Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to improvements in scaffolding
and particularly scaffolding for use in working at elevated
positions on the wall of a building such as, for example, while
installing siding and/or painting the side of the house or
soffit and/or repairing the latter.
The invention is particularly concerned with the support-
ing structure for scaffolding and scaffolding incorporating
such supporting structure.
Scaffolding of the general type to which the present
invention relates is disclosed in Canadian Patent 434,677
issued May 14th, 1948. The scaffolding disclosed in such
patent includes a pair of vertical posts that lean against the
building, the lower end resting on the ground and adjacent
the other end ~earing against the fascia of the building.
Lateral stability of the scaffolding depends upon frictional
engagement of the posts with the fascia and this can be in-
creased by increasing the slope of the posts. Sloping posts,
however, are undesirable as they do not maintain the worker
at the same distance from the building for the different vertical
positions at which he may be working. To overcome this, one
could place the posts more vertically but this is unsafe because
of loss of stability. Also, with the posts sloping one
may become careless in using the scaffolding because
familiarity gained at one elevation, with respect to the
working distance fror~l the wall, does not apply at a higher
or lower elevation.
Another scaffolding structure known (Canadian Patent
741,706 issued August 30th, 1966) wherein the base structure
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~or the vertical posts have bases that extend longitudinally
parallel to the wall of the building for increasing lateral
stability of the structure.
An object of the present invention is to provide a
support structure for posts of the scaffolding type illustrated
in Canadian Patent 434,677 and arranged so as to provide
lateral support for the scaffolding and at the same time
ensure there is firm pressural contact with the fascia of the
building while having the posts parallel to the wall on which
the worker is working.
Accordingly there is provided in accordance with the
present invention a support for use in a scaffold structure
comprising
(a) a post;
(b) a bracket slidably mounted on said post and having
a strut projecting therefrom for use in supporting a platform;
(c) means to lock said bracket on said post at various
selected positions longitudinally along the post; and
(d) a support for said post comprising an open ended
box section into which the post projects and is securely
fastened thereto, a pair of legs offset from one another in
a first plane and which plane is offset from said post and rigid
structural members securely connected at one end to said box
section and at the other end to said legs.
The invention is illustrated by way of example in the
accompanying drawings wherein:
Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a scaffolding
provided in accordance with the present invention;
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Figure 2 is a right-hand elevational view of Figure l;
Figure 3 is a top view of one support taken alonq
essentially line 3-3 of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is an oblique view`of one scaffolding post
support incorporating a minor modification; and
Figures 5 and 6 are similar to Figure 1 illustrating
further minor modifications.
Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated a
pair of spaced apart vertical posts 10 and 11 parallel to one
another and parallel to the wall 12 of a building on which
workers are placing siding. Each post 10 and 11 bears against
the fascia 13 of the building. Slidably mounted on each post
is a bracket 14 which may be retained at any elevated position
by suitable means as, for example, by one or more pins 15
passing through apertures in the bracket and aligned with an
aperture in the post. A strut 16 on the bracket 14 projects
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forwardly from the post towards the building and on which one
or more planks 17 are placed providing a platform for the
workers adjacent the wall on which they are working.
Each post 10 and 11 is supported at the lower end by
a support structure identified generally by the reference 20.
The support structure 20 has a pair of vertical legs 21 and 22
offset from one another in a direction parallel to the building
and offset from the vertical post in a direction away from the
wall of the building. Posts 21 and 22, for example, may be
pipes, one or both of which may optionally have telescopically
mounted in the lower end thereof a pipe or rod member 23.
Member 23 preferably has a foot pad 24 on the lower end to
minimize or prevent sinking when used on soft ground. Members
23 can be locked at the various vertical positions in any
convenient manner (relative to the leg associated therewith)
by, for example, a pin 25 passing through aligned apertures in
the leg and member 23.
The vertical legs 21 and 22 are connected to an open
ended box section 26 by an upper pair of members 27 and a
further box section 28 by a lower pair of members 29. Box
sections 26 and 28, of course, may be a single member (see
Figure 4). Members 27 and 29 are preferably angle irons disposed
horizontally, when the post it is supporting is vertical, with
horizontal flanges on the top side. In place of box sections
26 and 28 the upper and lower pair of members 27 and 29 may be
securely attached directly to the post. One advantage of
utilizing a box section is that the post can be slidably mounted
therein and retained at any vertical position by pin connections
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or bolts. The posts thus can be lowered to a position where the
bottom end is near the ground (see post projecting portion 30
in Figure 1~. This is a safety feature in the off-chance
there may be partial failure of the support 20.
In having the upper surfaces of the pairs of members 27
disposed horizQntally the supports can be used as work benches
bythe workers or as a place to store their materials being
used. Also, one or more planks can extend across from one
support to the other providing a work bench. Similarly, one or
more planks may be placed on the lower pair of supports 29
providing a shelf for the workman's tools. To further rigidify
the post support structure, legs 21 and 22 can be interconnected
by respective upper and lower rigid members 30 and 31.
While the post support illustrated and described is
made of metal, other suitable structural materials, for
example wood, may be used in place thereof. Also, the box
sections 26 and 28 may be replaced by U-shaped or channel
sections in which case bolts or other suitable clamping means
would be used to securely anchor the post to the channel member.
As a further modification, the bracket 14 could be jackably
mounted (i.e. ratchet and pawl) on the post permitting the
workers to raise and lower the platform while standing on the
same.
The vertical posts normally would be in engagement
with the fascia as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. However,
in some instances the roof overhang may result in having the
verticalposts too far from the wall for the workers. To over-
comethis difficulty there is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6
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adjustable brackets secured to the vertical posts and engagable
with the vertical wall of the building. Referring to Figure 5,
there is illustrated a telescopic bracket 50 located adjacent
-the upper end of the vertical post. The telescopic bracket
has a first portion 51 secured to the post and a second portion
52 adjustably mounted in the bracket 51 and with a foot-pad
53 for engaging the wall of the building. The member 52 is
screw-threaded into member 51 but it may be made adjustable
in any other convenient means such as, for example, a pin
insertable through aligned apertures in the members 51 and 52.
As illustrated in Figure 6 the adjustable bracket 50 provides
the combined function of engaging the wall of the building
and providing a bracket for supporting the workers' platform
in place of struts 16 illustrated and described with reference
to Figure 1.
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