US3785454A

US3785454A - Motorized scaffold

Info

Publication number: US3785454A
Application number: US00192015A
Authority: US
Inventors: G Behunin; E Cole; C Staadt
Original assignee: MASONRY SYSTEMS Inc
Current assignee: MASONRY SYSTEMS Inc
Priority date: 1971-10-26
Filing date: 1971-10-26
Publication date: 1974-01-15
Anticipated expiration: 1991-01-15

Abstract

A carriage adapted for industrial use, specifically for prefabricating brick panels, includes an operator supporting scaffold that is mounted for vertical movement on a frame which has power means for moving the frame linearly along a horizontal reference surface and for moving the scaffold vertically on the frame. By appropriately controlling the power means, the scaffold can be moved in a vertical direction, in a horizontal direction, or both. Storage areas and a work table are provided on the scaffold to store various working materials, such as brick and mortar, in a convenient location to the operator. Foot controls for operating the carriage are also located on the scaffold whereby the operator can control his movement both in horizontal and vertical directions while laying brick.

Description

Behunin et a1.

[ MOTORIZED SCAFFOLD [75] Inventors: Gage B. Behunin, Arvada; Eugene A. Cole, Denver; Charles R. Staadt, Aurora, all of C010.

[73] Assignee: Masonry Systems, line,

Westminster, C010.

[22] Filed: Oct. 26, 11971 [21] Appl. No.: 192,015

[52] U.S. C1 182/14, 182/63, 182/132, 182/145 [51] Int. Cl. E04g l/18 [58] Field of Search 182/148, 141, 145, 182/14, 63, 2, 132, 131

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,697,478 l/1929 Sandberg 182/148 3,156,313 11/1964 Peterson ..182/2 3,280,939 10/1966 Smith 182/132 1,715,200 5/1929 Lambert. 182/14 3,378,101 4/1968 Zeitler 182/146 3,282,374 11/1966 Allen 182/148 [4 1 ,lan.15,1974

Primary Examiner-Reinaldo P. Machado Attorney-Ralph F. Crandell ABSTRACT A carriage adapted for industrial use, specifically for prefabricating brick panels, includes an operator supporting scaffold that is mounted for vertical movement on a frame which has power means for moving the frame linearly along a horizontal reference surface and for moving the scaffold vertically on the frame. By appropriately controlling the power means, the scaffold can be moved in a vertical direction, in a horizontal direction, or both. Storage areas and a work table are provided on the scaffold to store various working materials, such as brick and mortar, in a convenient location to the operator. Foot controls for operating the carriage are also located on the scaffold whereby the operator can control his movement both in horizontal and vertical'directions while laying brick.

18 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTED JAN 1 5 3. 785.454

sum 1 0F 3 INVENTORS -GAGE B. BEHU/V/N EUGENE A. COLE CHARLES R. STAADT PATENTED JAN 1 51974

sum

2 or 3 IllLPIJIIJIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINHIIIII! PATENIE JAN 1 5 m4 -sum3or3 scaffold to move universally in a vertical plane.

The construction industry has'been revolutionized by the advent of prefabricated parts and panels. Primarily, these parts and panels have been limited to wooden or concrete forms, but recent improvements in flexural and tensile strengths of mortar have increased interest in prefabricated brick panels. An acceptable method of prefabricating brick panels has been developed using new high strength mortar and is disclosed and specifically described in copending United States patent application Ser. No. 192,027 of Gage B. Behunin which is of common ownership with thepresent application.

The process disclosed in the beforementioned United States patent application requires a scaffold that will move in either direction along'the side of a workbench, is vertically adjustable to accommodate the fabrication of various height brick panels, has means for carrying a supply of mortar or a mortar dispenser such as disclosed in copending U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 192,016 of Gage Behunin, which is also of common ownership with the present application. It was to satisfy these needs that the motorized carriage of the present invention was developed.

