US2396127A

US2396127A - Power-driven scaffold

Info

Publication number: US2396127A
Application number: US553593A
Authority: US
Inventors: Riblet Royal Newton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1944-09-11
Filing date: 1944-09-11
Publication date: 1946-03-05
Anticipated expiration: 1963-03-05

Description

. R. N. RIBLET '7 POWER DRIVENSCAFFOLD March 5, 1946. 2,396,127

Filed Sept. 11', 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l X I. I I

Iniventor (Ittotneg Patented Mar. 5, 1946 UNITED STATES A -Eur OFFICE POWER-DRIVEN 'SCAFFOLD g 7 Royal Newton RibletQSpokane, Wash." j application September 11, 1944, Serial No. 553,593

"This invention relates-toapower driven scar. fold and, more particularly to a scafiold elevator mechanism which may be rapidly and smoothly raised or lowered in use on the face of buildings, tanks or the like or which may be suspended relative to frame structures or bridges or hangers for cleaning or painting operations. j

It is an object of this invention to provide, in

power-driven suspended type elevator] cage, suspending chains "over which, .in, a double reverse bend thereof, the cage may be moved smoothly withoutrpossibilitytof slippage'or the application tndu we ht totheca i Another obiectof this invention isthe provision 'irieangelevatorjcage as pdescribed, of a" M I H i p v The foregoingobj'ects and others ancillary thereto I prefer to accomplish 'as follows:

According toa preferred embodiment of my invention, Iprovidean elevator cage having a working platformiincorporated therein. Above the platformin thecage structurel'mount a chain guide nieans,-either"'singly or in a'pair and the preferred form at "this time takes the shape of a tube extendingifro m above the platform to a point therebelow. :Belowthe, platform is mounted arpair' of chain pulleys one above th 'oth'er and one of these pulleys is connected operatively with means such as a; motor whereby the same is rotated "Such amotor is'us'ually of the-reversible type and control above-the-platform permits the user to selectively rotate'th'e motor, and hence, the connected pulleyr'as desired. A chain is suitably suspended overhead and passes through the cl'iainguid below and "around, a portion of thelower pulley'thenc'e up to and around and over the-upper Tpulley; from whence the free end depends; .:I have found it advisable from a safety standpoint toniploytwo such chairguides, chain and pull'ey assemblies both for stabilizing the cage and to insure smooth and even elevation 01' descent. 'In certain cases it'is practical to use a. wide working platform in order to cover 'a greater portion-o1 abuildingface or the like, in which'instanceswings areattached to either side ol' tliecageto extend the platform. Eachsuch 6 Claims. (01. 304-18) a wing has a chainguicle from which thesuspending chain passesfto the above described pair-fin the same manner as before. To facilitate the horizontal movement of the cage below a bridge like structure, a wheeled carriage-is used andlis so arrangedas tof roll uponv opposite sides of the web of I-beam or the like. Means is alsopro: vided for transferring the cage from oneside to the other side of an obstruction that might interferey with the clear track of the supporting I-beam; On the facesftof buildings or tank, lookouts are used tosupport the cage much in the manner that painters scaffolds are hung in position. .7

' The novel features thatI consider characteristic of the v, invention are set forthwith particularity in the appended claims. The invention, itself however, both as toits organization and its method .of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best beunderstood from the following description of sp cific embodiments when, read in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which 7 Figure lis a view .in elevation of my scaffold inposition as suspended from an overhead I- beami j v r Figure 2 is a" view taken on the plane of line 2-2 of Figure l;

i Figure 3 is an elevational view of my scaffold cage with lateral working wings attached there- Figure 415 a sectional view taken'along line 44 of Figure 3; and 1 Figure 5 is an enlargedfragmentary view of a portion of the elevator cage. I

