Erected platform

Abstract

A platform erected by adding an other platform portion to an existing platform portion, as illustrated in FIGS. 20 to 23 , by holding a first other truss adjacent decking of the existing portion, connecting ends of sides of the first other truss and a first existing truss with a first pin, swinging the first other truss about the first pin, and connecting ends of other sides of the first other truss and first existing truss with a second pin. In order to similarly connect a second other truss to a second existing truss, the first pin is removed and the first other truss is swung out of the way. After the second other truss is connected to the second existing truss, the first other truss is swung back into position and the first pin re-inserted. Decking is applied to the first and second other trusses.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An erected platform wherein the platform is erected by the steps of:
 providing an existing platform portion which has decking laid on existing parallel trusses wherein a first of the existing parallel trusses has an end and a second of the existing parallel trusses has an end, wherein an edge of the decking extends between and is adjacent the end of the first existing parallel truss and the end of the second existing parallel truss, wherein the first existing parallel truss includes a first side having at least one first aperture adjacent the end of the first existing parallel truss and further includes a second side having at least one second aperture adjacent the end of the first existing parallel truss, wherein the second existing parallel truss includes a first side having at least one first aperture adjacent the end of the second existing parallel truss and further includes a second side having at least one second aperture adjacent the end of the second existing parallel truss; positioning a first other truss generally parallel to and generally adjacent the edge of the decking so that ends of the first other truss are generally adjacent the ends respectively of the first and second existing parallel trusses, wherein the first other truss includes a first side having at least one first aperture adjacent one of the ends of the first other truss and further includes a second side having at least one second aperture adjacent the one of the ends of the first other truss;   aligning the at least one first aperture in the first other truss with the at least one first aperture in the first existing parallel truss thereby providing aligned first apertures;   inserting a first pin in the aligned first apertures;   swinging the first other truss about the first pin to a position wherein the first other truss is in generally an end-to-end relation and co-axial with the first existing parallel truss; aligning the at least one second aperture in the first other truss with the at least one second aperture in the first existing parallel truss thereby providing aligned second apertures;   inserting a second pin in the aligned second apertures thereby rigidly attaching the first other truss end-to-end to and co-axial with the first existing parallel truss;   removing the first pin from the aligned first apertures;   swinging the first other truss about the second pin to a position wherein the first other truss extends in a direction away from the second existing parallel truss;   positioning a second other truss generally parallel to and generally adjacent the edge of the decking, wherein the second other truss includes a first side having at least one first aperture adjacent an end of the second other truss and further includes a second side having at least one second aperture adjacent the end of the second other truss;   aligning the at least one first aperture in the second other truss with the at least one first aperture in the second existing parallel truss thereby providing aligned first apertures of the second other truss and the second existing parallel truss;   inserting a third pin in the aligned first apertures of the second other truss and the second existing parallel truss;   swinging the second other truss about the third pin to a position wherein the second other truss is in generally an end-to-end relation and co-axial with the second existing parallel truss;   aligning the at least one second aperture in the second other truss with the at least one second aperture in the second existing parallel truss thereby providing aligned second apertures of the second other truss and the second existing parallel truss;   inserting a fourth pin in the aligned second apertures of the second other truss and the second existing parallel truss thereby rigidly attaching the second other truss end-to-end to and co-axial with the second existing parallel truss;   swinging the first other truss about the second pin to a position wherein the first other truss is in generally an end-to-end relation and co-axial with the first existing parallel truss;   again aligning the at least one first aperture in the first other truss with the at least one first aperture in the first existing parallel truss thereby again providing aligned first apertures of the first other truss and the first existing parallel truss; and   again inserting the first pin in the aligned first apertures of the first other truss and the first existing parallel truss thereby again rigidly attaching the first other truss end-to-end to and co-axial with the first existing parallel truss.   
     
     
         2 . An erected platform according to  claim 1  wherein the trusses are quad-chord trusses each having four chords all spaced from one another, wherein the first side of the first existing parallel truss has two of the chords each having at least one of the at least one first aperture of the first side of the first existing parallel truss, wherein the second side of the first existing parallel truss has two of the chords each having at least one of the at least one second aperture of the second side of the first existing parallel truss, wherein the first side of the first other truss has two of the chords each having at least one of the at least one first aperture of the first side of the first other truss, and wherein the second side of the second other truss has two of the chords each having at least one of the at least one second aperture of the second side of the second other truss. 
     
     
         3 . An erected platform according to  claim 1  wherein the steps further comprise:
 applying additional decking on the first and second other trusses so that the additional decking has an edge adjacent a location of connector members on the first and second other trusses for attachment of a cross beam thereto; and 
 attaching a cross beam to the connector members on the first and second other trusses. 
 
