US2485165A - Metal scaffold plank - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 18, 19.49.

A. F. POLL MAN METAL SCAFFOLD PLANK 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 27, 1946 -ew/wu I. Lp.

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Ilm alla Patented Oct. 18 1949 METAL scAFFoLD PLANK Adam F. Pollman, Milwaukee, Wis., assigner of one-half to Ira Milton Jones, River Hills, Wis.

Application March 27, 1946, Serial No. 657,525

3 Claims. (Cl. 304-38) This invention relates to planking of the type s used with scaffolding and has as its general purpose the provision of a light weight metal planking unit to be used in lieu of the wooden planks customarily used in the construction of staging,

platforms and runways supported by scaffolding.

While great strides have been madein the development of light weight metal scaffolding, no speciiic provision Wals made for constructing the platforms and runways of scaiiolding upon Which the Workmen stand and move about. Instead it has been the practice to use ordinary wooden planks for this purpose. The use of such wooden planks is hardly in keeping with the advance made in scaffolding, but what is more important, it is not as safe as it should be for no suitable means exists for securing Wooden planking in position and preventing its shifting to the extent that the workmen might very likely step onto an unsupported end of a plank.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to not only provide a heater more practical planking unit for use with scaffolding, but also to provide improved means for attaching the same to the supporting members of the scaiording in such a Way that the planking units will be held against shifting,

Another object of this invention is to provide metal planking so constructed that units thereof may be arranged substantially continuously end-to-end.

A further object of this invention is to provide a light weight sheet metal planking unit for the purpose set forth which is inexpensive to produce and light enough to be easily handled and Icarried up the scaffolding.

It is also an object of this invention to provide planking of the character described provided with a non-slip surface.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a light sheet metal planking unit consisting of telescoped sections so as to provide a unit of variable length.

With the above and other objects in View, which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly dened by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come Within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate several complete examples of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed in accordance with the best modes so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and. in which: I

Figure 1 is a perspective sectional view showing a light weight metal scaffolding unit embodying this invention;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating a slight modification of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side view of two planking units arranged end-to-end to illustrate the manner in which adjacent ends of such units are carried on the same supporting member, said view having portions thereof broken away and in section to facilitate illustration oi structural details;-

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view on the'plane of the line 4--4 in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a perspective of an extensible unit embodying this invention;

Figure 6 is a cross sectional View through Figure 5 taken on the plane of line 6 6; and

Figure '7 is a perspective view of a planking unit of xed length and somewhat modied construction. r

Referring now particularly to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 5 designates a planking unit constructed in accordance with this invvention and consisting of three (3) inverted channels 6, 7, and 8. These channels are secured together in side-by-side relation with their web portions 9 substantially coplanar and forming the top surface of the planking unit. Although any suitable means may be employed to secure the channels together, weld spots Ill serve admirably to join their contiguousportions and thus Iconnect the three (3) channels into one unit. y

The middle channel 1 has its two flanges II: of the same height while the side channels 6 and 8 have inner flanges I 2 of the same height as the flanges I I and outer ilanges I3 of greater height. These outer ilanges form the lsides of the planking unit. All of the flanges have inturned marginal edge portions I 4 to which a cross member I5 is secured by welding or the like. yAlthough only one such cross member is shown in Figure 1 it should be understood that more may be employed as determined by the length of the planking unit. To avoid projections beyond the bottom edges of the side anges I3, the ends of the cross member I5 rest on the inner surfaces of the adjacent marginal edge portions I4.

The ends of the planking unit have their under s lower edges of the flanges of the channels. This re-entrant formation of the ends of the planking unit enables hooks I6 to be so mounted that the centers of the hooks are substantially in line with the ends of the planking unit as shown in Figure 3. As a result the adjacent ends of two end-toend planking units may rest on a common supporting member Il which may be part of the scaffolding (not shown) ,with which the planking is employed.

Not only does this end formation of the unit permit the adjacent ends of two planking units tobe carried by the same support, but alsoit enables the planking units to have their adjacent ends in abutting relation. l

ing unit) consist of a length ,ofsheetgnetal folded longitudinally as at I8 and extending across the full Width of the planking unit with one flange I9 thereof welded to theends of the flanges of the inverted channels. The. otherfflangefmof this .cross imember has its outer `marginal edge .portion curved or bent as at 2l to define the hook proper, and- -aseshown Tint Figure .3,. the center \ofthe.arc :denedby this curved por-.tionffis perpendicularly in line with the extreme end of the..planlcing unit. "Ilhus when the hooksoftwoadjacentendt0.end

` :Planking units areiengaged. in superimposed-relation and carried by a common-support,.as shown in-Eigurepl` theextremeends of the planking unit `abuteach other andare vertically. ,offset onlyuby vthe 'thickness .ofthe .metal of v.which the hooks. are formed.

. r:The top surface vof the planking-unitpreferably has .a Inoue-slip: .formation provided .inany suita- .b1e..manner..but. preferablyI by punching. a.multi plicity of holes 22 into. the/.webs of the .inverted channels. #The holes .are punched. outwardly through the web portions` andthe flashingformed .dpringzthe .punching operation.- is-left standing.

around :the edges of the holes, thus .providing rel- @tively .roughedged protrusions on :the surface of Athejunit. While the `rdrawing showsgonly .partof the punched holes it is understood that theyoover the .entirel top.

