EP0622504B1 - Joint and jointing element for scaffolding system - Google Patents

Abstract

A description is given of the design of scaffolding components, such as scaffolding junctions (1) and the associated connection elements (2), for a modular scaffolding of the novel construction type. The invention is distinguished in that the wedge-plug-in connection of scaffolding junctions and connection elements which is known in principle has been further developed such that the wedge-like plug-in elements are designed as straightforward wedge-like webs (6) which are arranged at the two ends of each horizontal spacer member (5) such that the web is fastened in the manner of a transverse horizontal member, seated on the wall of the horizontal spacer member or on a sleeve (4) pushed onto each horizontal-spacer-member end, and the wedge-like webs engage in each case into a pocket (8) of analogous shaping. The main advantage of the invention is constituted by the merits achieved by the vertical frame rigidity, for example reduction in materials and weight, possibility of savings in terms of vertical strutting, cuts in costs and reduction in assembly times. Furthermore, special locking means (12, 13, 14) are provided and supplementary elements (16, 17) are provided in order to absorb lateral transverse forces between scaffolding uprights (3) and connection element (2). <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to the structural design of scaffold nodes for connecting horizontal connection elements with a vertical scaffold stand according to the preamble of claim 1.

In scaffolding, scaffolding poles are assembled as spacer elements in horizontal and vertical directions using node elements to create three-dimensional scaffolding structures in the form of facade and room scaffolding.

For an inexpensive manufacture of scaffolding components and their effective assembly and disassembly, original solutions for the construction of the node elements and the connecting elements are required.

These elements must be constructed in this way and in their interaction, in their mechanical connection to absorb forces. Loads and bending moments harmonize in such a way that all safety requirements are reliably met.

The state of the art is characterized by a large number of scaffolding systems.

The scaffold with connecting devices according to DE-A-37 02 057 and DE-A-38 13 513 has handles made of light metal tubing with perforated disks. The connection heads are inserted with their slots over the perforated disks and secured with wedges. The perforated discs are made of light metal and are welded with the help of welds. The connection heads are made of cast steel or forged steel. The wedge has a rivet or the like for securing against loss.

Further developments of such perforated disks used as connecting devices for scaffolding elements are described in DE-A-38 24 823, DE-A-39 09 809 and DE-A-39 34 857.

From FR-A-23 52 194 a wedge plug connection is known, in which the assembly of scaffold nodes and connection elements takes place through the pairing of wedge-shaped U-profile as a plug element in a suitably designed pocket which is elaborately designed in an analogous manner to the plug element.
At the end of the U-profile protruding below each pocket of the scaffold node there are means for locking the wedge-plug connection. Additional horizontal transverse forces can be absorbed by the fact that the respective node connection element is not only supported by the wedge-shaped plug-in element inserted into the pocket, but also inserted into one in the front of the pocket. adapted in shape to the cross section of the connection element. Cutout engages. The design of the wedge-plug connection proposed here is complicated and complex in construction; it has insufficient vertical frame strength.

GB-A-1 601 897 describes a connection element with a slotted web and a very low frame rigidity.
Locking options are completely missing. The support surface for scaffold coverings is unfavorable and sometimes unsuitable, since the upper edge of the spacer or support bar does not provide a continuous horizontal.

DE-A-29 49 403 presents a scaffold and an associated cross element. The ends of the cross member or the tubular strut are each connected to a pin in such a way that each pin on the right angle shaped, flattened face of the strut is attached by elongated welds.

The object of the invention is to ensure a robust, technically uncomplicated and reliable node connection of scaffolding components. In addition, a vertical frame stiffness in the connection of scaffold nodes and connecting elements that has not yet been achieved is to be ensured by suitable design measures.
This means that if the vertical overload occurs, the scaffold tube should first fail before the clamping device (full clamping) is deformed or even fails.

An inventive solution to this problem is specified in claim 1. Developments of the invention are characterized in the subclaims.

The well-known wedge-plug connection of scaffold nodes and connection elements has been further developed so that the wedge-shaped plug elements are designed as simple wedge-shaped webs, which are arranged at both ends of each spacer bar so that the web on the wall of the spacer bar or on one on each The spacing bar end of the pushed-on sleeve is fastened in the manner of a cross bar and the wedge-shaped webs each engage in a pocket designed with an analog shape.

