US3854552A

US3854552A - Scaffold planking clamp

Info

Publication number: US3854552A
Application number: US00375528A
Authority: US
Inventors: M Kensrue
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-07-02
Filing date: 1973-07-02
Publication date: 1974-12-17
Anticipated expiration: 1991-12-17

Abstract

A device for anchoring the planking of a scaffold structure so that it will not creep or shift during use to a position which would create a dangerous hazard, clamping means being provided on the underside of the planking for engaging planking supporting members of the scaffold structure, and screw-actuated hook members arranged to extend over the marginal edges of the planking.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Kensrue Dec. 17, 1974 [5 SCAFFOLD PLANKING CLAMP 2,130,546 9/193s Hovey ..l 403/384 2,506,640 5 1950 H 182 7 [76] Invent: 2265 Grand 3,228,639 1l1966 248 /7:

Santa Ana, Cal1f. 92705 7 22 Filed; July 2 1973 Primary Examiner-Reinaldo P. Machado Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Whann & McManigal [21] Appl. No.: 375,528

[57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl 182/222, 182/179, 403/400 A device for anchoring the planking of a scaffold [51] Int. Cl. E04g 5/08 structure so that it will not creep or shift during use to [58] Field of Search 182/222, 223, 179, 178, a position which would create a dangerous hazard, 182/119; 248/229, 226, 74 R, 72, 228; clamping means being provided on the underside of 403/400, 386, 384, 398 the planking for engaging planking supporting members of the scaffold structure, and screw-actuated [56] References Cited hook members arranged to extend over the marginal UNITED STATES PATENTS edges of the Planking- |,48l,734 H1924 Paxson 248/228 4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Pmmm mw I 3.554.552

SHEET 10$ 2 SCAFFOLD PLANKING CLAMP BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION cross-members at the required working level. During l use, movement of the workmen in walking on the planking can cause it to creep and shift to such an extent as to create a dangerous hazard to safety. In some cases, efforts have been made to solve the problem by toe-nailing the adjacent planks, but such means is not entirely successful and at most constitutes only a makeshift solution.

There is therefore an urgent need for an effective clamping or other means which can be easily and effectively applied for securely anchoring the planking to the cross-members of the scaffold and yet which may be quickly and easily detached for use again in changing the planking from one working level to another.

The present invention solves the problem by providing separate clamping devices for the ends of each plank, in which a clamping bar on the under side of the plank is arranged to engage the scaffold cross-member and under surface of the planking; screw and nut means being manually operable to actuate plank edgeengaging hook members carried by the nut so as to force them to clampingly coact with the clamping bar and securely anchor the plank to the cross-member.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is concerned primarily with scaffold structures, and is more particularly concerned with unique means for anchoring or securing scaffold planking against creeping or shifting during use.

It is one object of the herein described invention to provide unique means of simple, inexpensive construction for effectively and efficiently anchoring scaffold planking against creeping or shifting.

A further object is to provide a novel clamping device for securing the ends of scaffold planking to a supporting cross-member of the scaffold structure.

Another object is to provide a novel clamping device for scaffold planking in which a screw and nut actuator is manually operable to forceably engage a clamping bar with a scafi'old planking support member on the under side of the planking, and hook members with the planking upper surface edge margins, whereby to hold the planking against creeping and shifting.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing a preferred embodiment of the invention without placing limitations thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a scaffold structure in which the planking is secured by clamping devices embodying the features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, taken substantially on line 22 of FIG. 1 and showing details of the clamping device;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on line'33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the same;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing the clamping device as used for overlapping scaffold 0 planks;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view illustrating the manner of using a modified structure for the hook members; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing details of the modified hook members.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more specifically to the drawings, for illustrative purposes, the invention is shown as being applied to the planking 10 of a scaffold structure 11 constructed of piping and including cross-members 12 which form supports for the planking at each working level. The planking usually comprises individual planks 13 which are laid in edge-to-edge formation on the sup porting cross-members to provide a walkway for workmen at a working level on the scaffold.

