AU2014203760A1 - A scaffold system - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and system of erecting a scaffold which is attached to a structure by brackets (21, 22), each pair of brackets supporting a support ledger (7). A main transom (34) includes a clamp (38) on one end, the clamp capable of engaging with and sliding along the support ledger. When the main transom is in the desired location it is clamped in position to the support ledger. The process is repeated for a second pair of brackets, support ledger and main transom. When all the support ledgers and main transoms are in place a standard (2) is connected to each main transom and a main ledger connected to each pair of adjacent standards. 13 11 23 18 /22 7 821 12 8 39 23 36t -3 FIGURE 2 FIGURE 3

Description

A SCAFFOLD SYSTEM TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a scaffolding system for use in construction or maintenance of a building, and in particular to a system for erecting a scaffold against a two or three story timber framed structure. BACKGROUND ART Scaffolding is commonly used during construction or maintenance of a building, generally to enable a person to work on the exterior of the building. This is particularly the case when the building is more than one storey high, or when access by ladder is not appropriate. Of course, scaffolding can be used for many other purposes, such as (without limitation) to access high surfaces in the interior of a building, or to support a framework for pouring a concrete slab floor in situ, or as a base for seating for a temporary stand, and so on. Throughout this specification we will refer to scaffolding as used with a building to provide access to the interior or exterior surfaces of the building - however, this should not be seen as limiting. The main structural members of a typical scaffold include standards, ledgers and transoms. All three types of member are generally formed by standard scaffold tubes of various lengths. The tubes are generally made of galvanized steel or aluminium, although other materials can be used in special circumstances (e.g. plastic composite tubes used when the scaffold is close to live wires). A standard generally refers to a relatively long tube that forms the vertical or upright members of the scaffold. The standards transfer the mass of the scaffold to the surface supporting the scaffold. A ledger is a length of tube which is used to connect a pair of standards together. The ledgers are generally oriented horizontally and aligned substantially parallel to the surface of the building. A transom is a length of tube, usually shorter than either a standard or a ledger, which connects an inner ledger (i.e. the ledger closest to the building surface) to an outer ledger. In use, transoms, which may rest on the ledgers or be attached to them, are oriented horizontally at right angles to a longitudinal axis of the ledger it is resting on/attached to. A ledger may also be used to form a safety rail at a height above the level of the transoms by fixing a tube or rail to each of the neighbouring standards, again using some type of coupler. In some cases two (or more) safety rails may be formed in this manner. Where a transom connects two standards, i.e. an inner standard and an outer standard, it is referred to as a main transom. A transom can also be used to connect the inner and outer 1 ledgers at a distance between adjacent main transoms, in which case it is called an intermediate transom. When all the transoms for a level are in place it is common to lay/clip boards on/to the transom to form a working platform. Braces are commonly used (particularly in scaffoldings having more than one or two levels) to provide diagonal bracing to the scaffold by connecting the bottom of one standard with the top of a neighbouring standard. Usually a brace is fitted between all neighbouring standards at each level - i.e. from the ground to the first level ledgers, from the first level ledgers to the second level ledgers and so on. At each connection a coupler must be used to hold the members forming the connection rigidly together. Various types of coupler are used, including right angle couplers, swivel couplers and putlog couplers, among others, as are well known to those skilled in the art. As can be seen from the above discussion there can be a significant amount of time and labour required to form a scaffold. One problem with constructing a standard scaffold of the type described above is the large number of connections which must be carried out manually as the scaffold is constructed - essentially every joint must be secured with a coupler, commonly involving clamping together the tubes to be connected and tightening one or more nut and bolt combinations to secure the join. This can be very time consuming and labour intensive, leading to increased construction costs. It can also create a hazard if parts of the scaffold (especially a coupler or a spanner) are dropped from a height as the scaffold is being constructed. On large construction/maintenance sites this relatively high cost can be borne as part of the overall cost of construction/maintenance. However, for smaller jobs, such as construction or maintenance of a residential property or one or two storey building, such costs can make the overall price too high. Of course, to be stable the scaffold must be level. This is not generally a problem for most large construction sites the site is usually levelled prior to construction beginning. However, many smaller building, both residential and commercial, may be built on sloping or uneven terrain in which case the positioning of the standards must be adjusted to account for the different ground/surface heights. A further issue with scaffolding is the safety issue that can arise if