LADDER SYSTEM FOR TRENCH SHORING

Abstract

The invention relates to a ladder system for trench shoring, comprising a lower ladder (14) which extends from the bottom of a trench over a lower subportion (T1) of the height of the trench, and an upper ladder (16) which extends over an upper subportion (T2) of the height of the trench up to a trench edge, wherein the upper ladder (16) is a suspension ladder for suspending onto a shoring panel (12). A ladder system according to the invention is intended to increase the safety of the workers particularly for deep trenches. In a ladder system according to the invention, a platform (22) is arranged at the lower end of the upper ladder (16) is, and that the lower ladder (14) is a stepladder or leaning ladder which stands on the bottom of the trench.

Claims

1. A ladder system for trench shoring, comprising: a lower ladder which extends from the bottom of a trench over a lower sub-portion of the height of the trench; an upper ladder which extends over an upper sub-portion of the height of the trench up to a trench edge, wherein the upper ladder is a suspension ladder for suspending onto a shoring panel; and a platform is arranged at the lower end of the upper ladder, wherein the lower ladder is a stepladder or leaning ladder which stands on the bottom of the trench.

2. A ladder system according to claim 1, wherein the lower ladder and the upper ladder are arranged so as to be laterally offset with respect to one another, and wherein the lower ladder and the upper ladder extend next to one another in an overlap region.

3. A ladder system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the upper ladder and the lower ladder is height-adjustable.

4. A ladder system according to claim 1, wherein the platform has a peripheral railing.

5. A ladder system according to claim 1, wherein at least one supporting foot, which is supported against the trench wall, is arranged at the lower end of the upper ladder.

6. A ladder system according to claim 1, wherein a climb-in aid is arranged on the upper ladder.

7. A ladder system according to claim 1, wherein at least one back protection bow is arranged on the upper ladder.

8. A ladder system according to claim 7, wherein at least the uppermost back protection bow is height-adjustable with respect to the upper ladder.

9. A ladder system according to claim 1, wherein the lower ladder and the upper ladder are connected to one another via a securing element.

10. (canceled)

11. A method comprising: providing a ladder system including: a lower ladder which extends from the bottom of a trench over a lower sub-portion of the height of the trench, wherein the lower ladder is a stepladder or leaning ladder which stands on the bottom of the trench, an upper ladder which extends over an upper sub-portion of the height of the trench up to a trench edge, wherein the upper ladder is a suspension ladder for suspending onto a shoring panel, and a platform arranged at the lower end of the upper ladder; and shoring a trench using the ladder system.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the lower ladder and the upper ladder are arranged so as to be laterally offset with respect to one another, and wherein the lower ladder and the upper ladder extend next to one another in an overlap region.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the upper ladder and the lower ladder is height-adjustable.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein the platform has a peripheral railing.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one supporting foot, which is supported against the trench wall, is arranged at the lower end of the upper ladder.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein a climb-in aid is arranged on the upper ladder.

17. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one back protection bow is arranged on the upper ladder.

18. A method according to claim 7, wherein at least the uppermost back protection bow is height-adjustable with respect to the upper ladder.

19. A method according to claim 1, wherein the lower ladder and the upper ladder are connected to one another via a securing element.

20. A method of creating a ladder system for shoring a trench, comprising: arranging a suspension ladder to extend over an upper sub-portion of the height of the trench up to a trench edge and to suspend onto a shoring panel; arranging a platform at the lower end of the upper ladder; and arranging a lower ladder to stand on the bottom of the trench and extend over a lower sub-portion of the height of the trench, wherein the lower ladder is a stepladder or leaning ladder.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Further embodiments and advantages of the system described herein are described below in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a ladder system, according to an embodiment of the system described herein, with a first variant of an upper ladder and a lower ladder in a front view;

[0027] FIG. 2 shows the ladder system from FIG. 1 in a side view, according to an embodiment of the system described herein;

[0028] FIG. 3 shows the ladder system from FIG. 1 in a view from above, according to an embodiment of the system described herein; and

[0029] FIG. 4 shows a second variant of an upper ladder in a perspective view obliquely from the front, according to an embodiment of the system described herein.

DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

[0030] Illustrative embodiments of the system described herein will now be described in relation to the drawings. It should be appreciated that the system described herein is not limited to the following illustrative embodiments, as other embodiments, for example, variations of the following illustrative embodiments, are possible, and intended to fall within the scope of the invention.

[0031] FIGS. 1 to 3 each illustrate a ladder system 10 according to the system described herein in conjunction with a shoring panel 12. Only one wall of the trench is illustrated in these figures. The shoring panel 12 forms the trench wall and may serve for supporting the ground situated laterally of the trench. In the present case, it may extend over a part of the height of the trench and a part of the width of the trench.

[0032] FIG. 1 illustrates a ladder system 10 according to the system described herein in a front view. The front view of the ladder system 10 situated in the trench corresponds to a view of a side wall of the trench or of the shoring panel 12. The view shown in FIG. 2 accordingly corresponds to a view transversely to the shoring panel 12 in the longitudinal direction of the trench. FIG. 3 shows a view from above in the direction of the bottom of the trench.

