EP3299542A1

EP3299542A1 - Folding scaffold

Info

Publication number: EP3299542A1
Application number: EP16190237.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Alfredo Sallustio
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2016-09-22
Filing date: 2016-09-22
Publication date: 2018-03-28

Abstract

A folding scaffold (1) comprises two pairs of side uprights (2, 3) and a pair of central uprights (4), a pair of platforms (5, 6), a double pair of crossbeams (7, 8), a double pair of telescopic diagonal rods (9, 10) hinged between each pair of side uprights (2, 3) and the pair of central uprights (4) for clamping and stabilizing the platforms (5, 6) and the uprights (2, 3, 4). The double pair of crossbeams (7, 8) is hinged in the vicinity of the upper ends of the central uprights (4), and the platforms (5, 6) are hinged to the two pairs of side uprights (2, 3) and the pair of central uprights (4), in a manner that the side uprights (2, 3) are maintained parallel to the central uprights (4) in folding the scaffold (1).

Description

The present invention concerns a folding scaffold that can be used in buildings.
Temporary scaffolds of this type require long setup times for obtaining a perfect assembling so as to consequently assure full safety for the workers. These times are further prolonged by the need of providing for the complete disassembling and successive re-assembling of said scaffolds when they are to be moved to a different working place.
The problem of the long setup times of said temporary scaffolds was overcome by using folding scaffolds which do not require assembling and disassembling operations and therefore result in being easily movable from one to another working place.
Folding scaffolds are known in particular from US patents No. 3,105,572 , No. 3,312,305 and from GB patent No. 2251019 A .
US 3,105,572 describes a folding scaffold wherein side uprights are interconnected by telescopic diagonal arms with a central yoke and by an upper spacing brace. The uprights are provided with both free and lockable pivoting wheels.
US 3,312,305 describes a folding scaffold having a double couple of side uprights that are provided with pivoting wheels and interconnected by lower tilting platforms, upper tilting arms and intersecting telescopic struts, the folding of said scaffold being obtained by the mutual juxtaposition of said side uprights. GB 2251019 A , which is considered the closest prior art, describes a folding scaffold in which side and central uprights are provided with pivoting wheels and interconnected by lower tilting arms and upper tilting platforms, said scaffold being folded by the mutual juxtaposition of said side uprights to said central uprights.
The folding scaffolds described in US 3,105,572 , US 3,312,305 and in GB 2251019 A have some structural problems and drawbacks in their use.
The folding scaffold described in US 3,105,572 needs intersecting telescopic arms and provides a low platform for the workers. Therefore, its use is very poor. The scaffold described in US 3,312,305 has uprights acting as rung ladders, but is without platforms for the worker and parapets as safety means.
The scaffold described in GB 2251019 A is not stationary in its working position as its pivoting wheels at the base of each upright transform the scaffold into a carriage. Further, the upper tilting platforms are without safety parapets for the worker.
It is the aim of the present invention to overcome the above mentioned inconveniences of the prior art.
The aim of the invention is obtained by means of a folding scaffold according to claim 1.
Further features of the folding scaffold according to the invention are described in the dependent claims.
The present invention mainly meets the need to provide a folding scaffold that can be easily managed by a single worker also in particular narrow or uneven working places.
Further, the invention meets the contemporary needs to provide a folding scaffold that may be easily managed by a single worker in all steps of use such as folding, transport and further unfolding. The folding scaffold may be quickly set up for use, and comprises in its structure platforms for the support of the workers. It meets high levels of structural solidity and stability and therefore of safety for the workers themselves.
Further features and advantages of the present invention will be explained more in detail hereinbelow, with drawings that show preferred embodiments thereof by way of example in which:

figures 1 and 2 show, in axonometric and front views, a first embodiment of a folding scaffold according to the invention in open and closed positions, respectively; and
figures 3 and 4 show, in axonometric and front views, a second embodiment of a folding scaffold according to the invention in almost open and closed positions, respectively.

Referring now to figures 1 and 2, a folding scaffold 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention comprises:

a double pair of side uprights 2, 3 and a pair of central uprights 4, rungs P connecting the uprights of each pair;
a pair of platforms 5, 6 for the support of workers, the platforms connecting the pairs of side uprights 2, 3 to the pair of central uprights 4;
a double pair of crossbeams 7, 8 for spacing and contemporarily aligning the pairs of the side uprights 2, 3 to the pair of central uprights 4;
a double pair of telescopic diagonal rods 9, 10 for clamping and contemporarily stabilizing the pair of side uprights 2, 3 and platforms 5, 6 to the pair of central uprights 4; and
a pair of wheels 11.

