Safety platform scaffold apparatus

Abstract

A safety platform scaffold apparatus is provided having a plurality of wall-supportable units, each with a floor support portion. A work platform is removably mountable on the floor support portions by suitable connectors affixed to the opposed ends of the platform. The opposed connectors are complimentary to each other so that they can be nested together on the same floor support portion thereby enabling a multiplicity of wall supportable units to be mounted on a wall with juxtaposed side-by-side platforms defining a smooth, flat, continuous work surface and wherein the platforms interlock with each other and the wall-supportable unit floor portions.

1 . A safety platform scaffold apparatus for support by a wall, comprising, in combination:
 first and second wall-supportable units for being supported by said wall, and a one-piece work platform for being supported on and between said first and second wall-supportable units,   wherein each of said first and second wall-supportable units includes first and second riser portions, respectively, and further includes first and second work platform floor support arms extending outwardly from said first and second riser portions, respectively, each of said work platform floor support arms having substantially the same axial extent,   wherein said one-piece work platform is of substantially rectangular shape characterized by first and second opposed longitudinally extending, opposed, side edge portions of predetermined extent, and first and second transversely extending, opposed end edge portions of predetermined extent, and   wherein said one-piece work platform further includes first and second work-platform-to-floor-support-arm connecter assemblies, said first and second work-platform-to-floor-support-arm connector assemblies being rigidly affixed respectively to said first and second transversely extending, opposed, end edge portions of said one-piece work platform, respectively, said first and second connector assemblies capable of establishing interlocking removable engagement of said one-piece work platform on said work platform floor support arms on said first and second wall-supportable units, respectively, and   wherein said one-piece work platform has a predetermined length defined by the predetermined longitudinal extent of said opposed first and second side edge portions of said substantially rectangular-shaped work platform, said first work-platform-to-floor-support-arm connector assembly and said second work-platform-to-floor-support-arm connector assembly each has an opening to receivingly engage said first and second work platform support arms extending from said first and second riser portions, respectively, when said one-piece work platform is positioned over and lowered onto said first and second work platform support arms extending outwardly from said first and second riser portions so as to maintain said first and second wall-supportable units in interlocked spaced apart disposition on said wall a distance substantially equal to said predetermined length of said one-piece work platform.   
     
     
         2 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein each of said first and second work platform floor support arms extending outwardly from said first and second riser portions, respectively, has a top surface and a side surface, and wherein each of said first and second work-platform-to-floor-support-arm connector assemblies, respectively, includes at least one hook member for engaging said top surface and said side surface on each of said first and second work platform floor support arms, respectively. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein said first work-platform-to-floor-support-arm connector assembly at least one hook member comprises a first hook member having a length measured along the transverse extent of said first end edge portion of said one-piece work platform, said length of said first connector assembly at least one hook member being less than the transverse extent of said work platform first end edge portion, said first connector assembly at least one hook member being rigidly affixed to said first end edge portion of said rectangular-shaped work platform substantially centrally thereon,
 wherein said second work-platform-to-floor-support-arm connector assembly at least one hook member comprises second and third hook members, said second and third hook members each having a length measured along the transverse extent of said second end edge portion of said one-piece work platform, said length of said second and third hook members each being less than said length of said first hook member, 
 and wherein said second and third hook members are rigidly affixed to said second end edge portion of said rectangular-shaped work platform in a spaced-apart manner with respect to each other along the transverse extent of said second end edge portion of said one-piece work platform. 
 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein the length of said first hook member measured along the transverse extent of said first end edge portion of said one-piece work platform is equal to Y,
 wherein the spacing between said second and third hook members, respectively, measured along the transverse extent of said second end edge portion of said one-piece work platform is equal to X, 
 wherein Y is less than X, 
 wherein the transverse extent of said one-piece work platform is equal to W, 
 wherein the sum of the length of said second and third hook members, respectively, measured along the transverse extent of said second end edge portion of said one-piece work platform is equal to W-X, and 
 wherein W is greater than W-X plus Y. 
 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein said one-piece work platform has a top planar surface, and each of said first, second and third hook members is in the form of a channel member having a top portion level with said top planar surface, each said channel member further having a downwardly projecting side portion extending from said channel member top portion and being spaced beyond its corresponding work platform end edge to which it is affixed a distance equal to C,
 wherein the width of said top portion of each said first and second work platform floor support arms is equal to D, and 
 wherein C is greater than D. 
 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 14  further including a third wall-supportable unit substantially identical to said first and second wall-supportable units, and a second one-piece work platform substantially identical to said first-mentioned work platform,
 wherein said first and second work-platform-to-floor-support-arm connecter assemblies on said substantially identical second work platform are adapted to engage said work platform floor support arms on said first and_third wall-supportable units, respectively, so as to maintain said first, second, and third wall-supportable units in spaced apart interlocked disposition on said wall a distance substantially equal to the length of said first and second work platforms. 
 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein said second work-platform-to-floor-support-arm connecter assembly affixed to said opposed second transverse end edge of said substantially identical work platform is adapted to engage said first floor support arm on said first wall-supportable unit in a straddling relation to said first work-platform-to-floor-support-arm connecter assembly affixed to said first transverse end edge on said first mentioned one-piece work platform when said first work-platform-to-floor-support-arm connector assembly affixed to said first transverse end edge on said first mentioned one-piece work platform simultaneously engages said first work platform floor support arm on said first wall-supportable unit. 
     
     
         20 . A removable work platform sub-assembly for use with a pair of laterally spaced wall-supportable units each having a horizontally extending floor support arm, respectively, said sub-assembly comprising:
 a work platform, said work platform comprising a unitary, solid, substantially rectangular-shaped planar member,   said planar member having first and second side edges and first and second end edges wherein said first and second end edges intersect said first and second side edges to define the four corners of said substantially rectangular-shaped planar member,   wherein said first and second side edges have a length greater than the length of said first and second end edges, respectively, of said substantially rectangular-shaped planar member,   wherein said planar member further comprises a top surface for supporting workmen thereon and a thickness dimension extending between said top surface and the bottom extent of said first and second side edges and said first and second end edges, and   wherein said planar member further includes first and second floor-support-arm-connectors rigidly attached to said first and second end edges respectively,   whereby said planar member is capable of being removably supported on said horizontally extending floor support arms, respectively, with said first and second end edges substantially in parallel juxtaposition to said pair of horizontally extending floor support arms, respectively, and said first and second side edges extending substantially perpendicular between said pair of horizontally extending support arms, respectively.   
     
     
         21 . The sub-assembly of  claim 20  wherein said work platform is substantially rectangularly-shaped, said rectangularly-shaped work platform comprises a frame having first and second opposed ends,
 a planar floor member affixed to said frame, and 
 wherein said first 
 work-platform-to-wall-supportable-unit-connector and said second work-platform-to-wall-supportable-unit-connector are affixed to said opposed first and second ends of said frame, respectively. 
 
     
     
         22 . The sub-assembly of  claim 21  wherein said frame comprises a right-angle aluminum member and said planar floor member comprises a plywood board, said aluminum member and said plywood board being affixed together via a multiplicity of spaced fasteners 
     
     
         23 . The sub-assembly of  claim 21  wherein said first work-platform-to-wall-supportable-unit-connector and said second work-platform-to-wall-supportable-unit-connector comprise U-shaped channel members affixed to said opposed first and second ends of said frame, respectively, said U-shaped members defining openings for removably receiving the top portion of said horizontally extending floor support arms, respectively.