A DEVICE FOR A SCAFFOLD

Abstract: A scaffold comprises vertical struts or spires (7) and horizontal struts, which may be jetting out struts, each supported by a diagonal strut (1) which, at each end thereof, is provided with a fastener (2) for connection to rims (6) on horizontal struts and spires (7) in the junction points of the scaffold, and wherein the interconnection between the diagonal strut fastener (2) and the rim (6) is secured by means of a locking means, which may have the shape of a wedge (4) or another interconnecting insertion means, e.g. a bolt, passing through registering hole portions of holes (3', 3'', 5) in diagonal strut fastener (2) and rim (6). One has aimed at providing a pressure force transferring arrangement wherein the wedge (4) is not loaded or is loaded minimally. To this end, the diagonal strut fastener (2) is formed with at least one first land area (10, 10') for resting pressure force transferringly against an opposing, adjacent face portion (7') on a spire (7) and at least one second land area (11) for resting pressure force transferringly against an opposing, adjacent face portion (6') on the rim (6) on the spire (7).

Description: 96/06251 PCIYNO95/00139 A DEVICE FOR A SCAFFOLD The invention relates to a device for a scaffold of the kind comprising vertical struts or spires, horizontal struts which may be cantilever struts each supported by a diagonal strut which, at each end, is provided with fasteners for connection to rims on horizontal struts and spires in the junction points of the scaffold, and where the interconnection between diagonal strut fastener and rim is secured by means of a locking means, which may have the form of a wedge or another insertion means, e.g. a bolt passing through registering wedge/bolt accommodating hole portions of holes in diagonal strut fastener and rim. In conventional scaffolds of the kind defined introductorily, the wedge sticks and may get locked within a diagonal strut fastener's hole not used hitherto. In conventional scaffolds, the wedge acts as a force transferring means for pressure forces and accommodates the entire pressure load. Consequently, the wedge must be dimensioned correspondingly and, therefore, it becomes voluminous and heavy. Each wedge is connected temporarily (prior to the mounting) to the diagonal strut fastener, and during the mounting the wedge is often operated manually from the opposite end of the diagonal strut, and a heavy wedge will then be rather unwieldy. A primary object of the present invention has, therefore, been to design and shape the diagonal fastener such in relation to adjacent elements and members of the scaffold that transfer of pressure forces between diagonal strut and horizontal strut/spire is secured, without loading the wedge the bolt or a similar connecting insertion means in the junction point of the scaffold. This object is realized through designing and shaping the diagonal strut fastener in accordance with the characterisin clause of the following claim 1. To this end, the diagonal strut fastener is formed with land areas adapted to come to rest pressure force transferringly against faces on the horizontal strut/spire and against a face on said rim. When the diagonal strut is subjected to pressure forces, a land area thereon is pressed against the rim with a contact creating pressure, in order to secure an efficient pressure force transfer. As indicated introductorily, the insertion means (wedge/ bolt) which is to secure the interconnection of the diagonal strut fastener and the rim and which, to this end, becomes inserted through their registering hole portions, is connected such with the diagonal strut fastener that said insertion means is carried by the diagonal strut fastener, following the same during the installation. The invention does not require that a substantial real wedge action takes place, so that a bolt having a uniform cross-section may be used; the insertion means, e.g. the wedge, exhibiting a hook at the upper end in order to prevent that the wedge get stuck within the diagonal strut fastener prior to the latter being attached to a rim. The opposite end of the wedge may have a lateral tube rivet which, in the connection position, is to accommodate a split pin. The tube rivet has a larger axial length than the width of the upper hole in the bifurcated diagonal strut fastener, and the lower end of the wedge can, consequently, not get lost by being pulled upwardly. The lower hole, i.e. the hole in the lower branch of the bifurcated diagonal strut fastener, will, of course, have so large dimensions in the lateral direction of the wedge that the wedge's lower end and its tube rivet may pass therethrough. As previously indicated, during the installation of the scaffold, a diagonal strut may be handled in such a way that the operator holds one end of the diagonal strut while he tries to interconnect its upper fastener carrying the wedge and an overlying rim on a