AU752079B2 - Scaffolding arrangement - Google Patents

Description

S CL P00011 Regulation 3.2 Revised 2/98

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act, 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT TO BE COMPLETED BY THE APPLICANT NAME OF APPLICANT: ACTUAL INVENTOR: ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: INVENTION TITLE: DETAILS OF ASSOCIATED

APPLICATION(S):

Paul Michael White Paul Michael White Peter Maxwell Associates Level 6 Pitt Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 SCAFFOLDING ARRANGEMENT Divisional of Australian Petty Patent No. 732,245 (13,675/01) filed on 11 January 2001 The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me:- 30/05/01 2 The present invention relates to improvements in scaffolding and, in particular, to a lock arrangement for maintaining the driven position of a wedge when used to connect a scaffold pipe or rail, or other horizontally disposed member, to a scaffold standard or post.

It is common in the erection of scaffolding for building construction activity that wedges are used to connect horizontally disposed rails with vertically disposed posts. The wedges are normally driven into a position where they extend vertically within and continuously between a closed aperture presented by a protruding member of the post and a superimposed closed aperture at one end of the rail. However, most of the wedges used for this purpose in the prior art have a tendency, over time, to move relative to, or fall out of, the apertures, and thus compromise the structural integrity of the scaffolding. In some cases, wedges will move relative to, or fall out of, the apertures because of their intrinsic structure that enables them to be easily removed from the apertures when required, such as when the scaffolding is being dismantled.

It is an object of the present invention to remove the tendency for such prior art wedges to move relative to, or fall out of, the apertures of interconnected rails and posts used in scaffolding by providing a lock arrangement whereby the wedge is stabily and positively maintained in its driven position in the apertures.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a lock arrangement that controllably maintains the driven position of the wedge when used to interconnect scaffold rails and posts until such time as the wedge is required to be removed for purposes of dismantling the scaffolding.

It is yet another object of the present invention to overcome, or at least substantially ameliorate, the disadvantages and shortcomings of the prior art.

30/05/01 W, 1 3 According to the present invention, there is provided a lock arrangement for maintaining the driven position of a wedge when used to interconnect a horizontally disposed member to a post in scaffolding, the lock arrangement comprising a closed aperture formed in the member and a closed aperture formed in a protruding portion of the post, the said apertures being adapted to be vertically superimposed so that the wedge can be driven by downward movement into a position where it extends vertically through both of the closed apertures and thereby interconnects the member to the post, and a spring clip mounted in at least one of the closed apertures and having a springedly movable portion thereof adapted to urge against the wedge when in its driven position, whereby the spring clip interferes with the further movement of the wedge.

*S **In a preferred form, the spring clip is removably mounted in the closed aperture of the horizontally disposed member.

Preferably, the horizontally disposed member comprises a scaffold rail, which may have a closed aperture at one or both of its ends.

'ee ~Alternatively, the horizontally disposed member comprises a locking assembly for releasably affixing a mesh panel to the scaffolding of the kind disclosed in a copending application filed by the present applicant concurrently herewith, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

According to another embodiment of the invention, there is provided an assembly for interconnecting a horizontally disposed member, such as a scaffold rail, to a post in scaffolding, comprising a wedge and the lock arrangement as hereinbefore defined.

In order that the invention may be readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:- 30/05/01 4 Fig 1 is a side view of an assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention for interconnecting a scaffold rail (shown in part section) to a scaffold post, and Fig 2 is a top view of the assembly of Fig 1.

The assembly shown in Figs 1 and 2 comprises a horizontally disposed scaffold pipe or rail 12, a scaffold standard or upright post 14, a spring clip 16 and a wedge 18 used to interconnect the rail 12 to the post 14 to form a scaffold structure.