In order to anchor the planking and prevent its shifting or creeping during use, which could cause a dangerous hazard, clamping devices 43 according to the present invention are provided for securing the individual planks to the cross-member 12. These clamping devices are positioned on the under side of the planking so as not to interfere with the activities of the workmen during their movements along the upper surface of the planking.

As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each of the clamping devices 43 comprises a clamping bar 14 constructed of a suitable strap iron to provide a straight intermediate portion 15 which connects at one end with a V-shaped portion 16 and at its other end with an angularly deflected portion 17. The clamping bar as thus confor'med has its opposite end portions so proportioned that the V-portion 16 will form a seat for the crossmember 12 when the straight portion is in substantially parallel relation to the under surface of the planking 13 which is laid on the cross-member 12. In this position of the clamping bar, the deflected end portion 17 should engage the under surface of the associated planking.

An elongate screw member 18 is rotatably supported at one end in a suitable bearing 19 in the straight portion 15 of the clamping bar so that the screw member 18 depends therefrom with its elongate axis substantially in right-angled relation to the portion 15. The opposite end of the screw member is fitted with a knob 20 by means of which the screw member may be manually rotated.

The screw member carries a nut 21 having threaded engagement with the screw, and which will be axially moved along the screw towards and away from the clamping bar 14 during rotation of the screw.

The nut 21 is connected on opposite sides of the screw with a pair of

hook members

22 and 23 which are respectively formed with

outer end portions

24 and 25 adapted to extend in substantially parallel relation along the opposite edges of the associated scafiold plank. The

portions

24 and 25 are respectively deflected towards each other to provide hook-

like end portions

26 and 27 which extend over and engage the marginal upper edge surface portions of the plank.

As shown in FIG. 3, the hook member 22 at its inner end is shown as being fixedly secured to the nut 21 by welding or other suitable means as indicated by the numeral 28. The other hook member 23 is shown as having its inner end swingably connected to the nut 21 by means of a pivot 29. By providing a swingable mounting for one of the hook members, the attachment of the hooks at the opposite sides of a plank if facilitated. It is to be understood, however, that it is within the concept of the present invention to swingably mount both of the hook members for swinging movement on the nut.

As shown in FIG. 1, in order to obviate interference of the hook members of adjacent planking, the clamping devices may be alternately reversed so that the hook members of adjacently disposed devices will extend on opposite sides of the cross-member 12. With the construction described above, the screw 18 and nut 21 constitute an actuator which may be manually operable to coactively activate the clamping bar 14 and the

hook members

22 and 23 into clamped and unclamped positions with respect to the associated plank 13. In the clamped position, the actuator causes the

end portions

26 and 27 to forceably engage the outer surface edgemargins of the associated plank and forceably press the plank against the adjacent supporting cross-member l2 so as to anchor the plank against creeping or shifting movements.

The clamping device as described above is not limited to the clamping of a single planking member, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, but can also be used for clamping two planks in superposed relation, as shown in FIG. 5. Such a condition may result, for example, where the adjacent ends of the planking are in overlapped relation, as shown in FIG. 5, wherein a top plank 13 has an end overlapping an underneath plank 13.

A modified structure for the

hook members

22 and 23 is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, which eliminates the necessity for mounting the adjacent clamping devices in staggered relation, as shown in F IG. 1.

In the modified structure, one of the hook members, in this case the hook member 22, has its outer end portion formed as an extension, as generally indicated at 30, from a plate material to provide a pair of

fingers

31 and 32 which are separated by a space 33. The fingers I 31 and 32 are coplanar so as to extend along the associated plank edge, and respectively have inwardly turned

ends

34 and 35 for engaging over the marginal upper edge surface portion of the plank in a m'anner similar to the previously described end portion 26.