the scaffold is not physically attached to the building. Good safety practice requires a scaffold must be tied to the building it is erected against, although for small scaffolds, as used in residential/commercial buildings of one or two storeys this is not always the case. Some scaffolds for timber framed structures have used transoms which are configured to attach to a stud of the timber frame. While this does tie the scaffold into the structure a problem can arise when the studs are not spaced apart by an amount that fits easily with the 2 scaffold - essentially the spacing of the main transoms is determined by the spacing of the studs available for tying into, rather than the requirements of the scaffold. It is an object of the present invention to address the foregoing problems or at least to provide the public with a useful choice. All references, including any patents or patent applications cited in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference. No admission is made that any reference constitutes prior art. The discussion of the references states what their authors assert, and the applicants reserve the right to challenge the accuracy and pertinency of the cited documents. It will be clearly understood that, although a number of prior art publications are referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that any of these documents form part of the common general knowledge in the art, in New Zealand or in any other country. Throughout this specification, the word "comprise", or variations thereof such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps. Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a scaffold system which addresses the above problems with conventional scaffolds, and in particular to provide a scaffold for a timber framed structure where the scaffold is tied to the structure without restriction of the spacing of main transoms to the spacing of studs. Furthermore, the scaffold system may use fewer members and hence fewer couplings than a conventional scaffold, which may reduce material costs as well as labour costs and construction time in assembly and disassembly of the scaffolding system. According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a scaffolding system for use with a structure, the scaffolding system including: at least two standards; a main ledger to connect the two standards; a support ledger; at least two main transoms to connect each of the standards to the support ledger; and at least two brackets, each bracket including a clamp capable of accepting and clamping onto the support ledger, 3 wherein each bracket is capable of attachment to the structure, so that, in use, the brackets and the clamped support ledger are secured to the structure, and wherein a first end of each of the main transoms includes a clamp capable of slidingly engaging with, and clamping onto, the support ledger. In a preferred embodiment the structure has a timber frame. In a preferred embodiment the bracket is capable of attachment to a stud of the timber framed structure. Henceforth reference will be made throughout this specification to an anchor point (i.e. the place where the bracket is to be attached) in a timber framed structure, the anchor point generally (but not necessarily) being a stud. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other types of anchor point and other types of structures can be used and that such alternatives are envisaged to fall within the scope of the present invention. For example (without limitation) the scaffolding system of the present invention may be used with anchor points in steel framed structures and concrete walls. According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a scaffolding system substantially as described above, wherein the second end of the support ledger is configured to attach to an anchor point of the structure. As the second end of the support ledger is spaced apart from the first end of the support ledger, it should be clear that the anchor point for the second end of the support ledger is spaced apart from the anchor point of the first end of the anchor structure. In the case of the anchor points being studs, the bracket and the second end of the support ledger will be anchored to different studs. In some embodiments the second end of the support ledger is configured as a corner plate including an aperture to attach the flat plate to an anchor point. Reference to a corner plate should be understood to refer to a plate (or plates) with two faces, the faces being oriented substantially orthogonally to one another. In other words the corner plate may be a single plate that is bent about a crease line to form two orthogonally oriented faces, or it may be two separate faces oriented orthogonally to one another. The corner plate includes an aperture for fixing the corner plate to an anchor point/stud. In a preferred embodiment the scaffolding system includes two brackets, each bracket including a clamp, wherein each bracket is configured to accept and clamp the support ledger, the brackets further configured to attach to an anchor point of the structure, so that in use the brackets and the clamped support ledger are secured to the structure. In a preferred embodiment a first end of the main transom is configured to connect to one of 4 the standards, and the second end of the main transom is configured to engage with the support ledger. In a preferred embodiment the first end of the main transom is configured to connect to a keylock on the standard. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that a keylock fixed to a standard is a common feature in scaffolding, with the keylock used to engage with an end of the main transom. