US2720430A

US2720430A - Portable scaffolding folding unit

Info

Publication number: US2720430A
Application number: US281582A
Authority: US
Inventors: Victor W Meng; Arthur C Borgman
Original assignee: PATENT SCAFFOLDING CO Inc
Current assignee: PATENT SCAFFOLDING CO Inc
Priority date: 1952-04-10
Filing date: 1952-04-10
Publication date: 1955-10-11
Anticipated expiration: 1972-10-11

Description

Oct. l1, 1955 v. w. MENG Erm.

PORTABLE SCAF'F'OLDING FOLDING UNIT 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April l0, 1952 Oct. 11, 1955 v. w. MENG Erm. 2,720,430

PORTABLE SCAFFOLDING FOLDING UNIT Filed April 10, 1952 4 sheets-Sheet 2 l Z .5A/o 70 g'g .5W/N6 90 I Hauff? To I 33a fe/'l' ATORIVEY Oct. 11, 1955 v, w. Ml-:NG ETAL 2,720,430

PORTABLE SCAFFOLDING FOLDING UNIT Filed April 10, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Z' l ,Z9/3f ,94,

'rl I 4 IN VEN TOR; a

OCI. 11, 1955 v w, MENG ETAL PORTABLE SCAFF'OLDING FOLDING UNIT 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 10, 1952 United States Patent O PORTABLE SCAFFOLDING FOLDING UNIT Vi'ctor W. Meng, New Hyde Park, and Arthur C. Borgmau, Franklin Square, N. Y., assignors to The Patent Scaffolding Co., Inc., Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 1o, 1952, serial No. 281,582

2 Claims. (c1. 304-2) This invention relates to portable scaffolding folding units.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and convenient folding units, in which end frames are folded in respect to the basic or front frame, in book cover like fashion, whereby the parts remaining Vertical are under control of the operator during the folding operation.

The invention consists in the combination of a basic or front frame, end frames each pivotally connected with an end of said basic frame, a platform member, to hold the end frames in operative position, and a stepladder withinthe end frames foldable to vertical position adjacent said end frames when said end frames are folded in respect to the basic or main frame while the main or front frame remains in vertical position.

Various embodiments of suchinventions have been described showing the manner in which said principle of the invention is carried out.

The invention will be further described, embodiments shown in the drawings, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. l is a perspective view of the improved scaffolding unit;

Fig. 2 isa top view of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a front view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a right end View of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a detail left end View of the hinge side;

Fig. 6 is a sectional View on line 6-6 of Fig. 3, of larger scale;

Fig. 7 is a top view when said unit isin folded position showing one end frame folded over one side of the base frame, and the other end frame folded over said end frame;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a modified form of the unit; and

Fig. 9 is a top View of the parts of Fig. 8 when in folded position, showing one end frame folded over one side of the base frame, and the other end frame folded over the other side of the base frame.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout.

Referring to the drawings, a base frame A has at one end a short bracket 11 extending inwardly thereof, and at the other end a longer bracket 12 also extending inwardly therefrom. Each of the

brackets

11 and 12 are secured as by welding, to the

uprights

13 and 14, respectively, of the base frame A.

Triangular plates

15 and 16 are secured as by welding to the

uprights

13 and 14, and to the top horizontal bar 17 joining the

uprights

13 and 14, a like bar 18 joining the lower ends of the

uprights

13 and 14. These two horizontal bars 17 and 1S, and the

uprights

13 and 14 secured to their ends form the base frame A.

Each of the

brackets

11 and 12 have a pivot pin 19, and a shoulder 20.

Two end frames B and C are provided. Each consists of an upright 22, and an upright 23 of smaller length, with ice two horizontals 24 and 25, joining said uprights to form a frame entity. The

horizontals

24 and 25 extend beyond the upright 23, and are each provided with a hollow crcular member 26 having a bore 27 for the entry of the corresponding pivot pin 19 of the base frame A, which member 26 rests on the shoulder 20 of the brackets 11.

A stay bar 28 of any angular direction is provided in each of the end frames B and C, for strengthening the same.

A top platform frame D in the embodiment shown has a horizontal 30, having at each end a paw like member 30a, and 30h, each partially embracing the top horizontals 24, so as to be readily detachable. From said horizontal 30, two horizontals 3'1 and 32 extend to the top horizontal 17 of the base frame A, and have hinge members 33 surrounding the horizontal 17 which hinge member 33` may, however, be also paw like members to provide for detachability, so that the top platform frame D formed of said horizontal 30and horizontals 31 and 32, may be detached, if desired, as shown in Fig. 8.

Strengthening horizontals 34 and 35 are arranged parallel with the horizontal 30. In the embodiment shown, the platform frame D, permits, as known, plywood sheetings to beplaced thereon, to form the platform for the feet of the workmen. Being known, these Wooden plankngs are not shown.

The horizontal 31 is spaced from the horizontal 24 of the end frame B, and the horizontal 32` is spaced from the horizontal 24 of the end frame C, a greater distance, to permit for a space 4t), corresponding approximately to the width of a step ladder E,.which has its lower end 42 hinged to the lower horizontal 18 of the base frame A, and has at its other or top end 43, paw like members` 44 detachably engaging` the top horizontal 30 of the platform D.

