US2928642A - Scaffold bracket - Google Patents

Description

March 15, 1960 ANDERSON ET AL 2,928,642

SCAFFOLD BRACKET 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 8, 1954 INVENTOR. Roeeaw M.HAuc.K Aavn: A. Auoansou ATTORNEY March 15, 1960 A. A. ANDERSON ETAL 2,928,642

SCAFFOLD BRACKET Filed Dec. 8, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Roeaa'r M. H AUCM ARWD A. ANDERSCM- A-r'roanev 2,928,642 IC patented Mar. .15, .1969

SCAFFOLD BRACKET Application December 8,1954, Serial No. 473,812 7 Claims. (Cl.'248--2'45) This invention relates to a bracket assembly forum in connection with sectional scaffolding of the type well :known'today. Two or more-of the present brackets 'are used to provide work and material platforms which .may .be moved vertically the height of the .-scalfolding while being secured thereto at all times. The bracket encloses :avertical leg of the scaffold and passes over horizontal members connected .to the vertical leg without disengaging the bracket.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a safe work platform which may .be used with conventional scaffolding at any .height on the scaffolding without :reiguiring release therefrom at any time.

Another object is to provide 'a-bracket which is vertically adjustable on a leg to which are connected horizontal members over which the bracket may pass readily.

Another object is to provide 'a bracket -of the type described which :is supported by a cable, chain or the like and is elevated by a hoist mechanism carried by the :bracket. The bracket is provided with a safety device 'to prevent free fall of the bracket if the cable should break.

Other objects and advantages will be :pointed out in, .or be apparent from, the specification and claims, .as will obvious modifications of the single embodiment shown in the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation showing two brackets .in .use on a portion of sectional scaffolding;

Fig. v2 is -a plan view of Fig. 1;

.Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one bracket;

Fig. 4 is a rear view of a bracket;

,Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated by line 55 in Fig. 3 but with vertical leg :12 added to show the interaction of the bracket .and .the leg; and

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 in .Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings now in detail, it will be seen that each bracket 10 fits on a vertical leg v12 of the sectional scaffolding and is supported by a cable or wire rope '14 which may conveniently be secured to the top of the scaffolding. The scaffolding "employed here may be of any conventional type which, as is well known, generally employs end frame members 16, 16 intercongreeted by the scissors type braces 18. The vertical legs 12 .of each end frame are interconnected by horizontal cross .members 22. At least two of the horizontal cross members .22 extend from leg to leg of the :end .frame, while other cross members may extend only partly. across to connect to intermediate vertical struts or the like.

I; will be noted that in the scaffolding illustratedlrere,

the scissors braces 18 are used only on the rear portion of the scaffold while the front portion on which the brackets ride is free of braces so as not to interfere with movement of the brackets 'or with the workers on :the .planks supported by the brackets.

In use, one bracket is employed on each vertical leg of the scaffolding which .is'ere'cted adjacent a wall 'or'ihe like. When this is done, a continuous work platform can be provided along the front of the scaffolding between the scaffolding and the wall and this work plat- .form may be vertically adjusted to facilitate work on the wall. Alternatively, only two brackets can be used .ineconnection with the scaffolding, but in this case, the 'work platform is only about as long as the section of scaffolding and would require frequent movement where 'workingon a wall of considerable length. However, this type of set-up may be useful with these-called rolling tower type of scaffolding where a vertical scaffold is built up on wheels. However, as will be apparent more fully hereinafter, the present invention is designed principally to provide a work platform where it is desired to work from the bottom up as in laying brick and the like.

Referring .now to the brackets in detail, each bracket has a pair of spaced generally rectangular frame members comprised of a vertical leg 24 and a curved leg .26 welded to the vertical leg. The generally rectangular frames are interconnected by means of yokes 28 positioned near the top and bottom of the bracket assembly 'to provide a U-shaped notch 30 adapted to receive the vertical leg 12 of the scaffolding. Curved straps 2'9 fastened between the ends of vertical legs 24 of the frame add further strength thereto. It will be noted that the rectangular frames are not parallel (see Fig. 2) but converge towards each other away from the yokes. In this manner the inside surface of each frame member 25 is designed to cooperate with the horizontal members to prevent the bracket 10 from twisting about the axis of V the vertical leg 12 and thus stabilize the brackets in the scaffold. It will be noted that each bracket is provided with two vertically spaced star wheels 31 which are rotatably mounted on threaded stud 32 upon which the wheels are retained by castel la'ted nuts 34. .Each star wheel has four arms 36 each of which carries a pivoted roller 38 to offer the least amount of'resistance. The arms 36 are sufficiently long to prevent removal of the bracket 10 from the scaffolding leg 12 without first removing the star wheel. least one arm of each star overlies the space between the two legs 24 and will lie in the path of .any horizontal member 22 as the bracket .is raised. Since the star planks 44 can be laid across the horizontal member 43 of the adjacent brackets to provide a work platform which would be immediately adjacent the: wall upon which it is desired to work. As shown iniFig. 1,, when it .is desired to extend the work platform, additional brackets (not shown) are employed on other yertical scaffold legs and the planks are laid in overlapping relationship as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. This will As can be seen in Fig. 5, .at"

provide a continuous work platform over as great a length as desired.

