Modular platform assembly

A modular platform assembly is provided. The assembly has a multiplicity of deck sections of rectangular shape which are connected together or interlocked to produce a platform of desired size. The deck sections are supported on legs which can be used in telescoping relationship to support the deck sections at various desired heights. Certain inner deck sections need only be supported on one leg, which facilitates assembly of the sections. Guard rails can also be employed around edges of the platform and supported by the legs. The legs can be supported on adjustable feet to provide a uniform level for the deck sections. Modular stairs are also provided for easy access to and egress from the platform. The stairs are designed to accommodate platforms of various heights.

This invention relates to a modular platform assembly and particularly one 
which can be assembled and dismantled relatively easily. 
There is a substantial need for modular platform assemblies which can be 
relatively quickly assembled and dismantled for temporary use but which 
also have strength and durability for longer term use. While such platform 
assemblies have been known in the past to a limited extent, the components 
of the assemblies have tended to be cumbersome and require considerable 
labor to assemble and to later disassemble or dismantle. 
The modular platform assembly in accordance with the invention includes 
rectangular, preferably square, deck sections which can be employed in 
virtually any numbers to provide platforms or stages of any desired area. 
Each of the deck sections has a rectangular metal frame to which is 
affixed wooden sheeting or the like. Contiguous sides of the frame have 
interlocking means by which adjacent sections can be readily connected, 
with the sheeting forming a smooth. unbroken surface. The corners of each 
deck section frame have downwardly-extending connecting tubes which 
receive upper ends of supporting legs. The supporting legs can be of 
various lengths according to the height desired for the overall platform. 
Further, the supporting legs can be employed with other legs of different 
cross-sectional sizes in telescoping relationship to provide even greater 
heights. Connecting pins can also be inserted through holes in the 
connecting tubes of adjacent sections to provide greater rigidity and 
support for the sections. 
Specially designed guard rail posts can also be mounted around the 
periphery of the platform and affixed to the platform supporting legs. The 
posts have threaded studs to which guard rails can be readily connected 
and disconnected. 
The supporting legs can also be provided with adjustable feet to assure a 
level and planar horizontal supporting surface formed by the wooden 
sheeting. 
The modular platform assembly also has stairs with telescoping diagonal 
legs and detachable steps which enable the stairs to be used with 
platforms of various heights. 
It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide a modular 
platform assembly which can be relatively easily assembled and dismantled. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a modular platform assembly 
which can be relatively quickly assembled for temporary use and which is 
also sufficiently strong and durable for long-term use. 
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a modular platform 
assembly having the features discussed above.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1 a modular platform 
assembly in accordance with the invention is indicated at 10 and includes 
a modular platform or stage 12 which can be of a variety of areas and 
heights. The platform is made up of deck sections 14 which preferably are 
all of the same size and shape. The shape is preferably square and the 
size is preferably four feet by four feet, which enables the sections to 
be relatively easily handled, transported, and stored. The deck sections 
14 can be positioned at various heights to meet the particular needs, the 
deck sections being supported on supporting legs 16. The legs 16 have 
adjustable supporting feet 18 which assure that the deck sections lie in 
smooth, planar relationship. 
The platform assembly 10 also can have a guard rail assembly 20 around at 
least portions of the perimeter thereof for safety purposes. The modular 
platform assembly also includes stairs 22 which are designed to 
accommodate the platforms 12 of various heights. 
Referring to FIGS. 2-4, each of the deck sections 14 includes a rectangular 
metal frame 24 and a rectangular wooden sheeting 26 of the same size and 
shape. The sheeting 26 can be one-half or three-quarter inch exterior 
plywood, for example. The metal frame 24 is made of angle-iron members 28, 
each of which includes an inwardly-extending horizontal flange 30 and a 
downwardly-extending vertical flange 32. Each of the corners of the 
rectangular frame 24 has a short, downwardly-extending, connecting member 
or tube 34 affixed thereto at the juncture of the angle-iron members 28. 
