Improvements in or connected with Adjustable, Extensible, Portable,' and Self-supporting Scaffolding and Ladders.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 24th May, 1805
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Adjustable, Extensible, Portable,'
and Self-supporting Scaffolding and Ladders.
I, THOMAS HENRY WIMBUSH of 305 Kings Road, Chelsea, in the County of
London, Builder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what.
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to certain improvements in that class of portable and
self-supporting scaffolds in which are employed ladders connected by various
devices as bereafter described.
The object of my invention is the better arrangement, and improvement of a
number of fittings and devices employed in connecting, bracing, and supporting the
ladders, as adjustable castors for supporting the scaffold, hooked shaped brackets,
and closing slides used on the ends of braces or cross bars for connecting the
ladders, sockets secured to a suitable base adapted to receive the ends of the ladder
rails, and other attachments, all the fixings being readily applied or disconnected,
when it is desired to convert them from one to another of the various forms of
construction, for which they are suitably adapted.
My invention will be readily understood by describing same with reference to
the accompanying drawings, the similar letters thereon referring to corresponding
parts in the various figures.
Figures 1 and 2 are detail views of detachable castors, in end and side sectional
elevations respectively,
Figs. 3 and 4 show in sectional side and end views respectively the hook shaped
brackets with closing slides.
Figs. 5 to 9 are constructional views of parts for composing a stayed and
expansible horizontal structure,
Figs. 10 and 11 are respectively side elevation and sectional plan views of the
metal bound ends of the ladder sections.
Fig. 12 is a side sectional elevation shewing two ladder sections, and certain
fittings or appliances attached,
Fig. 13 is a perspective view, showing an arrangement or combination of several
of the parts hereafter described.
Fig. 14 is a perspective view showing arrangement of sliding extensible ladders,
and a socket carrying base, into which scaffold ladders may be fitted.
Fig. 15 is a detail side view of a part of an extensible ladder, and Fig. 16 is a
view showing another application of the extensible ladder.
The sides of the lower sections A of the ladders are, as shown by Figs. 1 and 2:
fitted into sockets A, being grooved at the lower part thereof to receive a dove-
tailed plate A³, carrying a pivotted fork A³, with the castor wheel A*; the plate A²
is secured in position by the pin or pins A³, upon the removal of which the
plate A with its attached wheel may be slidden away, and the ladder will be stood
upon the metal end A' thereof. The various cross rails, bars, or braces, hereafter
mentioned, as adapted to take onto the rungs of the ladders, are provided with
similar hook-brackets and closing slides hereafter marked B, the construction of
which is shown at Figs. 3 and 4, B being the hook, B' a bracket frame in a piece
with the hook and securely fitting onto the wooden rod or beam; the bracket-
frame B¹ below the hook is formed with return edges, to receive a closing slide B',.
adapted to close the hook after having taken onto a rung of the ladder, B³ is a

page_text: tension spring to retain the slide in position. The upper ends of the base ladders,
and both ends of other sections are formed with a fork C as shown at Figs. 10
and 11 strengthened by a metal plate or ferrule C¹ (Fig. 11), the fork C being
adapted to take onto the projecting ends of a rung or onto the rung itself, and s
removable pin C2, may be provided for further security.
At Fig. 12 a base section of ladder D and an intermediate section E are shown,
combined in trestle form united at top by a movable metal rung DI. An extension
bracket is shown applied at Fig. 12, composed of a platform F provided with hook
brackets B to take onto the ladder rungs, and struts F¹ pivotted laterally, and also
provided with hook-brackets B taking onto the rungs to support the outer end of
platform F, or in some cases the same struts F¹ may be turned up, and take onto
rungs above the platform, if so desired. G represents a foot step held to the
ladder rung by hook parts B*, and supported against the sides of the ladder by
extending ends from the footstep G. H is a cross brace for uniting the lower
ends of the ladders, to which it is secured by hook brackets B, the brace being
adjustable lengthways, by being formed in two parts connected to slide in clips H
and held fixed by a removable pin H2; such fittings as the extension bracket F,
and the foot step G, being convenient for carpenters, painters, and builders
work.