For locking and simultaneous bracing of the connecting elements node and connecting element (s), at least one opening (12) for receiving locking elements (13) is made in the web end (7) projecting beyond the underside of the pocket (8). In addition, additional elements are available for absorbing horizontal transverse forces between the scaffold stand and the connecting element, which act directly on the scaffold stand and partially enclose it.

In a preferred embodiment of the node element, four pockets are cross-shaped, i.e. each offset by 90 °. attached to a tubular or frame-shaped carrier segment provided with a longitudinal slot, or the pockets are welded directly to the stand.

The scaffold node can be anchored in the preferred embodiment at any height on the scaffold stand by means of a clamping connection.
The pockets of the scaffold node have a U-shape or V-shape in cross section, the end faces of the two parallel or V-shaped legs of a pocket being fastened to the carrier segment, for example by a welded connection.

The U-legs or V-legs or side walls of the pockets can be trapezoidal to fit the geometry of the wedge-shaped web.

A preferred embodiment of the connecting element consists of a spacer bar and two sleeves attached to the end faces of the spacer bar, each of which carries a wedge-shaped web for the plug connection with the scaffold node. The spacer bars themselves are made of aluminum or steel, the sleeves including the bars are only made of steel for reasons of strength.

A direct welding of the wedge-shaped webs into the profile of a steel spacer is also possible possible. For this purpose, the spacer bar can be slotted on the end faces.

The connection of sleeves and spacer bars is done by pushing on or pressing on the front and subsequent beading or other suitable measures. To facilitate the frontal application of the sleeves on the spacer bar, the sleeve can be slotted in the axial direction. In this case, the web is fitted into the slot before the sleeve is pressed onto the spacer bar and / or welded to the sleeve and / or the spacer bar in the slot area.

The connecting elements can be tubular with a circular profile or oval profile, but also as box or pressed profiles in steel or aluminum. The spacer bars are made of steel or aluminum and the sleeves including the bars are only made of steel.

After the wedge-plug connection of the connecting element and scaffold node has been completed, the web protrudes from the underside of the respective pocket of the scaffold node.
In this projecting part of the web, which is located outside the pocket, there is at least one opening for receiving locking elements which are intended to ensure the safety requirements. Such locking elements are only required for special constructions to prevent the stand or stand from slipping out.

To support the bracing or wedging of the functional elements web and pocket or connecting element and scaffold node, the web end and the underside of the pocket close an acute angle α.

By means of this special geometry, the prerequisite is created that when the locking elements are installed in the opening in the projecting part of the web, which extends into the region of the lower edge of the pocket, the desired wedge and thus tensioning effect between the web and the pocket and between the connecting element and the scaffold node is achieved .

Wedges, tapered pins, tapered screws or other suitable securing elements are used as locking elements in interaction with the correspondingly adapted opening in the web end in an arrangement ensuring the tensioning effect.

The wedge-shaped design of the locking elements and the wedge effect of the acute angle α between the web end face and the underside of the pocket enable the web to be tightened, which provides additional bracing of this part of the scaffolding structure, if necessary, for example for stands suspended from the bolt.

The locking element itself is secured, for example, by bores transverse to the longitudinal axis or direction of movement of the locking element in such a way that a spring pin or another securing element is inserted into the first bore after the locking element has passed through the opening provided in the web end.

To absorb additional horizontal transverse forces of the connection element with scaffold stand, z. B. Connection diagonals or window spreads on the transom, in addition to the wedge-plug connection, a second locking and positioning of the connection element on the scaffold stand can be carried out.

For this purpose, the spacer bar is designed so that it protrudes so far beyond the edge sleeve until the edge zones of its end face formed to fit the profile of the scaffold stand partially encompass the scaffold stand.

This extension of the spacer bar can also be pressed, welded or inserted into the sleeve as an additional element in cross section which is adapted to the profile of the spacer bar or the sleeve.

In another embodiment, the second locking device engaging in the sleeve of the connecting element is designed as a socket, for example as a pipe socket. This nozzle is welded with its end face to the surface of the scaffold stand with the spacer bar or the nozzle is otherwise attached to the scaffold stand or spacer bar.
The connection of the connection piece to the scaffold stand must be in the position that the connection piece can be pushed into the sleeve during assembly, ie the central axis of the connection piece and sleeve of the connecting element must match in the installed position.

Of course, both measures, that is, sockets on the scaffold stand and extension of the spacer bar beyond the sleeve, can be combined with one another in an adapted manner.

