Construction, maintenance, and/or repair of a building often involves persons working on the exterior of the building near a window. Because many windows are well above the ground, workers often require a platform located outside of the building in the vicinity of a window frame in order to perform various tasks such as caulking the frame, installing flashing, repairing grout in brickwork, painting, etc. In order to provide a platform for the worker, scaffolding may be erected. Erecting scaffolding is time-consuming and expensive, and may come with undesirable consequences (e.g., requiring a permit and/or a police detail for supervision, and may impede pedestrian and/or motor vehicle access). Further, some window frames are not disposed in a location where it is practical to erect scaffolding (e.g., a small courtyard).
An example wall-mountable perch includes: a frame configured to be inserted through a window opening in a wall, the frame including: first horizontal side members; a first cross member connected to each of the first horizontal side members proximate to a respective distal end of each of the first horizontal side members; second horizontal side members connected to the first horizontal side members; a platform connected to the second horizontal side members; a plurality of support arms each having a proximal end connected proximate to a proximal end of the frame, each support arm of the plurality of support arms extending vertically upward from the frame and being configured to be flexible to bend along a respective length of each of the plurality of support arms; tension arms each connected to a respective horizontal side member of the second horizontal side members; and adjusting means for producing tension in the tension arms and for causing a second cross member of the wall-mountable perch to move closer to the platform, the adjusting means being connected to the plurality of support arms, or to the tension arms, or to the plurality of support arms and the tension arms.
Implementations of such a perch may include one or more of the following features. The plurality of support arms is configured such that a respective length of each of the plurality of support arms is adjustable, and the adjusting means are for forcibly increasing the respective length of each of the plurality of support arms. The tension arms are configured such that a respective effective length of each of the plurality of support arms is adjustable, and the adjusting means are for forcibly decreasing a respective effective length of each of the tension arms. The adjusting means are for forcibly bending the plurality of support arms away from the platform with the at least one wall-contact member of the wall-mountable perch in direct or indirect contact with the wall. The wall-mountable perch includes a rigid brace coupled to each of the plurality of support arms. The first cross member connected to each of the first horizontal side members defines a frame width, and the rigid brace has a brace length that extends horizontally beyond the frame width. The rigid brace includes a plurality of tubes configured to receive the plurality of support arms. Each of the tension arms is connected to the rigid brace or a respective one of the plurality of support arms.
Also or alternatively, implementations of such a perch may include one or more of the following features. A proximal end of each of the second horizontal side members is connected to a respective one of the distal ends of the first horizontal side members, and each of the tension arms is connected to a respective one of the second horizontal side members proximate to a respective distal end of the respective one of the second horizontal side members. The wall-mountable perch includes securing means, connected proximate to proximal ends of the first horizontal side members, for securing the wall-mountable perch to the wall by moving at least partially in a first direction that is parallel to a second direction from the proximal end of a particular one of the first horizontal side members to the distal end of the particular one of the first horizontal side members. The wall-mountable perch includes a spacer attached to a bottom side of each of the first horizontal side members. The wall-mountable perch includes: vertical posts having first ends connected to distal ends of the first horizontal side members, the vertical posts extending downwardly from the first horizontal side members to distal ends of the vertical posts; and an exterior wall contact member attached to the vertical posts and configured to contact an exterior of the wall. The second horizontal side members include an upper pair of horizontal side members and a lower pair of horizontal side members, the upper pair of horizontal side members being attached to the distal ends of the first horizontal side members, the lower pair of horizontal side members being attached to the distal ends of the vertical posts, and the platform is attached to and spans a gap between the lower pair of horizontal side members.