The motorized carriage of the present invention is best exemplified by describing its use in the system for prefabricating brick panels disclosed in the beforementioned U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 192,027; therefore, the description of the invention will be made in conjunction with that system of prefabricating brick panels. The brick fabricating system disclosed in the Behunin patent application requires elongated workbenches upon which a plurality of brick panels can be prefabricated in longitudinally aligned side-by-side relationship. The carriage of the present invention is designed to move longitudinally of the workbench along a parallel track provided on the floor adjacent to and in front of the workbench. The carriage has a vertically adjustable scaffold or operator platform which is adapted to support a bricklayer as well as a supply of bricks and mortar.'The vertical position of the scaffold and the longitudinal position of the carriage itself is controlled by the bricklayer with foot pedals on the scaffold whereby the bricklayer is able to move the scaffold universally within a vertical plane adjacent the workbench. and have his hands free for performing conventional manual bricklaying procedures. With this capability the bricklayer can make reciprocating longitudinal passes along the side of the workbench alternately laying a row of bricks and dispensing an intermediate layer of mortar. The bricklayer is thus able to quickly and efficiently simultaneously fabricate a plurality of longitudinally aligned panels by performing the conventional manual procedures of laying brick while operating the carriage with his feet so that he is conveniently positioned adjacent the immediate work location.

The scaffold is uniquely adapted for use in the prefabrication of brick panels by having a sliding brick storage shelf which can be selectively positioned, as the supply of bricks is diminished, to place the remaining bricks on the shelf immediately adjacent the bricklayer for ready access. A saddle-shaped support is also provided on the scaffoldfor the purpose of holding a mortar dispensing pot of the type disclosed in the beforementioned patent application Ser. No. 192,016. In addition to the brick storage shelf and the mortar dispenser support, the scaffold includes a work table where the bricklayer can keep a supply of previously dispensed mortar which he uses to fill between the laid bricks in the vertical mortar joints or for performing other operations relating to the prefabrication of brick panels.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved Imotorized carriage having a scaffold which is universally movable in a vertical plane and is highly efficient and reliable in use and operation.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a horizontally movable carriage which includes a scaffold and adjustable lift means connected to the scaffold for moving the scaffold between selective vertically spaced positions.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a scaffold for use in prefabricating brick panels which includes means for retaining a supply of bricks and mortar and has the capacity to move vertically as well as longitudinally of the panels.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a motorized carriage which facilitates the quick and efficient prefabrication of brick panels, eliminates a number of time-consuming operations, increases accuracy and is reversibly movable along a stationary track.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the motorized scaffold of the present invention with parts removed for clarity; FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the scaffold of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the scaffold of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the scaffold of FIG. 1.

As mentioned hereinbefore, the motorized carriage of the present invention finds a preferred use in a brick panel prefabricating system such as disclosed in the beforementioned copending U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 192,027. In that system elongated workbenches l2 rigidly mounted on the floor 113 of a fabrieating plant are provided with back-to-back brick panel supporting surfaces 14 andadjacent stationary parallel tracks 16 along which the carriage 110 of the present invention is adapted to ride. Each workbench has two panel supporting surfaces on which the brick panels can be fabricated and correspondingly two associated tracks 16 so that separate carriages 10 can be provided to move along each side of the workbench enabling panels to be fabricated on each support surface 14.

The carriage 10 can be seen in FIG. 4 to have a threesided base frame 18 which is comprised of a longitudinal side frame member 20 and fore and aft

transverse frame members

22 and 24, respectively. The

base frame members

20, 22 and 24 are tubular members having square crosssections. The side frame member 20 is sealed at its ends by the

transverse frame members

22 and 24 and serves as a fluid reservoir container for I a hydraulic system to be described later.

Welded to the internal square comers where the fore and aft

transverse frame members

22 and 24 join the side frame member 20 are two uprising lift stanchions 26 and 28 which have secured on their upper

ends cable anchors

30 and 32, respectively (FIG. 2). Also mounted on the upper end of each of the stanchions 26 and 28 is a free-

wheeling cable pulley

34 and 36, respectively. The purpose for the cable anchors and the pulleys at the top of the stanchions will be explained later.

The fore and aft

base frame members

22 and 24 have outwardly extending ears 38 at their ends which respectivelysupport axle housings 39 and 40 and associated wheel carrying axles 41 and 42 that are journaled in the axle housings. Each of the wheel carrying axles 41 and 42 has a pneumatic tire 44 rigidly mounted on its end furthest removed from the workbench 12 and an annularly grooved wheel 46 mounted on its end adjacent the workbench which is adapted to .mate with and roll along the track 16. It will thus be apparent that the base frame 18 of the carriage is adapted to move horizontally along the floor 13 and be guided by the track 16 extending along one side of the workbench 12.

