GB2127124A

GB2127124A - A fitting for anchoring scaffold tubes to fixed structures

Info

Publication number: GB2127124A
Application number: GB08320434A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Finlay Colin Turner Mclay
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-07-28
Filing date: 1983-07-28
Publication date: 1984-04-04
Also published as: GB2127124B; GB8320434D0

Abstract

A fitting for anchoring a scaffold tube to a fixed structure eg a wall comprises a tubular body (5) one end of which is provided with a support member (6) carrying a threaded rod (7) for engagement in a receiving socket in the wall of a building. The threaded rod (7) may be fixed to the support member (6), or threadedly mountable therein eg in a nut welded to the support member. The fitting allows variability in lengthwise connection of the scaffold tube i.e. variable offset distances from the fixed structure, and also permits the scaffold tube to be fastened in position at any orientation with respect to the fixed structure than heretofore possible with known fittings. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A fitting for anchoring scaffold tubes to fixed structures FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a fitting for anchoring scaffold tubes to a fixed structure such as a building or the ground.

BACKGROUND ART A known method of anchoring a scaffold tube to a fixed structure involves the use of an eye or ring bolt which may be screwed into a receiving socket in the fixed structure. A scaffold tube is then passed through the ring bolt and secured thereto by a standard scaffold coupling.

Another known method involves the use of a bolt which is also screwed into a receiving socket in the building structure, the connection between the bolt and the scaffold tube being made by the use of a half scaffold coupling which swivels on the bolt, so that the scaffold tube can be held in a variety of orientations.

These known methods have various disadvantages, amongst which is the limitation of lengthwise adjustment of connecting positions of the scaffold tube along the fitting.

Furthermore all existing fittings tend to allow a degree of longitudinal, and sometimes transverse, play between the fitting and the captive scaffold tube, and in most cases operate under tension and not compression, so being less safe than otherwise desirable.

Finally existing fittings have limitations in terms of the angles of orientation of the scaffold tubes that may be connected to them in practice.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to provide a fitting for anchoring a scaffold tube to a fixed structure which does not have the aforementioned disadvantages.

According to the invention there is provided a fitting for anchoring a scaffold tube to a fixed structure comprising an elongate member adapted for use with a standard scaffold coupling to anchor a scaffold tube thereto an any angle orientation to the fixed structure, said member having a threaded rod portion extending from one end of said body for screwable engagement in the fixed structure.

An advantage of this arrangement is that it becomes freely possible to attach a scaffold tube to the fitting at any longitudinal positition using a greater variety of connecting angles to the existing structure by means of standard scaffold couplings than heretofore possible.

Preferably the threaded rod is welded to a cross bar within the tubular body set at a diagonal such that the threaded rod portion can be positioned on the central axis of the tubular body. The cross bar in this arrangement is inset a short distance from one end of the tubular body.

In another preferred arrangement, a nut is welded to the cross bar, either on its interior or exterior face, such that the threaded rod can be screwed first into the fixed structure, and the tubular body set in position by engagement of the nut with the threaded rod so mounted.

This latter arrangement is of considerable advantage in terms of cost efectiveness, in that the main portion of the fittings can then be re-used, since the threaded rod set into the fixed structure can be discarded after use, or on being damaged, and the tubular body portion with the nut used in conjunction with a new piece of threaded rod.

The point should also be made that the fitting as outlined above, acts, in use, under both tension and compression, and the safety factor of the fitting is higher than that of the fittings of the prior art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other features and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following description of a preferred way of carrying out the invention, taken with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 are diagrammatic representations of two known fittings for anchoring a scaffold tube to a fixed structure; Figure 2a is a sectional view through a fitting according to one embodiment of the invention; Figure 2b is a sectional view along the line A-A of Figure 2a; Figure 3 shows the fitting of Figure 2 in place in a fixed structure and provided with a plastic end cap to protect the surface of the building structure; Figure 4a is a sectional view through a fitting according to another embodiment of the invention; Figure 4b is a sectional view along the line A-A of Figure 4a;; Figure 5 shows the fitting of Figure 4a fixed to a building structure and provided with an end cap to protect the surface of the structure.

Figure 6 is a sectional view through a fitting according to a further embodiment of the invention; Figure 7 is a sectional view through a fitting according to another embodiment of the invention; and Figure 8 illustrates the use of the fitting according to the invention for anchoring a scaffold structure to a building and ground.

BEST MODES OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION To illustrate some problems which the present invention has been designed to overcome, it would be helpful to consider two known devices or fittings for anchoring a scaffold tube to a fixed structure, these being shown in Figure 1.

One such known fitting comprises an eye or ring bolt screwed into a receiving socket in a building 2.

The central axis of the eye bolt lisa fixed distance off the face of the building 2, and this distance is therefore not variable. In use a scaffold tube is inserted through the ring bolt 1 and anchored in place using a suitable scaffold coupling.

Another known device as shown in Figure 1 comprises a bolt 3 swivelably carrying a half scaffold coupling 4, such that a scaffold tube inserted through the coupling can be held in place thereby.

