GB2197418A

GB2197418A - Scaffolding elements and joints thereof

Info

Publication number: GB2197418A
Application number: GB08626504A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David James Hannay
Original assignee: GRAYSTON CENTRAL SERVICES
Current assignee: GRAYSTON CENTRAL SERVICES
Priority date: 1986-11-06
Filing date: 1986-11-06
Publication date: 1988-05-18
Also published as: GB8626504D0

Abstract

The invention relates to a first scaffolding element 6, comprising an elongate member provided at each end thereof with an end fitting 5, the latter being provided with at least one through hole 17 extending transversely of the elongate member, with a spring device 18 carried by the end fitting 5 and associated with the or each through hole 17 and with a latching portion 21 of the spring device 18 being biassed into a location within its associated through hole 17 and also being displaceable from such location. The invention also includes a second scaffolding element 8, comprising an elongate member provided at each end thereof with an end fitting 9, the latter being provided with a transversely extending pin 10, the pin having a latching recess 12. The invention also includes a scaffolding joint between first and second scaffolding elements. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Scaffolding elements and joints thereof This invention relates to scaffolding elements comprising an elongate body member, with a fitting or formation at each end of the body member whereby the element may be releasably attached to fittings or formations of other similar or dis-similar scaffolding elements to form a scaffolding structure.

In recent times scaffolding elements have been proposed incorporating captive fittings-to avoid the use of screw members-such fittings normally involving the use of a knock-in, knock-out wedge, and scaffolding structures have been assembled from a plurality of standards (elements which extend vertically), a plurality of ledgers (elements which extend horizontally), and, usually, a plurality of braces (elements which extend diagonally across bays defined by standards and ledgers) -see for instance our co-pending Patent Application GB 2149046, from which it will be observed that end fittings are provided on the ledgers with apertures to receive formations in the form of pins on the braces, whereby the braces may be joined to those end fittings, and with a spring latching arrangement to engage behind a head portion of each pin, and it is to scaffolding elements and joints thereof of the general form of GB 2149046, with which the present invention is concerned.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a scaffolding element, comprising an elongate member provided at each end thereof with an end fitting, the latter being provided with at least one through hole extending transversely of the elongate member, with a spring device carried by the end fitting and associated with the or each through hole and with a latching portion of the spring device being biassed into a location within its associated through hole and also being displaceable from such location.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided, a scaffolding element, comprising an elongate member provided at each end thereof with an end fitting, the latter being provided with a transversely extending pin, the pin having a latching recess.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a scaffolding joint between a ledger end and a brace end, the horizontal ledger comprising á first scaffolding element comprising an elongate member provided at each end thereof with an end fitting the latter being provided with at least one through hole extending transversely of the elongate member, with a spring device carried by the end fitting and associated with the or each through hole and with a latching portion of the spring device being biassed into a location within its associated through hole, the latching portion being displaceable from such location to a position clear of the through hole during insertion into the hole of at least a leading portion of a transversely extending pin of a diagonal brace, the pin having a latching recess which is engageable by the latching portion of the spring device after insertion of the pin into the through hole, and the latching portion being manually displaceable from engagement with the latching recess, and location in the through hole, to allow the pin to be withdrawn and hence the joint to be broken by the brace element being disassembled from the ledger.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a scaffolding joint between a standard, a ledger end and a brace end, the standard comprising an upright, tubular member provided along its length, with sets of four sockets located 90 , the horizontal ledger comprising a first scaffolding element comprising an elongate member provided at each end thereof with an end fitting the latter being provided with at least one through hole extending transversely of the elongate member, with a spring device carried by the end fitting and associated with the or each through hole and with a latching portion of the spring device being biassed into a location within its associated through hole, the latching portion being displaceable from such location to a position clear of the through hole during insertion into the hole of at least a leading portion of a transversely extending pin of a diagonal brace, the pin having a latching recess which is engageable by the latching portion of the spring device after insertion of the pin into the through hole, and the latching portion being manually displaceable from engagement with the latching recess, and location in the through hole, to allow the pin to be withdrawn and hence the joint to be broken by the brace being disassembled from the ledger.

