1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an overlap arrangement of at least two decking planks, particularly of at least two scaffold decks, for construction scaffolding, a work platform, a cantilever, a podium, or the like. More specifically, the overlap arrangement includes at least a first decking plank composed of metal, particularly of sheet steel, and a second decking plank composed of metal, particularly of sheet steel, of which each decking plank has a decking surface composed of sheet metal, which is provided with essentially round passage holes, preferably distributed essentially over the entire decking surface, whereby at least part of the passage holes, preferably a major portion of or essentially all the passage holes, are delimited, in each instance, by a beaded or domed, circumferential hole edge that spans an inside diameter that is always essentially or about the same size, in each instance, particularly whereby the hole edge of one part of these passage holes is beaded upward, and the hole edge of one part of these passage holes is beaded downward.
The second decking plank is disposed above the first decking plank, and overlaps the first decking plank in such a manner that the decking surface of the upper, second decking plank engages over the decking surface of the lower, first decking plank, at least in part. The first decking plank and the second decking plank are attached to one another, by means of an attachment pin, to prevent displacement relative to one another in a displacement plane that runs parallel to their decking surfaces, and secured to prevent lift-off from one another, in releasable manner.
The attachment pin has an attachment head and a pin shaft, which projects not only through a passage hole of the passage holes of the upper, second decking plank but also through a passage hole of the passage holes of the lower, first decking plank, whereby the attachment head engages around a hole edge of the particular passage hole of the passage holes of the upper, second decking plank and lies against this hole edge, through which hole the pin shaft of the attachment pin projects.
2. Description of the Related Art
When setting up scaffolding, particularly so-called system scaffolding, there can be set-up regions or placement regions, for example in the region of corners of buildings, in which no standardized attachment of scaffold decks is possible and/or in which gaps of wall regions must be bridged or where it is supposed to be possible to provide scaffolding elements that can be walked on. In such regions, for example, the scaffold decks are disposed to overlap with their end regions, and to lie at a slant one on top of the other, in order to be able to make a continuous decking surface available. In many cases, decking planks composed of metal are used as scaffold decks. Such decking planks have become known, for example, from DE 27 54 226 A, from DE 29 16 826 A, from DE 79 12 134 U1, from DE 198 58 969 A1, from DE 198 58 970 A1 or from DE 102 54 033 A1. In practice, these decking planks are also referred to as steel decks, because they preferably consist of steel, particularly of sheet steel.
In earlier times, a wooden plank was frequently laid down as a bridging deck. Such wooden planks, however, have only a limited weather resistance, and their non-slip safety, particularly in rain, is not satisfactory. Also, such wooden planks cannot satisfy increased demands with regard to fire safety.
For this reason, it is desirable to be able to use bridging or supplemental decks composed of metal, particularly of steel and/or of aluminum. A particularly advantageous sheet-steel bridging decking plank has become known, for example, from DE 20 2004 021 196 U1. In practice, these decking planks are also referred to as steel planks, because they preferably consist of steel, particularly of sheet steel.
Such bridging decks or supplemental decks must be secured, for safety reasons, to prevent lift-off and lateral displacement. For this purpose, for example, one could use a screw that has a screw head and a threaded shaft, the threaded shaft of which could be inserted, for attachment assembly, through recesses of the scaffolding decks to be secured, which lie one on top of the other at least in partial regions, from above or from below. Subsequently, a nut could be screwed into the threaded shaft and tightened by means of a tool, in order to be able to achieve sufficient security to prevent lateral displacement and lift-off of the bridging deck or supplemental deck, in each instance, relative to at least one second scaffold deck firmly connected with the scaffolding. Assembly and disassembly using such a screw with a locking nut would be comparatively complicated, and acute risk of falling would exist when inserting the screw through from below or when screwing the locking nut, from below, onto the screw inserted through from above. In every case, the deck underside would have to be accessible.
A cylindrical pin in combination with a locking cotter pin could also be used as a connection means for securing a bridging deck or supplemental deck to a scaffold deck fixed in place on a scaffolding; this cotter pin is inserted into a transverse hole of the locking pin after the latter has been inserted through the holes of the scaffold decks to be connected. Such a connection would not be free of play, however, so that the bridging deck or supplemental deck could be moved, relative to the scaffold deck that is fixed in place on the scaffolding, both horizontally and vertically, and this arrangement would represent a safety risk. Here, too, the deck underside would have to be accessible in every case.
The use of self-locking pins would also be possible, but this method of connection would also have the disadvantage that it would not be possible without play. Furthermore, disassembly would be complicated.
Finally, connections between two scaffold decks using special clamps composed of metal have become known according to DE 20 2008 003 126 U1. Assembly and disassembly, however, are complicated and not easy to handle. Furthermore, here, too, no connection free of play is possible, and only restricted load-bearing capacity can be achieved.
With the goal of making available an attachment pin for securing at least two scaffold decks to prevent displacement relative to one another, which pin makes possible simple and fast assembly and disassembly, at increased work safety, from above, by hand, and without tools, and which guarantees security against lift-off, in the assembled state, it was proposed, according to DE 203 18 090 U1, that the pin shaft has an elastic and flexible element for engaging behind the recess edge, which element can be inserted through, with elastic deformation, at least at the recess edge of the recess of a first scaffold deck, manually, through the recesses of the scaffold decks to be attached to one another, and which, in the installed state, engages behind the recess edge of the recess of the first scaffold deck.
Such an attachment pin can be installed and removed without tools. Also, advantageous possibilities for balancing out tolerance of dimensions of the recesses of the scaffold decks and/or for balancing out different distances of the recess edges of the recesses of the scaffold decks to be secured relative to one another, possibly also caused by unevenness of the scaffold decks and/or their decking surfaces, can be created with attachment pins structured in this manner. Furthermore, such attachment pins can be produced, in simple and cost-advantageous manner, with robustness that satisfies the rough practical conditions in scaffolding construction, and fulfill their function and can be reliably used even when the scaffold decks are dirty. When using such attachment pins, however, it is not possible to achieve play-free connections. Furthermore, these attachment pins can be used only once, at least when connections are required that satisfy the greatest possible safety requirements in scaffolding construction. Finally, the load-carrying capacity of these attachment pins, which consist of plastic, is limited.