US3698680A

US3698680A - Scaffold-supporting bracket for a concrete wall form

Info

Publication number: US3698680A
Application number: US115002A
Authority: US
Inventors: James C Shoemaker
Original assignee: Symons Corp
Current assignee: General Electric Co
Priority date: 1971-02-12
Filing date: 1971-02-12
Publication date: 1972-10-17
Anticipated expiration: 1989-10-17

Abstract

A unitary one-piece scaffold-supporting bracket for a concrete wall form, which requires no fastening devices or other concrete hardware for its installation on the form, and which automatically locks itself in position at the time it is applied to the form.

Description

[ 1 Oct. 17, 1972 1/1940 Bosc'o................249/219 W X 10/1951 Yoshimoto................248/235 3/1912 Knoerzer...................248/235 8/1898 Miller................. ......248/235 7/1971 Hutchinson..............182/82X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Germany...................248/235 ABSTRACT -piece scaffold-supporting bracket for a which requires no fastening 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures United States Patent Shoemaker [5 SCAFFOLD-SUPPORTING BRACKET 2,188,400 FOR A CONCRETE WALL FORM 2,573,086 [72] Inventor: James C. Shoemaker, Hampshire, 1920358 In 609,287 3,595,510 [73] Assignee: Symons Corporation, Des Plaines,

221 Filed: Feb. 12, 1971 1, 4,3 4 1 /1969 Appl' llsooz Primary Examiner-J. Spencer Overholser Assistant Examiner-B. D. Tobor [52] US. Cl. ..................249/189, 182/82, 248/235, At n yrm H- G a h 249/219 W [51] Int. 3/08 [57] [58] Field of Search.182/82' 248/235- 249/189 205 A unitary one 249/210, 219 W, 219 R, 25/131 R, 131 P concrete wall form devices or other concrete hardware for its installatio [56] References cued on the form, and which automatically locks itself in UNITED STATES PATENTS position at the time it is applied to the form. 2,833,503 5/1958 Harshbarger..............248/235 PATENTED 17 I97? 3.698.680

IN VENTOR.

JAMES C SHOE/VAKER SCAFFOLD-SUPPORTING BRACKET FOR A CONCRETE WALL FORM The present invention relates generally to concrete wall forms and has particular reference to a novel scaffold-supporting bracket which, in combination with a series of similar brackets that are strung along one side of a concrete wall form, serves to support the usual wooden scaffold planking as well as to make provision for replacement and support of a post for a horizontal guard rail.

I-Ieretofore, in connection with wooden concrete wall forms, and particularly gang forms, the installation of scaffolding at the sides of the forms has been largely a matter of individual scaffold erection in the field, involving the cutting and fitting of lumber in an empirical manner or fashion. Scaffolds thus erected are not readily susceptible to dismantling operations inasmuch as they must be forcibly knocked down, and by such a procedure, most of the lumber, and particularly that portion of the lumber which supports the scaffold planking, is either damaged beyond the possibility of reuse in a succeeding scaffold installation or it is no longer dimensionally correct for such reuse in a different concrete wall form installation. In addition to this, the erection and dismantling of such scaffolding is a time-consuming operation and involves a considerable degree of skill, particularly in connection with work involving carpentry.

