Scaffolding

Abstract

The invention relates to a bridge that is for use with a scaffolding standard. The standard may comprise of an elongate pipe to which there is secured at least one rosette of a kind that presents a plurality of apertures about the pipe at which a connection to said standard can be established by other scaffolding components. The bridge is capable of connection to said rosette at at least two said apertures, said bridge allowing a scaffolding component to be secured thereto to be positioned and supported by said bridge at a location not catered for by any aperture of said rosette.

1 . A modular scaffolding system that comprises:
 a. a scaffolding standard comprising an elongate pipe to which there is secured at least one rosette of a kind that presents a plurality of apertures about the pipe at which a connection to said standard can be established by other scaffolding components, and   b. a ledger that includes at each of its distal ends a head that is of a shape and configuration to allow it to be secured (whether on its own or with another element) at said rosette at a said aperture thereof, and   c. a bridge capable of connection to said rosette at at least two said apertures, said bridge allowing a said ledger or other scaffolding component to be secured thereto at a location not catered for by any aperture of said rosette.   
     
     
         2 . A system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said bridge is adapted and configured to allow said ledger to be secured thereto to be supported by said pipe at a location not catered for by any aperture of said rosette by presenting a fastening region of said bridge at a location different to any said aperture of said rosette. 
     
     
         3 . A system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the fastening region is located to locate intermediate of two adjacent apertures of said rosette. 
     
     
         4 . A system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the fastening region is located to locate radially intermediate of two adjacent apertures of said rosette. 
     
     
         5 . A system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said fastening region is of a shape complementary to part of parts of said ledger that can also connect to said apertures of said rosette. 
     
     
         6 . A system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said fastening region is an aperture of the same aperture plan shape as the aperture of said rosette. 
     
     
         7 . A system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the fastening region is of the same shape as the region of said rosette about said aperture of said rosette. 
     
     
         8 . A system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the fastening region is a slot shaped aperture, the slot having an elongate direction that lies in a notional plane that is also parallel to the elongate direction of a standard, the notional plane not passing through the apertures of the rosette with which the bridge is engaged when in use. 
     
     
         9 . A system as claimed in  claims 8 , wherein the slot of the bridge has an elongate direction that, when the bridge is in use, does not pass through any aperture of the rosette with which the bridge is engaged. 
     
     
         10 . A system as claimed in  claims 8 , wherein the elongate direction is radial to said pipe. 
     
     
         11 . A system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said bridge comprises a bridging portion from which there is disposed two prongs that are spaced apart in a manner to be presented to allow their registration at two apertures of said rosette. 
     
     
         12 . A system as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the prongs project in a direction that is parallel to each other and in the same direction as each other. 
     
     
         13 . A system as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the bridge portion and the prongs are shaped and configured so as to allow the bridge portion to rest on said rosette when said prongs are fully engaged with a respective aperture. 
     
     
         14 . A system as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the prongs are shaped and configured to engage with the pipe of a standard when fully engaged into a respective aperture of the rosette of the standard. 
     
     
         15 . A system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the bridge is at least partially staple shaped. 
     
     
         16 . A system as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the bridge portion is substantially planar. 
     
     
         17 . A system as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the bridge portion defines a landing on which said ledger or other scaffolding component can rest when engaged at the aperture of said bridge. 
     
     
         18 . A system as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said bridge also comprises pipe abutment upwardly located from said bridge portion, to abut the pipe of the standard at a location above said bridge portion when in use. 
     
     
         19 . A scaffold structure that comprises:
 a. a plurality of scaffolding standards each comprising of an elongate pipe to which there is secured at least one rosette of a kind that presents a plurality of apertures about the pipe at which a connection to said standard can be established by other scaffolding components, and   b. a plurality of ledgers that are each secured at said rosette at a respective aperture thereof by virtue of each ledger having at its distal ends a head that is of a shape and configuration to allow it to be so secured, and   c. a bridge connected to a said rosette at at least two said apertures thereof, said bridge securing one of said ledgers or other scaffolding component at a location not catered for by any aperture of said rosette and extending in a direction that is not parallel and is not perpendicular to any ledgers secured directly to said rosettes.   
     
     
         20 . A structure as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the other scaffold component is a lateral support arm that spans between a building structure and said bridge, said extendible arm comprising at least two elongate arm members that are coupled together in a manner to be able to displace relative each other, a first of said elongate arm members (herein after “first arm”) defining a first end of said extendible arm, another of the elongate arm members (herein after “second arm”) defining a second end of the extendible arm, the distance between the first and second end able to be varied, and
 wherein at said first end said first arm presents a first head that can engage to said building structure, and 
 wherein at said second end, said second arm presents a second head that can be secured to said bridge. 
 
     
     
         21 . A scaffold structure system that comprises:
 a. a plurality of scaffolding standards each comprising of an elongate pipe to which there is secured at least one rosette of a kind that presents a plurality of apertures about the pipe at which a connection to said standard can be established by other scaffolding components, and   b. a plurality of ledgers each able to be secured at said rosette at a respective aperture thereof by virtue of each ledger having at its distal ends a head that is of a shape and configuration to allow it to be so secured, and   c. a bridge able to be connected to said rosette at at least two said apertures thereof, said bridge locating a ledger at a location not catered for by any aperture of said rosette.   
     
     
         22 . A system as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein a said scaffolding component includes an extendible lateral support arm to span between said building structure and said bridge, said extendible arm comprising at least two elongate arm members that are coupled together in a manner to be able to displace relative each other, a first of said elongate arm members (herein after “first arm”) defining a first end of said extendible arm, another of the elongate arm members (herein after “second arm”) defining a second end of the extendible arm, the distance between the first and second end able to be varied, and
 wherein at said first end said first arm presents a first head that can engage to said building structure, and 
 wherein at said second end, said second arm presents a second head that can be secured to a said bridge. 
 
     
     
         23 . Scaffolding erected using the system as claimed in  claim 21 . 
     
     
         24 . Scaffolding as claimed in  claim 23  erected in a lift shaft of a building.