EP1195478A1

EP1195478A1 - Hingable yoke for covering scaffoldings

Info

Publication number: EP1195478A1
Application number: EP01203765A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Marinus Cornelis Josephus Van Ginneken; Jacobus Frederikus Maria Koevoets
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-10-05
Filing date: 2001-10-04
Publication date: 2002-04-10
Also published as: NL1016335C2

Abstract

The invention relates to a yoke for covering scaffoldings, comprising two long poles and a bar hingedly connected thereto, wherein each pole can be connected to the scaffolding at different positions thereof by means of at least one clamp coupling, so that a flexibly adjustable covering system against bad weather conditions is obtained.

Description

The invention relates to a yoke for covering scaffoldings, comprising two long poles and a bar hingedly connected thereto.
Scaffoldings are generally employed to enable work to be carried out on an outside wall of a house or other building. Examples of such work are painting window frames and cleaning outside walls. Working outdoors in bad weather conditions such as cold, rain and hot sun can result in slowdown of the work and thus disrupt work planning. Because work is disrupted by unfavourable working conditions, much productivity is lost. A covering in the form of a tarpaulin can be provided on the scaffolding, so that work can continue during bad weather conditions.
Diverse coverings are known for this purpose, which are rather awkward to fix at great height. An example is known from the British patent application GB 2 283 046. Posts are mounted on the corner points of the scaffolding, while a bar is placed in each case between two posts. In order to adjust the angle of the bar relative to the outside wall, one of the posts is constructed from an inner tube which can slide in an outer tube. The tubes are provided with holes through which a pin can be placed in order to lock the position of the bar. The other post is a tube of fixed length. In order to position the bar from a downward sloping position to an upward sloping position, the adjustable post and the fixed post must be interchanged. It is therefore difficult to adapt the connecting constructions known from GB 2 283 046 to the situation.
The invention has for its object to provide a yoke with which a covering, such as a tarpaulin, can be fastened quickly, this being easy for one person to carry out. It must be possible to lower the covering quite easily when wind speeds are too high, so that risks are kept to a minimum.
According to the invention the yoke is characterized for this purpose in that each pole can be connected to the scaffolding by means of at least one clamp coupling. Clamp couplings ensure that the yokes can be fixed quickly and easily to existing scaffoldings. In addition, the clamp couplings can engage on the yoke and the scaffolding at different positions, so that a flexibly adjustable covering system is obtained. It is very well possible to continue working in bad weather conditions with the yoke according to the invention in combination with fine-meshed nets and/or tarpaulins.
According to the invention the poles are further preferably connected in non-releasably hinged manner to the bar with the purpose of making them mutually non-releasable and of facilitating adjustment of the yoke. The long poles have the purpose of using the flexible adjustability as optimally as possible. The bar is further provided with a curved part which can serve as anchor in a gutter or behind an edge of a flat roof.
The yoke is preferably constructed from existing scaffolding components, so that it can be fastened to all existing scaffolding components to form a scaffolding construction which can be completely covered.
The invention further relates to a scaffolding constructed from side frames and diagonal stays arranged therebetween, which is further provided with at least one yoke as described above. When a scaffolding is provided with two yokes which are each connected to the side of a side frame of the scaffolding, the scaffolding can be disposed relatively close to the outside wall without the yokes therein forming an obstruction at the position of the gutter or roof edge.
The one yoke is preferably connected on the outside and the other yoke on the inside of the scaffolding to the side frames thereof, so that the centre-to-centre distance remains equal and the same scaffolding tube dimensions can be applied.
The bars of the yokes can be mutually coupled by one or more stays to which a tarpaulin can be fastened.
