STACKABLE SCAFFOLDING FRAMES

Abstract

A scaffolding frame comprises a pair of spaced apart elongated vertical members having respective top and bottom ends thereof and at least one elongated horizontal member mounted at each longitudinal end thereof to a respective one of the vertical members. Each vertical member defines a respective opposite lateral side of the frame. The horizontal member comprises a depressed portion near each longitudinal end thereof. When a first such frame is stacked onto a second such frame, one depressed portion and one vertical member of the first frame respectively engage one vertical member and one depressed portion of the second frame.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application requests priority on U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/064,649 filed on Mar. 18, 2008 which is incorporated herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to scaffolding frames. More particularly but not exclusively the present invention relates to stackable scaffolding frames.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A scaffold is a temporary erection of timber or steel, used in the construction, alteration, or demolition of a building, to support or to allow for the hoisting and lowering of workers, their tools and materials. Scaffolds are built by pre-constructed scaffolding frames. These frames include interconnected horizontal and vertical frame members. Usually, the horizontal frame members are evenly spaced to provide rungs for workers to climb. The vertical frame members are generally cylindrical in shape.

The key elements of a scaffold are standards, ledgers and cross braces. The standards, or uprights, are the vertical tubes that transfer the entire mass of the structure to the ground where they rest on a square base plate to spread the load. The base plate has a shank in its centre to hold the tube and is sometimes pinned to a sole board. Ledgers are horizontal tubes which connect between the standards. Cross braces are attached to adjacent frames and boards rest on top of the horizontal tubes. Guardrails and toolbars can also be mounted to the scaffolding.

Transportation of scaffolding frames is a costly and inconvenient operation, since scaffolding frames usually take up a lot of space.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a stackable scaffolding frame.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method of making a scaffolding frame.

An object of the present invention is to provide a scaffold assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a scaffolding frame comprising:

a pair of spaced apart elongated vertical members having respective top and bottom ends thereof; and

at least one elongated horizontal member mounted at each longitudinal end thereof to a respective one of the vertical members whereby each vertical member defines a respective opposite lateral side of the frame, the horizontal member comprising a depressed portion near each longitudinal end thereof,

wherein when a first such frame is stacked onto a second such frame, one depressed portion and one vertical member of the first frame respectively engage one vertical member and one depressed portion of the second frame.

In an embodiment, each depressed portion is adjacent a respective vertical member thereby defining therewith a nesting portion at each lateral side of the frame.

In an embodiment, one nesting portion at one lateral side of the first frame and one vertical member at another lateral side of the first frame respectively engage one vertical member at one lateral side of the second frame and one nesting portion at another lateral side of the second frame.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention there is provided a scaffold assembly comprising a plurality of such scaffolding frames.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of making such a scaffolding frame, the method comprising:

providing two elongated vertical members;

providing at least one elongated horizontal member;

flattening a portion of the elongated horizontal member near each longitudinal end thereof; and

mounting the horizontal member at each longitudinal end thereof to a respective vertical member.

Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non restrictive description of illustrative embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the appended drawings, where like reference numerals denote like elements throughout and in where:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a stacked scaffolding frames in accordance with a non-restrictive illustrative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of section 3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Generally stated, the present invention provides in accordance with an embodiment thereof a scaffolding frame comprising horizontal bars connected to lateral vertical posts at their opposite ends. Each horizontal bar includes depressed portions near their opposite ends.

With reference to the accompanying drawings, an illustrative embodiment will be described so as to exemplify the invention and by no means limit the scope thereof.

FIG. 1 shows a plurality of scaffolding frames 10 which are stacked together in order to form a stack 12.

Turning to FIG. 4, the frames 10 of the invention will be described in greater detail. Since two frames 10 are shown in FIG. 4, the references 10A and 10B will be used for convenience only so as to distinguish the elements of each frame 10. Nevertheless, the first and second frames, 10A and 10B, are similarly constructed and in essence refer to frame 10, as such the additional insignia “A” or “B” can be removed from all the elements detailed hereinafter since they are only used for convenience.

Each frame 10A and 10B includes a respective first elongated lateral vertical member or post 14A and 14B, respectively, and a respective second elongated lateral vertical members or post 16A and 16B. A pair of first and second lateral posts 14A and 16A or 14B and 16B, respectively, are interconnected by a respective first elongated horizontal member or bar 18 and a respective second elongated horizontal member or bar and 20. It is noted here that the terms “first” and “second” are used herein for indicative purposes only. As such, a first bar 18A or 18B is positioned near the top end 22A or 22B of the vertical posts 14A and 16A or 14B and 16B. A second bar 20A or 20B is positioned near the bottom end 24A or 24B of the vertical posts 14A and 16A or 14B and 16B.

Of course, the skilled artisan will readily appreciate that a lesser or greater number of horizontal bars can be provided. The skilled artisan will also appreciate that the posts 14 and 16 and the bars 18 and 20 of the frame 10 are generally tubular structures such as cylindrical hollow tubes that can be made of steel or aluminum or any other suitable material. It should be noted that the vertical posts 14 and 16 define the lateral sides of the frame 10, whereas the bars 18 and 20 define the top and bottom sides of the frame 10.

An auxiliary vertical member 26A or 26B is interconnected at its top and bottom end 25A and 27A or 25B and 27B between the first and second bars 18A and 20B or 18A and 18B. Auxiliary horizontal members 28A or 28B are interconnected at their lateral ends 29A or 29B between the auxiliary vertical member 26A or 26B and the first lateral vertical members 14A or 14B. In this example, the frame 10 includes three auxiliary horizontal members 28, of course a greater or lesser number can be contemplated.

