US3179212A - Builders' scaffolding - Google Patents

Description

P. E. GOSTLING BUILDERS SCAFFOLDING April 20, 1965 7 Sheets-Sheet '1 Filed Jan. so, 1962 April 1965 P. E. GOSTLING BUILDERS SGAFFOLDING 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 30, 1962 Inventor Attorney April 20, 1965 P. E. GOSTLING 3,179,212

BUILDERS SCAFFOLDIN G Filed Jan. 30, 1962 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 fiz/giinveglor I April 20, 1965 P. E. eamm 3,179,212

BUILDERS S GAFFOLDI NG Filed Jan. 30, 1962 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 In en Or @24, l

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A Home y April 20, 1965 P. E. GOSTLING 3,179,212

BUILDERS S CAFFOLDING Filed Jan. 30, 1962 7 Sheets-SheetS I venlor A Home y P 1965 P. E. GOSTLING 3,179,212

BUILDERS S CAFFOLDING Filed Jan. 30, 1962 7 Sheets-Sheet.- 6

@ld [no [or JHII I Attorney April 20, 1965 P. E. GOS l'LlNG BUILDERS SCAFFOLDING 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Jan. 30, 1962 BUILDERS SCAFFOLDDIG Peter Eric Gostling, Birmingham, England, assignor to Kwikform Limited, Birmingham, England, a company of Great Britain Filed Jan. 30, 1962, Ser. No. 169,970; 9 Claims. (Cl. 189-49) This invention relates to builders scaffolding and is concerned with that kind of builders scaffolding which is required to support a working platform adjacent a wall and like part of the building and wherein the scaffolding comprises a plurality of pairs of upright members connected together by ledger elements adapted to extend substantially parallel to the length of the wail, the two up- ,right members of each pair being themselves connected together by transversely extending transom elements.

Builders scaifolding having the features set out in this paragraph is herein referred to as builders scaffolding of the kindspecified.

In builders scaffolding of the foregoing kind, it has for United rates ateht for many years been common practice to secure the ledger for,example, as described in the specification of the United States Patent of A. H. Hawes No. 2,472,423, wherein the construction is such as to provide also a positive support for the ledger elements so as positively to prevent these from' moving downwardly in relation to the upright members of the scaffold frames.

The formation of the upright members and transom elements so that they are connected integrally together,

, entails the disadvantage that the increments by which the heights of the transom elements and boards supported thereon can be raised, are determined entirely by the overall length of the upright members of the frame units and unless a very large number of diiferent sizes of frame units are manufactured and supplied, the levels at which the platform can be supported are spaced apart by an undesirable large distance, so that when it is necessary to raise the platform as the height of the wall increases, the new level of the platform may be undesirably high in relation to the top of the wall, thereby increasing the dimculty under which the workmen operate.

The present invention has for its object the provision of an improved construction which while involving a relatively few number of parts, permits of a wide variation in the height of the working platform being effected, while at the same time providing a positive support for the working platform which does not rely merely on frictional engagement between scaffold clamps and the upright members of the scaffolding in preventing the ledger and transom elements and associated working platform in moving downwardly in relation to the upright members.

According to the present invention, theupright members are provided at a number of vertically spaced heights along the length thereof, with sets of ledger and transom element supporting sockets, each set comprising a number of sockets spaced around the exterior of the upright member in fixed relation thereto so as to extend laterally thereof, each socket being adapted to receive a vertically dependent spigot provided on each end of both the ledger and also of the transom elements and disposed in fixed relation to said cross member elements, each spigot on the outer vertical face thereof directed away from the associated ledger or transom element, being adapted for pressure engagement with an abutment face on the adjacent side of the upright member, and in association with each spigot and slidable longitudinally in relation thereto, a wedge clamping member adapted to engage between an interior face of the socket and a clamping face provided on the spigot and directed away from the upright member, so as thereby to force said spigot when within the associated socket into pressure engagement witlh said abutment face on the adjacent side of the uprig t.

