KIRKLAND STUART (GB)
GB2469807A | 2010-11-03 | |||
EP0597094A1 | 1994-05-18 | |||
DE3441774C1 | 1986-01-09 | |||
GB2469807A | 2010-11-03 | |||
GB2097086A | 1982-10-27 |
CLAIMS 1. A scaffolding system comprising two coplanar sets of longitudinally extending boards laid side by side on laterally extending horizontal members of the scaffolding between ends of the boards, ends of each set being aligned and the aligned ends of the two sets being longitudinally adjacent, and a connector carried by the boards at the adjacent ends thereof, which connector is integrally formed from synthetic plastics material and comprises a vertical web between the adjacent ends of the boards, a horizontal upper strip overlying edges of the boards in each set at their adjacent ends and a horizontal lower strip underlying edges of the boards in each set at their adjacent ends, characterised in that said connector comprises integral securing means which extends along and downwards from said lower strip and is tied to the scaffolding. 2. A scaffolding system as claimed in Claim 1 characterised in that said securing means comprises a flange dependent from said lower strip. 3. A scaffolding system as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 characterised in that said securing means comprises turned down margins of said lower strip. 4. A scaffolding system as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that securing means is formed with perforations holding ties securing the connector to the scaffolding. 5. A scaffolding system as claimed in Claim 4 characterised in that horizontal members of the scaffolding are longitudinally spaced apart by a regular pitch p and said perforations are regularly spaced apart along said securing means by an amount which is equal to or a multiple of p. 6. A scaffolding system as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that the upper strip of the connector is formed with a non-slip upper surface. 7. A scaffolding system as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that said synthetic plastics material comprises recycled material and is recyclable. 8. A scaffolding system as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that said connector is extruded from said synthetic plastics material. 9. A scaffolding system as claimed in Claim 8 characterised in that said boards are extruded from the same synthetic plastics material as that of said connector. 10. A scaffolding system as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that each board comprises a hollow-form section constant along the length of a board so that, if the board is cut transversely at any point to form a new end, said new end will match the uncut end of another board. 11. A scaffolding system as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that said system comprises a further connector integrally formed from synthetic plastics material and comprising an upper strip formed to overlie edges of said boards along adjacent sides thereof, a lower strip formed to underlie edges of said boards along adjacent sides thereof and a web connecting the upper strip to the lower strip. 12. A scaffolding system as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that said system comprises an end piece comprising an upper end strip formed to overlie an edge of a first said board, a intermediate strip formed to underlie an edge of the first board, a lower end strip overlying a second said board under the first board and extending to a free edge, an end web having an upper edge joined to and along the upper end strip and a lower edge joined to and along the intermediate strip, and an inclined face between the upper edge of the end web and the free edge of the lower end strip so as in use to provide a sloping transition between the first board and the second board. 3. A scaffolding system as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that each board is formed with a marker whereby it is identifiable. 14. A method of making a platform for scaffolding comprising standards, ledgers and transoms, which method comprises: providing a plurality of longitudinally extending boards each having mutually orthogonal dimensions comprising a length x between ends of the boards, a width y between sides of the boards and a thickness z between faces of the boards; providing a plurality of connectors each comprising an upper strip formed to overlie adjacent edges of the boards, a lower strip formed to underlie adjacent edges of the boards, a web connecting the upper strip to the lower strip and securing means extending along and downwards of said lower strip; laying the boards side by side on the transoms with their ends aligned; fitting said connectors between aligned ends of the boards to be supported thereby; and securing said securing means of the connectors to ledgers of the scaffolding. |
This invention concerns a scaffolding system, particularly but not necessarily exclusively to provide elevated working platforms in construction and building maintenance.
Scaffolding comprises a rectilinear framework erected against a building and comprising a plurality of vertical members commonly known as 'standards' and a plurality of horizontal members of which 'ledgers' extend longitudinally, generally parallel to the building line, and 'transoms' extend from front to rear of the scaffolding, generally orthogonal to the building line. The standards, ledgers and transoms conventionally comprise metal tubes interconnected by scaffolding fittings - which is to say clamps of which several kinds are in general use, and the precise form of which is not germane to the present invention. When the framework is assembled and the fittings secured, longitudinally extending scaffolding boards are laid across the transoms as and where required to provide one or more elevated working platforms. Regulations call for the transoms to be regularly spaced at a specified distance apart, which in the United Kingdom is 200mm, and this defines a modular dimension or 'pitch' for the scaffolding. To fit this, scaffolding boards are made in standard dimensions of up to 3900mm long and 225mm wide. To avoid trip hazards it is also preferred that all boards are of the same thickness, at least on any one site, and the standard thickness is 38mm.
