DECK PANEL, LOAD PLATFORM, CLAMP AND TENSIONER

Abstract

A decking panel is provided having first and second ends and fasteners at each end for releasably clipping the panel to a pair of support or catenary wires. The fasteners comprise hooks for supporting the panel on the wires and at least one finger for resisting lift of the panel from the wires, wherein the hooks and finger or fingers at one end are offset from the hooks and finger or fingers at the other end. In embodiments a cross-member at each end of the panel pivotally supports a lever carrying the finger or fingers, the lever being rotatable between a vertical position where the fingers are clear of the hooks and a lowered position wherein the fingers underlie the hooks for clamping a catenary cable between them, gravity biasing the levers towards the lowered position. At either end of the panel treadplates may be hinged to the panel at pivot axes spaced from the ends of the panel with free ends at least partially overlying the levers, the treadplates being liftable form a normal lowered position in which the fingers are covered to a vertical position where the levers are user-accessible. The invention also provides a load platform comprising catenary wires and panels as aforesaid clipped to the catenary wires for providing the platform. In an embodiment adjustable support chains are connected to the catenary wires at intervals between their ends for supporting vertical load, and the adjustable support chains are connected to catenary wires by friction clips that surround the catenary wires and frictionally engage therewith to inhibit the catenary wires from being pulled through them in the event of wire failure. In a further embodiment tensioners in the catenary wires are fitted with in-line load cells permitting the tension in the wires to be set to a desired value.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a deck panel supportable on a pair of spaced parallel support (catenary) wires and a platform of a plurality of the catenary wires carrying a multiplicity of the deck panels. It also provides a T-clamp useful e.g. in platforms of the above kind for attaching tension members e.g. slings to the wires. It further provides an in-line tensioning device for catenary cables and its use in platforms supported by catenary cables.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,655 (Margaritis) discloses suspended structures providing a workplace beneath bridges and other like structures. Cables are each fixedly connected at opposite ends to said underlying bridge supports and lie parallel to one another in a substantially common horizontal plane spaced a predetermined distance below the substructure, tension in the cables being adjustable by means of turnbuckles. The two outermost cables are spaced from one another by a distance at least substantially as great as the width of said bridge. Load-bearing flooring is supported by the cables and extends the full width between the outermost cables and the full length between the bridge supports. The floor is constructed of chain-link fence which is unrolled so as to lay on the cables, and is wrapped around the cables and secured thereto with clips, after which the chain-link fence floor is covered with nylon tarpaulin or other fluid-impermeable material.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,248 (Apostolopoulos) aims to provide an improvement on such platforms by reducing the time needed to erect and dismantle them, and to provide rigid support for workmen standing or walking thereon. Flooring sections or panels of sheet material of elongated rectangular shape corrugated for strength at right angles to the cables together form a platform, are supported by the under-bridge longitudinal cables in side-by-side relationship and are removably connected thereto. Each connection is formed by a plate which engages the upper surface of a panel and a generally U-shaped member which is attached to the plate to extend downwardly therefrom to be received in a panel opening and to receive the cable. The free end of the member is threadedly attached to another plate wherein the two plates generally cover the opening with the cable securely received between the legs of the U-shaped member. U.S. Pat. No. 6,138,793 (Apostolopoulos) provides a connector assembly which has a manually operated lever for selectively placing the connector assembly in clamped or un-clamped positions relative to the cable and flooring section. However, these connector arrangements have been criticised as unduly complex. The first described arrangement it requires two parts to be assembled as well as a nut which must be screwed onto the free end of the member, i.e., a total of three separate parts as well as an electric or other wrench for applying the nut sufficiently tight. The second lever-based arrangement requires two parts to be assembled as well as a pin (or nut and bolt) for added safety.

A rope clamp having a pair of jaws for clamping about a rope or cable and having an eye for attachment of a second rope is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 0,779,019 (Agobian). The disclosed utility is for uniting ends of ropes. Forming an attachment at an intermediate position along a rope or cable for a second rope, wire, chain or the like in tension in a direction out of alignment with the first rope about which clamping is effected is neither disclosed nor suggested. A clamp having a pair of jaws for fastening about a wire rope and having a hook attached to one of the jaws for attachment of a second wire rope, e.g. a guy rope is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 0,928,367 (De Witt). However, it is apparent that load on the hook from the guy rope in a direction out of alignment with the main rope tends to pull the jaws apart rather than tighten them about the rope. By way of background, a further clamp for gripping a cable or rope based on a pair of jaws is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,446 (Down). The jaws are screw clamped together and can accommodate in-line an accessory permitting attachment of a hook, eye, shackle, swivel or the like. However, it will be apparent from the drawings that the Down attachment only enables this to be achieved at an end of the rope.

Some embodiments of the invention provide panels which can be fitted easily and rapidly to catenary wires with minimal gaps, or with gaps of predetermined relatively small dimensions, between their ends to form a load platform.

Other embodiments of the invention provide panels that can be fitted to at least three support wires in rows and columns with at least two adjacent panels having a common support wire, the panels being configured so that they may be fitted either in aligned rows or in a staggered arrangement.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a platform comprising panels clipped between catenary wires, wherein the effects of failure of a catenary wire are relatively localised, support along the length of the platform being at least partly retained.

It is a further object of the invention to provide platforms supported by catenary wires in which the cables are optimally adjusted.

A yet further object of the invention is to provide friction clamps e.g. for use in association with load-carrying members e.g. straps, wires, chains or slings that are of improved structure and properties.

It will be appreciated that the invention has a number of diverse aspects, and individual embodiments may not achieve ann or indeed any of the above objects.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect the invention provides a decking panel having first and second ends and fasteners at each end for releasably clipping the panel to a pair of wires by which it is to be supported, said fasteners comprising hooks for supporting the panel on the wires and catch assemblies each including at least one finger for resisting lift of the panel from the wires, the catch assemblies being covered by treadplates hinged to the panel with free ends facing outwardly and at least partly overlying the hooks, raising the treadplates from the panel providing access to the catch assemblies. Clipping can be achieved without the use of tools, which is an advantage in such areas as an underdeck of jetties, rigs, bridges and pipe racks. The underdeck can provide a solid and stable work platform that feels like scaffolding and users may be able to carry out a variety of heavy work tasks off the deck as if it were scaffolding.

In a further aspect the invention provides a decking panel having: first and second ends; and fasteners at each end for releasably clipping the panel to a pair of wires by which it is to be supported, said fasteners comprising hooks for supporting the panel on the wires and at least one catch for resisting lift of the panel from the wires; wherein the hooks and a catch or catches at one end are offset from the hooks and a catch or catches at the other end.

