US2559696A - Trestle bracket - Google Patents

Description

Juiy 10, 1951 J ANDERSON 2,559,696

' TRESTLE BRACKET Filed July 11, 1947 Patented July 10, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRESTLE BRACKET John E. Anderson, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application July 11, 1947, Serial No. 760,333 v This invention relates to a device for constructing a scalfold or scafiolding support for a horse. Such a support or horse commonly comprises a top supporting member usually rectangular in transverse cross section and a pair of leg members adjacent each end of said top members, said legs usually diverging and also usually being made of members rectangular in cross section.

It is an object of this invention to provide a very simple and efiicient device for receiving the said top member and leg members together with means for holding said top and leg members in position.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a device comprising a member having a. channel extending longitudinally therein, said channel facing upwardly and having means such as a plate extending across the top thereof, means such as wedges engaging said channel and top member for forcing the latter against said means for holding said top member in position, casings extending downwardly in diverging relation respectively at the sides of said member, said casings being adapted to receive the upper ends of the legs of said support or horse, together with means for holding said legs in position.

It is another object of the invention to provide such a device comprising a member having a central channel extending longitudinally thereof, a plate extending across the top of said channel and being disposed in'a plane at an angle to the bottom of said channel, said channel being adapted to receive the top member of said support or horse, a wedge movable along the bottom of said channel and engaging said top membeer to force the same against said plate, casings extending downwardly in diverging relation respectively at the sides of said member, said casings being substantially rectangular in transverse cross section, having open bottoms and being adapted to receive the upper ends of the legs of said support or horse and wedges engaging the said legs and one side of said casings respectively for holding said legs in position.

It is still further an object of the invention to provide such a device as set forth in the preceding paragraph in which said wedges have slots in the sides engaging said member and said member has legs or tongues disposed in said slots respectively for guiding and holding said wedges.

It is also an object of the invention to provide such a device as above set forth in which one or mor of the wedges used are of rectangular shape 2 Claims. (Cl. 304-5) 2 in transverse cross section save for an opening at one side thereof.

These and other objects and advantages'of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a View in side elevation of a horse or scafiolding support assembled in the device of this invention;

'Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation of said device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of one end of said scaffold or support and said device;

- Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of the device of this invention removed from the scaffold or support;

Fig. 5 is a view partly in and elevation of the device, some parts being broken away and others shown in vertical section; and

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken substantially on line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings a device is shown comprising a member I 0. Member it! will be made of suitable metal, such as steel or aluminum, and may be made either as a casting or of welded parts. Said member comprises a channel Illa the sides of which are vertically or upwardly directed and in the embodiment of the invention illustrated said channel is for the most part open at its upper end. Said channel has one or more portions or plates extending across its top and as illustrated there are two of said portions, lilb and llic respectively. The sides of the channel Illa are'higher at one end and portions 10b and I00 are disposed in a plane making an acute angle with the bottom of said channel. The bottom of said channel has a raised or thickened portion 10d extending from one end of member I!) and a lug lile of general T-shape extends upwardly from one end of portion ltd. A wedge II is disposed over portion lfld and while this wedge might be variously formed, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated it is shown as rectangular in'transverse cross section save for an opening or slot Ila at one side thereof through which the narrow portion of lug Hie extends. The side of wedge l I, which is at right angles to its end, engages portion Hid so that the upper side of said wedge is inclined to the bottom of channel Illa or to the top of portion Hid. Wedge I l is preferably provided with one or more pointed projections Ilb on its upper or inclined side. .Said Wedge also has a lip Ilc projecting from its lower side and said wedge has a hole I Id extending through its upper side. The channel Na, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is adapted to receive the top member T of the scafford support or the horse. Member EU has casings l secured to the sides respectively of channel "la and extending downwardly in diverging relation. Casings iiif are substantially rectangular in transverse cross section. One of the narrow sides [0g of each casing I01 extends substantially at right angles to the bottom of channel [8a while the other narrow side lflh extends at a slight angle to the side my and diverges from side lflg downwardly. Casings illf are open at their hottoms but have plates or flanges lfli extending partway across the tops thereof. The narrow sides [by and H371. are preferably provided with lugs or thickened portions [0 9, and lugs IOIc of general T-shaped form in cross section project upwardly from the sides lOh at the lower ends thereof. A wedge i2 is adapted to slide along side [Oh and the side of wedge 12 which is at right angles to its end is disposed opposite to the side which slides along the side ifih. Wedge i2 is also rectangular in transverse cross section, as shown in Fig. 6, and lug [07s projects into the slot at the side l2a of wedge i2. Wedge i2 has a projecting lug or lip [22) at its large end and is provided with one or more somewhat pointed projections (20 at the side opposite side lZa. Wedge i2 is also provided with a hole iZd-ad jacent its large end which hole extends through the side opposite side i2a. The slots or openings Ila and the similar opening I20 in wedges l2 terminate short of the ends of the wedges so that the wedges are held in place by the lugs we and [We respectively. The openings Ha and I26 can expanded to permit entry of lugs We and liik and then again closed. The slots Na and 12c also act as guides for the wedges as they move relatively to lugs ifie and idle.

