Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for installing a balcony and particularly, although not exclusively, to installing a series of balconies on a building.

Background

Balconies are often specified in the plans drawn up by architects for new or existing buildings, as a way of increasing the liveable space. These balconies may be decorative, but in many cases they must be structurally secure and capable of supporting the load of several people as well as furniture (balustrades, panels, handrails, etc.) needed to make the balcony safe and usable.

In existing building approaches, a metalworker may attend the site to bolt “stubs” onto/into the concrete frame of a fagade of a building while the basic structure of the building is being constructed. At a later stage, often after the main structure of the building, including brickwork and windows, is complete, a frame for the balcony is manufactured off site from mild steel, galvanised, and transported to site. The balcony frame is then lifted by crane and held aloft adjacent to the stubs whilst the frame is aligned with the stubs and then bolted onto them by operatives working underneath or adjacent to the loose balcony.

There are a number of problems with this process.

Firstly, there is a safety risk for the workers who are aligning the balcony and bolting it in place. These workers normally have to either work from an elevated platform (a “cherry picker”), or on a scaffold tower from the ground level or the floor below. There is inevitably a risk of falling associated with working at height. Furthermore, there are risks associated with the manual handling of trying to push the balcony into position, and a risk of trapping hands and fingers when trying to get the balcony into position and bolted on. These risks increase because of the length of time it takes to fix a balcony using this method, as discussed below.

Secondly, it takes a substantial amount of time to install each balcony using this method.

The crane has to stay in position supporting the balcony in mid-air while the workers align and bolt the balcony firmly in place. The workers then have to move all their access equipment and tools up to the next floor or balcony location before they can start installing the next balcony. As a result, the delivery driver may also have to stay on site whilst each of the balconies is lifted into position one at a time.

It is also known to provide ‘slide-on’ balconies, for example as disclosed in GB 2507365 A, where arms project from the building and the balcony is slid onto them and rests upon the arms. This allows for operatives to install from inside the building using a guarded door I window opening to access the balcony and guide it into place. However, using a door guard or window guard can be problematic if the doors or windows open inwards, and there is a risk of damage to finished apartments from the door or window guard being carried through and mounted in place in the door or window frame. Whilst using a door or window guard reduces some of the risk of injury to operatives from standing in an open doorway whilst guiding a balcony into place, there is still some risk of operatives placing themselves in danger by leaning over or between the bars of the door guard.

The present invention has been devised in light of the above considerations.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides a safer and faster way of installing a balcony, or a series of balconies, to a building.

The invention includes any combination of the aspects and preferred features described except where such a combination is clearly impermissible or expressly avoided.

A first aspect of the present invention provides a method for installing a series of balconies on a building, the method comprising the steps of providing a lower balcony on the building; installing a temporary balcony support on the lower balcony; positioning an upper balcony above the lower balcony such that the upper balcony is supported by the temporary balcony support; securing the upper balcony to the building with the upper balcony supported by the temporary balcony support.

The series of balconies may comprise balconies positioned vertically in line with each other, or balconies off-set from each other but only to the extent that an upper balcony can still be supported by the temporary balcony support on the lower balcony. Alternatively, the series of balconies may comprise balconies of different sizes, for example, the upper balcony may have a different width (larger or smaller), or a different length (larger or smaller) than the lower balcony. Here, “width” is intended to refer to the distance that the balcony projects from the building and “length” is intended to refer to the distance that the balcony extends along the building. In this context, a lower balcony is defined as the first installed balcony and I or the lowest installed balcony in a series of balconies. An upper balcony is defined as a second installed balcony and / or a balcony installed above the lower balcony.

It is not intended that the present invention is limited to any particular method of providing a lower balcony on the building. This can be achieved, for example, by using conventional methods, such as lifting the lower balcony by crane and holding the lower balcony aloft while operatives bolt the balcony to stubs affixed to the building. As will be understood, the lower balcony may be provided at a relatively low height, and as such the operatives may use a cherry picker or other platform to securely fix the lower balcony to the building.

The temporary balcony support advantageously provides structural support to an upper balcony by transferring the load of the upper balcony through a series of structural members of the temporary balcony support to the base or floor of the installed lower balcony and therefore to the building (to which the lower balcony is fixed). Initially, a crane can be used to pick up the upper balcony and place it onto the temporary balcony support. The temporary balcony support holds the upper balcony against the building whilst operatives secure it into place.

