AU2010100343A4

AU2010100343A4 - Scaffolding Support

Info

Publication number: AU2010100343A4
Application number: AU2010100343A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Clifford Lemon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-04-14
Filing date: 2010-04-14
Publication date: 2010-05-13
Anticipated expiration: 2018-04-14

Description

AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION for an Innovation Patent Invention title: "SCAFFOLDING SUPPORT" Applicant: CLIFFORD LEMON Associated provisional applications: The following statement is a full description of the invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 2 "SCAFFOLDING SUPPORT" Field of the Invention The present invention relates to scaffolding, and the anchoring of scaffolding 5 in position. It has been created in order enable the provision of scaffolding about piers and jetties, but may have wider application. Background to the Invention Structures located above water, such as piers and jetties, require regular 10 maintenance. Where this maintenance is to be performed underneath a deck, for instance on a supporting structure for the jetty, it is necessary to safely locate workers and equipment beneath the deck. One method of achieving this is to position workers and equipment on a floating body beneath the structure, such as on a barge or pontoon. This 15 method can only be safely employed where the parts of the structure requiring maintenance are close to the surface of the water, and where there is no need for powered equipment. An alternative method is to construct scaffolding about the structure. This is done by anchoring the scaffolding to the deck, and then constructing a 20 scaffolding arrangement which extends from the anchorage points across the deck and over the edge, and then continues down towards the water. This method is relatively safe and secure, and therefore is commonly used. It has a disadvantage, however, in that it requires a great deal of scaffolding equipment to be used, greatly adding to the cost of providing such scaffolding. 25 The present invention proposes an alternative way of providing scaffolding beneath a deck, seeking to provide a safe and secure location for maintenance work at a reduced cost relative to current methods.

3 Summary of the Invention According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a scaffolding anchor comprising a first scaffolding tube and a second scaffolding tube, the first tube and the second tube being substantially parallel, and being 5 connected by at least two connecting rods, the connecting rods being substantially perpendicular to the first tube and the second tube, the scaffolding anchor also including locking means, wherein the second tube is able to move along the connecting rods relative to the first tube, when the locking means are not engaged, and wherein engagement of the locking 10 means substantially prevents movement of the second tube away from the first tube. It is preferred that the connecting rods are threaded at an outer end, and that the locking means comprises internally threaded nuts arranged to engage with the threaded portions of the connecting rods. 15 The connecting rods may pass through the second tube through diametrically spaced apertures. The connecting rods may be rigidly attached to the first rod, for instance by welding. In an alternative embodiment the connecting rods may be threaded at both ends, and pass through both the first and second tubes. In this embodiment 20 each end of each connecting rod may have an associated locking means. In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of attaching a scaffolding anchor to a post, the method including the steps of locating a first scaffolding tube on one side of the post; extending connecting rods attached to the first scaffolding tube about the post; attaching 25 a second tube to the connecting rods on an opposite side of the post; and locking the second tube on the connecting rods relative to the first tube so as to clamp the scaffolding anchor about the post.

4 Preferably the method includes the additional steps of locating a first further scaffolding tube on another side of the post; extending further connecting rods attached to the first further scaffolding tube about the post; attaching a second further tube to the further connecting rods on an opposite side of the post; and 5 locking the second further tube on the further connecting rods relative to the first further tuber so as to clamp the scaffolding anchor about the post at an angle relative to the first and second scaffolding tubes. This angle is preferably about 900. 10 Brief Description of the Drawings It will be convenient to further describe the invention with reference to preferred embodiments of the scaffolding anchor of the present invention. Other embodiments are possible, and consequently the particularity of the following discussion is not to be understood as superseding the generality of 15 the preceding description of the invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective of a scaffolding anchor in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective of the scaffolding anchor of Figure 1 in use about a post; and 20 Figure 3 is a perspective of the post of Figure 2 with two of the scaffolding anchors of Figure 1 mounted about it. Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments Figure 1 shows a scaffolding anchor 10. The anchor 10 has two scaffolding 25 tubes, a first tube 12 and a second tube 14. The first and second tubes 12, 14 are typically formed from galvanised steel, with an outside diameter of about 50mm and a wall thickness of about 5mm. The tubes 12, 14 may be in the order of 900mm long. The scaffolding anchor 10 also has two connecting rods 16. In the 30 embodiment shown in Figure 1, each connecting rod 16 is fixed to the first tube 12 by suitable means such as welding, and extends away from the first tube 12 in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the first tube 12.