The assembly and use of scaffolding platforms present a variety of safety related problems. Individual boards may move so as to become unstable on the scaffofding; they may warp so as to create a trip hazard; and at platform corners boards are conventional laid on top of lower boards, creating another tip hazard. If the boards are interconnected, the platform as a whole may be lifted off the scaffolding by a strong updraught.
Various attempts have been previously made to tackle some of these problems. GB 2 469 807 (Flynn) describes a scaffold board retainer comprising a first board- holding portion, a second board-holding portion and a connecting portion connecting the first holding portion to the second holding portion. The scaffold board retainer is in use fitted to the end of a group of boards group, received between the first board-holding portion and the second board-holding portion. The retainer may feature a securing means to secure the retainer to a scaffold, eg holes in the connection portion or alternatively along the length of the first or second holding portions through which a tie can pass.
GB 2 097 086 (Goubaud) describes a connector for joining together scaffold boards. This connector comprises a base plate which is capable of being fixed between and to scaffolding cross members and a holding plate which is removably fitted to the base plate to grip the boards at their ends. It is an object of the present invention to improve the safety of scaffolding boarding and other boarded platforms.
Thus according to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a scaffolding system comprising two coplanar sets of longitudinally extending boards laid side by side on laterally extending horizontal members of the scaffolding between ends of the boards, ends of each set being aligned and the aligned ends of the two sets being longitudinally adjacent, and a connector carried by the boards at the adjacent ends thereof, which connector is integrally formed from synthetic plastics material and comprises a vertical web between the adjacent ends of the boards, a horizontal upper strip overlying edges of the boards in each set at their adjacent ends and a horizontal lower strip underlying edges of the boards in each set at their adjacent ends, characterised in that said connector comprises integral securing means which extends along and downwards from said lower strip and is tied to the scaffolding.
The securing means may comprise a flange dependent from said lower strip. Otherwise the securing means may comprise turned-down margins of said lower strip. Either way, because the securing means is below the lower strip it is readily accessible during assembly, use and after-use disassembly of the platform.
The securing means is preferably formed with perforations holding ties securing the connector to the scaffolding. And where, as is conventional, horizontal members of the scaffolding are longitudinally spaced apart by a regular pitch p, said perforations may be regularly spaced apart along said securing means by an amount which is equal to or a multiple of p.
The upper strip of the connector may be formed with a non-slip upper surface.
Preferably said synthetic plastics material comprises recycled material and is recyclable, and the connector may be extruded therefrom.
Traditionally scaffolding boards have been made of wood, usually softwood, and this exacerbates the safety problems noted earlier herein. Wooden boards are particularly prone to warping and splitting, so wooden boarded platforms become uneven and therefore hazardous; and although this can be resisted by metal strapping on the ends of the boards, the strapping itself commonly becomes bent or damaged, creating a further hazard. Wood is inherently subject to much variety from differences in grain pattern (especially where there are knots), density (such as the difference between sapwood and heartwood) and rate of growth, and this variety demands wide safety margins; even so, wooden boards may break without warning. Also, wooden boards almost inevitably have splinters, which makes them difficult to handle. Thus in the present invention it is preferred that each board is formed of synthetic plastics material, preferably the same material as that of the connectors.
The synthetic plastics material preferably comprises recycled material, and it may itself be recyclable. Recycled polyvinyl chloride, PVC, is an appropriate material, being thermoplastic and having an otherwise limited market for post-consumer recycling.
Each board may comprise a hollow-form section constant along the length of a board so that, if the board is cut transversely at any point to form a new end, said new end will match the uncut end of another board.
A significant feature of the present invention is that connection may be provided along the sides of the boards as well as at their ends. To this end the scaffolding system may comprise a further connector integrally formed from synthetic plastics material and comprising an upper strip formed to overlie edges of said boards along adjacent sides thereof, a lower strip formed to underlie edges of said boards along adjacent sides thereof and a web connecting the upper strip to the lower strip.