In a further aspect the invention provides a decking panel having: first and second ends and fasteners at each end for releasably clipping the panel to a pair of wires by which it is to be supported; said fasteners comprising hooks for supporting the panel on the wires and catch assemblies at each end of the panel for resisting lift of the panel from the wires, each catch assembly comprising a cross-member pivotally supporting one or more levers each carrying a catch finger, the or each lever being rotatable between a raised position where the finger or fingers are clear of the hooks and a lowered position where the finger or fingers register with the hooks from underneath for clamping a support cable between the hooks and the fingers; and treadplates at each end of the panel, hinged thereto at pivot axes spaced from the ends of the panel and with free ends facing towards the ends of the panel, the treadplates being liftable from a normal lowered position in which the or each catch assembly is concealed by the treadplate to a raised position in which the or each catch assembly is user-accessible.

For use in an inter-tidal zone there may be provided a decking panel for forming a load platform, said panel having first and second ends and fasteners at each end for releasably clipping the panel to a pair of wires by which it is to be supported, the panel comprising a pair of longitudinal styles, cross-members between the styles and decking in the form of a grating or expanded metal.

In a further embodiment the invention provides a load platform comprising spaced parallel wires supporting a plurality of panels as defined above.

In a further aspect the invention provides a T-clamp for fitting to a rope in tension and for attachment of a member which in use is loaded in a direction transversely of the rope, said clamp comprising: first and second elongate members; hinge formations at one end of said members forming parts of a hinge that connects the members together for movement between an open position in which the rope is insertable into and removable from the clamp and a closed position in which the first and second members contact one another and the rope is retained in the clamp; first and second clamping jaws in said members for closing about and frictionally engaging the rope, one side of each clamping jaw being adjacent the hinge; first and second stem regions of each of said members arising from sides of the clamping jaws opposite to the hinge and extending away from the hinge in a direction transversely of the clamping jaw; and first and second hook or eye regions extending from ends of the first and second stem regions opposite to the hinge and together defining an a hook or eye for receiving an eye or hook of the member, load on said first and second eye regions urging the clamp towards its closed position.

The invention also provides in combination a clamp as aforesaid and a wire or chain sling, the first and second members having eyes and the sling having a hook.

A load platform according to the invention comprises support wires, decking clipped to the support wires for providing the platform, and one or more slings or straps attached at their upper ends to a structure beneath which the load platform is slung and attached at their lower ends to the wires at one or more intermediate positions along their length, the attachment being by T-clamps as aforesaid and lower ends of the slings being said members, the clamps being configured to frictionally engage the wires for impeding the wires from travelling through them.

In another embodiment the invention provides a load platform comprising support wires and panels clipped to the support wires for providing the platform, wherein adjustable support chains are connected to the support wires at intervals between their ends for supporting vertical load, and the adjustable support chains are connected to support wires by friction clips that surround the support wires and frictionally engage therewith to inhibit the support wires from being pulled through them in the event of wire failure.

A further aspect of the invention provides a platform comprising: decking panels each having first and second ends and each comprising (a) fasteners at each end for releasably clipping the panel to a pair of wires by which it is to be supported, said fasteners comprising hooks for supporting the panel on the wires and catch assemblies for resisting lift of the panel from the wires, and (b) treadplates at each end of the panel, hinged thereto at pivot axes spaced from the ends of the panel and with free ends facing towards the ends of the panel, the treadplates being liftable from a normal lowered position in which the or each catch assembly is concealed by a treadplate to a raised position in which the or each catch assembly is user-accessible; at least three spaced parallel wires supporting a plurality of decking panels arranged in at least two columns, adjacent decking panels of different columns having a common support wire; one or more slings or straps attached at their upper ends to a structure beneath which the platform is slung and attached at their lower ends to the support wires at intermediate positions along their length; and clamps providing attachment of the lower ends of the slings or straps or legs thereof to the support wires, the clamps being configured to frictionally engage the wires for impeding the wires from travelling through them, the clamps being located on the support wires within the widths of individual panels and free edges of treadplates of adjacent panels at a common support wire being spaced apart to permit portions of the clamps attached to the support wire to pass upwardly between the treadplates.

It will be appreciated that in this embodiment by locating the clamps on the support wires within the widths of adjacent panels it is not necessary to space apart decking panels of the rows at the sling or strap positions. In embodiments upper ends of the clamps are formed with eyes for receiving hooks at the lower ends of the slings or straps or legs thereof. In further embodiments the clamps may comprise first and second members hinged together below the support wires, said members having concave clamping regions for fitting about the support wires and stems extending from the clamping regions to above the treadplate, portions of the stems defining eyes that coincide for receiving hooks of the slings or strap or legs thereof.

A further embodiment of the panel comprises a decking panel having first and second ends and fasteners at each end for releasably clipping the panel to a pair of wires by which it is to be supported, the panel comprising decking and a support framework including a pair of longitudinal styles, wherein the upper regions of the styles have upstanding formations and lower regions of the styles having matching recesses or sockets in which at least uppermost regions of the upstanding formations can be received, whereby when one panel is stacked on another, displacement of the upper panel laterally is resisted.

Another aspect of the invention provides a load platform comprising support wires and panels clipped to the support wires for providing the platform, wherein the support wires are secured to tensioners configured for sensing tension and setting tension in the wires to a desired value. Although turnbuckle tensioners are known, the applicants have not found a turnbuckle tensioner with a built-in load cell or other tension-measuring device. In applications involving load-carrying generally horizontal wires in tension, as in the present load platforms, it is desirable to be able to set a determined tension in the wires without over-tensioning.

A yet further embodiment of the invention comprises a tensioner for a support wire, rope or the like comprising a body and oppositely acting screw jacks together extensible from and retractable into the body on rotation thereof, attachments at the ends of the screw jacks for wire eyes or the like, and a measuring device for measuring tension applied to the wire.

It will be appreciated that the features set out above may be used in combination with one another and in sub-combinations. Thus any of the preferred decking panels, support chain and clamp arrangements, tensioners and load platform arrangements may be used in association with one another and, for example the support chain and clamp arrangements and the tensioners may be used with other types of decking panels.

Thus the invention further provides a load platform comprising support or catenary wires and panels clipped to the catenary wires for providing the platform, wherein adjustable support chains and clamps are connected to the catenary wires at intervals between their ends for supporting vertical load, and the adjustable support chains are connected to catenary wires by friction clips that surround the catenary wires and frictionally engage therewith to inhibit the catenary wires from being pulled through them in the event of wire failure, the catenary wires being secured to tensioners configured for sensing tension and setting tension in the wires to a desired value.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED FEATURES

The above decking panel in embodiments is generally rectangular and comprises a pair of longitudinal styles and cross-members between the styles. The cross-members may include ladder-like cross-members and/or diagonal cross-members defining a truss-type structure.

Embodiments of the styles are extrusions in aluminium. Such extrusions may in embodiments each comprise a region of box section into which the hooks fit, portions of the region of box section defining outer and inner webs spaced apart transversely of the panel, one hook at each end of the panel being fastened to the outer web of one of the styles and the other hook at each end being fastened to the inner web of the other of the styles. Such extrusions may further comprise portions of the region of box section that define an upper generally horizontal web from which an upstanding wall arises and portions that define a lower generally horizontal web formed with a recess into which at least uppermost regions of the upstanding walls can be received, whereby when one panel is stacked on another lateral displacement of the upper panel is resisted. Each style may be formed adjacent each end at its inner vertical web with fixing formations for attachment of fastening plates of a catch assembly and/or for attachment of hooks, and may be formed adjacent one end at its outer vertical web with fixing formations for attachment of a hook.

