Connector assembly for scaffold structures

Claim 1

A connector assembly for builders'' scaffolding of the kind consisting of upright standards interconnected by cross members to form a rigid structure, said connector assembly comprising a first element of substantially T-shaped cross-section having a tail portion fixed to an upright standard and a crossbar portion which lies parallel to and spaced from an upright standard, a second element in the form of a pair of spaced side walls and a base wall interconnecting one end of each of said side walls, the other ends of said side walls being fixed to a cross member, a slot formed in said base wall receiving said tail portion of said first element, those portions of said base wall disposed on opposite sides of said slot defining hooks engaging opposite ends of said crossbar portion of said first element, and a rectangular wedge member slidably carried between said side walls of said second element and operably urging said hooks into locking engagement with said crossbar portion of said first element, said wedge member comprising a flat plate and a slot formed in said plate, a pin positioned in said slot and fixed at its ends to said side walls of said second element, a first side edge of said wedge plate engaging said crossbar of said first element and said slot being inclined relative to said first side edge whereby, in use, movement of said wedge member in one direction relative to said pin urges said crossbar into engagement with said hooks, said first side edge of said wedge plate and an opposed second side edge of said wedge plate being substantially parallel with each other whereby, when said wedge member is moved in one direction, said first side edge will engage with said first element and, when said wedge member is moved in the opposite direction, said second side edge will engage with said cross member so that said wedge member will be retained in a nonoperative position to facilitate inter-engagement of said two elements.