It is common, particularly at comers of scaffolding platforms, for a first layer of boards extending in one direction to be placed on top of a second layer extending in another direction. The difference in levels creates an additional trip hazard. The present invention may therefore include an end piece to combat this, which end piece comprises an upper end strip formed to overlie an edge of a first said board, a intermediate strip formed to underlie an edge of the first board, a lower end strip overlying a second said board under the first board and extending to a free edge, an end web having an upper edge joined to and along the upper end strip and a lower edge joined to and along the intermediate strip, and an inclined face between the upper edge of the end web and the free edge of the lower end strip so as in use to provide a sloping transition between the first board and the second board.
Preferably each board includes a marker whereby it is identifiable. Thus, to combat theft, for instance, each board may be impressed or stamped or electronically tagged to show ownership; for promotional purposes each board may be distinctively coloured and/or carry a user's trade mark; and each board may be embedded with a microchip whereby its age and usage may be monitored.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method of making a platform for scaffolding comprising standards, ledgers and transoms, which method comprises.
providing a plurality of longitudinally extending boards each having mutually orthogonal dimensions comprising a length x between ends of the boards, a width y between sides of the boards and a thickness z between faces of the boards; providing a plurality of connectors each comprising an upper strip formed to overiie adjacent edges of the boards, a lower strip formed to underlie adjacent edges of the boards, a web connecting the upper strip to the lower strip and securing means extending along and downwards of said lower strip; laying the boards side by side on the transoms with their ends aligned; fitting said connectors between aligned ends of the boards to be supported thereby; and securing said securing means of the connectors to ledgers of the scaffolding.
According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a kit of parts for making a scaffolding platform, which kit comprises a plurality of boards so dimensioned that x = 3900mm, y = 225mm, z = 38mm; a plurality of connectors each of length being an integral multiple of y and comprising a horizontal upper strip to overlie edges of the boards at their ends, a horizontal lower strip to underlie edges of the boards at their ends and separated from the upper strip by an amount sufficient to receive the ends of the boards in snug fitting relationship therebetween, and securing means extending downwards from the lower strip; and a plurality of cable ties for tying said securing means to the scaffolding; characterised in that said boards and said connectors are each formed of the same synthetic plastics material.
Other aspects of the invention will be apparent from the following description, which is made by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, which are not to scale and in which -
Figure 1 is an isometric view of scaffolding to which the invention may be applied;
Figure 2 is an isometric view of a scaffolding platform formed from conventional boarding;
Figure 3 is an end elevation of a platform formed from conventional boarding illustrating a number of common problems;
Figure 4 is a plan view of part of a scaffolding platform formed from a boarding system according to the invention and including an end-to-end connector for boards;
Figure 5 is a cross-section at A-A of Figure 4 showing an end-to-end connector of the invention;
Figure 6 shows the end-to-end connector of Figure 5 in side elevation;
Figure 7 shows a side-to-side connector of the invention in side elevation;
Figure 8 illustrates an end piece of the invention in cross-section;
Figures 9 to 12 show a board used in the invention respectively in plan, side elevation, end elevation and (substantially enlarged) cross-section;
Figure 13 shows in cross-section an end-to-end connector of the invention modified from that shown in Figure 5; and
Figure 14 shows in cross-section a further modified end-to-end connector of the invention.
Referring first to Figure 1 , this shows scaffolding indicated generally at 10 erected against a wall 12 extending upwards from the ground (indicated by line 4) and supporting an elevated platform 16. The scaffolding 10 comprises a rectilinear framework of interconnected standards, ledgers and transoms mutually spaced apart by a modular pitch p. Conventionally, and in accordance with common practice, p = 1200mm, but those skilled in the art of scaffolding will appreciate that this is by no means essential.
The rear elevation of the scaffolding 10, against the wall 12, is formed by a run of five vertical standards S1 to S5, the front elevation of the scaffolding 10 is formed by a corresponding run of five standards S7 to S1 , and between the front and rear elevations are two intermediate standards S6 and S12. The longitudinal disposition of the forward standards S7 to S11 is maintained by horizontal ledgers L1, L2 and L3, and corresponding ledgers (not numbered in the drawing, for sake of simplicity) interconnect the rearward standards S1 to S5. Extending between and secured to the front and rear standards are horizontal transoms T1 to T9. The lower transoms T3 to T7 support the platform 16 (and in Figure 1 the transoms T3 to T6, being concealed by the platform 16, are shown in broken lines).
