Scaffold Ladder Frame Flattened Ends for Compact Stacking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional scaffold ladder frames face challenges in compact stacking due to flared ends of horizontal members, which lift walkboards and weaken weld joints, necessitating a solution for better accommodation of walkboards and enhanced weld strength while minimizing space consumption.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates tubular materials with narrowed end sections and recesses to form flattened sections that allow for efficient stacking, with upper and lower horizontal supports and center supports of varying sizes, and rungs that are coped and narrowed to create recesses for vertical supports, reducing overall stack height and maintaining weld strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the ends of horizontal members are flattened to facilitate stacking, then stacking compactness is improved, but the flattened ends flare in upward and downward directions causing walkboards to be lifted
Solution Approach 1:
The horizontal members feature localized flattening only at the end sections where stacking contact occurs, while the central portion maintains its original circular cross-section. This local modification allows compact stacking without affecting the overall structural shape or causing walkboard lifting.
Solution Approach 2:
The horizontal members are divided into distinct sections: a central section with circular cross-section and end sections with flattened surfaces. This segmentation allows different parts of the same component to serve different functions - the central section maintains structural integrity while the end sections enable compact stacking.
2Volume of moving object
If the ends of ladder rungs are flattened to the same extent as main horizontal members, then stacking is facilitated, but weld joint strength is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The ladder rungs feature localized flattening only at the very ends where stacking contact occurs, while the majority of the rung maintains its full circular cross-section. This minimizes the impact on weld joint strength while still enabling compact stacking.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of flattening the entire length of the ladder rungs, only the minimal necessary portion at the ends is flattened. This partial action is sufficient for stacking purposes while preserving the strength of the weld joints along the majority of the rung length.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional horizontal members are used without narrowing, then manufacturing is simpler, but stacking height is greater
Solution Approach 1:
The horizontal members are segmented into a central section and end sections with different cross-sectional characteristics. The end sections are narrowed and flattened to create recesses that receive the vertical supports of stacked frames, reducing stack height while the central section maintains its original size for easy manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The narrowed end sections with recesses allow the vertical supports of upper frames to nest into the recesses of lower frames during stacking. This nesting arrangement reduces the overall stack height while maintaining ease of manufacture for the majority of the member length.
Data Source
AI summary
A scaffold includes first and second ladder frames. Each ladder frame includes a first and second vertical supports, a center support, rung(s), and upper and lower horizontal supports. The upper horizontal support is formed of tubular material, and has a central section and flattened end sections mounted to corresponding vertical supports. The center support and/or rungs advantageously have coped and slightly flattened end sections. Recesses formed by the flattened end sections provide space to partially receive vertical or horizontal supports of another ladder frame when the frames are stacked, thereby reducing overall stack height.