Scaffolding units and platforms for use with scaffolding units

Abstract

A scaffolding unit 10 including: a first elongate support member 12 adapted to be disposed in a generally vertical attitude adjacent a wall frame or a wall panel, and an elongate frame assembly 13 adapted to support a plank thereon connected to said first elongate support member 12 for pivoting movement relative thereto from an operative in-use position perpendicular to said first elongate support member and an adjustment position in which said elongate plank support means is inclined upwardly towards said first elongate support member, said elongate frame assembly being adapted for sliding movement up and down along said first elongate support member to a selected operative height.

1 . A scaffolding unit including: 
 a first elongate support member adapted to be disposed in a generally vertical attitude adjacent a wall frame or a wall panel., said first elongate support member being substantially rectangular in cross section and having a front face, a rear face spaced from said front face and two opposed spaced apart side faces;    a frame assembly including elongate plank support means and first connecting means operatively connected to said plank support means at one end for connecting said frame assembly to said first elongate support member for pivoting movement of said frame assembly relative to said first elongate support member from an operative in-use position in which said elongate plank support means is perpendicular to said first elongate support member and an adjustment position in which said elongate plank support means is inclined upwardly towards said first elongate support member said first connecting means including first engagement means adapted to engage the front face of said elongate support member and second engagement means spaced from said first engagement means and adapted to engage the rear face of said first elongate support member above the position of engagement of said first engagement means with said first face when said frame assembly is in the operative in-use position, the engagement of said first and second engagement means being such as to prevent sliding movement of said frame assembly downwards along said first elongate support member, and said first engagement means being spaced from said front face and/or said second engagement means being spaced from said rear face when said frame assembly is in the adjustment position whereby said frame assembly may be moved slidingly up or down along said first elongate support member to a selected operative height;    said first connecting means being so made and arranged as to allow pivoting movement of said frame assembly beyond the adjustment position to a stowed position in which said elongate plank support means is substantially parallel to and immediately adjacent said first elongate support member.    
     
     
         2 . A scaffolding unit including: 
 a first elongate support member adapted to be disposed in a generally vertical attitude adjacent a wall frame or wall panel, said elongate support member being substantially rectangular in cross section and having a front face, a rear face spaced from said front face and two opposed spaced apart side faces;    a frame assembly including elongate plank support means and first connecting means operatively connected to said plank support means at one end for connecting said frame assembly to said first elongate support member for pivoting movement of said frame assembly relative to said first elongate support member from an operative in-use position in which said elongate plank support means is perpendicular to said first elongate support member and an adjustment position in which said elongate plank support means is inclined upwardly towards said first elongate support member said first connecting means including first engagement means adapted to engage the front face of said elongate support member and second engagement means spaced from said first engagement means and adapted to engage the rear face of said first elongate support member above the position of engagement of said first engagement means with said first face when said frame assembly is in the operative in-use position, the engagement of said first and second engagement means being such as to prevent sliding movement of said frame assembly downwards along said first elongate support member, and said first engagement means being spaced from said front face and/or said second engagement means being spaced from said rear face when said frame assembly is in the adjustment position whereby said frame assembly may be moved slidingly up or down along said first elongate support member to a selected operative height;    a second elongate support member adapted to be disposed in a generally vertical attitude adjacent the first elongate support member and to be secured to the top plate of the wall frame or the upper end portion of the wall panel;    second connecting means connecting said first and second elongate support members for pivotal movement of said first elongate support member relative to said second elongate support member about a vertical axis.    
     
