LADDER APPARATUS ADAPTED FOR A SCAFFOLD
A ladder apparatus adapted for a scaffold is disclosed. The ladder apparatus includes a ladder, two top connection components disposed at a top of the ladder, two bottom connection components disposed at a bottom of the ladder, and two platform assemblies connecting the ladder. The ladder includes two lateral rails and a plurality of step shelves arranged between the rails. Each platform assembly has a platform, two fasteners connected respectively to opposite ends of an external side of the platform, two straddlers connected respectively to opposite ends of an internal side of the platform, and two retainers protruding respectively from two lateral sides of the platform. The ladder connects the internal sides of the two platform assemblies via the top and bottom connection components respectively. The platform assemblies stride over and are against two lateral stringers of the scaffold via the straddlers and join the scaffold via the fasteners. Hence, the top and bottom of the ladder apparatus are served as stages for operators standing on and doing construction jobs.
[Field of the Invention]
The present invention relates generally to construction, and is more specifically concerned with a ladder apparatus adapted for a scaffold, which top and bottom are served as stages for operators standing on and doing construction jobs.
[Background of the Invention]
Conventional ladder applied to a scaffold, disclosed in
Referring
Besides, somewhere to support the laborers or to serve as a stage for the laborers doing construction jobs is neither at the top nor at the bottom of the ladder 120, it causes inconvenience and danger to the laborers.
Thus, the conventional ladder 120 is not really practiced into suitability and results in the delay of construction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA primary object of the present invention is to provide a ladder apparatus adapted for a scaffold. The top and the bottom of the ladder apparatus are served as stages on which operators could stand and implement construction jobs.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a ladder apparatus adapted for a scaffold, which is light and short enough to be set upon the scaffold by only one person.
Additional object of the present invention is to provide a ladder apparatus adapted for a scaffold, which is easy to be installed into and removed from the scaffold.
According to primary aspect of the present invention, a ladder apparatus adapted for a scaffold including a ladder and two platform assemblies is disclosed. The ladder includes two lateral rails and a plurality of step shelves arranged at intervals between the rails. Two top connection components are disposed at a top of the ladder, two bottom connection components disposed at a bottom of the ladder. Each platform assembly has a platform, two fasteners connected respectively to opposite ends of an external side of the platform, two straddlers connected respectively to opposite ends of an internal side of the platform, and two retainers protruding respectively from two lateral sides of the platform. The ladder connects the internal side of one platform assembly via the bottom connection components and connects the internal side of the other platform assembly via the top connection components. The platform assemblies join the scaffold via the fasteners, and stride over and are against two lateral stringers of the scaffold via the straddlers.
In order to install the ladder, one platform assembly should be placed on a lower story of the scaffold first. The two straddlers at opposite ends of the platform stride over and are supported by two lateral stringers of the lower story, the two retainers are against the two stringers thereby, and the two fasteners join two leveling jacks that are disposed on two lateral uprights of the scaffold. The other platform assembly is installed on an upper story in the same manner and arranged behind the previous one. In addition, the bottom connection components connect the internal side of the lower platform assembly and the top connection components connect the internal side of the upper platform assembly, the ladder is jointed to the two platform assemblies and the scaffold thereby.
Hence, the top and bottom platform assemblies according to the ladder apparatus are served as stages at every story, on which operators are able to stand and to do construction jobs. Besides, the ladder according to the present invention is shorter and lighter than the conventional one; it is easy to install and remove the ladder for just one person and results in extensive convenience for the construction.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent after consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawings.
Certain embodiments as disclosed herein provide for a ladder apparatus 10 adapted for a scaffold, which has a ladder 20 and two platform assemblies 50, 100.
The ladder 20, referred in
Each top connection component 30 has a hook 32 and a removable clip member 35. The hook 32 has a notch 33 recessed from a top face thereof The notch 33 is formed with an included angle, which is appropriately 90 degree. Illustrated in
With respect to
With respect to
Each straddler 80 has an end folded downwardly, and is disposed at opposite ends of the internal joist 66.
The retainers 90 protrude respectively from two lateral sides of the platform 60; each retainer 90 is arranged between the respective fastener 70 and straddle 80. In practice, the retainer 90 is next to the fastener 70; two retainers 90 are arranged in a collinear manner, referring in
With respect to
With respect to
With respect to
The fasteners 70 are secured onto the leveling jacks 113, 116 of the lateral uprights 112, 117 and the retainers 90 and the straddlers 80 are against the tops of the stringers 110, 115, while the platform assemblies 50, 100 join the scaffold. When the operator steps along merely one side of the step shelf 62, the tilt of the step shelf 62 would be avoided.
Furthermore, the top and bottom platform assemblies 50, 100 are installed in every story of the scaffold; that means the ladder 20 between them is shorter than the conventional one and is lighter correspondingly. The ladder 20 according to the present invention could be carried and installed by just one operator, and it would provide convenience to the job and speed up the construction.