With such an arrangement it will be appreciated that as each socket is fixed to the associated upright member reliance is not placed .on the friction grip between scafiold clamps and the upright member, in securing the ledger and transom elements with their associated working platform at the predetermined height.

Further, the spacing between the vertically adjacent sets of sockets on each upright member can be made as small as desiredto provide for the desired choice of levels for the working platform. Accordingly the contruction permits of the lower ends of adjacent upright members being disposed in different levels as may be necessary where the ground is of a slopingor irregular nature, with the ledger and transom elements and platform supported in the desired horizontal position and of the lower ends of the upright members being disposed adjacent the ground in each case and supported therefrom by base plates which are required to provide only a small range of adjustment corresponding to the vertical spacing between the several sets of sockets on the upright members. These base plates may accordingly be of a simpler and less exensive form than is the case where the scaffolding embodies scaffold frames, for example, as described in the specification of the prior patent aforementioned.

Further, the provision of the wedge clamping members ensures that the spigots are retained in the desired position within the sockets despite any vibration to which the parts may be subjected.

Also insofar as the spigots depend from the ends of the ledger and transom elements on which they are providcd, the construction is necessarily such that there is no possibility of the ledger and transom elements moving tion of some load substantially in excess of the designed maximum load,

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of part of one form of builders scaffolding embodying the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional side view to an enlarged scale on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional plan view to an enlarged scale on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURES 4 and 5 are perspective and side views re spectively of part of a transom element and one of its associated spigots of the construction depicted in FIG- URE 1.

FIGURES 6 and 7 are side views of part of a ledger element and diagonal brace element respectively and forming part of the construction depicted in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 8 is a side view of a stage bracket of the.

construction of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 9 is a side elevation of a tie bar for connectanother.

FIGURE 11 is a plan view of part of a builders scaffolding embodying the invention but showing the arrangement provided at a corner of the wall.

FIGURE 12 is a perspective view of a detail of the construction of FIGURE 11.

FIGURE 13 is a sectional view to an enlarged scale on the line 1313 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 14 is a plan view depicting a modification of the diagonal brace element as shown in FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 15 is a side elevation to an enlarged scale showing the construction of the sockets for connecting together two upright members of the scaffolding depicted in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 16 is a view similar to FIGURE 15 but showing the parts in course of assembly together.

FIGURE 17 is a sectional view on the line 17-17 of FIGURE 15.

Referring firstly to FIGURES 1 to 3 of the drawings, the builders scaffolding depicted in FIGURES 1 and 2 comprises a number of pairs of upright members or sections 20, each formed as ordinary scaffold tubes, each upright member 20 having permanently secured thereto a short distance below its upper end 21 and at equal intervals therealong beneath its upper end, sets 22 of ledger and transom element supporting sockets 23, 24 respectively, with the lowest set of sockets spaced above the lower end of the member 20 by a distance such that the sets of sockets of a number of similar vertically aligned members 20 are all spaced vertically apart by the same distance and are vertically aligned with one For example, the sets of sockets may be provided at a pitch of 1'6". Above its uppermost set of sockets each member 20 is provided with a clamping device 25 fixed thereto and adapted to engage a further similar upright member extending thereabove in alignment with the lower member. Such clamping device 25 is illustrated in detail in FIGURES 15 to 17 and is described later herein.

Each set 22 of sockets comprises (see FIGURE 3) two ledger and two transom element sockets 23, 24 and each formed by bending a flat metal strip to form a wide V, the ends of the arms 26 of which are welded to the exterior of the upright member, with the major axis of cross section of each strip parallel to the length of the member 20, so that each set of sockets is of generally .four-arm'ed star configuration when viewed in plan, with the individual sockets 23, 24 spaced symmetrically around the periphery of the upright member, but with the ledger sockets 23 of each set 22 at a level above the transom sockets 24 of such set.

The two so formed upright members 20 in each pair are spaced similarly apart from one another in each case, so that each pair is, in the known manner, disposed in a vertical plane extending perpendicular to the adjacent portion of the wall 27, with the two upright members 20 in each pair connected together by one or more transom elements 28.