     
         3 . A scaffolding unit including: 
 a first elongate support member adapted to be disposed in a generally vertical attitude adjacent a wall frame or wall panel, said elongate support member being substantially rectangular in cross section and having a front face, a rear face spaced from said front face and two opposed spaced apart side faces;    a frame assembly including elongate plank support means and first connecting means operatively connected to said plank support means at one end for connecting said frame assembly to said first elongate support member for pivoting movement of said frame assembly relative to said first elongate support member from an operative in-use position in which said elongate plank support means is perpendicular to said first elongate support member and an adjustment position in which said elongate plank support means is inclined upwardly towards said first elongate support member said first connecting means including first engagement means adapted to engage the front face of said elongate support member and second engagement means spaced from said first engagement means and adapted to engage the rear face of said first elongate support member above the position of engagement of said first engagement means with said first face when said frame assembly is in the operative in-use position, the engagement of said first and second engagement means being such as to prevent sliding movement of said frame assembly downwards along said first elongate support member, and said first engagement means being spaced from said front face and/or said second engagement means being spaced from said rear face when said frame assembly is in the adjustment position whereby said frame assembly may be moved slidingly up or down along said first elongate support member to a selected operative height, said first connecting means being so made and arranged as to allow pivoting movement of said frame assembly beyond the adjustment position to a stowed position in which said elongate plank support means is substantially parallel to and immediately adjacent said first elongate support member;    a second elongate support member adapted to be disposed in a generally vertical attitude adjacent the first elongate support member and to be secured to the top plate of the wall frame or the upper end portion of the wall panel, and    second connecting means connecting said first and second elongate support members for pivotal movement of said first elongate support member relative to said second elongate support member about a vertical axis.    
     
     
         4 . A scaffolding unit according to  claim 1  including securing means for selectively securing the frame assembly in a selected operative position.  
     
     
         5 . A scaffolding unit according to any  claim 4 , wherein said securing means is arranged to allow pivoting movement of the frame assembly to the stowed position when securing the frame assembly in a selected operative position.  
     
     
         6 . A scaffolding unit according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said first connecting means includes a sleeve-like member having two side walls as well as the first and second engagement means, said two side walls being adapted to abut the respective side faces of the first elongate support member, and said securing means includes a pin adapted to extend through aligned apertures provided in said side walls and said first elongate support member to secure said frame assembly in a desired operative position along said first elongate support member.  
     
     
         7 . A scaffolding unit including: 
 a first elongate support member adapted to be disposed in a generally vertical attitude adjacent a wall frame or wall panel;    a frame assembly operatively connected to said first elongate support member for up or down sliding movement therealong to a selected operative height, said frame assembly being adapted to support thereon one or more planks;    a second elongate support member adapted to be disposed in a generally vertical attitude adjacent the first elongate support member and to be secured to the top plate of the wall frame or the upper end portion of the wall panel; and    second connecting means connecting said first and second elongate support members for pivotal movement of said first elongate support member relative to said second elongate support member about a vertical axis.    
     
     
         8 . A scaffolding unit according to  claim 7 , wherein said second connecting means includes upper and lower hinge assemblies which are selectively height adjustable along the respective first and second elongate support members.  
     
     
         9 . A scaffolding unit according to  claim 7 , wherein said first and second elongate support members are substantially identical with both having means for securing them to the top plate so that they are interchangeable.  
     
     
         10 . A scaffolding unit including: 
 a first elongate support member adapted to be disposed in a generally vertical attitude adjacent a wall frame or wall panel, said elongate support member being substantially rectangular in cross section and having a front face, a rear face spaced from said front face and two opposed spaced apart side faces;    a frame assembly including elongate plank support means and first connecting means operatively connected to said plank support means at one end for connecting said frame assembly to said first elongate support member for pivoting movement of said frame assembly relative to said first elongate support member from an operative in-use position in which said elongate plank support means is perpendicular to said first elongate support member and an adjustment position in which said elongate plank support means is inclined upwardly towards said first elongate support member said first connecting means including first engagement means adapted to engage the front face of said elongate support member and second engagement means spaced from said first engagement means and adapted to engage the rear face of said first elongate support member above the position of engagement of said first engagement means with said first face when said frame assembly is in the operative in-use position, the engagement of said first and second engagement means being such as to prevent sliding movement of said frame assembly downwards along said first elongate support member, and said first engagement means being spaced from said front face and/or said second engagement means being spaced from said rear face when said frame assembly is in the adjustment position whereby said frame assembly may be moved slidingly up or down along said first elongate support member to a selected operative height;    an upper mount adapted to be disposed adjacent said first elongate support member and to be secured to the top plate of the wall frame or the upper end portion of the wall panel;    a lower mount adapted to be disposed adjacent said first elongate support member and to be secured to or engage with a lower part of the wall frame or the wall panel; and    upper and lower mount connecting means connecting said first elongate support member to said upper mount and said lower mount respectively for pivotal movement of said first elongate support member relative to said upper and lower mounts about a vertical axis.    
     