It follows, that when using the scaffolding element of the first aspect (as a ledger) with the scaffolding element of the second aspect (as a brace) to form the scaffolding joint of the third or fourth aspect, the through holes of the end fittings need to be of similar, circular cross section to the pins, to receive the latter as a readily push-in, pull-out, fit.

The spring device may be generally "U"shaped, with a shorter limb retained by the end fitting, and with a longer limb firstly providing the latching portion and secondly projecting from the end fitting, as a terminal end, which is operable to displace the latching portion of the spring device against its bias, from the recess of an inserted pin, to allow the joint to be broken by withdrawal of the pin.

Although the longer limb of the spring device could be manually displaced by the user from its location within its associated hole ready for insertion of the pin, preferably displacement of the limb from its hole is effected automatically by providing the leading end of the pin with a frusto-conical or otherwise tapering pilot nose portion, with the latching portion automatically snapping into the pin recess when the pin is fully engaged in its through hole.

Preferably, the or each ledger end fitting is provided with two apertures located symmetrically to either side of the longitudinal axis of the elongate member, so that one end fitting may receive the pins of two braces of two adjacent bays of a scaffolding structure. It is also preferred for the or each through hole to be so located that a pin of a brace may be inserted from either of two opposite sides of the end fitting of a ledger. Conveniently, the recess of each pin is constituted by an annular groove to accept, in use, the latching portion of a spring device over a range of different angles, at which the braces may be positioned to suit different bay length and lift height dimensions of the scaffolding structure to be braced diagonally.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a scaffolding joint in accordance with the second aspect of the invention, incorporating scaffolding elements of the first and third aspects of the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is an end elevation of Figure 1.

In the drawings, is illustrated a scaffolding joint 1 of a scaffolding structure, the joint 1 being between a scaffolding element in the form of an upright tubular standard 2, provided along its length with sets of four sockets 3 (illustrated only in Figure 1) located 90" apart and having a depth 4, to receive an end fitting 5 of a scaffolding element in the form of a horizontal, tubular ledger 6 (only one end of the ledger being indicated) having a longitudinal axis 7, whilst the joint also includes a scaffolding element in the form of a diagonally located, tubular brace 8. The brace 8 has an end fitting 9 comprising a formation constituted by a laterally extending pin 10 having a circular section body portion 11 within which is a latching recess in the form of an annular groove 12 and also having a frusto-conically tapering pilot nose portion 13.Also indicated in Figure 1 are the maximum and minimum angles of inclination that the brace 8 may adopt, the adopted angle being dependent on the bay length and lift height of the scaffolding structure involved.

In detail, the end fitting 5 is provided with a pair of arms 14 located one above the other in the same vertical plane and spaced apart by a distance 1 5 slightly exceeding the socket depth 4, so that the arms 14 may be applied to, and embrace a selected socket 3, as illustrated, for and thereafter a wedge 16, captivated to the end fitting 5 and, in a known manner, movable from an upper, retracted position (not illustrated) to the engaging position illustrated in which the wedge 16 is passed into the socket 3 and into aligned apertures in each arm 14 and is hammered home to complete the making of the ledger to standard joint.However, to accommodate one or a pair of braces 8, the end fitting 5 is also provided with two circular through holes 17, one located above and the other located below, the longitudinal axis 7 of the ledger 6 and extending transversely of the ledger 6. The end fitting 5 also carries a spring device associated with each hole in the form of generally "U"shaped spring 18, which has a shorter limb 1 9 which is a push-fit into an attachment hole provided in the fitting 5 to attach the spring 18 to the fitting 5, and a longer limb 20, which has a latching portion 21 biassed into its associated hole 1 7 and a portion 22 projecting beyond the end fitting 5, so that its latching portion 21 is manually displaceable from its hole 1 7 by thumb pressure on the projecting portion 22.

