" MENTS IN FASTENING OR CLAMPING APPARATUS APPLICABLE FOR BUILDERS " SCAFFOLDING
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson of the firm of W P Thompson
and Boult. Agents for Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street Liverpool, in
the county of Lancaster Civil Engineer for an Invention of IMPROVE-
"
MENTS IN FASTENING OR CLAMPING APPARATUS APPLICABLE FOR BUILDERS
"
SCAFFOLDING a communication from Monsieur Charles Mansion, a person
resident at Paris in the republic of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Phillips Thompson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th June 1883.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON of the firm of WP Thompson and Boult
Agents for foreign Patent Solicitors 6 Lord Street Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster Civil Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENING OR CLAMPING APPARATUS
APPLICABLE FOR BUILDERS' SCAFFOLDING a communication from Monsieur
Charles Mansion a person resident at Paris in the republic of France.
"
In constructing scaffolds in building, use is made of long poles or masts planted
vertically in the earth, and traversed horizontally by cross poles attached to the
masts aforesaid by means of ropes.
The present application has for its object the protection by letters patent of a
metallic attachment with automatic tightening to replace the aforesaid ropes-it
is called in France a "collier-chaine-attache "--and is made single or double
according to the requirements.
The advantages of this system are as follows:
1 Great economy of time in erecting the scaffolding by reason of the collar-
chain-attachment being capable of almost instantaneous fixing (probably one tenth
of the time required in the case of cordage), whilest at the same time it does not
require wetting.
2nd The collar-chain-attachment being metallic and made of good durable
material, is not easily worn out,-whereas the cordages decay and slacken in the

page_text: sun, are deteriorated by rain, get lost in the yards-and in fact get used up
and have to be renewed usually at least once a year.
There are various forms of collar chain attachment. One consists of a cramp
of two half round or other parts made to firmly clasp the pole or mast, in any
ordinary manner. To this is attached a ring or buckle and from this ring a loop
chain is suspended. The loop chain passes round the transverse pole and then
round the mast, then again round the transverse pole to the ring.
To attach it one has simply to clamp the collar with the chain hanging down in
a loop at the back of the mast, then pull the two vertical portions of the chain
forward, and pass the horizontal pole through the loops formed by the two parts
of the chain and the mast. The tighter the transverse piece is pressed down-the
tighter it is held by the chain, and provided the clamp be strong—the firmer also
does the clamp hold.
Instead of a single looped chain, two chains preferably of unequal length and
with hooks at the end of each can be suspended from the clamp and can be
hooked round the timbers onto each other or the ring, and there are various ways
of causing the timbers to be tied by the chain, but all must be based on the
principle of so arranging the chain that the heavier the weight, the tighter the
chain clamps to the timbers. In place of a chain, single or jointed shackles can
be used, and to give the clamp or collar additional assistance in holding, the chain
can also be passed round the mast both above and below-in which case the chain
is the real attachment, the collar only serving to hold the chain in position and
give it additional safety. In place of the clamp, a single closed ring can be used,
or a ring composed partly of metal solid and partly of wire rope or chain. Indeed
there are endless ways of forming both the collar or its equivalent, and the chain
or its equivalent, but every one must be based on firmly clasping the mast or
vertical pole on the opposite side to that on which the horizontal pole is fixed, and
so clasping the horizontal pole that the harder it is pressed down the greater grip
there is on the opposite side of the vertical mast. A variation of this plan consists
of a bow of metal placed round the mast and having a pin passed through it on
the opposite side of the mast to the round end of the bow. Pivotted or hooked
to the ends of the bow is a second bow or loop which passes round the horizontal
pole. The pin is curved at the ends to prevent it falling out or has a head, & nut,
or cottar, and as an additional security a claw or catch is fixed on the loop round
the mast and holds the latter in place by being dug or clawed into the mast.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Phillips Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th December 1883.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the firm of W. P. Thompson and Boult,
Agents for Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, in the county of
Lancaster, Civil Engineer, "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENING OR CLAMPING APPARATUS
APPLICABLE FOR BUILDER'S SCAFFOLDING a communication from Monsieur
Charles Mansion, a person resident at Paris in the republic of France.
