GB2197357A - Staging comprising framing partly nestable within a similar frame - Google Patents

Abstract

A frame is provided for supporting staging. The frame comprises two parallel spaced apart aligned elongate side members 2, with two end leg assemblies 3 being provided adjacent the ends of the side members. The dimension of at least one end leg assembly in a direction transverse to the axis of parallism of the side members is less than the distance between the parallel side members. Thus a plurality of the support frames may be readily stacked, in a manner in which one frame is partly nestable within another (Fig. 6). Each support frame is provided with means for releasably mounting a platform member on the support frame. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in relating to staging The present invention relates to staging, and more particularly relates to staging which is formed from a number of component parts.

It has been proposed previously to provide staging, which can be used, for example in educational establishments. Prior attempts to provide such staging have, however, encountered two difficulties. In prior proposed arrangements where rigid frames are utilized, when the staging is dis-assembled, the staging occupies a significant storage space. However, if collapsible frames are utilized, then the job of assembling and disassembling the staging is very time consuming.

The present invention seek to provide a staging system in which the above-descibed disadvantages of the prior art are obviated or reduced.

According to this invention there is provided a frame for supporting staging, said support frame comprising two parallel spaced apart aligned elongate side members, two end leg assemblies provided at or adjacent the ends of said side members, the dimension of at least one end leg assembly in a directibn transverse to the axis of parallelism of the side members being less than the distance between said parallel side members, so that a plurality of said support frames may be readily stacked, each support frame being provided with means for releasably mounting a platform member thereon.

Preferably there is at least one intermediate leg assembly located between said two end leg assemblies, the dimension of the or each intermediate leg assembly in a direction transverse to the axis of parallelism of the side members being less than the distance between said parallel side members.

Preferably each leg assembly consists of a substantially square or rectangular frame.

Conveniently the or each intermediate leg assembly is provided with means to permit engagement between the said frame and another identical frame superimposed thereon.

Preferably each intermediate leg assembly comprises a square or rectangular frame, the upper rail and the lower rail of the frame defining an aperture, the aperture in the upper rail of the frame being adapted to receive a locking spigot, the upper end of the locking spigot being receivable in the aperture formed in the lower rail of the said intermediate leg assembly of the framework to be superimposed thereon.

Advantageously the means to mount a platform member theron comprise a plurality of elements of hook or loop material secured to the frame cooperable with corresponding pads of hook or loop material mounted on the platform element.

Alternatively the means to mount the platform therein comprises one or more pegs on the frame engageable with one or more corresponding holes or recesses in the platform The invention also relates to in combination with a platform element having a width substantially equivalent to the space in between said side members and a length substantially equivalent to the distance between said end leg assemblies.

The invention further relates to such a frame in combination with two channel members, each channel member being dimensioned to receive part of the frame and each channel member being provided with at least two castor wheels or the like thereon to facilitate movement of a frame supported by said channel members.

The invention additionally relates to a staging comprising a plurality of support frames in combination with a plurality of platform elements.

Preferably some of said frames are of one height, and some others of said frames are of a different height.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, and so that further features thereof may be appreciated, the invention will now be descibed, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a support frame of a staging system in accordance with the invention and a platform member for cooperation with the frame, FIGURE 2 illustrates a composite staging made from a plurality of frames and platform elements as shown in figure 1, FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing an interconnection between two adjacent support frame members, FIGURE 4 is a view illustrating a first support frame being superimposed upon a second lower support frame, FIGURE 5 is a perspective view showing a wheel ed channel for connection to a support frame, FIGURE 6 illustrates support frames being stacked in horizontal orientation, and FIGURE 7 illustrates support frames being stacked in a vertical orientation; and FIGURE 8 illustrates an alternative way of mounting a platform on a frame.

Referring to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, a staging in accordance with the invention is made up a plurality of separate support frames, and a typical support frame 1 is illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings. Support frame 1 consists of two opposed longitudinally extending parallel side members 2, each fabricated of square section metai tube. The two side members are spaced apart, and extending between the side members, at each end of the side members, is the uppermost rail 3 of an end frame 4 which effectively define the legs at the ends of the support frame 1. Each end frame 4 is square or rectangular and is fabricated at square sectioned tube. However, it is to be observed that the width of each end frame 4 is less than the spacing between the two opposed side members 2.

