US2272957A - Scaffold - Google Patents

Description

F. E. WALP SCAFFOLD Feb. 10, 1942.

Filed. Jul 10, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 10, 1942.

F. E. WALP 2,272,957

SCAFFOLD Filed July 10, 1941 3 Sheefs-Shet s Patented Feb, 10, 1942 barren stares rarest orrics SCAFFOLD Fred E. Walp, Springfield, Ohio Application July 10, 1941, Serial No'. 401,827

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a novel form of scaffold of simple construction capable of being used either with a pair of platform supporting members thereof resting against an upright surface such as a building wall for supporting a, platform thereon, or with four of the platform supporting members connected in pairs and with each pair of the platform supporting members forming a support for an end of the platform for use in indoor and overhead Work.

It is a particular aim of the invention to provide a convenient scaffold construction adapted to be used for painting and general contracting and in the building trades generally, to eliminate the use of ladders to a large extent and also to eliminate the expense of building scaffolds, by providing a scaffold of simple construction which can be quickly and easily set up to support a scafiold platform and which can be folded, when not in use, to permit it to be readily stored or transported.

Still a further aim of the invention is to provide a scaffold comprising a plurality of foldable platform supporting members each including a pair of legs which are adapted to rest on the ground or other substantially horizontal supporting surface and having means for supporting a platform at a number of different elevations.

Still a further aim of the invention is to provide platform supporting members having extensible and adjustable legs which can be adjusted for Varying the height at which the platform is supported and also to compensate for any unevenness in the surface on which the different legs rest.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing the scaffold assembled for outside work and with the platform supporting members resting against a Vertical surface such as a wall,

Figur 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the same taken substantially along the plane of the line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevational View of one of the platform supporting members,

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the same looking toward the inner side thereof,

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 55 of Figure 3,

Figure 6 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View of a portion of the platform supporting member taken substantially along a plane indicated by the line 66 of Figure 5,

Figure '7 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 'l---'! of Figure 3, v

Figure 8 is an enlarged vertical section-a1 view taken substantially along the plane of the line 8-8 of Figure 1,

Figure 9 is a side elevational view, partly in section, showing another assembly of the scaffold,

Figure 10 is a top plan view of the same, and

Figure 11 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line llll of Figure 9. g

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different views, [0 designates generally a scaffold platform supporting member including a pair of legs II and i2 each of which is formed of angle iron including a side i3 and a side I4. Each of the legs It and I2 is formed of extensible sections including an upper section [5 and a lower section IS, The sides [3 of the sections 15 and [6 of both legs H and I2 ar provided with spaced openings I! certain of which are adapted to be disposed in registering positions to receive bolt and wing nut fastenings it by means of which the sections 15 and I6 of each of the legs are adjustably connected.

The sides l3 of the legs H and I2 are disposed substantially in the same plane and the sides It, which form the outer portions of the legs are disposed in opposed relationship to one another. As seen in Figure 5, a plate i9 is rigidly attached to the inner surface of the side I3 of the leg l2, at the upper end thereof by means of a plurality of fastenings 20. The plate [9 is provided with a restricted lateral extension which engages the inner surface of the side l3 of the upper end of theleg II and which is pivotally connected thereto by means of a fastening 2| for pivotally connecting the legs at their upper ends. It will thus be seen that the legs II and 12 of the supporting member Ill can be swung to folded positions against one another and substantially parallel to one another. A rod 22 ex-' tends through the sides Id of the upper ends of the legs I l and i2 and is provided with headed ends 23 disposed on the outer sides thereof. The side M of the leg II is provided with an enlarged opening 24 through which the rod 22 loosely extends. As seen in Figure 5, the head 23 of one end of the rod 22 is spaced outwardly from the side l4 of the leg H to combine with the opening 24 to allow the leg II to swing inwardly toward the leg l2 for folding the legs.

A beam 25, which is T-shaped in cross section, is provided with a depending web 26 having an opening 21 in one end thereof for loosely engaging the rod 22, between the legs II and I2. Spacing sleeves 28 are mounted on the rod 22, between the sides l4 and the web 26 for preventing lateral movement of the beam 25 when the legs are in open positions, as shown in Figure 5. The lower edge of the web 26, at the end thereof provided with the opening 21, is cutaway as seen at 29 in Figure 6 to permit the beam 25 to swing downwardly and into a position between the legs H and I2.