The temporary balcony support can also provide assistance in the installation of the lower balcony, if required. Here, the temporary balcony support may be positioned on a support surface beneath the intended position of the lower balcony. For example, scaffolding may be erected to provide the necessary support surface for the temporary balcony support. The lower balcony can then be lifted onto and supported by the temporary balcony support and then fixed to the building.

The temporary balcony support ensures that there is no need for operatives to walk onto or underneath a balcony that is still being fully supported by a crane, thereby minimising the risk of injury to operatives.

Preferably the method additionally provides the step of guiding the upper balcony towards the building using the temporary balcony support before securing the upper balcony to the building. Previously, operatives may have stood on an edge inside an open doorway to guide the balcony into position, which is potentially dangerous. With the present invention, the operatives can be at a safe distance from the upper balcony until the balcony is substantially supported by the temporary balcony support, and in the correct position against the building. This removes the risk of injury to operatives from manual handling of the balcony. It also speeds up installation of each balcony in a series of balconies, because each balcony can be easily positioned at an installation position.

Guiding the upper balcony towards the building may be achieved by positioning the upper balcony on wheels or rollers on the temporary balcony support. Alternatively the upper balcony can be guided towards the building by positioning the upper balcony on a track or a slider on the temporary balcony support. Guiding the upper balcony towards the building using such a guiding means helps an operative get the upper balcony into a pre-determined position with minimal risk of injury because an operative can exert an initial force on the upper balcony and then let the upper balcony slide or roll towards the building.

Previously, operatives may have used a pulling bar or ropes to guide the balcony into place. Using a guiding means, such as wheels, rollers, a track or a slider helps the operative get the upper balcony into a predetermined position with little effort because the wheels, rollers, track or slider reduce the friction between the upper balcony and the surface over which it moves. The wheels, rollers, track or slider reduce friction by allowing the contact surfaces to roll rather than to drag over each other. Thus, an upper balcony can be easily guided into a pre-determined position. Note that pulling bars, lines or ropes may still be of use to assist in the positioning of the balcony, with the assistance of the guiding means provided by the temporary balcony support.

A further advantage of using guiding means, such as wheels or rollers, is that it may be possible safely to install the balcony without need for a door guard to protect an operative standing inside the building and guiding the upper balcony into position. This is particularly advantageous because operatives do not need to carry door guard equipment up and down the building, or through a finished apartment, and they do not need to mount the door guard equipment inside a finished apartment. The operatives can remain at a safe distance, with the door shut until the balcony is safely in place against the building.

Preferably the upper balcony is guided towards the building on the temporary balcony support at least in part assisted by gravity. This may be achieved by ensuring that the temporary balcony support is configured such that the upper balcony, when supported by the temporary balcony support, is tilted so that it moves downwards as it moves towards the building. In order to achieve this, the temporary balcony support may, for example, have rollers or wheels with decreasing diameter closer to the building, or a top surface of the temporary balcony support may be angled to enable the upper balcony to be guided towards the building by gravity. Letting the upper balcony be guided towards the building by gravity further reduces the risk of injury to operatives from manual handling of the balcony because there is no requirement for an operative to exert an initial force on the upper balcony to let it slide or roll towards the building. Instead, movement of the balcony towards the building is, in most cases, automatic, when the upper balcony is placed onto the wheels, roller, slider or track of the temporary balcony support. A suitable angle of tilt of the upper balcony towards the building is preferably not more than 12°, more preferably not more than 8°, more preferably not more than 4°. A suitable angle of tilt may, for example, be at least 2°.

Preferably, the upper balcony is remotely guided towards the building by a user. The user could, for example, use a remote control. Alternatively, the user or operative could use a lever or pulley system so that the user is a safe distance from the upper balcony to minimise risk of injury to the user when guiding the balcony towards the building.

The temporary balcony support may be installed on the lower balcony before securing the lower balcony to the building. Therefore, both the balcony and temporary balcony support can be hoisted into an installation position by a crane. This makes it easier for the operatives, and more time efficient, because operatives do not need to bring the temporary balcony support through the building and fix it onto the lower balcony after the lower balcony has been installed on the building.

