US3458222A - Releasable metal scaffolding connector - Google Patents

Description

July 29, 1969 T. c. .JUCULANO RELEASABLE METAL SCAFFOLDING CONNECTOR Filed July 3, 1967 3&1.

I2 WI 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 m hwy/w) I harZes Juculaz'za y 9, 1969 T. c. JUCULANO 3,458,222

RELEASABLE METAL SCAFFOLDING CONNECTOR Filed July 5, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 dmJ/vmv md T Charles JucuYano gym July 29, 1969 T. c. JUCULANO 3,458,222

RELEASABLE METAL SCAFF'OLDING CONNECTOR Filed July 3, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 smJm-ngp 3 I gharles Juculaz'zu U.S. Cl. 28753.5

United States Patent 3,458,222 RELEASABLE METAL SCAFFOLDING CONNECTOR Theodore Charles Juculano, Oshkosh, Wis., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Marvel Equipment Corporation, Oshkosh, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 3, 1967, Ser. No. 650,944 Int. Cl. 1304c 1/00 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The notched bottom portion of a clamping jaw normally straddles the lower one of a pair of studs projecting from the side of an upright scaffold member to prevent rotation of the jaw about the upper stud to an in operative position except when the jaw is lifted to free it from the lower stud. Tightening of a nut on the upper stud rocks the jaw about a fulcrum at its top and forces its bottom portion clampingly against the end of a brace impaled on the lower stud to hold the brace captive thereon.

This invention relates to readily erectable and dismountable metal scaffolding of the type disclosed in my Patent No. 2,962,310, issued Nov. 29, 1960.

The invention concerns the securement of the apertured ends of the diagonal braces of metal scaffolding to its uprights, by impaling them on the lower one of a pair of vertically spaced studs projecting from the side of the upright and holding them on this stud by a clamping jaw mounted on the studs and clamped against the apertured end of the brace or braces by a wing nut threaded on the upper stud. The invention is characterized by the fact that the jaw has a lengthwise extending slot therein medially of its ends, in which the upper threaded stud is loosely received, and a notch which opens to a lower edge portion of the jaw and has spaced apart edges substantially parallel to the longitudinally extending edges of the jaw to embracingly engage the lower stud and preclude edgewise pivotal motion of the jaw about the upper stud except upon upward translatory motion of the jaw relative to the upright an extent suflicient to disengage the lower stud from between said edges of the notch; and a foot portion extending inwardly from the jaw above the upper end of its slot for engagement of its outer edge with the side of the upright, to provide a fulcrum about which the jaw can be moved flatwise towards the upright by tightening of the nut on the threaded upper stud, to clamp the apertured end of the brace or braces against the side of the upright. The outer edge of the foot portion is concave to embrace the upright and preclude edgewise pivotal motion of the jaw about the upper threaded stud, except upon loosening of the clamping unit sufficiently to permit substantial flatwise motion of the jaw away from the upright. The jaw is further characterized by the coaction which obtains between the concavity of the outer edge of said portion of the jaw and the parallel relationship between said spaced edges of the notch and the longitudinally extending edges of the jaw in providing good assurance against accidental displacement of the jaw from its operative position holding the apertured end of the brace or braces assembled with the upright.

Scaffolding of the type to which this invention pertains, as is well known, is comprised of rigid rectangular frame sections or panels each consisting of a pair of tubular uprights or posts joined together in spaced parallel relationship by transverse cross bars. Diagonal braces are detachably connected at their ends to the uprights or posts of adjacent panels to hold the panels in uniformly spaced relation and in alignment with one another. The

3,458,222 Patented July 29, 1969 braces are also tubular, and their ends are customarily flattened and apertured to facilitate their connection to studs fixed on the uprights or posts.

Various types of connectors have been used in the past to anchor the ends of the braces to the uprights. The most common-and perhaps the original form of connectionconsists simply of a threaded stud projecting from the upright and a wing-nut removably threaded onto the stud to clamp the apertured end portion of the brace or pair of braces against the side of the upright. While this manner of connecting the braces to the uprights has the advantage of simplicity and the capability of tightly clamping one or two braces to an upright, the need for removing the wing-nut to permit a brace to be impaled upon the stud was a never ending source of irritation. Time and again the nut would be dropped and often lost and not replaced.

The objections to the removable wing-nut type of connector led to the development of connectors which used no clamping nut, but instead had a bifurcated member slidably mounted on the upright for movement axially of the upright to and from a position straddling the stud outwardly of the apertured end portions of the braces impaled upon the stud. Examples of this siliding type of connector will be found in the patents to Pimm No. 2,823,959, and Tardif No. 3,027,181; but the most practicable of this type undoubtedly is the connector which forms the subject matter of Patent No. 3,344,655.