"
For erecting scaffolds for buildings under construction, use is made of long poles
or maste planted vertically in the ground, and traversed horizontally by cross-poles
attached to the masts aforesaid by means of ropes.
The herein before in part recited Letters Patent have for their object the
protection of a system of metallic attachment with automatic tightening designed
to replace these ropes; it is called in France a "collar-chain-attachment" (collier-
chaine attache) for scaffolding, and is made single or double according to the
requirements of particular cases.
The advantages which this system permits of realizing are very important; the
following may be especially mentioned. First. Great economy of time in erecting
scaffolds, because the collar-chain-attachment can be fixed very easily and almost
instantaneously (it would probably take a skilled workman ten times longer to fix
a rope,) whilst at the same time it does not require wetting. Second. The collar-
chain-attachment being metallic and made of materials of good quality is not
easily worn out, whereas ropes are scorched by the sun, are injured by rain, get
lost in the yards, in fact get quickly used up and have consequently to be renewed
usually at least once a year.
The accompanying drawings represent various specimens of the collar-chain
attachment with automatic tightening, single or double, a detailed description of
which is about to be given.
The single collar chain attachment for scaffolding is represented by itself in
Fig 1. and fixed in position in Figs 2 and 3; it is composed of the following parts:
First. A cramp A of half-round iron and curved so as to firmly clasp the pole
or mast. One of its extremities is rolled to form an eye to receive a large link or
ring of the chain B, the other extremity is open and bent into the form of a hook
in which the chain B can slide freely.
Second. A loop chain B of suitable length, carrying a buckle or ring C of larger
size designed to receive the eye of the cramp A.
To fix this collar, one has simply to introduce through the loop-chain the free
end of the cross-pole D, then the cramp A being placed horizontally behind the
mast E, the other loop of the chain B is passed into the open hook of the cramp;
after having taken care to cause the chain to pass round the mast as horizontally
as possible, as seen in Figs 2 and 3 of the drawings, a slight vertical pressure
of the hand upon the crosspole D causes the chain to tighten and be prevented
from slipping.
In another case, the fixing of the collar can also be effected by surrounding in
the first place the mast E as horizontally as possible by means of the chain B
adapted to it as before, that is to say, the cramp A being placed flat against the
mast; it then suffices to introduce the cross-pole D into the loop formed by the
remainder of the chain.
In all cases, the collar-chain when in position, presents the arrangement
represented in Fig 2, and it is easy to understand that when a slight.tightening of

page_text: the chain B around the mast E has once been made, one can without any danger
load the cross-pole D vertically as much as necessary, since as the chain B can
slide freely in the hook which terminates the cramp A, it tightens itself so much
the more, the greater the weight which it supports.
The variation of the preceding arrangement represented in Figs 4, 5, and 6, of
the accompanying drawings, constitutes the double collar-chain-attachment. This
variation of the apparatus fulfils the same purpose as the previous one, but is
especially designed for large scaffolds, it presents in fact the advantage of preventing
all possibility of rocking or swaying of the scaffolding in either direction, that is,
horizontally or vertically.
The apparatus in this case is composed :—
First. Of a cramp A similar to the preceding one, which in this case can even be
replaced by a closed ring, as will be seen further on.
Second. Of two chains B B¹ preferably of unequal length, fastened together
and to the clamp A by a long buckle or ring C as in the single apparatus. The
extremities of the chains are each provided with a hook or S closed over the chain
and open at the other end.
This apparatus is fixed like the single collar-chain-attachment, that is, the longer
length of chain B is in the first place passed horizontally round the mast E and
through the open eye or hook of the cramp A, and then round the cross-pole D;
the other chain B¹, which has remained hanging from the cramp is then passed
round the cross-pole as seen in the drawings, and lastly the two free extremities
of the chains B and B' are fastened together by hooking the open eye of the S
fixed at the end of one of these chains into one of the links of the other, taking
care to stretch the loops of the chains as much as possible. As in the first case it
is sufficient to press with the hand upon the cross-pole D and upon the lower part
of the chain surrounding this cross-pole in order to prevent the apparatus from
slipping. A solidity almost proof against anything is thus obtained, the tightening
of the chain B upon the mast E increasing automatically by the sliding of the
chain B in the hook of the cramp, and this to an extent proportional to the weight
or strain which this chain is called upon to support.
