# US 2019/0169934 A1 · Fall protection system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0169934 A1 - Document ID: US20190169934A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/208,868 - Filed: 2018-12-04 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-04 - Assignees: Formetco, Inc. - Applicants: Formetco, Inc. - Inventors: Jonathon Christopher Adams - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190169934A1 ## CPC - E06C 7/186: {Rail or rope for guiding a safety attachment, e.g. a fall arrest system} - A62B 35/0037: {Attachments for lifelines and lanyards (lifelines, lanyards A62B35/0043)} - A62B 35/04: incorporating energy absorbing means - E06C 9/02: rigidly mounted - A62B 35/0056: {Horizontal lifelines} - A62B 35/0068: {Anchors} - E06C: LADDERS (E04F11/00 takes precedence; step-stools A47C12/00; adaptation of ladders to use on ships B63B, to use on aircraft B64; scaffolding E04G) - A62B: DEVICES, APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR LIFE-SAVING (valves specially adapted for medical use A61M39/00; life-saving devices, apparatus or methods specially adapted for use in water B63C9/00; divers' equipment B63C11/00; specially adopted for use with aircraft, e.g. parachutes, ejector seats, {B64D17/00, B64D25/10}; rescue devices peculiar to mining E21F11/00) ## Abstract A fall protection system having a top bracket assembly that is mountable to a top portion of the ladder, a spaced bottom bracket assembly that is mountable to a bottom portion of the ladder, and a cable extending therebetween portions of the top bracket assembly and the bottom bracket assembly substantially parallel to a plane bisecting the vertical ladder at a desired distance from the plane. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fall protection system that is fixedly mountable to a vertical ladder having a pair of spaced vertical legs and a plurality of spaced transversely mounted rungs, comprising: a top bracket assembly configured to be mountable to a rung on the top portion of the ladder, wherein the top bracket assembly comprises: an elongated vertical member having a lower portion and an upper portion; and a horizontal member having a proximal portion that is integrally coupled to the upper portion of the ladder, wherein the horizontal member extends outwardly therefrom the upper portion of the vertical member and defines an interior cavity proximate a distal portion of the horizontal member, wherein a bottom surface of the horizontal member defines a slot that extends substantially vertically therein the horizontal member and that is sized and shaped to accept a rung of the ladder, wherein the top bracket assembly has an inverted J-shape in cross-section; a bottom bracket assembly configured to be mountable to a bottom portion of the ladder; and a cable extending therebetween portions of the top bracket assembly and the bottom bracket assembly, wherein the cable is operably coupled to the respective top and bottom bracket assemblies under a desired tension load sufficient to space the cable from a plane of the ladder. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fall protection system of claim 1, wherein fall protection system further comprises a cable guide that is configured to be mountable to a rung of the ladder between the respective top and bottom bracket assemblies. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The fall protection system of claim 1, wherein the bottom surface of the horizontal member further defines a port that communicates with the interior cavity of the horizontal member. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The fall protection system of claim 3, wherein the port of the horizontal member is configured to accept a first cable connector, wherein the first cable connector comprises means for grasping an end portion of the cable when the cable is subjected to tension. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The fall protection system of claim 1, wherein the lower portion of the elongated vertical member defines an elongated slot that extends substantially vertically and is configured to accept the ends of a U-shaped coupling device, and wherein the U-shaped coupling device is configured to be insertable into the slot to capture a rung of the ladder between the coupling device and the exterior surface of the lower portion of the elongated vertical member. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The fall protection system of claim 1, wherein the bottom bracket assembly comprises: a support member; a spacing member; and a trough member configured to be fixedly mounted spaced legs of the bottom portion of the ladder, the trough member comprising: a first planer member, wherein the first planer member is coupled to a distal edge of the spacing member and extends downwardly away from a juncture of the first planer member and the spacing member at an acute angle β relative to the support member; a second planer member, wherein the second planer member is coupled to a portion of a distal edge of the first planer member and extends outwardly transverse to the first planer member; and a third planer member, wherein the third planer member is coupled to a distal edge of the second planer member and extends transverse to the second planer member; and a second cable connector operable coupled to the eye bolt, wherein the second cable connector comprises means for grasping an end portion of the cable when the cable is subjected to tension. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The fall protection system of claim 6, wherein the first planer member and the third planer member are positioned in planes that are substantially parallel to each other, and wherein the trough member has a U-shape in cross-section. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The fall protection system of claim 7, wherein the spacing member defines an opening that is configured to operatively accept an eye bolt, wherein the eye bolt is secured relative to the horizontal member by a compression assembly positioned between a least one nut operatively received onto a threaded end of a shaft of the eye bolt and a bottom surface of the spacing member, wherein the compression assembly comprises a plurality of compression washers that are operatively received onto the shaft of the eye bolt and are configured to compress under a known load. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The fall protection system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of compression washers comprise compression washers having different load ratings. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The fall protection system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of compression washers comprises a first pair of opposed compression washers having a lower load rating that are positioned adjacent a second pair of opposed compression washers having a load rating that is higher than the first pair. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The fall protection system of claim 10, wherein a washer is positioned between the respective first and second pairs of opposed compression washers and between the uppermost pair of opposed compression washers and the bottom surface of the spacing member. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The fall protection system of claim 1, wherein the bottom bracket assembly comprises: an elongated vertical member and a horizontal member that that is integrally coupled to the vertical member; wherein the horizontal member extends outwardly therefrom the vertical member and defines an opening that is configured to accept an eye bolt; and a second cable connector operable coupled to the eye bolt, wherein the second cable connector comprises means for grasping an end portion of the cable when the cable is subjected to tension. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The fall protection system of claim 12, wherein a horizontally extending lip is connected to the lower end of the vertical member and forms a J-shape in cross-section to allow the bottom bracket assembly to connect to a portion of a rung of the ladder. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The fall protection system of claim 12, wherein a horizontally extending lip is connected to the upper end of the vertical member and forms an inverted J-shape in cross-section to allow the bottom bracket assembly to connect to a portion of a rung of the ladder. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The fall protection system of claim 12, wherein the eye bolt is secured relative to the horizontal member by a compression assembly positioned between a least one nut operatively received onto to a threaded end of a shaft of the eye bolt and a bottom surface of the horizontal member, wherein the compression assembly comprises a plurality of compression washers that are operatively received onto the shaft of the eye bolt and are configured to compress under a known load. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The fall protection system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of compression washers comprise compression washers having different load ratings, and wherein the plurality of compression washers comprises a first pair of opposed compression washers having a lower load rating that are positioned adjacent a second pair of opposed compression washers having a load rating that is higher than the first pair. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The fall protection system of claim 16, wherein a washer is positioned between the respective first and second pairs of opposed compression washers and between the uppermost pair of opposed compression washers and the bottom surface of the horizontal member. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The fall protection system of claim 12, wherein the upper portion of the elongated vertical member defines an elongated slot that extends substantially vertically and is configured to accept the ends of a U-shaped coupling device, and wherein the U-shaped coupling device is insertable into the slot to capture a rung of the ladder between the coupling device and the exterior surface of the upper portion of the elongated vertical member. ### Claim 19 A fall protection system that is fixedly mountable to a vertical ladder having a pair of spaced vertical legs and a plurality of spaced transversely mounted rungs, comprising: a top bracket assembly configured to be mountable to a rung on the top portion of the ladder, wherein the top bracket assembly comprises: an elongated vertical member having a lower portion and an upper portion; and a horizontal member having a proximal portion that is integrally coupled to the upper portion of the ladder, wherein the horizontal member extends outwardly therefrom the upper portion of the vertical member and defines an interior cavity proximate a distal portion of the horizontal member, wherein a bottom surface of the horizontal member defines a slot that extends substantially vertically therein the horizontal member and that is sized and shaped to accept a rung of the ladder; a bottom bracket assembly configured to be mountable to a bottom portion of the ladder, wherein the bottom bracket assembly comprises: a support member; a spacing member; and a trough member configured to be fixedly mounted spaced legs of the bottom portion of the ladder, the trough member comprising: a first planer member, wherein the first planer member is coupled to a distal edge of the spacing member and extends downwardly away from a juncture of the first planer member and the spacing member at an acute angle β relative to the support member; a second planer member, wherein the second planer member is coupled to a portion of a distal edge of the first planer member and extends outwardly transverse to the first planer member; and a third planer member, wherein the third planer member is coupled to a distal edge of the second planer member and extends transverse to the second planer member; and a cable extending therebetween portions of the top bracket assembly and the bottom bracket assembly, wherein the spacing member defines an opening that is configured to operatively accept an eye bolt, wherein the eye bolt is secured relative to the horizontal member by a compression assembly positioned between a least one nut operatively received onto a threaded end of a shaft of the eye bolt and a bottom surface of the spacing member, wherein the compression assembly comprises a plurality of compression washers that are operatively received onto the shaft of the eye bolt and are configured to compress under a known load, and wherein the cable is operably coupled to the respective top and bottom bracket assemblies under a desired tension load sufficient to space the cable from a plane of the ladder. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The fall protection system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of compression washers comprises a first pair of opposed compression washers having a lower load rating that are positioned adjacent a second pair of opposed compression washers having a load rating that is higher than the first pair, and wherein a washer is positioned between the respective first and second pairs of opposed compression washers and between the uppermost pair of opposed compression washers and the bottom surface of the spacing member. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The fall protection system of claim 19, wherein the bottom surface of the horizontal member further defines a port that communicates with the interior cavity of the horizontal member, wherein the port of the horizontal member is configured to accept a first cable connector that comprises means for grasping an end portion of the cable when the cable is subjected to tension, and wherein a second cable connector is operable coupled to the eye bolt, wherein each cable connector comprises means for grasping an end portion of the cable when the cable is subjected to tension. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The fall protection system of claim 21, wherein the top bracket member further comprises a polymer tension tube and a washer assembly that are configured to receive the tubular housing of the first automatic cable connector, wherein the polymer tension tube is positioned within the interior cavity of the horizontal member with the proximal end of the tension tube being in contact with the portions of the horizontal member surrounding the port, and wherein the washer assembly is positioned proximate the distal end of the tension tube and a distal shoulder of the first cable connector. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The fall protection system of claim 21, wherein the fall protection system further comprises a cable guide that is configured to be mountable to a rung of the ladder between the respective top and bottom bracket assemblies.