AU715623B3

AU715623B3 - Scaffolding

Info

Publication number: AU715623B3
Application number: AU48839/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Chris Fermanis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-09-21
Filing date: 1999-09-21
Publication date: 2000-02-03
Anticipated expiration: 2005-09-21

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION PETTY PATENT Invention Title: SCAFFOLDING Name of Applicant: CHRIS FERMANIS The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:

SCAFFOLDING

Field of the Invention The present invention relates broadly to a scaffolding for a building.

Background of the Invention The provision of scaffolding during building or maintenance work on buildings typically involves the construction of a modular two-pole scaffolding, in which a plurality of pairs of vertical poles form the frame work of the scaffolding.

Transverse poles or braces between the poles of one pair provide the support for e.g. planks extending between adjacent pairs of poles to form the working platforms.

As the construction of a scaffolding which includes a plurality of pairs of vertical poles can be quite a time consuming process, "single pole" scaffolding arrangements have been used to reduce the number of vertical poles required. In a single pole scaffolding, a plurality of single vertical poles spaced from the building is used rather than a plurality of pairs of vertical poles.

In existing single pole scaffolding, a horizontal pole extends from each vertical pole towards a wall of the building, the horizontal pole being fixed to the wall by means of a putlog. The putlog includes a blade which extends into e.g. the mortar between two layers of bricks, thereby utilising the wall as a vertical support for the horizontal pole at its end remote from the single pole.

However, where the height of a single pole scaffolding exceeds three times its least base width, being the distance of the single poles from the wall, the scaffolding must be stabilised by tying the scaffolding to the wall structure of the building or to an adjacent structure, or by rakers to the ground. It is noted that the connection by means of the above described putlog does not suffice as a stabilising fixture.

J:\Speci\300 399\350 399\35376.doc 3 Summary of the Invention In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a scaffolding assembly for a building, the assembly comprising a plurality of ground engagable poles, each ground engagable pole in use being arranged to extend vertically from the ground and to be located at a distance from a wall structure of the building, a plurality of support elements, each support element in use arranged to be connected at one end to one of the ground engagable poles and to the wall structure at the other end for supporting working platform elements. The assembly further comprises at least one securing element, the securing element in use being arranged to be connected to an upper end of one of the ground engagable poles and to a rafter of the building for stability, wherein the securing element is in use arranged to be removably connected to the rafter by means of a bracket securely attached to the rafter.

Accordingly, a "single pole" scaffolding can be provided which is effectively stabilised by a connection to the building without being limited to a particular portion of the hight of the building only.

Furthermore, the present invention can provide a "single pole" scaffolding which has a connection to the building which does not need to be varied whilst e.g. a brig wall of the building is being erected.

The securing element may be in use arranged to extend horizontally between the ground engagable pole and the rafter. Accordingly, the securing element can be utilised as a support structure for further working platform elements for roofing works.

The assembly may comprise the bracket.

The assembly may comprise the working platform elements.

LjC3 J:\Speci\300 399\350 399\35376.doc 7/R t# The bracket may be arranged to remain attached to the rafter after completion of building works for later use during e.g. maintenance works.

The assembly may further comprise a plurality of rail support elements each in use arranged to extend upwardly from one of the ground engagable poles for supporting a security rail.

The assembly may further comprise a plurality stabilising elements, each in use arranged to be connected to one of the ground engagable poles at one end and to the support element connected to that one ground engagable pole at the end thereof connected to the building.

Preferred forms of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a scaffolding embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic side view of another scaffolding embodying the present invention.

Figure 3 is a schematic side view of one component of the scaffolding of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of a detail of the scaffolding of Figure 1.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments In Figure i, the scaffolding 10 includes a plurality of vertical ground engagable poles 12. The vertical poles 12 are made up from three 1.5 m standards 14 and one 2 m standard 16. At the top end 18 of the vertical pole 12 the vertical pole 12 is connected to a rafter 20 of a building 22 via a securing element in the form of a horizontal pole 24 which is connected to a bracket in the form of a clamp 26 mounted on the rafter Accordingly, the single pole scaffolding 10, which exceeds three times its least base width 28, is fixed to the building 22 in accordance with safety standards.

J:\Speci\300 399\350 399\35376.doc The scaffolding 10 further comprises a plurality of support elements in the form of horizontal poles 30 which form supports for planks 31 extending between adjacent vertical poles 12 to form working platforms for the brick layers during the construction work.

Furthermore, the upper horizontal hole 24 provides a support for additional planks 34 which extend between the vertical poles 12. In conjunction with a safety rail structure 36, which includes safety rail posts 38 connected to the horizontal pole 24, this provides a secure working platform for tilers.

Accordingly, the one scaffolding structure may be used during the various stages in the construction of the building 22, without the need to relocate a fixture of the single pole scaffolding to a wall structure of the building.

The scaffolding 10 further includes a hop-up platform structure 40, including an additional safety rail structure 42, to provide a working platform for facia/gutter works.

As illustrated in the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the scaffolding 50 includes a pole structure pole 52 connected to a securing member in the form of a horizontal pole structure 56 of the scaffolding 50. The pole structure 52 abuts the wall 58, and takes up a portion of a load on the upper working platform 60. This can further increase the load rating of the upper platform It is noted here that if the vertical pole 62 is disconnected from the horizontal pole structure 56, for example after completion of the brick layer and facia/gutter works, the upper platform 60 may remain on the building 22, as illustrated in Figure 3. The pole structure 52 includes a pivotably mounted sleeve portion which can be locked into different angular positions.

Accordingly, the pole structure 52 may be used as a vertical pole structure when the sleeve portion 70 is J:\Speci\300 399\350 399\35376.doc 6 arranged vertically to receive a vertical ground engaging support post (not shown) therein.

Turning now to Figure 4, the horizontal pole 24 (see Figure 1) is removably connected to the clamp 26 via a slide-in lockable mechanism It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the present invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive.

For example, different types of clamps may be used to secure the scaffolding to the rafter, provided only that a fixed connection is made between the vertical pole and the rafter.

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Claims

2. An assembly as claimed in claim i, wherein the securing element in use is arranged to extend horizontally between the ground engagable pole and the rafter.
3. An assembly as claimed in claim 2, further comprising the bracket. Dated this 3rd day of December 1999 CHRIS FERMANIS By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK J:\Speci\300 399\350 399\35376.doc