Each transom element 28 comprises (see FIGURES 3 and 4) a pair of angle bars 29 disposed in side-by-side parallel relationship, with one flange 30 of each bar projecting vertically upwardly with the outer faces of these vertical flanges 30 in abutting relationship, and with the 'lower horizontal flanges 31 projecting oppositely away 7 from one another in a common horizontal plane.

The two angle bars 29 forming each transom element 7 28 are connected rigidly together at their ends by transom brackets 32 of generally inverted L shape when viewed in side elevation, and of substantially T shape when viewed in plan.

One limb 33 of each bracket 32 depends vertically and its lower or free end portion constitutes a vertically dependent spigot 34. The limb 33 is flanged at 35 on each of its lateral vertical edges and is of concave configuration on its outer face 36, with the axis of curvature coincident with the central vertical axis of the tubular upright member 20, considering this outer concave face 36 of the said dependent bracket limb 33 in abutment with the periphery of the upright member 20, as shown in FIGURE 3.

' The other and horizontal limb of each L shaped bracket 32 is formed from a pair of adjacent but spaced apart mutually parallel vertically disposed plates 37, the free end portions of which along their upper horizontal edges, are each welded to the underside of a corresponding horizontal angle bar flange 31.

The side face of each vertical bracket limb 33 between the two parallel bracket plates 37 and which is directed away from the adjacent upright members 20 constitutes a clamping face 38 provided on the spigot 34 the lower portion of which clamping face 38 is formed by one side of the spigot 34 itself. Such clamping face 38 in a direction downwardly of the bracket is inclined away from the said upright member engaging face 36.

Adjacent this clamping face 33 and in between the two bracket plates 37, at each end of the transom element 28 is disposed a wedge clamping member 39 in the form of a metal strip of elongated configuration, one edge 40 of the wedge clamping member 39 which is nearest to the adjacent end of the two angle bars 29 forming the transom element being vertical and the other edge 41 being inclined to the vertical to correspond with the inclination of the clamping face 38.

Each transom element spigot 34 is adapted to be received within one of the V shaped sockets of each set, namely as shown in one of two diametrically opposed transom element sockets 24.

As each of the four sockets 23, 24 of each set of sockets are vertically aligned with a corresponding socket of each of the sets of sockets thereabove and therebelow on the associated upright member 20, the arrangement is such that a transom element 28 can extend between a pair of opposed sockets 24 of any one of the several sets 22 of vertically spaced sockets of a pair of upright members 20, with the dependent spigots 34 at each end of each transom element received within the sockets 24, and with the concave faces 36 thereof in abutment across their width and throughout their depth, with the adjacent side of the upright member tube 20. In such position see FIG- URE 2, the lower end of each spigot 33 projects below the lower edge of each socket 24 and the undersides of the horizontal bracket plates 37 abut against the upper edge of each V shaped socket adjacent the connecting portion or apex 42 thereof.

The parts are secured in this position by driving the wedge clamping members 39 downwardly so as to wedge their two dependent edges 41, 40 respectively between a clamping face 38 and an inner face 43 of the connecting portion 42 of the socket 24 so that the concave face 36 of each spigot is forced into pressure-tight engagement with the adjacent side of the upright member tube 20.

The wedges 39 are made captive by providing their side faces adjacent the upper and lower ends thereof with pro jections 44, as by welding blobs of metal thereon after the wedges are in position, i.e. where these side faces project above and below the bracket plates 37.

Adjacent pairs of upright members 20 are connected together by ledger elements 45 extending parallel to the adjacent length of wall 27 and between each of the two upright members of each pair, and the corresponding upright members of the adjacent pair.

These ledger elements 45 are formed as lengths of scaffold tube and have secured to their two ends brackets 32 similar to those already described carrying wedge clamping members 39 and provided with spigots 34 for engaging in corresponding sockets 23. These brackets are formed with projections 46 which extend within the ends of the ledger tubes 45 and are welded thereto.