A unique scaffold 50 is suspended from the stanchions 26 and 28 by a cable-pulley system that will be described in detail later. The scaffold 50 can be seen in FIG. 4 to have four distinct but integral segments, (1) a brick retainer 52 overlaying a portion of the front axle housing 39, (2) a mortar pot support 54 overlying a portion of the rear axle housing 40, (3) a work table 56 overlying a portion of the side base frame member 20, and (4) a well 57 having a depressed worker support platform 58 which is intermediate with the other three segments of the scaffold.

The brick retaining segment 52 of the scaffold 50 can be seen to have a brick support plate 60 which is divided into a front section 62 and a rear section 64. The front and rear sections are joined together along their adjacent edge by a hinge 66 which allows the rear section 64 to pivot relative to the front section 62 about a horizontal transverse axis. The front section 62 of the brick support plate has upstanding side guide plates 68 and a front plate 70 for stabilizing a stack of bricks being supported by the support plate. Frames 72 are secured to the underside of the front section 62 and support on both sides a pair of laterally extending rollers 74 which are adapted to ride in and be guided by channeled side frame members 76. The channeled side frame members 76 support the brick support plate 60 and are mounted on the top edges of a webbed support structure 78 that extends downwardly from the channeled side frame members to the level of the worker support platform 58 and has a vertical wall 79 which comprises one of three walls defining the well 57 in which the worker stands while operating the motorized scaffold.

The brick support plate 60 can thus be rolled forwardly or rearwardly to suitably position the stack of bricks resting on the plate immediately adjacent the worker. It will be observed that as the brick support plate 60 is rolled rearwardly, the rear section 64 will protrude into the well 57. However, as soon as the hinge 66 reaches the forward edge of the well 57, the rear section will cease to be supported by the side frame members 76 and will pivotally drop into the well out of the way of the worker. With this arrangement the worker can first remove bricks which are stacked on the rear section 64 and progressively roll the support plate toward him. When he has removed approximately one-half of the bricks, the rear section can be pivotally dropped into the well 57 and the remaining half of the bricks, which are supported on the front section 62, will be disposed for ready access.

The mortar pot support 54 at the rear end of the scaffold 50 includes a pair of uprising end supports 80 which are bridged together at their lower end by a base plate 81. The uprising end supports 80 have saddleshaped free upper ends 82 which are adapted to receive support arms of a mortar dispensing pot of the type disclosed in the beforementioned United States patent application Ser. No. 192,016.

The base plate 81 has clamps (not shown) on the bottom which clamp onto the upper edge ofa pair of channeled side frame members 83 identical to the side frame members 76 of the brick retainer 52 so that the end supports are stabilized on the side frame members. The channeled side frame members 76 are attached to a webbed support structure 84, identical to the webbed support structure 78 of the brick retainer 52, which has a vertical wall that comprises the second of the three walls defining the well 57 in which the worker stands.

The work table 56 of the scaffold 50 includes a horizontal working plate 85 having an upturned edge 86 on three sides and an extended downturned edge 87 on the fourth side which extends down to the worker support platform 58 and comprises the third wall of the three walls of the well 57. Two vertical reinforcement plates 88 are welded to the front and rear end of the work table 57 immediately adjacent the brick retainer 52 and the motar pot support 54. Each reinforcement plate 88 has a vertical guide bar 89 welded thereto which is adapted to slide freely in a vertically channeled recess 90 in the adjacent stanchions 26 and 28.

It will be apparent that the scaffold 50 is free to reciprocate up and down above the frame 18 being guided by the guide bars 89 in the channeled recess 90 of each of the stanchions 26 and 28. The vertical movement of the scaffold is effected by an electric power source acting through a cable-pulley lift system to be described hereinafter.

The electric power source for controlling the vertical movement of the scaffold includes a reversible electric motor 96 which drives a gear reducer 98 through a V- belt connector 100. The electric motor 96 is mounted on a mounting block which is rigidly secured to the top of the side frame member 20. The gear reducer 98 has forward and rearward extending output shafts 112 and 114 which rotate in the same direction and at the same rate. Each output shaft 112 and 114 carries on its outermost end a

lift cable drum

116 and 118, respectively. The outermost ends of the output shafts 112 and 114 are journaled in webs 120 and 122, respectively, which webs are welded or otherwise secured to the respective adjacent lift stanchions 26 and 28.

