Patent Description:
A scaffolding of the type described in the preamble is applied on large scale during work at height on buildings and installations. Normally erected here along a contour of the structure is a scaffolding of usually tubular uprights and ledgers extending therebetween, these together defining a system of scaffold sections lying adjacently of each other and above each other. The ledgers here moreover provide, in addition to a structural cohesion, a basis for placing floor parts whereby the scaffold sections are accessible to and can be walked on by workers. An additional ledger is often arranged on an exposed side halfway along a scaffold section and serves here as rail and fall protection. The scaffolding is usually anchored mechanically to the structure and provides from that moment a safe working environment from which maintenance and building operations can be carried out.

For sufficient strength and load-bearing capacity, intermediate elements are often arranged diagonally between adjacent scaffold elements, and thereby form a diagonal. This provides additional cohesion, and thereby rigidity, to the scaffolding. They are usually elongate tube bodies which are coupled to the relevant scaffold segment on either side by means of a tube coupling. These couplings are here often situated at different heights, whereby a scaffolder must sometimes kneel down on a first side, while a connection must be made at standing height or above on an opposite side. This causes considerable physical strain and moreover impedes a smooth scaffolding construction.

<CIT> discloses a scaffolding with an intermediate element.

The present invention has for its object, among others, to provide a scaffolding with an intermediate element which can be placed therein in efficient manner.

In order to achieve the intended object a scaffolding according to claim <NUM> is provided.

The scaffolding according to the invention more particularly has the feature here that by a rotation of the intermediate element about an axis thereof the hook members are adjustable between a position in which they engage round the first scaffold element and a position in which they release the first scaffold element. In this latter position the intermediate element can be disengaged from the first scaffold element in simple manner, while it is coupled thereto in the first stated position.

Said axis coincides here at least substantially with the perpendicular line along which the intermediate element connects the two scaffold elements mutually connected thereby. For a coupling of the intermediate element at this distal outer end to the first scaffold element it thus suffices for the scaffold element to be brought between the two hook members, after which a connection to the scaffold element can be brought about by a simple rotation of the intermediate element about its longitudinal axis. Coupling and disengaging of the intermediate element can thus be performed wholly on site. A scaffolder is able to perform these manipulations at a distance from the first scaffold element and need not kneel down for this purpose, nor reach or move to a different position. The same applies when the scaffolding is dismantled afterwards, wherein the two manipulations are performed in reverse order.

In a particular embodiment the scaffolding according to the invention is characterized in that the first scaffold element is tubular and the hook members are at least substantially identical in form and each have a substantially U-shaped jaw. The scaffolding is thereby in line with common scaffold elements which are generally constructed from tubular scaffold elements. The hook members here particularly have a U-shaped jaw with a curve which is concentric to the first scaffold element. A preferred embodiment of the scaffolding according to the invention is more particularly characterized here in that the hook members lie round the first scaffold element in at least substantially form-fitting manner. Such a placement of the intermediate element on the first scaffold element minimizes a mutual clearance, which enhances the rigidity and strength of the scaffolding.

According to the invention the intermediate element comprises a duct-like body and is particularly tubular. Such a construction is in line with common scaffold elements in a scaffolding. According to the invention the hook members are mounted on opposite flanks of the intermediate element, and that the hook members are substantially plate-like, at least were separated from a plate. The hook members thus comprise a set of side pieces which are connected to the duct-like body by means of common connecting techniques, such as welding or screwing, in order to receive therebetween the scaffold element to be connected.

Although the connection between the intermediate element and the first scaffold element per se prevents an unintended separation between the two, a simple rotation through a quarter turn suffices to break the connection. In order to prevent this, a further preferred embodiment of the scaffold element has the feature according to the invention that the intermediate element comprises at an opposite, second distal outer end a scaffold coupling and, with interposing thereof, is coupled non-rotatably to a second scaffold element. The scaffold coupling thus prevents a rotation of the intermediate element, whereby the connection at the opposite outer end would otherwise be broken.