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that other types of couplers may be used to connect the main transom to the standard, and that reference only to a keylock should not be seen as limiting. In a preferred embodiment the second end of the main transom is configured to slidingly engage with the support ledger. In other embodiments the second end of the main transom is configured to clamp to the support ledger. According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a main transom including a clamp attached to one end of the main transom, wherein the clamp is configured to engage with a scaffold tube. In a preferred embodiment the clamp includes a half swivel clamp. A half swivel clamp is a type of clamp well known in the art. However, it will be appreciated that any type of clamp configured to engage with a scaffold tube will suffice, and reference to a half swivel clamp only should not be seen as limiting. Preferably the clamp is welded to the end of the main transom. Preferably the end of the main transom distal to the clamp end is configured to engage with a keylock. According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a bracket for use with a scaffolding system, the bracket including a clamp attached to a mounting plate, wherein the clamp is configured to engage with a scaffold tube. In a preferred embodiment the clamp includes a half swivel clamp. In some embodiments the mounting plate includes a flat surface. In this embodiment the mounting plate is configured so that the flat surface may be placed against a surface of a stud. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are many other shapes that a mounting plate may take, and reference to a mounting plate including a flat surface should not be seen as limiting. Preferably the mounting plate includes an aperture. The aperture may be configured to accept a screw or bolt used to attach the mounting plate (and bracket) to a stud. 5 According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of erecting a scaffolding system attached to a structure, the scaffold system including at least two standards; a main ledger to connect two of the standards located at a pre-set distance apart; a support ledger having a length; at least two main transoms to connect the standards to the support ledger; and a first bracket and a second bracket, each bracket including a clamp capable of accepting and clamping onto the support ledger, the brackets further capable of attachment to the structure, and wherein a first end of the main transom is configured to slidingly engage with the support ledger, and to clamp onto it, the method including the steps of: a) Choosing a desired location for a first main transom and a first standard; b) attaching the first bracket to the structure on one side of the desired location; c) attaching the second bracket to the structure on the other side of the desired location, wherein a distance between the first bracket and the second bracket is less than the length of the support ledger; d) engaging the support ledger with the first bracket and the second bracket and clamping it in place; e) locating the first end of the main transom on the support ledger such that the main transom is capable of sliding along the support ledger; f) sliding the main transom along the support ledger into the desired location; g) clamping the main transom to the support ledger in the desired location so that the main transom is orientated at right angles to the support ledger and lies in a plane though the support ledger and the two brackets; and h) connecting a second end of the main transom to a first standard; i) repeating steps a) to h) for a second main transom and a second standard where the desired location for the second main transom and the second standard is located at the pre-set distance from the first main transom and the first standard; and j) attaching the main ledger to the first standard and the second standard. In a preferred embodiment the method includes the step of repeating steps a) to j) for all remaining main transoms and standards of the scaffold system. In a preferred embodiment the method the scaffold system includes a plurality of support ledgers and the step of attaching the main transom to the support ledger includes attaching only one main transom to each support ledger. 6 In a preferred embodiment the step of attaching the bracket to the structure includes attaching the bracket to a stud of a timber framed structure. In other embodiments the second end of the support ledger is configured as a corner plate, wherein the step of attaching the second end of the support ledger to a second anchor point of the structure includes attaching the corner plate to the structure. In yet other embodiments the second end of the support ledger is configured as a flat plate, wherein the step of attaching the second end of the support ledger to a second anchor point of the structure includes attaching the flat plate to the structure. In yet other embodiments the step of attaching the second end of the support ledger to a second anchor point of the structure includes attaching a second bracket to the second anchor point and clamping the support ledger to the second bracket. In a preferred embodiment the step of attaching the bracket to the structure includes attaching the bracket to a stud of a timber framed structure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a scaffolding system according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 shows a schematic view of a bracket according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 shows a schematic view of an end of a main transom according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 shows a stage in the method for erecting a scaffold system according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 shows a stage in the method for erecting