In well-known manner, the ledgers L1 etc are connected to the standards S1 etc, and the transoms T1 etc to the ledgers L1 etc, by appropriate fittings, not detailed in the drawings, which may be of any convenient kind and the form of which does not form part of the present invention. Also not detailed in Figure 1 , to comply with safety regulations the framework has diagonal bracing and the platform 16 is surrounded at its front and ends by toe boards and debris netting extending upwardly from the lower transoms T3 to T7.
As shown diagrammatically in Figure 2, the platform 16 is assembled from a plurality of boards 20 laid side-by-side and supported by the transom T7 and the other lower transoms (not shown in Figure 2). As they appear in Figure 2, the boards 20 appear perfectly flat and regular. In practice, however, conventional wooden boards are commonly not flat or regular. Thus, as illustrated by Figure 3, the board 20a is warped upwards across its width, the boards 20b and 20c are reasonably flat but they have become separated to create a gap 30, the board 20d is warped along its length so that one side is raised at the end, and the board 20e is warped downwards across its width. As a result the working surface of the platform 16 is uneven and hazardous.
By contrast, the present invention provides a scaffolding platform which is and remains flat and regular.
As shown in Figure 4, the platform is formed from a boarding system comprising a plurality of boards 30o to 30z laid side-by-side on transoms 32 and 34 mutually spaced apart by pitch p. The transoms 32 and 34 extend above and orthogonally of ledgers 36 and 38 also mutually spaced apart by pitch p.
The boards comprise two sets of six, 30o to 30t and 30u to 30z, the two sets being laid end-to-end and the adjacent ends being interconnected by a connector 40 extending transversely of the boards. As shown in Figure 4 the connector 40 extends across the whole width of six boards. However for a wider platform it may extend across more boards and for a narrower platform it may extend across fewer: for most purposes the platform will be no narrower than four boards, and for such a platform it is sufficient for the connector 40 to extend up to four boards, and not less than three. The connector 40 may be cut to length on site or prior to assembling the scaffolding, or connectors 40 may be preformed to a standard length as elements of a kit of parts for a scaffolding system.
As can be seen in Figure 4, the boards 30o to 30t and 30u to 30z are laid side-by- side on the transoms 32 and 34 (and, of course, other transoms not shown in Figure 4, supporting the boards between their ends). The connector 40 is carried by the projecting ends of the boards. Otherwise expressed, the connector 40 does not carry the boards, so it is of light weight and integrally and inexpensively formed (in contrast to Goubaud) as will be understood from the following description.
The connector 40 is integrally formed by extrusion from synthetic plastics material and its form is shown, much enlarged in comparison with Figure 4, in Figure 5. The connector 40 comprises an upper strip 40a overlying end edges of the boards (the boards 30t and 30z are seen in Figure 5) and a lower strip 40b underlying the end edges of boards. The upper strip 40a and the lower strip 40b are joined by a web 40c integral therewith. Extending downwards from the lower strip 40b and also integral therewith is securing means in the form of a flange 40d that extends along and downwards from the lower strip 40b.
The flange 40d is perforated at 40e and a cable tie 42 (of conventional form) extends through the perforation 40e and around the ledger 38, whereby the connector 40 is secured to the scaffolding, to prevent the platform formed by the boards from being dislodged by impacts or updraughts. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the flange 40d may be perforated at intervals along its length, eg at intervals equal to the pitch p of the scaffolding, whereby the connector 40 - and thence the boards themselves - may be tied to the ledger 38 (and/or other ledgers) at multiple points. The margins of the lower strip 40b are chamfered as indicated at 40g, to facilitate the fitting of the boards 30t, 30z etc. The vertical dimension of the web 40c is only very slightly greater than the thickness z of the boards 30t, 30z etc, so the boards are a snug fit between the upper and lower strips 40a and 40b of the connector 40.
As seen in Figure 5, the upper face of the upper strip 40a is roughened at 40f, eg by corrugations, to provide a non-slip surface, as an additional contribution to user safety.
For the avoidance of uncertainty, two aspects of Figure 5 may be noted here. First, the transoms 32 and 34, which extend above and orthogonally of the ledgers 36 and 38, do not appear in Figure 5 because their spacing at pitch p places them outside the field of view. Second, in reality the ledger 38 (like other elements of the scaffolding) is substantially thicker than the thickness z of the boards and, to accommodate the transoms, the ledger 38 is spaced below the underside of the boards by an amount not less than the diameter of the transoms.