Another example wall-mountable perch includes: a frame including: a plurality of horizontal side members; a first cross member connected to each of the plurality of horizontal side members displaced from a respective distal end of each of the plurality of horizontal side members and from a respective proximal end of each of the plurality of horizontal side members; a second cross member connected proximate to the respective distal end of each of the plurality of horizontal side members; a platform support connected to the plurality of horizontal side members by a plurality of vertical frame members; and a plurality of frame posts each connected to and extending downward from a respective one of the plurality of horizontal side members; a platform connected to the platform support; a plurality of fence posts connected to, and extending vertically upward from, the frame; a plurality of adjustable-length support arms each having a proximal end connected to a respective proximal end of each of the plurality of horizontal side members, each of the plurality of adjustable-length support arms extending vertically upward from a respective one of the plurality of horizontal side members; an upper wall brace coupled to each of the plurality of adjustable-length support arms; a plurality of tension arms each connected to a respective horizontal side member of the plurality of horizontal side members and each connected to the upper wall brace; and a lower wall brace movably connected to the plurality of frame posts to move horizontally relative to the plurality of frame posts; where each of the plurality of adjustable-length support arms is configured to bend due to tension provided by the plurality of tension arms as a length of each the plurality of adjustable-length support arms is increased.
Implementations of such a perch may include one or more of the following features. The plurality of tension arms includes flexible cables. Each of the plurality of adjustable-length support arms includes a ratchet mechanism configured to extend the respective adjustable-length support arm of the plurality of adjustable-length support arms. The plurality of fence posts is disposed between the plurality of horizontal side members and between the first cross member and the second cross member. The wall-mountable perch includes a spacer, the upper wall brace and the spacer being configured to have the upper wall brace slidably receive the spacer such that the upper wall brace may slide along a length of the spacer and have limited range of motion relative to the spacer in a direction transverse to the length of the spacer.
An example method of installing a wall-mountable perch includes: providing an opening through with to pass a wall-mountable perch; passing a portion of a frame of the wall-mountable perch through the opening; stabilizing the frame to a wall defining the opening; and forcing a cross member of the wall-mountable perch into direct or indirect contact with the wall.
Techniques are discussed herein for providing platforms to allow workers to work on an exterior of a building at or near a window opening. For example, a rigid frame may be provided that supports a platform on which a worker may stand and which may be inserted, at least partially, through an opening, such as a window opening, in a wall. The frame is configured (e.g., sized and shaped) to fit through the window opening. The frame may be rested on a window sill and clamped against the wall, e.g., below the window opening. Flexible rods may be attached to the frame extending upward on an interior side of the window. A crossbar may be coupled to (e.g., connected to and/or receiving) the rods and may be connected to tensioning cables that are also connected to the frame, e.g., at anchor points possibly near a distal end of the frame. Tension may be added to the cables, e.g., by lengthening the rods and/or shortening an effective length between the anchor points and the crossbar. The added tension will cause the rods to bend and allow the crossbar to contact the wall (e.g., above or on either side of the window opening). The tension can be increased to pull the cables taut. Also or alternatively, pads may be pushed from the crossbar against the wall to provide tension to the cables, which may cause the rods to bend away from the wall. These configurations are examples, and other configurations may be used.
Items and/or techniques described herein may provide one or more of the following capabilities, as well as other capabilities not mentioned. For example, a platform for use by a person working on or near the exterior of a window opening of a building can be secured to the building without penetrating surfaces of an interior of the building, e.g., without inserting screws or nails into a wall or floor. A wall-mountable perch may be more stable, e.g., with less platform movement in use, than previous wall-mountable perches. A wall-mountable perch may be mounted to a wall by a single person. Other capabilities may be provided and not every implementation according to the disclosure must provide any, let alone all, of the capabilities discussed. Further, it may be possible for an effect noted above to be achieved by means other than that noted, and a noted item/technique may not necessarily yield the noted effect.
Referring to
The frame 12 may comprise a rigid material to help the wall-mountable perch 10 provide a stable platform on which a person may stand. In this example, the frame 12 comprises fixed-length sections, e.g., metal tubes such as steel tubes, that are fixedly attached (e.g., welded) to each other. Alternative configurations may be used, e.g., with one or more sections being adjustable in length (e.g., with one tube nesting partially in, and slidably received by, another tube), and/or with one or more connections of sections being easily breakable (e.g., with two sections being configured to be latched together with a latch that may be opened). In such cases, an adjustable-length section may be fixed at a selected length and/or the breakable connection between sections may be configured such that the selectively connected sections will have motion (e.g., sliding motion) with respect to each other restrained when connected.