The present invention is designed to overcome the above-noted limitations that are attendant upon the construction of separate or independent concrete wall form scaffolding as it is currently practiced, and toward this end, the invention contemplates the provision of a novel unitary metal scaffold-supporting bracket for use with a wooden concrete wall form, particularly thattype of concrete wall form which employs laterally spaced, vertically extending wooden strongbacks which fit against a series of vertically spaced, horizontally extending, waler boards, the latter, in turn, filling against the outer side of the plywood or other paneling which is associated with one side of the wall form. The scaffoldsupporting bracket of the present invention, when used in connection with such a concrete wall form, is possessed of a self-locking feature whereby it may be placed in position on one of the form sides by a simple manual operation, the completion of this placement and positioning operation serving automatically to lock the bracket securely in its operative plank-supporting position without necessitating the use of extraneous fastening devices, the bracket then being ready for immediate placement thereon of the scaffold planking and a guard rail post. After the bracket has served its purpose and the scaffold planking and post have been removed, the bracket may be lifted from its installed position on the associated concrete wall form side by merely reversing the original installation procedure, whereupon the interlock between the bracket and said concrete wall form side is released for bracket removal purposes. Because of the fact that the scaffold-supporting bracket of the present invention is of unitary construction and consists of various metal parts which are welded together to provide a permanent and reuseable unit, construction of the bracket may be accomplished at the factory rather than in the field. Accordingly, the improved brackets may be manufactured in quantity on a large scale and shipped to the field for use thereat in various installations, regardless of whether such installations are identical or of a similar nature, or whether they are totally different wall form installations, the only requisite being that they employ conventional vertically extending strongback lumber which is relied upon for proper bracket installation. The provision of a scaffold-supporting bracket such as has briefly been outlined above and possessing the stated advantages, constitutes the principal object of the present invention.

The provision of a scaffold-supporting bracket which is comprised solely of conventional metal stock parts which are suitably welded together in order to produce the finished article and, therefore, may be manufactured at a low cost; one which is'rugged and durable and will, therefore, withstand rough usage; one which is possessed of no moving parts and, therefore, is unlikely to get out of order; one which is capable of installation without the use of tools; and one which otherwise is well adapted to perform the services required of it, are further desirable features which have been borne in mind in the production and development of the present invention. I

Other objects and advantages of the invention, not at this time enumerated, will readily suggest themselves as the nature of the invention is better understood from a reading of the following detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel features which are hereinafter set forth and are more particularly defined by the claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the accompanying single sheet of drawings forming a part of this specification or disclosure, one illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown.

In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a conventional concrete wall form, such view showing a series of the improved scaffold-supporting brackets operatively applied to one side thereof;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the scaffold-supporting brackets, such view illustrating the manner of application of the bracket to one side of the concrete wall form of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the scaffold-supporting bracket of FIG. 3, such view being on a reduced scale;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the scaffold-supporting bracket of FIG. 3; and v FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and in particular to FIG. 1, a conventional concrete wall form 10 is shown as having a horizontal series of the improved scaffold-supporting brackets operatively applied to one side thereof in longitudinally spaced relationship and at the same horizontal level, such brackets being designated or identified by the reference numeral 12. The brackets 12 are provided for the purpose of supporting thereon and therebetween wooden scaffold planking 14 which may be in the form of lengths of 2 X 8 inches or 2 X 10 inches lumber. As shown in FIG. 1, the planks of scaffold planking 14 are arranged in sideby-side relationship as is customary in connection with scaffold planking. The brackets 12 also make provision for supporting a series of vertical posts 16 along which a guard rail 18 in the form of a chain, rope, or other flexible instrumentality may be draped as also is customary in connection with the erection of a scaffold of the type under consideration.

As previously stated, the concrete wall form is of a conventional type and is comprised of a pair of opposed, spaced apart sides and 22 of similar design and construction. Each side is comprised of a plywood facing 24, to the outer surface of which there is applied a series of horizontal walers 26, the walers being secured by nails 28 or other fastening devices to the adjacent plywood facing 24. The various walers 26, in turn, are secured to a series of laterally spaced, vertically extending strongbacks 30, the latter preferably being in the form of lengths of 4 X 6 inch lumber, the securing means for the strongbacks and walers being in the form of long nails 32' which pass from inside the form through the plywood facing 24. Across the top of the form there is provided a series of conventional, horizontally extending, tie bar spacers 34 which are secured to the upper ends of the strongbacks by wing nut devices 36. Additional spacing or spreading means in the form of conventional tie rods (not shown) may be employed for maintaining the two form sides 20 and 22 in their proper spaced apart relationship.

