AU779204B2 - Hangform scaffold - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Invention Title: Eric J. Batty Eric J. Batty CULLEN CO., Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 239 George Street, Brisbane, Qld. 4000, Australia.

Hangform Scaffold Details of Associated Provisional Application: PQ7764 filed 25 May 2000 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: HANGFORM SCAFFOLD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a scaffold for use on the exterior of buildings during their construction or maintenance. The invention is particularly concerned with a scaffold of the type which is height adjustable relative to a fixed support.

Throughout the specification the term "scaffold" will be used to denote one element of a temporary "scaffolding" structure for supporting workmen during the construction of the external walls and the like of a building. That is, scaffolding comprises two or more scaffolds.

The scaffold has been devised primarily for use in connection with residential buildings which are *"supported on poles or posts, and will be described in that context. However broader ramifications will be readily apparent to the skilled addressee and the invention is consequently not to be construed as being limited to such use.

It is also to be understood that the invention 25 does not only extend to the scaffold per se but also scaffolding which comprises any number of scaffolds and associated elements required to produce a complete system.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART I am presently unaware of any scaffolds which can be fitted to elevated building support posts and which enable the work platform to be elevated from a level below the level of the floor to a level above the floor level. This is basically because any moveable scaffold can only be raised up the support posts as far as the joists supporting the floor.

The closest prior art which I am aware of is U.S. Patent No. 4,276,957 which discloses a portable scaffold which is hung from the top of a building by using L-shaped arms. The scaffold is designed to move telescopically over the vertical sections of the arms to enable adjustment to a suitable height. The scaffold is not suitable or adaptable for use on building support posts.

Other prior art is illustrated in U.S. Patent Nos. 4074792, 4029173, 3515244, 3510097, 3158223, 3134567, 3011587, 2988181, 1814688 and 957324. None of this is particularly relevant to my invention.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is one of the objects of the invention to provide a scaffold which enables the support platform to be adjustable in height above the floor level of a building supported on support posts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a scaffold which can be readily assembled to produce a scaffolding arrangement, which is lightweight and can be readily stored and transported.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, in its broadest aspect, the present invention provides a two-piece scaffold comprising a first framework assembly incorporating a guide and means for connection to a support post, and a second framework assembly adapted to be retained by the guide in one of a plurality of fixed relationships with respect to the first framework assembly, said second framework assembly having a platform support element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The second framework assembly will typically have means enabling connection of one or more handrail support elements, as is required for workplace safety considerations.

Suitably, the scaffold is fabricated from box steel, steel plate and steel pins and is galvanized and/or powder coated.

Preferably, the first framework assembly has an upright which is adapted to extend, in use, in a parallel spaced relationship with respect to the fixed support; a pair of parallel spaced guide members adapted to project perpendicularly with respect to the upright, adjacent to or at the top end thereof; and a brace extending from the 15 bottom of the upright to the projected ends of the guide members. The upright, guides and brace are rigidly connected to one another by welding or like means to produce a triangular structure. Lugs or like connecting means are located on the upper end of the upright so as to extend part-way about the fixed support. These lugs form a collar in association with a removable plate which can be tightened against the fixed support. The bottom end of the upright has a pair of flanges fitted thereto which simply align the first framework assembly with the 25 fixed support. Spacer elements are suitably located between the upright and the fixed support.

S"An alternative means for fixing the first framework assembly to the support post comprises the use of a sprocket or block chain. In one preferred arrangement, the chain is secured at one of its ends to a plate fitted to a short pipe element, and is adapted to loop around the building support post and be connectable to the other end of the short pipe element, in an appropriately grooved plate fitted thereto. The short pipe element is suitably welded to the top of another pipe element which can slide into the top end of the framework upright. The manner of fixing is akin to a chain pipe clamp and forms a readily connectable yet firm and secure attachment.

The second framework assembly preferably comprises two vertically extending members joined at their upper ends by a common platform support element.

One of the vertically extending members is adapted to be moveable adjacent to the upright of the first framework assembly and between the guides while the other vertically extending member is adapted to be moveable between the remote ends of the guides and beyond the location at which the brace connects to the guides.

Aligned holes are located at appropriate separations in the uprights to enable the second framework assembly to 15 be fixed with respect to the first framework assembly when pins are inserted through an aligned pair of the holes therein and holes in the side walls of the guides.

The means enabling connection of the handrail support element to the second framework assembly preferably comprises an opening at the end of the second framework assembly and the interior walls of the second framework assembly. That is, connection is achieved by inserting a section of a handrail into the second framework assembly in such a way that the handrail is firmly retained in situ. This can readily be achieved, for instance, with box tubular sections wherein the box S"tubular section of the second framework assembly is fractionally larger than the box tubular section of the handrail. Most suitably, the platform support element is the integer to which the handrail support element is connected. To enable this, the handrail support element has a portion which extends horizontally (into the platform support element) and a portion which extends vertically to enable attachment of one or more, preferably two, handrails. These two portions can be connected directly together or, more preferably, by way of a third connector element which projects the handrail attachment portion inwardly. This enables the handrail to be aligned either with the outer vertically extending member of the second framework assembly, or at some position inwardly thereof.