The hook member 23 is provided similarly with an extension 36, except that in this case a single finger 37 is formed for extending along the opposite edge of the plank, this finger having an inwardly turned end 38 for engaging over the opposite marginal upper edge surface portion of the plank.

As a feature of the modified structure, as described above, the configuration of the finger 37 is conformed to the shape of the space 33, so that when a pair of clamping devices are mounted on adjacent planks of the planking, the finger 37 of one device will be positioned in the space 33 of the other device, thus permitting the fingers to assume a coplanar arrangement between the adjacent edges of the associated planks, as illustrated in FIG. 6.

From the foregoing description and drawings, it will be clearly evident that the delineated objects and features of the invention will be accomplished.

Various modifications may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention, and, hence, I do not wish to be restricted to the specific forms shown or uses mentioned, except to the extent indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

I. A device for anchoring a scaffold planking to a scaffold supporting structure, comprising:

a. means positioned on the underside of the planking for grippingly engaging a cross-member of the structure, said means comprising a clamping bar engageable with the cross-member and an under surface of the planking;

b. force applying means connected with said first means having a portion adapted to extend over and engage the upper surface of the planking, said force applying means comprising a pair of elongate hook members connected with a nut, one of the hook members having a fixed connection with the nut and the other a hinged connection, each hook member having a deflected outer end portion adapted to overlie the upper surface of the planking; and

. actuating means operable to move said force applying means so that said portion is clampingly forced against the upper surface of the planking, said actuating means comprising a manually operable screw member rotatably carried by said clamping bar and having threaded engagement with said nut.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the hook members are in confronting opposed relation and adapted to engage the opposite edge margins of a single plank of the planking.

3. A device for anchoring scaffold planking to a scaffold supporting structure, comprising:

b. force applying means connected with said first means having a portion adapted to extend over and engage the upper surface of the planking, said force applying means comprising a pair of hook members connected with a nut, each of said hook members having an end extension portion formed of plate material, one of said extensions comprising a pair of spaced apart fingers having coplanar relation and the other extension comprising a single finger; and

actuating means operable to move, said force applying means so that said portion is clampingly forced against the upper surface of the planking, said actuating means comprising a manually operable screw member rotatably carried by said clamping bar and having threaded engagement with said nut.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the configuration of the single finger is such as to enable it to fit in the space between the pair of fingers of an adjacently associated device and in coplanar relation with said pair of fingers thereof.

Claims

1. A device for anchoring a scaffold planking to a scaffold supporting structure, comprising: a. means positioned on the underside of the planking for grippingly engaging a cross-member of the structure, said means comprising a clamping bar engageable with the cross-member and an under surface of the planking; b. force applying means connected with said first means having a portion adapted to extend over and engage the upper surface of the planking, said force applying means comprising a pair of elongate hook members connected with a nut, one of the hook members having a fixed connection with the nut and the other a hinged connection, each hook member having a deflected outer end portion adapted to overlie the upper surface of the planking; and c. actuating means operable to move said force applying means so that said portion is clampingly forced against the upper surface of the planking, said actuating means comprising a manually operable screw member rotatably carried by said clamping bar and having threaded engagement with said nuT.

3. A device for anchoring scaffold planking to a scaffold supporting structure, comprising: a. means positioned on the underside of the planking for grippingly engaging a cross-member of the structure, said means comprising a clamping bar engageable with the cross-member and an under surface of the planking; b. force applying means connected with said first means having a portion adapted to extend over and engage the upper surface of the planking, said force applying means comprising a pair of hook members connected with a nut, each of said hook members having an end extension portion formed of plate material, one of said extensions comprising a pair of spaced apart fingers having coplanar relation and the other extension comprising a single finger; and c. actuating means operable to move said force applying means so that said portion is clampingly forced against the upper surface of the planking, said actuating means comprising a manually operable screw member rotatably carried by said clamping bar and having threaded engagement with said nut.