The upright members 29 are further connected together by diagonal bracing members 47 also provided, see FIGURE 7, with similar spigot and wedge clamping memlength very slightly less than the horizontal pitch distance betweenadjacent pairs of upright members, so that the extremities of the scaffold boards rest on the oppositely extending horizontal flanges 31 of the transom elements 28, with the end faces of the boards in close proximity to the adjacent upstanding flange 29 of each of the associated angle bars forming part of the transom element as above described.

The scaffold boards 50 would be relatively thick, a

,, convenient thickness being of the order of 2"-so that'for a pitch distance of the order of 8 between the pairs of upright members, the scaffold boards need only be supported in the manner described, at their two ends, and intermediate support from putlog members extending beneath the boards, with their extremities supported from the ledger elements 45 is accordingly unnecessary.

Therefore, although the ledger elements 45 may be disposed at the same level as that of the transom elements 28, as the ledger elements are not required to support the boards 50, it is preferred as shown to dispose the ledger element 45 at a higher level, conveniently of the order of three feet above the level of the transom elements, by

engaging the ledger element spigots with sets of sockets 22 situated at a height higher than those of the sets of ,sockets 22 supporting the transom elements, so that these ledger elements 45, serve as guard rails for the working platform 49, in addition to connecting together the adjacent pairs of upright members 20.

Such higher disposition of the ledger elements may be adopted only at the side of the working platform 49 remote from the wall.

The scaffolding at the side thereof nearest to the wall 27 may be provided with a shelf 51 for builders materials, the two ends of which are carried upon a pair of brackets 52 commonly known as stage brackets, each bracket 52, see FIGURE 8, comprising an upper horizontal angle section member 53, the horizontal and vertical flanges 54, 55 of which respectively support and provide endwise location for the adjacent end of the shelf 51. One end, namely the inner end of the shelf supporting member 53 of each bracket 52 is provided with a spigot forming bracket 32 carrying a wedge clamping member 39 in like manner to the brackets 32 of the transom and ledger elements and the spigot 34 is adapted to engage with one of the transom element sockets 24 on an adjacent upright member 20 in manner already described. Each stage bracket 52 is provided at a position spaced vertically below its spigot 34 with a U-shaped abutment 56 adapted to bear upon the adjacent side of the upright member 2% to which the spigot of such bracket 52 is connected.

end of the horizontal flange 59 of an angle section stage bracket tie bar or connecting bar 63 (see FIGURE 9).

. Thus the outerends of the supporting members 53 of the stage bracket are connected together by a bar 60 which thereby serves not only to hold the two brackets parallel to one another but also through its horizontal flange '59 r to provide support for the adjacent board or boards forming the shelf 51. r

The working platform 49, atthe side thereof remote from the wall, may be provided with toe boards, part of done by providing the adjacent upright members 20 at a position a short distance above the upper edge of each transom element '28 with a toe-board fitting 62, see

FIGURES 1 and 10.

As shown inFIGURE 10, such toe board fitting consists of a T shaped part, the web 63 of which is adapted to extend between two contiguous aligned toe boards 61, with its oppositely directed flanges 64 in engagement with the inner faces of the toe boards. The web 63 is provided with a substantially U-shaped attachment portion 65 which embraces the adjacent upright member 20 to which it is secured releasably by wedge 66 passing through slots 67, 68 in the arms of said U shaped portion 65 and at the side of the upright member 20 remote from the toe boards.

The toe board fittings 62 are both detachable from and adjustable along the length of the associated up right member 20 so as to enable them to be positione atany desired heightas and when required. 1

The associated clamping wedge 66 is madecaptive by making the slot 67 nearest to the wider end of the wedge of width corresponding to the thickness of the metal strip forming the wedge.

