US2444122A

US2444122A - Scaffold for builders

Info

Publication number: US2444122A
Application number: US684679A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wahl Joseph
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-07-19
Filing date: 1946-07-19
Publication date: 1948-06-29
Anticipated expiration: 1965-06-29

Description

June 29, 1948. v JFWAHL 2,444,122

scAFFoLb FOR BUILDERS Filed July 19, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 roe-r1101- Jase vir wa 717 9 WW June 29, 1948. WAHL 2,444,122

SCAFFOLD FOR BUILDERS Filed July 19, 1946 :s Sheets-She et 2 June 29, 1948. J. WAHL.

I SCAFFOLD FOR BUILDERS.

:s Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed. July 19, 1946 :5 Q i 6 m mmh a Q Q o o i H v a 2 3 3 R n a R an gal T Patented June 29, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SCAFFOLD FOR BUILDERS Joseph Wahl, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Application July 19, 1946, Serial No. 684,679

. 4 Claims. 1

My invention comprehends the novel construction and arrangement of an apparatus for laying conventional building blocks, and aims to provide a scaffold structure having a carriage operable on a track for carrying blocks from a source of supply and depositing them in laid position in the erection of a wall or walls of a building.

The invention further comprehends an apparatus of this character in which the carriage is provided with a gripper in the form of depending jaws for entering an aperture in a block in order to grip the block by a spreading action brought about by a device which spreads the jaws into engagement with wall-surfaces of said aperture.

. The jaws are mounted on the carriage by a device by which they are lowered and raised for picking up a block from, a supply station and lowering it into position on a wall in the laying of a course of blocks. This relieves the workman of the arduous task of picking up a block by hand and carrying it to the place where it is required to be placed and then further handling it in the laying operation.

Additionally, the invention includes in its novel features the provision of a scaffold made up of similar sections which are erected at the side j of a foundation for a building to extend partly or substantially completely around the same. The scaffold-sections comprise vertical slides at their ends which are raised and lowered by means of winches and provided with platform elements for, the workmen so that they may stand at a "convenient elevation for applying mortar and performing other work incidental to the laying of blocks. The slides are also provided with overhead rails for the carriage, and preferably there is supplied a double rail so that when a block has been delivered the carriage may be transferred from one rail to the other in order that it may be returned for reloading while another block is being delivered by a second carriage.

This expedites the laying of blocks.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a selected embodiment of the block-laying apparatus which is described in detail in the ensuing specification and more particularly defined in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of 'a fragment of the scaffold apparatus showing a complete section with one carriage, it being understood that other sections are of a similar construction.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. is a perspective view depicting on an enlarged scale the upper part of a slide which is guided on an end member of the scaffold section and is provided with an arm for support of the rails.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view depicting on a like scale the lower part of the slide of Fig. 3 and showing it provided with an arm for support of the platform.

Fig. 5 is a front end view of the arm of Fig. 4 showing a splice plate slidably mounted thereon for joining adjacent ends of planks which comprise the platform. 4

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the carriage, on an enlarged scale, depicting it on one of the two rails and indicating the gripper in a raised position and also in a lowered position, the lowered position being shown in dash lines. 4

Fig. 7 is a plan view of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an end view of Fig. 6 and depicts a building block in cross section in full lines.

Fig. 9 is a cross section of the gripper device taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters, it will be seen that the apparatus comprises a scaffold of the skeletal type commonly used in association with the erection of a building. The scaffold is made up of a plurality of similar sections or units which are erected at the site of the building in proximity to the walls to be built of building blocks. The number of sections or units employed for a given buildingwill of course depend upon the length of the component walls relative to the individual length of said sections or units. The sections or units will rest upon the ground and be of a suitable height, and also adapted to be extended in height by the addition of similar units thereto, all of which l is of well-known practice and will be well understood by those skilled in the art.

Each section or unit comprises spaced front uprights l0 and spaced rear uprights ll joined to compose a unitary assembly by means of cross pieces l2 and struts or braces l3. The sections or units are erected in spaced endwise relation, and adjacent sections or units are joined by similar cross pieces, denoted at M in Fig. 1.

