Work platform system including suspended paneled portion and method of implementing same

#The present invention relates, generally, to the field of work platform systems that are erected to facilitate accessing of various parts of various structures. More particularly, the present invention relates to work platform systems that are capable of being erected to extend lengthwise over significant distances between end regions, where the work platform systems further extend beneath at least some portions of the structures with respect to which the work platform systems are facilitating access.

#A number of types of work platform systems are available on the market for use in a variety of environments, circumstances, and projects including, for example, construction or maintenance projects. Whether a project is a public works project (e.g., low bid), or a private project, reducing costs and/or maintaining costs at reasonable levels are important considerations for the parties involved (e.g., contractors and/or the owner). One environment in which work platform systems are used is along and particularly beneath structures that extend significant distances lengthwise, such as bridges. Such work platform systems can be employed for various reasons including, for example, to allow workers to perform various maintenance procedures (such as inspecting, cleaning, painting, repairing, or refurbishing) or construction procedures with respect to the structures, particularly in relation to regions along or proximate underside regions of the structures such as along the undersides of bridges. Also, such work platform systems can serve to perform a shielding function in terms of limiting the extent to which debris arising from such maintenance or construction procedures or otherwise can fall to regions beneath the work platform systems.

#Various conventional work platform systems exist that can be implemented in such environments, and these various work platform systems vary in a number of their attributes. At least some such conventional work platform systems are catenary-based systems in which deck portions are mounted on wires that extend between end regions of the overall work platform systems, where the wires are further suspended at various intervals along the lengths of the wires by way of additional supports.

#FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of an example bridge on which an example work platform system has been partly implemented;

#FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the side elevation view of FIG. 1 that particularly shows, in addition to a portion of the example bridge shown in FIG. 1, a portion of a partly implemented suspended subsystem of the partly implemented work platform system of FIG. 1, in combination with a portion of a support subsystem of that partly implemented work platform system;

#FIG. 3 is a top plan, partly cross-sectional view of the portion of the side elevation view of FIG. 1 shown in the detail view of FIG. 2, taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2, except that in FIG. 3 the floor panels that are actually present in the support subsystem are not shown to be present, so as to reveal more clearly certain underlying structural support components of the support subsystem;

#Referring to FIG. 1, a side elevation view is provided of a suspension bridge 100 in combination with a partly implemented (or partly installed) work platform system 110 that is being implemented in relation to the suspension bridge for the purpose of allowing one or more work operations to be performed by work personnel in relation to the suspension bridge. It should be appreciated that the suspension bridge 100 is merely one example of a structure in relation to which a work platform system such as the partly implemented work platform system 110 (or that work platform system when in a different state of implementation as discussed further below) can be implemented and utilized. That said, the present disclosure is intended to encompass work platform systems and implementations of work platform systems in relation to any of a variety of structures rather than merely suspension bridges. Thus, although FIG. 1 shows the suspension bridge 100, it should be appreciated that the present disclosure is intended to encompass work platform systems and implementations of work platform systems in relation to a variety of other structures including, for example, other types of bridges such as arched bridges, buildings, towers, rigs (e.g., oil rigs), piers, conveyors, and other structures.

#It is envisioned that at least some of the work platform systems disclosed herein are particularly suitable for use in relation to structures such as the suspension bridge 100, where it is desired that the work platform system extend significant distances along (and often underneath) the structure. To this end, the present disclosure particularly encompasses work platform systems that include both a respective support subsystem and a respective suspended subsystem that extends (and potentially extends significant distances) between portions of the support subsystem. In this regard, referring still to FIG. 1, it can be seen that the partly implemented work platform system 110, even when in the partly implemented state as shown, both includes a partly implemented suspended subsystem 120 as well as a support subsystem 130. As shown, the support subsystem 130 includes a first portion 132 and a second portion 134 that respectively are at opposite ends of the partly implemented suspended subsystem 120 and respectively supported upon respective towers 140 of the suspension bridge 100, with the partly suspended subsystem 120 extending between the portions 132 and 134 of the support subsystem 130.

#It should be appreciated that, although FIG. 1 begins by showing the work platform system 110 in a partly implemented state, it will be apparent from additional description provided below as to how this work platform system (and particularly the suspended subsystem thereof) is further modified so as to include additional components and otherwise take on additional features so as to form a fully implemented work platform system as ultimately shown in FIG. 15. That is, although FIG. 1 (as well as FIGS. 2 and 3) shows an early stage of an implementation (installation) process of a work platform system in relation to the suspension bridge 100, during which the work platform system takes the form of the partly implemented work platform system 110, additional description provided below provides detail as to how the partly implemented work platform system 110 evolves into a fully implemented work platform system, which is ultimately shown in FIG. 15.