Still referring to FIG. 1, and additionally to FIGS. 2 to 5, inclusive, the various scaffold-supporting brackets 12 are identical in construction and, therefore, a description of one of them will suffice for them all. In the following description, reference to a single scaffoldsupporting bracket 12 will be made on the basis of the position which it assumes with respect to the wall form side to which it is attached and on which it is mounted. The bracket 12 is comprised of a number of commercially available lengths of angle bar stock and flat bar stock which are cut to size, shaped, and welded together according to the present invention. Said bracket 12 involves in its general organization a horizontal plank-supporting arm 40 which is in the form of an angle bar and embodies a horizontal flange 42 and a depending vertical flange 44. The inner end of the arm 40 is adapted to be supported from one of the horizontal walers 36 by means of an angle piece 45 which, because of its function as will be described hereinafter, is termed herein as a locking bar. This locking bar 45 is provided with an upstanding vertical flange 46 and a horizontal flange 47, the inner end of the arm 40 being welded to one end of the flange 46 of the locking bar as indicated at 48.

When the bracket 12 is operatively applied to the adjacent or associated side 22 of the concrete wall form It), the horizontal flange 47 of the locking bar 45 rests flat on the upper flat side edge of the subjacent waler 26 as clearly shown in FIG. 2, and the locking bar extends behind the adjacent strongback 30 with the inner end portion of the vertical flange 44 of the arm 40 bearing against one vertical edge of such strongback. The locking bar 45 of the bracket 12 overhangs the proximate end of the plank-supporting arm 40 somewhat in excess of the width of the strongback 30 so that an end portion 49 of the bar is exposed on the side of the strongback that is remote from the arm 40. The vertical flange 46 of the locking bar 45 is slit vertically as indicated at 50, and the end region of the flange 46 beyond the slit is bent outwardly at a small angle to provide a locking tongue 51. The inner edge of this locking tongue 51 bears against the adjacent side edge of the associated strongback 30, and since the inner end of the vertical flange 44 of the arm 40 bears against the opposite side edge of the strongback, the locking bar 45'and, consequently, the bracket 12 as a whole, is

prevented from longitudinal shifting with respect to the 2 form in either direction.

The outer or distal end of the plank-supporting arm 40 is supported by means of a diagonalbrace 52. This brace is preferably in the form of an angle bar and embodies a downwardly extending flange 54 and a laterally extending flange 56. The upper end of the downwardly extending flange 54 of the brace 52 is cut away at an angular bias as indicated at 58 inFIG. 2 and the outer side face of said upper end of the flange 54 is welded as indicated at 59 in FIGS. 2 and 3 to the cutter side face of the outer end of the vertical flange 44 of the plank-supporting arm 40. The lower end of the downwardly extending flange 54 of the diagonal brace 52 is cut away at an angular bias as indicated at 60 and the lower edges of both

flanges

54 and 56 are welded as indicated at 62 to the bight portion 64 of a saddle member 66, the latter being formed from flat metal bar or strip stock and having parallel, inwardly extending side legs 68 in addition to the bight portion 64. The side legs 68 of the saddle member of the bracket 12 straddle the adjacent strongback 30 below the level of the locking bar 45 and dual-headed nails 70 project through small nail holes 72 in the central portions of the side legs 68 and serve to hold the saddle member 66 in position on the strongback with the bight portion 64 lying flat against the outside face of the strongback 30.

A vertical strut 74 of flat metal strip or bar stock extends between the medial regions of the plank-supporting arm 40 and the brace 52 and has its upper end welded as indicated at 75 to the depending vertical flange 44 of the arm 40 and its lower end welded as indicated at 76 to the downwardly extending flange 54 of the diagonal brace 52. A slight offset 78in the central portion of the brace 52 compensates for the misalignment of the general planes of the two

flanges

44 and 54.