[0033] The ladder system 10 may comprise a lower ladder 14 which may be supported on a bottom of the trench (not shown) and which may extend over a lower sub-portion T.sub.1 of the height of the trench. In addition, the ladder system 10 may comprise a first variant of an upper ladder 16 which may extend over an upper sub-portion T.sub.2 of the height of the trench up to an upper trench edge. In the present case, the upper edge of the trench corresponds to the upper edge 20 of the shoring panel 12. The upper ladder 16 and the lower ladder 14 may be arranged so as to be laterally offset to one another (cf. also FIG. 3). As is clearly evident from FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper ladder 16 and the lower ladder 14 may extend next to one another in an overlap region U.

[0034] In the example shown, the lower ladder 14 may be a leaning ladder which stands by its lower end on the bottom of the trench (not shown) and may be supported by its upper end on the front side of the shoring panel 12. The lower ladder 14 may be arranged at an angle to the shoring panel 12 in order to allow a worker to climb up and down in as simple a manner as possible. The maximum fall height of the lower ladder 14 may be limited to the sub-portion T.sub.1.

[0035] In the present case, the upper ladder 16 may be configured as a suspension ladder. For this purpose, the upper ladder 16 may have at its upper end two hooks 18 by means of which the upper ladder 16 may be suspended onto the upper edge 20 of the shoring panel 12. For this purpose, the hooks 18 may engage around the shoring panel 12 and may bear both against the upper side and against the rear side of the shoring panel 12.

[0036] A platform 22 which may extend horizontally may be arranged at the lower end of the upper ladder 16. The platform 22 may serve as a lower boundary of the upper ladder 16 and limit the maximum fall height to the sub-portion T.sub.2. The platform 22 may be secured by a peripheral railing 24. In the present case, the railing 24 may be formed by two vertical struts 26 at the corners of the platform 22 and a chain 28 which connects the vertical struts 26 to the upper ladder 16. In an embodiment, the maximum fall heights T.sub.1 and T.sub.2 may be at most 6 m, and may be less than 4 m.

[0037] Said overlap region U may serve for the transfer of a worker from one ladder to the other ladder. Here, the overlap region U may be realized in such a way that a worker who is standing at the level of the platform 22 may, with an upright posture, may use his or her hands to grip both the upper ladder 16 and the lower ladder 14. In the example shown, the height of the overlap region U may be approximately 1.40 m.

[0038] In the present case, the upper ladder 16may have a horizontal distance from the front side of the shoring panel 12. In order to realize a course of the upper ladder 16 that is as vertical as possible, two supporting feet 30 which extend in the horizontal direction and which support the lower end of the upper ladder 16 against the front side of the shoring panel 12 may be arranged at the lower end of the upper ladder 16. The length of the supporting feet 30 may be varied depending on the thickness of the shoring panel 12 or the distance of the upper ladder 16 from the shoring panel 12.

[0039] In addition, the upper ladder 16may have arranged thereon a climb-in aid 32 in the form of hand rails 34 which may be arranged at the right and left at the upper end of the upper ladder 16. The hand rails 34 may extend, as viewed from top to bottom, first horizontally and then vertically such that a worker may firmly hold thereon when climbing into and out of the trench.

[0040] Also arranged on the upper ladder 16 may be three back protection bows 36 which enclose the front side of the upper ladder 16 in the form of a ring segment and may be connected to one another by a plurality of vertically extending bars 38.

[0041] FIG. 4 shows a further variant of the upper ladder 16. The same reference signs as for the description of the first variant may be used therein for identical or at least functionally identical components.

[0042] This upper ladder 16 may likewise be used in conjunction with a lower ladder 14 in a ladder system 10, as is illustrated in FIGS. 1-3. The essential difference of the upper ladder 16 shown in FIG. 4 is that the climb-in aid provided is a height-adjustable hand rail 40 may have a back protection bow 42 fastened thereto. The hand rail 40 may be height-adjustable with the back protection bow 42 in the direction of the double arrow. For this purpose, two sleeves 44 in which the hand rail 40 may be respectively received in a height-adjustable manner may be provided laterally of the upper ladder 16. The hand rail 40 may be securely clamped at the intended height via a foot-actuatable clamping lever 46.

[0043] In this second variant of the upper ladder 16 too, a platform 22 having a railing 24 may be arranged at the lower end. Also provided here, as in the variant of FIGS. 1-3, may be a plurality of positionally fixed back protection bows 36 which may be connected to one another via vertical bars 38.

[0044] The features of the system described herein that are disclosed in the present description, in the drawings and in the claims may be essential both individually and in any desired combinations for realizing the system described herein in its various embodiments. The invention is not limited to the embodiments described. It may be varied within the scope of the claims and with consideration to the knowledge of a person skilled in the relevant art. Other embodiments of the system described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the specification and/or an attempt to put into practice the system described herein disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as illustrative only, with the true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims

[0045] Attention is particularly also drawn to the possibility that the upper ladder 16 and the lower ladder may be connected to one another against slipping by means of a securing element.

[0046] For trenches having a relatively large depth, it is also possible to make available a ladder system 10 which has more than two ladders, in particular two upper suspension ladders in combination with a lowermost ladder which stands on the bottom of the trench.