Patent Publication Number: US-2009236181-A1

Title: Stackable scaffolding frames

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application requests priority on U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/064,649 filed on Mar. 18, 2008 which is incorporated herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to scaffolding frames. More particularly but not exclusively the present invention relates to stackable scaffolding frames. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A scaffold is a temporary erection of timber or steel, used in the construction, alteration, or demolition of a building, to support or to allow for the hoisting and lowering of workers, their tools and materials. Scaffolds are built by pre-constructed scaffolding frames. These frames include interconnected horizontal and vertical frame members. Usually, the horizontal frame members are evenly spaced to provide rungs for workers to climb. The vertical frame members are generally cylindrical in shape. 
     The key elements of a scaffold are standards, ledgers and cross braces. The standards, or uprights, are the vertical tubes that transfer the entire mass of the structure to the ground where they rest on a square base plate to spread the load. The base plate has a shank in its centre to hold the tube and is sometimes pinned to a sole board. Ledgers are horizontal tubes which connect between the standards. Cross braces are attached to adjacent frames and boards rest on top of the horizontal tubes. Guardrails and toolbars can also be mounted to the scaffolding. 
     Transportation of scaffolding frames is a costly and inconvenient operation, since scaffolding frames usually take up a lot of space. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a stackable scaffolding frame. 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a method of making a scaffolding frame. 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a scaffold assembly. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a scaffolding frame comprising: 
     a pair of spaced apart elongated vertical members having respective top and bottom ends thereof; and 
     at least one elongated horizontal member mounted at each longitudinal end thereof to a respective one of the vertical members whereby each vertical member defines a respective opposite lateral side of the frame, the horizontal member comprising a depressed portion near each longitudinal end thereof, 
     wherein when a first such frame is stacked onto a second such frame, one depressed portion and one vertical member of the first frame respectively engage one vertical member and one depressed portion of the second frame. 
     In an embodiment, each depressed portion is adjacent a respective vertical member thereby defining therewith a nesting portion at each lateral side of the frame. 
     In an embodiment, one nesting portion at one lateral side of the first frame and one vertical member at another lateral side of the first frame respectively engage one vertical member at one lateral side of the second frame and one nesting portion at another lateral side of the second frame. 
     In accordance with an aspect of the present invention there is provided a scaffold assembly comprising a plurality of such scaffolding frames. 
     In accordance with an aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of making such a scaffolding frame, the method comprising: 
     providing two elongated vertical members; 
     providing at least one elongated horizontal member; 
     flattening a portion of the elongated horizontal member near each longitudinal end thereof; and 
     mounting the horizontal member at each longitudinal end thereof to a respective vertical member. 
     Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non restrictive description of illustrative embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       In the appended drawings, where like reference numerals denote like elements throughout and in where: 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a stacked scaffolding frames in accordance with a non-restrictive illustrative embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged view of section  3  of  FIG. 2 ; and 
         FIG. 4  is a front elevational view of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS 
     Generally stated, the present invention provides in accordance with an embodiment thereof a scaffolding frame comprising horizontal bars connected to lateral vertical posts at their opposite ends. Each horizontal bar includes depressed portions near their opposite ends. 
     With reference to the accompanying drawings, an illustrative embodiment will be described so as to exemplify the invention and by no means limit the scope thereof. 
       FIG. 1  shows a plurality of scaffolding frames  10  which are stacked together in order to form a stack  12 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 4 , the frames  10  of the invention will be described in greater detail. Since two frames  10  are shown in  FIG. 4 , the references  10 A and  10 B will be used for convenience only so as to distinguish the elements of each frame  10 . Nevertheless, the first and second frames,  10 A and  10 B, are similarly constructed and in essence refer to frame  10 , as such the additional insignia “A” or “B” can be removed from all the elements detailed hereinafter since they are only used for convenience. 
