Protective scaffold

Claim 2

An overhead protective scaffold constructed from a plurality of scaffold units adapted to be positioned in series alignment, one in front of the other, with each unit comprising: (a) a vertical main support frame having laterally spaced vertical legs and a crossbar connecting the legs at their upper ends; (b) a protective rectangular cover frame having front, rear and side edges; (c) hinge means pivotally connecting the rear edge of the cover frame to the crossbar of the main support frame for pivoting movement about the longitudinal axis of the crossbar from a storage position lying adjacent the plane of the main support frame to an erected overhead protective position extending horizontally when the main support frame is in a vertical position; (d) first interconnecting means mounted on said crossbar for connecting the crossbar of the unit to the front edge of the cover frame of a previously erected unit; and (e) a second interconnecting means attached to each of the legs of the unit for connection with the serially aligned legs of the next adjacent unit to maintain said legs of the units in fixed vertical position relative to each other.

Claim 3

A scaffold according to claim 1 further comprising: (a) a pair of diagonal support members connected at one end to the cover frame adjacent the front edge thereof; (b) means for securing the other ends of the diagonal support members to the adjacent vertical legs of the main support frame when the cover frame has been swung about its pivot to an erected position to hold the cover member in said erected position; and (c) pivot connector for pivotally connecting the one end of a diagonal support member to the cover frame at each intersection of the front edge with one of the side edges of the frame member for universal movement from a first position lying in the plane of the cover frame to a second position extending diagonally downwardly toward the adjacent vertical leg of the main support frame when the cover frame has been swung about its pivot to a horizontal overhead protective position.

Claim 4

An overhead protective scaffold constructed from a plurality of scaffold units adapted to be positioned in series alignment, one in front of the other, with each unit comprising: (a) a vertical main support frame having laterally spaced vertical legs and a crossbar connecting the legs at their upper ends; (b) a protective rectangular cover frame having spaced front and rear members and side members interconnecting the front and rear members at the ends thereof; (c) hinge means pivotally connecting the rear member of the cover frame to the crossbar of the main support frame for pivoting movement about the longitudinal axis of the crossbar from a storage position lying adjacent the plane of the main support frame to an erected overhead protective position extending horizontally when the main support frame is in a vertical position; (d) first interconnecting means mounted on said crossbar for connecting the crossbar of the unit to the front member of the cover frame of a previously erected unit when the unit is positioned in front of the previously erected unit with the cover frames of both units in their erected positions, said first interconnecting means being defined by: (1) at least one upstanding locking flange secured to said crossbar for positioning directly behind the front member of the cover frame of the previously erected unit, and (2) the rear member of the cover frame of the unit which when erected is positioned directly ahead of the front member of the cover frame of the previously erected unit; and (e) a pair of second interconnecting means, each having one end pivotally connected to one of the vertical legs of the main support frame and attaching means at the other end for attachment to the forwardly aligned vertical leg of the next forwardly adjacent unit to maintain said legs in fixed vertical position relative to each other.

Claim 5

An overhead protective scaffold constructed from a plurality of scaffold units adapted to be positioned in series alignment, one in front of the other, with each unit comprising: (a) a vertical main support frame having laterally spaced vertical legs and a crossbar connecting the legs at their upper ends; (b) a protective rectangular cover frame having spaced front and rear members and side members interconnecting the front and rear members at the ends thereof; (c) hinge means pivotally connecting the rear member of the cover frame to the crossbar of the main support frame for pivoting movement about the longitudinal axis of the crossbar from a storage position lying adjacent the plane of the main support frame to an erected overhead protective position extending horizontally when the main support frame is in a vertical position; (d) first interconnecting means mounted on said crossbar for connecting the crossbar of the unit to the front member of the cover frame of a previously erected unit when the unit is positioned in front of the previously erected unit with the cover frames of both units in their erected positions, said first interconnecting means being defined by: (1) at least one upstanding locking flange secured to said crossbar for positioning directly behind the front member of the cover frame of the previously erected unit, and (2) the rear member of the cover frame of the unit which when erected is positioned directly ahead of the front member of the cover frame of the previously erected unit; and (e) a pair of second interconnecting means, each having one end pivotally connected to one of the vertical legs of the main support frame and attaching means at the other end for attachment to the forwardly aligned vertical leg of the next forwardly adjacent unit to maintain said legs in fixed vertical position relative to each other.

Claim 6

A scaffold according to claim 3 further comprising: (a) hold-down flange means attached to the top of the rear member of the cover frame and extending rearwardly thereof for positioning over the front member of the cover frame of the previously erected unit to prevent raising thereof.

Claim 7

A scaffold according to claim 4 wherein: (a) the main support frame is constructed of tubular members; (b) the cover frame is constructed of: (1) L-shaped angle irons with one leg of each lying horizontally to define a top support surface and the other leg extending downwardly at the periphery of the frame, and (2) a protective cover attached to the top support surface defined by the angle irons; (c) the hinge means includes a plurality of sleeve members rotatably mounted in spaced relation on the crossbar of the main support frame and connected along their exterior surface to the downwardly extending leg of the angle iron forming the rear member of the cover frame; and (d) the locking flange of the first interconnecting means includes a plurality of flat plates connected at spaced intervals to the crossbar and extending tangentially thereof on the side diametrically opposite the cover frame when in its erected position to define a longitudinal channel therebetween for receiving the downwardly directed leg of the front member of the cover frame of the previously erected unit.

Claim 8

A scaffold according to claim 5 wherein: (a) the hold-down flange means comprises a plurality of flat plates attached at spaced intervals along the top of the rear member of the cover frame.

Claim 9

A scaffold according to claim 6 further comprising: (a) a diagonal support member connected at one end to the cover frame at the intersection of the front member with each side member; (b) means for securing the other ends of the diagonal support members to the adjacent vertical legs of the main support frame when the cover frame has been swung about its pivot to its erected position; and (c) pivot connector for pivotally connecting the one end of each of the diagonal support members to the cover frame for universal movement from a first position lying in the plane of the cover frame and extending toward the opposite side member thereof to a second position extending diagonally downwardly toward the adjacent vertical leg of the main support frame when the cover frame has been swung about its pivot to its erected position.

Claim 10

A scaffold according to claim 7 further comprising: (a) a terminating end support for attachment to the front member of the erected cover frame of the last unit in the series, said terminating end support including: (1) a vertical main support frame having laterally spaced vertical legs and a crossbar connecting the legs at their upper ends, (2) at least one upstanding fixed locking flange secured to said crossbar for positioning directly behind the front member of the cover frame of the last erected unit, (3) a hold-down flange pivotally secured to said crossbar for pivoting movement between a first hold-down position over the front member of the cover frame of the last erected unit to prevent raising thereof and a second withdrawn position, and (4) locking means for locking the hold-down flange in said hold-down position.

Claim 11

A scaffold according to claim 8 further comprising: (a) an upstanding pivoting flange secured to said crossbar for pivoting movement between a first upstanding position aligned with the locking flange to provide a channel therebetween for receipt of the front member of the cover frame of the last erected unit and a second withdrawn position out of cooperating alignment with said locking flange.

Claim 12

A scaffold according to claim 9 wherein: (a) the hold-down flange is attached to the upper end of the upstanding pivoting flange; and (b) the locking means includes: (1) a control arm pivotally mounted on said crossbar and connected to said upstanding pivoting flange, and (2) means for attaching the control arm to a leg of the main support frame of the terminating end support when the pivoting and hold-down flanges are in their first position.