US3717220A

US3717220A - Construction conveying system and components therefor

Info

Publication number: US3717220A
Application number: US00115043A
Authority: US
Inventors: H Donker; W Kuiper
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-02-12
Filing date: 1971-02-12
Publication date: 1973-02-20
Anticipated expiration: 1990-02-20

Abstract

A scaffold, a conveyor mounted thereon, a supply station and vertically adjustable mounting brackets supporting the conveyor. One of these brackets also supports one end of the supply station positioned at one end of the conveyor, the conveyor having a railing and being tiltable to force the conveyed material to bear on the railing.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Donker et a1.

CONSTRUCTION CONVEYING SYSTEM AND COMPONENTS THEREFOR Inventors: Harvey D. Donker, 7373 Kraft Avenue, Caledonia, Mich. 49612; Warren ,1. Kuiper, 1311 Richwood Drive, S.E., Grand Rapids, Mich. 4,9506

Filed: Feb. 12, 1971 Appl. No.: 115,043

Related U.S. Application Data Continuation of Ser. No. 805,683, March 10, 1969,

abandoned.

u.s. C1. ..l82/l29, 193/35, 248/235 Int. Cl .,.....E04 1/15 Field of Search ..1s2 129, 17s; 193/35; 248/235 51 Feb. 20, 1973 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,548,970 12/1970 Hutchen, Sr. ..182/129 2,740,513 4/1956 Sullivan ..193/35 3,305,075 2/1967 Johnson ..193/35 X 1,393,932 10/1921 Andre ..182/l46 X Primary Examiner-Kenneth Downey AttorneyPrice, Heneveld, Huizenga & Cooper [5 7 ABSTRACT A scaffold, a conveyor mounted thereon, a supply station and vertically adjustable mounting brackets supporting the conveyor. One of these brackets also supports one end of the supply station positioned at one end of the conveyor, the conveyor having a railing and being tiltable to force the conveyed material to bear on the railing.

7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTED EBZ 3,717. 22 0 SHEET 1 OF 2 FIG. 3

INVENTORS FIG. 2 HARVEY D. DDNKER WARREN J. KUIPER PM W,

/W, t G m-PA ATTORNEYS PATENTEDFEBZOIQB 3.717. 220

INVENTORS HARVEY DQDONKER WARREN J. KUIPER ATTORNEYS CONSTRUCTION CONVEYING SYSTEM AND COMPONENTS THEREFOR I This is a continuation of US. Pat. application Ser. No. 805,683, filed Mar. 10, 1969, and now abandoned.

I BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For years in the construction art it has been customary to pass out bricks and other material to workers on a scaffold individually by hand, the material having been lifted to the scaffold initially by crane, forklift or by other techniques. This separate servicing of each position along the scaffold is inefficient and time consuming, particularly in view of the fact that each such user of the building materials has to make his desires and needs known each time he runs out of material. The problem is especially acute for workmen on upper stories inasmuch as the worker distributing the material by hand or by wheelbarrow from a central conveyor must walk the entire circumference of the building toreach every point of the scaffold.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a combination of a mechanical conveyor with a scaffold and the means for mounting the conveyor on the scaffold. Specifically, the invention provides the combination of a scaffold, a conveyor, and means mounted on the scaffold for supporting the conveyor, the conveyor including means for operating it either by gravity or by electric power. The

supporting means can be either of two types of which includes means for supporting a platform below the conveyor. Means are also included for delivering the conveyed material along a predetermined path, said means including means for tilting the conveyor.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to con- 7 tinuously supply building materials along the outer edge of a scaffold.

It is a further object of the invention to provide materials in the abovenamed fashion by the use of a conveyor mounted on the scafiold.

vIt is still a further object of the invention to provide a vertically adjustable mounting of a conveyor on a scaffold.

It is a related object of the invention to provide a scaffold conveyor of the above character which accurately delivers building material from one central supply point. I

Other objects and advantages'of the invention will become apparent upon reference to the following drawings and detailed discussion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a fragmentary perspective view of aconveyor mounted on a scaffold in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along- FIG. 6 is a fragmentary front elevational section taken generally along the plane VI-Vl of FlG. l and illustrating only the supply station bracket.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT This invention maybe utilized to provide a conveyor on a scaffold for any purpose whatsoever, one of which is the supplying of building materials along the outside of a construction scaffold so that the building materials need not be delivered individually to the workers on the scaffold. It is this use which is illustrated hereinafter, but other uses such as in painting a building wherein buckets of paints are supplied by the conveyor are equally feasible and will be obvious to one skilled in the use of scaflolds.

In FIG. 1, a conventional scaffold 10 is formed by uprights 12 and 13, cross bars 14, and braces 16, the uprights 13 being adjacent to the construction site itself. A wooden platform 18 (FIG. 6 only) within the scaffold 10 supports the workers, such platforms being easily placed across cross bars such as cross bars 14.