a scaffold system according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 shows a stage in the method for erecting a scaffold system according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 shows a stage in the method for erecting a scaffold system according to the embodiment of the present invention; 7 Figure 8 shows a stage in the method for erecting a scaffold system according to another embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 9 shows a stage in the method for erecting a scaffold system according to the embodiment shown in Fig. 8. BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A scaffolding system according to one embodiment of the present invention is generally indicated by arrow 1 in Fig. 1. The system includes two standards 2, 3, each standard having a base plate 4 to provide stability. A main ledger 5 is attached to the first standard 2 and the second standard 3. The main ledger is shown with a break (indicated by arrow 6) to indicate that the main ledger is much longer than the other members shown in Fig. 1. The standards and main ledger are formed by lengths of standard scaffold tube, being galvanised steel tube of diameter of 48.3 mm. A support ledger 7, 8 has a first end 9, 10 and a second end 11, 12 respectively. One support ledger, 7, has a second end 11 which is configured as a corner plate 13 including an aperture 14 for attaching the second end of the support ledger 7 to an anchor point of the structure in the form of a stud 15 of a wooden structure. The corner plate is shown as a flat plate that has been bent around a crease line to form two orthogonal surfaces 16, 17. The second end 11 is welded to one face, 16, of the corner support. The other support ledger, 8, has a second end 12 which is configured as a flat plate 18 including an aperture 19 for attaching the second end of the support ledger 8 to an anchor point of the structure in the form of a stud 20 of the wooden structure. Both support ledgers are formed by relatively short (somewhat larger than the distance between two neighbouring studs) lengths of standard scaffold tube. A bracket 21, 22, which is shown in more detail in Fig. 2, includes a half swivel clamp 23 attached to a flat mounting plate 24 having an aperture 25 for mounting the bracket to an anchor point. The bracket is attached to a stud 26, 27 of the timber framed structure by bolting or screwing through the aperture 19. In the embodiment shown the half swivel clamp 23 is welded to the flat mounting plate 24 - however other methods of attachment are envisaged and attachment by welding should not be seen as limiting. The bracket 21, 22 is shown in more detail in Fig.2. The half swivel clamp 23 is of a type that is well known in the art. The clamp is opened by loosening the nut 28 on the bolt 29 which allows the nut and bolt to pivot free of the upper plate 30 of the clamp. The upper plate is pivotally connected to the lower plate 31 by pivot axle 32. When opened the clamp is able to accept the support ledger in the opening 33 between the upper and lower plates. The clamp is closed by 8 pivoting the upper plate over the surface of the support ledger, re-engaging the bolt and nut with the upper plate and tightening the nut, thus securing the support ledger to the structure. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other types of clamp are available and could be used, and that reference only to a bracket including a half swivel clamp should not be seen as limiting. The main transom 34, 35 is formed from a length of standard scaffold tube. One end of the main transom 34, 35 is attached to a keylock 36, 37 on the standard 2, 3, and the other end is slidingly attached to the support ledger 7, 8, respectively. The end of the main transom 34, 35 attached to the support ledger includes a half swivel clamp 38, 39 welded to the end of the main transom, as shown schematically in Fig.3. With the clamp open the end of the main transom may be engaged with the support ledger. With the clamp closed loosely, the main transom may slide along the support ledger. When in position directly across from the standard 2, 3, the clamp may be tightened, thus fixing the main transom in place. This description provides the basis for the scaffold system of the present invention. It will be appreciated that additional features may be added to this base system as may be done for conventional scaffolding. The steps of the method of erecting the scaffolding according to one embodiment are illustrated in Figs. 4 - 7. In the first step, illustrated in Fig. 4, a bracket 21, including a clamp 23, is attached to a stud 26 by screwing the flat mounting plate 24 to the stud. The height of the attachment corresponds to the height of the first level of the scaffold, while the position of the stud is chosen to be in the vicinity of the desired location of a standard. The second step of the method involves attaching a support ledger 7 between the bracket 21 and another stud 15 as illustrated in Fig.5. First the support ledger is slidingly engaged with the clamp 23 of the bracket 21 by opening the clamp, inserting the support ledger and closing the clamp loosely so that the support ledger is free to slide through the clamp. The support ledger is moved through the clamp until the second end 11, which is configured to include a corner plate 13, abuts the second stud 15. The corner support is screwed securely to the stud and the clamp on the bracket is tightened to secure the other end of the support ledger in place. In the next step a standard 2 is placed in an upright position in a desired location between the two studs, 15 and 26, (i.e., between the two brackets, 13 and 21) the standard spaced apart from the support ledger 7 by a distance substantially the same as the length of the main