Modular Scaffold-Mounted Debris Chute Assembly for Wind Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing debris chutes constructed from plywood are labor-intensive and lack durability, and those made of sheet metal often swing due to wind or other forces, leading to damage and dust release.
Innovation Solution
A debris chute assembly with wall members featuring a wall flange and fasteners that secure to a scaffold using tie wires, along with hooks and connectors to stabilize the assembly and prevent swinging, and a door mechanism to control access to the chute.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If plywood debris chutes are constructed to mount within scaffolds, then they can be assembled, but they are labor intensive to construct and lack durability
Solution Approach 1:
The debris chute is divided into modular wall members that can be independently manufactured and then assembled onto the scaffold. Each wall member is a discrete component with standardized attachment features, allowing for easier assembly compared to constructing a complete chute from plywood, while the modular metal construction provides superior durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses sheet metal as the primary material for wall members, combining metal structural components with scaffold attachment mechanisms. This metal construction replaces plywood and provides both ease of manufacture through standardized metal forming and enhanced durability and longevity.
2Reliability
If sheet metal debris chutes are used, then durability is improved, but the wall members swing due to wind or other forces causing damage and dust release
Solution Approach 1:
The wall members incorporate preliminary stabilization features including horizontal and vertical stabilizing members that are integrated into the design before assembly. These stabilizing components pre-counteract the swinging motion caused by wind or debris, preventing damage before it occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces stabilizing members as intermediary components between the wall members and the scaffold. These stabilizing members act as mediators that connect and rigidify the wall member assembly to the scaffold structure, preventing unwanted movement and swinging while maintaining the durability benefits of sheet metal construction.
3Device complexity
If wall members are secured to scaffold with simple hooks, then assembly is simplified, but the wall members can still swing and move
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system is segmented into multiple independent attachment points on each wall member, including horizontal stabilizing members and vertical stabilizing members. This segmentation allows each component to be independently attached to the scaffold, creating a distributed attachment system that prevents swinging without requiring a single complex locking mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment system uses a dynamic configuration where stabilizing members can be positioned at different orientations (horizontal and vertical) to counteract various forces. This dynamic arrangement allows the attachment mechanism to adapt to different loading conditions and wind forces, maintaining stability without overly complex fixed locking mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A debris chute assembly including a plurality of wall members selectively engaged with a scaffold. The plurality of wall members includes a passageway defined in a wall member of the plurality of wall members. A portion of the scaffold is received within the passageway. A flange is also provided on the wall member. The flange is removable securable to the scaffold. The wall member further includes a fastener provided thereon. The debris chute assembly may also include the scaffold which includes a plurality of standards and a plurality of ledgers. The plurality of standards are spaced a distance apart from one another. The plurality of ledgers extend between adjacent standards of the plurality of standards.