In accordance with the invention, a conveyor 20 is mounted along the outside of the scaffold by attaching special support brackets 30 and to the uprights 12. The conveyor consists of conventional rollers 22 mounted in a frame 24, sectioned and joined at 27 where they are supported, which rollers are here illustrated as being free wheeling so that materials are delivered by the influence of gravity. However, the systemworks equally well by a power driven conveyor actuated by a conventional electric motor 25. That the operation of the conveyor illustrated in FIG. 1 is by gravity is indicated in FIG. 3, wherein the-top edge 26 of the frame 24 as well as the top surface 28 of the bottom flange of the frame are in view, due to the fact that the conveyor is not perfectly horizontal but is tilted so that what'is illustrated as the far end in FIG.'3 is higher than the front end shown in FIG. 3. The tilting of the overall conveyor out of a horizontal plane is accomplished by vertically adjusting the

special brackets

30 and 70 as hereinafter described.

To allow the building materials to be delivered to a central supply station, one of the aforementioned brackets, a bracket 30, is mounted upon the scaffold at the high end 32 of the conveyor. Because it supports the supply station, it is wider than the conveyor. The bracket includes an upright channel 34 and three

vhorizontal cross channels

36, 38 and 40, the latter of which supports a conventional platform 42, which can be made from planks of lumber. The channel 40 includes at the end adjacent the channel 34 a .l-shaped section 44 which-fits around the inside of the upright 12 of the scaffold, preferably right above a cross bar 14. The other end of the channel 40 along with the ends of the other two

horizontal channels

36 and 38 are welded to a side channel 48 which is bent in the middle to form i an angle between and 135, preferably about The bottom end 50 of the channel 48 supports the bot- I tom end of the channel 34 and has welded thereto a U- shaped sleeve segment 52 with slips around the outside of the upright 12 of the scaffold. To adjustably support the conveyor within the bracket 30, a vertical pipe 56 is welded approximately to the center of the

horizontal channels

36 and 38 and is provided with a hole therein over which is welded a nut 58 to be used in the locking of the conveyor bracket in place.

To complete the support of the platform 42, a conventional bracket 60 (FIG. 4) is mounted also on the uprights l2 at'the end of the platform 42 opposite to the end supported by the bracket 32. The platform 42 is thus used as a supply station to receive a large quantity of building materials, such as concrete blocks 62 or bricks 64, and it also serves to support a worker who initiates the conveying of the materials from that supply station as the need arises. The building materials can be supplied to the platform 42 by any conventional means such as a forklift or elevator.

To support the remainder of the conveyor at progressively lower heights along the scaffold 10, special brackets 70 are provided, again for mounting on the uprights 12. To grip the inside of the uprights 12, a horizontal arm 72 is welded to the body 74 of the bracket and is provided with a ,l-shaped section 76 which grips the upright preferably immediately above a cross bar 14. To complete the support of the bracket 70, a bar 78 depends downwardly from the body 74 and terminates in a U-shaped sleeve segment 80 which rests on the outside of the uprights 12. To reinforce the bar 78, the arm 72, and the body 74, a bent bar 82 is welded to those three members. To accommodate the conveyor in an adjustable fashion, a pipe 84 is welded to the body 74 and is provided with a hole and a nut 86 welded thereto in a fashion similar to the design of the pipe 56.

The conveyor supports comprise a vertical arm 88 which slips into the pipe 84, the arm having welded to the top thereof a platform 90. To guide a conveyor into position on the platform,the latter has at its ends vertical guide flanges 92. To lock the arm 88 in the desired vertical position, a handle 94 is threaded toscrew into the nut 86, a similar handle 95 being utilized on the pipe 56 (FIG. 6). Thus, the arm 88 may be fixed at the desired height within the pipe 84 by tightening the han-,

dle 94.-It will be readily apparent that the same conveyor support consisting of an arm 88 and a platform 90 is utilized with the bracket30, the arm 88 being inserted into the pipe 56 and locked at the desired height with the handle 95. When used with a gravity conveyor, it will be readily apparent that the platforms 90 are adjusted so that the one which is the highest is the one mounted in the bracket 30, while the others are progressively lowered within the brackets 70 as those brackets are further removed from the bracket 30.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, to insure that the building materials such as the bricks 64 are delivered along a predetermined path so as to not fall ofi the conveyor, a railing 96 is mounted along the entire length of the conveyor by means of bars 98 shaped in the form of a J. The short end of the .l is welded to the railing 96 (FIG. 3) while the long end extends underneath the rollers 22 within the con-veyor 20 in a channel 100, the channel being provided with a hole over which is welded a nut 102. To lock the bar 98 into the desired position for the railing 96, a handle 104 is threaded so as to screw into the nut 102 and to engage the longer end of the bar 98. By these means, the horizontal position of the railing 96 can be adjusted. To insure that the conveyed material guides along the railing 96, the conveyor 20 can be tilted along its longitudinalaxis so that the side under the railing 96 is lower than the opposite side. That may be accomplished by using any one of a number of equivalent methods, one

of which is to bolt a wedge l 1,0 to the platform 90 along the side opposite to the side which is under the railing 96 and the bars 98 (FIG. 5). By these means, gravity will insure that the conveyed materials do guide along the railing 96.