The platforms 5, 6 are placed between uprights 2, 3, 4 generally in median portions between upper and lower ends thereof and hinged to said uprights 2, 3, 4 by means of threaded rods 12, 13 (numbered but not shown in the figures) inserted in correspondent holes 14 provided on said uprights.
The crossbeams 7, 8 are placed nearby the upper end portions of uprights 2, 3, 4 and hinged to said uprights by means of bolts B1. The crossbeams 7, 8 act as parapets for the workers.
Telescopic diagonal rods 9, 10 are placed between the lower end portions of the side uprights 2, 3 and the median portions of central uprights 4, and are hinged to the side uprights 2, 3 by means of bolts B2 and to the central uprights 4 by means of threaded rods 13.
The telescopic diagonal rods 9, 10 comprise linear elements 15, 16 with male-female structure, of the same length, and the male element 15 is slidable with self-locking mode in the corresponding female element 16 containing it.
The threaded rods 12, 13 and the bolts B1, B2 provide for the support or the connection of the respective components of the folding scaffold thereto without blocking the lifting or rotation movements thereof
The wheels 11 are unidirectional and placed below the end portions of only the side uprights 3 that are suitably chamfered.
The above mentioned components are made of light metal materials, preferably but not exclusively, steel, aluminium or similar.
The folding operation of the scaffold 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described below.
The worker leans the side uprights 2 of the unfolded scaffold 1 against a wall or similar in the working place, and then applies a gentle upward push to central uprights 4 with his/her left hand and a contemporary gently inward push to side uprights 3 with his/her right hand.
The joint action of said pushes causes the raising of the central uprights 4, the raising and the contemporary inward rotation of the platforms 5, 6 and of crossbeams 7, 8 between the respective threaded rods 12, 13 and the respective bolts B1, and the maximum extension of telescopic diagonal rods 9, 10 between threaded rods 13 and bolts B2 is obtained. This favours the mutual and contemporary approach of side uprights 2, 3 and their consequent abutment to central uprights 4, as shown in figure 2 that is a front view of the first embodiment of the folding scaffold in closed position.
Thus, the scaffold 1 will be completely closed again, in a way similar to a rung ladder and stably leaned against said wall or similar.
The worker tilts lightly the scaffold 1 closed only on side uprights 3 in order to displace easily it to a new place of use, with the help of the wheels 11 placed below the end portions of the same.
The inclination of the closed scaffold 1 on wheels 11 may be freely varied by the worker so as to favour the passage under hanging obstacles in the working place; also the direction in which the closed scaffold 1 is to be moved on said wheels 11 may be just as easily managed by the worker so as to help avoiding obstacles on the plane of the working place.
These operations are favoured by the chamfered end portions of side uprights 3, which prevent counterproductive contacts with the plane of the working place. Once the new place of use has been reached, the worker leans the side uprights 2 of the closed scaffold 1 to a wall or similar by applying then a gentle outward push to side uprights 3 with his/her right hand.
The joint action of said push and of the force of gravity causes the lowering of central uprights 4, the lowering and the contemporary inward counter-rotation of platforms 5, 6 and of crossbeams 7, 8 between the respective threaded rods 12, 13 and the respective bolts B1, as well as the minimum extension of telescopic diagonal rods 9, 10 between threaded rods 13 and bolts B2, thereby favouring the mutual and contemporary removal of side uprights 2, 3 from central uprights 4, as shown in figure 1.
Now the scaffold 1 is completely unfolded, with the uprights 2, 3, 4 stably blocked and resting onto the plane of the working place, and thereby ready for use in complete safety.
During the described opening and closing steps of scaffold 1, platforms 5, 6, crossbeams 7, 8 and telescopic diagonal rods 9, 10 perform contemporary and specular movements, dictated by the connections given by the threaded rods 12, 13 and by the bolts B1, B2, such as to determine contemporary and specular approach or removal movements of side uprights 2, 3 with respect to central uprights 4.
Furthermore, during above mentioned steps of opening and closing of the scaffold 1, the platforms 5, 6, the crossbeams 7, 8 and the telescopic diagonal rods 9, 10 determine a constant vertical alignment of uprights 2, 3, 4, that remain parallel. In this way any mechanical locking of the scaffold 1 is prevented, consequently favouring a perfect abutment of the side uprights 2, 3 to the central uprights 4.
Finally, during the above mentioned opening step of said scaffold 1, each male element of the diagonal telescopic rods 9, 10 simultaneously ends its run close to the threaded rod 13 for the connection of the correspondent female element 16 to central uprights 4, and thus prevents possible misalignments or unbalancing of the scaffold 1, and in the same time providing a further element of rest and support to the platforms 5, 6.
In a second embodiment of the scaffold 1, shown in an axonometric view in figure 3, the same reference numerals of the first embodiment are used for designating equal or similar parts. Differently from the first embodiment, the telescopic diagonal rods 9, 10 are placed between median portions of side uprights 2, 3 and the lower portions of central uprights 4. The telescopic diagonal rods 9, 10 are hinged to the side uprights 2, 3 by means of threaded rods 12 and to the central uprights 4 by means of bolts B3.
The folding of the second embodiment of the scaffold 1 can be summarized as follows.
By holding central uprights 4 with one hand the worker separately applies gentle upward pushes to side uprights 2, 3 with his/her free hand.
The action of said pushes, shown by arrows without reference numeral in figure 3, separately causes the raising of side uprights 2, 3, the raising and the contemporary outward rotation of platforms 5, 6 and of the crossbeams 7, 8 between respective threaded rods 12, 13 and the respective bolts B1, the extension of telescopic diagonal rods 9, 10 between threaded rods 12 and bolts B3 and thus the respective approach and following abutment of side uprights 2, 3 to central uprights 4, as shown in figure 4 that is a front view of the second embodiment of the folding scaffold in closed position.
Once the scaffold 1 is folded, the worker may reciprocally secure uprights 2, 3, 4 by means of blocking hooks (not shown) and then move the scaffold to a new place of use by means of wheels 11, situated laterally to the end portions only of central uprights 4, that favour their inclination and avoid counterproductive contacts with the plane of working place during the movement.
It is obvious that the worker is now able to again unfold the scaffold 1 by performing all described operations in a reverse order.