5 The two connecting rods 16 are substantially perpendicular, and are spaced apart on the first tube 12 by an appropriate spacing as will be discussed below. The connecting rods 16 are preferably formed from a corrosion resistant steel, 5 such as a stainless steel. The connecting rods 16 are externally threaded, and have an outer diameter in the order of 20mm. The second tube 14 has two sets of diametrically spaced apertures 18, each set sized to receive one of the connecting rods 16. The two sets of apertures 18 correspond to the two connecting rods 16, such that the second tube 14 10 can be mounted onto the two connecting rods 16, in a position substantially parallel to the first tube 12. The anchor 10 further includes locking means in the form of two wing nuts 20. The wing nuts 20 are internally threaded, and sized so as to engage with the threads of respective connecting rods 16. 15 Operation of the anchor 10 will now be described with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 shows a post 30 of a jetty or pier. The post 30 is substantially octagonal in cross-section, although it will be appreciated that the arrangement of the present invention may be employed on posts having other cross-sectional shapes. 20 The connecting rods 16 of the anchor 10 are sufficiently spaced to be further apart than the width of the post 30. The first tube 12 is held against a face of the post 30, with the first tube 12 being positioned such that the connecting rods 16 extend on either side of the 25 post 30. The second tube 14 can then be located on the connecting rods 16, on the opposite face of the post 30, and slid along the connecting rods 16 until it is being held against this opposite face. Wing nuts 20 can then be tightened along each connecting rod 16, thus effectively clamping the post 30 between the first and second tubes 12, 14. When the wing nuts 20 are sufficiently 30 tightened the anchor 10 forms a sufficiently tight friction fit about the post 30 to be able to bear significant weight. It can therefore be used as base for the erection of further scaffolding. The further scaffolding readily connects to the scaffolding tubes 12, 14 by standard means.

6 Should loosening of the connection inadvertently occur once the anchor is loaded, it is possible that one side of the anchor 10 could slip. Should this occur, a wedging action will take place to lock the anchor 10 into position. For further strength and safety, it may be necessary to employ two anchors 5 10, one located immediately above the other, but angled about the post with respect to each other. It is anticipated that using two anchors relatively rotated by 900 will provide an optimal outcome. This arrangement is shown in Figure 3. Modifications and variations as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are 10 deemed to be within the scope of the present invention. For instance, although the invention has been described with connecting rods 16 being welded to a first tube 12 and located within apertures of a second tube 14, it will be appreciated that the invention could also be performed with the connecting rods 16 being located within apertures of both tubes 12, 14, with 15 corresponding locking means such as wing nuts 20 employed.

Claims

1. A scaffolding anchor comprising a first scaffolding tube and a second scaffolding tube, the first tube and the second tube being substantially parallel, and being connected by at least two connecting rods, the connecting 5 rods being substantially perpendicular to the first tube and the second tube, the scaffolding anchor also including locking means, wherein the second tube is able to move along the connecting rods relative to the first tube, when the locking means are not engaged, and wherein engagement of the locking means substantially prevents movement of the second tube away from the 10 first tube.

2. A scaffolding anchor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting rods are threaded at an outer end, and the locking means comprises internally threaded nuts arranged to engage with the threaded portions of the connecting rods. 15

3. A method of attaching a scaffolding anchor to a post, the method including the steps of locating a first scaffolding tube on one side of the post; extending connecting rods attached to the first scaffolding tube about the post; attaching a second tube to the connecting rods on an opposite side of the post; and locking the second tube on the connecting rods relative to the first 20 tube so as to clamp the scaffolding anchor about the post.

4. A method of securing scaffolding to a post, the method including the steps of attaching a first scaffolding anchor to the post according to the method of claim 3, and including the additional steps of locating a first further scaffolding tube on another side of the post; extending further connecting rods 25 attached to the first further scaffolding tube about the post; attaching a second further tube to the further connecting rods on an opposite side of the post; and locking the second further tube on the further connecting rods relative to the first further tube so as to clamp the scaffolding anchor about the post at an angle relative to the first and second scaffolding tubes. 30

5. A method of securing scaffolding to a post as claimed in claim 4, wherein the angle between the scaffolding anchors is about 900. 8 CLIFFORD LEMON By his Patent Attorneys ARMOUR IP 5 P2013AUOO