In the example of the wall-mounted perch 10, with further reference to
The cross members 80-84 are connected to the side members 50, 51, 60, 61, 70, 71 and to the vertical posts 90-95. The cross member 80 is connected to the vertical posts 90, 91, which are connected to, and extend downwardly from, the proximal ends 52, 53 of the interior side members 50, 51, and extend upwardly from the cross member 80. The cross member 80 and the vertical posts 90, 91 are disposed at a proximal end 13 of the frame 12. The cross member 81 is connected to the distal ends 54, 55 of, and spans a gap from (in this example, extends between), the pair of the interior side members 50, 51. The cross member 82 is connected to the distal ends 64, 65 of, and spans a gap from (in this example, extends between), the pair of the upper exterior side members 60, 61. The cross member 83 is connected to the vertical posts 92, 93, which are connected to, and extend downwardly from, the distal ends 54, 55 of the interior side members 50, 51. The cross member 84 is connected to the vertical posts 94, 95, which are connected to, and extend downwardly from, the distal ends 64, 65 of the upper exterior side members 60, 61, extend downwardly from the cross member 82, and extend upwardly from the cross member 84.
The cross members 81, 82 are connected to the side members 60, 61 such that the frame 12 has a width 100. The width 100 extends from an outside surface 66 of the upper exterior side member 60 to an outside surface 67 of the upper exterior side member 61. In this example, the frame 12 is configured such that the width 100 is less than a width 102 (see
The cross members 83, 84 and the lower exterior side members 70, 71 provide a platform support to which the platform 14 is connected. The platform 14 spans a gap between the cross members 83, 84 and the lower exterior side members 70, 71. The platform 14 may be configured to hold the weight of a person and equipment used by the person, including a safety margin. The platform 14 may be configured, as in this example, to allow rain or other liquid to pass through the platform 14. Here, the platform 14 comprises a metal grate that is attached (e.g., welded) to the lower exterior side members 70, 71 and to the cross members 83, 84.
The support arms 16, 17 may be connected proximate to the proximal end 13 of the frame 12 and extend vertically upward from the frame 12, in particular from the cross member 80. In this example, the support arms 16, 17 are loosely (not fixedly) connected to the frame 12. Receiving tubes 110, 112 may be connected (e.g., welded) to and extend from the cross member 80. The receiving tubes 110, 112 may be hollow and sized and shaped to receive the support arms 16, 17, e.g., to have ends of the support arms 16, 17 inserted into the receiving tubes 110, 112. The support arms 16, 17 may be removed from the receiving tubes 110, 112 (decoupled from the frame 12) which may help make transportation and/or storage of the perch 10 more convenient.
The support arms 16, 17 may be configured to have adjustable lengths, i.e., to be adjustable-length support arms. In this example, the support arm 16 comprises an upper section 120, a lower section 122, and a securing mechanism 124, and the support arm 17 comprises an upper section 126, a lower section 128, and a securing mechanism 130. The lower sections 122, 128 and the upper sections 120, 126 may each comprise a strut, e.g., a rod or tube of rigid material that resists lengthwise compression. The lower sections 122, 128 may be tubes and the upper sections 120, 126 may be rods or tubes with the sections 120, 122, 126, 128 sized and shaped such that the upper sections 120, 126 may be slidably received by the lower sections 122, 128. The securing mechanisms 124, 130 are configured to hold the upper sections 120, 126 fixed in selected relation to the lower sections 122, 128, respectively, such that the support arms 16, 17 retain a selected length (i.e., resist contraction). For example, the securing mechanisms 124, 130 may each include a tab that fits into a selected one of a set of slots provided in a respective one of the support arms 16, 17, e.g., in a respective one of the upper sections 120, 126. The securing mechanisms 124, 130 are configured to be opened or released to allow the upper sections 120, 126 to move in relation to the lower sections 122, 128, respectively, to permit the lengths of the support arms 16, 17 to be adjusted and to restrain movement of the upper sections 120, 126 in relation to the lower sections 122, 128 with the support arms 16, 17 at desired lengths. The securing mechanisms 124, 130 may be configured to forcibly move the upper sections 120, 126 (i.e., provide a force to the upper section 120, 126 to cause the upper sections 120, 126 to move, e.g., slide) relative to the lower sections 122, 128. For example, the securing mechanisms 124, 130 may comprise ratchets and levers 132, 134 such that the levers 132, 134 may be rotated upward and then downward to cause the upper sections 120, 126 to move upwardly, away from the lower sections 122, 128.
