Adjustable and transportable scaffolding

Abstract

An adjustable and transportable scaffolding ( 10 ) is described. It comprises an adjustable leg support mechanism ( 20 ) for a scaffolding having vertical corner frame members ( 11 ) connected to horizontal frame members ( 12 ) and cross-braces ( 13 ). The mechanism ( 20 ) comprises an open-ended sleeve ( 21 ) adapted to receive a support rod ( 22 ) therethrough and wherein the support rod has at least a horizontal toothed edge section ( 23 ) adapted to secure to a bottom support foot ( 24 ). A tooth engaging member ( 25 ) is pivotally secured to the sleeve ( 21 ) and has a tooth engaging head ( 26 ) biased against the toothed edge ( 23 ) inside the sleeve ( 21 ) for supporting the sleeve about the support rod ( 22 ) while permitting upward displacement of the sleeve about the rod. The tooth engaging member ( 25 ) can be unbiased from the toothed edge ( 23 ) of the support rod ( 22 ) to permit downward displacement of the sleeve ( 21 ) about the rod ( 22 ). A locking member ( 40 ) is provided to lock the tooth engaging member ( 25 ) in arresting position with the toothed edge ( 23 ). The sleeve ( 21 ) is also provided with a connector ( 52 ) for support engagement with one of the corner frame members ( 1 ) of the scaffolding ( 10 ).

1 . An adjustable leg support mechanism  20  for a scaffolding  10  having vertical corner frame members  11  connected to horizontal frame members  12  and cross-braces  13 , said mechanism being characterized in that it comprises an open-ended sleeve  21  adapted to receive a support rod  22  therethrough and wherein said support rod has at least a longitudinal toothed edge section  23  and is adapted to secure to a bottom support foot  24 , a tooth engaging member  25  pivotally secured to said sleeve  21  and having a tooth engaging head  26  biased against said toothed edge  23  inside said sleeve  21  for supporting said sleeve about said support rod  22  while permitting upward displacement of said sleeve about said rod, means  27 ,  28  to unbias said tooth engaging head  26  from said toothed edge to permit downward displacement of said sleeve about said rod, arresting means  40  to lock said tooth engaging head  26  in arresting position with said toothed edge  23  and attachment means  52  for securing said sleeve  21  for support engagement with one of said vertical corner frame members  11  of a scaffolding. 
   
   
       2 . An adjustable leg support mechanism as claimed in  claim 1  characterized in that said means to unbias said tooth engaging head is a lever arm  28  formed integral with said tooth engaging head  26 , said tooth engaging head  26  having an engaging projection  34  projecting through an aperture  30  inside said open-ended sleeve. 
   
   
       3 . An adjustable leg support mechanism as claimed in  claim 2  characterized in that said sleeve  21  has a substantially rectangular cross-section for receiving therethrough said support rod  22  which is of substantially square cross-section, said toothed edge section  23  being constituted by a plurality of saw tooth formations  23 ′ formed along a side wall of said support rod and facing said aperture  30  of said sleeve  21 . 
   
   
       4 . An adjustable leg support mechanism as claimed in  claim 3  characterized in that said saw tooth formations  23 ′ each define a horizontal support ledge  32  and an outwardly sloping wall section  33 , said engaging projection  34  having a wedge shape formation  34 ′ defining a flat bottom wall  35  for seated engagement on said support ledge  32  and a rearwardly sloping upper wall  36  for frictional sliding engagement against said outwardly sloping wall section  33  of said tooth. 
   
   
       5 . An adjustable leg support mechanism as claimed in  claim 4  characterized in that said tooth engaging head  26  is pivotally connected by a pivot connection  27  between a pair of support flanges  37  secured to said sleeve  21  on opposed sides of a side wall  31  of said sleeve having said aperture  30 , said wedge-shaped formation  24 ′ being biased against said saw tooth formation  23  by the weight of said lever arm, said lever arm when displaced upwardly about said pivot connection  27  causing said wedge shape formation to retract through said aperture. 
   
   
       6 . An adjustable leg support mechanism as claimed in  claim 2  characterized in that said arresting means  40  is a locking lever pivotally connected  41  to said sleeve  21  and having an arresting formation  42  for removable engagement with said tooth engaging head to prevent displacement of said lever arm  28  and disengagement of said engaging projection with said toothed edge section  23  of said support rod  22 . 
   
   
       7 . An adjustable leg support mechanism as claimed in  claim 1  characterized in that said bottom support foot  24  is a slide plate  99  for sliding displacement on a ground support surface  14 . 
   
   
       8 . An adjustable leg support mechanism as claimed in  claim 1  characterized in that there is further provided a rod connector  50  secured to said sleeve  21  for connection to a transverse tubular rod  51  interconnecting two opposed leg support mechanisms  20  together. 
   
