Multipurpose outrigger device for work bench

Abstract

To provide a multipurpose outrigger device functioning as projecting ground means for allowing a work bench provided with a handhold bar to be stably installed in use and functioning as protection means for preventing damage on the handhold bar in a storage posture not in use, for the work bench.SOLUTION: A work bench is provided with a handhold bar (8) freely changeable in posture between an erected posture (P1) and a storage posture (P2), being provided with an outrigger device including a rotatable arm (15) at a lower end part of a column leg (4) of the work bench to form protection means (18) for covering a lower end part of the handhold bar (8) in the storage posture (P2) from the outside when the arm (15) is brought in an upward posture (R1) and to form projecting ground means (19) for grounding outside of the column leg (4) when brought in a downward posture (R2).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a multi-purpose outrigger device provided as an overhanging grounding means for enabling stable installation of a workbench when in use and as a protection means for preventing damage to a handrail in a stored posture when not in use, in a workbench provided with a handrail bar.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a workbench for high-altitude work is provided with a handrail bar that is located near a corner of a top plate and stands upward above the top plate, serving the safety of workers.

[0003] Also, in order to prevent the workbench from tipping over, a workbench provided with an outrigger device is known, and ensuring a stable installation state is attempted.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Figure 1 shows a conventionally known portable workbench. The workbench 1 includes a substantially rectangular top plate 2 with its long side as the girder side and its short side as the wife side, and leg bodies 3 are provided on the wife side respectively. Although details are not shown in the figure, each leg body 3 is configured in a ladder shape with steps installed on a pair of column legs 4, 4. Each column leg 4 is composed of a main leg 5 provided near the corner of the top plate 2 and an extension leg 6 that is slidably inserted between the main leg 5 in a contracted posture L1 and an extended posture L2 to form a telescopic leg. In addition, a grounding end fitting 7 is provided at the lower end of the extension leg 6.

[0006] As shown in the figure, the main legs 5 of the pair of column legs 4, 4 that make up the leg body 3 are inclined so as to be spaced downward from each other, and therefore, the distance dimension W1 between the outer side surfaces of the lower ends of the pair of main legs 5, 5 is larger than the width W2 of the top plate 2, and W1 > W2.

[0007] A total of four handrail bars 8 are provided near the corners of the top plate 2 and stand upright upward from the top plate 2. The base ends of the handrail bars 8 are rotatably pivoted on the outer side surfaces near the upper ends of the main legs 5 respectively.

[0008] Therefore, each handrail bar 8 can be freely changed in posture between an upright posture P1 that stands upright upward from the top plate 2 and a storage posture P2 that is drooped downward and along the outer side surface of the main leg 5 as shown by the solid line in Figure 1, and each posture is held by a support device.

[0009] When the workbench 1 is not in use, as shown by the solid line in Figure 1, the extension leg 6 is contracted, the handrail bar 8 is held in the storage posture P2, and in this state, both leg bodies 3, 3 are rotated downward toward the lower side of the top plate 2 for storage (see Figure 7(B)). Thereby, the workbench 1 can be carried in a compact flat state and can be stored by stacking it vertically.

[0010] However, when the workbench 1 is in a non-use state, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the handrail 8 is exposed to the outside in a state where it is along the outer surface of the main leg 5. At this time, as described above with respect to W1>W2, the pair of column legs 4, 4 constituting the leg body 3 are inclined in the expanding direction, so that the tips of the main leg 5 and the handrail 8 project outward more than both side surfaces of the top plate 2. Therefore, when carrying the workbench, etc., it is likely to collide with an object such as a part of a building, and in particular, there is a problem that the tip of the fragile handrail 8 is easily damaged.

[0011] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a protection means for protecting the easily damaged tip of the handrail 8 in order to prevent the handrail 8 in the stored posture P2 from colliding with an external object and being damaged.