The front uprights ll] of each section of the scaffold are fitted with vertical slides I5. Each slide is interfitted with a front upright by an approved connection, denoted at H5 in Figs.

3 and 4, by which it is endwise slidable on ways I! preferably formed by a T-shaped cross section with which the upright is provided. The slide is suspended by a cable l8 passed arounda pulley l8 at the top of the section and secured at 3 an end to the slide with the other end connected to a winch H1. The winch is preferably mounted on a forwardly extended arm 20 and is turned by the hand crank 2| for winding the cable on the drum element 22 having the usual ratchet 23 and dog 24.

The arm 20 is rigid with the slide and serves to carry a hanger 25 which is loosely engaged so that it can be positionally changed along the length lof th arm for the purpose ihereinaiter explained. Said hanger is supplied'with'spac'ed straps 26 having inturned lower ends which form seats 21 for abutting ends of rail-lengths Z8 and 29. The rails consist of lengths of angleziron' and the one length 29 is extended from one to the other of the slides on the scaffol'dsec'tion or unit and is secured on the seats 2110f :therhangers 25 by bolts or like fastening elements 30, The other rail-length 28 is similarly extended between'the slides on the scaffold section and secured on seats ofthe hangers -25 "by-fastening elements-see Fig.

The seats 21 also serve The support abutting -.ends of rail-length, :denoted by :31 in :Figs. 1,72

and 3, which extend to an adjacent scaffold section so as to provide :a continuous trac-kway .;alongside of'a wall of :a building.

'Theslid'es l of the sca'fiold section or .unit are provided with rigid arms 32 forwardlylextended from their lower .ends .for .the .supportao'f a plat- .rformxor cat-walk 'for the workmen. These .arms

are somewhat shorter than the .arms 20 .=.and.are provided with splice plates 33nfi'gi'd withsad'dl'es .zit l :l'oosely seated on .the arms L32 and retained -':to support abutting ends :of :planks, as .at 3B,

which extend to adjacent scaffold sections so as to provide :a continuous platform beneath .the

rails.

From "the precedingidescriptionrit.willrbe;manifest that there is provided :a sectional scaffold with supper "rails and a lower platform, and .one

which can 'be readily .erectedgonagjob and dis- :mantled when .the job iszfinished. The rails and tplatformare unitary .and canbe elevated :by-the winches on the .slides. 'WQr kmenLstandingmn-the platform operate the Winches.

.The carriage is denoted .as a whole'zby the numeral .3! and is provided with grooved wheels 38 .;by which it is :suited to travel on one of :the

smile, .and .also provided with oppositely located wheels 39 by which it is suitedto travel on the other rail. To .this end it is :disposed :between the rails with the wheels .at either side so that 'a workman. may readily liftitfrom -.one trail to the other. One-0f :the :ra'ilslis :usedlforadlivery of blocks from a pile :or :s'tacktto zthe situation of placement inith'e erection of'zazwall. 'Ifhe other rail is used for (return :of the :carriage .twhen unl'oaded. .Any number :of carriages .may be lemployed .andtthe'.rails;should be .spacedapart :a zdi'stance sufficient :to apermit'a carriagezonone rail to pass acarriage :on the other .rail. flbviously iagsinglemailzmay-be employedfifeopdesired.

The carriage is :provided with za 'gripp'er :for

cgripping "the :usual i building blocks, indicated at sill. 'llhe gripper comprises.a:pair;of;jaws 4.|;pivotl :ally depending frorna swivel :memberdz having va-transverse:axis1S3 by whichit is attachedlto the iin'termediate portion :of ;a horizontally-arranged alatching :lever M. The jaws M are .adapted :to aentel'ythe central opening vinabuilding blockzand,

4 are expanded into gripping engagement with the wall surface thereof by means of a spreading device. The spreading device desirably consists of a wedge 45 having inclined faces which are engaged with inclined inner faces 46 provided on the jaws. The wedge is actuated by a hand lever 41 fulcrumed on the swivel member 42 and connected to the same by means of a link 48. In the arrangement shown, the hand lever 41 is raised ;tO.SpI-=Ba,diI}h jaws and reverselyimovedto release them. Other arrangements could be resorted to without departing from the invention.