In the single or double apparatus, the cramp A of half-round iron may be
replaced by a simple S; one can even if deemed preferable, as above mentioned,
replace this cramp in the double apparatus by a closed ring into which the chain B
is made to pass, after it is placed horizontally round the mast E and before it is
passed round the cross-pole D as has just been said.
Lastly. Figs 7 and 8 represent another variation of this system of attachment of
the cross-pole to the mast of a scaffold based on the same principle, that is to say
with automatic tightening, and consists in the employment of a collar composed
either entirely of iron or metal, solid or mixed, that is to say, formed partly of
wrought iron and partly of chains or wires in the form of a wire rope or not, these
parts being united and assembled in any suitable way by means of rivets, bolts,
elbows et cetera.
In the specimen represented in the drawing, the apparatus is composed essentially
of two open buckles or shackles a and b jointed one upon the other and of special
form represented in detail in Fig 7. The upper shackle is further provided with a
pin c which permits of enclosing the lower part; this pin is turned up at the end
to prevent it coming out of position when it has been fixed.
As seen in Fig 8. the pin c being removed, the piece is fixed upon the mast E at
the required height, then the cross-pole D is introduced into the shackle b which
is for this purpose twisted and turned on one side as shown in the drawing and
finally the pin c is put in place; it suffices then to give a slight blow with the
hand upon the cross-pole when put in place in order to fix the apparatus in an
unvarying manner upon the mast E by reason of the support given by the closed
portion of the shackle a and by the pin c. Finally to prevent the apparatus sliding
along the mast E under the action of an accidental vertical shock acting upon the
upper closed portion of the shackle a, there is attached to this shackle at this place

page_text: a sort of jointed catch with a claw d which it suffices to drive into the mast Ę in
order to render any accident impossible. This catch d which can be very easily
clamped and taken down, does not at all retard the erection and removal of the
collar of attachment and gives every security in the employment of the apparatus.
As stated above, this kind of collar-attachment can be erected in many different
ways, in particular, the lower shackle b can be formed by means of a chain or wire
rope, fastened in any manner to the two lower branches of the shackle a; the pin c
may also be replaced by a bolt provided with a screw-nut which prevents it from
being displaced by a sudden shock.
Finally, whichever of the above described arrangements of the collar-chain-
attachment for scaffolding, may be taken, it is to be understood that the right is
reserved of varying its forms and arrangements, as well as the nature of the materials
employed in its erection.
Having now described this invention as communicated to me, what I claim
under the Letters Patent is generally the above described system of collar-chain-
attachment, for scaffolding with automatic tightening single or double, designed to
bind together in a solid manner the horizontal or cross poles of a scaffold with the
vertical poles or masts, this system being essentially characterized by this fact, that
by reason of the arrangement adopted for the erection and mode of application of
this metallic collar, its tightening upon the mast is the more energetic the greater
the weight which it supports, and in particular the various modes of realization
above described and represented in the accompanying drawings: that is to say:
1st. The arrangement of simple collar formed of a closed or loop chain provided at
one of its points with a hook of special form, as well as the mode of fixing it on
the mast and cross-pole, so as to render its tightening automatic and to ensure the
solidity of the whole, substantially as described.
2nd. The arrangement of double collar formed of two lengths of chain provided at
their point of junction with a special hook or ring and terminated at their
extremities by a hook or S, as well as the mode of fixing it upon the mast and
cross-plate, so as to render its tightening automatic and to prevent all oscillation of
these two parts of the scaffold, in view of ensuring a perfect connection, substantially
as described.
3rd. The arrangement of collar formed of two jointed buckles or shackles, composed
either entirely of wrought metal, or of mixed metal, (that is, formed partly of
wrought metal, and partly of chain or wire in the form of a rope or not) and the
arrangement of this collar and its mode of adaptation upon the mast by means of
a simple pin ensuring automatically the solidity of the mast and cross-pole taken
as a whole, as above described.
In witness whereof I the said William Phillips Thompson have hereunto set my
hand and seal this eleventh day of December in the year of our Lord, one thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
WM D THOMPSON Go)