Both the above two described known fittings have distinct limitations mainly in respect of the nonvariable position in which the scaffold tube may be held from the face of the building, and in the use of standard scaffold couplings and consequently the orientations of the scaffold tube. Moreover there is an undesirable degree of play between the fitting and the captive scaffold tube.

The scaffold fitting according to one embodiment of the invention designed to overcome these problems, is shown in Figure 2a and 2b, and comprises a short length of scaffold tube 5 having a cross bar 6 welded in position within the tube at an inset distance dfrom one end thereof.

The cross bar 6 is positioned on a diagonal of the tube 5, and a threaded rod 7 is welded to the cross bar 6 to lie on the central axis of the scaffold tube piece 5.

The cross sectional view shown in Figure 2b, along the line A-A of the scaffold fitting of Figure 2a, illustrates the setting of the cross bar 6 within the tube 5.

The fitting as above described, is shown in Figure 3, fixed in position to a building 8. To avoid the possibility of the tube 5 marking the face of the building 8, a plastic end cap 9 is placed over its operating end as shown.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 4a and 4b, those parts in common with the fitting of Figure 2a, have been assigned similar reference numbers.

Thus in Figure 4a the cross bar 6 is provided with a hole on the axis of the tube 5, and a nut 11 welded to the bar 6 such that the axis of the nut 11 and that of the bar 10, are in alignment. Athreaded rod 12 is provided for screwably mounting in the nut 11 to complete the fitting.

In use the threaded rod 12 is separately screwed into a receiving socket in a fixed structure, and the tube 5 thereafter screws onto the rod 12 via the nut 11.

As in the Figure 2a embodiment, the end of the tube 5 bearing the cross bar 6 and nut 11 can be provided with a plastic end cap 13 to protect the face of the building structure. This is illustrated in Figure 5.

The embodiment shown in Figure 6 comprises a tubular part 14 which is preferably a stub scaffold tube, one end of which is closed by a circular plate 15 welded to the tube 14.

A bolt 16 passes through the plate 15, the axis of the bolt lying on the axis of the tube 14. The bolt 16 is welded to the plate 15.

Instead of a fixed bolt 16 a nut 19 may be welded to the interior face of the plate as shown in Figure 7 and on the axis of the tube 14, the screwable portion of the fitting being provided by the insertion of a screwed rod (not shown) inserted in the nut 17.

Alternatively the bolt 16 of Figure 6 may be loosely mounted through the plate so that fitting can take place by the use of a torque wrench inerted through the tube 14. This avoids overstraining the fitting when mounting to a fixed structure.

A use of the fitting acccording to the invention is shown in Figure 8. The fitting F, which may be any one of the embodiments above described, is screwed into the wall W of a fixed structure and/or the adjacent ground G. The scaffold structure S is then anchored in position through scaffold tubes P engaging couplings C on the fittings F.

A plastic end cap may be placed over the operating end of the fitting as in the Figure 3 or 5 embodiments.

Claims

1. A fitting for anchoring a scaffold tube to a fixed structure comprising an elongate member adapted for use with a standard scaffold coupling to anchor a scaffold tube thereto at any angle of orientation to the fixed structure, said member having a threaded rod portion extending from one end of said body for screwable engagement in the fixed structure.

2. Afitting as claimed in claim 1 wherein said elongate member is a portion of scaffold tubing and the threaded rod portion is attached to an internal diagonally positioned cross bar at one end of said tubing, the cross bar being inset from said one end.

3. A fitting as claimed in claim 2 wherein a nut is mounted to the exterior face of said cross bar, the threaded rod being screwably mounted to said nut, a hole in said cross bar in alignment with the nut to allow said threaded rod to pass therethrough and interiorly of said tube.

4. A fitting as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein an end plate is attached over the face of one end of said elongate member, a said threaded rod portion being attached to said plate.

5. A fitting as claimed in claim 4 wherein said plate is provided wth a hole axial with the axis of said tube, a nut mounted on the interior face of said plate, said threaded rod portion passing through the hole in said plate screwably to engage said nut.

6. A fitting as claimed in claim 4 wherein said plate is provided with a hole axial with the axis of said tube, and a bolt is mounted in the hole with its threaded shank extending from the plate.

7. A fitting as claimed in any preceding claim provided with a plastics end cap fitted over said end of the tubular body, with said threaded rod portion projecting through said end cap.

8. A scaffold fitting comprising an elongate member to which can be anchored a scaffold tube at any orientation using a standard scaffold coupling, and means at one end of said member for receiving a threaded rod portion which can be screwably mounted to a fixed structure, thereby to attach the fitting to said structure.

9. A fitting as claimed in claim 8 wherein said elongate member is a length of scaffold tubing, a plate at one end of said tubing and a nut on said plate for receiving said threaded rod portion.

10. Afitting for anchoring a scaffold tube to a fixed structure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 2 through 8 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A scaffold fitting substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.