Wall jack

Abstract

A wall jack unit for erecting scaffolding is described having a series of brackets for placement at the top of a wall and connects with a wall surface-engaging pole and truss support structure with a combination user platform for supporting a wood plank between at least two of the units. Each part has adjustable features which utilize hole-engaging connections so that a series of units can be joined or formulated on a variety of building or wall structures. The unit is made of a durable steel which is resistant to weather ladened effects.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/230,715, filed Sep. 7, 2000.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates generally to scaffolding. More specifically, the invention is a wall jack used for numerous scaffolding purposes.

[0004] 2. Description of Related Art

[0005] Numerous scaffolding structures have been devised for improving workability in and around buildings and similar structures during construction thereof. One of the main problems with the deployment of scaffolding is the time and labor required to effectively erect the structure. In many instance, the deployment of a typical scaffolding network includes not only cost in labor, but cost in planning to produce a scaffolding system which is secure and reduces liabilities which may be related to mechanical failure. In this regard, the wall jack system herein described is simple to use and easy to deploy for erecting scaffolding for various construction purposes. The wall jack system unlike conventional scaffolding described hereinbelow does not require the use of mechanical fasteners for securing the structure to a wall or similar structure during construction thereof.

[0006] For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,295,995 issued to Lamb discloses a safety scaffold which mounts to a chimney. The scaffold includes a supporting cable having a plurality of spaced blocks secured thereto via a set of interconnected braces and wooden posts. A triangular shaped scaffolding structure is mechanically secured to the wall via bolt fasteners at top and bottom portions, wherein the hypotenuse portion of the structure extends away from the chimney wall and includes an arcuate support bar mounted therewith as an integral structure. The wooden posts are mechanically secured to braces via a plurality of mechanical bolt and screw fasteners for retaining or supporting wooden platforms.

[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 2,988,181 issued to Darrey discloses a scaffold comprising spaced upright tubular members with adjustable insertable tubular elements. Each upright support is secured to a wall via L-shaped brackets permanently secured thereto by welding. The L-shaped brackets are provided with threaded apertures to receive threaded hooks which can be readily looped about a building member. The upright tubular members are adjusted vertically via two rows of oppositely spaced apertures disposed along the length thereof and stabilized by pins. A horizontal beam or A-frame member having first and second tubular members is insertably attached between the upright tubular member attached to a building member and a second upright member vertically mounted in direct alignment therewith for supporting a support board at one end of the scaffold. With the pins remove, the A-frame is adjusted vertically while constrained along and between the upright tubular members.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 3,134,567 issued to Shoemaker discloses a scaffolding support having a single suspension from or hanger with a hook at its upper end and a series of adjustable openings along its length. Mounted for lengthwise adjustment on the hanger is a sleeve having a notch in its lower end for reception of a pin. Integral with the sleeve is carried an arm or shoe having notches, one of which is adapted for the reception of a pin connecting a pair of spaced plates connecting horizontal and vertical legs and joined at their outer ends by a leg of a triangular bracket or jack.

[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 3,595,510 issued to Hutchinson discloses an inverted L-shaped wall supported scaffold brace member comprising a first horizontal leg having inner and outer ends and projecting horizontally outwardly from a wall structure at its outer end. A second vertical leg of the brace member depends from the inner end of the first leg downwardly along the outer surface of the wall structure. The first leg defines a tubular receiver, square in cross-section and a tension arm which is also square in cross-section and is slidably received in the receiver in select angular positions. The tension arm includes, on its end projecting outwardly of the inner end of the horizontal leg, a lateral abutment portion for engagement with the inner surface wall structure adjacent an opening in the wall structure through which the tension arm extends. U.S. Patent No. 4,122,916 issued to Strobel discloses a similar scaffolding structure, except that an upright fixed adjacent to the support board is intersected by the top surface of the roof and secured therethrough via mechanical fasteners disposed within and through the shingles.

[0010] Other wall type scaffolding structures of conventional construction are described in patents issued to Lapp (U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,358), Yennie, Jr. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,727) Flynn (U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,549), Knauth (U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,631) and Jorrey (FR 7817715) and Rack (GB 2147345) Neither of these patents teach a combination wall and truss support wall jack as herein described. Thus, none of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The wall jack unit according to the present invention is used for scaffolding purposes having a series of brackets for placement at the top of a wall and connects with a wall surface-engaging pole and truss support structure with a combination user platform for supporting a wood plank between at least two of the units. Each part has adjustable features which utilize hole-engaging connections so that a series of units can be joined or formulated on a variety of building or wall structures. The unit is made of a durable steel which is resistant to weather ladened effects.

[0012] Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a wall jack for deploying scaffolding.

[0013] It is another object of the invention to provide a wall jack for deploying scaffolding having minimized mechanical parts.

[0014] It is a further object of the invention to provide a wall jack for deploying scaffolding without the need for mechanical fasteners.

[0015] Still another object of the invention is to provide wall jack for deploying scaffolding which is easy and simple to deploy without the need for extensive levelling.

[0016] It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.

[0017] These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a wall jack according to the present invention.

[0019] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the wall jack according to the invention.

[0020] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the wall jack according to a second embodiment.

