The Wedge Lock System.

The Wedge Lock System comes with various names; `Quick Stage`,`Kwik Stage` etc, and represents a large proportion of scaffolding used in Australia, New Zealand and the Island nations closeby.

The key elements of a scaffold are standards, ledgers and transoms. The standards, also called uprights, are the vertical tubes that transfer the entire mass of the structure to the ground where they rest on a square base plate to spread the load. The base 
plate, generally adjustable, has a shank in its centre to hold the tube and is sometimes pinned to, or bearing on, a sole board. Ledgers are horizontal tubes which connect between the standards. Transoms are usually made from welded angle, and are attached to the standards at right angles. They hold the standards in place and provide support for boards, which form the working platform.

The Standards, Ledgers and Transoms form a framed or `boxed` construction. Cross braces, as with many other styles of construction, are added to increase rigidity. These are placed diagonally between two or more standards. To limit sway, a facade brace is fitted to the face of the scaffold generally every third bay, and end braces, or `heel and toe` bracing is fitted to the ends, thus cross bracing in both vertical directions.

Other items regularly used in the building of a safe and workable platform, include Corner Fillers, Ladder Beams, Truss Transoms, Ladder Access Transoms, Stage Brackets or `hop ups`, tubes and couplers to name just some components to adapt the scaffold to the site.