Owing to the hinges between the poles and the bar and the flexible clamp couplings between the poles and the scaffolding, the yokes can be placed in any desired position, so that the yoke according to the invention can be applied very flexibly.
The invention will be further elucidated hereinbelow on the basis of an embodiment of the yoke according to the invention shown in the drawings. In the drawings:
Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a scaffolding with two yokes according to the invention, and
Figure 2 shows a detail view of the yoke shown in figure 1.
A yoke 11 for covering scaffoldings comprises two poles 1 which are mounted hingedly at 2 to a bar 3. A curved part 4 is arranged on bar 3. Curved part 4 can be lowered into a gutter 5 or the like in order to thus effect an anchoring. This anchoring contributes toward the stability of the scaffolding. Poles 1 are fixed to a scaffolding 7 by means of clamp couplings or swing clamps 6.
Scaffolding 7 is constructed from two side frames 10 and horizontal stays 12 and angled stays 13 arranged therebetween. In addition, one or more walk boards 14 can be provided between the side frames 10 of the scaffolding.
Yoke 11 can be fixed to scaffolding 7 in any position using clamp couplings 6 by placing one or both poles 1 high or low and connecting poles 1 vertically or at an angle to scaffolding 7. Because poles 1 are mounted hingedly at 2 on the bar, bar 3 can be placed at any angle relative to the outside wall 8. If a scaffolding 7 is placed such that a large space occurs between scaffolding 7 and outside wall 8, poles 1 can be placed inclining toward outside wall 8. Curved part 4 can be lowered in a gutter 5 at all times. If on the other hand the scaffolding 7 is placed against outside wall 8 and under gutter 5, poles 1 can be placed inclining rearward so that here also the curved part 4 can be lowered into gutter 5. A covering, such as a tarpaulin, is preferably arranged behind curved parts 4 in the gutter, so that the wind cannot pass beneath it.
By placing two yokes 11 on scaffolding 7, a connection can be made by means of one or more stays 12 so that a frame results on which covering material can be mounted. If a plurality of scaffoldings are placed adjacently of each other, they can be provided with extra yokes 11 in order to interconnect them with stays 12 so that a long frame is created and covering material can thus be attached over the entire width. A perfect covering from above thus results. If for whatever reason access must be provided to gutter 5, a plurality of poles 1 can be moved upward or downward without the entire frame having to be removed for this purpose. The length of poles 1 comes in useful here in the sense that a very large opening can be made.
Yokes 11 are fixed to scaffolding 7 such that already existing and available horizontal stays 12 and angled stays 13 can be fixed in close-fitting manner. This means that yokes 11 are fixed to the side of side frames 10 of scaffolding 7. In figure 1 this means that all yokes 11 are fixed to the left of side frames 10 of scaffolding 7. The centre-to-centre distance is herein left unchanged.
In the case of differing outside walls such as sloping gables, yokes 11 can be placed along the incline and then be connected to suitable stays 12.

Claims

Yoke for covering scaffoldings, comprising two long poles and a bar hingedly connected thereto, characterized in that each pole can be connected to the scaffolding by means of at least one clamp coupling.
Hingeable yoke as claimed in claim 1, wherein the poles are connected non-releasably to the bar.
Hingeable yoke as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein each pole is connectable to the scaffolding by means of two clamp couplings arranged at a mutual distance.
Hingeable yoke as claimed in any of the claims 1-3, wherein the bar is provided with a curved part for anchoring to a part of an outside wall on which work must be carried out.
Hingeable yoke as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the yoke is constructed from existing scaffolding components.
Scaffolding constructed from side frames and diagonal stays arranged therebetween, further provided with at least one yoke as claimed in any of the foregoing claims.
Scaffolding as claimed in claim 6, with two yokes which are each connected to the side of a side frame of the scaffolding.
Scaffolding as claimed in claim 7, wherein the one yoke is connected on the outside and the other yoke on the inside of the scaffolding to the side frames thereof.
Scaffolding as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherein the free ends of the bars of the yokes are coupled to at least one stay.
Scaffolding wherein the scaffolding is a rolling scaffolding or a stationary scaffolding.