US2990909A

US2990909A - Scaffold-forming structure

Info

Publication number: US2990909A
Application number: US846592A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walter B Aikens
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-10-15
Filing date: 1959-10-15
Publication date: 1961-07-04
Anticipated expiration: 1978-07-04

Description

y 1961 w. B. AIKENS 2,990,909

SCAFFOLD-F'ORMING STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 15, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR: WALTER B. AIKENS 4 m Sm ATT'YS July 4, 1961 w. B. AIKENS 2,990,909 v SCAFFOLD-FORMING STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 15, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mvm'vh 1 26 k Mum,

INVENTOR: WALTER B. AIKENS BY ATT'YS United States Patent 2 Claims. (Cl. 182-181) This invention relates to scaffold-forming structures required for the use of workmen inbuilding operations.

The main objects of thisinvention are to provide an improved structure for use in forming adjustable scaifolding from standard timbers; to provide an improved form of scaffold-forming structure of this kind which permits the erecting of a scaffold by positioning a pair of timbers uprightly in transverse relationship to a horizontal timber; to provide an improved scaffold-forming structure of this kind which provides a secure brace spanning the angle between the upright and transverse timbers; to provide an improved scaffold-forming structure of this kind comprising relatively adjustable sections inseparably attached in adjustable relationship to permit a wide range in the relative disposition of the upright and horizontal timbers; and to provide an improved scaifold-forming structure of this kind of such simple character as to make its manufacture very economical, its marketing, as a complete, ready-to-use unit, most practical and its use exceedingly facile to assemble or disassemble scaffolding of various types.

. In the adaptation shown in the accompanying drawmgs;

. FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a saw-horse type of scaffold assembled from timbers held in place by a pair of units constructed in accordance With this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, perspective view of one of the complete structure units with the sections and the timber clamps relatively positioned as shown in FIG. 1;

(FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a modified form of a fastener clip for the brace section of the unit shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of one of the timber-embracing clamps;

, FIG. 5 is a similar view of this modified form of clamp positionable on another timber from that shown in FIG. 4;

FIG, 6 is a perspective view of a type of scaffolding formed with a single structure, made in accordance with this invention, with the transverse timber set against a building wall;

FIG. 7 is a view showing how this scaffold-forming structure permits use with upright timbers on unlevel ground; and

FIG. 8 is a further modified form of the fastener clip for the brace section of the unit shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The essential concept of this invention involves a twosection structure formed, preferably of tubing, one section being of open rectangular shape and the other section being of substantially V-shape, the two sections being permanently hinged together, the one section mounting a plurality of shiftable timber-embracing clamps for anchoring pairs of upright timbers in operational relationship with a third horizontal timber, other section being positionable to span the angle between the transverse timbers with the free end of this other section anchored to the horizontal timber.

A scatfold-forming structure embodying the foregoing concept comprises a supporting section 11 and a bracing section 12 hingedly connected together, the supporting 11 section mounting timber-embracing

clamps

13 and 14, and the bracing section 12 mounting a timber-attaching clip 15.

The sections 11 and 12, as herein shown, preferably are formed of conventional piping. Obviously, the sections Patented July 4, 1961 11. and 12 could be formed of other material, such as angle or channel iron, for example. 'However piping is most advantageous which, generally, should be about one inch in diameter.

For section 11, the pipe is bent and the abutting ends welded together in rectangular shape. The section 12 is made of two straight pieces of pipe 16 disposed in nonparallel relationship with the wider-spaced pipe ends hinged to one side of the section 11 and the opposite, closer-spaced pipe ends, generally, secured to a clip 15. Thus the two pieces of pipe 16 are disposed so that the section 12 is substantially V-shape. Where this structure is to be used with 2" x 4" timbers, the section 11 should be about two feet square and the section 12 should be about three feet long.

The hinging of the section 12 to the section 11 is shown as effected by U-shaped straps 17 having the ends of the parallel ar-ms bonded to the opposite faces of the ends of the respective pieces of pipe 16 with the loops 23 embracing one side of the section 11.

The clamp 13, is here shown in two different forms. The form of FIGS. 1, 2, 6, and 7 comprises U-bolts 18 with the free ends bonded to a spanning cross plate 19 which has centrally-threaded thereon a T-bolt 20 with a disk pad 21 swivelled on the free end of the T-bolt 20 inside the U b0lt. (See FIG. 2.) A pair of these clamps 13 is arranged on opposite sides of the section 11 and are shiftable along these sides to permit a pair of embraced timbers 22 to be arranged in upright relationship, as shown in FIGS. 1, 6, and 7. Such upright positioning of the timbers 22 may be inclined as shown in the drawing, or, if the top pair of clamps 13 is separated to correspond to the spacing of the lower pair of clamps 13, the timbers 22 may be disposed parallel in their upright relationship.

A modified form of clamp 13 is shown in FIG. 5. This is specially formed from a piece of strap metal the ends of which are enlarged to provide loops 23. The strap is bent into U-shape so that the loops 23 are alined to fit over the section 11, as indicated in FIG. 5. The base of this form of clamp 13 has threaded thereon a T-bolt 20 with a swivelled disk pad 21, the same as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 6 and 7.

