Abstract:
A connection hook for scaffoldings must, on the one hand, permit a quick and secure connection of two scaffolding parts, and, on the other hand, be able to be manufactured inexpensively and durably and be connectable to scaffolding elements of very different designs. The connection hook of the invention is for this purpose designed as an extruded part, which cooperates with a part, which is always equally shaped on entirely different scaffolding elements, and thereby positively locks the part within the hook opening, and secures this positive lock through a releasable frictional interlock.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a connection hook for the releasable connection of two scaffolding elements, whereby the connection hook, which is stationarily positioned on a first scaffolding element, can support a profiled part of a second scaffolding element, partly covering said part and being interlockable to same. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Connection hooks of this type are in particularly great demand for the construction of scaffoldings in order to be able to securely and quickly releasably connect scaffolding frames with one another, platforms, spars, reinforcements and other scaffolding elements, in particular for scaffoldings consisting of premanufactured elements. Whereas the shape of the first scaffolding element at the connecting point for the connection hooks can be generally shaped as desired and only its secure fastening must be guaranteed, the part of the second element, which part is received on the connection hook, in most cases a crossbar or a short bracket on a scaffolding frame, is always designed with a constant cross section adapted to the shape of the hook opening of the associated connection hook. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The purpose of the invention is to provide such connection hooks, which are needed in very large quantities, in such a manner that they are basically manufactured out of one workpiece, which can be produced via a highly productive process, in particular via an extrusion process, and can be completed in a simple manner with parts, which themselves can be manufactured inexpensively in large quantities or consist of commercially available standard parts. 
     The purpose is attained according to the invention by the connection hook being designed as a hollow extruded part in cross section, by providing two flat, parallel surfaced stem segments on the hollow extruded port, which stem segments, spaced from one another, receive a flat safety pawl therebetween, by the safety pawl being able to positively lock the part when said pawl is swivelled or moved between the stem segments, locking the cross section of the part in a hook opening provided in the stem segments, and by the stem segments being connected by at least one cross segment, and said cross segment being shaped such that it defines a bearing surface positioned perpendicularly to the cross section of the hollow extruded part and the surfaces of the stem segments in such a manner that it is suited for a flangelike fastening of the connection hook to the first scaffolding element. 
     Such a connection hook can be manufactured very inexpensively as hollow extruded parts cut transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of an extruded section, whereby the stem segments do not need to be connected at their end remote from the cross segment, as a rule, however, they are even connected with one another at their end so that the hollow extruded part has a closed cross section. The arrangement allows the safety pawl to be constructed as a simple stamped metal part pivotal on a simple swivel axle consisting of a commercially available bolt, which is stationarily fixed in the stem segments. All parts needed for the connection hook can in this manner be inexpensively manufactured. 
     The connection hook must be rigidly securely fastened and with little effort to the first scaffolding element. This is achieved when the bearing surface is maintained essentially flat, and is furthermore designed such that the edge of the bearing surface can be welded to the first scaffolding element, for example, when it enables the application of a fillet weld. A sufficient welding seam length can be achieved when the bearing surface in the cross section of the hollow extruded part appears as a crosswise extending surface wider than the remaining section. 
     The coupling of the two scaffolding elements via the connection hook is, as a rule, already extraordinarily strong because the connection hook is held in its position by the weight of the first scaffolding element. The safety of the connection is improved when the positive lock of the safety pawl can be frictionally interlocked to the part. Such a frictional interlock can be easily created when the safety pawl is pivotal about an axle which is stationarily fixed in the stem segments, and which is parallel with the longitudinal axis of the part, whereby in a particularly advantageous design a key-shaped pawl edge is provided on the safety pawl in such a manner that it, upon swivelling of the safety pawl, locks the cross section of the part in the hook opening, and in this position creates through a key action a frictional interlock between the pawl edge and a base surface of the part. However, it is also possible to construct a short cam on the safety pawl so that the safety pawl upon swivelling interlocks the cross section of the part in the hook opening, and can itself in this position be frictionally interlocked by a key which can be driven between the safety pawl and the inner bearing surface of the cross segment. It is understood that such a key is removable. Whereas the use of a lock created by means of a key is best suited to lock short cams or other shaped edges provided on the part by the safety pawl, the safety pawls are equipped, if necessary, also with long pawl edges for the purpose of engaging the entire cross section of the part to be locked in the hook opening. The safety pawl can here also be operated by striking it with a suitable tool when a striking edge is provided on the safety pawl so that it can be driven in its closing direction, and in particular when the striking edge projects beyond the stem segments of the connection hook as long as the scaffolding elements are still not yet connected. The demounting occurs here also by means of a striking tool when at least one further striking edge is provided on an area of the pawl containing the pawl edge. A secure fixation of the part is achieved in such a manner that a short holding edge, which is opposite the safety pawl, is provided on the hook opening, which holding edge provides a further positive lock of the connection hook with the part when same conforms to the hook opening so that the cross section of the part is constructed as a beam on two supports and is mounted nonshiftably. As effective is an arrangement in which the shape of the hook opening partially conforms to the shape of the cross section of the part, namely in the portion which serves only as the bearing, not, however, the guiding through portion of the part, the effect can be further improved when the hook opening is dimensioned such that the congruent contours of the hook opening and of the part rest on one another under a slight pressure fitting. The invention creates a safety hook which, by enabling the use of an inexpensive, highly automated manufacturing process enables the creation of a strong and secure connection of the scaffolding elements which can be utilized successfully even in scaffoldings, which must be designed with a particularly high quality for safety and technical purposes. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING 