The method may additionally comprise the step of assembling the temporary balcony support to a predetermined height so that the upper balcony is supportable by the temporary balcony support at the predetermined height. The temporary balcony support may be assembled to a predetermined height before or after the lower balcony has been installed on the building. The temporary balcony support can be a fixed height support, so it is always configured at a predetermined height. More preferably, the temporary balcony support is adjustable so that it can be assembled to a range of heights and can therefore be used on different buildings with different floor heights and hence balcony heights. The predetermined height of an upper balcony may be between 2m and 6 m, preferably about 3 m.

Preferably, the method additionally comprises the step of removing the temporary balcony support from the lower balcony after the upper balcony is secured to the building. The temporary balcony support can then be re-used to support and guide a further upper balcony into position. The temporary balcony support may be dismantled or collapsed prior to its removal from the lower balcony. This makes it easier for an operative to remove the temporary balcony support after the upper balcony has been installed. The lower balcony may have internal dimensions expressed as the internal width (that is, the usable width of the balcony, internally of any balustrade provided in the balcony) and the internal length (that is, the usable length of the balcony, internally of any balustrade provided in the balcony). The internal height of the lower balcony is the height measured from the floor (e.g. deck) of the lower balcony to the lowermost surface (e.g. soffit) of the upper balcony, after the upper balcony is fully installed. In its collapsed state, the temporary balcony support may measure at most 90% (and preferably at most 80%, at most 70%, at most 60%, at most 50%, at most 40% or at most 30%) of one or more of the internal width, internal length or internal height of the lower balcony. For example, in its collapsed state, the temporary balcony support may measure up to about 2 m in width, up to about 1 m in length and up to about 0.5 m in height. Here, “width” and “length” are intended to be measured in the same direction as the corresponding measures of the balcony. Since the temporary balcony support can be folded down (or otherwise configured) to a collapsed state, and can be constructed to be light in weight, the collapsed temporary balcony support can easily be carried through the building by an operative without damage to the building. Alternatively, the collapsed temporary balcony support can be removed from the lower balcony outwardly, without carrying it through the building. In this case, collapsing the temporary balcony support can reduce the risk of damage to the lower balcony, for example to the balustrade of the lower balcony. The temporary balcony support may have a weight of not more than 60 kg. This allows ease of manoeuvring of the temporary balcony support by operatives. The temporary balcony support may have a weight of not less than 20 kg, for example. For comparison, it is noted that a typical balcony weight is in the range 250-1200 kg.

The method may also comprise the steps of installing a temporary balcony support on the upper balcony, said upper balcony being the first upper balcony hereafter; positioning a second upper balcony above the first upper balcony such that the second upper balcony is supported by the temporary balcony support; securing the second upper balcony to the building with the second upper balcony supported by the temporary balcony support. The method may also be used to install further upper balconies to the building, for example the method may secure a third, fourth or fifth upper balcony to the building. This forms a series of balconies which may be directly vertically aligned with each other, or vertically offset from each other but only to the extent that an upper balcony can still be supported by the temporary balcony support on the lower balcony.

A second aspect provides a temporary balcony support for installing a series of balconies, wherein the temporary balcony support is configured to be installed on a lower balcony, and wherein the temporary balcony support is configured to position and support an upper balcony above the lower balcony before the upper balcony is secured to a building. The upper balcony is substantially supported by the temporary balcony support to allow operatives to safely secure the upper balcony to the building. This means that operatives do not need to walk onto, or underneath, an upper balcony which is still being carried by a crane. There is minimal risk of the upper balcony falling during installation. The temporary balcony support may further comprise guide apparatus to enable the upper balcony to be guided towards the building by positioning the upper balcony on the guide apparatus of the temporary balcony support. Using the guide apparatus minimises the risk of operatives becoming injured whilst getting the upper balcony into position against the building. In particular, there is reduced risk of the operative’s trapping hands and fingers whilst guiding the upper balcony into position.

The guide apparatus may comprise one or more of wheels or rollers, a track or a slider. Using wheels or rollers minimises friction because the upper balcony rolls towards the building, rather than being dragged towards the building. Additionally, lubricated ball bearing may be incorporated into tracks and sliders to minimise friction as the upper balcony moves towards the building, Therefore, using a guide apparatus such as wheels, rollers, a track or a slider helps the upper balcony more easily move towards the building.

The temporary balcony support may be configured to tilt the upper balcony towards the building, to enable the upper balcony to be guided downwards and towards the building by gravity. This arrangement means that external forces or external devices, such as a motor, are not required to push or pull the upper balcony towards the building. This makes the temporary balcony support easier to set up and remove from the lower balcony. However, in some circumstances, it may be preferred that the temporary balcony support includes at least one powered actuator configured to drive the upper balcony towards the building.