In alternative embodiments the styles are of rolled steel, e.g. in channel, I or Z-section. In this case, the styles may each comprise a portion defining a web to which hooks are attached, one hook at each end of the panel being fastened to the web of one of the styles directly or at a relatively small spacing, and the other hook at each end of the panel being fastened to the web of the other of the styles with a spacing that is larger than the spacing for said one style, the styles and hooks being configured so that the hooks at one end of the panel are offset transversely of the panel relative to the hooks at the other end of the panel. The styles may further comprise portions that define an upper generally horizontally-directed web from which upstanding pins, ribs or other formations arise and portions that define a lower generally horizontally-directed web formed with recesses or sockets into which at least uppermost regions of the upstanding pins, ribs or other formations can be received whereby when one panel is stacked on another lateral displacement of the upper panel is resisted.

In embodiments of the above panel, the cross-member carries a pair of levers spaced apart transversely of the panel and interconnected at or adjacent their ends facing away from the support cable by a handle. For ease of fitting to support wires in both aligned and staggered arrangements, the pair of levers is conveniently spaced apart by about one third of the width of the panel. Each finger may be formed with a recess defining an upwardly-facing hook for engagement with the underside of the support cable or it may have a plate-like surface engageable with the support wire, friction between the fingers and the support wire inhibiting lateral displacement of the panel.

Decking may be wooden e.g. of plywood, may be of metal or may be of expanded metal especially where the decking is to be used in tidal conditions and may be submerged at some states of the tide.

For support at intermediate longitudinal positions the above load or work platform may further comprise one or more slings or straps attached at their upper ends to a structure beneath which the load platform is slung and attached at their lower ends to the support wires at one or more intermediate positions along their length. Lower ends of the slings or straps or legs thereof may be attached to the support wires between adjacent pairs of panels or may be attached to the support wires at locations within the widths of individual panels. In either case, the lower ends of the slings or straps or legs thereof may be attached to the support wires by clamps (e.g. two-part hinged T-clamps) configured to frictionally engage the wires for impeding the wires from travelling through them. Free edges of treadplates of adjacent panels at a support wire may spaced apart for access of the support wire and upwardly-facing portions of clamps attached to the support wire may extend between the treadplates.

For tensioning the support wires the tensioners may comprise a body and oppositely acting screw jacks together extensible from and retractable into the body on rotation thereof. They may further comprise a ratchet for controlling rotation of the body and a handle for effecting rotation, and their opposed ends may incorporate bifurcated shackles and pins for attachment to wire eyes or the like, the in-line sensor being between one of the screw jacks and a shackle.

With reference to the above clamp, there may be further comprised apertures in the first and second stem regions adjacent said first and second hook or eye regions for receiving a retaining bolt. In some embodiments the first and second stem regions and the first and second hook or eye regions together define planar surfaces that are in contact in the closed position. To reduce point loads and permit the member to be at an angle relative to the clamp, in some embodiments internal faces of the first and second hook or eye regions at least adjacent ends of the first and second members opposite to the hinge are internally profiled to define a continuous curved surface for receiving an eye or hook of the member.

In general in relation to load platforms, the decking may comprise panels clipped or otherwise releasably fastened to the wires, in which case embodiments of the panels comprise a pair of longitudinal styles and cross-members between the styles. Lower ends of the slings or straps or legs thereof in some embodiments are attached to the support wires between adjacent pairs of panels and in other embodiments are attached to the support wires within the widths of individual panels. Alternatively in some embodiments the decking comprises tensioned netting clipped to the support wires, e.g. polyester netting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

How the invention may be put into effect will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are so far as practical represented by the same reference numerals, and in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a short section of a first embodiment of a suspended load platform and associated support or catenary wires with treadplates of deck panels together providing the load platform shown in their raised position to reveal the catenary wires and parts of opening mechanisms of the deck panels;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a first embodiment of a deck panel forming part of the load platform of FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 is plan of one end of the panel on a larger scale;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a casting forming part of an opening mechanism for the deck panel of FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 5 is an end view of the deck panel with its treadplates in their closed flat position;

FIG. 6 is a partial section of the deck panel on the line A of FIG. 3 showing part of a style and of the opening mechanism;

FIG. 7 is a section of a style forming part of the deck panel of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is an oblique view of an end of the load panel with its treadplate raised showing the release mechanism and a short length of support or catenary wire;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a clamp forming part of a support strap for supporting a catenary wire at an intermediate position along its length;

FIG. 10 is a plan of a tensioning device useful in tensioning catenary cables of load platforms of the general kind illustrated in FIG. 1, the device being in its fully retracted state;

FIG. 11 is an oblique view of the tensioning device of FIG. 10 in its fully extended state;

FIG. 12 is a view on an enlarged scale of an in-line load cell forming part of the tensioning device of FIGS. 10 and 11.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a pair of styles forming part of a second embodiment of the deck panel;

FIG. 14 is a side view of a hook and a lever forming part of the deck panel of FIG. 12, said lever incorporating an underhook;

FIG. 15 is a partly exploded perspective view of one end of a deck panel according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 16 is an underneath view of said end in in an assembled state;

FIG. 17 is an underneath perspective view of the panel of FIG. 12 with one treadplate in a partly raised state and the other treadplate in a lowered state and showing solid decking;

FIG. 18 is an underneath perspective view of a third embodiment of the panel employing expanded metal decking and FIG. 19 is an enlarged top perspective view of the panel of FIG. 18 showing a treadplate and an adjacent region of decking;

FIG. 20 is an underneath view showing six decking panels in position on support wires;

FIG. 21 is a view showing five decking panels in position on support wires, with two of the decking panels staggered relative to the other three;

FIG. 22 is an exploded perspective view of part of a style of a further embodiment of the panel together with a spacer, hook and cross-member fixing plate, the style being in rolled steel;

FIG. 23 is a side view of portions of adjacent deck panels adjacent a common support wire, styles and hooks being removed to reveal the support wire, overlapping underhooks and a second embodiment of a T-clamp fitted to the support wire;

FIG. 24 is a front view of the T-clamp shown in FIG. 23;

FIG. 25 is an enlarged perspective view of part of the support wire, the T-clamp shown in FIG. 23, and a hook and part of a chain forming part of a chain sling for supporting a load platform; and

FIGS. 26 and 27 are perspective views of first and second members together forming a clamp as illustrated in FIG. 23, the views showing the inner faces of the members.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a short section of work platform erected for demonstration purposes. Catenary wires (also referred to herein as support wires) 10a, 10b, 10c are supported under tension in spaced parallel relationship from a fixed structure, in this instance posts 17 and rails 16, the ends of the catenary wires being attached to the rails 16 by attachment fittings 18a-18c. The catenary wires in an embodiment may be 16 mm diameter wire rope, 6×36 lay with an internal wire rope core, the internal core imparting resistance to stretching. For demonstration purposes in the illustrated embodiment an upper set of catenary wires 12a, 12b, 12c is provided. Adjustable support chains 14 or slings with attachments 15 at each of their ends are provided at intermediate longitudinal positions for supporting the catenary wires 10a, 10b, 10c from an overlying structure, in this instance the catenary wires 12a, 12b, 12c. In this embodiment the attachments 15 at each end of the chains take the form of friction clamps e.g. as described below. Deck panels 20a-20l e.g. of length 2-4 metres (e.g. 2 metres, 3 metres or 4 metres) fit onto and are supported by the catenary wires 10a-10c in abutting relationship side-to-side and end to end in a column and row arrangement as shown. UK working at height regulations require that the deck should have a minimum of gaps or spaces through which tools or other items could be inadvertently dropped, and similar requirements exist in other countries. Further, there is a risk of lateral displacement of the panels e.g. during the course of erection of the platform and it is desirable to provide means for increasing the resistance of the load platform to such displacement.