A particular embodiment of the scaffolding according to the invention has the feature here that the scaffold coupling comprises a set of at least substantially parallel hook members which extend from the second outer end of the intermediate element and each engage with an at least substantially cup-like jaw round the second scaffold element connected thereto, wherein the hook members have at least substantially the same orientation so that the jaws engage round the second scaffold element from the same side, wherein a latch is provided which locks the second scaffold element non-rotatably from an opposite side. The hook members can here be similar or even identical to the hook members which are applied at the first outer end, albeit that the two hook members are here connected to the intermediate element in the same orientation. The latch locks the second scaffold element in the coupling and thus prevents breaking of the scaffold coupling and furthermore a rotation of the intermediate element about its axis, so that the opposite coupling to the first scaffold element is also locked thereby.

In a further embodiment the scaffolding according to the invention is characterized here in that the second scaffold element is tubular and the scaffold coupling comprises a tube clamp which engages clampingly round the second scaffold element. The tube clamp provides for a tightly clamped connection to the second scaffold element and furthermore prevents a rotation of the intermediate element about its axis, so that the opposite coupling to the first scaffold element is also locked.

The invention will be further elucidated hereinbelow with reference to an exemplary embodiment and an accompanying drawing. In the drawing:.

It is otherwise noted here that the figures are purely schematic and not always drawn to (the same) scale. Some dimensions in particular may be exaggerated to greater or lesser extent for the sake of clarity. Corresponding parts are designated in the figures with the same reference numeral.

<FIG> shows a common system of mutually connected uprights <NUM> and horizontal ledgers <NUM> from which a scaffolding can be constructed. In this example the horizontal ledgers <NUM> are coupled to uprights <NUM> by means of system couplings <NUM>, for which purpose the uprights are provided at regular distances with such couplings and the ledgers are provided at their outer ends with matching coupling members. This example relates to a so-called cuplock system, although the invention can likewise be applied in other types of system scaffolds and also in non-system scaffolds, wherein a mutual connection between uprights and ledgers is brought about only or mainly by means of tube couplings. From a viewpoint of strength and durability, use is usually made here of thick-walled hollow scaffold elements of steel or aluminium; so-called scaffolding tubes or scaffolding pipes.

In practice the scaffolding can comprise both in height direction and laterally a plurality of the construction shown in <FIG> and thereby completely cover an outer wall portion to be worked on. The (lowermost) uprights <NUM> have at their base a rotatable foot <NUM> whereby uprights <NUM> can be adjusted if necessary, so that the whole is securely positioned. Besides providing structural cohesion, ledgers <NUM> also serve as a basis for scaffold floor parts from which a scaffold floor is constructed per level.

Intermediate elements <NUM>, which form a diagonal in the scaffolding in and/or outside a scaffold section, are arranged for the purpose of additional load-bearing capacity and rigidity. In this case such an intermediate element <NUM> is arranged between a first ledger <NUM> and a second ledger <NUM>, each at a different level, but such intermediate elements can also be applied between ledgers at the same level and between uprights, optionally in the same row. The intermediate element comprises an elongate duct-like body, in this case with a rectangular and even square cross-section, for which use is in practice also made of aluminium or steel. Instead of this, it is also possible to opt for a tube body with a round cross-section, and a solid body can also be applied, although with a view to weight and bending stiffness use is preferably made of a hollow duct-like body.

At a first distal outer end two hook members <NUM>, <NUM> extend from intermediate element <NUM>, see also <FIG>. The two hook members comprise a U-shaped jaw <NUM> whereby the hook members engage round a first ledger <NUM>, see also <FIG>. The two hook members are substantially plate-like and were therefore separated from a steel or aluminium plate, typically with a material thickness of between <NUM> and <NUM> millimetres. At their base the two hook members <NUM>, <NUM> are connected by means of screwing or welding to the distal outer end of the intermediate element <NUM>. The flanks of the rectangular tube which is used for intermediate element <NUM> in this example provide an ideal mounting base for hook members <NUM>, <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the two hook members have here an opposite orientation so that the two hook members <NUM>, <NUM> will engage from opposite sides round the first ledger <NUM> to be connected thereto. Hook members <NUM>, <NUM> maintain a mutual distance w which roughly corresponds to a diameter of ledger <NUM> or is (slightly) greater.