   
       9 . An adjustable leg support mechanism as claimed in  claim 1  characterized in that said attachment means  52  is a vertical connecting post  52  for release engagement with a hollow tubular end  55  of said vertical corner frame member  11 . 
   
   
       10 . An adjustable leg support mechanism as claimed in  claim 1  characterized in that there is further provided locking means  56  to automatically lock said support rod  22  with said sleeve  21  at one or more predetermined positions. 
   
   
       11 . An adjustable leg support mechanism as claimed in  claim 10  characterized in that said locking means is a spring-biased lock pin  52  secured to said sleeve  21  and having a spring-biased rod  56  urged against a side wall  59  of said support rod  22  for engagement in a hole  58  formed in said side wall  59  at said one or more predetermined positions. 
   
   
       12 . An adjustable leg support mechanism as claimed in  claim 1  characterized in that there is further provided a support wheel  60  secured to wheel support means  61  secured to said sleeve  21 , said wheel  60  having its planar axis of rotation extending parallel to said sleeve. 
   
   
       13 . An adjustable leg support mechanism as claimed in  claim 12  characterized in that said wheel  60  is removably secured to said wheel support means  61  which is constituted by a wheel attachment sleeve  61  secured to said sleeve  21 . 
   
   
       14 . An adjustable leg support mechanism as claimed in  claim 12  characterized in that there is further provided a rod connector  50  secured to said sleeve  21  for connection to a transverse tubular rod  51  for interconnecting two opposed leg support mechanisms  20  together in tandem arrangement, a carriage frame connector  86 ,  86 ′ secured to said wheel support means  61 ,  61 ′, each of said two opposed leg support mechanisms  20  adapted for interconnection with carriage frame connecting rods  89 ,  89 ′ to displace said tandem arrangement on said support wheels  60 . 
   
   
       15 . An adjustable leg support mechanism as claimed in  claim 14  characterized in that said rod connector  50  is pivotally secured to said sleeve  21 , and a vertical connecting post  52  secured to said rod connector for release engagement with a hollow tubular end  55  of said vertical corner frame member  11 , and lock means  76  for arresting said wheel support means  61  at a desired angular portion relative to said sleeves  21  of said tandem arrangement to displace said tandem arrangement along a desired direction. 
   
   
       16 . An adjustable leg support mechanism as claimed in  claim 15  characterized in that said carriage frame connector is an elongated flange  86 ,  86 ′ having a slot  88  therein to receive a connecting pin element  90  secured to a connecting end of said carriage connecting rods  89 ,  89 ′ to permit displacement of said connecting end along said slot  88 , said carriage connecting rods  89 ,  89 ′ being pivotally secured  93 ,  93 ′ at a remote end to a handle  94  to effect said displacement of said tandem arrangement. 
   
   
       17 . An adjustable leg support mechanism as claimed in  claim 15  characterized in that said lock means  76  comprises a horizontal lock flange  70  secured to said sleeve  21  and having an arcuate outer edge  71  provided with two or more locking cavities  72  disposed therealong, a pivot connecting flange  73  spaced above said lock flange  70  and extending parallel thereto, said rod connector  50  being pivotally connected between said lock flange  70  and said pivot connecting flange  73  by a pivot pin  74 , and a position arresting pin  76  spring-biased against a top peripheral edge of said lock flange  70  and secured to said rod connector, said position arresting pin  76  interconnecting said rod connector to said lock flange when received in one of said locking cavities  72 . 
   
   
       18 . An adjustable leg support mechanism as claimed in  claim 17  characterized in that said position arresting pin  76  is provided with engaging means  77  to retract said arresting pin from one of said locking cavities  72  for disengagement. 
   
   
       19 . An adjustable leg support mechanism as claimed in  claim 15  characterized in that said rod connector  50  is a connecting end of said transverse tubular rod  51 . 
   
   
       20 . An adjustable leg support mechanism as claimed in  claim 19  characterized in that said transverse tubular rod  51  is a telescopic rod  80  having interconnection means  81 . 
   
   
       21 . An adjustable leg support mechanism as claimed in  claim 19  characterized in that a leveling device  83  is secured to said transverse tubular rod  51 ,  80  to assist in locking a scaffolding tubular structure secured to said tandem arrangement. 
   
   
       22 . A support foot  24  for a scaffolding having vertical corner posts  11 , said support foot  24  being characterized by a slide plate  99  having a bottom ground engaging face  100  and opposed upwardly angled end flanges  101 , and a vertical connector  103  disposed substantially central on a top wall  104  of said slide plate  99  for removable connection with a lower end section  55  of said corner posts  11 . 
   
   
       23 . A support foot  24  as claimed in  claim 22  characterized in that said vertical connector is a vertical connecting post  103  for release engagement within a hollow end  55  of said corner posts, said corner posts  11  being hollow tubular posts having at least one lock pin receiving hole  106  for receiving therein a spring-biased lock pin  105  projecting from said vertical connecting post  103 .