The arrangement of FIG. 1 is only diagrammatic, and the support for the load platform will vary widely depending on the structure to which the load platform is fitted and the task to be performed. The structure may be e.g. a steel bridge, a concrete bridge, a jetty, a marine platform or any other large structure where an underneath temporary work platform needs to be provided e.g. for inspection or maintenance purposes. In many instances the overlying structure may incorporate or be fitted with eyes which provide convenient attachment points for an under-slung work platform. For example in the case of a concrete bridge structure, eye-bolts can be fitted to the sides and underside of the bridge. Slings may be fastened between the eyes and the load platform catenary wires and may e.g. be single leg or two leg slings e.g. in chain or wire rope. An oblong master link at the upper end of each sling may be connected to a respective eye by a hook, e.g. a latched or locking hook, or by a shackle or by other fastening means. The or each sling leg may have a hook at its lower end that fits under and supports the catenary wire, but preferably is fitted at its lower end with a friction clamp that surrounds and frictionally engages the catenary wire to both provide local support for that wire and resist it sliding through the clamp as described below. In the case of a jetty having one or more large steel pipelines passing along it, adjustable support chains may be passed over the pipelines from one side to another and the ends of the adjustable support chains may act as the adjustable support chains 14 of FIG. 1 carrying clamps 15. The number of catenary wires and of rows of deck panels will depend on the size of the structure that it is needed to inspect or maintain and in some embodiments the platform will extend the whole length and width of the overlying structure or it may extend over or along a region of that structure where inspection or repairs are to be carried out.

As is apparent from FIG. 2, the deck panels 20 may conveniently take the form of ladder-type structures with styles 22, 24 and cross-members or rungs 26. Such structures are more convenient and may carry greater loads than corrugated metal sheet panels.

Styles 24 which are conveniently aluminium extrusions are shown in enlarged section in FIG. 7 and are of box-section with at their upper outer edges upstanding stepped walls 60 and at their lower outer edges matching recesses 62. Panels can be stacked one on top of another for storage or transport with the upper step regions of the walls 60 fitting into the recesses 62 to avoid lateral displacement of one panel relative to another and to hold the upper panels at a predetermined spacing just above the lower panels. In the embodiment shown the height of the box-section is 50 mm and its width is 35 mm, its side webs are 2 mm thick and its top and bottom walls are 4 mm thick. The wall 60 has a total height of 12 mm or 15 mm, a width at its base of 6 mm and a width at its stepped top region of 3 mm. The relatively thick base region of the wall 60 and the top wall of the box portion together define a step into which wooden decking or metal sheet or mesh can fit and be retained. The 3 mm thick top region of the wall 60 fits into the recess 62 of an overlying style which is 3 mm wide and 3 mm high. The dimensions given above can be varied without departing from the invention, but are intended to provide a general teaching as to preferred dimensions and proportions for some, but not all, embodiments of the invention. The cross-members or rungs 26 may be square, oval or any convenient section and are attached to the styles to form a rigid structure. Further, parallel ladder-type cross-members as illustrated are only one possible form of construction and other forms of framework e.g. planar truss frameworks e.g. with a single diagonal pair of cross-braces, two or more pairs of cross-braces or Allan or Howe-type truss configurations could equally be used, the over-riding requirement being for a lightweight open framework with sufficient strength for the intended load and giving sufficient support for the intended decking.

Decking 40 is laid on the ladder-type or other framework structures and is attached thereto, the decking being of timber, metal sheet or metal mesh or grating, aluminium or steel being preferred. Where the platform is of mesh or grating, it may conveniently be used to erect a platform in tidal conditions where it will be covered with water at some states of the tide. In the present embodiment the decking may be of plywood.

Opposed ends of the deck panels are formed with hooks 28a, 28b, 30a, 30b attached to the styles 22, 24 for fitting opposed ends of the deck panels onto respective pairs of catenary wires 10a, 10b or 10b, 10c as shown in FIG. 1. As can be seen in FIG. 3, hooks 30a, 30b are attached asymmetrically to styles 22, 24 within the box section of each style. Hook 30a is attached to the outer vertical web of style 22 and hook 30b is attached to the inner vertical web of style 24, the corresponding hooks at the opposite end of the panel having the reverse fixing arrangement. The hooks have a thickness in this embodiment of 6 mm and resist bending. The staggered arrangement of the hooks at each end when a pair of panels 20a, 20g has adjacent ends supported by a common catenary wire 10b allows the panels to be in alignment without interference between the adjacent hooks of the two panels.

Each deck panel is provided at each end with a catch sub-assembly or operating mechanism 32, 34 for retaining the panel in position on its catenary wires against lifting or other displacement forces e.g. from wind or in the case of a load platform that may be submerged at some states of the tide from estuarine or tidal currents. The catch sub-assemblies are normally covered by hinged treadplates 52 which normally lie flat but which can be rotated upwards to give access to the underlying catch sub-assembly 32 or 34. Retaining fingers 36a, 36b, 38a, 38b are movable into contact with the catenary wires from below to prevent the deck panels being inadvertently lifted off the catenary wires e.g. in high winds. Again as seen in FIGS. 3 and 5 the fingers 38a, 38b are laterally offset in one direction and the corresponding fingers at the opposite end are laterally offset in the opposite direction so that fingers of adjacent panels do not clash when a pair of panels 20a, 20g has adjacent ends supported by a common catenary wire 10b.