The latching lever 44 is pivoted to one end of the-carriage as indicated at 49 so as to swing downwardly and is latched to the other end of the carriage by a catch 5|] pivoted at 5| and engaged withapin or other keeper 52. The free end of the'latching lever has a hand grip 53 and rtheacatch has a grip 54. Accordingly, a workman standing on the platform can readily take hold of the latching lever and release the-catch inorder tollower the gripper.

.In .the use of the apparatus the sectional scaffold is set up alongside of the building site with-one or more carriages on the rails. .Atone part or endof the scaffold there ;provideda feeding station (not shown) at which .a pile .or stack of blocks are deposited .and :at which a workman loads a -.carriage. For this :purpose blocks lmay beplacedpnithe lpl'atform at'the feed- .ing station or they maybe placed .on a lift which can Lbe raised according to the height :of the platform. The hangers are so positionedilaterally .of the scaffold that the carriage, when mounted "on the "front rail, will suspend a block directly .over the wall to be laid. Adjustment of the hangers isefiectedby shiftingthem onthearms '28 as previously recounted, The platform 'ior'the workmen is disposed inwardly -of the-carriage and at a "height most convenient for -the-laying of the blocks. In the use of the carriage it "is first disposed over 'a blockto be 'picked'up from the source of supply and the lever 44 is'unlatched to lower the gripper so that the "jaws "can be engaged in the block as above described. IThe block is gripped "byspreading :the jaws and then the'lever isra'ised and latched for carrying the block .to its destination whereupon it .is lowered by the latching .lever to situate it in the wall struc'turelin bonded disposition without the-workman having toli'ft itlinto-place. .All-the Workman has .to .do .is .to .inortar each course and plumb theblocks. .The slidesrareelevated .bythe winches .to progressively-elevate the erails and 'platform. The carriage is propelled by hand and whendt rhastbeen relievedof 1a blocklit is transferred-from one rail to the other ands-returnedwfor another :block.

The advantages and utility .of the invention will be readil apparent and .it will-the manifest that the apparatus ,Tgreatly facilitates :and expedites the laying of blocks .with ,-an attendant 'savsing. in labour cost. The :rails .may have curved sections for turning [of :the zcarriage ;at a corner of the building, or i021 thecth'er :hand:aG-yl Sy structure, .an overhead rail :supported thereby, .a carriage for traversing the rrail, an'd .a gripper comprising relatively movable jaws depending from the carriage with distaleends adapted to .enter :a hole in.:a block, and .a hand-:operated wedge for spreading said free ends of the jaws in order to grip the block.

2. In apparatus of the kind described, a scaffold structure, an overhead rail supported thereby, a carriage for traversing the rail, and a gripper comprising coacting jaws pivotally depending from the carriage and having distal ends for entering a hole in a block, a wedge disposed between said distal ends and having inclined faces engaged with similar faces thereon, and a handlever mechanism for shifting the wedge for spreading said distal ends into gripping engagement with said block.

3. In apparatus of the kind described, a scaffold structure, an overhead rail supported thereby, a carriage for traversing the rail, and a gripper comprising a swivel member on the carriage, a pair of jaws pivotally depending from the swivel member for entering an aperture in a block, said jaws having inwardly disposed inclined faces, a wedge engaged with said faces, a handlever pivoted on said swivel member, and a link operably connecting the wedge to the handlever for spreading the jaws to grip the block.

4. In apparatus of the kind described, a scaffold 6 structure, a spaced pair of rails supported thereby, a carriage disposed between said rails having a lateral set of wheels for traversing one of the rails and having an opposite lateral set of wheels whereby it may be transferred to the other rail for traversing the same, and a gripper suspended on the carriage by a connection including means by which it may be lowered and raised.

JOSEPH WAHL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 530,389 Brooks Dec. 4, 1894 845,936 Edwards Mar. 5, 1907 1,171,580 Atterbury Feb. 15, 1916 1,565,454 Hoisington Dec. 15, 1925 2,369,727 Falkner Feb. 20, 1945 FOREIGN PA'I'ENTS Number Country Date 494,148 Germany Mar. 19, 1930