With the parts arranged as described, a facile foldingis provided. Referring to Fig. l, the upper end ofthe stepladder E is disengaged from the horizontal 30 of the platform frame D, and is swung on its lower end flat against the` horizontal 171of the base frame. The platform D is then detached in its entirety or swung on its hinge members 33, the horizontal acting` as a pivot shaft down wardly until substantially llat with the base frame A.

Any braces such as 50 and 51, as known, are now removed.

This leaves the end frames B and C free. The` end frame Bis now swung against the inner part of the base frame A, and the end frame C is then swung 90 towards and over the end frame B, as shown in compacted form in Fig. 7. Thereby, the scaffolding unit may be readily transported in book like folded position.

Referring to the embodiment of Fig. l, if it be desired to place the stepladder in a different position, that is, instead of parallel to the end frames B or C, to place it at right angle to the base frame B, it is only necessary to provide a platform D, in which the horizontal 32 is shifted in parallelism to the horizontal 24 and close to it, so as to eliminate the space 40. The paws 44 of the stepladder are then placed on the horizontal 31 adjacent the base frame A, and the lower end hinged to the lower horizontal 25 of the end frame C. The stepladder is then folded against the horizontal 40 closely adjacent the horizontal 24, and into a vertical position substantially parallel with the end frame C, and on folding the ladder is swung with the end frame C over the end frame B as described.

Telescopic joints, well known, and not shown, may be added to the top of the uprights, to enable one unit to be superposed on the other.

In Fig. 8 is shown a perspective View of a. modied form of hook type scaffolding unit. The reference characters which are like those of the preceding figures are marked with an a, and as the detail views of Fig. 1, make clear the principle of the invention, such detail views are not repeated for the embodiment of Fig. 8, save that in Fig. 9 the compacted form is shown.

The base frame Aa has the end frames Baand Ca pivotably secured thereto. The platform member Da is hinged by the hinge members 33a to the horizontal 17a, but these may be replaced by paw like members, if it be desired to have the platform detachable to reduce the lifting weight of the compacted form.

The horizontal 30a has at one end a paw like member 32aY over the horizontal 25a and has its other end seated on a support 63.

The horizontal 17a of the base frame A has two right

angled couplings

64 and 65. One 64 extending inwardly of the base frame A and the other 65 extends outwardly of the base frame.

The lower horizontal 18a of the base frame A has like sleeves similarly disposed.

The end frames Ba and Ca swing around in respect to the base frame, the uprights 13a and 14a acting as rotating shafts.

The lower end of the step ladder Eis hinged to the lower horizontal 18a, and the paws of the upper end of the ladder rest detachably on the horizontal 30a.

The dot dash arrow swing lines are shown. The top platform member Da swings down 90 into the vertical plane of the base frame A, as shown by line F.

The ladder En swings in the direction of line G.

The end frame Ba swings 270 to the front of the base frame Aa, as shown by the line H.

The other end frame Ca swings 90 to the inner side of the base frame Aa, as shown by the line I.

The compacted form is shown in Fig. 9. The platform member Da is not shown, because it either has been taken off or folds into the plane of the base frame Aa.

We wish it to be understood that we do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

We claim:

l. In a portable scaffolding folding unit, the combination of a base frame including a rst upright, a second upright and two horizontals, the upper of said horizontals disposed between and connecting said uprights near the upper ends thereof and the lower of said horizontals dis-V posed between and connecting said uprights near the lower ends thereof, a irst and a second end frame, each of said end frames including an upright and two horizontals connected to said upright near the upper and lower end thereof, hinges for connecting theffree ends of said horizontals of said first end frame to said first upright of said base frame and the free ends of said horizontals of said second end frame to said second upright of said base frame, a platform frame member including at least two substantially parallel horizontals and a transverse horizontal, with said parallel horizontals connected to said transverse horizontal, said transverse horizontal being removably connected to the upper horizontals of said end frames in the proximity of said uprights of said end frames for retaining said end frames at substantially right angles with respect to said base frame against collapse of said folding unit, and hinges for connecting said parallel horizontals of said platform frame member to the upper horizontal of said base frame, whereby said folding unit is adapted to be collapsed by detaching said transverse horizontal of said platform frame member from said upper horizontals of said end frames, and pivoting said platform frame member, said first end frame and said second end frame about said upper horizontal, said rst upright and said second upright of said base frame, respectively.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein brackets are rigidly connected with said first and said second upright of said base frame for spacing said hinges connecting said free ends of said horizontals of said rst end frame from said iirst upright of said base frame, and said free ends of said horizontals of said second end frame from said second upright of said base frame, thelength of said brackets on said first upright being greater than the length of said brackets on said second upright, whereby said end frames may be swung into planes parallel to each other and parallel with the plane of said base frame.

References Cited in the tile of this patent I UNITED STATES PATENTS 20,579 Page June 15, 1858 250,343 Cluif Dec. 6, 1881 620,069 Cobb Feb. 21, 1899 1,626,145 Mitchell Apr. 26, 1927 1,912,947 Martin June 6, 1933 2,191,051 Uecker et al. Feb. 20, 1940 2,312,602 Taylor Mar. 2, 1943 2,315,595 Chappory Apr. 6, 1943 2,438,173 Johnson et al. Mar. 23, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS y 766,460 France June 28, 1934