As apparent from FIG. 3 a catch sub-assembly for an end of a treadplate comprises a tubular cross-member 54 which provides a pivot axis for a pair of operating levers 42a, 42b and generically indicated as 42 in FIG. 4. Each operating lever which can be made as a casting comprises a base 46, an upstanding web 48 formed with apertures into which handle 44 fits, an aperture 50 for forming a bearing with cross-member 54 which fits into that aperture, and a finger or under-hook generically indicated as 38 which projects forwardly and is movable into and from engagement with the underside of catenary cable 10 as shown in FIG. 8. The fingers 38 in this embodiment are bar-shaped and have width greater than their depth, this aspect ratio being selected so that they present relatively wide friction surfaces to the catenary cable. The width of the fingers in an embodiment may be about 35 mm. When the deck panel is in position on a pair of cables, gravity maintains the fingers 38a, 38b in engagement with the undersides of the cables and the weight of the base 46 and web 48 acting about the pivot provided by cross-member 54 urges the fingers upwardly. The resulting frictional force at each end of the panel provides resistance to the panel becoming displaced laterally on the cables e.g. because of slight slope the cable as when workers are standing on the platform created by the deck panels or heavy objects are placed on it, or as previously mentioned by wind and/or tide. An advantage of the present mechanism is that it can operate purely by gravity, no additional clip or fastening mechanism being needed, although the use of such additional mechanisms is not excluded if additional reassurance is required. As is apparent from FIG. 5, the cross-member 54 is located a short spacing inboard of the ends of the styles 52, 54 and at a vertical position below the top of the styles. Compared to a front-hinged treadplate carrying locking fingers, the pivot axis can be moved further away from the wire. The position of the cross-members longitudinally and vertically relative to the ends of the styles can be adjusted for specific tasks so that e.g. if a deck panel is required to clip onto something other than a cable e.g. a support of steel angle, then only minor adjustment of the position of the cross-member 54 is needed.

A first cross-member 64 extends between styles 22, 24 immediately behind the operating levers 42 and carries hinges 66. A second side of the hinges attaches to a second cross-member 68 of angle section fitted to the treadplate 52. Thereby the treadplate 52 is hinged to the panel for rotation about an axis spaced inboard and slightly above the pivot axis for the release mechanism provided by cross-member 54. As previously explained, it will normally lie flat as shown supported by the horizontal top walls of the styles 22, 24 as in FIG. 5 (where a slight gap is shown for clarity) or by support pads on the upper surfaces of the styles but can be lifted by raising its forwardly-facing free edge as in FIG. 8. In the illustrated embodiment the cross-member 54 is located 40 mm inboard of the ends of the styles 22, 25, whereas the treadplate hinge is located about 201 mm inboard. It will be noted that the ends of the operating levers 42 are located almost immediately underneath the inner hinged ends of treadplate 52. If the panel is subject to lift e.g. by wind the fingers 38a, 38b will tend to be rotated away from register with the brackets 30a, 30b, tending to release catenary wire 10. As most clearly apparent in FIG. 6 the levers 42 then contact the treadplates 52, but are unlikely to lift the treadplates 52. The reason is that the line through the points of contact of the levers 42 with the treadplate 52 is close to the axes of hinges 66 and although upward load may be applied to treadplate, that load exerts little rotational power on the treadplate. Magnetic catches (not shown) adjacent the free end of the treadplate provide additional resistance to unintended lifting of the treadplate and since the catches can be spaced along the styles 22, 24 from the axis of hinge 66 they can offer significant resistance to inadvertent rotation. The free edge of the treadplate extends beyond the styles 22, 24 and overlaps the hooks 30a, 30b, almost overlying the centre of the hooks with the shortfall in this embodiment being about 3 mm. Accordingly when two panels are assembled end-to-end on a common cable, the gap between the support surfaces that they provide can be as little as 6 mm and the treadplates almost meet one another with no downwardly curved region between them where articles can lodge. However, the position of the free edges of the treadplates is arbitrary and a wider gap can be adopted e.g to permit the stem of a T-clamp on the wire rope to pass upwardly between them as described below.

Laying a deck panel on its catenary wires is a two-person operation. A person at each end of the panel lifts the treadplates 52 to a vertical position, grips handle 44 and lifts that handle to a vertical position, rotating the fingers 38a, 38b clear of hooks 40a, 40b. The handles 44 are then conveniently positioned for carrying the panel. At the start of laying, the panel is positioned over the catenary wires e.g. 10a, 10b and lowered into place. Release of the handles 44 permits the opening mechanisms to rotate by gravity until the fingers 36 engage the catenary wire, after which a small force on the treadplates 52 allows them to fall under gravity into their fully lowered position. The mechanism is therefore robust and simple to operate, and it is resistant to inactivation as a result of paint or other materials which are likely to become deposited on it during service and which in other designs of deck panel jam the release mechanism and may prevent operation.

FIG. 8 shows the treadplates 52 partially raised to reveal the release mechanism. Spacer tubes 70a, 70b on cross-member 54 between the styles 22, 24 and the operating levers 42a, 42b define asymmetric locations for the levers and fingers 38a, 38b. In this way the fingers of adjacent deck panels at ends facing one another on the same catenary wire do not interfere.

FIG. 9 shows a generally T-shaped strap clamp 15 used in particular to fasten a strap 14 to a catenary wire 10a, the strap providing support to the catenary wire at a position partway along its length. Up to now attachment between the adjustable support chains and the catenary wire has been via hooks as are conventional for rope or chain slings, but although these provide lift they offer no resistance to pulling the catenary wire through them. There is no reason to expect a catenary wire to break or be cut through, but provision for very rare events with serious consequences is desirable. Strap clamps 15 are formed in halves 80, 81 pivoted together at 82 and together define a cavity 84 which surrounds and frictionally engages the catenary wire. Through holes 86 receive a captive bolt and integral threaded fitting to receive the threaded end of the bolt. (not shown) to hold the parts firmly together about the wire and exert a frictional load on the wire preventing it being pulled through the clamp even if the wire should break or be cut. The upper end 88 of the clamp in this embodiment is bifurcated to receive an eye of a support wire or chain which can be attached to the clamp by a pin inserted into through-holes 90. In consequence, should the catenary wire be cut or break, vertical support is maintained and the damage to the load platform is localised. In this embodiment owing to the close spacing between treadplates of adjacent decking panels the strap clamps 15 are fitted to the support wires between adjacent deck panels and fitting within the width of a deck panel is not possible. As apparent in FIG. 1, therefore, small gaps are present between adjacent panels 20c, 20d, 20i, 20j to permit stems of the strap clamps to pass upwardly above the level of the deck panels and provide attachment for wire or chain slings or the like.

Deck panels in aluminium according to the embodiments described above may be lightweight e.g. about 14 kg/m² and may for example have a loading capacity of 0.5 kN to 5.5 kN UDL/m² depending upon the requirements of a particular job. They are easily maneuverable and easy to rig, and installation time may be reduced compared to scaffolding.

The combination of catenary wires, support straps and clamps is also useful where polyester tension netting is provided between catenary wires in place of the panels described in the previous Figures.

