METHOD FOR ADJUSTABLY SUSPENDING A STRUCTURE

• US 20180030744A1
• Filed: 10/09/2017
• Published: 02/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Paul Kristen Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Paul Kristen Incorporated
• Inventors: Apostolopoulos, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 10,640,993 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E01D 19/106 Movable inspection or maintenance platforms, e.g. travelling scaffolding or vehicles specially designed to provide access to the undersides of bridges lifting devices for movable platforms on vehicles in general B66F11/04
• CPC Class Codes: E04G 3/30 suspended by flexible supporting elements, e.g. cables
• CPC Class Codes: E04G 7/04 Flexible elements, with or without brackets, e.g. ropes, cables, chains in general F16G , means for fastening cables or ropes to one another or to other objects F16G11/00
• CPC Class Codes: E04G 7/20 for ends of members only, e.g. for connecting members in end-to-end relation

Abstract

A method utilizing an assembly of a sling detachably attached to an adjustment device for suspending one structure relative to another structure. The adjustment device comprises a pair of elongate spaced apart plates which are attached to each other and to a hook, for attachment to one of the structures, at the first end portion. Each plate has a plurality of pairs of longitudinally spaced aligned holes for receiving a pin for connecting one end of a sling to the adjustment device at a selected incremental one of the plurality of pairs of holes. The other end of the sling is connected to the other structure to adjust the distance over which the one structure is suspended relative to the other structure. To allow greater adjustability, two or more of the adjustment devices are joined end-to-end.

Claims

1. A method for adjustably suspending one structure relative to an other structure, the method comprising connecting an eye portion on one end of a sling to a selected position along the length of an elongate member, connecting an other end of the sling to the one structure, and connecting an end portion of the elongate member to the other structure.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of connecting an eye portion of a sling to a selected position along the length of an elongate member comprises passing the eye portion between a pair of spaced plates of the elongate member, and inserting a pin through a selected pair of a plurality of pairs of aligned holes spaced over the length of the plates and through the eye portion.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of connecting an end portion of the elongate member to the other structure comprises connecting a hook, attached to the end portion of the elongate member, to the other structure.

4. A method according to claim 1 further comprising selecting the pin to be a scaffold pin which includes a locking part which utilizes gravity for retaining the pin in the holes.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of connecting an end portion of the elongate member to the other structure includes connecting one end portion of an other elongate member end-to-end to the end portion of the elongate member and connecting the other end portion of the other elongate member to the other structure.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the step of connecting an eye portion of a sling to a selected position along the length of an elongate member comprises passing the eye portion between a pair of spaced plates of the elongate member, and inserting a pin through a selected pair of a plurality of pairs of aligned holes spaced over the length of the plates and through the eye portion.

7. A method according to claim 5 wherein the step of connecting the other end portion of the other elongate member to the other structure comprises connecting a hook, attached to the other end portion of the other elongate member, to the other structure.

8. A method for adjustably suspending one structure relative to an other structure, the method comprising:

providing an elongate member which has a pair of spaced plates each having a plurality of holes which are spaced longitudinally of the elongate member such that at least some of the holes in one of the spaced plates are aligned with at least some of the holes in the other of the spaced plates, and wherein the spaced plates are attached together at an end portion of the elongate member;

passing an eye portion on one end of a sling between the spaced plates;

inserting a pin in the eye portion and in a pair of the aligned holes corresponding to a selected position along the length of the elongate member;

connecting an other end of the sling to the one structure; and

connecting the end portion of the elongate member to the other structure.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the step of connecting an end portion of the elongate member to the other structure comprises connecting a hook, attached to the end portion of the elongate member, to the other structure.

10. A method according to claim 8 further comprising selecting the pin to be a scaffold pin which includes a locking part which utilizes gravity for retaining the pin in the holes.

11. A method according to claim 8 wherein the step of connecting an end portion of the elongate member to the other structure includes connecting one end portion of an other elongate member end-to-end to the end portion of the elongate member and connecting the other end portion of the other elongate member to the other structure.

12. A method according to claim 8 wherein the step of connecting the other end portion of the other elongate member to the other structure comprises connecting a hook, attached to the other end portion of the other elongate member, to the other structure.

13. A method for adjustably suspending one structure relative to an other structure, the method comprising:

providing an elongate member which has a pair of spaced plates each comprising in a sequence longitudinally of each of the spaced plates an end portion, a transition portion integrally connected to the end portion at an end of the transition portion, and an elongate portion integrally connected to an other end of the transition portion, and the end portions are attached to each other, and wherein there is a first spacing between the elongate portions and a second spacing between the end portions, and the second spacing is less than the first spacing, and wherein each of the elongate portions of the spaced plates has a plurality of holes which are spaced longitudinally of the elongate member such that at least some of the holes in one of the elongate portions are aligned with at least some of the holes in the other of the elongate portions;

passing an eye portion on one end of a sling between the elongate portions of the spaced plates;

inserting a pin in the eye portion and in a pair of the aligned holes corresponding to a selected position along the length of the elongate member;

connecting an other end of the sling to the one structure; and

connecting the end portions of the spaced plates of the elongate member to the other structure.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the step of connecting the end portions of the spaced plates to the other structure comprises connecting a hook, attached between the end portions, to the other structure.

15. A method according to claim 13 wherein the step of connecting the end portions of the spaced plates of the elongate member to the other structure comprises the sub-steps of:

providing an other of the elongate member;

inserting the end portions of the spaced plates of the elongate member between the elongate portions of the spaced plates respectively of the other elongate member in an end-to-end relationship;

inserting a pin in a pair of aligned apertures in the end portions respectively of the spaced plates of the elongate member and in one of the pairs of the aligned holes in the elongate portions of the spaced plates of the other elongate member thereby attaching the elongate member to the other elongate member; and

connecting the end portions of the spaced plates respectively of the other elongate member to the other structure.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein the step of connecting the end portions of the spaced plates respectively of the other elongate member to the other structure comprises connecting a hook, attached between the end portions of the spaced plates respectively of the other elongate member, to the other structure.