The support arms 16, 17 are configured to be flexible to bend along lengths of the support arms 16, 17 in response to tension in the tension arms 18, 19 due to lengthening of the support arms 16, 17 as discussed more fully below. For example, the support arms 16, 17 may be configured to have distal ends 151, 152 deflect by 10% or more of lengths of the support arms 16, 17. By having the support arms 16, 17 configured to bend, the perch 10 may be mounted to a variety of window openings, e.g., with different sizes of window sills, securely to provide extra stability (e.g., beyond just the frame stability) to the perch 10. The upper sections 120, 126 and the lower sections 122, 128 may be configured to be substantially incompressible along their lengths, e.g., lengths of the sections 122, 122, 126, 128 may compress less than 5% or less than 4% or less than 1% of their respective lengths in response to a compressive force of 300 pounds (about 1330 newtons).
The support arms 16, 17 are attached to the crossbar 22. The crossbar 22 may be coupled to the support arms in a variety of ways, e.g., slidably receiving the support arms 16, 17, or being pivotally connected to the support arms 16, 17, or being fixedly connected (e.g., welded) to the support arms 16, 17, etc. For example, the crossbar 22 may be a tube (or partial tube) and may provide openings for slidably receiving ends of the support arms 16,17. The crossbar 22 may have a wall opposing the openings that inhibits the support arms 16, 17 from passing completely through the crossbar 22. Also or alternatively, the support arms 16, 17 may include members (e.g., flanges) extending outwardly from axes of the support arms 16, 17, with the members configured to interfere with the crossbar 22 to stop the insertion of the support arms 16, 17 into the crossbar 22. In the perch 10, the crossbar 22 is coupled to ends of the upper sections 120, 126 of the support arms 16, 17, but other configurations may be used. For example, the crossbar 22 may be coupled to the support arms 16, 17 some distance from the ends of the upper sections 120, 126 of the support arms 16, 17. The crossbar 22 may be pivotally connected to the support arms 16, 17 along a pivot axis about pivot pins. Alternatively, the crossbar 22 may be configured to slidably receive the support arms 16, 17, e.g., through openings and or by receiving tubes (e.g., see
The crossbar 22 may be configured to engage with the wall 42 to help stabilize the perch 10. For example, the crossbar 22 may be rigid, e.g., comprising a tube or partial tube of a rigid material such as aluminum or steel, and may have a length 140 (
The crossbar 22 may be configured to have the support arms 16, 17 engage with the wall 42. The crossbar 22 may be configured to have the length 140 be less than the width 102 of the window opening 40, and be connected to the support arms 16, 17 a distance from the ends of the support arms 16, 17 such that the support arms 16, 17 may engage the wall 42 above the window opening 40. In this case, the support arms 16, 17 are configured to extend high enough to reach the wall 42 above the opening 40, and may be configured to contact the wall 42 while inhibiting damaging of the wall 42.
The tension arms 18, 19 are, in this example, connected to the crossbar 22 and to the upper exterior side members 60, 61. In this example, the tension arms 18, 19 comprise metal cables with multiple components (threads), but this is but one example and many other configurations may be used for the tension arms 18, 19. For example, rigid members such as steel or aluminum tubes or rods may be used for the tension arms. The tension arms 18, 19 are, in this example, connected to or through a side wall 150 of the crossbar 22. The connections of the tension arms 18, 19 to the crossbar 22 may allow the crossbar to pivot relative to the tension arms 18, 19 which may facilitate the crossbar contacting the wall 42 with the contact surface 142. The tension arms 18, 19 may be connected to the upper exterior side members 60, 61 at anchor points 164, 165 proximate to the distal ends 64, 65 of the upper exterior side members 60, 61. For example, the anchor points 164, 165 may be at least midway between the proximal ends 62, 63 and the distal ends 64, 65 of the upper exterior side members 60, 61, e.g., closer to the distal ends 64, 65 than the proximal ends 62, 63, e.g., within 25% of a length of the side members 60, 61 from the distal ends 64, 65, e.g., within 10% of the length of the side members 60, 61 from the distal ends 64, 65.