The temporary balcony support may be collapsible to enable removal of the temporary balcony support from the lower balcony after the upper balcony is secured to the building. This allows the temporary balcony support to be re-used when fitting another balcony. For example, the temporary balcony support can be positioned on the already fitted upper balcony to support and guide a further upper balcony into position against the building. The temporary balcony support is easy to transport in a collapsed state so it may be carried through a building after it has been used to install a balcony. In addition, the temporary balcony support can be carried through a building so that it can be fitted on a balcony for the installation of an upper balcony.

Preferably the temporary balcony support is height-adjustable. The height of the temporary balcony support may be adjustable in both coarse and fine modes. The temporary balcony support may have vertical structural members, and both fine and coarse adjustments may be controlled by adjusting the height of the vertical structural members.

In particular, the temporary balcony support may comprise vertices and each vertex may comprise an individual adjustment mechanism for adjusting the height of the temporary balcony support. The coarse height of the temporary balcony support may be adjusted by extending the height of the vertical structural members and fixing the vertical beams into position. The coarse height adjustment may allow fixing of the vertical structural members into a selected one of a series of discrete positions. The fine height of the temporary balcony support may be adjusted by operation of individual threaded adjustment members on each vertical support member at the vertices of the temporary balcony support when the coarse height of the vertical support members has been set.

Having a height-adjustable temporary balcony support allows for easy assembly and removal of the temporary balcony support in a reduced height configuration. Also, having a height-adjustable temporary balcony support means that the temporary balcony support can be used on different buildings with different floor heights, and therefore different balcony heights. Further, when the upper balcony is supported on the temporary balcony support, the individual adjustment mechanisms can be used to make suitable coarse and fine adjustments to the height of the temporary balcony support. In turn, this allows the vertical position of the upper balcony to be determined with suitable precision

The temporary balcony support may also comprise a tapering component for centring the upper balcony on the temporary balcony support. The tapering component may be all or part of a top surface of the temporary balcony support so that an upper balcony can be placed onto the tapering component. The tapering component may be at least two guiding rods. Additionally or alternatively, the tapering component may be one or more tapered plates, such that when the upper balcony is lowered towards the lower balcony, to the extent that the upper balcony is misaligned with respect to the lower balcony, the upper balcony is guided by the tapering component to rest on the temporary balcony support in an aligned configuration with the lower balcony.

Preferably, the temporary balcony support is powered by an electric motor. The electric motor may be used, for example, to power wheels or rollers on the temporary balcony support to move an upper balcony resting on the wheels or rollers towards a building. Using an electric motor in this way means that any guiding means, such as rollers, wheels, sliders or tracks, does not necessarily need to be tilted towards a building so that an upper balcony resting on such guiding means does not need to rely on gravity to move towards the building. However, it is still possible to have the guiding means tilted downwards towards the building and still use an electric motor to provide an initial force to move the upper balcony towards the building.

Preferably, the temporary balcony support is configured to be remotely operable by a user to guide the upper balcony towards a building. This may be achieved by, for example using a remote control.

Alternatively, this may also be achieved by using a pulley or lever mechanism which is operable by a user in a doorway of the lower balcony. Having a user guide the upper balcony towards the building from a distance minimises the risk of injury to the user, particularly injury to hands and fingers.

Summary of the Figures

Embodiments and experiments illustrating the principles of the invention will now be discussed with reference to the accompanying figures in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the temporary balcony support. Figure 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the temporary balcony support.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the temporary balcony support.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a first balcony installed on a building.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the temporary balcony support installed on the first balcony.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the upper balcony being hoisted into position by a crane.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the upper balcony and temporary balcony support being hoisted into position by a crane.

Figure 8 is a sketch of a side view of a stub used for attaching a balcony to a building.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the stub of Figure 8 affixed to a building.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a side and rear beam of the upper balcony.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the side and rear beam of the upper balcony, as shown in Figure 10, in position to be affixed to a stub, as shown in Figure 9.

Figure 12 is a perspective view of an upper balcony secured onto a building with the temporary balcony support still positioned on the lower balcony.

Figure 13 is a perspective view of a series of balconies secured to a building.

