Patent ID: 6109391
Filing Date: 2000-08-29
Classification: E04G,E06C

Abstract:
A ladder scaffold comprising:(a) at least two ladders, each ladder having a top end and a plurality of hollow rungs, the rungs of each ladder having a rung length;(b) at least two platform braces, each platform brace being releasably attached to one of the ladders, each platform brace having(i) at least three rods, the three rods including an upper rod, a lower rod, and a pivot rod, each of the rods having a first end, a second end, and a rod length extending from the first end to the second end, the rods having an approximately equal rod length, the rod length being longer than the rung length, the upper rod passing through a rung of the ladder, the lower rod passing through a rung of the ladder farther from the top end of the ladder than the upper rod; and(ii) at least four brace members, the brace members including a first long member, a second long member, a first short member, and a second short member, each long member and each short member having a pivot end, a ladder end, and a length extending from the pivot end to the ladder end, the first and second ends of the upper rod being releasably attached to the ladder ends of the first and second long members respectively, the long members extending downwards from the upper rod to the pivot rod, the first and second ends of the pivot rod being pivotally attached to the pivot ends of the first and second long members respectively and to the pivot ends of the first and second short members respectively, the short members extending approximately horizontally from the pivot rod to the lower rod, the first and second ends of the lower rod being releasably attached to the ladder ends of the first and second short members respectively;(c) at least one platform, the platform being supported by the platform braces, the platform extending between the ladders;(d) at least two safety bar braces, each of the safety bar braces being releasably attached to one of the ladders, each safety bar brace having two rods, a cross member, and an extension member, each of the rods of the safety bar brace having a connection end and an extension end, each of the rods of the safety bar brace passing through a rung of the ladder, the cross member having two ends, the extension member being U-shaped and extending upwards from the ladder, the extension member having two ladder ends and a free end, each of the connection ends of the rods of the safety bar brace being attached to one of the ends of the cross member, each of the extension ends of the rods of the safety bar brace being attached to one of the ladder ends of the extension member; and(e) at least one safety bar, the safety bar having two ends, each of the ends of the safety bar being attached to the free end of the extension member of one of the safety bar braces, so that the safety bar extends between the ladders;wherein each of the brace members has a series of openings extending from the ladder end of each brace member toward the pivot end of each brace member, the series including at least two openings, each of the openings of the first and second long members having a size approximately corresponding to the size of the first and second ends respectively of the upper rod, each of the openings of the first and second short members having a size approximately corresponding to the size of the first and second ends respectively of the lower rod, so that the ends of the upper and lower rods pass through the openings.