The slot 68 is of a greater width and the narrower end of the wedge 66 on .each of the side faces thereof, is formed with a protuberance 69, the combined thickness of the wedge .66 and protuberance .69 in the direction of the width of the wider slot 68 being less than such width, but greater than that of the narrower slot 67, the arrange ment permitting ofthe wedge 66 being withdrawn clear of the side of the upright member 29 remote from the platform 4? to permit of the toe board fitting 62 being positioned or removed without disconnecting the wedge from the fitting.

The present invention enables builders scaffolding to be provided involving the minimum number of differently shaped parts so that it is particularly economical to produce in quantity.

At the same time, the working platform is supported, as above described, in a positive manner through the medium of the sockets 23, 24 which are mounted permanently on the upright members 20 and by suitably choosing the pitch distance between the adjacent sets 22 of sockets on the upright members, the working platform 49 can be supported at conveniently vertically spaced heights fully adequate to meet all working requirements, while the construction further permits of relative adjustment in a vertical direction of each of the several upright members 20 by a distance corresponding to the pitch distance of the sets 22 of sockets and 'of the ledger and transom elements 28, 45 being all disposed in the desired horizontal position. i i

As shown in FIGURE 11, the present invention may, be applied to builders scaffolding as above described, wherein the working platform 49extends in two mutually perpendicular sections 49a, 49b for example, adjacent the corner 70 of a wall or the like, the arrangement being necessarily such that the transom elements 23 of one section 49a extend parallel to the adjacent ledger elements 45 of the adjacent mutually perpendicular section 49b.

In such an arrangement, it is necessary to ensure that the working-plaforms, where the two mutually perpendicular sections 49a, 4% thereof are contiguous, are continuous or substantially continuous, and this is done by providing an intermediate transom element 71 as best shown in FIGURE 12.

,Such intermediate transom element 71 is formed from a length of bar strip bent to inverted rectangular condepth of each of the channel sides 72, 73 is made only slightly greater than or substantially equal to, the thickness of the scaffold boards 50, so that the outer, -i.e. up-

ber of pairs of upright members 20 with the two upright members in each pair joined by transom elements 28 and adjacent pairs of uprights connected together by ledger elements 45, as earlier described.

At the end of one of these two scaffold sections, namely 77, the transom element 28 is replaced by the intermediate transom element 71 the two ends of which are provided with L shaped brackets 32, carrying spigots 34 and provided with a wedge clamping member 39 for engaging with one of the transom element supporting sockets 24.

The horizontally outwardly extending flange 74 of this intermediate transom element 71, supports the underside of the adjacent end of the scaffold boards 50 forming the working platform 49a of this first mentioned scaffold section 77.

At the adjacent, i.e. inner side of the other of the two scaffolding sections 78, a ledger element 454: similar to the ledger elements 45 is provided at the same level as that of the working platform 49a, such ledger element 45a. being spaced by a slight distance from the adjacent lateral edge of the adjoining scaffold boa-rd 50 of this second section 78, namely by a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the metal strip forming the intermediate transom element 71.

This ledger element 45a is received Within the inverted channel of the bar-like intermediate transom element 71, so that the inner face of the base portion thereof rests on the upper side of this ledger element 45a with the one dependent side 73 of element 71, namely, that unprovided with the horizontal flange, extending downwardly between the ledger element 45a and the adjacent lateral edge of the adjoining scaffold board.

Thus the intermediate transom element 71 with its associated pair of upright members 20 forming part of the one scaffolding section 77, is effectively connected through the ledger element 45a to the adjacent part of the other scaffolding section 78, and at the same time, a tread, flush or substantially fiush with the upper surface of the two mutually level working platforms 49a, 49b is provided by the upper face 75 of the intermediate transom element 71 over which the workmen can readily pass from one platform section to the other.

In FIGURE 13 there is shown how despite the absence of putlog elements intermediate the transom elements 28 the several boards 50 which form each working platform 49 are connected together so as to support one another, and thus provide the necessary rigidity for the platform 49 at positions medially between the transom elements 28 V which support the ends of the boards.