transom, as illustrated in Fig. 6. The clamp 38 on the main transom 34 is opened to facilitate engagement with the support ledger. Once the main transom is adjacent the support ledger the clamp is closed around the support ledger and tightened loosely. The main transom may then be slid into position opposite 9 the standard 2 as shown in Fig. 7 and the other end of the main transom engaged with the keylock 36 followed by tightening the clamp to the support ledger. This process is then continued for a second standard 3 spaced apart from the first standard 2 by the length of the main ledger. When the second standard is connected to the support ledger 8 by the main transom 35, the two standards 2, 3 are connected together by the main ledger 5 which connects to a keylock 36, 37 on each standard. This process is continued until all of the standards have been fully connected. In a preferred embodiment of the method the steps are similar to those described above, but the order of the steps, and the nature of the brackets, is different. Firstly, the brackets used are of the type shown in Fig. 2 (i.e. 21, 22). Secondly, the applicant has found that it is quicker and easier to secure each main transom 34 (as shown in Fig. 3) to a support ledger 7, 8 at each of the desired locations for the main transom/standard, as shown in Fig. 8, prior to connecting the standards. A main transom 34 is fixed to the support ledger 7 so that the main transom lies in a plane of the support ledger and the two brackets 21, 22 that the support ledger is mounted to. In effect, this will be a horizontal plane, the main transom extending in the horizontal plane at right angles from the structure (see Fig. 8). When all of the main transoms of the scaffolding system are attached to the structure in this manner it is a relatively simple matter to attach a standard 2 to the outer (free) end of each of the main transoms. The scaffolding system is completed by attaching a main ledger 5 between each pair of neighbouring standards, as shown in Fig.s 1 and 9. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, other scaffold members may be added to provide a basis for planks/boards/decking etc. to be secured to the scaffolding system, and for hand rails which must be added for safety purposes. In a preferred embodiment each support ledger 7, 8 is a relatively short length of scaffold tube: it may be no longer than the distance between two studs 15, 26 of a timber framed structure (including the width of the two studs). In this embodiment the two brackets 21, 22 are attached to adjacent studs 15, 26 of the structure and each support ledger supports only one main transom. The relatively short nature of the support ledgers may provide a significant saving in materials, as two short support ledgers replace the (much longer) length of a main ledger as used in prior art systems. A scaffold system according to the present invention may provide several advantages over the systems of the prior art, including: 10 * Fewer components, saving cost of materials. Conventional scaffolding for a single level/single bay requires 4 standards, 4 full sized main ledgers to connect the standards at the base and first level, 4 main transoms (base and first level) and bracing (8 pieces) from the base of each standard to the diagonally opposite keylock on a neighbouring standard, a total of 20 members. By comparison, a single level/single bay according to the present invention requires only 2 standards, 2 main transoms, one main ledger and two, much shorter, support ledgers, a total of 7 members, a reduction of at least 50% in scaffold tubing plus the reduction in bracing. Not only does this represent a significant reduction in the amount of scaffold tube required, the smaller number of members requires a correspondingly smaller number of couplings to connect the tubes together, providing further material cost savings. * Cost savings on the time required to erect or dismantle the scaffold. The time required to erect of dismantle a conventional single bay/single level scaffold is estimated at around 24 - 36 person-hours (3 people for 1 - 1.5 days). In comparison, due to the smaller number of connectors and the ease of connection, it is estimated that the time required to erect a single bay/single level scaffold using the present invention is around 8 person hours (2 people for 4 hours), a reduction of at least 66% in time and labour cost. * A scaffold may be constructed from standard lengths of scaffold tube, which may reduce wastage of material and labour costs where conventional tube needs to be cut to length. A modular system is possible with the present invention because the separation of adjacent standards may be set at a pre-determined, fixed distance, whereas spacing of standards in the prior art methods that use ties into the studs or frame of a structure are determined by the position of the studs/frame members. The use of support ledgers and main transoms configured to slide along the support ledgers means the main transoms, and hence the standards, may be placed anywhere between the studs/frame members. Furthermore, the spacing between the main transoms may always be set at the correct distance for supporting standard lengths of board/decking, reducing the hazard that can occur if boards are laid over one another because the separation is not ideal. In comparison with conventional stand alone scaffold the present scaffolding system may provide additional stability and safety as the scaffold is tied to the frame of a structure. Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it should be appreciated that modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims. 11 WARENA JOSEPH SADLIER by his authorised agents JAMES & WELLS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 12