spire, the lower end of the latter occupying a position above the ground and being connected to the outer end of a jetting-out strut. With such a manoeuvring, the branches of the bifurcated strut fastener are to be placed one above and one below the rim, three wedge accommodating hole portions vertically aligned; moreover, the lower end of the wedge must simultaneously take a position immediately above said hole of the rim. This is very difficult to manage by traditional scaffold components. According to the invention, the wedge, bolt or another connecting insertion means may be formed such that it has a first longitudinal portion forming an obtuse angle in relation to the another longitudinal portion. Such an angled/curved wedge/bolt may, prior to the mounting, be tilted rearwardly and take a temporarily stable position of readiness, so that the lower end carrying the tube rivet occupies the desired position just below the upper branch of the bifurcated diagonal strut fastener. When this lower wedge end is immediately above the hole in the rim belonging thereto, the diagonal strut fastener through the strut may be subjected to an appropriate displacement movement, during which the diagonal strut fastener for instance impinges slightly against the adjacent spire portion, putting the upwardly extending, rearwardly swung portion into an adequate motion, so that the wedge falls into position within the registering hole portions of the holes in the bifurcated diagonal strut and the hole in the rim. If tensile forces are expected to occur in the junction points of the scaffold, real wedges should be used; otherwis undesired displacements between adjacent parts to be kept together may take place. The invention is further explained in connection with the drawings, wherein: Figure 1 shows a perspective partial view illustrating adjacent components, respectively portions thereof, which may be incorporated in a scaffold junction point; Figure 2 shows the diagonal strut fastener coupled to the end portion of the diagonal strut, seen separately in side elevational view; Figure 3 shows the same as figure 2, seen from above; Figure 4 shows the same as figure 2, but here the wedge is not only passed through the wedge accommodating hole in the upper branch of the bifurcated diagonal strut fastener, but also secured against being pulled out through said hole; additionally, the wedge's upper angled portion is tilted rearwardly so that the wedge takes a position of readiness, from where it may be put into motion forwardly, in order to get it to fall down into the hole of the rim as well as into the corresponding hole portion of the bottom branch of the bifurcated fastener. According to figure 1, the upper end of a diagonal strut 1 is connected to a bifurcated diagonal strut fastener 2 by means of a lateral bolt 13. The diagonal strut fastener's 2 upper branch is indicated at 2' and the lower one at 2". The branches 2', 2" of the bifurcated fastener 2 are each formed with a wedge accommodating, vertically through-going hole 3' and 3", respectively, which in size and shape is adapted to accommodate a wedge, generally denoted by means of the reference numeral 4, said wedge 4, in the position of use, figure 1, takes a substantially vertical position. The wedge 4 is curved repectively angled in the longitudinal direction and, in the position of use, has an upper portion 4' and a lower portion 4", said portions 4', 4" forming an obtuse angle with each other. Figure 4 shows how the wedge's curvature/angular course can be utilized. Thereby, the wedge is tilted rearwardly (in relation to the junction point of the scaffold, figure 1) , taking a position of readiness, from where it with relative ease should be tilted forwardly in order to fall down into vertically registering hole portions of holes 3 ' , 3" in branches 2', 2" of the bifurcated fastener 2 and an intermediate hole 5 in a rim 6 on a scaffold spire 7, figure 1. Likewise, it appears from figure 1 and 4 that the wedge portion being the uppermost in the position of use has a hook 4' ' ' preventing the wedge 4 from getting stuck in the upper hole 3 ' . Likewise, from figure 4 it appears that the lower end of the wedge 4 is provided with a lateral tube rivet 8 which is placed in a hole in the wedge subsequent to the passage of the lower portion 4" of the wedge 4" through the hole 3' of the upper branch 2' , so that the wedge 4 thereafter can not be pulled out of its engagement with the diagonal strut fastener 2, whereafter wedge 4 and diagonal strut 1,2 constitute an assembly facilitating the subsequent mounting operations. When the wedge 4, as known per se, has been passed through the holes of the branches 2', 2" and one hole 5 of the rim 6 said three holes registering in the vertical direction, or rather those portions of said holes 3', 3" and 5 corresponding vertically and the opening area thereof complementarily corresponding to the wedge's 4 cross-section at the