GB2085107A

GB2085107A - Scaffolding Head Fitting

Info

Publication number: GB2085107A
Application number: GB8030474A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: C Evans and Sons Ltd
Current assignee: C Evans and Sons Ltd
Priority date: 1980-09-22
Filing date: 1980-09-22
Publication date: 1982-04-21

Abstract

An easily detachable head fitting for joining one scaffold standard to another by end-to-end connection which consists of a spigot tube 10 and a collar 11 which has arms 13. The head fitting is held in place on the end of a standard scaffolding tube 15 by means of a hook member 16 in the form of a bolt having a threaded end 17 and an obstruction 18 in the form of a weld to prevent a nut 19 from running off the end of the hook bolt. The standard has an aperture 20 adjacent one end and slots 21 aligned in the end of the standard. There are corresponding apertures 22 in the collar 11 and 23 in the spigot 10 which are adapted to align with the slots 21. Additionally there are apertures 24 in the spigot 10 adapted to align with the apertures 20 in the standard 15. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Scaffolding Head Fitting This invention relates to a head fitting for joining two lengths of scaffolding, particularly for joining one scaffold standard to another by endto-end connection. Such head fittings are known and they are usually welded to a standard and are therefore not easily removable. While this is satisfactory for most uses, the standards are frequently used for temporary support, for instance, of reinforced concrete floors and the like. For this particular application and for some other applications it is necessary to have some form of vertical adjustment such as a screw-type jack, the threaded stem of which is inserted into the upper end of a scaffold standard.Known head fittings such as the one described in our earlier patent specification 1475310 do not allow for this particular application because the head fitting is welded or permanently fixed in some way to the standard.

An object of the invention is to provide a head fitting which can be attached to a standard that can easily be detached when required to leave the upper end of a standard open to receive the stem of a jack or any other fitting as required.

This will eliminate the need for supplying additional open ended standards as specific items of equipment.

In accordance with the invention there is a detachable head fitting for joining two lengths of scaffolding, the head fitting comprising a spigot and a collar, and means for removably attaching the head fitting to a length of scaffolding.

The means for removably attaching the head fitting may comprise a hook member which has a long arm and a short arm, the long arm being arranged to extend through aligned apertures in the spigot and collar and the short arm being arranged to engage an aperture in the length of scaffolding so as to secure the head fitting to the scaffolding.

The hook member is preferably in the form of a bolt with a nut on the end remote from the hook so that when the nut is tightened the short arm of the hook member is pulled into engagement with the aperture in the standard.

Preferably the nut is captive on the hook end, being retained there by a protrusion or by a burred thread on the hook end which prevents the nut being fully unscrewed.

The fitting may include a wedge for clamping a second length of scaffolding to the first, and the wedge may comprise a rectangular plate with an inclined slot retained by a member of V-shaped configuration, one side of the slot in the wedge being tapered inwardly at its lower end so that as the wedge is driven up the tapered side thrusts against the apex of the retaining means.

The standard to which the fitting is to be applied merely needs to have a hole drilled in it to receive the short end of the hook member, but it may optionally have semicircular recesses in its top end for engagement with the longer arm of the hook member.

A further advantage of the invention is that the head fitting can easily be removed for complete renewal and can be easily dismembered to facilitate part renewal, whereas the present head fittings being welded to the standards are not easily removable and when they are damaged are often not repaired.

In the accompanying drawings:- Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a head fitting, embodying the invention, applied to a scaffolding standard; Fig. 2(a) is a side elevation of the top end of a standard adapted to receive the fitting, and Fig. 2(b) is an elevation of the same standard end seen from the side; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the end fitting applied to the joining of two standards, with the wedge tightened, the fitting being seen in the direction of the arrow "B" in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a view in the direction of arrow "C" in Fig. 1 showing the same fitting but with the wedge released; Fig. 5 is a section through the head fitting and standard taken on line AA in Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is an elevation in the direction of the arrow "D" in Fig. 1 showing the nut on the hook member screwed back to allow the hook to be moved in the direction of the arrow to facilitate removal of the head fitting.