Figure 14 is a flow chart showing the steps required for installing a series of balconies onto a building using according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 15 is a schematic front elevational view showing a temporary balcony support located on a lower balcony with an upper balcony being lowered into position with respect to the temporary balcony support and tapered guide plates extending from the temporary balcony support.

Detailed Description of the Invention

Aspects and embodiments of the present invention will now be discussed with reference to the accompanying figures. Further aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. All documents mentioned in this text are incorporated herein by reference.

Figures 1 , 2 and 3 illustrate first, second and third embodiments of the temporary balcony support apparatus respectively. In each embodiment, the temporary balcony support has a length along the x- axis, a width along the z-axis and a height along the y-axis. The x, y and z-axes are included on the figures.

Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of the temporary balcony support apparatus 100. The apparatus comprises a base portion 110 having two plates 112. Secured to the plates is a fixed frame 120 which comprises four fixed vertical beams 122 extending in a y-direction, two of each of the fixed vertical beams are attached to each base plate 112. The fixed vertical beams are examples of vertical structural members. The base plates 112 are wider than the width of the fixed vertical beams 122. The vertical beams 122 are laterally separated by two horizontal beams 124. Each of the fixed vertical beams 122 has an individual threaded adjustment 125. The adjustable portion 130 comprises four vertical beams 132 which slide vertically into and out from the fixed vertical beams 122. The adjustable vertical beams are also examples of vertical structural members. The adjustable vertical beams are adjustable by sliding partially out from the fixed vertical beams. The adjustable vertical beams comprise bolt holes 134 for attaching the vertical beams of the fixed frame to the adjustable vertical beams so that they are set at a coarse installation height. The individual threaded adjustment 125 on the fixed vertical beam provides fine adjustment of the temporary balcony support. As an example of a suitable threaded adjustment system known in scaffolding applications, see https://shop.psb-scaffolding.co.uk/6-tonne-adjustable- scaffold-base-jack [accessed 17 January 2022], The temporary balcony support can therefore be adjusted and set to a required height of the upper balcony.

The temporary balcony support also comprises a top portion 140 onto which the upper balcony rests. The top portion comprises a two horizontal beams 144 extending in an x-direction (lengthwise) which laterally separate the adjustable vertical beams. A first beam 142 and a second beam 143 extend in a z- direction (widthwise) between end portions of the adjustable vertical beams. Attached to the two beams extending in the z-direction are four wheels 146; two of the wheels are located on one beam extending in the z-direction and the other two wheels are located on the other beam extending in the z-direction. The wheels are positioned so that the top of each wheel sits higher than both the beams extending in the z- direction 142, 143 and the beams extending in the x-direction 144, to allow an upper balcony to sit directly on the wheels 146, and be guided towards a building.

Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of the temporary balcony support apparatus 200. The apparatus is the same as the apparatus shown in Figure 1 , except for the wheels in the top portion 240. Attached to the beams extending in the z-direction 142, 143 are four wheels 246, 247, 248, 249. Two of the wheels 246, 247 are located on the first beam 142 extending in the z-direction and the other two wheels 248, 249 are located on the second beam 143 extending in the z-direction 143. The wheels have different diameters to help guide an upper balcony against a building using gravity. On the first beam extending in a z-direction 142, one wheel 247 has a larger diameter than the other wheel 246. On the second beam extending in a z-direction, one wheel 249 has a larger diameter than the other wheel 248. An operative can place the temporary balcony support onto a lower balcony with the wheels having a smaller diameter 246, 248 positioned close to the building. This means that an operative can position an upper balcony onto the top surface 240 of the temporary balcony support, and particularly on top of the wheels having a larger diameter 246, 249, such that the wheels having a larger diameter rotate towards the smaller wheels 246, 248, and the upper balcony can be guided towards the building by gravity. The same effect of using gravity to guide the upper balcony towards a building may also be achieved by using many rollers, for example between 3 and 20 rollers, and each roller having a slightly smaller diameter than the previous roller. The same effect may also be achieved by constructing the frame of the temporary balcony support so that the rollers or wheels are all the same diameter, with their centres of rotation arranged along a line sloping downwards towards the building.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a third embodiment of the temporary balcony support 300. The temporary balcony support has a base portion 310 comprising four feet 312. The temporary balcony support has a fixed frame 320 comprising four fixed vertical beams 322. The four fixed vertical beams are examples of vertical structural members. Each fixed vertical beam is attached to a respective foot 312. The temporary balcony support also has an adjustable portion comprising four adjustable vertical beams 332 which slide vertically into and out from the fixed vertical beams 322 in the fixed frame portion. The four adjustable vertical beams are examples of vertical structural members. The adjustable vertical beams fit inside the fixed vertical beams. The adjustable vertical beams 332 are adjustable by sliding the adjustable vertical beams partially out from the fixed vertical beams and fixing the adjustable vertical beams in place by bolting the adjustable vertical beam to the fixed vertical beam through bolt holes 325 located on each fixed vertical beam. A fine height adjustment mechanism may additionally be provided (not shown for this embodiment), for example as for the embodiment described with respect to Figure 1 . The temporary balcony support also has a top portion 340 onto which an upper balcony can rest. The top portion comprises an L-shape member 342, arranged to form a 90 degree angle, which is more clearly seen in Figure 7.