The tension arms 18, 19 are configured to allow different lengths of the support arms 16, 17 while the tension arms 18, 19 are connected to the support arms 16, 17, and to resist lengthening of the support arms 16, 17 beyond a particular length. For example, here the tension arms 18, 19 are cables that can bend as the support arms 16, 17 are shortened. Other configurations may be used, however, such as rigid arms that are slidably connected to the support arms 16, 17 but that cease to slide once ends of the rigid arms are reached as the support arms 16, 17 are lengthened. Once the support arms 16, 17 reach a particular length (determined by the lengths of the tension arms 18, 19 and distances from the anchor points 164, 165 to the support arms 16, 17), the tension arms 18, 19 will resist further lengthening of the support arms 16, 17 and will pull the support arms 16, 17 with a force directed horizontally and downward. That is, each of the tension arms 18, 19 will provide a force with a horizontal component parallel to a direction from the proximal end 13 to a distal end 15 of the frame 12, and downward toward the frame 12 as the support arms are lengthened further, causing the support arms 16, 17 to bend toward the distal end 15 (e.g., toward the anchor points 164, 165). The tension arms 18, 19 may be configured such that the particular length of the support arms 16, 17 is such that the support arms 16, 17 will bend to cause the crossbar 22 to come into contact with the wall 42 below a top of the window opening 40. With the crossbar 22 in contact with the wall 42, the securing mechanisms 124, 130 may be actuated to try to further lengthen the support arms 16, 17, causing the tension arms 18, 19 to be pulled taut. This may provide great stability to the perch 10 such that the platform 14 (or at least the platform support) will move very little, e.g., imperceivably little, in response to a person walking on the platform 14.
The sill spacer 24 may be configured to position the interior side members 50, 51 above an interior window sill portion 180 and to help prevent damaging the interior window sill portion 180 and an exterior window sill portion 182. The sill spacer 24 may be connected to bottom sides of the interior side members 50, 51 and to the vertical posts 92, 93. The sill spacer 24 may be configured and disposed to rest on an exterior window sill portion 182 and may comprise a rigid or semi-rigid material in order to support the frame 12. The sill spacer 24, or at least a bottom surface 184 of the sill spacer 24, may be configured (e.g., may be smooth or semi-smooth, and/or may comprise a soft material) to help prevent damaging the exterior window sill portion 182 or a ledge 186 between the interior window sill portion 180 and the exterior window sill portion 182. In other configurations, the sill spacer 24 may provide an adjustable height, e.g., to allow the frame 12 to be moved into contact with the interior window sill portion 180.
The exterior wall pad 26 may be disposed and configured to contact an exterior of the wall 42. The exterior wall pad 26 may comprise a durable material to withstand being in contact with exterior wall surfaces such as stucco, concrete, wood, or brick, and may comprise a material to inhibit damaging of the exterior wall surface. The exterior wall pad 26 may be disposed, as in this example, at a bottom of the frame 12, connected to the lower exterior side members 70, 71 and bottom portions the vertical posts 92, 93. While in this example, the exterior wall pad 26 is fixed in place relative to the frame 12, the exterior wall pad 26 could be movably connected to the frame 12, e.g., to move toward or away from the proximal end 13 of the frame 12. This may help the perch 10 accommodate different sizes of exterior window sill sizes and shapes and/or different thicknesses of walls.
The interior wall pad 28 may be disposed, configured, and movably connected to the frame 12 to contact an interior of the wall 42. The interior wall pad 28 may comprise a durable material to withstand being in contact with interior wall surfaces such as painted drywall, paneling, tile, etc., while inhibiting damaging (e.g., scratching, marring) the interior wall surface. The interior wall pad 28 may be disposed, as in this example, at a bottom of the frame 12, connected to bottom portions the vertical posts 90, 91. Here, the interior wall pad 28 is rotatably connected to the clamp rods 30, 31 such that the clamp rods 30, 31 may be rotated without rotating the interior wall pad 28. The clamp rods 30, 31 are threaded, pass through threaded holes provided by the vertical posts 90, 91, and have proximal ends connected to handles 190, 191 to facilitate a user turning the clamp rods 30, 31. Turning the clamp rods 30, 31 will cause the interior wall pad 28 to move away from or toward the vertical posts 90, 91 (away from or toward the proximal end 13 of the frame 12). The handles 190, 191 may be turned (e.g., clockwise when viewing the proximal end 13 of the frame 12) to cause the interior wall pad 28 to move into contact with the wall 42 to help secure the perch 10 to the wall 42, e.g., to initially mount the perch 10 to the wall 42 to facilitate further stabilizing of the perch 10 by moving the support arms 16, 17 to cause engagement of the crossbar 22 with the wall 42. The handles 190, 191 may be rotated clockwise to disengage the perch 10 from the wall 42 and/or to accommodate different thicknesses of walls.