In the stacks 12 shown in the figures, a first given frame 10, such as frame 10A in FIG. 4, is stacked onto a second given frame 10, such as frame 10B with the first and second frames 10A and 10B being in inverted with respect to each other (i.e. in opposite vertical directions). Specifically, the top end and bottom ends 22A and 24A of the posts 14A and 16A are respectively in the opposite direction of the top and bottom ends 22B and 24B of the posts 14B and 16B. Hence, a stack of frames 10 is assembled by placing a first frame 10A onto a second frame 10B in opposite directions as explained herein.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 and with keeping in mind that the horizontal bars 18 and 20 are similarly constructed, each bar 18 or 20 includes opposite first and second longitudinal ends 30 and 32 respectively mounted to the first and second posts 14 and 16 respectively. The cylindrical main body 34 (see FIG. 1) of each bar 18 and 20 includes a depressed portion 33 and 35 near each longitudinal end 30 and 32 respectively (see also FIG. 4). The depressed portions 33 and 35 of each horizontal member 18 and 20 is flattened, beveled, recessed, grooved, tapered or smaller relative to the rest of the cylindrical main body thereof 34.

With respect to FIG. 2, each depressed portion 33 and 35 is adjacent a respective vertical member 14 and 16 thereby defining therewith a nesting portion 37 and 39 respectively at each lateral side of the frame 10.

Turning back to FIG. 4, the auxiliary horizontal members 28A or 28B include depressed portions 40 and 42 near their respective lateral ends 29A or 29B.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, when stacking these frames 10 a first frame 10A is stacked on a second frame 10B, the depressed portions 33A of the horizontal bars (only bar 18A is shown here) of the first frame 10A engage the vertical post 14B of the second frame 10B. The vertical post 16A of the first frame 10A engages the depressed portions 35B of the horizontal bars (only bar 20B is shown here) of the second frame 10B. More specifically, the post 16A of the first frame 10A rests in the nesting portions 39 of the second frame 10B, whereas the post 14B of the second frame 10B rests in the in the nesting portions 37 of the first frame 10A. The following is alternately repeated throughout the stack 12 providing the staggered configuration shown in the Figures.

This staggered stacking of the frames 10 provides for taking up less space while providing a sufficient stability.

When constructing the frames of the invention portion near the longitudinal ends 30 and 32 are flattened to provide the depressed portions 33 and 35.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described hereinabove. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced in various ways. It is also to be understood that the phraseology or terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not limitation. Hence, although the present invention has been described hereinabove by way of embodiments thereof, it can be modified, without departing from the spirit, scope and nature of the subject invention.

Claims

1. A scaffolding frame comprising:

a pair of spaced apart elongated vertical members having respective top and bottom ends thereof; and

at least one elongated horizontal member mounted at each longitudinal end thereof to a respective one of said vertical members whereby each said vertical member defines a respective opposite lateral side of said frame, said horizontal member comprising a depressed portion near each said longitudinal end thereof,

wherein when a first said frame is stacked onto a second said frame, one said depressed portion and one said vertical member of said first frame respectively engage one said vertical member and one said depressed portion of said second frame.

2. A scaffolding frame according to claim 1, wherein each depressed portion is adjacent a respective said vertical member thereby defining therewith a nesting portion at each lateral side of said frame.

3. A scaffolding frame according to claim 2, wherein one said nesting portion at one lateral side of said first frame and one said vertical member at another lateral side of said first frame respectively engage one said vertical member at one lateral side of said second frame and one nesting portion at another lateral side of said second frame.

4. A scaffolding frame according to claim 1, further comprising another said horizontal member, said at least one horizontal member being mounted near said respective top ends of said vertical members and said another horizontal member being mounted near said respective bottom ends of said vertical members.

5. A scaffolding frame according to claim 4, further comprising an auxiliary vertical member mounted at a top end thereof to said at least one horizontal member and at a bottom end thereof to said another horizontal member.

6. A scaffolding frame according to claim 5, further comprising auxiliary horizontal members mounted at one lateral end to said auxiliary vertical member and at another lateral end thereof to one of said vertical members.

7. A scaffolding frame according to claim 6, wherein each said auxiliary horizontal member comprises an auxiliary depressed portion near each said lateral end thereof.

8. A scaffolding frame according to claim 1, wherein said vertical members comprise respective tubular configurations.

9. A scaffolding frame according to claim 1, wherein said horizontal member comprises a main longitudinal body having a tubular configuration.

10. A scaffolding frame according to claim 1, wherein said horizontal member comprises a main longitudinal body said depressed portions having a size that is smaller than said main longitudinal body.

11. A scaffolding frame according to claim 1, wherein said horizontal member comprises a main longitudinal body said depressed portions being flattened with respect to said main longitudinal body.

12. A scaffolding frame according to claim 1, wherein said horizontal member comprises a main longitudinal body said depressed portions being beveled with respect to said main longitudinal body.

13. A scaffolding frame according to claim 1, wherein said horizontal member comprises a main longitudinal body said depressed portions being tapered with respect to said main longitudinal body.

14. A scaffolding frame according to claim 1, wherein said horizontal member comprises a main longitudinal body said depressed portions being recessed with respect to said main longitudinal body.

15. A scaffolding frame according to claim 1, wherein said horizontal member comprises a main longitudinal body said depressed portions being grooved with respect to said main longitudinal body.

16. A scaffold assembly comprising a plurality of scaffolding frames according to claim 1.

17. A method of making the scaffolding frame of claim 1, said method comprising:

providing two elongated vertical members;

providing at least one elongated horizontal member;

flattening a portion of the elongated horizontal member near each longitudinal end thereof; and

mounting the horizontal member at each longitudinal end thereof to a respective vertical member.