Claims

A folding scaffold (1) comprising
- two pairs of side uprights (2, 3) and a pair of central uprights (4) having upper and lower ends, each pair having two uprights joined together by rungs (P),

- a pair of platforms (5, 6) for the support of workers,

- a double pair of crossbeams (7, 8) for spacing and contemporarily aligning the uprights,

- a double pair of diagonal rods (9, 10) hinged between each pair of side uprights (2, 3) and the pair of central uprights (4) for clamping and stabilizing the platforms (5, 6) and the uprights (2, 3, 4),
characterized in that the diagonal rods (9, 10) are telescopic, the double pair of crossbeams (7, 8) is hinged in the vicinity of the upper ends of the central uprights (4) by bolts (B1), and the platforms (5, 6) are hinged to the two pairs of side uprights (2, 3) and the pair of central uprights (4) by means of threaded rods (12, 13) inserted in holes (14) of the side uprights (2, 3) and central uprights (4) in an intermediate position between their upper and lower ends, in a manner that the side uprights (2, 3) are maintained parallel to the central uprights (4) in folding the scaffold (1).
The folding scaffold (1) according to claim 1, in which the diagonal rods (9, 10) have one end hinged in the vicinity of the lower ends of the side uprights (2, 3) by bolts (B2), and the other end hinged to the central uprights (4) via the threaded rods (13) inserted in the holes (14) on the central uprights (4).
The folding scaffold (1) according to claim 1, in which the diagonal rods (9, 10) have one end hinged in the vicinity of the lower ends of the central uprights (4) by means of bolts (B3), and the other end hinged to the side uprights (2, 3) via the threaded rods (12) inserted in the holes (14) of the side uprights (2, 3).
The folding scaffold (1) according to claim 2, wherein one of the pairs of side uprights (2, 3) has inside chamfered lower ends in which unidirectional wheels (11) are inserted.
The folding scaffold (1) according to claim 3, wherein each lower end of the pair of the central uprights (4) has laterally a unidirectional wheel (11).