This can be accomplished by welding, for example. In a preferred form, 
each of the connecting tubes 34 is of square shape in transverse cross 
section and has a plurality of openings 36 uniformly spaced, preferably at 
one inch intervals, along the length thereof and on each face thereof. 
The deck sections 14 have interlocking or connecting means so that 
contiguous sections can be placed in interlocking relationship. For this 
purpose, as shown, each of two connected angle-iron members 24 has pins 38 
(FIG. 3) affixed to the vertical flanges 32 at predetermined positions 
therealong. Each of the pins 38 has a head 40 and a stem 42 affixed to the 
vertical flange 32 and spacing the head 40 therefrom. Similarly, the other 
two adjacent ones of the angle-iron frame members 28 have notches 44 
spaced along the vertical flanges 32 at predetermined positions, with open 
ends facing downwardly at the lower edges of the flanges 32. With this 
arrangement, two of the contiguous sections 14 are interlocked by placing 
the notches 44 over the heads 40 of the pins 38 so as to be received on 
the stems 42 of the pins. This helps maintain the upper surfaces of the 
sheeting 26 in coplanar, unbroken relationship to provide an overall 
smooth surface. 
The deck sections 14 are supported at a predetermined height by supporting 
legs 46. Like the connecting tubes 34, the legs 46 are of square shape in 
transverse cross section and have holes 48 uniformly spaced, preferably at 
one inch intervals, therealong. The supporting legs 46 can be supplied in 
a variety of lengths, such as two feet, three feet, and four feet, to 
provide desired platform heights. The maximum dimension across parallel 
faces of the legs 46 is preferably slightly less than the minimum, inner 
dimension across parallel faces of the connecting tubes 34. This enables 
the legs 46 to telescope into the connecting tubes 34 with a relatively 
snug fit. When the legs 46 are in place, connecting hinge pins 50 are 
inserted through the aligned holes 36 and 48 in the connecting tubes 34 
and the supporting legs 46 to assemble the legs 46 with the deck sections 
14. The connecting hinge pins 50 are well known in the scaffolding art. 
They include shanks 51, heads 52, and hinged outer ends 53 which can swing 
down when the pins 50 are in place to prevent accidental loosening and 
separation on the pins 50 from their connected elements. For some heavy 
duty applications, the angle-iron flanges 32 can have bolt holes 54 to 
fasten the adjacent sections 14 together by bolts 56, if desired. 
When the deck sections 14 are to be assembled into the platform 12 of the 
desired size (in four foot increments), an outer corner one of the deck 
sections 14, designated 14A in FIGS. 2 and 3 is first assembled with four 
of the supporting legs 46. Contiguous ones of the deck sections 14, 
designated 14B and 14C in FIGS. 2 and 3, are then provided with two of the 
supporting legs 46 at the outer edges thereof, away from the section 14A. 
The sections 14B and 14C are then interlocked with the section 14A by 
connecting pins 38 with the notches 44. Only one of the supporting legs 46 
is then connected with an inner section 14D which is then interlocked with 
the sections 14B and 14C through the pins and notches. From this, it will 
be seen that assembly of the sections is relatively easy since the outer 
peripheral sections 14B and 14C require only two assembled legs and the 
inner sections such as the section 14D require but one of these supporting 
legs 46. 
As the deck sections 14A-D are assembled, the pins 50, or longer versions 
thereof are connected through certain ones of the holes 36 in the 
connecting tubes 34 to assure that all of the connecting tubes not having 
legs are supported through one of the connecting tubes 34 that does have 
the leg 46 therein. Thus, at least three pairs of the holes 36 are 
provided in the connecting tubes 34 to receive the supporting leg pins and 
the connecting pins of the four adjacent, connected deck sections 14. 
For greater heights of the platform 12, supporting extension legs 58 of 
FIG. 4 can be employed. The legs 58 are also square in transverse cross 
section and have holes 60 in faces thereof spaced uniformly therealong, 
preferably at one inch intervals. The legs 58 are preferably of the same 
size as the connecting tubes 34 so that they can telescope over the lower 
ends of the supporting legs 46 to provide higher positions for the 
platform 12. The extension legs 58 can also be provided in suitable 
lengths, such as two feet, three feet, and four feet. 