It has been found that the catenary wires of load platforms of the present kind give optimum performance and stability when the catenary wires that provide support are tensioned at or adjacent a best value which will, of course, vary depending on the particular structure under which the load platform is to be slung, and that excessively high or low tensions are better avoided. For that purpose the catenary wires may incorporate in-line load cells of the kind illustrated in FIGS. 10-12. Thus such a tensioning device may have body 100 fitted with oppositely acting jack screws 102, 104 shown fully retracted in FIG. 10 and fully extended in FIG. 11. A reversible ratchet mechanism 116 and handle 118 enables body 100 to be rotated in either direction, so as to extend or retract the screw jacks and hence increase or decrease the tension of a catenary wire into which the tensioner is incorporated In an embodiment the handle and ratchet mechanism enable a person to develop approximately 50 N (50 kg) force to wind the tensioner in or out. The pre-tension on the catenary wire is important as if the tension is too high it is necessary to reduce the load capacity of the decks. So in some embodiments applicants pretension between 5 and 10 kN, using the handle. The screw jacks terminate at a first end fitting 106 and a second end fitting 108 each connected to a shackle 112, 114 for receiving an eye of a catenary cable or the like which is securable in place by pin 120, 122. The pins are inserted into holes in the shackle and are held in place by smaller retaining pins 126.

Between the end of jack screw 104 and shackle 114 the end fitting 108 is an in-line load cell incorporating a pre-calibrated spring-operated load measuring arrangement providing an output by movement of indicator member 128 through a calibrated window, the member indicating by its position the load which e.g. may be between 0 and 30 kN. It will be appreciated that other types of load cell may be employed, e.g. based on strain gauges and electronic devices including a display, but a simple spring-loaded device may be more convenient especially where the platform is to be in place for extended periods and is subject to adverse weather. However a transducer could be incorporated to provide an overload indicator alarm.

FIG. 13 is perspective and partly inverted view of styles 22, 24 forming part of a load platform according to a second embodiment of the invention, the styles being aluminium extrusions having the same cross-section as in FIG. 7 and provided with hooks 28a, 28b at one end and hooks 30a, 30b at the other end. Each style is formed with a region defining a box section formed in an inner face or web 212 adjacent the ends thereof with patterns of fixing holes 218, 218a, in this case four, for attachment of a catch sub-assembly and/or for attachment of hooks 28a, 28b; 30a, 30b. Apertures 218 also adjacent the ends and coinciding with the patterns of fixing holes correspond to tubular cross-members 54. The region of box section also has an outer face or web 210 formed adjacent one end with fixing holes 214 for a hook 28a, 28b; 30a, 30b. With this arrangement the hooks may be fitted to the outer or inner webs or faces of the box section as appropriate, using fixing holes in the same spatial arrangement, and fixing plates for the catch sub-assemblies may use the same spatial arrangement of fixing holes on the inner webs 212. However on each style only a single hook can be attached to the outer face or web. The inner webs 212 are also formed adjacent their ends with fixing holes 222, 222a for hinge plate pivots and fixing holes 220, 220a for decking cross-members.

FIG. 14 shows a hook plate 28 and a lever 36a′ forming part of a catch sub-assembly 32 or 34. The hook plate has a downwardly-facing hook region 224 having at its forward end a linear lead-in region 232 leading to a quarter-round upper forward region 234, an upper linear central region 236 which in the case of 16 mm wire rope may be about 5 cm in length (i.e. about a third of the diameter of the rope) and leading to a curved rear region 238. With this hook profile, the panel may be fitted onto a support wire 10a, 10b or 10c with a certain amount of misalignment or twisting being accommodated without damage to the rope. The hook plate is formed with a pattern of fixing holes 230 corresponding to those in the styles and also at its lower edge with a recess bounded by faces 226 and 228 to permit the plate to slide into the hollow box region of a style without interference from recess 62. Catch lever or underhook 36a′ is formed with aperture 244 so that it can fit rotatably onto cross-member 54 and adjacent its rear or inner end with fixing hole 246 for attachment of handle 44. It has an outwardly or forwardly facing finger 240 formed at its upper edge with an arcuate recess 242 for receiving a support wire, the centre of the hook and the centre of the recess 242 coinciding at line 248.

In FIG. 15 which is a view of an end of a deck panel in partly exploded view, there appears one of the two decking cross-members 250 which is of inwardly-facing angle-section so as to underlie and support the ends of decking 40 with side plates of said cross-members fastened to the styles 22, 24 at fixing holes 220. Treadplate 52 has attached to its rear end on the underside thereof an attachment member 252 also of angle-section formed with side plates 254a, 254b with through holes for hinged attachment at fixing holes 22 of the styles, the position of the hinge axis for each treadplate being defined by the location of the fixing holes 222. Also appearing in FIG. 15 is catch sub-assembly 32 comprising cross-member 54 which has forwardly and rearward-facing curved regions and upper and lower planar regions that non-rotatably fit into apertures 278 (FIG. 22) of mounting plates 256a, 256b. The levers or underhooks 36a″, 36b″ fit rotatably onto the cross-member 54 and are positioned transversely of the cross-member by friction collars 36a″. As may be seen, their spacing is about one third of the width of a deck panel to facilitate positioning of adjacent panels on different support wires both in alignment and in staggered relationship as described below. Handle 44 is connected between the levers or underhooks adjacent inner ends thereof. The mounting plates 256a, 256b are each formed with fixing holes 258 disposed in a pattern corresponding to those in the styles. FIG. 16 shows an end of the deck panel with both the treadplate 52 and the catch sub-assembly 32 attached between the styles. The underside of a deck panel with one of its treadplates raised appears in FIG. 17, the decking 40 being of plywood or other sheet material. FIG. 18 is an underneath view of another embodiment of the decking panel with decking 260 of expanded aluminium mesh or honeycomb or aluminium grating. Since this form of decking is more flexible than plywood, a longitudinal stiffening bar 262 is fitted. In the above deck panels, catches may be provided, e.g. magnetic catches, for holding the treadplates in their lowered position when installed as part of a load platform in a work area against inadvertent lifting through the action of wind or water currents e.g. in an intertidal zone.

FIG. 19 is an underneath view of panels 20a-20c of one column and 20g-20i of an adjacent column, the panels being in alignment and alignment being facilitated by the offset relationship in the hooks and the catch sub-assemblies 32, 34. FIG. 21 is an underneath view on an enlarged scale showing ends of panels 20a-20c of one column and panels 20h, 20i of another column, this staggered relationship within rows being facilitated by the relatively close spacing of the underhooks of the catch sub-assemblies 32 and 34.

Although aluminium is a preferred material, generally square sections in steel may be rolled for some markets where steel is more practical and the rolled sections may have complementary protuberances and recesses on their upper and lower faces which interfit to allow stable stacking as described above although the precise shapes for aluminium cannot be duplicated in rolled steel and rolled steel styles will differ from those shown Rolled steel sections may be of any conventional shape provided that a vertical web portion is provided, and they may, for example be of channel, I or Z-section, channel section being convenient in some embodiments. Further sections are C- or channel section with their flanges formed at their ends with return (in-turned) regions or flanges which in some embodiments can significantly increase strength and stiffness. In FIG. 22 a style 274 of channel section is formed adjacent its ends with a pattern of fixing holes 276 corresponding to the pattern of fixing holes 230 in hook member 28. A spacer block 270 is provided and has fixing holes 272 in a pattern corresponding to that in the style 274. Also shown is fixing plate 256a of a catch sub-assembly. It will be appreciated that a spacer block 270 may be provided at each end of the resulting decking panel in the style 274 on one side but not the other, and in this way the hooks 28 may be attached in a similar staggered arrangement to those in the previously described embodiments. As regards stacking the panels, the styles may further comprise portions that define an upper web from which upstanding pins, ribs or other formations arise and portions that define a lower web formed with recesses or sockets into which at least uppermost regions of the upstanding pins, ribs or other formations can be received whereby when one panel is stacked on another lateral displacement of the upper panel is resisted, these pins, ribs, etc. are not shown but can easily be implemented.