Claims (14)

1. A scaffolding system for attachment to a structure, the scaffolding system including: at least two standards; a main ledger to connect the two standards; a support ledger; at least two main transoms, each main transom to connect one of the standards to the support ledger; and at least two brackets, each bracket including a clamp capable of accepting and clamping onto the support ledger, wherein each bracket is capable of attachment to the structure, so that, in use, the brackets and the clamped support ledger are secured to the structure, and wherein an end of each of the main transoms includes a clamp capable of slidingly engaging with, and clamping onto, the support ledger.

2. A scaffolding system as claimed in claim 1 including a plurality of support ledgers, where the number of support ledgers equals the number of main transoms.

3. A method of erecting a scaffold system attached to a structure, the scaffold system including at least two standards; a main ledger to connect two of the standards located at a pre-set distance apart; a support ledger having a length; at least two main transoms to connect the standards to the support ledger; and a first bracket and a second bracket, each bracket including a clamp capable of accepting and clamping onto the support ledger, the brackets further capable of attachment to the structure, and wherein a first end of the main transom is configured to slidingly engage with the support ledger, and to clamp onto it, the method including the steps of: a) Choosing a desired location for a first main transom and a first standard; b) attaching the first bracket to the structure on one side of the desired location; c) attaching the second bracket to the structure on the other side of the desired location, wherein a distance between the first bracket and the second bracket is less than the length of the support ledger; 13 d) engaging the support ledger with the first bracket and the second bracket and clamping it in place; e) locating the first end of the main transom on the support ledger such that the main transom is capable of sliding along the support ledger; f) sliding the main transom along the support ledger into the desired position; g) clamping the main transom to the support ledger in the desired position so that the main transom is orientated at right angles to the support ledger and lies in a plane though the support ledger and the two brackets; and h) connecting a second end of the main transom to a first standard; i) repeating steps a) to h) for a second main transom and a second standard where the desired location for the second main transom and the second standard is located at the pre-set distance from the first main transom and first standard; and j) attaching the main ledger to the first standard and the second standard.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 including the step of repeating steps a) to j) for all remaining main transoms and standards in the scaffold system.

5. A method as claimed in either one of claims 3 or 4 including a plurality of support ledgers, wherein each support ledger is engaged with only one main transom.

6. A method as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5 wherein the step of attaching the bracket to the structure includes attaching the bracket to a stud of a timber framed structure.

7. A method as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6 wherein the bracket includes a clamp attached to a mounting plate,

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the clamp is a half swivel clamp.

9. A method as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 8 wherein a second end of the main transom is configured to engage with a keylock on the standard. 14

10. A method as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 9 wherein the first end main transom includes a clamp configured to engage with the support ledger.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the clamp is a half swivel clamp.

12. A method as claimed in either one of claims 10 or 11 wherein the clamp is welded to the first end of the main transom.

13. A scaffolding system substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying description and as illustrated by the drawings.

14. A method of erecting a scaffolding system substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying description and as illustrated by the drawings. 15