[0012] By the way, as described above, it is desirable to provide an outrigger device for stable installation of the workbench. At this time, the outrigger device generally constitutes an arm that projects outward from the outside of the column leg on the workbench and contacts the ground, and it is preferable to configure the arm to be folded in an upward posture when not in use.

[0013] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a multi-purpose outrigger device that can constitute a protection means for preventing damage to the tip of the handrail 8 in the above-described stored posture P2 by using an arm that is folded in an upward posture when not in use.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0014] Therefore, the present invention is configured as a means in which column feet are provided near the corners of a rectangular top plate, the base end of a handrail rod is pivotally attached to the outer side of the upper end of the column feet so as to be rotatable, and the handrail rod can be freely changed in posture between an upright posture in which it stands upward above the top plate and a storage posture in which it is suspended downward along the outer surface of the column feet. In the workbench, it is a multi-purpose outrigger device provided at the lower end of the column feet. The multi-purpose outrigger device includes a base extending a bracket outward from the column feet from a fixing portion attached to the lower end of the column feet, and an arm pivotally supported by the bracket and rotatable between an upward posture and an obliquely downward posture. When the arm is in the upward posture, it constitutes a protection means for covering the lower end of the handrail rod in the storage posture from the outside, and when the arm is in the obliquely downward posture, it constitutes an overhanging grounding means for grounding the tip of the arm outside the column feet.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the column feet are composed of a main leg provided near the corner of the top plate and an extension leg slidably inserted between a contracted posture and an extended posture with respect to the main leg, and a grounding end fitting is provided at the lower end of the extension leg. The extension leg has a protruding leg end portion protruding from the lower end of the main leg so as to separate the grounding end fitting from the lower end portion of the main leg in the contracted posture, and a mounting portion is formed by the protruding leg end portion. The fixing portion of the base in the multi-purpose outrigger device is configured to be mounted on the mounting portion.

Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, the outrigger device 10 can be easily attached by attaching the fixing portion 12 of the base 11 to the lower end portion of the column base 4 in the leg body 3 of the workbench 1. When the arm 15 pivotally supported by the bracket 13 of the base 11 is in the upward posture, it constitutes a protection means 18 that covers the lower end portion of the handrail bar 8 that is in the storage posture P2 from the outside. Therefore, it is possible to preferably prevent the easily damaged tip portion of the handrail bar 8 from colliding with an external object and being damaged. That is, at this time, the workbench 1 is in an unused state where it is not used for work, the handrail bar 8 is in the storage posture P2, and the arm 15 is in the upward posture R1. In this state, the outrigger device 10 functions as a protection means 18 for the handrail bar 8 and has versatility.

[0017] And when the workbench 1 is in use, by setting the arm 15 pivotally supported by the bracket 13 of the base 11 to the diagonally downward posture R2, an overhanging grounding means 19 that grounds the tip portion of the arm 15 outside the column base 4 is configured, and it can function as an original outrigger.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0020] (Overall Configuration) The workbench is a general-purpose workbench that widely includes various types used for high-altitude work at construction sites and the like. Therefore, its shape and size are not particularly limited, but the illustrated embodiment exemplifies a conventional portable workbench.

[0021] Incidentally, in the present invention as well, since the workbench itself is generally the same as the workbench of the prior art described above with reference to FIG. 1, the same reference numerals are used for the same components in the drawings, redundant explanations are omitted, and the above description is incorporated by reference.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the extended leg 6 of the column leg 4 constituting the leg 3 of the workbench 1 has a protruding leg end portion 6a protruding from the lower end of the main leg 5 so as to separate the grounding end fitting 7 at the lower end from below the lower end of the main leg 5 in the contracted posture L1. Thereby, a mounting portion 9 for mounting the outrigger device is formed.

[0023] The outrigger device 10 includes a base 11 formed by extending a bracket 13 composed of two plate portions 13a and 13b protruding outward from the column leg 4 from a fixing portion 12 attached to the mounting portion 9, and an arm 15 pivotally connected to the bracket 13 via a pivot 14. A grounding end fitting 16 is provided at the tip of the arm 15.