The third embodiment of the temporary balcony support 300 supports one side of an upper balcony. Therefore, two temporary balcony supports according to the third embodiment 300 are required to support a typical upper balcony, one on each side.

Figure 4 shows a first balcony 400 fitted to a building. The first balcony comprises a base 410 having a rear beam 412 positioned next to a first doorway 450, two side beams 414, 416 with each side beam located at each end of the rear beam and extending away from the building, and a front beam 418 which extends between the free ends of the two side beams 414, 416. The balcony also comprises a balustrade 420 positioned on the two side beams 414, 416 and the front beam 418. A second or upper doorway 460 is positioned directly above the lower or first doorway 450. Two stubs 470 are positioned between the first and second doorways. The stubs are for engaging with the base of a second or upper balcony.

Figure 5 is similar to Figure 4, with the addition of the temporary balcony support of Figure 1 (first embodiment) 100 which is installed on the base 410 of the balcony. The upper balcony is now ready for being hoisted onto the temporary balcony support.

Figure 6 is similar to Figure 5 except two temporary balcony supports of the type shown in Figure 3 (third embodiment) 300 have been installed on a second balcony 600, rather than a first or lowest balcony 605. Thus, Figure 6 shows a series of balconies which have been, or are being installed on a building. The temporary balcony supports 300 comprise a pair of supports which are positioned on the base 610 of the second balcony at two vertices which are furthest from the building. The pair of temporary balcony supports 300 have been adjusted to a height equal to the height at which a third balcony 670 is to be installed, so that the third balcony is installed in line with a third doorway 660.

The temporary balcony support is re-usable so the temporary balcony support can be removed from a first balcony 605 and positioned on a second balcony 600 to provide support for installing a third balcony 670 above a second balcony 600. In Figure 6, a third balcony 670 is being hoisted into position (by a crane) above the second balcony 600 and in front of a third doorway 660. Whilst the third balcony is lifted into position onto the temporary balcony support 300, the operatives stand in the third doorway 660, with the door shut and/or a safety barrier installed across the doorway. The operatives only open the door when the third balcony is safely placed on the pair of temporary balcony supports 300. There are no operatives beneath the intended position of the third balcony. Figure 7 shows a subsequent arrangement to Figure 6, in that an upper balcony 770 is hoisted into position by a crane, with a temporary balcony support 300 already fixed to the base 710 of the upper balcony, ready for another balcony to be installed above the upper balcony.

Figure 8 shows a front view of a stub 800, which in use is fixed to a building in the position 470 shown in Figure 4. The stub 800 comprises a vertical plate 810, a cylinder 820 attached on one side of the vertical plate, and a square bar 830 attached on an opposite side of the vertical plate. Both the cylinder and the square bar extend in an x-direction. The x, y and z axes are arranged for consistency with Fig. 9.

In the embodiment, the vertical plate 810 measures 20mm thick (measured in the x-direction). The cylinder 820 has a laser cut disc 822 welded into an inner bore of the cylinder 820, disc 822 having a threaded central hole aligned with the principal axis of the cylinder 820. The diameter of the threaded central hole is 44.5mm. The diameter of the cylinder is 50.8mm. At the free end of the cylinder is a 3mm cap 824. A M16 stud connector 826 is welded into the cylinder 820 at its free end 828. The total length of the cylinder including the cap is 44mm.