However, despite the advantages of the connector of my aforesaid application, experience showed that still further improvement was needed, and to achieve that improvement is the purpose and object of this invention.

More specifically, this invention has as its purpose to provide an improved connector for quickly and easily securing the diagonal braces of metal scaffolding to the uprights thereof, wherein the simplicity and quickness of effecting the connection that characterizes the slidably mounted bifurcated retainer type connector of the aforesaid Patent No. 3,344,655 is combined with the rigidity that can only be assured through the provision of a clamping nut by which the braces can be tightly clamped to the upright, whether only one or two braces are impaled upon the stud.

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 defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiments of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come Within the scope of the claim.

The accompanying drawings illustrate three complete examples of the physical embodiment of the invention, constructed according to the best modes so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a connector, illustrating one embodiment of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the connector shown in FIGURE 1, with parts broken away and in section;

FIGURE 3 is a front view of the connector;

FIGURE 4 is a front view similar to FIGURE 3, but showing a slightly modified embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 1, illustrating another embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the connector shown in FIGURE 5, illustrating the manner in which a brace may be applied or removed in this form of the invention;

FIGURES 7 and 8 are cross sectional views through 3 the connector shown in FIGURE 5, respectively illustrating two braces and a single brace clamped in position;

FIGURE 9 is a side view with parts broken away and in section, of the connector shown in FIGURE 5, illustrating the same in its operative condition; and

FIGURE 10 is a view similar to FIGURE 8, but showing the connector in the act of being disengaged.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates one of the uprights of a conventional metal scaffolding panel or frame, as shown for instance in my Patent No. 2,962,310. In the erection of metal scaffolding, these frames or panels are connected by diagonal braces 6 detachably secured to the upper and lower end portions of the uprights. In each instance, a stud 7 projects from the side of the tubular upright to have the apertured ends 8 of one or two braces impaled thereon. The endmost frames or panels of a group thereof have only one brace impaled on each of its studs, whereas the studs of all intermediate frames or panels have two braces impaled thereon. As shown in FIGURE 3, the braces extend diagonally upwardly or downwardly from the studs, depending upon whether the connection is to the top or bottom of the frame or panel; in the case of the top connections the angle is downward and from the bottom studs the angle is upward.

In each case-top or bottomthe apertured ends 8 of the braces are held in position impaled upon a stud 7 by a clamp 9. Not only does the clamp 9 hold the brace against accidental displacement from the stud, but it also tightly clamps the brace-or braces, if two are impaled upon the studagainst the upright. The desired rigidity for the erected scaffold is thus assured.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURES 13, the clamp 9 consists of an elongated stiff jaw 10 with a lateral projection or foot 11 at one end thereof. The edge 12 of this projection or foot is concavely curved to fit the curved side of the round tubular upright in the operative position of the jaw.

The opposite end of the jaw 10 which is lowermost in the operative condition of the clamp is bifurcated to provide a notch 13 which has its entrance or mouth opening to the bottom edge of the jaw to receive and embrace the stud 7; and between its ends the jaw has an elongated slot 14 through which a second stud 15 projects. This second stud, which is also fixed to the side of the tubular upright above the stud 7 and in line therewith, is threaded and has a wing-nut 16 thereon to bear against the jaw and force it towards the upright when tightened. After the wing-nut is applied to the threaded stud 15 the outer end of the stud is upset as at 15 to prevent removal of the wing-nut.

As especially shown in FIGURE 2, in the operative condition of the connector, with the bifurcated lower end portion of the jaw 10 straddling the stud 7 and bearing against the outermost face of the apertured end portion of the brace or braces impaled upon the stud, tightening of the wing-nut 16 rocks the jaw about the fulcrum provided by the engagement of its projection or foot 11 with the side of the upright, and forces the brace or braces impaled upon the stud tightly against the side of the upright.

Although, in essence, the jaw 10 clamps the apertured ends of the brace or braces under its bifurcated lower end portion against the side of the upright, the innermost brace actually engages the outer fiat surface of a boss 17 at the base of the stud 7. This holds the braces spaced at short distance from the side of the scaffolding and; as shown in FIGURE 2, the height of the projection or foot 11 is such that when two braces are impaled upon the stud 7, which is most often the case, the jaw is substantially parallel with the adjacent side of the tubular upright. When the connection involves only one brace, the jaw is not quite parallel with the upright, but the angle is too small to be objectionable.

