AU649100B2

AU649100B2 - Scaffold covering means

Info

Publication number: AU649100B2
Application number: AU10798/92A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Michael Armstrong
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-02-06
Filing date: 1992-02-06
Publication date: 1994-05-12
Anticipated expiration: 2012-02-06
Also published as: AU1079892A

Description

'1 649100 P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: SCAFFOLD COVERING MEANS The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to the Applicant:- This invention relates to the covering of scaffolds during building construction or renovation.

It is customary under modern day building practice, at least in respect of multi-storey buildings, to surround the building site with scaffolding providing temporary working platforms for persons working 'on the external face or skin of the building under construction.

It is also usual for the scaffolding to be covered or sheathed with sheet material, for example wire mesh or shade cloth. This not only improves the appearance of the site as work proceeds but also, and more importantly, constitutes a safety measure guarding against persons falling from, or objects being dropped from, the building or scaffolding into the street below.

Hitherto the covering material has been manually emplaced and lashed to the scaffolding by tie wires or the like. Likewise it is manually removed at the end of operations. Both installing and removing the cover sheet have been arduous and time consuming operations.

Moreover the manhandling and lashing have been damaging to the covering material, to the extent that, once used, material is invariably scrapped at the end of construction.

Therefore an object of the present invention is to alleviate the above indicated deficiencies in present practice by providing re-useable and readily emplaceable and removable scaffold covering means.

9* The invention consists in scaffold covering means comprising at least two, horizontally spaced apart, cantilever brackets detachably 15 secured to a scaffolding to be covered so as to project outwardly therefrom, a mandrel extending from one bracket to the other and a cover sheet of pliable material secured at one end to, and able to be wrapped about or drawn from, said mandrel, wherein said mandrel has an end disc on each end thereof, each said end disc being of larger 20 diameter than that of the end portion of the mandrel contiguous with each said end disc and wherein each said bracket comprises slotted supporting means with the mandrel positioned so that the end portion resides in the slot with the disc on one side of the slot and the remainder of the mandrel on the other side of the slot.

In some embodiments the mandrel is a two component item comprising an inner shaft adapted to engage the brackets and a spool 3 extending substantially from one bracket to the other, sleeved upon said shaft and on which the cover sheet is wrapped. However in other embodiments the spool itself constitutes the mandrel, being rotatably supported by the brackets and extending as a beam from one to the other.

By way of example, an embodiment of the above described invention is described in more detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a mandrel and partly extended cover sheet, being components of a scaffold covering means according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a view of the mandrel of figure 1 drawn to a larger to o scale.

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Figure 3 is an end view of the mandrel of figure 2.

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Figure 4 is a side elevation of a cantil'ver bracket, being a further component of the exemplary scaffold covering means.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of an end portion of the bracket of figure 4.

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According to the exemplary embodiment each cantilever bracket comprises a rigid arm 6 with affixture means 7 at one end for securing it as a cantilever to an upright tubular steel scaffold member and supporting means 8 at its other end for engaging and rotatably

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supporting a mandrel 9. The arm 6 may be a metal bar of rectangular, channel, hollow square, or other rigid section.

The affixture means may be analogous to any of the conventional scaffold joints currently used to secure two scaffold members rigidly together at a T-joint. Thus, the affixture means 7 are of a well known type comprising a generally tubular head 10 welded to the arm 6 with a tapered tongue 11 extending downwardly from it, and a separate wedge 12. In use, the tongue 11 is inserted into a rigid pocket-like fitting on the scaffolding and the wedge 12 driven down into the pocket opening to tighten the tongue therein.

Alternatively, the bracket arm may have a rectangular sectioned eye on it adapted to rest upon a U-shaped abutment on the upright member and to receive a wedge extending through the eye and the abutment to frictionally secure the arm in place. As a further alternative 15 the arm may terminate in a U-shaped element adapted to embrace the scaffold member for securement by a bolt extending through the arms of the U-shaped element on the opposite side of the scaffold member to the bracket arm proper.

*The anchorage means 8 preferably comprise horizontally 20 extending bridge pieces 13 on each side of the bracket arm 6 with, preferably inclined, U-shaped slots 14 in the top edge of each bridge a piece. In that event, the mandrel may comprise a spool, comprising a tubular shaft 15 and spool flanges 19, with short stub shafts 16 projecting from its ends and end discs 17 on the respective stub shafts 16, such that each stub shaft 16 may rest on the floor of a said slot 14 in a corresponding bracket bridge piece 13 with the disc 17 on the stub shaft trapped between the bridge piece 13 and the adjacent ri vi side of the bracket arm 6. If desired the lower edge of each bridge piece may be joined to the adjacent bracket arm so that each so called bridge piece becomes a pocket with a U-shaped slot in its front wall.