cross-section positioning level in question, a lockin cotter 9 is inserted into the tube rivet 8. In order to secure that pressure force transfer in the scaffold junction points takes place without loading the wedge or a similar insertion means, such as a bolt, so that slender wedge can be used, light in weight and, thus, simple to handle during its movements between the position of readiness according to figure 4 and the locking position according to figure 1, the diagonal strut fastener 2 is formed with land areas 10, 10', 11, 11' adapted to rest pressure force transferringly partly against a face 7' on th spire 7 and partly against a face 6' on the rim 6. In the embodiment, first land areas 10, 10' on the diagonal strut fastener 2 are formed on the outer end edge of the two branches 2', 2" in the form of projecting mouldings engaging into vertical grooves or flutes formed in the opposing rim portion and the bottom portion thereof forming a land area. Second land area 11 forms an angle differing from a right angle with a vertical plane through the wedge accommodating holes 3', 3" of the branches 2', 2". The design, shaping and mutually positioning of the pressure force transferring land areas/stop faces cooperating in pairs are, in other respects, such that these are pressed toward each other with a force substantially proportional with the pressure forces to be transferred. From the top plan view of figure 3 it will appear that the bifurcated connection portion 2' ,2" of the diagonal strut fastener 2 is angled in relation to an imaginary plane through the diagonal strut 1.

Claims: C l a i s 1. A device for a scaffold of the kind comprising vertical struts or spires (7) and horizontal struts which may be jetting out struts each supported by a diagonal strut (l) which, at each end thereof, is provided with a fastener (2) to be connected to rims (6) on horizontal struts and spires (7) at the junction points of ther scaffold, and wherein the interconnection between diagonal strut fastener (2) and rim (6) is secured by a locking means which may have the shape of a wedge (4) or another interconecting insertion means, e.g. a bolt, passing through registering hole portions of holes (3', 3", 5) in the diagonal strut fastener (2) and in the rim (6) , respectively, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the diagonal strut fastener (2) is formed with at least a first land area (10, 10') adapted to rest pressure force transferringly against an opposing, adjacent face portion (7 1 ) of a scaffold spire (7) and at least one second land area (11) adapted to rest pressure force transferringly against an opposing, adjacent face portion (6') on the rim (6) on the spire (7) . 2. A device as set forth in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that said first and second land areas (10, 10', 11, 11') on the diagonal strut fastener (2) each has a vertical course in the position of use. 3. A device as set forth in claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that said first land area (10, 10') on the diagonal strut fastener (2) is formed by a tongue-like portion engaging into a groove-like portion (7') formed in the spire (7), the tonge (10, 10') resting pressure force transferring against the bottom of the groove (7') . 4. A device as set forth in claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z i n g i n that said first land area on the diagonal strut fastener (2) is formed by a groove-like portion into which engages a tongue-like portion formed on the spire (7) , the tongue resting pressure force transferringly against the bottom of the groove. 5. A device as set forth in any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that said second land area (11) forms an angle differing from a right angle with a central plane through the wedge-accommodating holes (3 1 , 3") of the branches (2', 2"). 6. A device as set forth in any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the wedge (4) or a corresponding interconnecting insertion means is curved respectively angled in the longitudinal direction. 7. A device as set forth in claim 6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the wedge (4) is a a gibhead key. 8. A device as set forth in any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the diagonal strut fastener (2) is angled respectively curved in the longitudinal direction and, at one end thereof, is formed with said bifurcated portion (2' ,2") having wedge-accommodating holes (3', 3") while, at the opposite end thereof, it has a bifurcated connection portion for the end of the diagonal strut (1) , said bifurcated connection portion being angularly displaced in relation to the first-mentioned bifurcated portion (2', 2").

Inventors: HUSEBOE MARTIN, SKOELD JOHNNY, HUSEBOE, MARTIN, SKOELD, JOHNNY
Applicants: ALUSTAR AS, HUSEBOE MARTIN, SKOELD JOHNNY, ALUSTAR A/S, HUSEBOE, MARTIN, SKOELD, JOHNNY
Application year: 1995
Main classification: E04G7
IPC codes: E04G7