A power-driven scaffold cage to overcome the prior art and'be fully useful must have at least two distinct characteristics; it must be capable of simpleandefiicient operation; and it must also be safe at all times irrespective of its vertical positioning. Accordingly, the preferred embodiment ,of the invention comprises the elevator cage H) which is formed of tubing assembled in the'form of frame-work of rectangular shape. At a mid-point vertically of the cage is the platform 12 upon which an operator will stand in using the device. Incorporated in the framework is chain guide means from above to below the platform, her being the pair of formed tubular members- 1'4, 15 which extend to the spaceunder the platform. "On the bottom side of the platform between the lower ends of tubes I4, I5 is "the cross-shaft 16 mounted for rotation in beafi'ngs wand having fixed chain pulleys 2o,

2i of the type designed to intimately receive and engage chain links.

Below each of the pulleys 20 and 2| are

second chain pulleys

22 and 23 respectively, which are also adjacent the lower end of the guide tubes [4, [5. It will be seen that each guide and one of each pair of upper and lower pulleys form a single assembly.

Chain 24 is led through guide tube I4 to pass below and around pulley 22 thence upward to pass over and around pulley 20 from which it then depends below the cage as shown. Similarly chain 25 passes through tube 1 5, around lower pulley 23, upper pulley 2! from which it likewise depends. In practice the two depending ends of the chain are joined into a continuous element to form a loop below the cage which will have weight to keep the chain in track with the upper pulleys.

Power is applied to the shaft l6 and pulleys 20, 2| by means of-motor 30, sheave 3!, drive belt 32, sheave 33, worm shaft 34, worm 35, and worm gear 36 which is keyed to shaft IS. The motor 30 is of the well-known reversible type and electric current is supplied thereto by cable 31 which is normally wired into circuit with th controller switch 38 accessible to an operator standing on the cage platform.

It will be seen that when the shaft 16 is caused to rotate the chain pulleys will pass chain thereover in either direction and that thereby the cage will be caused to climb or descend the chains. By having the chains spaced apart in pairs as shown in Figure 1 a certain stability against tipping of the platform is provided and with the chains lying close to the face of a building, the cage may not tip away therefrom because it will rest on such a face. Wheels 39 in such case roll on the building or structure face and reduce friction as the device moves upward or downward. When it is desired to broaden the working platform, wings 40 and 42 are attached to the sides of the cage ill in cantilever fashion by means of pins 44 passing through ears 45 on the cage and ears 46 on the wings. The wing 40 has a guide tube 48, and wing 42 has tube 49 through which the

chains

24 and 25 respectively have been led after first having been removed from tubes l4 and I5. Idler pulleys 50, are associated with tubes 48, 49 respectively and the chains each pass over one of these and thence to the lowermost pulleys mounted under the platform, By thus moving the chains outward the base is broadened and tilting is precluded even though theworkman may stand atone outer end of the planking 43 used in the wings.

In supporting the cage from a building or tank structure the conventional look-outs are employed whereas when'it is desired to suspend the device from a bridge-like structure in which there is an I-beam, as 60 in Figures 1 and 2, I use a carriage having wheels 63 mounted on

cheek plates

64 and 65, the latter of which is hinged at B6 to swing to the dotted line position of Figure 2 when the hasp 61 is raised from looking position with respect to dog 68. The carriage is thus openable when it is to be engaged on or removed from the lower flanges of an I-beam.

In one of the cheek plates of the carriage is mounted the sheave over which passes rope H one end of which hangs free and the other end of which is coupled to member 12 having the enlarged head 13 and from which depends the eye 14 into which is engaged the hook 1-5 to which are coupled thechains 2.4 and 25. When the 6 6? is being rigged to a beam or to a look-out the chain will be hooked to eye 14 when the head 13 is out of engagement with the spring-pressed jaws 11. By pulling on rope H the member 12 is raised drawing with it the chains until the head passes above the jaws 11 where it will be locked in place. Then by operating the motor to rotate the

pulleys

22 and 23 the cage will climb the chains thus suspended.