An end of a cover sheet 18 is attached to spool tube 15 between the spool flanges 19, which contain the cover sheet when rolled onto the spool. Alternatively, the mandrel may comprise a shaft with end discs thereon and a rotatable spool for the cover sheet sleeved thereon. In that event the spool flanges may be loose annular discs pierced by the mandrel shaft disposed one at each end of the spool tube.

The dimensions of the various components would be made to suit the normal or standard dimensions of scaffolding so that the mandrel 9 would neatly span between two scaffold uprights. Likewise the length of each bracket arm 6 would be such as to provide clearance for the roll of cover material of predetermined length.

I I 0* 0 el 15 In use therefore the brackets would be emplaced, the mandrels with rolls of cover sheet thereon lifted to the brackets and ensconced therein and the sheet drawn down to cover the scaffolding. For preference a pin (not shown), which may be loosely secured to the arm 6 by a chain or the like, is then inserted through clearance holes O:o: 20 provided for the purpose in the arm 6 and each spool flange 19 to *009 prevent the spool or mandrel from turning and also prevent the mandrel from becoming dislodged from the inclined slots 14. Removal would be 0 the reverse.

The cover sheet itself, be it shade cloth or a more densely woven fabric, would preferably be hemmed or furnished with reinforcing tapes 20 and with eyelets 21 at appropriate positions to protect its edges

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6 and facilitate it being lashed without damage to the scaffolding. It may be wire mesh or a composite, double layer of mesh and fabric.

It is anticipated that the covering of the invention will be, and remain, sufficiently tidy in appearance to offer the opportunity for the application of advertising material to its outer surface.

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Claims

1. Scaffold covering means comprising at least two, horizontally spaced apart, cantilever brackets detachably secured to a scaffolding to be covered so as to project outwardly therefrom, a mandrel extending from one bracket to the other and a cover sheet of pliable material secured at one end to, and able to be wrapped about or drawn from, said mandrel, wherein said mandrel has an end disc on each end thereof, each said end disc being of larger diameter than that of the end portion of the mandrel contiguous with each said end disc and wherein each said bracket comprises slotted supporting means with the mandrel positioned so that the end portion resides in the slot with the disc on one side of the slot and the remainder of the mandrel on the other side of the slot. o:

2. Scaffold covering means according to claim 1 wherein each 15 said bracket further comprises a rigid arm with affixture means at one end for securing it as a cantilever to an upright tubular steel scaffold OO*°OS member and said supporting means at its other end for engaging and rotatably supporting said mandrel.

3. Scaffold covering means according to claim 2 wherein said 20 mandrel further comprises a spool, itself comprising a spool tube and spool flanges, said end portion comprising a stub shaft projecting from each end of the spool, and wherein each said supporting means comprises a slotted bridge piece on each bracket arm such that a corresponding stub shaft may rest in the slot of the bridge piece with the corresponding end disc trapped between the bridge piece and the adjacent side of the arm. 8

4. Scaffold covering means according to claim 3 wherein the slot in each bridge piece is inclined and wherein each said spool flange is pinned to the corresponding bracket arm. Scaffold covering means substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. Applicant MICHAEL ARMSTRONG Date 16 February 1994 Attorney ROBERT G. SHELSTON F.I.P.A.A. of CARTER SMITH BEADLE ,00 *S o0 0 0 o* *0. ABSTRACT Scaffold covering means comprises at least two, horizontally spaced apart, cantilever brackets detachably secured to a scaffolding to be covered so as to project outwardly therefrom. Each bracket comprises a rigid arm with affixture means at one end for securing it as a cantilever to an upright tubular steel scaffold member and a slotted bridge piece (13) at its other end. A mandrel extends from one bracket to the other. The mandrel comprises a spool, itself comprising a spool tube (15) and spool flanges a stub shaft (16) projecting from each end of the spool and an end disc (17) on the end of each stub shaft. The stub shafts (16) rest in the slots of the respective bridge pieces (13) with their end discs (17) trapped between the bridge pieces and the adjacent bracket arms A cover sheet of pliable material, for 0 00 example a woven shade cloth, is secured at one end to, and able to be wrapped about or drawn from, said mandrel. *eoe a *e Figure 1. S e 4 4o .54:. 46