     Each frame  10 A and  10 B includes a respective first elongated lateral vertical member or post  14 A and  14 B, respectively, and a respective second elongated lateral vertical members or post  16 A and  16 B. A pair of first and second lateral posts  14 A and  16 A or  14 B and  16 B, respectively, are interconnected by a respective first elongated horizontal member or bar  18  and a respective second elongated horizontal member or bar and  20 . It is noted here that the terms “first” and “second” are used herein for indicative purposes only. As such, a first bar  18 A or  18 B is positioned near the top end  22 A or  22 B of the vertical posts  14 A and  16 A or  14 B and  16 B. A second bar  20 A or  20 B is positioned near the bottom end  24 A or  24 B of the vertical posts  14 A and  16 A or  14 B and  16 B. 
     Of course, the skilled artisan will readily appreciate that a lesser or greater number of horizontal bars can be provided. The skilled artisan will also appreciate that the posts  14  and  16  and the bars  18  and  20  of the frame  10  are generally tubular structures such as cylindrical hollow tubes that can be made of steel or aluminum or any other suitable material. It should be noted that the vertical posts  14  and  16  define the lateral sides of the frame  10 , whereas the bars  18  and  20  define the top and bottom sides of the frame  10 . 
     An auxiliary vertical member  26 A or  26 B is interconnected at its top and bottom end  25 A and  27 A or  25 B and  27 B between the first and second bars  18 A and  20 B or  18 A and  18 B. Auxiliary horizontal members  28 A or  28 B are interconnected at their lateral ends  29 A or  29 B between the auxiliary vertical member  26 A or  26 B and the first lateral vertical members  14 A or  14 B. In this example, the frame  10  includes three auxiliary horizontal members  28 , of course a greater or lesser number can be contemplated. 
     In the stacks  12  shown in the figures, a first given frame  10 , such as frame  10 A in  FIG. 4 , is stacked onto a second given frame  10 , such as frame  10 B with the first and second frames  10 A and  10 B being in inverted with respect to each other (i.e. in opposite vertical directions). Specifically, the top end and bottom ends  22 A and  24 A of the posts  14 A and  16 A are respectively in the opposite direction of the top and bottom ends  22 B and  24 B of the posts  14 B and  16 B. Hence, a stack of frames  10  is assembled by placing a first frame  10 A onto a second frame  10 B in opposite directions as explained herein. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2  and with keeping in mind that the horizontal bars  18  and  20  are similarly constructed, each bar  18  or  20  includes opposite first and second longitudinal ends  30  and  32  respectively mounted to the first and second posts  14  and  16  respectively. The cylindrical main body  34  (see  FIG. 1 ) of each bar  18  and  20  includes a depressed portion  33  and  35  near each longitudinal end  30  and  32  respectively (see also  FIG. 4 ). The depressed portions  33  and  35  of each horizontal member  18  and  20  is flattened, beveled, recessed, grooved, tapered or smaller relative to the rest of the cylindrical main body thereof  34 . 
     With respect to  FIG. 2 , each depressed portion  33  and  35  is adjacent a respective vertical member  14  and  16  thereby defining therewith a nesting portion  37  and  39  respectively at each lateral side of the frame  10 . 
     Turning back to  FIG. 4 , the auxiliary horizontal members  28 A or  28 B include depressed portions  40  and  42  near their respective lateral ends  29 A or  29 B. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , when stacking these frames  10  a first frame  10 A is stacked on a second frame  10 B, the depressed portions  33 A of the horizontal bars (only bar  18 A is shown here) of the first frame  10 A engage the vertical post  14 B of the second frame  10 B. The vertical post  16 A of the first frame  10 A engages the depressed portions  35 B of the horizontal bars (only bar  20 B is shown here) of the second frame  10 B. More specifically, the post  16 A of the first frame  10 A rests in the nesting portions  39  of the second frame  10 B, whereas the post  14 B of the second frame  10 B rests in the in the nesting portions  37  of the first frame  10 A. The following is alternately repeated throughout the stack  12  providing the staggered configuration shown in the Figures. 
     This staggered stacking of the frames  10  provides for taking up less space while providing a sufficient stability. 
     When constructing the frames of the invention portion near the longitudinal ends  30  and  32  are flattened to provide the depressed portions  33  and  35 . 
     It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described hereinabove. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced in various ways. It is also to be understood that the phraseology or terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not limitation. Hence, although the present invention has been described hereinabove by way of embodiments thereof, it can be modified, without departing from the spirit, scope and nature of the subject invention.