[0024] The fixing portion 12 of the base 11 is constituted by a metal groove-shaped member that holds the mounting portion 9 of the extended leg 6, and fastening means 17 such as bolts is provided for fastening and fixing in a state of holding the mounting portion 9.

[0025] The arm 15 is constituted by a metal pipe material having a square cross section (a rectangle in the illustrated example), and is pivotally supported between an upright upward posture R1 and an obliquely downward posture R2 inverted outward with respect to the pivot 14.

[0026] (Protection means by the arm) When the arm 15 is in the upward posture R1, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, it is configured to function as a protection means 18 that covers the tip (lower end) of the handrail bar 8 in the stored posture P2 from the outside. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, with the extension leg 6 in the contracted posture L1 and the arm 15 in the upward posture R1, a storage space S is formed between the arm 15 and the main leg 5, and the tip of the handrail bar 8 in the stored posture P2 is configured to be stored in the storage space S.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 7(A), the workbench 1 is moved by running on the floor surface through the casters provided on one of the legs 3 during breaks in work or the like. At this time, the handrail bar 8 is in the stored posture P2, and the arm 15 of the outrigger device 10 is in the upward posture R1.

[0028] At this time, the workbench 1 running on the floor surface may collide with an external object at the tip of the handrail bar 8 along the outer surface of the column leg 4. However, even if such a collision occurs, the protection means 18 by the arm 15 of the outrigger device 10 can prevent the handrail bar 8 from being damaged by colliding.

[0029] Also, as shown in FIG. 7(B), when the workbench 1 is in the unused state, the extension leg 6 is contracted, and the handrail bar 8 is held in the stored posture P2. In this state, the workbench 1 is stored by rotating both legs 3, 3 toward the lower side of the top plate 2. Thereby, the workbench 1 is carried in a compact flat state and stored in a stacked state vertically.

[0030] At this time, as shown in the figure, the carried workbench 1 has the tip of the handrail bar 8 protruding greatly outward from both sides of the top plate 2, so there is a risk of collision with an external object. However, since the protection means 18 is formed by the arm 15 of the outrigger device 10 as shown in the figure, damage due to collision is prevented.

[0031] (Overhanging grounding means by the arm) When the arm 15 is in the diagonally downward posture R2, as shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, by constituting the overhanging grounding means 19 for grounding the grounding end tool 6 at the tip of the arm 15 outside the column base 4, it functions as an original outrigger.

[0032] (Posture locking mechanism) The base end portion of the arm 15 is pivotally supported by a pivot 14 in a state of being interposed between two first plate portions 13a and second plate portions 13b constituting the bracket 13. A posture locking mechanism 20 is provided between the arm 15 and the bracket 13. Thereby, when the arm 15 is in the upward posture R1 or the diagonally downward posture R2, its posture is maintained.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, a guide slot 21 that draws an arc centered on the pivot 14 is formed in the first plate portion 13a of the bracket 13. When the arm 15 is rotated, the control pin 22 provided on the arm 15 is configured to be movable along the guide slot 21.

[0034] At both ends of the guide slot 21, a first lock portion 21a and a second lock portion 21b formed by notches larger than the width of the slot are provided respectively.

[0035] On the other hand, the control pin 22 includes a shaft portion 22a movable along the guide slot 21, a neck portion 22b that can be fitted into the first lock portion 21a and the second lock portion 21b, and a head portion 22c located outside the first plate portion 13a. And a spring 23 for biasing the control pin 22 from the first plate portion 13a toward the second plate portion 13b is provided.

[0036] Figs. 11(A), (B), and (C) show the state when the arm 15 is in the diagonally downward posture R2. The control pin 22 has its head portion 22b fitted into the first locking portion 21a. Therefore, the arm 15 is prevented from rotating around the axis of the pivot 14 and is held in the diagonally downward posture R2. In the illustrated example, in addition to the lock by the fitting of the head portion 22b and the first locking portion 21a, the tip of the shaft portion 22a of the control pin 22 is inserted into the first locking hole 24a of the second plate portion 13b for locking.

