Trench shoring assembly

Abstract

This invention relates to a trench shoring assembly which includes a pair of spaced-apart side walls for vertical disposition within a trench. Spreader pipes and spreader collars interconnect the side walls and allow limited pivotal movement between the side walls. Each side wall includes outer and inner metal plates connected to a horizontally extending hollow top beam which extends longitudinally along the top of the side wall, two intermediate beams parallel the hollow metalbeam and a bottom beam. A hardwood insert is disposed within the top beam to prevent the collapse of the hollow metal beam. A number of hollow beams extend perpendicularly to the horizontal beams and ribbed members extend perpendicularly to the horizontal beams. The side walls of the assembly have a tapered bottom portion which defines a triangularly shaped pointed lower extremity extending between the ends of the bottom portion. A metallic bar is disposed at the pointed lower extremity and extends between the ends of the bottom portion and protects the bottom of the side wall against abrasion. A U-shaped member is welded to the main frame, and in turn, a spreader collar is welded to the U-shaped member so that a force applied to the spreader collar is transferred directly to the main frame. Each spreader pipe spaces the side walls apart between two spreader collars to which the spreader pipe is attached by spreader pins. Lifting rings are slidably attached to the spreader pipes for lifting the assembly. A plurality of flanges extend from a spreader pipe and are connected by locking pins to mating flanges which extend from another spreader pipe of another vertically stacked trench shoring assembly.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property of privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. A trench shoring assembly comprising a pair of spaced wall means for vertical disposition within a trench, and connecting means interconnecting said wall means for allowing limited pivotal movement between said wall means, said connecting means including a plurality of support means rigidly attached to each of said wall means adjacent each end thereof and extending from said wall means in opposite directions toward one another, a plurality of spreader means extending between opposed pairs of said support means for spacing said wall means apart, said spreader means overlapping a portion of said support means and including slot means extending through the overlapping portions of said spreader means and said support means, and pin means extending through said slot means for attaching said spreader means to said support means and being at least in part larger than said pin means for allowing said limited movement between said spreader means and said support means. 
     
     
       2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said support means includes a plurality of tubular spreader collars extending from said wall means. 
     
     
       3. An assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said spreader means includes a plurality of spreader pipes each of which extends between a pair of said tubular spreader collars extending from adjacent wall means. 
     
     
       4. An assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein the ends of each of the spreader pipes are disposed about and in said overlapping relationship with said spreader collars. 
     
     
       5. An assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said slot means includes holes extending through said spreader collars, and elongated slots extending through said spreader pipes. 
     
     
       6. An assembly as defined in claim 5 including brace means rigidly interconnecting two of said spreader pipes. 
     
     
       7. An assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein said brace means includes a pair of horizontally spaced structural brace plates extending vertically between vertically spaced spreader pipes. 
     
     
       8. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said connecting means includes a plurality of spreader pipes and including brace means rigidly interconnecting two of said spreader pipes. 
     
     
       9. An assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said brace means includes a pair of horizontally spaced structural plates extending vertically between vertically spaced spreader pipes. .Iadd. 10. A trench shoring assembly comprising: a pair of spaced apart wall means for vertical disposition within a trench and connecting means for connecting and maintaining said wall means in a generally parallel, spaced apart relationship; said connecting means including a plurality of support means rigidly attached to each of said wall means adjacent each end thereof and extending from said wall means in opposite directions toward one another, a plurality of spreader means extending between opposed pairs of said support means for spacing said wall means apart, and connecting means for loosely attaching the respective ends of said spreader means to said support means to permit limited pivotal movement between said wall means, said ends of said spreader means and said support means being in overlapping relationship with one another and defining a space therebetween to allow said pivotal movement. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 11. An assembly as set forth in claim 10 including brace means for rigidly interconnecting at least one of said spreader means to another of said spreader means. .Iaddend..Iadd. 12. An assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein said spreader means includes elongated, cylindrical pipes and said support means includes collar members adapted for overlapping relationship with said pipes. .Iaddend..Iadd. 13. An assembly as set forth in claim 12 including an overlapping portion between said pipes and said collar members, said connecting means attaching said pipes and collar members at said overlapping portion. .Iaddend..Iadd. 14. An assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein the pipes and collar members include dimensions providing said space as an annular space between said pipes and collar members at said overlapping portion. .Iaddend..Iadd. 15. A trench shoring assembly comprising: a pair of spaced walls for vertical disposition within a trench; a plurality of tubular spreader members for maintaining said walls in generally parallel, spaced relationship; said walls including a set of opposed collar members for each of said spreader members for connecting said spreader members to said walls, the ends of said spreader members being received in overlapping relationship with said collar members; and connecting means for loosely attaching said spreader members to said collar members to permit limited pivotal movement between said walls. .Iaddend..Iadd. 16. An assembly as set forth in claim 15 wherein said spreader members and collar members have cross-sectional dimensions which are sufficiently different to provide a space therebetween where the members are in overlapping relationship. .Iaddend..Iadd. 17. An assembly as set forth in claim 16 including brace members for rigidly connecting at least one of said spreader members to another of said spreader members. .Iaddend..Iadd. 18. An assembly as set forth in claim 15 spreader means includes elongated, cylindrical pipes. .Iaddend..Iadd. 19. An assembly as set forth in claim 18 wherein said pipes and collar members have cross-sectional dimensions which are sufficiently different to provide a space therebetween where the members are in overlapping relationship and being preformed to coact with said connecting means to allow said limited pivotal movement. .Iaddend.