A pair of braces 30, which are angular in cross section, are provided with depending inner sides through which extend fastenings 3| for connecting the braces 30 at corresponding ends thereof to the inner surface of the side 13 of the leg [2. their depending sides cutaway to form notches 32 which are adapted to detachably engage fastenings 33 which project from the inner surface of the side l3 of the leg H. Fastenings 33 preferably comprise threaded bolts having wing shaped heads which are adjustable for clamping the notched ends of the braces 39 to the leg H. As seen in Figure 4, the braces 35 when in engagement with both of the legs are disposed substantially parallel and in substantially horizontal planes for holding the legs in open, downwardly diverging relationship to one another.

A pair of braces 34 are pivotally connected at corresponding ends thereof to the inner surfaces of the sides 14 of the legs II and I2, near the upper nds of the legs. A bolt and wing nut fastening 35 extends loosely through the web 26 near the free end of the beam 25 and is adapted to detachably engage openings in the free ends of the braces 34 for .detachably connecting the braces to the beam 25 so that said braces will support the beam in an extended position relatively to the legs and at anobtuse angle thereto, as best seen in Figure '3. An elongated bar or hanger 36 is detachably connected at its upper end to the fastening 3.5 and depends downwardly therefrom substantially at .a right angle to the beam 25. A pair of supporting bars 31 are each pivotally connected at an end thereof to spaced portions of the hanger 36. The supporting bars 3! are angular in cross section and are provided with depending sides: As ,seen :in Figure .8, the depending sides of the bars 31 are cutaway atthe free ends of said bars and the upper sides of said bars extend therebeyond and are turned downwardly to form downwardly opening :notc'hes 38, similar to the notches 32 and which are adapted to detachably engage over the braces 3i! for supporting the bars 31 beneath and substantially parallel to the beam .25.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that the parts 36 and 31 may be readily detached from the beam 25 and. braces 31] and the bars 3'! folded against the hanger 3% after which the braces 30 and 34 and the beam 25 can be readily folded between the legs II and 12 and disposed therebetween with the legs folded relatively to one another so that the scaffold platform supporting member I 3 can be conveniently stored or transported.

A pair of the scaffold platform supporting The opposite ends of the braces 30 havemembers ID are adapted to be employed, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 with the free ends of their beams 25 resting against an upright surface such as the wall of a building, indicated at 39. When thus disposed, as seen in Figure 2, the beams 25 and the bars 3'! will be disposed substantially in horizontal planes and the legs H and I2 will extend downwardly and outwardly relatively to the wall 39 so that the members EU will lean thereagainst. A scaffold platform 43 is adapted to rest on the upper flanged portions 4! of the beams 25 to form with the members l8 a complete scaffold for supporting workmen. It will be apparent that the Weight of the workmen on the platform 40 will tend to hold the members H) tight against the wall 39. Should the surface on which the legs II and I2 of the members H) rest be uneven, it will be readily apparent that the leg sections l5 and I6 of the individual legs may be adjusted to compensate for such unevenness to maintain the flanged portions 41 in substantially horizontal planes. Likewise, the legs may be extended or retracted for varying the height at which the platform 58 will be positioned. A further adjustment of the elevation of the platform 40 can be provided by positioning the platform on corresponding bars 3? of the supporting members Iii, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 3. It will thus be seen that the bars 3'1 form supplementary supporting beams for the platform.

The scaffold assembly'as shown in Figures 1 v and *2 is of the lean-to type and is especially adapted for outdoor use. For indoor or overhead work the scaffold may be assembled, as illustrated in Figures 9 and 10 by the use of four supporting members H] and a pair of coupling bars or stringers 42 which combine with the members 50 to' provide an independently supported scaffold frame. The coupling bars 42, as best seen in Figures 9 and 11, are provided with longitudinally extending slots 43 at the ends thereof which open upwardly of the coupling bars 42 and outwardly of the ends thereof for engaging the webs 26 of a pair of the beams 25 which are disposed, as seen in Figure 10, so that their free ends are extending toward one another. The webs 26 are each provided with an opening 44 near its pivoted end and the slotted ends of the coupling bars 42 are provided with transverse openings 45 which are arranged to aline with the openings 44 and the openings through which the fastenings 35 extend for receiving the fastenings 35 and similar fastenings 4 5 which extend through the openings 44, for detachably connecting the ends of the coupling bars 32 to a pair of the supporting members 10. Coupling bars 42 are preferably provided with U-shaped members 47 which engage portions of the bottoms and sides thereof and through which the fastenings 35 and 46 extend for reinforcing said portions of the coupling bars. When the supporting members ii! are assembled with the coupling members 42, as in Figures 9 and 10, the braces 34 and the hangers 33 are disposed on the outer sides of the coupling bars 42, as seen in Figure ll.