While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to that described. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as.

defined by the following claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclu sive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows.

1. On a building or maintenance scaffolding adapted for positioning alongside a building or, building site, the scaffolding supporting at least one elongated working area'at a position spaced vertically from a surface supporting said scaffolding and permitting workers standing and moving thereon to have access to desired locations for building or maintenance purposes, the improvement comprising elongated mechanical conveying means having a continuous article support and conveying surface positioned along and supported from said scaffolding, said conveying means being supported from said scaffolding by a plurality of spaced support members, said support members also supporting a.

supply station, said conveying means being vertically adjustablysupported on said support members such that said conveying means is vertically adjustable. with respect to and independent of said position of all of said working areas and said supply station, said members being fixed to said scaffolding on the side of said scaffolding opposite from said scaffolding opposite from said building or building site, said members supporting said elongated conveying means and its conveying surface to the side of said working area opposite from said building or site permitting workers to freely stand on and move along said area between said building or site and said conveying means withoutinterference from or with said conveying means, said conveying means being accessible. to said workers on one side of said area so that they can remove articles being conveyed therealong, said building or site being accessible to said workers on the other side of said area so that they can use the articles on the building vor site for building or maintenance purposes; said supply station also being on said side opposite said building whereby building supplies and the like may be loaded thereon without interference from said scaffolding, conveying means, or working areas.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said conveyor means is gravity operated.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said support members comprise brackets having adjustable vertical arms, said conveyor means being supported upon and extending between said arms, said brackets being mounted on said scaffolding whereby, by the adjustment of said arms within said brackets, the angle of said conveying means with respect to said surface supporting said scaffolding along the length of said scaffolding can be adjusted, said adjustment allowing one end of said conveyor to be positioned higher than the other.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said conveying means further comprises a railing adjustably fixed to one side of said conveyor means, and means for tilting said conveyor means so that the side of said conveyor means mounting said railing is lower than the other side thereof whereby the articles conveyed along said conveying means bear upon said railmg.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said support members are removably fixed to said scaffolding.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said support members are affixed to said scaffolding in outrigger-like fashion. I V

7. The combination of a scaffold, a mechanical conveyor, means mounted on said scaffold for supporting said conveyor; said conveyor having a high end and a low end along the length of said scaffold; and a supply station at one end of said conveyor; said scaffold including a working area, said station including a bracket positioned at the high end of said conveyor; said bracket having a pipe for accommodating an adjustable vertical arm, means for locking said arm to said pipe, and means for supporting a supply platform below said vertical arm; said bracket having a width exceeding the width of said conveyor for supporting said supply platform, said bracket being vertically adjustable with respect to said working area, said arm vertically adjustably supporting a portion of said conveyor, said conveyor being vertically adjustable independent of both said working area and said supply station.

* t t t t

Claims

1. On a building or maintenance scaffolding adapted for positioning alongside a building or building site, the scaffolding supporting at least one elongated working area at a position spaced vertically from a surface supporting said scaffolding and permitting workers standing and moving thereon to have access to desired locations for building or maintenance purposes, the improvEment comprising elongated mechanical conveying means having a continuous article support and conveying surface positioned along and supported from said scaffolding, said conveying means being supported from said scaffolding by a plurality of spaced support members, said support members also supporting a supply station, said conveying means being vertically adjustably supported on said support members such that said conveying means is vertically adjustable with respect to and independent of said position of all of said working areas and said supply station, said members being fixed to said scaffolding on the side of said scaffolding opposite from said scaffolding opposite from said building or building site, said members supporting said elongated conveying means and its conveying surface to the side of said working area opposite from said building or site permitting workers to freely stand on and move along said area between said building or site and said conveying means without interference from or with said conveying means, said conveying means being accessible to said workers on one side of said area so that they can remove articles being conveyed therealong, said building or site being accessible to said workers on the other side of said area so that they can use the articles on the building or site for building or maintenance purposes; said supply station also being on said side opposite said building whereby building supplies and the like may be loaded thereon without interference from said scaffolding, conveying means, or working areas.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said conveying means further comprises a railing adjustably fixed to one side of said conveyor means, and means for tilting said conveyor means so that the side of said conveyor means mounting said railing is lower than the other side thereof whereby the articles conveyed along said conveying means bear upon said railing.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said support members are affixed to said scaffolding in outrigger-like fashion.