Occasionally it is necessary to transfer the device from one side of an obstruction beam 6| standing out from a side of beam 60 to the other side. In that case I use the clamp bracket 80 which has an anchor cable 8| which is engaged over hook 82 of the cage In. The cage is then let down until the weight is taken on line 8! and the cage hook is disengaged from eye 14 by means of rope 84 and its hook 85 whereupon the hook 15 is transferred to pin 85 temporarily, The

carriage 62 is then opened as has been described and transferred by the operator past the obstruction and re-engaged on the I-beam. Again the cage is hooked to the carriage and the cage is ready for further use.

While I have shown and described particular embodiments of my invention, it will occur to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention and I, therefore, aim in the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a scaffold of the suspendedly supported power-driven type, an elevator cage having a platform; a chain guide above said platform; a pair of chain pulleys one above the other both mounted below said platform; a suspended chain passing from said guide to below and around the lower pulley of said pair thence over and around the upper pulley from whence the free end depends therebelow; a second similar chain guide spaced horizontally from the first named chain guide on the opposite side of the center of said platform, and a pair of pulleys and chain roved therearound and over and disposed in like relation to said platform; and means for simultaneously rotating a like pulley of each pair whereby the elevator cage climbs or descends said chain.

2. A scaffold of the suspendedly supported power-driven type, comprising: an elevator cage having a platform, wing platforms extending outward from either side of said cage, a chain guide on each said wing above said platform, a first pair of chain pulleys one above the other and both mounted below said platform, a second similar pair of chain pulleys mounted below said platform adjacent said first pair, a suspended chain passing from one said guide to below the lower pulley of the. first said pair thence around the same and over and around the upper pulley of the same pair from whence the free end depends therebelow, a second suspended chain passing from the other said guide to the lower pulley of the second pair thence therearound and over and around the upper pulley of the same pair from whence the free end depends therebelow, and means for rotating one of the pulleys of each said pair whereby the elevator climbs or descends said chain.

3. A scaffold of the suspendedly supported power driven type comprising. an elevator cage having a platform, a pair of spaced apart tubular chain guides extending from above the cage to below the platform, a pair of chain pulleys mounted one above the other on said cage beneath the platform adjacent to the lower end of each chain guide, a suspended chain passing through each guide to below and around the lower chain pulley of the adjacent pair thence over and around the upper chain pulley of said pair from whence the free end of the chain depends therebelow, and means to rotate the upper pulleys in unison whereby the elevator cage lower chain pulley of the adjacent pair thence over and around the upper-chain pulley of said pair from whence the free end of the chain de-' pends therebelow, wing platforms extending outward from either side of said cage, a chain guide on each wing above said platform whereby the having a platform, and a framework around the platform, a pair of tubular guides for flexible suspension members such as chains, extendin from above the cage to below the platform adjacent to the ends of the cage, pulleys adjacent to the lower ends of said guides and below the platform for directing the suspension members laterally beneath the platform, said cage having a power drive unit mounted thereon intermediate its'ends and spaced from said pulleys, the platform extending over said power drive unit and the framework extending beneath the power drive unit, the power drive unit having a single shaft carrying pulleys for receiving both of the suspension members.

6. A scaffold of the suspendedly supported power driven type comprising-an elevator cage having a platform, wing platforms extending outwardly from either side of said first platform, frame members carrying the three platforms and projecting thereabove, providing the side walls of said cage, the intermediate frame members carrying the first named platform extending below the platform and providing asupport be- 'neath the platform for power driven means to wings may likewise be guided by suspendedchains, and means to rotate the upper pulleys in unison whereby the elevator cage climbs or descends said chains and is held substantially level thereby. I

5. A scaffold of the suspendedly supported power driven type comprising an elevator cageoperate the scaffold, tubular chain guides mounted adjacent to the outer ends of said wing platforms and extending from the level of the top of the frame members downwardly below the platforms and pulleys beneath the platforms for directing suspension members such as chains from the guides to the power driven means.

ROYAL NEWTON RIBLET.