As seen in Figures 9 and 10, a plurality of platform members 48 may be supported on the parallel coupling bars or stringers 42 or the flanges 4| of the beams 25 or the platform members may be supported by corresponding alined bars 37, as seen in dotted lines, for positioning the platform members at lower levels.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, provided they fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims, as only preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A scaffold comprising a plurality of platform supporting members, each of said supporting members including a pair of legs, said legs being pivotally connected at their upper ends, braces for holding said legs in downwardly diverging relationship to one another, a beam pivotally connected at one of its ends to said legs at their upper pivoted ends, and braces for supporting said beam at an angle to the legs, said beam being adapted to be disposed in substantially a horizontal position and with its free end resting against an upright supporting surface, said legs being adapted to rest at their lower ends on a horizontal supporting surface for supporting the opposite, pivoted end of the beam, and said platform supporting members being adapted to be disposed, relatively to one another, so as to support a platform on their beams, a hanger detachably connected to the beam, adjacent its free end and depending therefrom, a plurality of bars each pivotally connected at one end thereof to said hanger, and said bars being provided with notched free ends for engaging said first mentioned braces for supporting the bars in substantially horizontal positions, beneath and substantially parallel to the beam, and said bars forming supplementary platform supporting beams.

2. A scaffold comprising a plurality of corner platform supporting members, each of said members including a pair of legs, said legs being pivotally connected at their upper ends, braces for detachably holding said legs in downwardly diverging relationship to one another, a beam pivotally connected at one end thereof to the pivoted ends of said legs, a brace detachably connected to the beam for supporting it at substantially a right angle to the plane of the legs, a pair of said supporting members being adapted to be disposed with the beams thereof extending toward one another, an elongated coupling bar, and means for detachably connecting the ends of said coupling bar to said beams to provide an elongated horizontal support for an end of a scaffold platform, said beams being T-shaped in cross section, and said coupling bar being provided with slots in the ends thereof for engaging the web portions of said T-shaped beams, and fastenings extending through the slotted ends of the coupling member and the web portions of the beams for detachably connecting the coupling member to the beams.

3. A scaffold comprising a plurality of corner platform supporting members, each of said members including a pair of legs, said legs being pivotally connected at their upper ends, braces for detachably holding said legs in downwardly diverging relationship to one another, a beam pivotally connected at one end thereof to the pivoted ends of said legs, a brace detachably connected to the beam for supporting it at substantially a right angle to the plane of the legs, a pair of said supporting members being adapted .to be disposed with the beams thereof extending toward one another, an elongated coupling bar, and means for detachably connecting the ends of said coupling bar to said beams to provide an elongated horizontal support for an end of a scaffold platform, said beams being T-shaped in cross section, and said coupling bar being provided with slots in the ends thereof for engaging the web portions of said T-shaped beams, and fastenings extending through the slotted ends of the coupling member and the web portions of the beams for detachably connecting the coupling member to the beams, a hanger detachably connected to and depending from each of the beams, bars pivotally connected at corresponding ends thereof to the hanger, and the opposite ends of the bars being detachably supported by the leg braces to provide supplementary supporting means for the ends of a platform.

4. A scaffold support comprising a pair of legs of angle iron, a plate fastened to the inner side of one of the sides of one of said legs, said plate being pivotally connected to the inner side of the corresponding side of the other leg for pivotally connecting the legs, said sides of the legs being disposed to extend toward one another, a pin extending through the other sides of the legs and loosely disposed relatively to one of the legs, sleeves mounted on the pin between said last mentioned sides, a beam, T-shaped in cross section, having its web loosely engaging the pin, between the sleeves, and adjacent one end of the beam, said beam being foldable between the legs, braces swingably connected to the legs and detachably connected to the beam for supporting the beam at an angle to the legs, said braces being foldably against the legs, and a leg brace swingably connected to one leg and detachably engaging the other leg to hold the legs in open positions, said leg brace being foldable against the leg to which it is swingably connected.

FRED E. WALP.

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