[0021] Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0022] The present invention is directed to a wall jack for erecting scaffolding S structures on buildings W or the like with exposed truss structures. The preferred embodiments of the present invention are depicted in FIGS. 1-3, and are generally referenced by numerals 4 and 5, respectively.

[0023] As best seen in FIG. 1, a first and second wall jack unit 4a and 4b are shown having a series of support brackets or interconnecting elements 10, 12 and 14, respectively wherein at least one of the series of support brackets or elements is constructed for placement at a top wall portion 16 of a building structure W and connecting with a wall surface-engaging pole or beam 18 and at least one truss support structure 20. A platform such as a wood plank having a predetermined length or the like is disposed between at least two of the units 4a and 4b to provide user U access to a portion of the wall or building structure. Other implements can be used such as ladders L or the like to provide an access means to and from the scaffolding S without having to disassemble the erected scaffolding S.

[0024] As further shown therein, the wall jack units 4a and 4b include wherein at least one of the series of brackets 10, 12 and 14 include a first paired series of apertures 22a for insertable and releasable attachment with a set of male attachment fasteners 24, such that each bracket in the series has adjustable features which utilize at least one set of hole-engaging connections to form a single integrated wall jack unit. A second paired series of apertures 22b formed as an inverted pair of apertures 22a are disposed on the same element of the series to provide for vertical height adjustments.

[0025] As diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 2, the wall jack units 4a, 4b according to the first embodiment is shown in exploded view, further illustrating in detail the series of support brackets 10, 12 and 14. Support bracket 10 is a base support bracket having a upright portion 10a, an A-frame portion 10b and a stabilizer portion 10c. A set of male prongs 11 and 13 are disposed on a top portion of the upright portion 10a for attachment with a female portion or the set of apertures 22b to allow for predetermined height adjustments. The support bracket element 14 is a roof support element which is mounted and secured to a roof joist 20 or beam for virtually permanent scaffolding support. The roof support bracket element 14 comprises a first L-shaped beam support end 14a and a second beam support end 14b. The first beam support end further comprises a male prongs 15 and 17 for insertable attachment with the first set of apertures 22a thereby allow integral attachment of each element in the bracket series. A support plate 14c is also used as a reinforcement plate to reduce failure related to bending moments generated by a users U weight at and about male points of attachment 15 and 17.

[0026] As diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 3, the wall jack unit 5 is shown according to a second embodiment. The unit comprising a series of brackets 30 and 32. The support bracket 30 allows for attachment to any wall portion W of a building structure via tap cans or nails (not shown) secured thereto through a set of apertures 34 without the need for roof or truss support. The support bracket includes a top L-shaped portion 30a having the set of apertures 34 disposed therein and a contiguous bottom portion 30b having a second set of apertures 35 separated by a predetermined distance D for attachment with a set of male prongs or insertable fasteners 36 disposed on the bracket support element 32 having the predetermined separation distance D according to the separation distance D determined for the set of apertures 35 of the bracket support element 30. As with the first embodiment of the invention, the support bracket or base support element 32 includes an A-frame structure 32a for providing platform 26 and user U support thereon. As a complete assembly, the wall jack system according to the invention comprises at least one other wall jack unit to form a scaffolding structure S wherein the structure includes at least one platform means 26 for user U access therebetween. As with both embodiments 4 and 5, the stabilizers element lOc and 30c reduce rotations thereby providing a stable scaffolding support structure. Accordingly, the wall jack system is preferably made of a durable steel material which is impervious to weather ladened effects such as rust and corrosion, etc.

[0027] It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A wall jack for erecting scaffolding structures on building with exposed truss structures, comprising:

a wall jack unit, said unit having a series of brackets wherein at least one of said series of brackets is for placement at a top wall portion of a building structure and connecting with a wall surface-engaging pole and at least one truss support structure, a wood plank between at least two of the units.

2. The wall jack according to claim 1, wherein: at least one of said series of brackets include a first series of apertures for insertable and releasable attachment with a set of male attachment fasteners, such that each bracket in said series has adjustable features which utilize hole-engaging connections to form a single integrated wall jack unit.

3. The wall jack according to claim 1, wherein: said unit is made of a durable steel material.

4. The wall jack according to claim 3, wherein: said durable steel material unit is weather resistant.

5. The wall jack according to claim 1, wherein: said unit comprises at least one other wall jack unit to form a scaffolding structure wherein said structure includes at least one platform means for user access therebetween.

6. A wall jack for erecting scaffolding structures on buildings or walls with exposed truss structures, comprising, in combination with said walls:

a wall jack unit, said unit having a series of brackets wherein at least one of said series of brackets is for placement at a top wall portion of a building structure and connecting with a wall surface-engaging pole and at least one truss support structure, a wood plank between at least two of the units.

7. The wall jack according to claim 6, wherein: at least one of said series of brackets include a first series of apertures for insertable and releasable attachment with a set of male attachment fasteners, such that each bracket in said series has adjustable features which utilize hole-engaging connections to form a single integrated wall jack unit.

8. The wall jack according to claim 6, wherein: said unit is made of a durable steel material.

9. The wall jack according to claim 8, wherein: said durable steel material unit is weather resistant.

10. The wall jack according to claim 1, wherein: said unit comprises at least one other wall jack unit to form a scaffolding structure wherein said structure includes at least one platform means for user access therebetween.