The relationship between the spacing of the studs 7 and 15, the length of the slot 14 and the distance between the lowermost end of the slot 14 and the bottom extremity of the bifurcated end of the jaw is important. With these dimensions properly correlated, detachment of a brace or braces from the upright merely requires loosening the wing-nut and sliding the jaw 10 upwardly along the upright far enough to disengage its bifurcated lower end from the stud 7, or in other words to effect disengagement of the stud from the notch 13, whereupon the jaw may be rotated about the stud 15 to an angular position entirely clear of the underlying brace or braces, whether they extend downwardly or upwardly from the stud 7.

Attachment of a brace or braces to an upright is accomplished with equal facility. To effect the attachment, the jaw is held with one hand in its elevated rotated position, and with the other hand the apertured end of the brace is impaled upon the stud 7. Then by simply swinging the jaw to its vertical position and allowing it to drop, the connection is complete save for tightening the wing-nut.

As shown in FIGURE 4, an increase in the distance between the studs 7 and 15 and an increase in the length of the jaw, obviates the need for rotating the jaw about the stud 15 to enable placement or removal of the braces. Instead, it is only necessary to loosen the wing-nut sufficiently to permit the jaw to be slid upwardly along the upright, during which movement the jaw is retained in its vertical orientation by virtue of the concavely curved edge 12 of the projection or foot 11 embracing the correspondingly curved side of the upright.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG- URES 5 to 10, inclusive, the notch-here identified by the numeral 20has its entrance 21 opening to one side edge of the jaw at a location spaced downwardly from the notch. The mouth of the entrance is considerably wider than the diameter of the stud 7 and extends from the extremity 22 of the adjacent side of the notch to a point close to the lower end of the jaw. Attention is directed to the fact that the lower edge 23 of the entrance to the notch slants upwardly to in effect form a cam surface which guides the jaw to its operative position with the stud received in the notch.

Another feature of this form of the invention resides in the dimensional relationship between the spacing of the two studs and the distance between the mouth of the entrance to the notch and the bottom of the slot 14. This relationship is such that when the bottom of the slot engages the upper threaded stud the mouth of the entrance 21 is automatically disposed to receive the lower stud 7.

It should also be noted that the portion 24 of the jaw which defines the side of the notch 20 nearest its entrance, is in effect a hook that engages over the stud 7 as the jaw swings towards and drops into its operative brace retaining position. Because of this, the jaw must be lifted before it can be swung to a position clear of the underlying apertured ends of the braces impaled upon the stud 7, and of course before the jaw can be lifted, the wing-nut must be loosened.

From the foregoing description taken with the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent that this invention provides a substantially improved connector for detachably securing the diagonal braces of metal scaffolding to the uprights thereof.

What is claimed as my invention is:

1. A connector for detachably securing an apertured end of a brace or a plurality of braces to an upright of a metal scaffolding frame with the brace or braces extending diagonally either upwardly or downwardly from the point of securement,

wherein the upright is round in cross section and has a pair of vertically spaced upper and lower studs fixed thereto and projecting from the same side thereof,

the upper stud being threaded and the lower stud having the apertured end of the brace or braces impaled thereon,

wherein the apertured end of the brace or braces is (3) a foot portion extending inwardly from the jaw held against displacement from the lower stud by an elongated substantially flat jaw mounted on said studs and clamped against the apertured end of the brace or braces by a nut threaded on the upper stud,

only slight loosening of the clamping nut, far enough to enable the apertured end of an upwardly extending brace to be impaled upon or removed from the lower stud, and

above the upper end of its slot for engagement of its outer edge with the side of the upright, to provide a fulcrum about which the jaw can be moved flatwise towards the upright by tightening of the nut on the CARL W. TOMLIN, Primary Examiner 25 WAYNE L. SHE/DD, Assistant Examiner the connector being characterized in that the jaw has 5 h d d upper stud, to clamp the apertured end of a lengthwise extending Slot therein medially f the brace or braces against the side of the upright,

ends, in Which the PP threaded Stud is loosely the outer edge of said foot portion being concave received, and to embrace the upright and restrain the jaw a notch Which Opens Straight down to the bottom against edgewise rotation about the threaded edge of the l and has Spaced 'P edges 10 upper stud as the jaw is raised, to thereby keep Stafltially Parallel the longitudinally extending the entrance to the notch aligned with the lower edges of the jaw, to embracingly engage the lower StucL stud and preclude edgewise pivotal motion of the References Cited jaw about the upper stud,

so that disengagement of the jaw from the lower UNITED STATES PATENTS stud entails raising the jaw from its operative 2,716,576 8/ 1955 Nordohe 287-535 position to which it is propelled by gravity, the 2,636,086 8/1954 French 287'53'5 distance between the studs and also the length of FOREIGN PATENTS the slot in the jaw being suflicient to permit the 675 850 8/1961 Canada aw to be raised wlth a translatory motion, upon 73 ,7 8 6/1955 Great Britain.

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