Field of the Invention

[I] The present invention relates to scaffolding and in particular, but not necessarily entirely, to scaffolding for bricklaying.

Background of the Invention

[2] Bricklaying scaffolding is used to support horizontal planking to provide a bricklaying platform for a bricklayer.

[3] While existing bricklaying scaffolding varies, certain existing bricklaying scaffolding has fixed width and comprises two horizontal rungs so as to set the planking at a height appropriate for a bricklayer to lay bricks to a 2.4 or 2.7 m ceiling.

[4] However, a problem with existing bricklaying scaffolding is that the bricklaying scaffolding cannot fit within tight spaces, such as between adjoining walls and the like. For example, between closely adjacent houses, a bricklayer would not be able to position the scaffolding within the tight space provided.

[5] As such, bricklayers often times position their scaffolding at angles which is unsafe because it causes instability of the planking in use.

[6] A further problem with existing bricklaying scaffolding is that when planking is placed on the lower rung for the 2.4 m ceiling height, the upper unused rung poses a trip hazard for the bricklayer walking along the planking.

[7] The present invention seeks to provide scaffolding, which will overcome or substantially ameliorate at least some of the deficiencies of the prior art, or to at least provide an alternative.

[8] It is to be understood that, if any prior art information is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the information forms part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.

Summary of the Disclosure

[9] According to one aspect, there is provided a scaffolding for bricklaying, the scaffolding comprising a horizontal rung for supporting planking in use wherein the horizontal rung may be length adjustable so as to allow for the selective adjustment of the width of the scaffolding in use.

[10] The horizontal rung may be telescopic.

[II] The scaffolding may comprise a lower horizontal rung located beneath the horizontal rung and wherein the lower horizontal rung may be similarly length adjustable.

[12] The horizontal rung may comprise a male telescopic member and a female telescopic member adapted for receiving at least a portion of the male telescopic member therein. [13] The scaffolding may comprise locking means adapted to lock the rung at a desired extension.

[14] The locking means may comprise a locking screw mechanism comprising a bolt fastened to the female telescopic member and a screw engaged by the bolt, the screw adapted to extend through an aperture of the female telescopic member to bear against the male telescopic member.

[15] The scaffolding may comprise a further locking means adapted to lock the rung at the desired extension.

[16] The scaffolding may comprise an extension limiter between the male telescopic member and the female telescopic member.

[17] The scaffolding may comprise vertical supports fastened to respect of distal ends of the horizontal rung and wherein the vertical supports are length adjustable.

[18] The vertical supports are telescopic.

[19] The vertical supports are adapted to be configured for a first length to position a plank laying across the horizontal rung at a first height and a second length to position the plank laying across a horizontal rung at a second height in use.

[20] The first height may be appropriate for bricklaying a 2.4 meter ceiling.

[21] The second height may be appropriate for bricklaying a 2.7 m ceiling.

[22] The scaffolding may comprise gussets between the horizontal rung and respective vertical supports.

[23] The horizontal rung may comprise a gusset accommodating cutout.

[24] The scaffolding may comprise horizontal supports fastened to the lower ends of the respective vertical supports and wherein at least one distal end of each horizontal support may comprise a ground-level adjuster.

[25] The horizontal rung may comprise plank end plates

[26] Other aspects of the invention are also disclosed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[27] Notwithstanding any other forms which may fall within the scope of the present invention, a preferred embodiments of the disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[28] Figure 1 shows scaffolding for bricklaying in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure.

Description of Embodiments

[29] For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles in accordance with the disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles of the disclosure as illustrated herein, which would normally occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the disclosure.

[30] Before the structures, systems and associated methods relating to the scaffolding are disclosed and described, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the particular configurations, materials and the like disclosed herein as such may vary somewhat. It is also to be understood that the terminology employed herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting since the scope of the disclosure will be limited only by the claims and equivalents thereof.

[31] In describing and claiming the subject matter of the disclosure, the following terminology will be used in accordance with the definitions set out below.

[32] It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[33] As used herein, the terms "comprising," "including," "containing," "characterised by," and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive or open-ended terms that do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.

[34] It should be noted in the following description that like or the same reference numerals in different embodiments denote the same or similar features.

[35] Turning now to figure 1, there is shown scaffolding 100. As will be appreciated from the description below, the scaffolding 100 is adapted to address problems of prior art scaffolding including the problem of the fixed width of prior art scaffolding rendering the prior art scaffolding unsuitable for use within confined spaces.

[36] Yet further, the scaffolding 100 addresses the trip hazard problems of prior art scaffolding arrangements wherein, as alluded to above, when planking is placed across the lower rung, the upper rung poses a trip hazard to the bricklayer.

[37] As such, and referring to figure 1, the scaffolding 100 comprises a horizontal rung 110 adapted for supporting planking in use.

[38] Now, the horizontal rung 110 is length adjustable so as to allow for the selective adjustment of the width of the scaffolding 100 in use.

[39] In a preferred embodiment, as is shown in figure 1, the horizontal run 110 is telescopic. However, it should be noted that the length of the horizontal rung 110 may be varied by other mechanical arrangements also. [40] As such, in use, in confined spaces, the bricklayer would adjust the length of the horizontal rung 110 to an appropriate length so as to allow for the accommodation of the scaffolding 110 within the confined space.

[41] In a preferred embodiment, and primarily for structural integrity purposes, the scaffolding 100 may further comprise a lower horizontal rung 160 located beneath the horizontal rung 110. As can be seen from the figure, the lower horizontal rung 160 is similarly length adjustable.