At the outer end of the arm 40, there is provided a generally rectangular post-receiving socket 80, this socket existing by reason of a generally U-shaped member 82 comprising a pair of spaced apart side legs 84 and a flat bight portion 86 between the inner end regions of the two side legs. The outer edges of the side legs 84 of the socket are welded as indicated at 88 to the outer end portion of the vertical flange 44 of the arm 40, the extreme outer portion of the horizontal flange 42 being cut. away to expose the socket 80 which otherwise would be covered by this flange. The axis of center line of the socket 80 is vertical and the socket is adapted to receive therein the lower end of one of the previously mentioned vertical posts 16, the one post being pre-formed with a reduced lower end 90 which establishes a downwardly facing shoulder for preventing the post from sliding downwardly in the socket.

in applying the scaffold bracket 12 to the side 22 of the concrete wall form 10 as illustrated in FIG. 1, the locking-bar 45 of the bracket is applied to the selected waler 36 by first inclining or tilting upwards the arm 40 at an angle of 30 or 45 and then causing the outer or distal edge of the horizontal flange 47 of the. locking bar to rest on the upper side edge of the subjacent waler 36. Subsequently, the locking bar 45 is slid endwise in the direction of the adjacent strongback 30 in prevails in determining the overall horizontal extent of the flange. This extent is thus less than the distance between the strongback 30 and the plywood facing 24 so that there is ample room for the locking bar 40 to be slid endwise along the subjacent waler 36 and behind the strongback until such time as the latter is engaged by the inner end of the vertical flange 44 of the arm 40. At this time, the arm (and consequently, the bracket 12 as a whole) is swung or tilted downwards from its inclined position to its normal or regular horizontal position, thus causing the juncture region between the

flanges

46 and 47 of the locking bar 40 to brush or slide against the inner side surface of the strongback and pass over a dead-center position, the inherent resiliency of the wooden material of the strongback and of the plywood panel allowing such movement. As the arm 40 is swung or tilted downwards, the locking tongue 51 swings forwards into interlocking or lapped relation with the adjacent side of the strongback 30.

From the above description, it will be appreciated that the locking bar 45, together with its integral locking tongue 51, constitutes, in effect, a hook portion on the proximate end of the plank-supporting arm 40. This hook portion projects behind the strongback 30 where it becomes locked to the side 22 of the concrete wall form 10, thereby maintaining the upper portion of the bracket at a right angle with respect to said form side.

As the locking bar 45 in connection with downward tilting thereof approaches its final position as described above, the saddle member 66 closely approaches the strongback 30 and the side arms 68 thereof are caused to straddle said strongback and move to positions wherein the bight portion 68 of the saddle member bears flat against the outer flat side face of the strongback. The nails 70 are than applied in the manner previously described and the bracket installation is thus completed. It is to be noted at this point that during the downward tilting or lowering of the arm 40 from its inclined position to its horizontal position as previously described, the locking tongue 51 moves outwardly beyond the vertical plane of the inner side face of the strongback and, in combination with the vertical flange 44 of the arm 40, confines the locking bar and, consequently, the entire bracket 12 against longitudinal shifting or displacement with respect to the concrete wall form 10.

Removal of the bracket 12 from the concrete wall form is accomplished by the simple expedient of removing the nails 70 and then swinging the arm 40 upwardly, whereupon the locking bar may be slid endwise from its position behind the strongback to release the bracket.

The invention is not to be limited to the exact arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specification as various changes in the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, only insofar as the invention is particularly pointed out in the accompanying claims is the same to be limited.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by letters patent is:

l. A concrete wall form comprising; in combination, a wall form side including a vertical facing, a plurality of vertically spaced, horizontal walers affixed to the outer side of said facing, and a plurality of horizontally spaced, vertical strongbacks affixed to the outer sides of said walers and spaced from the facing by a distance equal to the thickness of the walers, and a unitary rigid metal scaffold-supporting bracket removably mounted on said wall form side, said bracket comprising a horizontal plant-supporting arm formed of angle bar stock, projecting outwardly away from said form side at substantially a right angle, and having a hook portion formed of angle bar stock, welded to its proximate end, resting on the upper edge of one of said walers, projecting laterally and horizontally through the space existing between one of the strongbacks and the panel facing, and encompassing said strongback on three sides, said hook portion including a horizontal flange having a width which is substantially equal to the thickness of the subjacent waler and bears flat against the upper edge of said waler, and also including a vertical flange which bears flat against the inside face of said one strongback, one end of said vertical flange of the hook portion being provided with a vertical slit and the portion of such flange removed from the plank-supporting arm being displaced in an outward direction with respect to the form side in order to provide a tongue which, .in combination with the proximate end of the plank-supporting arm, straddles the strongback so as to prevent lateral shifting of the hook portion and bracket with respect to said form side, an inclined brace also formed .of angle bar stock and having its outer end welded to the distal end of the plank-supporting arm, and a U-shaped saddle member on the inner end of said brace, formed of flat metal stock, having side arms which are provided with nail holes, straddle said one strongback, and fit flat against the side edges of the latter, and a connecting bight portion which fits flat against the inner side face of the one strongback, and a substantially vertical reinforcing strut having its upper end welded to the medial region of the plank-supporting arm and its lower end'welded to the medial region of said brace.