The rail 12 includes an expanded portion or housing 20 located at one or both ends of the main shaft 21 of the rail 12, which housing 20 forms a closed aperture 22 extending vertically through the rail 12. The closed :°oloo aperture 22 is defined by an internal wall 24 of the rail 12, axially through which is formed a slot 26, and by an inclined wall 28 of a fixed wedge member which is secured to the housing The spring clip 16 has a stem portion 32 which is inserted snugly or ~clipped into the slot 26, a dependent connector portion 34, a hinging coil portion 36, and an upwardly inclined moveable spring portion 38. The moveable spring portion 38 extends into the closed aperture 22.

The post 14 includes a four pointed star-shaped, rail connecting bracket 40 protruding therefrom. Each of the four points of the star-shaped bracket comprises a substantially V-shaped structure which forms a closed aperture 42 with the main shaft 44 of the post 14.

As shown in Fig 1, the closed apertures 22, 42 are adapted to be vertically superimposed during erection of the scaffolding when it is required to interconnect the rail 12 to the post 14. When so superimposed, there is 30/05/01 ii r provided a lock arrangement for receiving and maintaining the driven position of the wedge 18, as described hereafter.

The wedge 18 is driven by downward movement, say by force applied by hand or hammer, into a position, as shown in Fig 1, where it extends vertically through both of the superimposed closed apertures 22, 42 and thereby interconnects the rail 12 to the post 14. In so moving to the driven position, the wedge 18 slides downwardly along the inclined wall 28 of the fixed wedge member 30 against a progressively increasing force exerted perpendicularly thereto by the spring clip 16, which extends into the closed aperture 22 a sufficient distance so that a curled tip 46 of the moveable spring portion 38 of the spring clip 16 urges against the surface 45 of the wedge 18 as the wedge is being driven into position.

S. As the wedge 18 is driven further downwardly through both the superimposed closed apertures 22, 42, the effect of its sliding against the 15 inclined wall 28 of the fixed wedge member 30 is to bring it closer to the internal wall 24 of the rail 12, thus causing it to push the moveable spring portion 38 towards the internal wall 24 against the natural tendency for the moveable spring portion 38 to extend into the closed aperture 22. The resistance force offered by the spring clip 16 against the wedge 18 will reach a level where the spring clip 16 interferes with the further downward movement of the wedge 18, thus effectively serving to maintain the driven position of the wedge 18.

The resultant jamming of the wedge 18 inside the superimposed closed apertures 22, 42 by the spring clip 16 prevents the wedge 18 from moving relative to the apertures 22, 42, and allows for removal of the wedge 18 only when required by the user, who may simply exert upward pressure directly against the moveable spring portion 38 of the spring clip 16 in order to create 30/05/01 6 enough clearance for the wedge 18 to be lifted out from its position through the closed apertures 22, 42.

Various modifications may be made in details of design and construction without departing from the scope and ambit of the invention.

*to.

Claims (4)

1. A lock arrangement for maintaining the driven position of a wedge when used to interconnect a horizontally disposed member to a post in scaffolding, the lock arrangement comprising a closed aperture formed in the member and a closed aperture formed in a protruding portion of the post, the said apertures being adapted to be vertically superimposed so that the wedge can be driven by downward movement into a position where it extends vertically through both of the closed apertures and thereby interconnects the member to the post, and a spring clip mounted in at least one of the closed apertures and having a springedly movable portion thereof adapted to urge against the wedge when in its driven position, whereby the spring clip interferes with the further movement of the wedge. bO**

2. The lock arrangement of claim 1 wherein the spring clip is removably !mounted in the closed aperture of the horizontally disposed member.

3. The lock arrangement of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the horizontally disposed member comprises a scaffold rail.

4. The lock arrangement of claim 3 wherein the scaffold rail has a closed aperture at one or both of its ends. .oa..i An assembly for interconnecting a horizontally disposed member to a post in scaffolding, comprising a wedge and the lock arrangement as defined in any one of claims 1 to 4. Dated this 30th day of May, 2001 Paul Michael White Patent Attorneys for the Applicant PETER MAXWELL ASSOCIATES