The handrail connecting two or more scaffolds can preferably be a box steel pipe of similar crosssection to the first and second framework elements.

Preferably, the handrail rests in cup-hook holders welded to the outer facing sides of adjacent vertically extending portions of the handrail supports.

The platform can comprise any conventional scaffolding planks or the like. If necessary, these can 15 be clamped to the platform support element. Likewise, the bottom end of the upright of the first framework assembly can be clamped to the fixed support with a Gclamp, if the situation calls for it.

The two-piece scaffold according to the present invention can be easily transported to the building site because of its small lightweight componentry nature; it can readily be assembled, and can be adjusted in height above the floor level of the building to enable tradespersons to reach up to the top of the wall.

The scaffold meets all of the objects of the invention and provides the public with a useful alternative.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is an end elevation of a scaffold according to the present invention in situ in a nonextended arrangement, Figure 2 is an end elevation of the scaffold of Figure 1 in an extended arrangement, Figure 3 is a plan view of the guides illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, Figure 4 is a plan view of a clamping arrangement, and Figure 5 is a side elevation of the clamping arrangement shown in Figure 4.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in all of which like reference numerals refer to like parts.

Referring firstly to Figure 1, a scaffold 10 is •tee shown connected to the top end of a rectangular support ."post 11, directly beneath the joist 12 of a building having a wall 13.

The scaffold 10 comprises a first framework assembly 14 and a second framework assembly The first framework assembly 14 comprises an upright 16, two guides 16a, 16b (see Figure 3) and a brace 17. Lugs 18, 19 extend from the top of the upright and together with plate 20 and bolts 21, 22 form a S" tightenable collar which retains the scaffold firmly fixed to the support post 11. A pair of flanges 23 are fitted to the bottom of the upright 16 to prevent lateral movement of the bottom portion of the first framework assembly. Pins 24, 25 extend through holes in the guides to fix the first and second framework elements together.

The second framework assembly 15 comprises two vertically extending members 26, 27 and a platform support element 28. The vertically extending members slide within the guides 16a, 16b and are retained at the 8 required height by the pins 24, 25 which can be inserted through aligned holes in each member such as 30, 31, 32 in vertically extending member 27 and 33, 34, 35 in vertically extending member 26.

The platform support element 28 has an opening at the right side (as illustrated) into which the bottom portion 36 of a handrail support element 37 is telescopically inserted. The handrail includes a vertically extending portion with two U-shaped holders 39, 40 for supporting handrails 41, 42.

The scaffolding is completed by scaffolding planks 43, 44.

shown in Figure 2, the scaffold can be extended so as to raise the scaffolding planks 43, 44 *"above the floor level 45 of the building 13 so that the roof of the building can be reached by a tradesperson standing on the scaffolding planks.

.ee..i Figures 4 and 5 show an alternative means for connecting the first framework assembly 14 to the post e 11. A sprocket chain 50 having a length of 940 mm is hingedly connected at one end to a 3 mm plate 47 welded to a 50 x 50 x 1.6 pipe 51. The free end of the chain g can be linked into a 3 mm grooved plate 52 over two angled projections 53, 54. Pipe 51 is welded to a secondary pipe 55 which is slidable in the top of upright 16 and held therewith by a bolt placed in hole 56.

In operation, the chain is decoupled from the two angled projections 53, 54 and wrapped around the support post 11 tightly before being rejoined in the angled projections, thereby giving a tight and strong attachment of the first framework assembly to the post.

Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative example of the invention, many modifications and variations may be made thereto by persons skilled in the art without departing from the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein set forth.

Claims (8)

1. 2. A two-piece scaffold as claimed in claim 1 and including means enabling connection of a handrail support element.
2. 3. A two-piece scaffold as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first framework has a substantially right-angled triangular configuration in which the hypotenuse is a brace, an opposing side forms the guide *"and the remaining side incorporates the means for connection to the support post.
3. 4. A two-piece scaffold as claimed in any one of claims 1-3, wherein the guide comprise a pair of parallel spaced members which, in use, are adapted to project horizontally. A two-piece scaffold as claimed in any one of :the preceding claims, wherein the means for connection to the support post include flanges which project in parallel alignment with the guide to each side of the support post, and a plate which is connected by bolts to such flanges so as to embrace the support post.
4. 6. A two-piece scaffold as claimed in any one of claims 1-4, wherein the means for connection to the support post include a sprocket chain fitted to an upper, in use, end of the first framework assembly. A two-piece scaffold as claimed in any one of 11 the preceding claims, wherein the second framework assembly comprises the common platform support element with two perpendicular members extending from each end.
5. 8. A two-piece scaffold as claimed in claim 7, wherein the perpendicular members are adapted to be retained by the guide.
6. 9. A two-piece scaffold as claimed in claim 1, wherein the handrail support element is telescopically connected at its lower end to the common platform support element. A two-piece scaffold as claimed in claim 9, wherein the handrail support element includes two lugs for supporting a handrail.
7. 11. Scaffolding comprising a plurality of scaffolds as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, handrails and scaffolding planks.
8. 12. A two-piece scaffold substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 25th day of May 2001 Eric J. Batty By his Patent Attorneys .0 CULLEN CO.