As shown in FIGURE 13 each board 50 is provided along one of its two edges, namely 50a, with a tubular pin 79 conveniently formed as a split pin which is driven into a hole formed in this edge of the board, so that the pin projects beyond the board edge.

The opposite edge 50b of each board is formed with a hole which constitutes a socket 80 for receiving the proformed platform the number of pins will be one less than the number of boards, and one of the boards may, therefore, be unprovided with this connecting pin.

The pins 79 are preferably split longitudinally so as to be expansible and be adapted to engage resiliently within the sockets 80, so as more effectively to secure the adjacent boards together.

Adjacent each socket St) the board edge 50b is provided with an apertured facing plate 81 which serves to prevent damage to the timber forming the mouth of the socket when the pin 79 is inserted therein.

In FIGURE 14 is shown a modification of the construction shown in FIGURE 7 which permits, as shown, of the spigots 34 of the diagonal brace elements 47 being engaged with transom element sockets 24 instead of with ledger element sockets 23 as is necessarily the case with the construction of diagonal brace element depicted in FIGURE 7.

There may be cases where adiagonal brace element 47 is required to extend between setsof sockets which are connected to ledger elements, so that the sockets 23 thereof are required for that purpose and the construction of FIGURE 14 permits of such disposition of the brace elements where desired.

As shown each brace element 47 is constructed as a tube, the end 82 of which is flattened, the flattened end being formed with a circular hole which [receives a cylindrical boss 33 provided on the outer end of the aforementioned horizontal limb of the spigot forming bracket 32 which carries a wedge clamping member 39 in like manner to the constructions earlier described including that depicted in FIGURE 7.

The arrangement is such that the cylindrical boss 83 with its associated bracket 32 is free to pivot relative to the end of the brace element tube 47 about the axis of the boss thereby permitting of the element 47 being disposed at different inclinations to the horizontal with the dependent limb of its associated bracket 32 provided on each end of the tube 47 extending vertically.

Each bracket 32 is provided with a dependent spigot as already described which, as shown in FIGURE 14 is engaged within one of the transom element sockets 24, namely that transom element socket of each set of sockets which is at the side of the upright member remote from an adjacent transom element so as to be available to support the brace element.

The boss 83 is held against axial movement relative to the tube end 82 by providing it on one side of the tube end with a shoulder 84 and providing it on the other side with a headed pin 85 which extends diarsrgetrically through the projecting portion of the'boss Referring now to FIGURES 15 to 17 of the drawings and in which is depicted in detail the clamping device for securing together two vertically aligned upright tubes 7 the particular form of clamping device shown in these figures is provided because it is adapted to secure the two upright members together in a particularly rigid manner. The normal method of securing two tubular upright members together in builders scaffolding as above described, is to provide the lower member at its upper end with a spigot which is freely slidable within the lower end of the upper member without providing any clamping device between the two members. With this arrangement it is necessary to provide clearance between the spigot and the interior of the lower end of the member into which it projects, so as to permit of the parts being readily assembled and disassembled and this means that unless transom and ledger elements are provided adjacent this connection between the two tubular members the aforementioned provision of this clearance undesirably weakens the structure.

With the present invention as the sets of sockets 22 are provided at fixed intervals along the length of each upright member so as to permit, if desired, of the ledger and transom elements being connected to the upright members only at a position which is halfway between the ends of the members, it is necessary to provide a rigid 9 joint between the aligned upright members in place of the construction conventionally employed as above described.

For this purpose each upright member at one end, namely, at What is toibe in situ the upper end thereof, is provided with a socket 86 formed from a length of metal plate bent as shown in FIGURE 17 'to part-circular or U-shaped configuration, the socket having a bore corresponding to the external diameter of the tubes forming the upright members 20. Each socket 86 has its major portion extending above the upper end face 87 of the associated upright member with its lower portion thereof welded to the exterior of the member.