The fence posts 32-35 and the rails 38, 39 provide a safety fence. The fence posts 32-35 may be removably connected to the frame 12, e.g., by being received by receiving tubes 202, 203, 204, 205 that are connected to the platform 14 and/or connected to the lower exterior side members 70, 71 and/or the cross members 83, 84, respectively. The receiving tubes 202-205 are disposed, in this example, between the lower exterior side members 70, 71 and between the cross members 83, 84. The rails 38, 39 may be flexible cables as in this example, or may be configured differently, e.g., as rigid bars, chains, etc.
Operation
Referring to
At stage 252, the method 250 includes providing an opening through which to pass the wall-mountable perch. For example, providing the opening may include removing a window from a window frame to provide the opening 40 in the wall 42, or building the wall 42, e.g., as part of new construction.
At stage 254, the method 250 includes passing a portion of a frame of the wall-mountable perch through the opening. For example, if the fence posts 32-35 are in the receiving tubes, then a user may remove the fence posts from the receiving tubes 202-205. Similarly, if the support arms 16, 17 are in the receiving tubes 110, 112, then the user may remove the support arms from the receiving tubes 110, 112. The user may lift the frame 12 and the attached sill spacer 24, the exterior wall pad 26, and the interior wall pad 28, and pass the distal end 15 of the frame 12 through the window opening 40. The interior wall pad 28 may be removed before inserting the frame 12 through the opening 40, but the user may want to have the interior wall pad 28 connected to the frame 12 to facilitate quickly stabilizing the perch 10 against the wall 42.
At stage 256, the method 250 includes initially stabilizing the frame to the wall. For example, the user maneuvers the frame 12 to place the sill spacer 24 onto a window sill and draws the frame 12 toward the wall so that the exterior wall pad 26 engages the exterior surface of the wall 42. The user pushes the interior wall pad 28 against the interior surface of the wall 42 to clamp the frame 12 to the wall 42. For example, the user turns the handles 190, 191 to turn the clamp rods 30, 31 to force the interior wall pad 28 distally, e.g., toward the exterior wall pad 26. The user may continue, or at least attempt to continue, to turn the handles 190, 191 after the interior wall pad 28 engages the interior surface of the wall 42 to initially stabilize the frame 12 to the wall 42. The interior wall pad 28 and the clamp rods 30, 31, in conjunction with the exterior wall pad 26 and the frame 12, may comprise securing means for securing the perch 10 to the wall 42.
At stage 258, the method 250 includes coupling flexible support arms to the frame and coupling a cross member (e.g., a wall-engaging member) to the support arms. For example, the user inserts bottom portions of the lower sections 122, 128 of the support arms 16, 17 into the receiving tubes 110, 112. The user may, before or after inserting the support arms 16, 17 into the receiving tubes 110, 112, couple the crossbar to the support arms 16, 17. For example, the user slides the crossbar 22 onto the distal ends 151, 152 of the upper sections 120, 126 of the support arms 16, 17. The user may continue to slide the crossbar 22 onto the support arms 16, 17 until further insertion is inhibited, e.g., by the support arms 16, 17 hitting an interior wall of the crossbar 22 (or reaching ends of receiving tubes).