Referring to the lift cable drum 116, which is part of a lift system associated with lift stanchion 26 that is identical to a lift system associated with lift stanchion 28, a cable 124 with one end anchored to the cable drum is wrapped around the drum and extends up from the drum around the free wheeling pulley 34 at the top of the stanchion 26. The cable then extends down from the pulley 34 and passes around a second free-wheeling pulley 126 that is rotatably mounted on the side of the brick retaining section 52 of the scaffold 50. The pulley 126 corresponds to a free-wheeling pulley 128 rotat ably mounted on the side of the mortar pot support section 54 of the scaffold adjacent the lift stanchion 28. After passing around the pulley 126, the cable 124 passes upwardly again to the top of the stanchion 26 where the end of the cable is fastened to the cable anchor 30. It can thus be seen that if the output shafts of the gear reducers are rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 3', the effective length of the cable, i.e., the length of the cable extending away from the cable drums 116 and 118, will be shortened causing the scaffold to be lifted vertically. During vertical movement of the scaffold the guide bars 69 riding in the channeled recess 91) of each of the lift stanchions guides the platform so that it remains horizontally positioned at all times. It of course follows that counterclockwise movement of the output shafts 112 and 114 of the gear reducer, as viewed in FIG. 3, will cause the scaffold to be lowered.

The carriage is provided with hydraulic power means to drive the pneumatic wheels 44 and thereby move the carriage horizontally along one side of the workbench 12. The hydraulic power means includes a hydraulic pump 136 driven by an electric motor 138 to drive a reversible hydraulic torque type motor 140 mounted 'on the outside ear 38 of the forward base frame member 22. As mentioned before, the side base frame member serves as a container for the fluid reservoir of the hydraulic system.'The pump 136 is, therefore, fluidically connected to the fluid reservoir by hose means, which are not shown for clarity purposes, and is also connected to the hydraulic motor 140by hose means which are not shown. The fluid in the fluid reservoir is pumped by the pump 136 through the motor 140 to drive the. pneumatic carriage wheels 44 in a manner to be described hereinafter.

The output shaft of the hydraulic motor 141) has a drive sprocket 142 splined thereon. Each of the axles 41 and 42 have

drive sprockets

144 and 146 fixed on the ends adjacent the pneumatic wheels 44 so that a drive chain 148 can be trained around the drive sprocket 142 of the hydraulic motor and the

drive sprockets

144 and 146 associated with the respective pneumatic wheels 44 to transmit rotary movement of the drive sprocket 142 to the pneumatic wheels 44. Idler sprockets 150 rotatably'mounted on the side frame member 20 adjacent the pneumatic wheels 44 are provided to maintain proper tensioning of the chain 148 and to help guide the chain. Longitudinally extending upper and lower chain guides 152 also secured to the base side frame member 20 are provided to guide the chain on its longitudinal run along the side of the carriage.

[t can thus be appreciated that a motorized carriage has been described which is capable of moving horizontally along a reference surface and has a scaffold which is vertically movable within a predetermined range so that the scaffold is universally movable in a vertical plane. The scaffold is provided with work material storage areas as well as a work table whereby the carriage is perfectly suited for use in the brick fabricating system disclosed in the beforementioned US. Pat. application Ser. No. 192,027.

In operation a worker standing on the worker support platform 58 has access to a foot operated control panel 160 (FIG. 4) having switches for reversibly operating the electric motor 96, and a three-position solenoid valve (not shown) operably connected to the reversible hydraulic motor for control thereof. The worker can thus control the horizontal forward or reverse movement of the carriage as well as the vertical movement of the scaffold from the worker support platform with his feet thereby leaving his hands free for carrying out conventional bricklaying functions. Therefore, when fabricating a brick panel, a typical procedure would be to firstv dispense a working supply of mortar onto the work table 56, then start the carriage l0 moving along the side of the workbench 12. As the carriage is moved along the workbench a first row of bricks can be laid on one supporting surface 14 of the workbench using a conventional hand towel to fill mortar from the work table in the vertical mortar joints. It is desirable when laying brick and filling the vertical mortar joints that the carriage be intermittently operated to give the operator adequate time to fill the vertical joints. When the first row of bricks has been laid, the worker reverses the direction of movement of the carriage so that it again traverses along the side of the workbench. During this pass, the worker spreads a uniform layer of mortar from the mortar pot across the top of the bricks. After this second pass the carriage is reversed again so that the worker can lay a second row of bricks on top of the spread layer of mortar thus repeating the above procedure. As the brick panel height increases, the worker elevates the scaffold so that the top of the brick panel is always conveniently disposed, i.e., at waist level.