     
     
         4 . An erected platform according to  claim 3  further comprising the steps of selecting the additional decking to be corrugated sheet metal decking and overlapping sections of the additional decking with adjacent sections of the additional decking. 
     
     
         5 . An erected platform wherein the platform is erected by the steps of:
 providing an existing platform portion which has decking laid on existing parallel quad-chord trusses wherein a first of the existing parallel quad-chord trusses has an end and a second of the existing parallel quad-chord trusses has an end, wherein an edge of the decking extends between and is adjacent the end of the first existing parallel quad-chord truss and the end of the second existing parallel quad-chord truss, wherein the first existing parallel quad-chord truss includes a first side including two chords each having at least one first aperture adjacent the end of the first existing parallel quad-chord truss and further includes a second side including two chords each having at least one second aperture adjacent the end of the first existing parallel quad-chord truss, wherein the second existing parallel quad-chord truss includes a first side including two chords each having at least one first aperture adjacent the end of the second existing parallel quad-chord truss and further including a second side including two chords each having at least one second aperture adjacent the end of the second existing parallel quad-chord truss;   positioning a first other quad-chord truss generally parallel to and generally adjacent the edge of the decking so that ends of the first other quad-chord truss are generally adjacent the ends respectively of the first and second existing parallel quad-chord trusses, wherein the first other quad-chord truss includes a first side including two chords each having at least one first aperture adjacent one of the ends of the first other quad-chord truss and further includes a second side including two chords each having at least one second aperture adjacent the one of the ends of the first other quad-chord truss;   aligning the first apertures in the first other quad-chord truss with the first apertures in the first existing parallel quad-chord truss thereby providing aligned first apertures;   inserting a first pin in the aligned first apertures;   swinging the first other quad-chord truss about the first pin to a position wherein the first other quad-chord truss is in generally an end-to-end relation and co-axial with the first existing parallel quad-chord truss;   aligning the second apertures in the first other quad-chord truss with the second apertures in the first existing parallel quad-chord truss thereby providing aligned second apertures;   inserting a second pin in the aligned second apertures whereby the first other quad-chord truss is rigidly attached end-to-end to and co-axial with the first existing parallel quad-chord truss;   removing the first pin from the aligned first apertures;   swinging the first other quad-chord truss about the second pin to a position wherein the first other quad-chord truss extends in a direction away from the second existing parallel quad-chord truss;   positioning a second other quad-chord truss generally parallel to and generally adjacent the edge of the decking, wherein the second other quad-chord truss includes a first side including two chords each having at least one first aperture adjacent an end of the second other quad-chord truss and further including a second side including two chords each having at least one second aperture adjacent the end of the second other quad-chord truss;   aligning the first apertures in the second other quad-chord truss with the first apertures in the second existing parallel quad-chord truss thereby providing aligned first apertures of the second other quad-chord truss and the second existing parallel quad-chord truss;   inserting a third pin in the aligned first apertures of the second other quad-chord truss and the second existing parallel quad-chord truss;   swinging the second other quad-chord truss about the third pin to a position wherein the second other quad-chord truss is in generally an end-to-end relation and co-axial with the second existing parallel quad-chord truss;   aligning the second apertures in the second other quad-chord truss with the second apertures in the second existing parallel quad-chord truss thereby providing aligned second apertures of the second other quad-chord truss and the second existing parallel quad-chord truss;   inserting a fourth pin in the aligned second apertures of the second other quad-chord truss and the second existing parallel quad-chord truss whereby the second other quad-chord truss is rigidly attached end-to-end to and co-axial with the second existing parallel quad-chord truss;   swinging the first other quad-chord truss about the second pin to a position wherein the first other quad-chord truss is in generally an end-to-end relation with and co-axial with the first existing parallel quad-chord truss;   again aligning the first apertures in the first other quad-chord truss with the first apertures in the first existing parallel quad-chord truss thereby again providing aligned first apertures of the first other quad-chord truss and the first existing parallel quad-chord truss; and   again inserting the first pin in the aligned first apertures of the first other quad-chord truss and the first existing parallel quad-chord truss whereby the first other quad-chord truss is again rigidly attached end-to-end to and co-axial with the first existing parallel quad-chord truss.   
     
     
         6 . An erected platform according to  claim 5  wherein the steps further comprise:
 applying additional decking on the first and second other quad-chord trusses so that the additional decking has an edge adjacent a location of connector members on the first and second other quad-chord trusses for attachment of a cross beam thereto; and 
 attaching a cross beam to the connector members on the first and second other quad-chord trusses. 
 
     
     
         7 . An erected platform according to  claim 6  further comprising the steps of selecting the additional decking to be corrugated sheet metal decking and overlapping sections of the additional decking with adjacent sections of the additional decking.