The difference between end-to-end connection and side-to-side connection is illustrated by Figures 6 and 7.
Figure 6 shows the end-to-end connector 40, in side elevation. As described above, the connector 40 has an upper strip 40a and a lower strip 40b joined together by a vertical web 40c which in use extends between ends of the platform boards. The securing means comprises a flange 40d extending downwards from the web 40c and along the length of the connector 40, with perforations 40e spaced apart by an amount equal to the pitch p of the supporting structure. The spacing p of the perforations 40e makes it easy for the connector 40 to be secured to the ledgers 36,38 that are also spaced at pitch p, the supporting structure being modular. (Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the perforations 40e may otherwise be spaced apart by a multiple of p.) Because the flange 40d is below the lower strip 40b, it is clear of the boards forming the platform and therefore readily accessible during assembly, use and after-use disassembly thereof. In addition the flange 40d improves the strength and stiffness of the connector 40.
Figure 7 shows a side-to-side connector 50, in side elevation. The connector 50 has an upper strip 50a and a lower strip 50b joined together by a vertical web 50c which in use extends between ends of the platform boards. Unlike the end-to-end connector, the side-to- side connector has no dependent flange, because any such flange would foul the transoms that support the boards. The lower strip 50b may be formed with perforations at spaced apart locations 50e whereby the connector 50 may be secured by cable ties 42 (below the web 50c and therefore readily accessible). Alternatively, and even more accessible, the connector 50 may be formed with downwardly projecting perforated nubs spaced apart to avoid the transoms.
Figure 8 illustrates an end piece 60 forming part of the invention. As is well known it is often necessary, particularly at corners of a scaffolding platform, to place one layer of boards on top of another. In Figure 8 a top board 62 is above a bottom board 64. The end piece 60 ameliorates the trip hazard resulting from this arrangement. The end piece 60 comprises an upper strip 60a, a lower strip 60b and a vertical web 60c. The upper strip extends on only one side of the web 60c (leftwards as seen in Figure 8) to overlie the edge of the board 62, with the web 60c against the end of the board 62. Between the upper strip 60a and the lower strip 62 an intermediate strip 60d (also extending leftwards of the web 60c as seen in Figure 8) underlies the upper board 62. The lower strip 60b extends (rightwards as seen in Figure 8) to a free edge and overlying the lower board 64. An inclined face 60e, reinforced by a supporting brace 60f, provides a sloping transition between the upper board 62 and the lower board 64. As will be recognised by those skilled in the art, this sloping transition substantially reduces the risk of a user tripping or stumbling at the change of levels between the boards 64 and 64. The upper strip 60a and the inclined face 60e are each formed to provide a non-slip surface. Between the intermediate strip 60d and the lower strip 6ob is a step of height h dimensioned to make up the difference between the thickness of a board (nominally 38mm) and the diameter of a scaffolding pole (nominally 60mm).
The non-slip surfaces of the end-to-end connector 40, the side-to-side connector 50 and the end piece 60 are all formed as follows. V-shaped grooves about 1mm deep are formed along the length of each item during extrusion and then further V-shaped grooves about 0.5mm deep are cut across each item. This provides very good grip in use and allows rain or other deposited water to flow off lengthways.
A further feature of the invention is that the platform boards are extruded from recycled PVC (or possibly some other synthetic plastics material) and do not warp or split or splinter. A board 70 is shown in Figures 9 to 12. Each board 70 comprises a hollow-form extrusion of length x between its ends, of width y between its sides and of thickness z between its faces. The hollow-form extrusion of the board 70 is formed with a plurality of internal webs 72 and its form is constant along its length so that it may be cut at any point whenever necessary. The overall dimensions of the (uncut) board 40 match those of a conventional wooden scaffolding board, ie x = 3900mm, y = 225mm and z = 38mm. The wall thickness s of the hollow-form extrusion is 3mm and the web thickness t is 2mm. It should also be understood that, although not detailed in Figures 9 to 12, the board 70 is radiused at its corners and at the junctions between the walls and the webs, the radius being approximately 4mm.