The construction illustrated in Figure 1. whereixr the.- planking ,unit A consists of :three .(Ble Side- .byrside inverted channels achieves substantial :rigidity weven With ,I relativelyl light gauge sheet metal. :'.If somewhat heavier gauge .-metal .is-med, etheplankingunit canbe constructedas shownin lligurecZ. In Athis instance the entire .unit-:sis .stamped from. a .single sheet-and .consists Vof .two *connected side-.by-side, but .spacedinverted .channels 23. l i The inner f ianges; .24 of- .theseuchannels are connected. at- .their .bottom .edges by. an .integral'.1ovv.er,web25. 'The mainweb ,portionsu26 0f lthe two. channels. are:.in-p1anar alignment land .fmmzthe-top of the. plank.

in theconstruction shown* inzgligure. 1,y .the

described can lie-maintained notwithstanding-the provision of the reinforcing plates 28. These rinforcing plates also have the advantage of holding the hook portions of adjacent units against lateral displacement.

If desired, the salient features of the invention may be embodied in an extensible planking unit as shown in Figures 5 and 6. In this instance the planking unit consists of outer and inner sets of Iinverted vsheet metal channels'ZQ and 3.0 respec- 10 tively. The inner inverted'channels' are slidably received Within the outer channels, and to this end the inner channels are just slightly smaller itixnnross section than the outer channels. In the specific embodiment of this form of the inven- .15-t\ioln,= there (are fourl (4) inner and four (4) outer The hooks I6 (alike at both ends ofthe plankchannels, although this number may vary de- ,pending uponv the.contemplated Width of the 1inishedplanking unit.

The marginal edge portions of the flanges on all of the outer channels are turned in as at 3| over thei marginal edges .-.of the .manges `4on the inner `channels which for.: the. sake.. of .reinforcementandto avoidrough edgesare folded over..

The outerends` of the .twosets .ofchannels have cross pieceslal secured thereto by..we1ding.or-.the

` suitable supports.

The structure is held assembled, .that is,I against endw-ise separationof the .two sets of.channels,..by stopsK 34. A.welded .tothe undersidesofathainner channels .inposition 12o- `collide- Withproj .ectinnsBS Iformedintegrally..with a crcssmembeni..extending. across. vthe open..ends .of lthe..outer channels and secured to \the-1lang'es .thereof by.welding.or

the like.

`Conrugationsl are .formed inthe..web `portions of the channels which-serve.as-thentoppfothe planking .to provide anon-slip surface.

o Many` of! the ,features of.. the extensiblen planking1 unit. shown` j,in '.the. :Figures 5...and-. 6; can-...be conveniently. incorporated in a xedlengthplank- `ing'run-itas. shown in Eig-ure: 7. In .this .instance a A.plurality .i of sideeby-.side separate inverted channels 3l of uniform length arerheldassem- .bledby anglecross membersy 38 .,Welded. another- Wisey secured ,tothaends. thereof. 'lhesegcross members..y have .hookseS-:fxed `thereto. as. are the the plan'king'` unit areoiset laterally so that those on adjacent ends of end-toi-.endunits ytrainierengageable. and` positionable. in.side-by`.side rela- .'tion on the same supporting memh'erlthus permitting endvvise alignment `of the plankingmits.

-Asin-sthe embodiment of.'thestructureshown in Figures 5 and 6|, the webportions of athe'channels arecorrugated Vin--ltlie construction shown in Figure '1 to provide a non-slipsurface.

From theforegoing description taken -in connetionwiththe accompanying dravvingslit Will bey readilyapparent that this invention provides a sim-ple,- highlyl useful adjunct to 'prsent day metliodsl of scaffolding and that it provides' a light weight metal plankingmwhich has i'nay '70 advantages over theY conventional practieof using, Wooden planksfor the platform'sf runways yor stagings carriedt onf-the scaffldingf" 'Whfat I- clalm as my inventionis 1 1.- Light 'Weight metal planliingmof the 4cliaractendescri-bd comprising: a 'plurality of' inverted sheet metal channels; means for connecting said channels in side-by-side relation with their Web portions substantially r 'o-planar, said means including a cross member closing one end of said channels, the other end of said channels being open; a' second plurality of inverted sheet metal channels slidably received in the rst designated channels and projecting from the open ends thereof; a cross member extending across and closing the exposed end of said second plurality of channels and secured thereto to connect the same; hook means on said cross members; and means for holding said second plurality of channels slidably engaged with the rst plurality of channels.

2. Light weight metal planking of the character described comprising: a plurality of inverted sheet metal channels, each having the marginal edge portion of each of its flanges turned inwardly and upyardly to reinforce the channel and to provide a relatively narrow guide rail opening upwardly toward the web of the channel; a second plurality of inverted sheet metal channels, each having the marginal edge portion of each of its flanges bent back upon itself to reinforce the channel and to provide runners adapted to be received within the rails of said rst designated channels, said second designated plurality of channels being telescoped Within the first set with the runners on the flanges of the second set of channels slidably received in the guide rails on the anges of the channels of the rst set so as to provide a planking unit of variable length; a tie member extending across and secured to the channels of each set to hold the same in side-by-side parallel relationship; and means for limiting endwise separation of said channels, including a second tie member secured to and extending across the channels of one of said sets.

3. light weight metal planking of the character described comprising: a plurality of inverted sheet metal channels; means for connecting said channels in side-by-side relation with their web portions substantially co-planar including a transverse member secured across the edges of the flanges of one of said pluralities of channels near one end thereof; a second plurality of inverted sheet metal channels slidably received in the rst designated channels; and a stop member secured to at least one of the channels of the other plurality thereof, between the anges of the channel, in position to collide with a portion of said transverse member to thereby retain said channels against endwise separation.

ADAM F. POLLMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNTTED STATES PATENTS Number

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