When constructing buildings, parking garages, and other structures, grid shoring systems are often used to carry a load while structural concrete sets or permanent beams are fixed in position. The grid shoring systems may include platform supports that support multiple main beams on head assemblies that include seats. The main beams are typically installed by lowering each main beam onto the seats of adjacent head assemblies, and the main beams and seats may support a plurality of secondary beams extending between parallel main beams. One or more panels may rest on the main beams and secondary beams to form a platform that carries the load.
Typically, the platform support is raised or lowered to position the platform at the correct height for the structure that is being supported. Platform supports often utilize drop head assemblies that may ease the removal of the platform and the platform support. A drop head assembly typically includes a floating seat that is held in position by a seat support plate, which, in turn, is retained by a pin extending through the drop head assembly. When the seat support plate is rotated, both the seat support plate and the seat pass over the pin, dropping the platform and allowing for easy removal of the platform and platform supports.
Recently, platform supports have been developed include both upper and lower head assemblies, allowing the platform supports to position platforms at different heights and support structures at different levels, while reducing the total number of platform supports. Although drop head assemblies have been used for the upper head assembly, using such an assembly for the lower head assembly would typically prevent the platform support from being raised or lowered. This is because the pin that extends through the drop head assembly would prevent the use of a telescoping-type assembly that is commonly used to adjust the height of the platform support. Therefore, the lower seat is usually fixed in position on the head assembly. Although this arrangement does allow for both upper and lower platforms, the upper platform must be removed before the lower platform, which rests on the fixed heads, can be removed. Further, additional head assemblies must be purchased since the upper and lower head assemblies are not interchangeable.
What is needed, therefore, is a head assembly that can drop a platform independently of other platforms and be used as both an upper head assembly and a lower head assembly, allowing for a reduction in the number platform supports and heads that are used.
Embodiments of the disclosure may provide a pass-through head assembly. The pass-through head assembly may include a central shaft, a plurality of support bars, a seat, and a seat support plate. The central shaft may extend between a first end plate and a second end plate, and each end plate may define an aperture that aligns with an interior cavity of the central shaft. The plurality of support bars may extend from an exterior surface of the central shaft and a surface of the second end plate, and each support bar may extend along a portion of an axial length of the central shaft. The seat may be circumferentially disposed about the central shaft and configured to support one or more beams, and may define an aperture that is sized to allow the seat to pass over the central shaft and the plurality of support bars. The seat support plate may be circumferentially disposed about the central shaft between the seat and the second end plate, and define an aperture that is sized to allow the seat support plate to pass over the central shaft and the plurality of support bars. The seat support plate may be configured to rest on the plurality of support bars in a first position and pass over the plurality of support bars in a second position.
Embodiments of the disclosure may also provide a platform support. The platform support may include a first pass-through head assembly, an adjustable shaft assembly, and a prop. The first pass-through head assembly may include a first central shaft, a first plurality of support bars, a first seat, and a first seat support plate. The first central shaft may extend between a first top end plate and a first bottom end plate, and each of the first top end plate and the first bottom end plate may define an aperture that aligns with an interior cavity of the first central shaft. The first plurality of support bars may extend from an exterior surface of the first central shaft and a surface of the first bottom end plate, and each support bar of the first plurality of support bars may extend along a portion of an axial length of the first central shaft. The first seat may be circumferentially disposed about the first central shaft and configured to support at least a first beam. The first seat may define an aperture that is sized to allow the first seat to pass over the first central shaft and the first plurality of support bars. The first seat support plate may be circumferentially disposed about the first central shaft between the first seat and the first bottom end plate, and may define an aperture that is sized to allow the first seat support plate to pass over the first central shaft and the first plurality of support bars. The first seat support plate may be configured to rest on the first plurality support bars in a first position and pass over the first plurality of support bars in a second position. The adjustable shaft assembly may be supported by the first top end plate and extend into the interior cavity of the first central shaft. The prop may be coupled to the first bottom end plate opposite the first central shaft.
Embodiments of the disclosure may also provide a grid shoring system. The grid shoring system may include a plurality of platform supports arranged in an array, a first plurality of main beams, a first plurality of secondary beams, and at least one panel. Each of the platform supports may include a first pass-through head assembly, an adjustable shaft assembly, and a prop. The first pass-through head assembly may include a first central shaft, a first plurality of support bars, a first seat, and a first seat support plate. The first central shaft may extend between a first top end plate and a first bottom end plate, and each of the first top end plate and the first bottom end plate may define an aperture that aligns with an interior cavity of the first central shaft. The first plurality of support bars may extend from an exterior surface of the first central shaft and a surface of the first bottom end plate, and each support bar of the first plurality of support bars may extend along a portion of an axial length of the first central shaft. The first seat may be circumferentially disposed about the first central shaft and may define an aperture that is sized to allow the first seat to pass over the first central shaft and the first plurality of support bars. The first seat support plate may be circumferentially disposed about the first central shaft between the first seat and the first bottom end plate, and may define an aperture that is sized to allow the first seat support plate to pass over the first central shaft and the first plurality of support bars. The first seat support plate may be configured to rest on the first plurality support bars in a first position and pass over the first plurality of support bars in a second position. The adjustable shaft assembly may be supported by the first top end plate and extend into the interior cavity of the first central shaft. The prop may be coupled to the first bottom end plate opposite the first central shaft. Each main beam of the first plurality of main beams may be coupled to the first seats of two adjacent platform supports of the plurality of platform supports and parallel to at least one other main beam. Each secondary beam of the first plurality of secondary beams may be coupled to the first seats of two adjacent platform supports of the plurality of platform supports, or two main beams of the first plurality of main beams. The at least one panel may be disposed on top of at least two secondary beams of the first plurality of secondary beams.
The present disclosure is best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying Figures. It is emphasized that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion.
It is to be understood that the following disclosure describes several exemplary embodiments for implementing different features, structures, or functions of the invention. Exemplary embodiments of components, arrangements, and configurations are described below to simplify the present disclosure; however, these exemplary embodiments are provided merely as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various exemplary embodiments and across the Figures provided herein. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various exemplary embodiments and/or configurations discussed in the various Figures. Moreover, the formation of a first feature over or on a second feature in the description that follows may include embodiments in which the first and second features are formed in direct contact, and may also include embodiments in which additional features may be formed interposing the first and second features, such that the first and second features may not be in direct contact. Finally, the exemplary embodiments presented below may be combined in any combination of ways, i.e., any element from one exemplary embodiment may be used in any other exemplary embodiment, without departing from the scope of the disclosure.
Additionally, certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, various entities may refer to the same component by different names, and as such, the naming convention for the elements described herein is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, unless otherwise specifically defined herein. Further, the naming convention used herein is not intended to distinguish between components that differ in name but not function. Additionally, in the following discussion and in the claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to.” All numerical values in this disclosure may be exact or approximate values unless otherwise specifically stated. Accordingly, various embodiments of the disclosure may deviate from the numbers, values, and ranges disclosed herein without departing from the intended scope. Furthermore, as it is used in the claims or specification, the term “or” is intended to encompass both exclusive and inclusive cases, i.e., “A or B” is intended to be synonymous with “at least one of A and B,” unless otherwise expressly specified herein.
A plurality of parallel secondary beams 110 (eight indicated) may be coupled to and extend between adjacent head assemblies 106 or parallel main beams 108. As shown in
As shown in the exemplary embodiment, the platform supports 102 may include multiple head assemblies 106, allowing adjacent platforms 112 to be positioned at different levels. In other embodiments, adjacent platforms 112 may be at the same level, or there may be a combination of adjacent platforms 112 at the same level and adjacent platforms 112 at different levels. Further, although
The lower head assembly 206 may also be coupled to the prop 208. In one embodiment, the upper head assembly 202 and the lower head assembly 206 may be coupled to the adjustable shaft assembly 204 and the prop 208, respectively, via mechanical fasteners (not shown) such as bolts or pins. This may allow the platform support 200 to be disassembled for easier movement and storage. In other embodiments, the upper head assembly 202 and the adjustable shaft assembly 204 may be welded together, the lower head assembly 206 and the prop 208 may be welded together, or both the upper head assembly 202 and the adjustable shaft assembly 204 and the lower head assembly 206 and the prop 208 may be welded together as a single unit.
The adjustable shaft assembly 204 may include a threaded shaft 212 sized to fit within an aperture 214 of the lower head assembly 206. A collar 216 may be threaded onto the threaded shaft 212 to prevent a portion of the threaded shaft 212 from entering the lower head assembly 206. The collar 216 may be rotated about the threaded shaft 212 to adjust the height of the upper head assembly 202 relative to the lower head assembly 206. In another embodiment, the adjustable shaft assembly 204 may include a shaft with a plurality of holes (not shown) along the axial length of the shaft, and a bolt or pin (not shown) may be inserted into the desired hole to set the height of the upper head assembly 202 relative to the lower head assembly 206.
Similar to the adjustable shaft assembly 204, the prop 208 may be used to adjust the height of the lower head assembly 206. However, the prop 208 may adjust the height of the lower head assembly 206 relative to a floor (not shown) or another horizontal supporting surface. The prop 208 may include an inner prop cylinder 218 and an outer prop cylinder 220. The inner prop cylinder 218 may be sized to fit within an interior cavity of the outer prop cylinder 220. The inner prop cylinder 218 may also include a plurality of apertures 222 that extend through the inner prop cylinder 218, and a retention mechanism 224 may be threaded onto or otherwise coupled to an upper portion 226 the outer prop cylinder 220. The retention mechanism 224 may be rotated about the upper portion 226 of the outer prop cylinder 220 to adjust the position of the retention mechanism 224.
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The foregoing has outlined features of several embodiments so that those skilled in the art may better understand the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they may readily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/or achieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and that they may make various changes, substitutions, and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.