Located at two intermediate points between the end frames are two further intermediate frames 5, of the same shape as the end frames 4, and of the same size, which also define legs for the support frame 1. The intermediate frames 5 each have a central vertical additional square section tubular member 6, and an aperture 7 is formed in the upper cross member of each intermediate frame 5, aligned with the member 6, and a similar aperture is provided in the lower cross member of each intermediate frame 5, for a purpose that will be described herein after. It will be seen at the uppermost part of the support frame is constituted by the two side members 2 and the uppermost bars 3 of the end frames 4, and the upper bars of the intermediate frames 5 are also coplanar with this upper part of the support frame.

Mounted on the upper part of the support frame 1, at appropriate locations, may be small pads of 8 of hook or loop material, located to cooperate with correspondingly located pads 9 of locp or hook material (the hook and loop material may be such that sold under the registered trademark VELCRO) which are adhered on the underside of a platform member 10 which can conveniently have a size equal to the size of the top of the support frame 1 as defined by the side members 2 and the top bars 3 of the end frames 4.

The platform member 10 can thus be secured to the top of the framework, and the framework and the platform element will constitute part of a staging. The platform member 10 may be of faced blockboard, faced chipboard, thick plywood or other suitable material.

Figure 2 illustrates a typical staging made from support frames as shown in figure 1, and it can be seen that the staging incorporates two adjacent rows of support frames 1, each with the platform elements 10 mounted on top, and a further row of slightly taller frames 11, again with staging elements on top. The resultant staging is thus a "stepped" staging, and it is to be appreciated that frames in accordance with the invention may be supplied in different widths and heights to enable different designs of staging to be created.

When a plurality of support frames 1 are located immediately adjacent one another, for example in the staging illustrated in figure 2, it may be convenient for adjacent frames 1 to be fastened together before the platform elements are located in position. Figure 3 illustrates a "u" shaped clip 12 which can be utilized to embrace and secure together the adjacent side rails 2 of two adjacent support frames 1.

The clip 12 can be clipped into position to resist any tendency of the frameworks to move or "walk" apart.

Figure 4 shows how two support frames 1 may be stacked one above the other. The lowermost frame 1 has round tubular elements 13 inserted in the apertures 7 formed in the upper-cross members of the intermediate frames 5. The tubular elements 13 have a central collar 14 which rests on top of the upper rail of the intermediate frame 5, whilst part of the tubular member 13 is located within the central vertical part 6 of the intermediate frame 5.

The upper frame 1 may then be lowered into position, with the upper part of the tubular member 13 being received in an aperture formed in the underside of the lower crossrail of each intermediate frame 5, the upper-part of the tubular member 13 thus being received within the hollow interior of the central vertical member 6 of the intermediate frame 5 of the upper support frame 1. The frames may thus be mounted together and may thus be utilised to form a relatively high part of a staging.

Figure 5 illustrates a component for use with a frames as described above. The component consists of a "U" shaped channel 15 provided with two caster wheels 16 connected to the base of the channel. The channel thus presents an open trough which is dimensioned to receive the square sectioned tubing utilized to fabricate the frame 1. The frame 1 may thus be positioned with selected lowermost parts of the frame received within the channel 15 of the illustrated device, and in a corresponding channel of another such device, the frame then being supported on four caster wheels 1 6 and being easily moveable.

It is envisaged that the channel members and associated wheels will be used particularly when the frames are to be stacked together, as will now be described.

It will be appreciated that since the end frames and the intermediate frames each have a width which is less than the space between the side members 2, when the frames do not have the platform elements mounted thereon, the frames may be stacked together to form a compact stack. Figure 6 shows a plurality of frames being stacked together, after the platform members have been removed from the frames. It is to be noted that as the frames are stacked a first frame is mounted on to channels 1 5 as described above, so that the resultant stack will be readily moveable. A next or second frame is then lowered into position, with each of the end frames and 4 and each of the intermediate frames 5 offset to a slight extent to one side of the corresponding end and intermediate frames of the first frame 1.The second frame is then low ered until the side members 2 of the upper frame engage the side members 2 of the lower frame The two frames are thus stacked together. Further frames may easily be lifted into position in a corresponding manner and the stack gradually becomes higher and higher. However, the stack is still compact, and the complete stack may easily be moved on the described wheeled channels 15.