At stage 260, the method 250 includes forcing a cross member into direct or indirect contact with the wall (e.g., directly or indirectly via a spacer as discussed below with respect to
At stage 262, the method 250 includes the user coupling one or more safety features to the perch and stepping onto a platform of the perch. For example, the user may insert the fence posts 32-35 into the receiving tubes 202-205 and attach the rails 38, 39 (if the rails 38, 39 are not already attached) to the fence posts 32-35. One or more other safety features may be connected, such as connecting a harness worn by the user to the frame 12 or to an item (e.g., a ring 155 (
Other Configurations
The examples discussed above are non-exhaustive examples and numerous other configurations may be used. The discussion below is directed to some of such other configurations, but is not exhaustive (by itself or when combined with the discussion above).
As an example, referring to
As another example, referring to
As another example, a perch platform may be at, or nearly at, the same height as a window sill when the perch is mounted to a wall through a window opening. For example, the vertical posts 94, 95, and the lower exterior side members 70, 71, and the cross member 84 of the frame 12 may be omitted from a perch. In this case, the platform 14 may be supported by, and span the gap between, the side members 60, 61 and the cross members 81, 82. Alternatively, the vertical posts 92, 93 and the cross member 83 may also be omitted. In this case, an alternative configuration for providing the exterior wall pad 26 may be used. For example, arms may be connected to the side members 60, 61 (e.g., (midway) between the proximal ends 62, 63 and the distal ends 64, 65) and extend downward and proximally (i.e., toward the proximal end 13 of the frame 12) and be connected to one or more exterior wall pads. A cross member may or may not be connected between these arms.
As other examples, other configurations of mechanisms may be used to engage an interior of the wall 42 to initially clamp a perch to the wall 42. For example, rotatable arms may be connected to one or more wall-engaging pads. The rotatable arms may be ratcheted so that the arms may be forced to rotate so that the pad(s) engage the wall. Further rotation or attempted rotation may increase pressure applied by the pad(s) to the wall while ratcheting mechanism(s) inhibit the pressure from being released. For example, the clamp rods 30, 31 may be replaced with ratcheting rotating rods.
Perches may have a variety of different absolute and/or relative sizes. For example, referring again to
Referring to
Referring also to
Forces produced by the perch 1000, and in turn forces produced by walls on the perch 1000, help stabilize the perch 1000 relative to the walls. The forces 1021-1025 work in concert to resist movement (e.g., lateral, up-and-down, and/or rotational movement) of the perch 1000. The perch 1000 produces equal and opposite forces against the wall 42. The forces 1021-1023 are produced with the perch 1000 mounted to the wall 42, and a force similar to the force 1025 will be produced against the crossbar 22 (although not shown in
The exterior wall pad 26 and the interior wall pad 28 form a clamp and thus means for clamping the perch 1000 to the wall 42. The force 1024 may counteract a force 1026 produced by a weight of a user 1040 standing on the platform 14, e.g., producing counteracting rotational forces on the perch 1000.
The interior wall pad 28 may be sized to contact a spacer, e.g., the spacer 900, and thus contact the wall 42 indirectly instead of directly. For example, a width 27 (
Referring also to
Still other configurations may be used.
Other Considerations
The techniques and discussed above are examples, and not exhaustive. Configurations other than those discussed may be used.
As used herein, “or” as used in a list of items prefaced by “at least one of” or prefaced by “one or more of” indicates a disjunctive list such that, for example, a list of “at least one of A, B, or C,” or a list of “one or more of A, B, or C” means A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C), or combinations with more than one feature (e.g., AA, AAB, ABBC, etc.).
As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. For example, “an arm” may include one arm or multiple arms. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and/or “including,” as used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof
The systems and devices discussed above are examples. Various configurations may omit, substitute, or add various procedures or components as appropriate. For instance, features described with respect to certain configurations may be combined in various other configurations. Different aspects and elements of the configurations may be combined in a similar manner. Also, technology evolves and, thus, many of the elements are examples and do not limit the scope of the disclosure or claims.
Specific details are given in the description to provide a thorough understanding of example configurations (including implementations). However, configurations may be practiced without these specific details. This description provides example configurations only, and does not limit the scope, applicability, or configurations of the claims. Rather, the preceding description of the configurations provides a description for implementing described techniques. Various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/963,626, filed Jan. 21, 2020, entitled “WALL-MOUNTABLE PERCH,” the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62963626 | Jan 2020 | US |