Adjustable support rollaway bleacher
OwnerDale Auritinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A reinforced folding bleacher support structure and method of reinforcing existing folding bleachers. The improvement includes an adjustable brace structure which fits snugly over and reinforces the column support, and includes a pivoted adjustable horizontally extending brace. The horizontal brace pivots about a lower part of the vertical brace, and engages the column on both front and rear faces. Bending forces applied to the horizontal brace are transmitted to the vertical structure through a face plate abutted by a portion of the adjustment mechanism. The method includes reinforcing the column near the top portion thereof, positioning the horizontal brace and then adjusting it by manipulating the mechanism until the support structure is level for proper extension and retraction.
Claims6
A folding bleacher assembly comprising, in combination, a plurality of individually movable seating units, each seating unit including a pair of support columns, with each column having a wheeled support truck assembly forming the lower portion thereof, and a seat-and-floorboard assembly comprising a plurality of horizontally extending frame elements secured at their inner ends to the upper portions of said support columns, a floor panel assembly resting on the upper surfaces of the intermediate portions of said frame elements, and a seating bench disposed at the outer end of said frame elements and being supported thereby, each of said seat-and-floorboard assemblies further including at least one reinforcing assembly, each of said reinforcing assemblies having a vertically extending portion fixedly attached to said upper portion of said support columns, said vertically extending portion having a face plate forming a portion of the lower end thereof, said face plate lying in use along the outer surface of said column, said reinforcing element also including a horizontally extending support portion adjacent the lower end thereof, said horizontally extending support portion having an upper surface adapted to engage and support said floorboard assemblies and said bench and a sidewall flange extending downwardly from said upper surface thereof, said horizontally extending element further including, adjacent its inner end, a vertically extending adjustment assembly positioning flange, and an adjustment support mechanism having a portion extending through said positioning flange and having a movably positionable inner end portion adapted to engage said face plate to limit the downward movement of said horizontally extending support portion, and to provide for adjustment of horizontally extending support portion.
A method of repairing folding bleachers having a seat and floorboard assembly supported by a floor support unit which includes a horizontally extending arm extending outwardly from a column unit, said arm being attached at its inner end to said column adjacent the top of said column, said method comprising attaching to said column a reinforcing assembly which includes a vertical portion lying alongside said column and being supported thereby, and a horizontal portion pivotally attached to said vertical portion adjacent the inner end thereof, said vertical portion having at the bottom thereof a face plate overlying the outer edge of said column, said horizontal portion having an upwardly directed support surface and a reinforcing flange extending downwardly therefrom, and further including an adjustment and positioning assembly including a bracket attached to said arm adjacent the inner end thereof, and adjustment means extending through said bracket and terminating in a head adapted to engage said face plate, and moving said adjustment assembly so as to move said support surface of said horizontal portion into engagement with said seat and floorboard assembly, and continuing movement of said adjusting and positioning assembly until said seat and floorboard assembly is substantially horizontal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.