The lower portion .of the socket 86 is formed with a pair of arms 88 constructed integrally with the remainder of the socket, which arms extend on one side of the upper end of the associated upright member in spaced parallel relationship, the arms supporting therebetween a captive clamping member 89 of wedge configuration and of T form in cross-section, the web 90 of which is formed with a closed ended slot 91 through which passes a pin 92, the ends of which are'supported by the said two arms 88, the arrangement securing the clamping member 89 to the socket 86 While permitting of its being displaced in a substantially vertical direction along the length of the associated upright member 20.-

The upper end of each upright member 20 on which the socket 86 is provided is also provided with a male connector element 93 formed as a short length of tube of external diameter corresponding to the bore of the upright member tube in which the lower end of the tube 93 is secured as by welding, and this connector tube 93 is adapted to extend within the bore of the lower end of the upright member tube thereabove, when the upright members 20 are assembled together, as shown in FIGURE 15 in which position the lower end face 94 of the upper upright member abuts against the aforementioned end face 87 of the lower of the two upright members.

In this position of the parts as shown in FIGURES l and 17 the upper of the two upright member tubes is in close engagement with the socket 86 and is secured in this position by the wedge shaped clamping member 89, which is swung about its pin 92 from the free position depicted in FIGURE 16 towards the two upright members, and then driven downwardly in the known manner, into the clamping position depicted in FIG- URE wherein the concave clamping face 95 on the outer face of the head 96 of the T shaped clamping member is brought into clamping engagement with the exterior of the upper of the two upright members at a position adjacent the open side of the socket 86.

The slot 91 is in the direction of its length inclined in relation to the clamping face 95, so that the upper end of the slot is further from the clamping face than the lower end. Thus as the clamping member 89 is driven in a downward direction the longitudinal edge 97 of the slot is brought into wedging engagement with the pin 92 so as to force the clamping member 89 into tight engagement with the adjacent side of the upper of the two upright member tubes 26, and thus force the opposite side of this member 20 into engagement with the adjacent part of the socket 86, thereby securing the two members 20 rigidly together.

Slight clearance is provided between the exterior of i the connector tube 93 and the bore of the upright member tube into which it extends, so as to permit of the foregoing clamping engagement, the provision of the connector tube 93 being provided primarily to locate the two upright tubes 20 in alignment with one another before the wedge clamping member 89 is driven into the clamping position.

What we claim then is:

1. In builders scaffolding having upright members, a plurality of sockets provided with an internal surface,

.ber associated with each said spigot and formed separately therefrom, guide means connecting said spigot and cross member, said guide means mounting 'said wedge member and providing for substantially vertical movement of said wedge member relative .to said spigot along the length thereof, mutually inclined faces disposed on opposite sides of said wedge member, one of said inclined faces abutting said spigot and the other. of said inclined faces abutting the surface of said socket, said inclined faces forcing said spigot into pressure engagement with said upright member.

2. In builders scaffolding accordingtonclaim .1, wherein said mutually inclined faces comprise a first inclined face directed toward said clamping face and a second face directed toward and substantially parallel to saidinternal surface and parallel to the length of each said upright member.

3. In builders scaffolding according to claim 2,wherein said sockets are substantially V-shaped in cross section with said internal surface disposed at the apex thereof forming an abutment face, said spigots have a substantially T-shape in cross section head and a web portion, said head forms a contact face for pressure engagement with said upright member, said web forms said clamping face, and wherein said wedge member is of flat section with its two opposite substantially vertical edges engaging said clamping face and said abutment face respectively to force said head into pressure'engagement with said upright member.

4. In builders scaffolding according to claim 3, wherein said cross member comprises two angle members juxtaposed to provide an upstanding flange and a pair of oppositely extending horizontal flanges, said two members being rigidly connected together at their ends by means of said pair of plate-like members each of which is secured to the underside of one of said angle members adjacent the junction between its two said flanges.

5. In builders scaffolding according to claim 3, including a hinge means, wherein at least one end of said crossmember extends between said pair of plate-like members i and is connected thereto by said hinge means for relative pivotal movement between said spigot and said crossmember about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of said cross-member.

