Patent Application
20230193641
The present invention generally relates to a construction scaffold accessory, and more specifically relates to an apparatus for a quick-deploy scaffolding with minimal or no parapet engagement, in addition to a mobile tie-back avoiding parapet engagement for ensuring quick and safe suspended scaffolding for time-constrained and structurally tenuous construction projects.
All multi-story façade repair or maintenance requires a suspended scaffold to allow contractors to engage with the facade. Whether single point or multi-point; needle-beam, catenary, or floating—safe use of the suspended scaffolding always begins and ends with a secure anchorage. To that end, contractors often require detailed plans submitted to a respective Department of Buildings office for requisite permits—permits that have been known to take months before any outrigger can be installed for secure anchoraging. These permits referred to as CD5 (Crane and Derricks 5) permits in the city of New York, require an exhaustive submission and review process requiring extensive drawing and elevation plans, including for shed, sidewalk, tie-back drawings, etc. These permits have been known to take at least two to three months—effectively halting any project until permits are secured. Now with Covid related backlogs, it is not uncommon to hear about a four to the six-month waiting period for the CD5 permit. Notwithstanding the backlog, the city continues to require detailed submissions and a rigorous approval process given the safety implications involved for workers and passersby alike. The lack of uniformity in roof and parapet conditions/dimensions across city structures necessitates this rigorous approval process.
In addition to the bureaucratic challenges, there are several engineering challenges that many of the pre-war structures of some of the earlier settled cities in our country present—and New York City is no exception. According to a recent New York Times article, over forty percent of pre-war buildings (grandfathered) would not conform to the current building code for one reason or the other. The primary reason is structurally unsound roof and parapet conditions. To that end, engineers and contractors must make special accommodations for roof/parapet reinforcement and documented as part of the initial CD5 submission. This expanded submission-only prolongs the pendency of CD5 permits.
Therefore, there is a need for an apparatus that addresses the twin-fold issues of a lack of standardization in the deployment of suspended scaffolds and structural soundness of roof and parapets.
The present invention relates to an apparatus for addressing the twin-fold issues of a lack of a standardized set-up and deployment of suspended scaffolds that obviates the need for roof/parapet reinforcement. The apparatus is further configured to enable a standardized/scalable quick-deployment of a suspended scaffold for building façade repair that does not require detailed plans and/or an extensive review process—along with the need for roof/parapet reinforcement.
In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a first element with a surface and a second perpendicular element with a surface resting on a roof or roof support. The second resting element is configured to receive or house at least a single counterweight, while the first element is coupled to at least one of a suspension scaffold, receiver plate, steel cables, or tie-back accessory. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a Z-shaped plate, wherein the first element is opposable to the second element resting on a roof/support surface with counterweight, while the first element and opposable second element are continuous/conjoined by a middle element. The first element is coupled to at least one of a suspension scaffold, receiver plate, steel cables, or tie-back accessory. The middle element optionally may be disposed of with through-plates (aperture/holes/threaded holes) for receiving steel cables or any other type of tie-back accessory for using the apparatus as a tie-back instrument, rather than relying on an unsound roof protrusion or parapet. The desired effect is a standardized, quick-deploy of a suspension scaffold/tie-back for performing façade repair—obviating the need for extensive drawing plans, lengthy approval process, or additional parapet/roof reinforcement.
In one embodiment, a Z-shaped anchoring plate is comprised of a first horizontally protruding element, a second opposable protruding element, and said elements continuously coupled to each other via a vertical middle element, wherein the Z-shaped plate is configured to securely cover at least portions of a top wall, inner wall of a parapet, and a roof; at least one threaded rod with torqued nut anchored through the vertical element of the anchoring plate and the parapet; an L-shaped receiver plate secured over at least a portion of the top wall and outer wall of the parapet and rod-nut anchored to the anchoring plate, wherein the receiver plate is configured to secure a suspended scaffold for a user to engage a façade of a structure in any direction; and a counterweight securely rested on a top surface of the second element to counter the weight of the suspended scaffold.
In another embodiment, the apparatus may be completely disengaged with a parapet by the use of an intervening support arm between the parapet and apparatus. A Z-shaped anchoring apparatus with an intervening support arm comprising: a Z-shaped anchoring plate comprised of a first horizontally protruding element, a second opposable protruding element, and said elements continuously coupled to each other via a vertical middle element; a support arm positioned between the vertical middle element of the anchoring plate and a back wall of the parapet, wherein the Z-shaped plate is configured to securely cover at least portions of a top wall of the parapet, the top wall of the arm, and a roof; at least one rod-nut anchoring the top wall of the arm with the first element of the anchoring plate to secure a suspended scaffold for vertical mobility for a user to engage a façade of a structure; and a counterweight securely rested on a top surface of the second element to counter the weight of the suspended scaffold.
In yet another embodiment, the apparatus may not require the presence of a parapet at all—and instead, use at least one support arm for load-bearing (free-standing apparatus). The free-standing apparatus comprising a Z-shaped anchoring plate comprised of a first horizontally protruding element, a second opposable protruding element, and said elements continuously coupled to each other via a vertical middle element; a vertical arm with a top surface and at least one vertical surface, wherein said arm is positioned between the vertical middle element and the first protruding element of the anchoring plate, wherein the Z-shaped plate is configured to securely cover at least portions of the top and vertical surfaces of the arm, and a roof; at least one rod-nut anchoring the top wall of the arm with the first element of the anchoring plate to secure a suspended scaffold for vertical mobility for a user to engage a façade of a structure; and a counterweight securely rested on a top surface of the second element to counter the weight of the suspended scaffold.
In addition to an anchoring apparatus for quick-deploy scaffolding, the apparatus may additionally serve as a tie-back instrument without requiring engagement with a parapet or roof structure/protrusion. This proves invaluable in the event of structurally unsound roof/parapet condition and/or a protracted review process for roof/parapet shoring proposals.
In one other embodiment, a method for fabricating or assembling the quick-deploy apparatus comprises the steps of: fabricating a Z-shaped anchoring plate as a single unitary piece, with a first protruding element continuous with a second opposable protruding element by a middle vertical element, wherein the plate is configured to securely cover at least portions of a top wall and/or inner wall of a parapet and a roof; anchoring at least one threaded rod with a torqued nut through at least one of the vertical element and/or the first element of the anchoring plate and through at least one of the top wall, inner wall, and/or outer wall of the parapet; securing an L-shaped receiver plate over at least a portion of the top wall and outer wall of the parapet and rod-nut anchoring said receiver plate to the anchoring plate, wherein the receiver plate is configured to secure a suspended scaffold for a user to engage a façade of a structure in any direction; and resting a counterweight securely over a top surface of the second element in order to counter the weight of the suspended scaffold.
Finally, in another embodiment, a method for a tie-back during suspended scaffolding comprises the steps of: fabricating a Z-shaped anchoring plate with a first horizontally protruding element continuous with a vertical element and an opposable second horizontally protruding element; traversing the first element with at least a single hole configured to slidably receive a cable to serve as a tie-back distally situated from a suspended scaffold hanging from a proximal end, and resting a counterweight securely on a top surface of the second element to counter the weight of the suspended scaffold. Other embodiments may entail just two elements conjoined with distinct surfaces, wherein one surface is intended for resting on a roof surface, and the other surface couples to the tie-back accessory, scaffolding, receiver plate, etc.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and the specific examples, while indicating specific embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.
The embodiments herein will be better understood from the following detailed description concerning the drawings, in which:
A description of embodiments of the present invention will now be given with reference to the Figures. It is expected that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
The present invention discloses an apparatus for quick-deploy scaffolding. The apparatus is further configured to enable a contractor/rigger to quickly assemble/disassemble a standardized anchor for scaffolding/tie-back—even under sub-optimal roof/parapet structural conditions. The appended figures (
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This parapet-supported anchoring apparatus may prove efficient in scenarios of low through-wall tolerance due to its non-invasive anchoring. In certain embodiments, the rod-nut anchoring may traverse the top wall of the Z-shaped apparatus and L-shaped receiver plate, while not traversing the top wall or vertical wall (outer/inner) of the parapet— avoiding any additional compromise of a structurally unsound parapet wall and avoiding any parapet reinforcement strategies. A certain degree of structural soundness is required to tolerate the anchoring of the nut-torqued rod—either through the vertical wall and/or top wall of the parapet.
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The second element 410c, 510c, optionally, rests on a wood 450, 550/foam support 460, 560 for further reinforcement of the roof 490, 590. As shown, the threaded rods 420, 520 pins with nuts torqued to within a range of 10 KIPS and preferably four rods 420, 520 per first element 410a, 510a of the Z-plate 410, 510. As shown in
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Although a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the above detailed description, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiment developed herein, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications, substitutions of parts and elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
The foregoing description comprises illustrative embodiments of the present invention. Having thus described exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted by those skilled in the art that the within disclosures are exemplary only, and that various other alternatives, adaptations, and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention. Merely listing or numbering the steps of a method in a certain order does not constitute any limitation on the order of the steps of that method. Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions. Although specific terms may be employed herein, they are used only in generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments illustrated herein.