The clamp 14, herein is shown as a piece of fiat strap metal bent'to U-shape. The parallel arms are bored with alined holes to slidably embrace the section 11, between the pair of clamps 13. The base of this clamp 14 has threaded thereon a T-bolt 24 with swivelled disk pad 25, as provided for the clamps 13. As shown in FIG. 4, this clamp 14 may be constructed the same as the clamp as shown in FIG. 5.

The inside distance between the arms of these

clamps

13 and 14 and between the retracted pads 21 and the embraced section 11, regardless of how the clamps are formed, is such as to permit the ready insertion of the

timbers

22 and 26, respectively, when the disk pads 21 are retracted. The turning up of the T-bolts firmly secures the clamps to the respective timbers.

The manner of attaching the ends of the pipes 16, of section 12 to the transverse timber 26 may vary. In FIG. 1 the ends of the pieces of pipe 16 are shown removably attached by nails. In FIG. 2 the bracing-section pipes 16 are attached to the timber 26 by a bolt and nut with an interposed clip 15. In FIG. 3, the ends of the pipes 16 are shown riveted to the U-shaped clip 15 with small holes 28 for the insertion of nails. In FIG. 8, the clip 15 is shown loosely riveted to the pipe ends, as at 15', the clip having small nail holes 28 and larger holes 29 for the optional use of a bolt and nut to secure the bracing section 12 to the timber 26. To insure the spaced positioning of the hinged ends of the pieces of pipe 16, of the bracing section 12, on the supporting section 11, as shown in FIG. 2, pairs of pins 30 are set in the bottom side of the supporting section 11 on opposite sides of the hinge connections of the pipes 16 to that sup porting section side. (See FIGS. 2 and 7.) Similarly, pins 31 are set in the top side of the supporting section 11 on opposite sides of the single clamp 14 to insure its retention in a middle position on the supporting section. (See FIGS. 2 and 7.)

The sections 11 and 12, being permanently hinged together, and the clamps 13 and 14 (and the clip 15, where used) being permanently positioned on the sections 11 and 12, there results a unit structure ready for immediate and facile use in the forming of almost any type of scaffold from selected lengths of

timbers

22 and 26. The timbers 22 may be inclined to each other, as shown in FIGS. .1 and 7, or they may be disposed parallel, when desired. Moreover, the point of attachment of the ends (or the clip 15) of the bracing section 12 and the positioning of the clamp 14 will determine whether the timbers 22 are disposed at an obtuse or right angle to the timber 26. Furthermore, this positioning of the horizontal timber 26 may be as close to the supporting surface as the over-all height of the section 11 plus the clamps 15, or as far above the supporting surface as the length of the timbers 22 used.

Scaffolding fabricated with a pair of these structures may stand free of the building along which it is to be used. On the other hand, a scaffolding fabricated with one of these structures may have the free end of the transverse, horizontal timber 26 set against or abutting the building wall, as indicated in FIG. 6. When so used where the outer wall has been painted, or for any other reason, a pad 30, of rubber or other suitable material, may be anchored or otherwise placed over the end of the timber 26 to prevent scratching the painted surface. And, as shown in FIG. 7, the timber 22 can be so arranged as to dispose the transverse timber 26 horizontally level even when the support surface for the scaffold is unlevel.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described, it will be understood that details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A scaffold-forming structure comprising, a pair of sections hingedly connected together for angular disposition to support and brace one pair of timbers upright in either substantially parallel or angled relationship transversely of an intermediate horizontal third timber, one of the sections being of one-piece open rectangular shape and the other section being of substantially V-shape and hinged at its wider end to the one section, a pair of timber-embracing clamps slidably positioned on each of the opposite parallel sides of the one section for clamping to the one section the pair of timbers in either of the aforesaid relationships, another timber-embracing clamp swivelably positioned on the upper of the parallel sides of the one section between the pair of clamps for clamping thereto the third timber in the aforesaid relationship to the pair of timbers, and timber-embracing means mounted on the free end of the other section for anchoring to the third timber to span the angle between and brace the transversely-disposed timbers.

2. A scaffold-forming structure comprising, a pair of sections hingedly connected together for angular disposition to support and brace one pair of timbers upright in either substantially-parallel or angular relationship transversely of an intermediate horizontal third timber, one of the sections being of one-piece metal tubing of open rectangular shape and the other section being a pair of lengths of metal tubing in V-shaped disposition and having U-shaped ends embracing the bottom side of the one section to hinge the other section to the one section, a pair of timber-embracing clamps slidably positioned on each of the opposite parallel sides of the one section for clamping to the one section the pair of timbers in either of the aforesaid relationships, another timber-embracing clamp swivelably positioned on the upper of the parallel sides of the one section between the pair of clamps for clamping thereto the third timber in the aforesaid relationship to the pair of timbers, and a U-shaped timberembracing bracket secured to the free ends of the lengths of metal tubing of the other section for anchoring to the third timber to span the angle between and brace transversely-disposed timbers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,222,020 Myers Apr. 10, 1917 1,261,007 Beardsley Apr. 2, 1918 2,290,535 Cavins July 21, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 463,580 Canada Mar. 7, 1950