[42] As will be described in further detail below, the horizontal rung 110 is used for setting the planking at heights appropriate for both the 2.4 and 2.7 m ceiling heights. In this regard, the lower horizontal rung 160 is not necessarily provided for supporting planking. As such, and as while the lower horizontal rung 160 is provided primarily for strength and rigidity purposes, the scaffolding 100 need not necessarily comprise the lower horizontal rung 160 in all embodiments.

[43] The horizontal rung 110 may comprise a male telescopic member 155 and a female telescopic member 150 adapted for receiving at least a portion of the male telescopic member 155 therein.

[44] The horizontal rung 110 further comprises a locking means 130 adapted to lock the rung 110 at a desired extension. In the embodiment shown, the locking means 130 comprises a locking screw mechanism comprising a bolt fastened to the female telescopic member 150 and a screw engaged by the bolt, the screw adapted to extend through an aperture of the female telescopic member 150 to bear against the male telescopic member 155 to hold the position of the male telescopic member 155 with respect to the female telescopic member 150.

[45] However, it should be noted that in other embodiments, other mechanical arrangements may be used to lock the extension position of the male telescopic member 155 with respect to the female telescopic member 150.

[46] In a preferred embodiment, the horizontal rung 110 comprises two locking means 130. In this regard, it is preferable that in use, both locking means 130 engage the horizontal member 155. In this regard, in embodiments, the scaffolding 110 may comprise an extension limiter, such as an internally located chain or the like to prevent the overextension of the male telescopic member 150 beyond the reach of the distal locking means 130.

[47] In the embodiment shown, both the horizontal rung 110 and the lower horizontal rung 160 comprise two locking means 130. However, in embodiments, one rung may comprise the locking means, such as wherein the horizontal rung 110 comprises the locking means 120 and the lower horizontal rung 160 does not.

[48] The scaffolding 100 further comprises vertical supports 170 fastened to respect of distal ends of the horizontal rung 110. [49] In a preferred embodiment, the vertical supports 170 are height adjustable. In a preferred embodiment shown in figure 1, the vertical supports 170 similarly telescopic. Now, as alluded to above, the vertical supports are length adjustable so as to be able to position planking laying across the horizontal rung 110 at appropriate heights for laying bricks for a 2.4 and 2.7 m ceiling. In this regard, depending on the work involved, the bricklayer would set the length of the vertical supports 170 appropriately.

[50] In this regard, and as alluded to above, the bricklayer need not use the lower rung 160 for planking therefore removing the trip hazard of prior art scaffolding arrangements.

[51] In the embodiment shown, the vertical supports 170 comprises a length setting peg 125 adapted for accommodation within one of two appropriately spaced peg holes for setting the height appropriate for the 2.4 and 2.7 m ceilings.

[52] It should be noted that the 2.4 and 2.7 m ceiling heights are exemplary only and that in other embodiments, the vertical supports 170 may be length adjustable so as to suit the scaffolding 100 for other heights.

[53] Furthermore, in the embodiment shown, the vertical supports 170 are configurable to predetermined heights according to the spacing of the peg holes. However, in other embodiments, the vertical supports 170 may be configured for variable height adjustment such as by comprising the frictionally engaging screw locks 130 of the horizontal rung 110.

[54] For strengthening purposes, the scaffolding 100 may comprise at least one gusset 115 between the horizontal rung 110 and the respective vertical supports 170.

[55] In embodiments, and so as to prevent the gusset 115 from striking the female member 150 of the horizontal rung 110, the female member 150 may comprise a gusset accommodating cutout (not shown).

[56] The scaffolding 100 further comprises horizontal supports 145 fastened to the lower ends of the respective vertical supports 170. As can be seen in the figure, at least one distal end of each horizontal support comprises a ground-level adjuster, which, in the embodiment shown, comprises an adjustable screw 135 fastened to a footplate 140.

[57] In embodiments, the scaffolding 100 may further comprise at least one gusset between the vertical supports 170 and the horizontal supports 145 (not shown).

[58] In embodiments, the horizontal rung 110 comprises plank end plates 105 at distal ends of the horizontal rung 110 so as to prevent the inadvertent slippage of planking from the horizontal rung 110 in use. Interpretation

Embodiments:

[59] Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, but may. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure, in one or more embodiments.

[60] Similarly it should be appreciated that in the above description of example embodiments of the invention, various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the Detailed Description of Specific Embodiments are hereby expressly incorporated into this Detailed Description of Specific Embodiments, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this invention.

[61] Furthermore, while some embodiments described herein include some but not other features included in other embodiments, combinations of features of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the invention, and form different embodiments, as would be understood by those in the art. For example, in the following claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.

Different Instances of Objects

[62] As used herein, unless otherwise specified the use of the ordinal adjectives "first", "second", "third", etc., to describe a common object, merely indicate that different instances of like objects are being referred to, and are not intended to imply that the objects so described must be in a given sequence, either temporally, spatially, in ranking, or in any other manner.

Specific Details

[63] In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are set forth. However, it is understood that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of this description. Terminology

[64] In describing the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar technical purpose. Terms such as "forward", "rearward", "radially", "peripherally", "upwardly", "downwardly", and the like are used as words of convenience to provide reference points and are not to be construed as limiting terms.

Comprising and Including

[65] In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" are used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

[66] Any one of the terms: including or which includes or that includes as used herein is also an open term that also means including at least the elements/features that follow the term, but not excluding others. Thus, including is synonymous with and means comprising.

Scope of Invention

[67] Thus, while there has been described what are believed to be the preferred embodiments of the invention, those skilled in the art will recognize that other and further modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended to claim all such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the invention. For example, any formulas given above are merely representative of procedures that may be used. Functionality may be added or deleted from the block diagrams and operations may be interchanged among functional blocks. Steps may be added or deleted to methods described within the scope of the present invention.

[68] Although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms.