Apparatus for elevating and lowering scaffolding
OwnerColm J. Costelloinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention provides apparatus for elevating and lowering scaffolding. A scaffold tower is moved horizontally so as to be supported on movable guides which are in a lowered position. The movable guides are then moved upwards. When the movable guides have reached an upper position, the scaffolding is then moved horizontally in the opposite direction so as to be supported on fixed guides. The operation is repeated as often as necessary. As stages are elevated, further stages are erected one by one below the stages being erected. The apparatus may also be operated to lower a scaffold tower, while collapsing stages one by one.
Claims9
Apparatus for elevating and lowering scaffolding comprising (a) a base;
- (b) associated with the base, a plurality of movable scaffold guides, such that repeating elements of an erect scaffold stage disposed above the base may be moved horizontally in one direction so as to be supported by the movable guides;
- (c) vertical movement means for causing simultaneous movement, between a lower and upper position, of the movable guides and scaffold elements supported thereby;
- (d) associated with the base, a plurality of fixed guides, such that elements of an erect scaffold stage above the base may be moved horizontally in the opposite direction so as to be supported by the fixed guides;
- and (e) means for preventing horizontal movement of erect scaffold stages in either direction when the movable guides are between the lower and upper positions;
- whereby scaffolding may be elevated or lowered by operating the vertical movement means to move the movable guides to their lower or upper positions respectively, moving the scaffolding horizontally so that elements of an erect stage of the scaffolding are supported by the movable guides, then operating the vertical movement means to move the movable guides to their opposite position, and finally moving the scaffolding horizontally so that repeating elements of an erect stage of the scaffolding are supported by the fixed guides.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.