LATCHABLE SCAFFOLD PLANKS
An improved latchable scaffold board having a board like member with fixed clips or brackets fixedly attached at each end of the board. The brackets are shaped to engage and capture a horizontal scaffold member. The board also has a movable latch at least one end that moves to a latched position, and in the latched position, the movable latch has a portion that is positioned below the horizontal scaffold member, thereby trapping the scaffold board to the horizontal scaffold member.
This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 62/531,439 filed Jul. 12, 2017 and PCT Application No. PCT/US2018/040571 filed Jul. 2, 2018. The entire contents of the above applications are hereby incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.
BACKGROUNDA scaffold frame is an interconnected series of horizontal vertical scaffold members and vertical scaffold members used to create a supporting structure for an elevated work surface. The horizontal and vertical scaffold members are generally pipe shaped members (circular or square in cross section, for instance) where the ends of each horizontal scaffold member terminates in connectors that attach to a vertical scaffold members. The connectors can be clamp members (such as in tube and clamp scaffolding, see for instance,
Another cup type of latching connector is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,078,532 and 5,028,164 and in U.S. application Ser. No. 12/489,166 all hereby incorporated by reference. These patents also show an end connector positioned on a horizontal scaffold member, where the connector has two vertically spaced hooked sections that couple with two vertically spaced upstanding cup or ring members located on the vertical scaffold member. In this device, the hooked sections engage the top edge of the cup, and a pivoting member or latch, positioned on the horizontal end connector, is pivoted into position below the cup member.
Instead of upstanding cups, a flat annular ring with openings in the ring may be used as the vertical connector on the vertical scaffold member, to couple to a connector on a horizontal scaffold member. Examples of annular ring/connector systems are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,273,463; 6,027,276; 5,961,240; 5,605,204 and 4,840,513; all of which are hereby incorporated by reference. These systems are generally referred to as wedge or pinlock scaffold systems. The pinlock system relies upon a wedge or pin being slidable (generally hammer driven) through the horizontal end connector and rosette. The above “system” scaffolds require a horizontal member to couple to a vertical member, that is, a horizontal member cannot couple to another horizontal member.
Once a scaffold frame is erected, an elevated work surface is created by using scaffold boards that are supported at each end of the board by horizontal scaffold frame members. Typically, scaffold boards or planks are wooden, fiberglass, or metal board-like members, having a length (such as 10 feet) and a width, such as 9 inches. A scaffold board generally comprises a top surface, such as 6 inch, 9 inch, 12 inch, or 18 inch wide board, and come in various lengths, such as 2 feet long to 10 to 16 feet long. A typical metal scaffold board is shown in
The scaffold elevated work surface (such as depicted in
One embodiment of the improved latchable scaffold board has a board like member with fixed clips or brackets fixedly attached at each end of the board. The brackets are shaped to engage and capture a horizontal scaffold member. The board also has a movable latch at at least one end that move to a latched position, and in the latched position, the movable latch has a portion that is positioned below the horizontal scaffold member, thereby trapping the scaffold board to the horizontal scaffold member.
The invention is an improved latchable scaffold plank. As shown in the view of
As can be seen in
Side rails 70 are attached to or formed with the top surface 40 near the first and second side edges 212, 214, to provide stiffening. In one embodiment, shown in
The top surface 40 of the scaffold board 10 may also have a series of openings or slots 100. In the embodiment shown in
Located on at least one terminating end of the scaffold board is a movable clip 151 or a movable latch member. The movable clip 151 is slidably coupled to the scaffold board 10 in
As shown in
Located on the proximal end of the movable clip 151 may be an upward facing proximal tab projection 161 (see
To place the scaffold plank with a biased slidable movable clip, into a scaffold deck, one end of the plank is positioned above the supporting member, such as a horizontal scaffold member, sufficiently to allow the fixed clips 50 shaped channels to be positioned above the supporting member, preferably at an slight angle with respect to the horizontal scaffold member of about 5-30 degrees. As the scaffold board is moved forward and downward, toward the supporting member, the movable clip 151 will engage the supporting member, retracting inward toward the interior of the scaffold plank. This forward motion continues until the clip 50 channels 52 are positioned above the supporting member, allowing the scaffold plank to drop, with the clip channels engaging the supporting member. See
To remove a mounted scaffold plank, one movable clip 151 is captured and slid to the unlocked position (such as by using a flat bladed screwdriver or other device in the fashion in the previous paragraph, to slide the movable clip inwardly), or pushing on top projecting finger 160 (such as shown in
Instead of a single opening straight opening or slot, a curved opening in the top scaffold surface could be used where the entire movable clip is moved along the curve from a released position to a latched or locked position (as opposed to rotating about a single point).
As shown, each end of the scaffold plank has a single latchable movable clip, preferably (but not required) shown as positioned near the middle of a terminating end of the scaffold plank. Additional movable clips may be provided on each end of the scaffold plank, or a single movable clip can be located other than in the middle of the plank. Alternatively, one end of the scaffold board may have one or more movable pins, while the other end of the scaffold board has a fixed bottom latching clip extending outwardly (as if in the deployed position for a movable clip). In this instance, the end of the plank with the fixed latching clip should be attachable to a supporting member, such as by positioning that end above the supporting member at an angle and joining the plank to the adjacent horizontal, and rotating the board until level (which also engages the opposite end of the scaffold board with its joining horizontal scaffold member. The other end of the board would preferably have a movable pin, allowing this end of the board to be latchable or lockable as described above.