With respect to
The ladder apparatus 10 adapted for the scaffold according to the present invention meets the advantages with simple structure, which is included with the fasteners and retainers for staying firm on the scaffold and the platform assemblies for serving as operation stages. The fasteners and retainers could guarantee the stable contact to the scaffold by avoiding from the vibration or tilt of the step shelf, which may result from one-side standing of the operator. In addition, the platform assembly is used for the operator walking or doing jobs. Furthermore, the length of the ladder 20, which is shorter and lighter than that of the conventional one, is much easy to be installed or removed; to put into practice easily brings the convenience of operation.
The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. It is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by the claims appended hereto.
Claims
1. A ladder apparatus adapted for a scaffold, comprising two platform assemblies and a ladder connecting with the platforms, wherein:
- the ladder includes two lateral rails being slant and paralleled to each other, a plurality of step shelves connecting the lateral rails and spaced at intervals between the rails, two bottom connection components disposed at a bottom of the ladder, and two top connection components disposed at a top of the ladder; and
- each of the two platform assemblies has a platform, two fasteners connected respectively to opposite ends of an external side of the platform, two straddlers connected respectively to opposite ends of an internal side of the platform, and two retainers protruding respectively from two lateral sides of the platform;
- each of the two retainers are arranged between the respective fastener and straddle; the ladder connects the internal sides of the two platform assemblies via the top and bottom connection components respectively; the two platform assemblies stride over and are against two lateral stringers of the scaffold via the straddlers and the retainers, and join the scaffold via the fasteners.
2. The ladder apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the platform includes a platform, an external joist and an internal joist; the external and internal joists are arranged next to external and internal sides of the platform; the two fasteners are disposed at opposite ends of the external joist, and the two straddlers are disposed at opposite ends of the internal joist.
3. The ladder apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the two retainers are arranged in a collinear manner.
4. The ladder apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each straddler has an end folded downwardly.
5. The ladder apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each bottom connection component is U-shaped and arranged at a bottom end of each rail to straddle over and grasp the internal joist of the relative platform assembly.
6. The ladder apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each fastener includes a casing and an insertion member fitting in the casing; the casing has an opening recessed from a front, and two slits respectively formed at top and bottom portions of the casing; the two slits correspond to each other and communicate with the opening; the insertion member has a top end, which is wider than a bottom end thereof, the insertion member is capable of penetrating downwardly and passing the slits of the casing via the bottom end thereof.
7. The ladder apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each fastener includes a casing and an insertion member fitting in the casing; the casing has an opening recessed from a front, and two slits respectively formed at top and bottom portions of the casing; the two slits correspond to each other and communicate with the opening; the insertion member has a top end, which is wider than a bottom end thereof, the insertion member is capable of penetrating downwardly and passing the slits of the casing via the bottom end thereof.
8. The ladder apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the top connection components includes a hook connected to a top end of each rail, and a clip member pivoted to a lateral side of the hook and being swung next to the hook; the two top connection components clasp the internal joist of the relative platform assembly.
9. The ladder apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the hook has a notch recessed from a top face thereof.
10. The ladder apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the notch is formed with an included angle, which is appropriately 90 degree.
11. The ladder apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of the top connection components includes a hook connected to a top end of each rail, and a clip member pivoted to a lateral side of the hook and being swung next to the hook; the two connection components clasp the internal joist of the relative platform assembly.
12. The ladder apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the hook has a notch recessed from a top face thereof.
13. The ladder apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the platform includes at least one ledger transversely arranged at bottoms of the internal and external joists and a bottom of the step shelf for connecting these three all together.
14. A ladder apparatus adapted for a scaffold, comprising two platform assemblies and a ladder connecting with the platforms, wherein:
- the ladder includes two lateral rails paralleled to each other, a plurality of step shelves connecting the lateral rails and spaced at intervals between the rails, two bottom connection components disposed at a bottom of the ladder, and two top connection components disposed at a top of the ladder; and
- each of the two platform assemblies has a platform, two fasteners connected respectively to opposite ends of an external side of the platform, and two straddlers connected respectively to opposite ends of an internal side of the platform;
- the ladder connects the internal sides of the two platform assemblies via the top and bottom connection components respectively; the two platform assemblies stride over and are against two lateral stringers of the scaffold via the straddlers, and join the scaffold via the fasteners.
15. The ladder apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the platform includes a platform, an external joist and an internal joist; the external and internal joists are arranged next to external and internal sides of the platform; the two fasteners are disposed at opposite ends of the external joist, and the two straddlers are disposed at opposite ends of the internal joist.
16. The ladder apparatus according to claim 14, wherein each of the top connection components includes a hook connected to a top end of a respective rail, and a clip member pivoted to a lateral side of the hook and being swung next to the hook; the hook has a notch recessed from a top face thereof, the two top connection components clasp the internal joist of the relative platform assembly.
17. The ladder apparatus according to claim 15, wherein each of the top connection components includes a hook connected to a top end of a respective rail, and a clip member pivoted to a lateral side of the hook and being swung next to the hook; the hook has a notch recessed from a top face thereof, the two top connection components clasp the internal joist of the relative platform assembly.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 16, 2009
Publication Date: Apr 21, 2011
Inventor: Lung Ching SHIH (Taichung)
Application Number: 12/580,327
International Classification: E04G 5/10 (20060101);