Thus, in use, with the end fitting 5 applied to a selected socket 3 and the wedge 16 hammered home, the partly completed joint 1 is ready to receive a brace end, and the pin 10 thereof is presented to a hole 17 and pushed into the hole, the pilot nose portion 13 automatically displacing the latching portion 21 of the associated spring 18 until the circular body portion 11 of the pin 10 is within the hole 17 and the annular groove 12 in that portion 11 is opposite the latching portion 21 of the spring 17, whereupon the latching portion 21 snaps into the annular groove 12 to latch the pin 10, and hence the brace 8, to the end fitting 5 and hence to the joint 1.

Claims

1. A scaffolding element, comprising an elongate member provided at each end thereof with an end fitting, the latter being provided with at least one through hole extending transversely of the elongate member, with a spring device carried by the end fitting and associated with the or each through hole and with a latching portion of the spring device being biassed into a location within its associated through hole and also being displaceable from such location.

2. A scaffolding element, comprising an elongate member provided at each end thereof with an end fitting, the latter being provided with a transversely extending pin, the pin having a latching recess.

3. A scaffolding joint between a ledger end and a brace end, the horizontal ledger comprising an elongate member provided at each end thereof with an end fitting the latter being provided with at least one through hole extending transversely of the elongate member, with a spring device carried by the end fitting and associated with the or each through hole and with a latching portion of the spring de vice being so biassed into a location within its associated through hole, the latching portion being displaceable from such location to a position clear of the through hole during insertion into the hole of at least a leading portion of a transversely extending pin of a diagonal brace, the pin having a latching recess which is engageable by the latching portion of the spring device after insertion of the pin into the through hole, and the latching portion being manually displaceable from engagement with the latching recess, and location in the through hole, to allow the pin to be withdrawn and hence the joint to be broken by the brace element being dis-assembled from the ledger.

4. A scaffolding joint between a standard, a ledger end and-a brace end, the standard comprising an upright tubular member provided along its length with sets of four sockets located 90" apart, the horizontal ledger comprising an elongate member provided at each end thereof with an end fitting the latter being provided with at least one through hole extending transversely of the elongate member, with a spring device carried by the end fitting and associated with the or each through hole and with latching portion of the spring device being biassed into a location within its associated through hole, the latching portion being displaceable from such location to a position clear of the through hole during insertion into the hole of at least a leading portion of a transversely extending pin of a diagonal brace, the pin having a latching recess which is engageable by the latching portion of the spring device after insertion of the pin into the through hole, and the latching portion being manually displaceable from engagement with the latcvhing recess, and location in the through hole, to allow the pin to be withdrawn and hence the joint to be broken by the brace being dis-assembled from the ledger.

5. A scaffolding element as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the spring device is generally "U"shaped, with a shorter limb retained by the end fitting, and with a longer limb firstly providing the latching portion and secondly projecting from the end fitting, as a terminal end, which is operable to displace the latching portion of the spring device against its bias.

6. A scaffolding element as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 5, wherein the or each ledger end fitting is provided with two apertures located symmetrically to either side of the longitudinal axis of the elongate member.

7. A scaffolding element as claimed in any one of Claims 1, 6 or 6, wherein the or each through hole is so located that, in use a laterally extending pin of an end fitting of a brace is insertable from either of two opposite sides of the end fitting of the ledger.

8. A scaffolding element comprising an elongate member with a formation at each end thereof, each formation being constituted by a pin, of circular cross-section extending transversely from the elongate member, having a leading end remote from the elongate member and a recess located rearwardly of the leading end.

9. A scaffolding element as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the leading end of the pin is provided with a frusto-conical or otherwise tapering pilot nose portion.

10. A scaffolding element as claimed in Claim 8 or Claim 9, wherein the latching recess of each pin is constituted by an annular groove to accept, in use, the latching portion of a spring device over a range of different angles.

11. A scaffolding element as claimed in Claim 1, and substantially as hereinbefore descibed with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. A scaffolding element as claimed in Claim 2, and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

13. A scaffolding joint as claimed in Claim 3, and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

14. A scaffolding joint as claimed in Claim 4, and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.