[0037] From this state, as shown in Fig. 11(D), by pinching the head portion 22a and moving the control pin 22 axially against the spring 23 to pull out the head portion 22b from the first locking portion 21a, when the shaft portion 22a is positioned in the first locking portion 21a, the arm 15 becomes rotatable toward the upward posture R1. Although not shown, at this time, the tip of the shaft portion 22a has been pulled out from the first locking hole 24a of the second plate portion 13b. During the rotation of the arm 15, the shaft portion 22a moves along the inside of the slot 21, and the head portion 22b slides along the slot 21 on the surface of the first plate 13a. Therefore, as soon as the arm 15 is set in the upward posture R1, the head portion 22b is automatically fitted into the second locking portion 21b by the biasing force of the spring 23.

[0038] Figs. 12(A), (B), and (C) show the state when the arm 15 is in the upward posture R1. The control pin 22 has its head portion 22b fitted into the second locking portion 21b. Therefore, the arm 15 is prevented from rotating around the axis of the pivot 14 and is held in the upward posture R1. In the illustrated example, in addition to the lock by the fitting of the head portion 22b and the second locking portion 21b, the tip of the shaft portion 22a of the control pin 22 is inserted into the second locking hole 24b of the second plate portion 13b for locking.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0039] 1 Workbench 2 Top plate 3 Leg body 4 Column foot 5 Main leg 6 Extension leg 6a End portion of the protruding leg L1 contraction posture L2 extension posture 7 grounding end tool 8 handrail bar P1 standing posture P2 storage posture 9 mounting part 10 outrigger device 11 base 12 fixing part 13 bracket 13a first plate part 13b second plate part 14 pivot 15 arm S storage space 16 grounding end tool 17 fastening means 18 protection means 19 protruding grounding means R1 upward posture R2 diagonally downward posture 20 posture locking mechanism 21 guide slot 21a first lock part 21b second lock part 22 control pin 22a shaft part 22b head part 22c head 23 spring 24a first lock hole 24b second lock hole

Claims

1. A multi-purpose outrigger device provided at the lower end of a column base, wherein a column base is provided near a corner of a rectangular top plate, a proximal end of a handle bar is pivotally attached to an outer side of an upper end portion of the column base so as to be rotatable, and the handle bar can be freely changed in posture between an upright posture (P1) in which the handle bar stands upward above the top plate and a storage posture (P2) in which the handle bar is hung downward along an outer surface of the column base. The multi-purpose outrigger device includes a base (11) having a bracket (13) extending outward from the column base (4) from a fixing portion (12) attached to the lower end of the column base (4), and an arm (15) pivotally supported by the bracket (13) and rotatable between an upward posture (R1) and an obliquely downward posture (R2). When the arm (15) is in the upward posture (R1), it constitutes a protection means (18) that covers the lower end portion of the handle bar (8) in the storage posture (P2) from the outside. When the arm (15) is in the obliquely downward posture (R2), it constitutes an overhanging grounding means (19) that grounds the tip of the arm (15) outside the column base (4). The multi-purpose outrigger device in the workbench is characterized by this.

2. The column base (4) is constituted by a main leg (5) provided near a corner of the top plate (2) and an extension leg (6) slidably inserted between a contracted posture (L1) and an extended posture (L2) with respect to the main leg. In the case where a grounding end fitting (7) is provided at the lower end of the extension leg (6). In a state where the extension leg (6) is in the contracted posture (L1), the extension leg (6) has a protruding leg end portion (6a) protruding from the lower end of the main leg (5) so as to separate the grounding end fitting (7) from the lower end portion of the main leg (5). An attachment portion (9) is formed by the protruding leg end portion (6a). The multi-purpose outrigger device in the workbench according to claim 1 is characterized in that the fixing portion (12) of the base (11) in the multi-purpose outrigger device is attached to the attachment portion (9).

Images