Scaffold and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9551160-B2
Application number	US-201615195611-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2016
Priority date	Feb 26, 2010
Publication date	Jan 24, 2017
Grant date	Jan 24, 2017

Abstract

A scaffold includes a first end frame assembly. The scaffold includes a second end frame assembly. The scaffold includes a first side brace assembly supported by the first end frame assembly and the second end frame assembly. The scaffold includes a second side brace assembly supported by the first end frame assembly and the second end frame assembly. Each end frame assembly has a first rail with holes and a caster assembly and a second rail with holes and a caster assembly, and a horizontal that is attached to each rail. Each side brace assembly has a locking pin in proximity to each end which engages with a hole in a respective rail, and an associated guard disposed about each pin. Each locking pin has a handle which has a length that extends below the associated guard on an interior side of the guard. A method for a scaffold.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for a scaffold, the method comprising the steps of:
providing the scaffold having:
a first end frame assembly having a first vertical rail with holes and a first caster assembly, a second vertical rail with holes and a second caster assembly, and a horizontal rung that is attached between the first and second vertical rails;
a second end frame assembly having third and fourth vertical rails with holes and a horizontal rung attached therebetween;
a first horizontal side brace assembly having a first vertical channel with holes, a second vertical channel with holes, a first horizontal beam connecting said vertical channels, a guard rod extending downwardly from the first beam and directly connected between the first beam and the first vertical channel, a first L-shaped locking pin formed by a first portion having a major length extending substantially orthogonally to a major length of a second portion of the locking pin defining a handle, wherein the first horizontal side brace assembly is supported by the first and third vertical rails of the first and second end frame assemblies, and the first portion of the locking pin is configured to removably pass through the holes of the first vertical rail and the first vertical channel to adjustably lock the first horizontal side brace assembly at different heights along the first end frame assembly;
a second horizontal side brace assembly supported by and extending between the second and fourth vertical rails of the first and second end frame assemblies;
all elements of the guard rod, the first portion of the locking pin, the vertical channels, the first vertical rail, the third vertical rail and the first beam lie within and define a first vertical plane;
all elements of the second vertical rail, the fourth vertical rail and the second side brace assembly lie within and define a second vertical plane that is substantially parallel to the first vertical plane; and
the major length of the first portion of the locking pin is configured to pivot about a horizontal axis which only extends within the first vertical plane so that the second portion of the locking pin moves towards the second vertical plane to be positioned into a space located between said vertical planes, wherein the guard rod is positioned below the first portion of the locking pin a distance less than the major length of the second portion of the locking pin and the first beam is positioned above the first portion of the locking pin a distance less than the major length of the second portion of the locking pin so that the locking pin is directly blocked by one of said first horizontal beam and said guard rod when the second portion of the locking pin is moved in a direction away from said second vertical plane, and wherein the locking pin is incapable of moving beyond an opposite side of said first vertical plane with respect to said second vertical plane;

placing the first locking pin in proximity to a first end of said first horizontal side brace assembly and into one of said holes of the first vertical rail of the first end frame assembly so that the first end frame assembly supports the first horizontal side brace assembly;
placing a second locking pin in proximity to a second end of said first horizontal side brace assembly and into one of said holes of the third vertical rail of the second end frame assembly so that the second end frame assembly supports the first horizontal side brace assembly;
positioning the handle of the first locking pin so that a length of said handle extends below the guard rod and on an interior side of the guard rod;
positioning a handle of the second locking pin so that a length of said handle of the second locking pin extends below a second guard rod and on an interior side of the second guard rod;
placing a third locking pin in proximity to a first end of said second horizontal side brace assembly and into one of said holes of the second vertical rail of the first end frame assembly so that the first end frame assembly supports the second horizontal side brace assembly;
placing a fourth locking pin in proximity to a second end of said second horizontal side brace assembly and into one of said holes of the fourth vertical rail of the second end frame assembly so that the second end frame assembly supports the second horizontal side brace assembly;
positioning a handle of the third locking pin so that a length of said handle of the third locking pin extends below a third guard rod and on an interior side of the third guard rod; and
positioning a handle of the fourth looking pin so that a length of said handle of the fourth locking pin extends below a fourth guard rod and on an interior side of the fourth guard rod.

2. The method as described in claim 1 , wherein said step of placing the first locking pin includes disposing of said first locking pin in a first bracket, said step of placing the second locking pin includes disposing of said second locking pin in a second bracket, said step of placing the third locking pin includes disposing of said third locking pin in a third bracket, and said step of placing the fourth locking pin includes disposing of said fourth looking pin in a fourth bracket.

Assignees

• Gealy Preston L
• Werner Co

Inventors

• Gealy Preston L

Classifications

• E04G1/28 Primary

  designed to provide support only at a low height · CPC title

• E04G7/22 Primary

  for scaffold members in end-to-side relation · CPC title

• E04G2001/242

  Scaffolds movable on wheels or tracks · CPC title

• E04G5/00

  Component parts or accessories for scaffolds (connections E04G7/00) · CPC title

• E04G1/30

  Ladder scaffolds {(ladders having platforms E06C1/39, platforms on, or for use on; ladders E06C7/16)} · CPC title