     The invention will be discussed in greater detail hereinafter in connection with one exemplary embodiment and the drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of a connection hook of the invention, 
     FIGS. 2 and 3 are a front and a top view of the connection hook of FIG. 1, wherein the safety pawl is not shown in the top view, 
     FIG. 4 illustrates the arrangement of a connection hook of the invention on a first scaffolding element, 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a part of a second scaffolding element, which part fits within the connection hook of the invention, and 
     FIG. 6 illustrates a slightly modified design of a connection hook compared with FIGS. 1 to 3, all in a schematically simplified illustration. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A connection hook of the invention consists according to FIGS. 1 to 3 of a hollow extruded part 1 and a safety pawl 2. The hollow extruded part 1 has an approximately T-shaped cross section 10 composed of essentially two parallel surfaced stem segments 11 and a cross segment 12. The stem segments 11 are connected with one another at their ends remote from the cross segment 12 so that the cross section 10 is designed as a closed hollow section. A downwardly directed hook opening 13 is recessed in the surfaced stem segments 11, which hook opening is dimensioned to conform to the cross section A of a part B (FIG. 5), which can also be manufactured as an extruded part. An upper contour 13a of the hook opening 13 is thereby shaped such that it rests flat on a corresponding, upwardly facing contour A1 of the part B when one ignores some grooves A2 interrupting the closed contour A1, which grooves are used to increase the safety of the stepping surface in the example of the part B, because this part B is here also supposed to be used as a ladder rung. The arch of the contour 13a is advantageously dimensioned such that it is capable of providing a slight press fit with the part B. The part B is stationarily mounted on a (second) scaffolding element, not shown in the drawings. The cross segment 12 is designed wider than the width b (FIG. 3) of the stem segments 11, in this manner increasing the resistance moment of the connection hook. At the same time, a relatively large bearing surface 12a is created in this manner, which rests on the first scaffolding part BE to be connected thereto (FIG. 4) and be fastened thereto as by a welding seam. The scaffolding part engages a portion of the edge 12b of the cross segment 12, if necessary, however, also the complete edge 12b. The bearing surface 12a is positioned perpendicularly to the surfaces of the stem segments 11 and of the cross section 10 and is here designed as a flat surface, however, it can also be arched when only the edges 12b rest on the scaffolding element BE and can be welded thereto. The safety pawl 2 is pivotal about an axle 14 (FIG. 2), for example a bolt stationarily positioned above the hook opening 13 on the stem segments 11 and is otherwise formed as a flat sheet-metal part between the stem segments 11, and can thus be manufactured without any difficulty by a simple cutting tool. The stationary axle 14 extends parallel with the longitudinal axis of the part B so that the safety pawl 2 can be swung into the area of the hook opening 13. A key-shaped pawl edge 21 is provided on the safety pawl 2, which pawl edge produces keylike a frictional force on a base surface A3 of the part B when the safety pawl 2 is swung clockwise below the part B located in the hook opening 13. The part B is, in this manner, initially positively connected to the connection hook through a pawl area 20, and this positive lock is secured by the frictional interlock between the pawl edge 21 and the base surface A3. As shown in FIG. 1 and 2, the key-shaped pawl edge 21 is inclined to wedge against the base surface A3 to hold the part B in the hook opening 13. FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 illustrate the safety pawl 2 approximately in the position, in which it is when the part B is securely locked in the hook opening 13. A striking edge 22 (FIG. 1) is hereby just flush with the upper edge of the stem segments 11. However, this striking edge 22 otherwise projects, beyond the stem segments 11 so that it can be driven clockwise to cause the pawl 2 to move in a closing direction S (FIG. 2) with the help of a striking tool. A further impact edge 23 is used for demounting and can, for this purpose, be driven counterclockwise with a striking tool. FIG. 6 is a showing of a slightly modified design. Elements that correspond to above described elements are designated by the same reference numbers. The safety pawl 2&#39; is here designed such that not the base surface A3 of the part B is supported but a short flange A4 at approximately half the height on the part B is supported so that in place of the pawl area 20 only a correspondingly short cam 24&#39; is provided. The flanges A4, which are provided symmetrically on both sides on the part B, rest thus on one side on the cam 24&#39;, and on the other side on a holding edge 15, which is constructed on both stem segments 11. Independent of the design of the safety pawl 2, 2&#39;, it is achieved in this manner that the part B is pinned within the hook opening 13 like a beam on two supports. One support is thereby formed by the holding edge 15, the other one by the pawl edge 21 or the cam 24&#39;. The safety pawl 2&#39; of FIG. 6 is driven by a key 3, which can be driven between the safety pawl 2&#39; and the (inner) bearing surface of the cross segment 12, and in this manner again secures the positive lock, which is brought about by means of the hook edge 15 or the cam 24&#39; in connection with the flanges A4, through a frictional interlocked connection. The key 3 projects at the top and at the bottom beyond the stem segments 11 so that it can be conveniently driven in and also again removed. The key 3 also extends below the safety pawl 2&#39; a distance L to assist in removing the key 3 and hence the safety pawl 2&#39; and cam 24&#39; from contact against adjacent flange A4. 
     Although a particular preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in detail for illustrative purposes, it will be recognized that variations or modifications of the disclosed apparatus, including the rearrangement of parts, lie within the scope of the present invention.