2. A concrete wall form as wet forth in claim 1 and including, additionally, means establishing a postreceiving socket mounted on the distal end of said plank-supporting arm and designed for removable reception therein of the lower end of a post for supporting a guard rail.

3. A concrete wall form as set forth in claim 2 and wherein said socket-establishing means comprises a U- shaped member formed from flat metal stock and having side legs with their outer ends welded to the vertical flange of the plank-supporting arm in edge-to-face relationship.

4. A concrete wall form, the combination set forth in claim 3 and wherein the U-shaped member is disposed on the same side of the vertical flange of the plank-supporting arm as the horizontal flange of such arm, and said horizontal flange is relieved at its extremedistal end region to expose the socket that is established by said U-shaped member and vertical flange. S

Claims

1. A concrete wall form comprising, in combination, a wall form side including a vertical facing, a plurality of vertically spaced, horizontal walers affixed to the outer side of said facing, and a plurality of horizontally spaced, vertical strongbacks affixed to the outer sides of said walers and spaced from the facing by a distance equal to the thickness of the walers, and a unitary rigid metal scaffold-supporting bracket removably mounted on said wall form side, said bracket comprising a horizontal plank-supporting arm formed of angle bar stock, projecting outwardly away from said form side at substantially a right angle, and having a hook portion formed of angle bar stock, welded to its proximate end, resting on the upper edge of one of said walers, projecting laterally and horizontally through the space existing between one of the strongbacks and the panel facing, and encompassing said strongback on three sides, said hook portion including a horizontal flange having a width which is substantially equal to the thickness of the subjacent waler and bears flat against the upper edge of said waler, and also including a vertical flange which bears flat against the inside face of said one strongback, one end of said vertical flange of the hook portion being provided with a vertical slit and the portion of such flange removed from the plank-supporting arm being displaced in an outward direction with respect to the form side in order to provide a tongue which, in combination with the proximate end of the plank-supporting arm, straddles the strongback so as to prevent lateral shifting of the hoOk portion and bracket with respect to said form side, an inclined brace also formed of angle bar stock and having its outer end welded to the distal end of the plank-supporting arm, and a U-shaped saddle member on the inner end of said brace, formed of flat metal stock, having side arms which are provided with nail holes, straddle said one strongback, and fit flat against the side edges of the latter, and a connecting bight portion which fits flat against the inner side face of the one strongback, and a substantially vertical reinforcing strut having its upper end welded to the medial region of the plank-supporting arm and its lower end welded to the medial region of said brace.

2. A concrete wall form as set forth in claim 1 and including, additionally, means establishing a post-receiving socket mounted on the distal end of said plank-supporting arm and designed for removable reception therein of the lower end of a post for supporting a guard rail.

3. A concrete wall form as set forth in claim 2 and wherein said socket-establishing means comprises a U-shaped member formed from flat metal stock and having side legs with their outer ends welded to the vertical flange of the plank-supporting arm in edge-to-face relationship.

4. A concrete wall form, the combination set forth in claim 3 and wherein the U-shaped member is disposed on the same side of the vertical flange of the plank-supporting arm as the horizontal flange of such arm, and said horizontal flange is relieved at its extreme distal end region to expose the socket that is established by said U-shaped member and vertical flange.