The intermediate element has on an opposite, second distal outer end a similar set of hook members <NUM>, <NUM>, see <FIG>. Other than the first set of hook members <NUM>, <NUM>, this set has the same orientation, and both hook members fall with their U-shaped jaw <NUM> from a common side over second ledger <NUM>. A latch <NUM> locks the second scaffold element <NUM> on an opposite side. Latch <NUM> is here wedge-shaped and is arranged via a wedge mortise <NUM>, see <FIG>, with clamping fit between on one side the outer end of intermediate element <NUM> and on the other the second scaffold element <NUM>, so that a non-rotatable, play-free locking and connection is obtained.

<FIG> show schematically successive stages of the fastening of the intermediate element <NUM> to the two ledgers <NUM>, <NUM>. Intermediate element <NUM> is firstly placed with the first distal outer end, which is provided with the two hook members <NUM>, <NUM> with opposite orientation, at first ledger <NUM>, see <FIG>. Intermediate element <NUM> is placed with both hook members <NUM>, <NUM> over ledger <NUM>, wherein ledger <NUM> is received between the two hook members, see <FIG>. Hook members <NUM>, <NUM> now lie with their jaw parallel to an axis of ledger <NUM> and are not yet connected. The distance w here allows ledger <NUM> to be received between the two hook members <NUM>, <NUM>.

In order to bring about a connection the intermediate element <NUM> is rotated about its longitudinal axis through a quarter turn, see <FIG>, so that hook members <NUM>, <NUM> are now positioned with their respective jaws transversely of the axis of ledger <NUM>. The hook members however engage round ledger <NUM> from opposite sides so that a connection is now brought about. This was realizable entirely from a distance; it was not necessary for the scaffolder to kneel or reach toward first ledger <NUM> for this purpose.

At an opposite outer end the intermediate element is placed with the hooks <NUM>, <NUM> provided there over the second ledger, see <FIG>, and latch <NUM> is knocked into place. Intermediate element <NUM> now lies immovably between the two ledgers <NUM>, <NUM>, and provides thereby additional load-bearing capacity and structural cohesion in the scaffolding. It is only at the position of the second scaffold element <NUM> that the scaffolder had to be present in order to knock latch <NUM> into place there. The invention thereby provides a particularly practical intermediate element <NUM> which can be advantageously applied in scaffolding of diverse nature and size.

Although the invention has been further elucidated above with reference to only a single exemplary embodiment, it will be apparent that the invention is by no means limited thereto. On the contrary, many variations and embodiments are still possible within the scope of the claims for a person with ordinary skill in the art.

Claim 1:
Scaffolding, comprising a system of scaffold elements, comprising uprights (<NUM>) and ledgers (<NUM>-<NUM>) which extend therebetween and are coupled to the uprights (<NUM>), and comprising at least one intermediate element (<NUM>) which mutually connects a first scaffold element (<NUM>) and a second scaffold element (<NUM>) at least substantially along a mutual perpendicular line, wherein the intermediate element (<NUM>) comprises an elongate body from which extends at a distal outer end a set of at least substantially parallel hook members (<NUM>,<NUM>), each having an at least substantially cup-like jaw which engages round the first scaffold element (<NUM>) connected thereto, and wherein the hook members (<NUM>,<NUM>) have an opposite orientation so that the jaws engage round the first scaffold element (<NUM>) from opposite sides and here maintain a mutual distance which is greater than a distance between the opposite sides of the first scaffold element (<NUM>), wherein the hook members (<NUM>,<NUM>) are substantially plate-like, and wherein the intermediate element (<NUM>) comprises a duct-like body,
characterized in that
said substantially plate-like hook members (<NUM>, <NUM>) were at least separated from a plate,
and in that the hook members (<NUM>, <NUM>) are mounted on opposite flanks of the intermediate element (<NUM>).