Fig. 13 shows one form of a ladder scaffolding fitted up. The lower ladders A A
are mounted on removable castors A' as previously described; the ladders A are
connected together by an expansible rail, composed of two parts J J' connected to
slide upon one another by clips J³, and fixed in position by a pin, passing through
holes in both parts. J are diagonal tie rods, pivotted to the clips J, all the
parts J J J, having hook brackets B, to take onto the ladder rungs, and by the
extensible construction of part J J₁ the ladders A A can be spaced from one
another at any desired distance. Two such constructions as J J J³ may be
arranged parallel to each other and support a deck. To increase the height, an
upper section ladder as E, is applied, so that the fork C takes over the projecting
ends of a rung of the ladder A, while the forked ends C of the latter take onto a
rung of the ladder E; both may be further secured together by a pin E. The
opposite ladder E is similarly fitted, except in this case, instead of the projecting
ends of the rung, I have provided metal sockets E², to receive the ends of section
ladder E; the metal sockets E2 are adapted to receive the down turned end of a
rod K, the outer end of which is adjustably secured, by a thumb screw within a
telescoping tube K', the outer down turned end of which is secured to the building
or other suitable support near which the scaffold is erected.
An upper horizontal deck carrier is shown at Fig. 13, composed of two extensible
horizontal members L L, Fig. 13, each fitted with angular struts L' L'; each
member L L is formed of three parts, connected by brackets L2 L3 as shown by
the detail plan view Fig. 9, enlarged detail views of the bracket, being shown at
Fig. 5 in vertical sectional elevation,-Fig. 6 a cross section showing bracket L³,
Fig. 7 a cross section showing bracket L³, and Fig. 8 a plan view of these
brackets. L' L' L, Fig. 9, are the three parts composing one horizontal member,
the opposite parts L', being connected by rungs as shown, while the parts L' Lo
are connected by the bar L. L', Fig. 13, is a vertical extensible bar, employed
when required to form a strut between the crossbar L, and the rail J J. All the
parts LL' are fitted with my improved hook brackets B to take onto the rungs of
the ladders, and the said ladders A E &c. may be distanced from one another as
required, the rail J J' and the upper members L L, being extensible as
described.
Ladder scaffolds may be mounted upon such a base as is shown at Fig. 14,
composed of a beam M, mounted on castors, which may be made removable, as at
Figs. 1 and 2, sockets M¹ secured to the beam and provided with fixed forked
standards M. Such a base is adapted to support two ladders side by side if
required, and the same may be further secured by a pin M³ passing through the
ladders and standards M².

page_text: Fig. 14 further illustrates ladders, fitted to be extensible in length, the second
section N being fitted to slide upon the first section N³, connected thereto by side
clips N2, and held in any relative position by passing pins N³ through holes in the
clips N2, and the ladder sides; or hooks such as N', may be pivotted to one ladder
and take over the rungs of the next ladder. The upper ladder N is held to the
section N by a strap No, and supported by the hooks N; in some cases or in
combination, I may provide the lower ends of the ladders with stirrup pieces N
(see also side view Fig. 15) to take onto the rungs of the next lower ladder.
Fig. 16 is a diagram view showing such an extensible ladder arranged in trestle
form.
By such ladders, parts, and connections as described, scaffolding and the like,
which is extensible, expandable, and readily removable from place to place, may be
conveniently erected and adapted to suit all building, repairing, or other purposes,
whether for outdoor or indoor work. Further by my invention I obtain a
scaffold and ladder combined, while any part can be used separately or alone.
The apparatus may be used as ladders or scaffold, or as a truss or step ladder, or
trestle, also as extensible ladders capable of adjustment, every six to twelve
inches. All the various parts are made interchangeable so that when brought
together they will fit, whereby any size scaffold, or trestle, or long ladder, can be
obtained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In adjustable and portable ladder scaffolding, the construction and arrange-
ment of fittings and connections, such as the removable castors Figs. 1 and 2, the
hook brackets Figs. 3 and 4, the sliding connections for the platforms, and
horizontal connections Figs. 5 to 9, and the strengthened forked ladder ends
Figs. 10 and 11, all substantially as and for the purposes herein before described.
2. In adjustable and portable ladder scaffolding, the construction, arrangement
and fittings, substantially as described and illustrated with reference to Figure 12
of the accompanying drawings.
3. In adjustable and portable ladder scaffolding, the construction and arrange-
ment of the parts and fittings, substantially as described and illustrated with
reference to Fig. 13 of the accompanying drawings.
4. The adjustable and portable ladder scaffolding, the carrying base composed of
the beam M, sockets, standards, and other parts, adapted to receive and hold such
ladder scaffolding, substantially as described with reference to Fig. 14 of the
accompanying drawings.
5. The extensible ladder construction, in combination with the fittings,
substantially as described and illustrated with reference to Figs. 14, 15 and 16 of
the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 28th day of March 1895.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for Applicant.