6. In builders scaffolding according to claim 3, wherein said cross member is tubular with flattened ends, said ends being provided with a circular hole therein, a cylindrical boss freely rotatable Within said hole, said boss being rigidly connected to said plate-like members to brace said cross member at variant angles to said upright members.

7. In builders scafifolding according to claim 1, including means connecting each said spigot to an end of said cross member, said means comprising a pair of plate-like members spaced apart in parallel relationship, said wedge member extending between and being guided by engagement with the adjacent faces of said plate-like members for said substantially vertical movement.

8. In builders scaffolding according to claim 1, wherein said upright members each includes first and second tubular sections, and wherein means are provided for detachably connecting said sections together in rigid and vertically aligned relationship, said means including a male connector element projecting from one end of said first section and a socket portion on the adjacent end of said second section and in which said male element is received, a clamping member of generally U-shaped configuration having a body portion rigidly affixed to said portions extending laterally from said body portion and having aligned apertures, a cross pin seating in the apertures of said arm portions, and a generally T-shaped clamping member having a web portion and a clamping head portion provided with a clamping surface, said web portion extending between the arm portions of said U- shaped clamping member and having a slot through which said cross pin extends whereby said T-shaped clamping member is held captive to but may swing toward and away from and move relatively vertically with respect to said U-shaped clamping member, and means including said slot and cross pin and being operative when said T-shaped clamping member is swung towards said U- shaped clamping member and moved relatively vertically with respect thereto in one direction for moving the clamping surface of said head portion into pressure engagement with the ends of said first and second sections initially coupled by said male connector element having been received in the socket-portion end of the second member and said socket-portion end having been received in the socketdefined by said U-shaped clamping member. 5 JACOB 12 9. In builders scaifolding according to claim 8, wherein the surface of said clamping head which engages the coupled ends of said upright sections as aforesaid conforms to the surfaces of said coupled 'ends; and wherein said slot in the web portion is inclined to said clampinghead surface in direction such that when the T-shaped clamping member is moved vertically downward as aforesaid said cross pin coacts with the edge of the slot adjacent said surface to effect wedging movement of said T-shaped member against the coupled ends of said upright section. Y

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,897,013 7/59 Delp 182-479 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,211,041 10/59 France. 1,222,710 1/ 60 France. 1,229,330 3/60 France.

863,855 3/61 Great Britain.

RICHARD w. cooKE, 111., Primary Examiner.

L. NACKENOFF, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. IN BUILDERS SCAFFOLDING HAVING UPRIGHT MEMBERS, A PLURALITY OF SOCKETS PROVIDED WITH AN INTERNAL SURFACE, SAID SOCKETS BEING DISPOSED AT PREDETERMINED HEIGHTS ON SAID MEMBERS AND SPACED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AROUND THE PERIPHERY THEREOF, AND CROSS-MEMBERS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID UPRIGHT MEMBERS; A VERTICALLY DEPENDENT SPIGOT DISPOSED AT EACH END OF EACH SAID CROSS-MEMBER SEATED WITHIN EACH SAID SOCKET, A CLAMPING FACE DISPOSED ON SAID SPIGOT AND ABUTTING SAID UPRIGHT MEMBER, A WEDGE MEMBER ASSOCIATED WITH EACH SAID SPIGOT AND FORMED SEPARATELY THEREFROM, GUIDE MEANS CONNECTING SAID SPIGOT AND CROSS MEMBER, SAID GUIDE MEANS MOUNTING SAID WEDGE MEMBER AND PROVIDING FOR SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF SAID WEDGE MEMBER RELATIVE TO SAID SPIGOT ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF, MUTUALLY INCLINED FACES DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID WEDGE MEMBER, ONE OF SAID INCLINED FACES ABUTTING SAID SPIGOT AND THE OTHER OF SAID INCLINED FACES ABUTTING THE SURFACE OF SAID SOCKET, SAID INCLINED FACES FORCING SAID SPIGOT INTO PRESSURE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID UPRIGHT MEMBER.

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