In operation the member T which as stated forms the top member of the scafiord support and the longitudinal member is disposed in the channel Ilia, the same extending under portions 531) and H10. When the members are in proper position, wedges H will be driven inwardly and the top sides thereof .will force member T against portions Nib and We so that the member T will be very tightly clamped in place. The portions Hb bite into the member T, which latter member is usually a wood timber such as 2 x 4. If desired, a nail can be driven. through hole Hid to insure that wedge i I will not move outwardly. This is really not necessary however. When wedge H is driven into place, member I0 is turned or canted in position on member T, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the casings 10f extend downwardly and toward the ends of member T. The leg members L are now placed in casings 10 through the open lower ends thereof. These leg members may be inserted until they strike the flanges Hit. The wedges l2 will now be driven upwardly or inwardly into the casings l0 and will wedge members L tightly against the side mg. The projections I2c will bite into the leg members L and the latter will be very seourely held in place. If desired, a nail can be driven through hole 201 to make sure that the wedges l2 will not move outwardly of casings N31. The members T and L are now very securely held and members L, as do casings I01, extend downwardly and toward the end of member T. Two of the members H) are commonly used, as shown in Fig. l, and the leg members L thus diverge downwardly. These leg members L also diverge downwardly when seen from the end of the support, as shown in Fig, 2.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided a very simple yet highly elficient device for holding the top member and leg members of a scaffold support or horse. The member i0 is reinforced at the point where the wedges engage the same by the portions Md and ii. This insures that there will be no iracturing of member Hi by action of the wedges. The wedges can be easily released by striking the lips or lugs He or 12b with a suitable implement, such as a hammer. Members T and L can be very easily and quickly placed and clamped in position. They can also be easily and quickly released. The device has been amply demonstrated in actual practice, found to be very successful and efiicient and is being commercially made.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which generally stated, consists in a de vice capable of carrying out the obiects above set forth, in th parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A device for constructing a scafiold support having in combination, a member comprising a channel adapted to receive the top member of said scafiold support, said channel being open at its top except for spaced narrow portions extending over the top of said channel at the ends thereof, a wedge engaging the bottom of said channel and having one side engaging the bottom of said top member for forcing said top member against said portions to hold the same in place, said wedge having a slot in the other side extending longitudinally thereof and said bottom having a lug of T-shape in cross section projecting into said slot for retaining and guiding said wedge, casings of rectangular cross section comprising long and short sides at the respective sides of said channel, said casings having sides at the long sides of said rectangle diverging from said channel, one side at the short side of said rectangle being perpendicular to the bottom of said channel and the other side at the short side of said rectangle being at an acute angle to the bottom of said channel, leg members in said casings, wedges disposed in said casings having one side engaging said latter sides at the short sides of said rectangles respectively and having their other sides engaging the leg members for forcing said members against the former of said sides at the short sides of said rectangles respectively.

2. A device for constructing a scaffold support having in combination, a member comprising a. channel adapted to receive the top inember of said scaiiold support, said channel being open at its top except for spaced narrow portions extending over the top of said channel at the ends thereof, a wedge engaging the bottom of said channel and having one side engaging the bottom of said top member for forcing said top member against said portions to hold the same in place, casings of rectangular cross section comprising long and short sides at the respective sides of said channel, said casings having sides at the long sides of said rectangle di verging from said channel, one side at the short side of said rectangle being perpendicular to tively, one side of each wedge having a slot ex- Number Name Date tending longitudinally thereof and said latter 1,597,555 Tolmie Aug. 24, 1926 sides respectively having lugs of T-shape in cross 2,501,656 Anderson Mar. 28, 1950 section respectively projecting into said slots for 1 retaining and guiding said wedges, and said 0 FOREIGN PATENTS wedges having straight sides engaging the leg Number Country Date members for forcing said members against the 1, Great Britain V- 3 'former of said sides at the short sides of said 535,146 France eb- 1922 rectangles respectively. 15

a 5 6 the bottom of said channel and the other side at the short side of said rectangle being at an F ENCES CITED acute angle to the bottom of Said Channel leg The following references are of record in the members in said casings, wedges disposed in me of this patent;

said casings having one side engaging said latter 5 sides at the short sides of said rectangles respec- UNITED STATESPA'I'ENTS JOHN ANDERSON.

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