Basically, the head fitting consists of a spigot tube 10 (Fig. 1) and a collar 11 which has arms 1 2 and 1 3 between which is located a rectangular wedge 14. The removable head fitting is held in place on the end of a standard scaffolding tube 15 by means of a hook member 16 in the form of a bolt having a threaded end 1 7 and an obstruction 18 in the form of a weld to prevent a nut 19 from running off the end of the hook bolt.

To prepare a standard for use with the head fitting it is provided with an aperture 20 adjacent one end and slots 21 aligned in the end of the standard.

There are corresponding apertures 22 in the collar 11 and 23 in the spigot 10 which are adapted to align with the slots 21.

Additionally there are apertures 24 in the spigot 10 adapted to align with the apertures 20 in the standard 1 5.

As best seen in Fig. 5 the spigot 1 6 has a long arm 1 6a and a short arm 16b. When the fitting is manufactured the long arm 1 6a is placed through the apertures 22 and 23 in the collar and spigot respectively, the nut 1 9 is then screwed onto the thread 1 7 and a weld is placed at 18 to render the nut captive. Alternatively, the ends of the thread may be burred over to secure the same effect.

When the head fitting is used the nut 19 is slackened off until it practically abuts the weld 18, as shown in Fig. 6, the longer arm 1 6a of the hook member 16 is engaged in the slots 21 in the top end of the standard, and the shorter arm 1 6b is then engaged through aperture 20 in the standard 1 5 and into the aperture 24 in the sleeve 10 thus locking the head fitting to the standard 15. The nut 19 is then tightened up so as to achieve a permanent but readily detachable attachment of the head fitting to the standard.

The wedge 14 is shown in more detail in Figs.

3 and 4. It will be seen that the wedge has a slot 25 which tapers at 26 at its bottom end the wedge lies betwee the arms 12 and 13 of the collar and a V-shaped member 27 is engaged in the slot 25. As can be seen from Figs. 3 and 4 as the wedge 14 is driven upwardly the slot 25 rides up the apex of the V-shaped member 27 until eventually the apex engages the tapered portion 26 of the slot. This enables the wedge to be held (as shown in Fig. 4) in its inoperative position away from the standards. The V-shaped portion grips and holds the wedge in this position until it is required to use it again.

When the fitting is applied and used to join two standards the wedge is driven downwardly as shown in Fig. 3 so as to engage and tightly hold two standards together.

Claims

1. A detachable head fitting for joining two lengths of scaffolding, the head fitting comprising a spigot and a collar, and means for removably attaching the head fitting to a length of scaffolding.

2. A detachable head fitting according to claim 1 in which the means for removably attaching the head fitting comprises a hook member which has a long arm and a short arm, the long arm being arranged to extend through aligned apertures in the spigot and collar and the short arm being arranged to engage an aperture in the length of scaffolding so as to secure the head fitting to the scaffolding.

3. A detachable head fitting according to claim 2 in which the hook member is in the form of a bolt with a nut on the end remote from the hook' so that when the nut is tightened the short arm of the hook member is pulled into engagement with the aperture in the length of scaffolding.

4. A detachable head fitting according to claim 3 in which the nut is captive on the hook end, being retained there by a protrusion or by a burred thread on the hook end which prevents the nut being fully unscrewed.

5. A detachable end fitting according to any preceding claim and including a wedge for clamping a second length of scaffolding to the first, the wedge comprising a rectangular plate with an inclined slot retained by a member of Vshaped configuration, one side of the slot in the wedge being tapered inwardly at its lower end so that as the wedge is driven up the tapered side thrusts against the apex of the retaining means.

6. The combination of a length of scaffolding and a fitting according to claim 2, the length of scaffolding having a hole formed in it to receive the short end of the hook member.

7. The combination of claim 6 in which the length of scaffolding has at least one semicircular recess on it to receive the longer arm of the hook member.

8. A head fitting substantially as hereinbefore particularly described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.