In FIGS. 23-25 there is shown end regions of a pair of adjacent load platforms having a common support wire 10b to which the load platforms are clipped inter alia by brackets 28a, 30b and underhooks 36a′ and 36b′. Above support wire 10b the free ends of treadplates 52 are spaced apart to define a gap of e.g. about 25 mm. The wire 10b carries a T-clamp generally indicated by the reference numeral 280 having a clamping region that fits tightly around and friction grips the wire 10b and a stem that arises from the support wire and passes between the support plates so that its upper regions are accessible above the support plates. The T-clamp comprises clamping members 282, 284 interfitting at their base with a pair of spaced barrel hinge formations 310, 312 on the first member 282 between which fits barrel hinge formation 314 on the second member 284, the hinge being completed by hinge pin 286. Above the barrel hinge the members 282, 284 are formed with generally semi-cylindrical clamping regions 281, 283 which fit around and grip the cable 10b, their axes being parallel to and spaced from the hinge axis. Inner faces of the clamping regions 281, 283 are formed with inclined gripping teeth 315 matching the lay of the wire rope 10b, the inner diameter of the clamping regions being slightly smaller than the wire rope, e.g. 15.75 mm for a wire rope of diameter 16 mm so that they can firmly grip the rope but not crush it. Each member 282, 284 has a stem region 316, 318 arising from the clamping region, the stem region having a width greater than its depth and the two stem regions together having a depth of e.g. about 17 mm so that the stem can pass between the plates 52. Adjacent the upper end of the stem region the member 284 is formed with a socketed through-hole 288 for receiving the head and threaded region of clamping bolt 301 and member 282 is formed with a corresponding threaded through-hole 290 for receiving the threaded region of bolt 301 to permit the halves of the clamp to be fastened firmly together about the support wire. Each of the clamping members 282, 284 is formed at its head with a formation defining an eye region 294, 296, the eye regions together defining eye 292. As can be seen in FIGS. 23, 26 and 27 the inner faces of the stems 316, 218 are planar and continue without change of attitude into planar faces of eye regions 294, 296 so that in the closed position the two members 282 and 285 touch one another as apparent in FIG. 23. It will be appreciated that other profiles are possible provided that the two members can close and touch one another, but the illustrated profile is convenient and easy to manufacture. The inner profiles of eye-regions 294, 296 are generally quarter-round or otherwise form a generally continuous smooth curve as best seen in FIG. 23 so that when engaged by a clamping hook, rope other member to be tensioned, load on the member to be tensioned is transferred equally to both eye regions and the load can be applied in directions up to 45° in any direction whilst applying pulling force but not unacceptable twisting force to the clamp. Without a smooth curved surface of this kind, there would be an increased risk of a hook of a sling or the line applying point loads which would limit the rated tensional load that the T-clamp can accept. The members 282, 284 are conveniently drop forgings in alloy steel e.g. Grade 100 alloy steel and may be zinc passivized so that they can withstand harsh external environments.

A hook 302, e.g. a safety hook, of a chain sling is insertable into the eye 292 and provides a lower connection for the chain sling. The eye region 292 is generally oval or otherwise has extended height to allow the T-clamp to sit generally vertically on support wire 10b, and the hook 302 is configured to be rotatable in any direction at an angle of up to about 45° to the vertical, thereby permitting the loading on the individual eye-regions 294, 296 of the clamping members to be equlised. It will be appreciated that if a T-clamp as shown here is fitted about a support wire 10b, hook 302 is engaged therewith and the cable 304 is tensioned, then the clamp will be held tightly about the wire irrespective of whether bolt 301 has been inserted and a substantial clamping force is exerted by simple tension applied to the eye regions 294, 296, so that at least a temporary fixing to the wire 10b can be made with a minimum of labour. The retaining bolt and the sockets 288-290 are configured so that for an intended support cable the clamp cannot be over-tightened, and one of the major purposes of bolt 301 is to prevent a clamp once fitted to support wire 10b from being inadvertently dropped before attachment of a hook or other tensioning device.

It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the embodiment described herein without departing from the invention, the scope of which is defined by the accompanying claims.

Claims

1-69. (canceled)

70. A decking panel comprising:

first and second ends, a pair of longitudinal stiles between which decking is supported and fasteners at each end of the decking panel for releasably clipping the panel to a pair of wires by which it is to be supported;

said fasteners comprising hooks provided at first and second ends of said first and second stiles for supporting the panel on the wires and catch assemblies for resisting lift of the panel from the wires, each catch assembly comprising a cross-member pivotally supporting one or more levers each carrying a catch finger, the or each lever being rotatable between a raised position where the finger or fingers are clear of the hooks and a lowered position where the finger or fingers register with the hooks from underneath for clamping a support cable between the hooks and the fingers; and

treadplates at each end of the panel, hinged thereto at pivot axes spaced from the ends of the panel and with free ends facing towards the ends of the panel, the treadplates being liftable from a normal lowered position in which the or each catch assembly is concealed by the treadplate to a raised position in which the or each catch assembly is user-accessible.

71. The decking panel of claim 70, wherein the panel comprises ladder-like cross-members or diagonal cross-members defining a truss-type structure between the stiles.

72. The decking panel of claim 70, including one or more of the following features:

(a) the stiles are extrusions in aluminium;

(b) the extrusions each comprise a region of box section into which the hooks fit; portions of the region of box section defining outer and inner webs spaced apart transversely of the panel; one hook at each end of the panel being fastened to the outer web of one of the stiles and the other hook at each end being fastened to the inner web of the other of the stiles;

(c) the extrusions further comprise portions of the region of box section that define an upper web from which an upstanding wall arises; and portions that define a lower web formed with a recess into which at least uppermost regions of the upstanding walls can be received, whereby when one panel is stacked on another lateral displacement of the upper panel is resisted;

(d) each stile is formed adjacent each end at its inner vertical web with fixing formations for attachment of hooks and/or fastening plates of a catch assembly, and is formed adjacent one end at its outer vertical web with fixing formations for attachment of a hook.

73. The decking panel of claim 70, including one or more of the following features:

(a) the stiles are of rolled steel;

(b) the stiles each comprise a portion defining a web to which hooks are attached;

one hook at each end of the panel is fastened to the web of one of the stiles directly or at a relatively small spacing; and

the other hook at each end of the panel is fastened to the web of the other of the stiles with a spacing that is larger than the spacing for said one stile,

the stiles and hooks being configured so that the hooks at one end of the panel are offset transversely of the panel relative to the hooks at the other end of the panel;

(e) the stiles further comprise portions that define an upper web from which upstanding pins, ribs or other formations arise and portions that define a lower web formed with recesses or sockets into which at least uppermost regions of the upstanding pins, ribs or other formations can be received whereby when one panel is stacked on another lateral displacement of the upper panel is resisted.