The square bar 830 measures 25mm by 25mm in x and and z-directions, and extends 80mm from the vertical plate. The square bar has a hollow central bore 832 so that a bolt can be fitted at a free end of the square bar. The head 834 of a bolt sits next to the free end of the square bar, and the shank 836 of the bolt extends through the hollow central bore 832 and extends through the vertical plate 810 and into the cylinder 820 to engage with the threaded central hole in disc 822. Between the head 834 of the bolt and the free end of the square bar 830 is a washer 838 having a diameter of 50mm and a thickness (x- direction) of 3mm, the washer preventing entry of the head 834 of the bolt into the central bore 832.

Figure 9 shows the stub 800 in position on a building 900. The stub is located beneath and outside the width of a doorway 910 where a balcony is to be fitted. The stub is designed to fit into a side beam 414, 416 and a rear beam 412 in the base of the upper balcony (these beams are shown in Figure 4). Note that the stub illustrated in Figure 9 is set the opposing way round to the stub illustrated in Figure 8.

Figure 10 shows a corner of a balcony base, specifically showing the region in which a stub is designed to fit. Two beams are shown: a side beam 416 and a rear beam 412. These beams are arranged perpendicular to each other. Parallel to the side beam is a rafter 1010 located within the perpendicular arrangement of the side beam and the rear beam. There is a channel 1020 between the rafter 1010 and the side beam 416. One end of the rafter is bolted onto the rear beam 412. Support blocks 1030 are positioned between the side beam and the rafter, within the channel 1020. The support blocks are bolted between the rafter 1010 and the side beams. Balusters 1040 are also held and bolted within the channel.

On the rear beam 412, there is an aperture 1052 into which the square bar 830 (including washer 838 and head 834 of the bolt) of the stub fits. The aperture extends in an x-direction up to the rafter 1010. On the side beam 416, there is an aperture 1054 which has a y-axis dimension of just greater than 45mm to accommodate the square bar being slid into and along the side beam. The aperture on the side beam 1054 is not equal to or larger than the diameter of the washer 838 on the stub, so that if the balcony moves, the washer provides a hindrance to further balcony movement because it cannot pass through the aperture 1054.

The side beam comprises angled tabs 1056 which extend beyond the perpendicular arrangement of the side beam and the rear beam. The angled tabs 1056 are angled towards the rear beam and assist the installation of the balcony with the stub.

Figure 11 shows the balcony, specifically the rear beam 412 and the side beam 416, in position to be fitted onto a stub 800. Note that this drawing shows the other near-side corner of the balcony compared with Figure 10. Figure 11 shows the stub 800 directly aligned with the aperture in the rear and side members of the balcony. The square bar 830 fits into the aperture in the rear beam 1052, and provides support to the rear beam. The vertical plate 810 and cylinder 820 fit into the aperture 1054 in the side beam 416. The side beam in Figure 11 has an additional compartment 1120 in the aperture 1054 specifically for the vertical plate 810. Once the balcony is fitted onto the stub, the cylinder 820 of the stub extends out from the compartment 1120. Tie wires from a balcony below may be secured to the cylinder 820, as shown in Figure 13. Once the stub has been fitted into the rear and side beams, the side beam is fastened to the stub by inserting a bolt through a bolt hole 1130 on the side beam and a bolt hole 1110 on the stub.

Figure 12 shows a lower balcony 400 and an upper balcony 1200 installed on the building, with a temporary balcony support 100 still positioned on the lower balcony. The upper balcony base 1210 rests on the temporary balcony support 100 during installation, and after the upper balcony 1200 has been secured to the building, the temporary balcony support can be removed. In order to remove the temporary balcony support from the first balcony, the temporary balcony support is reduced in height and I or collapsed so that the temporary balcony support can be carried through the building. The temporary balcony support is reduced in height by removing bolts from bolt holes 134 in the adjustable vertical beams 130 which attach the adjustable vertical beams to the vertical beams 122 of the fixed frame 120 of the temporary balcony support (as shown in Figure 1 ). Figure 13 shows a series of balconies, in this case three balconies, installed on a building. The balconies are directly lined up one above the other. To provide further support to the balconies, tension rods or tie wires 1300 are used. One end of a tension rod or tie wire is attached to a cylinder 820 of a stub 800 on the floor above the respective balcony, and an opposing end of the tension rod or tie wire is attached to a side beam 414, 416 at a furthest point from the building, and close to the front beam 418. Tension rods or tie wires are fitted on both sides of the balcony in Figure 13, so that both side members 414, 416 are supported.

Figure 14 is a flow diagram showing the steps required for installing a series of balconies.