In other embodiments, the movable pin may be hand movable, as opposed to biased in one direction, preferably biased to the latched or locked position. That is, the invention includes a manually operated movable clip, that may include a biasing member, such as a spring.
Instead of a slidable latch member, the invention includes a rotatable latch member or rotatable clip, having a configuration similar to those for the slidable clips. In this case, the proximal end top projecting tab would preferably penetrate the top surface of the scaffold plank though an opening therein. A long slot would not be needed. The projecting tab would be graspable by an operator to rotate the movable clip from a retracted position, to an engaged or locked position, with the bottom lip positioned underneath the joining horizontal. The rotatably movable clip could be mounted on a bracket underneath the top surface. In one embodiment, the rotatable clip could be positioned in a mounting bracket. The mounting bracket could employ stops to hold the position of the movable clip in the locked position (for instance, the mounting bracket could have a ledge supporting the bottom of the movable clip, and in the locked position, the ledge drops downwardly, so the rotating clip drops at the locked position, requiring the operator to lift and move (rotate or translate the movable clip) to unlock or disengage/release the movable clip (the curved path could also be a straight path positioned at an angle other than 80 degrees from the terminating edge of the board.
While the illustrative forms disclosed herein have been described with particularity, it will be understood that various other modifications will be apparent to and can be readily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, it is not intended that the scope of the claims appended hereto be limited to the example and descriptions set forth herein, but rather that the claims be construed as encompassing all the features of patentable novelty which reside herein, including all features which would be treated as equivalents thereof by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains.
When numerical lower limits and numerical upper limits are listed herein, ranges from any lower limit to any upper limit are contemplated.
Claims
1. A first scaffold plank board comprising a board like member having a top surface, a bottom surface, first and second opposing end edges and a first and second opposing side edges;
- a first and second opposing side rails, said first side rail attached to the board like member near the first side edge, and the second side rail attached near said second side edge, each respective side rail extending downwardly from the top surface,
- a plurality of clips attached to the scaffold board near the first end edge, each clip having a terminating downwardly projecting lip having a distal end, and a channel section located between the lip and the respective end edge, the channel section having a bottom portion configured to engage a horizontal scaffold member;
- a movable clip mounted on the scaffold plank and having a lower finger portion having a terminating end and a finger portion top edge, where the vertical distance from the finger portion's top edge (when mounted) and the channel section's uppermost bottom portion is at least the diameter of a horizontal scaffold member, said movable clip is movable from a first latched position to a second released position, where in the latched position, said movable clip's lower finger portion extends outwardly from said first end edge of the scaffold so that, when the plurality of clips are resting on a horizontal scaffold member, said locked movable clip is positioned below said joined horizontal scaffold member to resist upward movement of the first end of the scaffold plank, and in said released position, said projecting finger is distant from the joined horizontal member.
2. The scaffold plank of claim 1 where said movable clip is slidable.
3. The scaffold plank of claim 1 where said movable clip is rotatable.
4. The scaffold board of claim 1 or 2 wherein said movable clip further comprises distal and proximal ends, and an upwardly projecting tab positioned near said proximal end.
5. The scaffold board of claim 4 where said top portion of said tab is substantially even with or positioned above the top surface of the scaffold board.
6. The scaffold board of claim 5 where said top surface of the scaffold board has an opening through which said projecting tab penetrates and is movable therein.
7. The scaffold board of claim 6 wherein said opening is a slot.
8. The scaffold board of claim 6 where said slot is orientated 90 degrees with respect to the top edges of the scaffold board.
9. The scaffold board of claim 6 wherein said opening is a circular opening.
10. The scaffold plank of claim 2 when said movable clip is biased to the locked position.
11. The scaffold plank of claim 10 when said movable clip is biased by a spring biasing member.
12. A method of coupling and locking a first scaffold plank with a horizontal scaffold member, where said first scaffold plank comprises a board like member having a top surface, a bottom surface, first and second opposing end edges and a first and second opposing side edges;
- a first and second opposing side rails, said first side rail attached to the board like member near the first side edge, and the second side rail attached near said second side edge, each respective side rail extending downwardly from the top surface;
- a plurality of clips attached to the first scaffold board near the first end edge and the second end edge, each clip having a terminating downwardly projecting lip having a distal end, and a channel section located between the lip and the respective end edge, the channel section having a bottom portion configured to engage a horizontal scaffold member;
- a movable clip mounted on the first scaffold plank near the first end edge and having a lower finger portion having a terminating end and a finger portion top edge, where the vertical distance from the finger portion's top edge and the channel section's uppermost bottom portion is at least the diameter of a horizontal scaffold member, said movable clip is movable from a first latched position to a second released position, where in the latched position, said movable clip's lower finger portion extends outwardly from said first end edge of the scaffold so that, when the plurality of clips are resting on a horizontal scaffold member, said locked movable clip is positioned below said joined horizontal scaffold member to resist upward movement of the first scaffold plank near the first end edge, and in said released position, said projecting finger is distant from the joined horizontal member;
- the method comprising the steps of:
- positioning said first scaffold plank at about 90 degrees to said horizontal scaffold member and at an angle of about 5-30 degrees to the horizontal;
- directing the first scaffold board forward so that a portion of the first clips on the first scaffold board pass over the horizontal scaffold member; lowering and moving the first scaffold board forward so that the projecting finger of the movable clip passes under the horizontal scaffold member supported by the horizontal scaffold member, continue lowering the first scaffold board until and the first scaffold board is supported on the horizontal scaffold member.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 2, 2018
Publication Date: Jul 16, 2020
Inventor: Johnny Curtis (Walker, LA)
Application Number: 16/741,069