Improvements in Plank-supporting Frames for Builders, Painters, and others.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 25th July, 1890-Accepted, 30th Aug., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Plank-supporting Frames for Builders, Painters,
and others.
I THOMAS SIXSMITH of 102 Duane Street, New York, U.S.A. House Painter do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is a novel construction or arrangement of frame on
which planks can be supported on edge, or on the flat at will, for the use of builders,
painters and others for inside or outside repairs, embellishments or other purpose.
The frame (or frames for more than one will be necessary in each case) is com-
posed of bent or built up side bars of gutter, tee, or other shape connected at top and
bottom by stays, or ties, which may be formed from the bars by bending and rivetting
for determining the distance between said bars.
The bars are shaped as guides for the adjustment and fixture at any height of a
grating kind of block arranged vertically between the rails, into which one or more
planks can be set on edge as a kind of staging on which other planks can be laid
flat for men to work on, or a plank can be laid flat upon the top of the adjustable
block for that purpose.
The bottom of each upright frame has two splayed out legs or feet and loosely
secured to centre of same two other legs or feet are swivelled for being set at right
angles, so that each frame is capable of standing alone on four feet but for stowage
purposes the swivelled legs can be swung into line with the fixed legs.
The block can be temporarilly fixed at any desired position in the frame by catches,
or by sliding or other bolts, either for nipping it to the frame, or passed into holes.
The upright frames are each slightly wider than an ordinary ladder and to enable
a workman to mount I fit lugs or projecting studs at intervals on either side for the
purpose.
Dated this 25th day of October 1889.
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London, Agent for the said T. Sixsmith.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Plank-supporting Frames for Builders, Painters,
and others.
I, THOMAS SIXSMITH, of 102 Duane Street, New York, U.S.A. House Painter, 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:-
The object of this invention is a novel construction or arangement of frame, on
which planks can be supported on edge, or on the flat at will for the use of builders,
painters, and others for inside or outside repairs, embellishments, or other purpose.
The invention is clearly shown in the annexed drawings.
Figure 1 is a perspective elevation of a frame composed of two upright or side
bars A, A, bent at top B to determine the distance the two uprights A, A, shall be
apart. C, C, are splayed out feet to the two side bars A, and D is a tie bar connected
to the two legs A, A, and serves as a means for affixing the swivel feet E, E, by the
pin F for turning out of the way and close to the legs A, A, when the frame is
stowed, or otherwise not in use. G is a grating kind of block adjustable on the
frame A and affixable at any height by the bolts H, H, and holes I, I.

page_text: The gratings or vertical slots J, J, may have planks or boards placed on edge in
them or planks or boards can be laid on the flat on the top of the grating block G
to suit the purpose or the object that a workman has in hand.
I have shown the grating block G with four slots J, J, but these may be in any
number.
The importance of having a number of slots J, J, is, it facilitates the placing of
transverse planks upon the edge of planks close to a wall while ceiling or cornice
work is under the process of cleaning, painting, gilding, or other treatment, without
the necessity of placing the frames A close to or against the wall. This will be under-
stood by reference to Figure 2 of the drawings, where a plank K is shown outside
the standard A and on the overhanging ends of the vertical or edge planks L next
to the wall M of a corniced ceiling room.
In Figure 2 and also in the views, Figures 3 and 4, the grating like block G has
claws or hent lugs N, N, partly encircling the bars A, A, of the frame, which in this
case is of T iron.
P, P, are projecting pins or bolts, screwed into, or otherwise arranged in, or to
the frame A to serve as treads for workinen to get up or down from the scaffolding
frame.
Any number of these frames can be employed on a building, a repairing, a painting,
a papering, or other job, and if desired, a series of frames and planks can be arranged
to support other fraines and planks, as will be understood by reference to Figure 5,
so that almost any height could be reached and various manipulations be carried on
at different levels at the same time, which in the case of highly embellished ceilings
and walls delicate artistic painting or "picking out" could progress at one part,
while the gilding is going on at another part and the varnishing, or upholstering at
another, and without any portion of the scaffolding apparatus bearing against, or
tonching the building.
As an example for employment of my apparatus for outside repairs to buildings.
Four or six of my standard frames at a distance apart on a path would give freedom
of passige for pedestrians and also for visitors, or for customers in the case of a
shop with goods exposed in window. Planks placed on said standard frame would
form a platform, upon which men could work, or upon which other standard frames
could be arranged and planks upon them would enable a scaffold to be erected to
any desired height without as is now the practice of cutting away the wall for support-
ing putlogs.
To give stability to standard frame scaffold when carried up high in stages, each
stage can be secured by lashing it to a cross bar placed across a window opening.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The standard frame A with holes I, or equivalents, also blocks such as G, bolts H
or equivalents as apparatus for supporting planks and constituting portable scaffolding
for builders, painters, and others, as set forth.
2. The pivotted legs E as part of standard frame A forming supports when
opened out in conjunction with standard feet C, C, as described.
3. As part of, or adjuncts to scaffold standard frames, adjustable grating like
blocks G for receiving, or supporting ordinary scaffold planks on edge, or on the flat,
as and for the purpose, or purposes set forth.
The 25th day of July 1890
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London, Agent for the said T. Sixsmith.