74. The decking panel of claim 70, wherein:

the cross-members of the catch assemblies each pivotally support a pair of levers spaced apart transversely of the panel and interconnected at or adjacent their ends facing away from a respective support cable by a handle; and

the treadplates are hinged to the panel for rotation about axes spaced inboard and slightly above the pivot axes for the release mechanism provided by said cross-members of the catch assemblies, ends of the operating levers in the lowered position of the catch assemblies being located almost immediately underneath inner hinged ends of the treadplates, and on wind or other lift of the panel lines through the points of contact of the levers with the treadplates being close to the axes of the treadplate hinges whereby upward load applied to the treadplates exerts little rotational power on the treadplates.

75. The decking panel of claim 74, including any of the following features:

(a) the pair of levers is spaced apart by about one third of the width of the panel;

(b) each finger is formed with a recess defining an upwardly-facing hook for engagement with the underside of the support cable;

(c) the fingers have plate-like surfaces engageable with the support wire, friction between the fingers and the support wire inhibiting lateral displacement of the panel.

76. The decking panel of claim 74, wherein free edges of the treadplates extend beyond the styles and overlap the hooks.

77. The decking panel of claim 70, wherein each hook has a linear lead-in region at its forward end, a quarter round upper forward region and an upper linear central region leading to a curved rear region.

78. The decking panel of claim 70, including:

(a) wooden decking, or

(b) decking of sheet metal; or

(c) decking in the form of a grating or expanded metal.

79. A load platform comprising:

spaced parallel support wires;

one or more slings, straps or legs thereof attached at their upper ends to a structure beneath which the load platform is slung and attached at their lower ends to the support wires at intermediate positions along their length by clamps configured to frictionally engage the wires for impeding the wires from travelling through them; and

either (a) decking comprising tensioned netting clipped to the support wires or (b) a plurality of decking panels each having first and second ends and fasteners at each end for releasably clipping the panels in side-by-side relationship to a pair of support wires, said fasteners each comprising hooks for supporting the panel on the wires and at least one catch for resisting lift of the panel from the wires.

80. The load platform of claim 79, including one or more of the following features:

(a) the support wires are secured to tensioners configured for sensing tension and setting tension in the wires to a desired value;

(b) the tensioners comprise a body and oppositely acting screw jacks together extensible from and retractable into the body on rotation thereof;

(c) the tensioners comprise a ratchet for controlling rotation of the body and a handle for effecting rotation.

(d) opposed ends of the tensioners incorporate bifurcated shackles and pins for attachment to wire eyes or the like, the in-line sensor being between one of the screw jacks and a shackle.

81. The load platform of claim 80, including one or more of the following features:

(a) said clamps are two-part hinged T-clamps for fitting to said support wires and for attachment to the slings, straps or legs thereof which in use are loaded in a direction transversely of the support wires;

(b) upper ends of the clamps are formed with eyes for receiving hooks at the lower ends of the slings or straps or legs thereof;

(c) said clamps each comprise first and second elongate members; hinge formations at one end of said members forming parts of a hinge that connects the members together for movement between an open position in which a support wire is insertable into and removable from the clamp and a closed position in which the first and second members contact one another and the support wire is retained in the clamp; first and second clamping jaws in said members for closing about and frictionally engaging the support wire, one side of each clamping jaw being adjacent the hinge; first and second stem regions of each of said members arising from sides of the clamping jaws opposite to the hinge and extending away from the hinge in a direction transversely of the clamping jaw; and first and second eye regions extending from ends of the first and second stem regions opposite to the hinge and together defining an eye for receiving a hook of the sling or strap or leg thereof, load on said first and second eye regions urging the clamp towards its closed position.

(d) apertures in the first and second stem regions adjacent said first and second eye regions for receiving a retaining bolt;

(e) the first and second stem regions and the first and second eye regions together define planar surfaces that are in contact in the closed position;

(f) internal faces of the first and second eye regions at least adjacent ends of the first and second members opposite to the hinge are internally profiled to define a continuous curved surface for receiving a hook of the sling or strap or leg thereof.

82. The load platform of claim 80, wherein the decking comprises polyester netting.

83. The load platform of any of claim 80, comprising a plurality of decking panels, the lower ends of the slings or straps or legs thereof either being attached to the support wires between adjacent pairs of panels or within the widths of individual panels.

84. The load platform of claim 83, wherein each panel includes:

first and second ends, a pair of longitudinal stiles between which decking is supported and fasteners at each end of the decking panel for releasably clipping the panel to a pair of wires by which it is to be supported;

said fasteners comprising hooks provided at first and second ends of said first and second stiles for supporting the panel on the wires and catch assemblies for resisting lift of the panel from the wires, each catch assembly comprising a cross-member pivotally supporting one or more levers each carrying a catch finger, the or each lever being rotatable between a raised position where the finger or fingers are clear of the hooks and a lowered position where the finger or fingers register with the hooks from underneath for clamping a support cable between the hooks and the fingers; and

treadplates at each end of the panel, hinged thereto at pivot axes spaced from the ends of the panel and with free ends facing towards the ends of the panel, the treadplates being liftable from a normal lowered position in which the or each catch assembly is concealed by the treadplate to a raised position in which the or each catch assembly is user-accessible.

85. The load platform of claim 84, wherein in each panel:

the cross-members of the catch assemblies each pivotally support a pair of levers spaced apart transversely of the panel and interconnected at or adjacent their ends facing away from a respective support cable by a handle; and

the treadplates are hinged to the panel for rotation about axes spaced inboard and slightly above the pivot axes for the release mechanism provided by said cross-members of the catch assemblies, ends of the operating levers in the lowered position of the catch assemblies being located almost immediately underneath inner hinged ends of the treadplates, and on wind or other lift of the panel lines through the points of contact of the levers with the treadplates being close to the axes of the treadplate hinges whereby upward load applied to the treadplates exerts little rotational power on the treadplates.

86. The load platform of claim 85, including any of the following features:

(a) the pair of levers is spaced apart by about one third of the width of the panel;

(b) each finger is formed with a recess defining an upwardly-facing hook for engagement with the underside of the support cable;

(c) the fingers have plate-like surfaces engageable with the support wire, friction between the fingers and the support wire inhibiting lateral displacement of the panel.

87. The load platform of claim 85, wherein free edges of the treadplates extend beyond the styles and overlap the hooks.

88. The load platform of claim 84, wherein each hook has a linear lead-in region at its forward end, a quarter round upper forward region and an upper linear central region leading to a curved rear region.

89. The load platform of claim 84, including:

(a) wooden decking, or

(b) decking of sheet metal; or

(c) decking in the form of a grating or expanded metal.