Step 1 involves installation of a first balcony. This may be achieved either by hoisting the first balcony into position and installing the balcony on a building using conventional techniques, such as lifting the balcony by crane and holding it aloft adjacent to the stubs on the building, aligning the balcony and bolting it onto the stubs by operatives working underneath or adjacent to the loose balcony. Alternatively, this may be achieved by installing a temporary balcony support onto a level surface beneath the first balcony and supporting and preferably guiding the first balcony into position, and securing the first balcony to the building.

Step 2 is to install a temporary balcony support on the first balcony. The temporary balcony support may be installed on the base of the first balcony after the first balcony has been installed on the building. Alternatively, although not shown in Figure 14, the temporary balcony support may be installed on the first balcony before the first balcony is hoisted into position, so that both the upper balcony and the temporary balcony support can be lifted by crane to the desired position for installation.

Step 3 is to adjust the height of the temporary balcony support to a preferred and predetermined installation height for a second balcony. This is achieved by using coarse and fine height adjustments on the vertical beams 132 on the adjustment portion and fixed frame of the temporary balcony support (shown in Figure 1 ).

Step 4 is to position or place the second balcony onto the temporary balcony support. A crane is typically used to lift and place the second balcony onto the temporary balcony support so that the temporary balcony support completely supports the weight of the balcony. Once the second balcony is positioned onto the temporary balcony support, the balcony can be unhooked from the crane, and operatives can work safely around the balcony with minimal risk of injury.

Step 5 is to guide the second balcony into position against the building. This is achieved by positioning the upper balcony on wheels or rollers, or a track or a slider on the temporary balcony support so that the upper balcony can be rolled towards the building. Alternatively, and less preferably, this may be achieved by manually pushing or pulling the balcony into position.

Step 6 involves securing the second balcony to the building. The balcony is installed by attaching the second balcony to stubs affixed to the building, as shown in Figures 8 to 11 . Additionally, the balcony is attached to the building by tie wires on both sides of the balcony. One end of a tie wire is attached to a cylinder of a stub 800 on the floor above the respective balcony, and an opposing end of the tie wire is attached to a side beam 414, 416 at a furthest point from the building, and close to the front beam 418. The tie wires are shown affixed to a balcony in Figure 13.

Step 7 is to collapse the temporary balcony support, so it is easy to transport and so that it can be removed from the second balcony.

Step 8 is to remove the temporary balcony support from the second balcony. The temporary balcony support can be transported through the building.

Step 9 involves repeating steps 2 to 8 for installation of further balconies. In this way, many balconies can be installed quickly and safely to form a series of balconies, such as the one shown in Figure 13.

Figure 15 shows a modified embodiment of the invention. Figure 15 shows a schematic front elevational view showing a temporary balcony support 2200 located on a lower balcony 2000 with an upper balcony 2100 being lowered into position with respect to the temporary balcony support 2200. The configuration of the temporary balcony support 2200 is intended to be similar to that of Figure 1 except for the upper supports. In Figure 15, the upper supports 2210, 2212 take the form of pads (optionally sloping towards the building in order to provide gravity-assisted movement of the upper balcony towards the building). Additionally, laterally extending from the upper supports 2210, 2212 are tapered plates 2214, 2216 which project upwardly and outwardly in an angled manner. The purpose of the tapered plates 2214, 2216 is to guide the upper balcony into position as it is lowered towards the temporary balcony support 2200. In this way, the tapered plates 2214, 2216 assist with centring and alignment of the upper balcony as it is lowered into position.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or in the following claims, or in the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for obtaining the disclosed results, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof. While the invention has been described in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments described above, many equivalent modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art when given this disclosure. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments of the invention set forth above are considered to be illustrative and not limiting. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

For the avoidance of any doubt, any theoretical explanations provided herein are provided for the purposes of improving the understanding of a reader. The inventors do not wish to be bound by any of these theoretical explanations.

Any section headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting the subject matter described.

Throughout this specification, including the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word “comprise” and “include”, and variations such as “comprises”, “comprising”, and “including” will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

It must be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” one particular value, and/or to “about” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by the use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. The term “about” in relation to a numerical value is optional and means for example +/- 10%.

References

A number of publications are cited above in order to more fully describe and disclose the invention and the state of the art to which the invention pertains. Full citations for these references are provided below.

The entirety of each of these references is incorporated herein.

[1] GB 2507365 A