The lower portion of each bracket is provided with laterally projecting struts 46, 48 which support a sleeve 50 which in turn receives shaft 52 in telescopic fashion. This provides a support of adjustable width for planks to a be carried to the rear of the bracket. The shaft 52 is proriedby the frame for encircling the column between seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the rearwardly projecting supports S2, 50 support a plank 62 and'the supports are so {designed so that one is on each side of the horizontal members in the sectional scaffolding. This is doneso the planks will clear the horizontal members as the brackets are raised. The rear platform 62 is designed to be used by a masons helper. A tubular support 68 is carried by struts 64, 66 projecting laterally from the bracket a little above the middle of the bracket and is adapted to receive shaft 70 in tele'- scopic fashion. Shaft 70 is provided with a flanged head 72 and holes 74 which permit the shaft 70 to be pinned to sleeve 68 through hole 76 in the sleeve. This horizontal support is adapted to hold plank 78 upon which the masons materials such as bricks, blocks, mortarand the like are piled at a convenient height. Here again, the

planks do not extend from section to section, but terminate within the confines of the horizontal "members 22 of the sectional scaffolding.

raised on the vertical leg 12, the star wheels will rotate to walk over the horizontal members 22. It will be appre' ciated-that failure of the wire rope 14 could result in a serious accident. With this in mind, a safety dog 86 is provided. The dog 86 is pivoted on pin 88 and biased by spring 89 counter clockwise into contact with stop 92.

Handle 90 can be manipulated to move the dog out of the path of the horizontals. Since the dog is pivoted, it

will move out of the way as shown in dotted-lines in Fig.

5 when it passes a horizontal member. lmmediately on passing the horizontal member, howeven the dog-will return to the position shown in solid lines to arrest downward movement of the bracket should the wire rope break. Q

It will be appreciated that in order tolower the bracket to be manually moved out of the path of the horizontal members 22. This is somewhat inconvenient, but when it is realized that this apparatus is principally' designed for use in brick laying, this is of no serious consequence .55 on the sectional scaffolding, the safety dog 86 would have since the job has been completed when the top of the scaffolding has been reached and the usual method would be totake the brackets oif the scaffold at the top of the scaffold and lower the parts by rope;

Although but one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

Weclairnr V 1. A scaffold bracket comprising, a frame including a pair of elongated sub-frames interconnected by yokes along one side thereof to result in a frame having agenferally U-shape in plan view, the inside of each oke the means and the yoke, said sub-frames being spaced apart remote from the yoke and adapted to cooperate with horizontal members connected to the column to prevent rotation of the frame, and means carried by the bracket for supporting, raising and lowering the bracket.

2. A bracket according to claim 1 in which the means comprises a star wheel rotatably carried by the frame and having spokes of sufiicient length to overlie the column in any position of the star wheel.

3. A bracket according to claim 1 including a safety clog mounted in the frame and biased to a position preventing passage of a horizontal member past the dog from below the dog as would be encountered in descent of the frame on'the'column, said dog being movable against the bias either manually or by a horizontal member passing-the dogfrorn above as encountered when the said units projecting from the yoke and being spaced apart a predetermined distance at the portions of the units most remote from the yoke; to receive therebetween a horizontal scaffold brace to thereby prevent the assembly from rotating about the vertical scaffold column, said holding means being operative to pass over hori-. zontal braces as the assembly is moved on the vertical 'column without releasingthe assembly from the column,

winch means carried by the assembly for raising, lowering and supporting the assembly, two brackets carried by the assembly generally parallel to said units to provide supports on each side of the plane of the horizontal and vertical scaffold members, and a bracket carried by the assembly and projecting therefrom to provide a support outside the scafiolding upon which the assembly is-secured. I 5. A bracket according to claim 4 in which the holding means comprises a star wheel rotatably mounted on the frame with the radially projecting arms of the wheel adapted to span the space between the units in spaced relationship to the yoke, said wheel being removable to permit removal ofthe frame from the column.

, ,6. A bracket for use on scaffolding including a front vertical 'columnhavingrearwardly projecting horizontal members connected thereto, said bracket including rearwardly projecting parallel frame members adapted to straddle the column and the horizontal members, means carried by the bracket for holding the bracket to the column to prevent movement of the bracket away from the column, said means normally being positioned to project into the vertically projected area of the horizontalmernbers but withdrawing from the area to permit the bracket to move vertically on the column, and winch means carried by the bracket for supporting, rais' ing and lowering the bracket on the scaffolding.

7. A bracket foruse on scaffolding including a front vertical coliimmhaving rearwardly projecting horizontal members connected thereto, said bracket including rearwardly projecting parallel frame members adapted to straddle the column and the horizontal members, vertically spaced'retainingmeans carried by the bracket for holding the bracket to the column to prevent movement of the bracket away from the column, each of said means including a plurality of devices positioned to project into the vertically projected area of the horizontal members but withdrawing from the area to permit the br'acketto move vertically on the column, at least on'e of thedeviccs associated with each of the retainingmean's projecting into said'area at all times whereby each re;

taining means maintains constant engagement with the column.

References Cited in the file of this patent 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS Gilbreth July 26, 1892 Gray Aug. 31, 1897 Wilber Apr. 18, 1899 LHeurewx Apr. 20, 1915 1 Gafiers Dec. 5, 1916 6 Black Mar. 24, 1936 Uecker Feb. 20, 1940 Thompson Mar. 25, 1941 Lord Sept; 18, 1945 Anne July 1, 1947 Boedecker Oct. 2, 1951' Sims Oct. 2, 1951' Sprinkel Apr. 30, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS France Mar. 31, 1932

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