It is to be understood from the foregoing description of a preferred form of the present invention that various modifications and changes may be made in the specific design, construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A motorized carriage for positioning a bricklayer adjacent to a workbench on which brick panels are to be fabricated comprising in combination a base frame, lift means secured to said frame, a scaffold supported by said lift means, storage meanson said scaffold for storing a supply of brick and mortar, said storage means including a shelf on which a supply of bricks can be supported, said shelf having two sections which are pivotally connected together whereby one section can be pivoted out of the way of the bricklayer when the bricks have been removed therefrom, operatorcontrolled power means for moving said carriage along a horizontal reference line in adjacent parallel relation to the workbench and for activating said lift means to move said scaffold in a vertical direction normal to said reference line, and control means on said scaffold whereby a bricklayer standing on said scaffold can selectively advance himself and the work material along a predetermined course of travel either in a horizontal or vertical direction, or both, in order to facilitate the fabrication of brick panels.

2. The motorized carriage of claim 1 wherein said power means includes operator-controlled means for moving said carriage along said reference line independently of the vertical movement of said scaffold.

3. The motorized carriage of claim 1 wherein said lift means includes at least one upright support and cable means operably connected to said support and said scaffold for moving said scaffold vertically along said support.

4. The motorized carriage of claim 3 further including adjustment means operably secured to said frame and including means for anchoring one end of said cable so that the position of said scaffold in said normal direction can be changed by operating said adjustable means.

5. The motorized carriage of claim 4 wherein said adjustment means includes a drum on which said cable can be wrapped and wherein said drum is mounted on a rotatable shaft which is operably connected to said power means.

6. The motorized carriage of claim 5 wherein said rotatable shaft is operably connected to an electrical power source.

7. The motorized carriage of claim 1 wherein said shelf is slidable in a direction normal to the pivotal connection of said two sections.

8. The motorized carriage of claim 6 wherein said slidable shelf is mounted on rollers.

9. The motorized carriage of claim 6 wherein said scaffold has a worker support platform which is disposed at a level lower than said slidable shelf.

10. The motorized carriage of claim 9 wherein said support frame has a saddle-shaped portion in which support arms of a mortar container can rest.

11. The motorized carriage of claim 10 wherein said scaffold further includes a separate work table upon which a bricklayer can keep various working utensils and supplies.

i 12. The motorized carriage of claim 1 wherein said storage means includes a support frame having means for supporting a removable container of mortar.

13. The motorized carriage of claim 10 wherein said scaffold has a worker support platform which is disposed at a level lower than both said slidable shelf and said support frame.

14. The motorized carriage of claim 1 wherein said power means includes an electrical power source and a self-contained hydraulic power source.

15. The motorized carriage of claim 14 wherein said frame is mounted on a set of wheels and wherein said hydraulic power source is operably connected to said wheels whereby at least one of the wheels can be driven by said hydraulic power source.

16. A motorized carriage for positioning a bricklayer adjacent to a workbench on which brick panels are to be fabricated comprising in combination:

a base frame,

lift means secured to said frame,

a scaffold supported by said lift means,

storage means on said scaffold for storing a supply of brick and mortar, said storage means including a generally saddle-shaped support frame in which support arms of a mortar container can rest,

operator controlled power means for moving said carriage along a horizontal reference line in adjacent parallel relation to the workbench and for activating said lift means to move said scaffold in a vertical direction normal to said reference line, and

control means on said scaffold operatively connected to the power means whereby a bricklayer standing on said scaffold can selectively advance himself and the work material along a predetermined course of travel either in a horizontal or vertical direction, or both, in order to facilitate the fabrication of brick panels.