With this possibility to absorb additional horizontal transverse forces (pipe connection with coupling) the Connection solution consisting of a scaffold node and node connection element. in the extension of the central axis of the connecting element absorb forces that would otherwise shift laterally. Canting and deforming the wedge-shaped plug elements would cause above the pocket.

The bending moments achieved with the scaffolding construction according to the invention and the resulting vertical frame rigidity exceed the analog technical parameters of previously known modular scaffolding systems. The high connection rigidity achieved, which statically equates to full clamping, results in advantages of the new scaffolding construction, such as material and weight reduction, savings in vertical bracing, cost reductions, reduced assembly times and special design options based on the given high bending moments.

Fig. 1

Gerüstknoten mit Anschlußelement und Verriegelungseinrichtung - als Vorderansicht;

Fig. 2

Gerüstknoten nach Fig. 1
- als Seitenansicht;

Fig. 3

Gerüstknoten nach Fig. 1
- als Draufsicht;

Fig. 4

Ausbildung der Sicherungseinrichtung in axialer Verlängerung des Anschlußelementes;

Fig. 5

Gerüstknoten mit direkt aufgeschweißten Taschen.

The invention is described below using exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing. reference is expressly made to the rest of the details of the invention not explained in detail in the text. Show it:

Fig. 1

Scaffolding node with connection element and locking device - as a front view;

Fig. 2

Scaffold node according to FIG. 1
- as a side view;

Fig. 3

Scaffold node according to FIG. 1
- as a top view;

Fig. 4

Training of the safety device in the axial extension of the connecting element;

Fig. 5

Scaffold knot with directly welded-on pockets.

In Figures 1 to 3 and 5, the additional elements that are provided to absorb additional horizontal transverse forces between the scaffold stand and the respective connecting element are not shown.
1 shows the scaffold node 1 according to the invention with a node connection element 2 shown and the locking device 7, 13.

The scaffold node 1 has four cross-shaped pockets 8 which are welded to a tubular support segment 9.

The pockets 8 are U-shaped in cross-section with parallel side walls 18, the side walls having a trapezoidal shape to match the geometry of the wedge-shaped web 6 of the connecting element 2 inserted into the pocket in the case of assembly.

The scaffold node 1 is anchored at the desired height on the scaffold stand 3 and the connecting elements 2 are suspended by means of the wedge-shaped web 6.
Each connecting element 2 consists of a spacer bar 5 and the edge sleeves 4 carrying the webs 6.
The sleeves 4 are pressed onto the end of the spacer bars 5 and fixed in their position by punctiform beads 11.

On the material side, aluminum or steel is used for the spacer bars 5 and only steel for the sleeves 4 and webs 6.

The locking combinations required to ensure the necessary special case combinations with pipes and couplings necessary locking of the webs 6 of the connecting elements 2 in the pockets 8 of the scaffold nodes 1 by means of pipes and couplings is accomplished by introducing locking elements 13 into the web end 7 projecting beyond the underside 19 of the pocket.
For this purpose, a bore 12 is machined into the web end 7 at the bottom of the pocket 19, into which a suitable tapered pin or the like is hammered or pressed in as a locking element.

Another used with the tightening of the locking element 13 wedge effect is achieved by the special design of the pocket underside 19 in such a way that an acute angle α is present between this pocket underside 19 rising in the direction of the carrier segment 9 and the web end face.

FIG. 2 shows the scaffold node 1 according to FIG. 1 in a side view rotated by 90 °.

The locking element 13 can be seen to be secured by the fact that 13 holes 14 are made transversely to the longitudinal axis of the taper pin and a spring pin 15 can be inserted into the first hole after the taper pin has passed.

The anchoring of the scaffold node 1 at any height of the scaffold stand 3 can be seen from FIG. 3 - a plan view of an assembled scaffold node. For this purpose, the carrier segment 9 is provided with a longitudinal slot and a tensioning device 10 is provided on the carrier segment.

Fig. 4 illustrates two embodiments for recording Additional transverse forces on the wedge-shaped web (6) above the pocket (8) and their derivation in the scaffold stand (3).

This additional device provided for the special case (combination with pipes and couplings) serves to lock and position the connection element 2 on the scaffold stand 3 and acts on the scaffold stand 3 in the axial extension of the connection element by means of an additional element 16, 17.