It is recommended that the connectors (and end pieces) and the boards of the invention be formed of the same material. By this means thermal expansion/contraction of the connectors and the boards with changes in temperature will be the same. In particular, it will be the same in a vertical dimension (ie the length of the web 40c and the thickness z of the boards) and therefore the snug fit of the boards in the connector 40 will be preserved as temperature varies - which may be over a range of 60°C or even more.
As an adjunct to the invention, boards of hollow form as shown in Figure 12 may be connected end-to-end and/or side-to-side by joiners plugging into the hollow-form sections at the ends of the boards.
The connector 80 shown in Figure 13 has a form slightly modified from that of the connector 40 shown in Figure 5. Thus the connector 80 has margins 80g of the lower strip 80b turned down, instead of the chamfers 40g of the connector 40.
In other respects the connector 80 is similar to the connector 40. The connector 80 is integrally formed by extrusion from synthetic plastics material and comprises an upper strip 80a overlying end edges of the boards (the boards 30t and 30z are seen in Figure 13) and a web 80c extending downwards therefrom, between adjacent ends of the boards, to the lower strip 80b. Extending downwards from the lower strip 80b and also integral therewith is securing means in the form of a flange 80d that extends along and downwards from the lower strip 80b. The flange 80d is perforated at 80e and a cable tie 82 (of conventional form) extends through the perforation 80e and around the ledger 38, whereby the connector 80 is secured to the scaffolding, to prevent the platform formed by the boards from being dislodged by impacts or updraughts. The flange 80d has perforations 80e at intervals along its length, eg at intervals equal to the pitch p of the scaffolding, whereby the connector 80 - and thence the boards themselves - is tied to the ledger 38 (and/or other ledgers) at multiple points. The upper face of the upper strip 80a is roughened at 80f to provide a non-slip surface.
The connector 90 shown in Figure 14 is further modified. Like the connector 80 of Figure 13, it has the margins 90g of the lower strip 90b turned down. The turned-down margins 90g are thus clear of the boards 30t, 30z etc, and being therefore accessible for cable ties can serve as securing means for the connector 90. Accordingly the turned-down margins 90g has perforations has perforations 90e at intervals along its length, eg at intervals equal to the pitch p of the scaffolding, whereby the connector 90 - and thence the boards themselves - is tied to the ledger 38 (and/or other ledgers) at multiple points. And the connector 90 does not need a securing flange like the flange 40d of the connector 40 or the flange 80d of the connector 80.
In other respects the connector 90 is similar to the connector 80. The connector 90 is integrally formed by extrusion from synthetic plastics material and comprises an upper strip 90a overlying end edges of the boards (the boards 30t and 30z are seen in Figure 14) and a web 90c extending downwards therefrom, between adjacent ends of the boards, to the lower strip 90b. The upper face of the upper strip 90a is roughened at 90f to provide a non-slip surface.
The connectors and endpieces of the invention are extruded from the same material and all have a constant cross-section so that they may be cut to any required length. Combining such connectors and endpieces with boards, scaffolding and ties, the invention thus provides a kit of parts facilitating the construction of an elevated platform which is flat, safe and stable.
As well as the flatness, safety and stability of the platform provided by use of connectors with boards according to the invention, certain other benefits of the invention may now be pointed out. First, because the boards are formed of synthetic plastics material, they do not warp or split or splinter like wood. Second, with plastics manufacture it is easy and very inexpensive to incorporate a marker in each board: the boards can be distinctively coloured, for instance, or provided with a logo or other trade mark to indicate their ownership; otherwise a microchip can be embedded, to guard against theft or to allow age and usage to be checked automatically. Third, the boards do not rot and they resist environmental degradation. Fourth, it is easy and cheap to provide a non-slip working surface on each board as well as on the connectors. Fifth, the extruded form provides consistency (of form and strength) over each length of board and from board to board, in contrast with the variability of wood. Sixth, the hollow-form extrusion is regular over the length of the board, so any board can be cut to any required length. Seventh, the hollow form allows weight-saving without loss of strength. Eighth, both the boards and the connectors can be made from recycled material. And ninth, the boards and the connectors can themselves be recyc\ed after the end of their useful life.
It should be understood that the invention may be used for purposes other than scaffolding, for instance to form temporary staging or terracing, or for providing walkways across potentially muddy areas as around toilet facilities at country shows, open-air festivals and so forth. The invention may otherwise be used to form truck beds or flooring for containers etc.
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