Fire escape – ladder – or scaffold – Platform
Patent
1996-12-30
1999-10-19
Chin-Shue, Alvin C.
Fire escape, ladder, or scaffold
Platform
182119, E04G 115
Patent
active
059672625
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a platform unit for a scaffolding or the like, which can be suspended on two horizontal transverse spars of the scaffolding, consisting of at least one rectangular support frame composed of longitudinal bars and crossbars (the end sides of the support frame are formed by the crossbars and are each adjacent to the crossbars of a further support frame), a plate-shaped floor surface provided on the support frame and serving as a walk-on surface, and at least two hook-shaped mounting brackets fastened to the crossbars on each end side of the support frame, and covering the transverse spars of the scaffolding.
A platform unit of this type is already known, for example, from the Patent EP 0 451 616 B1. The transverse spar is formed into an upwardly open U-profile, between the two vertical webs of which the mounting brackets of the support frame adjoining the respective web can be suspended. Such an arrangement has the disadvantage that relatively wide gaps remain between adjacent support frames, which gaps represent a considerable danger in case of accidents (tripping) during the use of the platform unit. The transverse spar itself is not covered, and open spaces remain between the transverse spar and the support frames due to the construction of the mounting brackets. The horizontal segment of the U-profile being used as the transverse spar can thereby not be shortened at random because the hooks of the mounting brackets must be sufficiently strong and require a corresponding space between the webs.
The mounting brackets in the known design are positioned inside of the longitudinal bars, which are constructed as extruded hollow sections with an approximately rectangular cross section, and are there riveted to a vertical web of this hollow section. A mounting bracket centrally provided on the respective crossbar is--differently designed--instead welded to the crossbar. The structurally complicated design is necessary because the crossbars are welded to the inner webs of the longitudinal bars and therefore the longitudinal bars remain open at their end sides.
The respective support frame of such platform units is equipped with a plate-shaped floor surface, which in general--just like in the described known design--consists of a glued plywood and is riveted to the support frame. The high bearing forces during the use of the platform unit results over time in an enlargement of the rivet bores in the plywood so that the floor surface is not able to contribute to the stiffness of the platform unit and is not taken into consideration when its static rigidity is analyzed. The, even if only slight, increasing mobility of the floor surface on the support frame contributes moreover to the reduction in the safety of the flooring during use of the platform unit.
Therefore, the basic purpose of the invention is to provide a platform unit of the type identified in detail above with safer simple means and in operation, and moreover to construct such a unit in such a manner that the floor surface over time improves the stiffness of the platform unit and can be included in the static rigidity analysis.
The purpose is attained according to the invention in such a manner that the mounting brackets, which are associated with one another, are arranged on the oppositely lying end sides each laterally offset with respect to the longitudinal bars in a plane parallel thereto. Such an arrangement conveniently makes it possible that the mounting brackets of adjacent support frames cannot abut, and the gap between the support frames and, in particular, their plate-shaped floor surfaces is determined only by the longitudinal direction expansion of a mounting bracket, and can in this manner be kept so small that it is practically no longer noticed during the use of the platform unit.
It is particularly practical when the mounting brackets are provided in pairs on the crossbars and near the longitudinal bars, whereby they can be arranged on the crossbars of the same support frame in such a mann
REFERENCES:
patent: 4331218 (1982-05-01), Layher
Chin-Shue Alvin C.
Krausse-Werk GmbH & Co. KG
LandOfFree
Platform unit does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Platform unit, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Platform unit will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2045110