Particularly when the extension legs 58 are used with the supporting legs 
46, cross bars 62 are used between at least certain ones of the corner 
legs, as is well known in the scaffolding art, and are shown in FIG. 1. 
The adjustable foot 18 enables the surface of the platform to be truly 
level. Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the foot 18 includes a rubber, 
doughnut-shaped pad 64 into which is molded a flange of a dome-shaped 
plate 66 having an arcuate slot 68 therein. An adjusting bolt 70 has a 
threaded shank 72 extending upwardly through the slot 68 with a head 74 
below the slot. The threaded shank 72 is received in a threaded bore 76 of 
a connecting cylindrical member 78 with a jam nut 80 located between the 
lower end of the member 78 and the plate 66. The cylindrical member 78 has 
a cross hole 82 at a predetermined position therein which receives the 
hinge pin 50 or similar pin when the member 78 is inserted into the lower 
end of the leg 48 or the leg 58. When the bolt shank 72 is turned into the 
bore 76 to achieve the desired position, the jam nut 80 is turned down 
against the top surface of the dome-shaped plate 66 to hold the bolt 70 in 
position. 
When the extension leg 58 is used, a short sleeve 84 (FIG. 4) is used 
inside the lower connecting leg 58 to fit snugly with the connecting 
member 78. The sleeve 84 is of the same transverse shape and size as the 
connecting tube 34. 
The guard rail of FIG. 1 includes a plurality of guard rail posts 86, as 
shown in FIG. 6. The post 86 includes a metal tube 88 to which an 
angle-iron connection 90 is affixed at the lower end. The connection 90 
has an outwardly-extending flange 92 with three holes 94 therein by means 
of which the post 86 can be affixed to an upper portion of one of the 
supporting legs 46 below the connecting tube 34 by the pins 50 or other 
suitable fasteners. A horizontal, threaded stud 96 is affixed to an 
intermediate portion of the tube 88 and a vertical, threaded stud 98 is 
affixed to an upper end of the tube 88. Horizontal guard rails 100 (FIG. 
1) are fastened to the studs 96 and 98 by wing nuts (not shown) or other 
fasteners. 
The stairs 22 of FIG. 1 must be able to accommodate varying heights of the 
platform 12. Referring also to FIG. 7, the stairs 22 includes two diagonal 
supporting rails 102, each of which includes a diagonal main tube 104 with 
end extension assemblies 106 and 108. The tube 104 is square in transverse 
cross section and includes uniformly-spaced holes 110 along at least two 
opposite faces thereof. The upper extension 106 includes an extension tube 
112 telescoped in the upper end of the tube 104 with a diagonal connecting 
plate 114 affixed to the outer end thereof. The plates 114 can be bolted 
or pinned to the connecting tubes 34 or the supporting legs 46 of one of 
the deck sections 14. The extension tube 112 has holes 116 therein which 
receive the pins 50 or similar suitable pins which are extended through 
the holes 110 of the tube 104. 
The foot extension 108 similarly has an extension tube 118 with a pivoted 
foot 120 at the end thereof to support the lower end of the stairs on the 
ground. The extension 118 also has holes 122 through which the pins 50 or 
similar pins are received when extended through the holes 110 in the 
diagonal tube 104. The extension tubes 112 and 118 can be of substantial 
length to accommodate platform heights of substantial variations. 
Steps 124 are provided between the rails 102, the steps having generally 
triangular end plates 126 affixed thereto and extending upwardly 
therefrom. These have holes 128 through which the pins 50 or similar pins 
are inserted and extend through the aligned holes 110 of the tubes 104 to 
support the steps in a horizontal manner. These steps will always be 
substantially horizontal since the supporting rails 102 are always 
substantially at the same angle relative to the platform 12. 
Various modifications of the above-described embodiments of the invention 
will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is to be understood 
that such modifications can be made without departing from the scope of 
the invention, if they are within the spirit and the tenor of the 
accompanying claims.