a pivoting point, wherein the guardrail, the at least first and second posts together form a parallelogram link system when the first and the second connector are connected with the scaffold; and   a lifting arm which is fixedly connected with the first post and which extends in line with the first post from the second pivoting point away from the first pivoting point for bringing the guardrail assembly from a collapsed position to an extended position and vice versa,   wherein the guardrail assembly is configured to be in the collapsed position during the mounting of the guardrail assembly to the scaffold by means of the first and the second connector engaging the part of the scaffold.   
     
     
         2 . The guardrail assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the mounting system comprises a base part which extends in a longitudinal direction from a first to a second longitudinal end, wherein the base part at the first and the second longitudinal end thereof is provided with the first and the second connector, respectively. 
     
     
         3 . The guardrail assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the base part is implemented as a toe board. 
     
     
         4 . The guardrail assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein the first and the second connector are implemented as hinge assemblies with the aid of which the toe board is connected with a floor part of the scaffolding system in a manner pivotable around a pivoting axis which extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the guardrail. 
     
     
         5 . The guardrail assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the mounting system comprises a rotation limiting provision which limits a turning of the guardrail assembly around a longitudinal axis which connects the two connectors with each other. 
     
     
         6 . The guardrail assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein the rotation limiting provision comprises a standard receiver which bounds a standard receiving space for, at least in the collapsed position of the guardrail assembly, receiving in the standard receiving space a portion of the scaffold, wherein the standard receiver comprises for instance two parallel plates which bound the standard receiving space. 
     
     
         7 . The guardrail assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein the rotation limiting provision is included in a rosette coupling, wherein the rosette coupling comprises a ball hinge whose rotation is limited, wherein the first and the second post are connected with the ball hinge. 
     
     
         8 . The guardrail assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the lifting arm near a first end is provided with an engaging hook, wherein the lifting arm has a first pivoting position in which it extends parallel to guardrail, and wherein the lifting arm has a second pivoting position in which, if the connectors are attached to the scaffold, the engaging hook engages a standard of the scaffold. 
     
     
         9 . The guardrail assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein the lifting arm near a first end is provided with an engaging hook, wherein the lifting arm has a first pivoting position in which it extends parallel to guardrail, and wherein the lifting arm has a second pivoting position in which, if the connectors are attached to the scaffold, the engaging hook engages a standard of the scaffold, and
 wherein the standard receiver is mounted on the first post, wherein if the first and the second connector are attached to the scaffold, the standard receiver receives a standing portion of the scaffold if the first lifting arm is in the first pivoting position, and wherein the standard receiver is pivoted away from the standing portion of the scaffold if the first lifting arm is in the second pivoting position.   
     
     
         10 . The guardrail assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the mounting system further comprises a mounting arm which is connected with the second connector in a manner pivotable around a pivoting point and which near a first end is provided with an engaging hook, wherein the mounting arm has a first pivoting position in which the mounting arm extends parallel to the guardrail, and wherein the mounting arm has a second pivoting position in which, if the first and the second connector are attached to the scaffold, the engaging hook of the mounting arm engages a standard of the scaffold. 
     
     
         11 . The guardrail assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein the mounting arm in the first pivoting position hinders a pivoting of the lifting arm from the first pivoting position to the second pivoting position and thereby hinders an erecting of the guardrail assembly. 
     
     
         12 . The guardrail assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one end of the guardrail is provided with a bent surface which bounds a tube receiving space for partly receiving a standard therein. 
     
     
         13 . The guardrail assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the guardrail is provided with mounting means for mounting the guardrail to standards and/or to a guardrail of a second guardrail assembly. 
     
     
         14 . The guardrail assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first connector is implemented as an engaging hook which is configured for engaging a first tipping pin which is mounted on a standard and wherein the second connector is implemented as an engaging hook which is configured for engaging a second tipping pin which is mounted on a standard. 
     
     
         15 . The guardrail assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the scaffold is of the frame scaffold type and wherein the scaffold parts comprise scaffold frames and floor parts, wherein each scaffold frame comprises at least two standards which are fixedly connected with at least one transverse ledger, wherein the first connector is implemented as an engaging hook which is configured for engagement of a transverse ledger or a strengthening plate of a first scaffold frame, wherein the second connector is implemented as an engaging hook which is configured for engagement of a transverse ledger or a strengthening plate of a second scaffold frame. 
     
     
         16 . The guardrail assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the scaffold is of the system scaffold type, wherein the standards have, fixedly connected thereto, rosettes for forming a ring scaffold system, wherein the first connector is implemented as a rosette coupling which engages a rosette of a first standard and wherein the second connector is implemented as a rosette coupling which engages a rosette of a second standard. 
     
     
         17 . A scaffold comprising:
 standards;   ledgers;   floor parts; and   a guardrail assembly according to  claim 1 .   
     
     
         18 . A method for building up a scaffold, comprising:
 providing scaffold parts;   providing a guardrail assembly according to  claim 1 ;   building a first scaffold bay from said scaffold parts;   placing the guardrail assembly in the collapsed position at the top of the first scaffold bay; and   erecting the guardrail assembly by bringing it in the extended position.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the step of placing the guardrail assembly in the collapsed position at the top of the first scaffold bay comprises:
 with the aid of the first connector, connecting the guardrail assembly to a first part of the scaffold bay; and then   with the aid of the second connector, connecting the guardrail assembly to a second part of the scaffold bay.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the scaffold is of the system scaffold type and wherein the scaffold parts comprise standards, longitudinal ledgers, transverse ledgers, floor parts and scaffold couplers, wherein a scaffold bay comprises four standards, four longitudinal ledgers and four transverse ledgers. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the scaffold is of the frame scaffold type and wherein the scaffold parts comprise scaffold frames and floor parts, wherein each scaffold frame comprises at least two standards which are fixedly connected with at least one transverse ledger. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 18 , further comprising:
 after erecting the guardrail assembly, building up a second scaffold bay on top of the first scaffold bay; and optionally   for locking, fixing the guardrail of the guardrail assembly to parts of the second scaffold bay.