The platform members may be stacked separately, again forming a compact stack. In addition to the frames 1 beirig stackable in a horizontal position as described in reference to figure 6, it will be appreciated that the frames 1 may also be stacked in a vertical position, as illustrated in figure 7. If the frames 1 are to be stacked in a vertical position, initially the wheeled channels 15 are mounted on one end frame 4 of a support frame 1, the frame 1 being mounted in such a position that the side members 2 extend vertically upwardly.The next frame in the stack is then presented to the first frame mounted on the wheeled channels 15, with the lowermost end frame of the second frame being located just above the lowermost end frame of the first frame, and thus with the intermediate and upper frames also being located just above the corresponding intermediate and upper frames of the first support frame. The second frame is then brought into alignment with the first frame, so that the side members of the second frame move past the intermediate frames and the upper end frame of the first frame, until they are abut the side members 2 of the first frame. The second frame is then firmly stacked with the first frame, and subsequently additional frames may be added to the stack in a corresponding manner.

The frames stack easily because at least one end frame and the intermediate frames have a lesser total width than the spacing between the side rails of the frames. It is envisaged that embodiments of the invention may be fabricated with different leg arrangements.

Figure 8 illustrates a modified embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment of the a support frame 1', which is similar in all major respects to the frame 1 described above has an upwarrdly directed peg 16 which is welded or otherwise secured to the uppermost rail 3' of the end frame 4' of the support frame 1'.

A corresponding peg would be provided at the other end of the frame 1'. The platform element 10' for use with the frame is provided with a recess or aperture 17 therein to engage the peg 16. The platform 10' may thus be mounted on the support frame 1' merely by lowering the platform into position with the pegs 16 aligned with the recesses or apertures 17. The platform may easily be lifted off the support frame 1' when the support frames are to be stacked up.

The platform may be reversible, with the two sides having different characteristics. For example one side may be carpeted and the other side may have a block matt finish.

Claims (15)

1. A frame for supporting staging, said support frame comprising two parallel spaced apart aligned elongate side members, two end leg assemblies provided at or adjacent the ends of said side members, the dimension of at least one end leg assembly in a direction transverse to the axis of parallelism of the side members being less than the distance between said parallel side members, so that a plurality of said support frames may be readily stacked, each support frame being provided with means for releasably mounting a platform member thereon.

2. A frame according to claim 1 wherein there is at least one intermediate leg assembly located between said two end leg assemblies, the dimension of the or each intermediate leg assembly in a direction transverse to the axis of parallelism of the side members being less than the distance between said parallel side members.

3. A framework according to claim 1 or 2 wherein both end leg assemblies have a dimension in the direction transverse to the axis of said side members less than the spacing between said side members.

4. A support frame according to claim 2 or 3 wherein each leg assembly consists of a substantially square or rectangular frame.

5. A support frame assembly according to claim 2 or 4 wherein the or each intermediate leg assembly is provided with means to permit engagement between the said frame and another identical frame superimposed thereon.

6. A support frame according to claim 5 wherein each intermediate leg assembly comprises a square or rectangular frame, the upper rail and the lower rail of the frame defining an aperture, the aperture in the upper rail of the frame being adapted to receive a locking spigot, the upper end of the locking spigot being receivable in the aperture formed in the lower rail of the said intermediate leg assembly of the framework to be superimposed thereon.

7. A support frame according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the means to mount a platform member thereon comprise a plurality of elements of hook or loop material secured to the frame cooperable with corresponding pads of hook or loop material mounted on the platform element.

8. A support frame according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the means to mount the platform therein comprises one or more pegs on the frame engageable with one or more corresponding holes or recesses in the platform.

9. A support frame according to any one of the preceding claims in combination with a platform element having a width substantially equivalent to the space in between said side members and a length substantially equivalent to the distance between said end leg assemblies.

10. A support frame according to any one of the preceding claims in combination with two channel members, each channel member being dimensioned to receive part of the frame and each channel member being provided with at least two castor wheels or the like theron to facilitate movement of a frame supported by said channel members.

11. A staging comprising a plurality of support frames according to any one of claims 1 to 6 in combination with a plurality of platform elements.

12. A staging according to claim 11 wherein some of said frames are of one height, and some others of said frames are of a different height.

13. A support frame for a staging substantially as herein described with reference to, and as is shown in, the accompanying drawings.

14. A staging substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

15. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.