In Fig. 4.1, this additional element 16 is realized by a tube piece inserted or pressed into the end face of the sleeve 4. The end face of the pipe section facing the scaffolding stand 3 is shaped in such a way that it abuts the scaffolding stand and partially encloses it.

In another embodiment variant according to FIG. 4.2, the connecting piece 17, which plunges into the sleeve 4 and is inserted into the sleeve 4 for the purpose of additionally locking the connecting element 2, is welded to the spacer bar.
In the installed position, the longitudinal axis of the pipe socket 17 coincide with the longitudinal axis of the connecting element 2.

5 shows an embodiment of scaffold node 1 and connecting element 2 with pockets 8 welded directly onto the scaffold stand 3 and webs 6 welded directly to the spacer bar 5. The spacer bar is slit in the middle in the axial longitudinal direction in the insertion area of the web.

Claims (10)

1. Joint and jointing element for scaffolding system with a star-shaped joint element (1) which can be mounted to a scaffold pole (3) ofthe scaffolding system and which has four pockets (8) into which wedge-shaped plug elements (6) engage which are attached to the jointing elements (2) within their end range in longitudinal direction and normal to the longitudinal axis of the jointing elements with the wedge-shaped plug elements (6) mounted at either end of each spacer rail (5) and the pockets (8) seating them have corresponding shapes, and with at least one opening (12) being made in the end (7) of the plug element protruding downwards beyond the bottom of the pocket (8) to take locking elements (13) in order to lock and to simultaneously brace the joints (1) and jointing elements (2, 5),

   and with additional elements being provided to take additional horizontal lateral forces between the scaffold pole (3) and the relevant jointing element (2, 5) to couple and, thus, block them wherein the wedge-shaped plug elements are made to be simple wedge-shaped webs (6), the web (6) being attached like a strut rail to the wall of the spacer rail (5) or to a sleeve (4) slipped over either end of the spacer rail,

   an acute angle a exists between the face (20) of the web (6) and the bottom (19) of the pocket (8), and the additional elements (16, 17), in the position of use, directly grip the scaffold pole (3) and partly embrace it.
2. Joint and jointing element of Claim 1,
   wherein each joint (1) is is made of a support segment (9) which corresponds to the section of the scaffold poles (3) and jointing elements (2), having a tubular or any other shape, and has a longitudinal slit or a clamping connection (10), with the four pockets (8) mounted to the support segment (9).
3. Joint and jointing element of Claim 1 or 2,
   wherein the side walls (18) of the pockets (8) are trapezoidal with a distance between the pocket bottom and the support segment (9) decreasing in the direction to the bottom (19) of the pocket (8).
4. Joint and jointing element of Claim 1,
   wherein in case of direct attachment of the web (6) to the spacer rail (5), the spacer rail is longitudinally slotted in axial direction within the plugging range of the web.
5. Joint and jointing element of Claim 1,
   wherein the end sleeves (4) with the webs (6) being slipped over the spacer rails (5) are welded to or pressed on these rails and are reliably blocked by subsequent spot beading (11) or other suitable measures.
6. Joint and jointing element of Claim 5,
   wherein the sleeves (4) are slotted in axial direction and, after the connection being performed, the web (6) is in the range of the slot.
7. Joint and jointing element of Claim 1,
   wherein in order to lock the locking element (13), holes (14) are made normal to the longitudinal axis or moving direction, respectively, of the locking element and, in the built-in condition, the first hole after penetration of the locking element (13) can take a spring bolt (15) or any other locking member if necessary, through the opening (12) in the end (7) of the web.
8. Joint and jointing element of any of the Claims 1 to 8,
   wherein the jointing elements (2) is additionally blocked to the scaffold pole (3) by the spacer rail (5) protruding in the direction of the scaffold pole (3) beyond the end sleeve (4) in a sufficient distance to embrace the scaffold pole (3) with the end zones of its face the section of which corresponds to the section of the scaffold pole (3).
9. Joint and jointing element of Claim 8,
   wherein the extension of the spacer rail (5) is plugged into the sleeve as an additional element (16) the section of which is matched with the section of the spacer rail or the sleeve (4), respectively.
10. Joint and jointing element of Claim 1 and 8,
    wherein the additional blocking engaging into the sleeve (4) is a socket (17) the face of which bears against the surface of the scaffold pole (3) and is welded to the spacer rail (5).

Images