17. The motorized carriage of claim 16 wherein said scaffold has a worker support platform which is disposed at a level lower than the said saddle-shaped portion of said support frame.

18. A motorized carriage for positioning a brick-layer adjacent to a workbench on which brick panels are to be fabricated comprising in combination:

a base frame,

lift means secured to said frame,

a scaffold supported by said lift means having a central worker's support platform and a plurality of storage means spaced around said central workers support platform upon which a supply of brick and mortar can be stored, said storage means being elevated relative to said workers support platform so that the brick and mortar supply on said storage means is conveniently positioned for a worker,

power means on said base frame for moving said carriage along a horizontal reference line in adjacent parallel relation to the workbench and for activating said lift means to move said scaffold in a vertical direction normal to said reference line, and

control means on said scaffold operatively connected to said power means whereby a bricklayer standing on said scaffold can selectively advance himself and the work material in both a horizontal and vertical direction in order to facilitate the fabrication of brick panels.

v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTI0N Patent No. 3,785,45 Dated May yr, 197 11.

In ent r( Behunin, Gage B. et 31.

his certified that verror appears in the above-identified pateht and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 6, line 1 4, "towe l" should read --t 1"-owe1--.

Column lines- 18 end Z OQ for the claim referenced numeral "6" each occurrence, should read -'--7--- C 7, line 2 3.," for 'the *claim reference ndmer'el '9 should re a'd' 1--12- V Column- 7, line 33; for the claim refereh'ce numeral,

"10" should read --12--. 5

Signed and ealed this 24th m of September- 1974.

(SEAL) Attestz I I I I v MCCOY M. GIBSON JR. c MARSHALL DANN3 Attesting Officer Commissioner of P atents 39" .0469! I I Q2 I d YU'IGOMM-DCQ dean-nu

Claims

1. A motorized carriage for positioning a bricklayer adjacent to a workbench on which brick panels are to be fabricated comprising in combination a base frame, lift means secured to said frame, a scaffold supported by said lift means, storage means on said scaffold for storing a supply of brick and mortar, said storage means including a shelf on which a supply of bricks can be supported, said shelf having two sections which are pivotally connected together whereby one section can be pivoted out of the way of the bricklayer when the bricks have been removed therefrom, operator-controlled power means for moving said carriage along a horizontal reference line in adjacent parallel relation to the workbench and for activating said lift means to move said scaffold in a vertical direction normal to said reference line, and control means on said scaffold whereby a bricklayer standing on said scaffold can selectively advance himself and the work material along a predetermined course of travel either in a horizontal or vertical direction, or both, in order to facilitate the fabrication of brick panels.

12. The motorized carriage of claim 1 wherein said storage means includes a support frame having means for supporting a removable container of mortar.

16. A motorized carriage for positioning a bricklayer adjacent to a workbench on which brick panels are to be fabricated comprising in combination: a base frame, lift means secured to said frame, a scaffold supported by said lift means, storage means on said scaffold for storing a supply of brick and mortar, said storage means including a generally saddle-shaped support frame in which support arms of a mortar container can rest, operator controlled power means for moving said carriage along a horizontal reference line in adjacent parallel relation to the workbench and for activating said lift means to move said scaffold in a vertical direction normal to said reference line, and control means on said scaffold operatively connected to the power means whereby a bricklayer standing on said scaffold can selectively advance himself and the work material along a predetermined course of travel either in a horizontal or vertical direction, or both, in order to facilitate the fabrication of brick panels.

18. A motorized carriage for positioning a brick-layer adjacent to a workbench on which brick panels are to be fabricated comprising in combination: a base frame, lift means secured to said frame, a scaffold supported by said lift means having a central worker''s support platform and a plurality of storage means spaced around said central worker''s support platform upon which a supply of brick and mortar can be stored, said storage means being elevated relative to said worker''s support platform so that the brick and mortar supply on said storage means is conveniently positioned for a worker, power means on said base frame for moving said carriage along a horizontal reference line in adjacent parallel relation to the workbench and for activating said lift means to move said scaffold in a vertical direction normal to said reference line, and control means on said scaffold operatively connected to said power means whereby a bricklayer standing on said scaffold can selectively advance himself and the work material in both a horizontal and vertical direction in order to facilitate the fabrication of brick panels.