     
         11 . A scaffolding unit including: 
 a first elongate support member adapted to be disposed in a generally vertical attitude adjacent a wall frame or wall panel;    a frame assembly operatively connected to said first elongate support member for up and down sliding movement therealong to a selected operative height, said frame assembly being adapted to support thereon one or more planks;    an upper mount adapted to be disposed adjacent said first elongate support member and to be secured to the top plate of the wall frame or the upper end portion of the wall panel;    a lower mount adapted to be disposed adjacent said first elongate support member and to be secured to or engage with a lower part of the wall frame or the wall panel; and    upper and lower mount connecting means connecting said first elongate support member to said upper mount and said lower mount respectively for pivotal movement of said first elongate support member relative to said upper and lower mounts about a vertical axis.    
     
     
         12 . A scaffolding unit according to  claim 10 , wherein said lower mount is adapted to engage with the outside faces of both of the adjacent wall frames or panels at a corner.  
     
     
         13 . A scaffolding unit according to  claim 12 , wherein said lower mount is an L-shaped member with the legs of the “L” being adapted to abut the outside face of the adjacent wall frames or panels, and said lower mount connecting means includes a sleeve member slidably mounted on said L-shaped member to provide horizontal adjustment.  
     
     
         14 . A plank of the type commonly known as builders planks, the plank having one or more protuberances provided in the end portion adjacent one end and one or more complementary recesses provided in the end portion adjacent the other end adapted to receive therein the corresponding protuberances of a like plank upon end to end abutment of a pair of like planks, the respective end portions also including locating means for locating the planks longitudinally in a predetermined position on a plank support such as a scaffolding unit.  
     
     
         15 . A plank according to  claim 14 , wherein said locating means includes a recess provided in the underside of each respective end portion which is adapted to locate about a complementary part of the plank support with the recesses formed in the respective end portions cooperating to form a laterally extending recess or groove for this purpose.  
     
     
         16 . A plank of the type commonly known as builders planks, the plank having complementary first and second connecting means at its respective ends, said first connecting means being adapted to support thereon the second connecting means of a like plank, and said first and second connecting means having complementary first and second locating means for locating the like plank in a predetermined longitudinal position relative to the plank while said first connecting means is supporting thereon the second connecting means of the like plank, and said first connecting means also having third locating means for locating the plank longitudinally in a predetermined position on a plank support such as a scaffolding unit as defined in any one of claims  1  to  13 .  
     
     
         17 . A plank according to  claim 16 , wherein said second connecting means is a downwardly open channel cross-section member with one flange secured to an end of the body of the plank and the upper face of the web being level with the upper face of the plank body, and said first connecting means has a recess adapted to receive therein said other flange of the open channel of a like plank to locate it longitudinally.  
     
     
         18 . A plank according to  claim 17  wherein said first connecting means is a member of S-cross-section with one opening of the S facing up and the other facing down, the one opening up being narrow in the direction along the plank and being adapted to receive therein said other flange of said channel and the upper face of the web forming the other opening of the S being parallel to and below the upper face of the plank body by a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the web of said channel, so that the web of the S can support thereon the web of the channel of a connected like plank.  
     
     
         19 . A platform including two or more planks as defined by any one of  claims 14  to  38 , secured together along their lengths with the respective protuberances and recesses or first and second connecting means aligned laterally.