US 5,683,074 AGranted

Temporary guardrail system

OwnerHarrison G. Purvis, Tony R. Matthewsinventors

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Abstract

This invention is an improved temporary guard rail system for use by residential and commercial builders on construction sites in those areas of building structures where an accidental fall may result in serious bodily injury. In particular, the temporary guard rail system of the present invention includes a plurality of upright stanchions having mounting brackets integrally formed or attached thereto that are connected by a plurality of vertically spaced, generally horizontal side rails extending end to end. The vertically spaced side rails are adapted for 360 degree rotational movement in both horizontal and vertical planes. In addition, the tubular guard rails are fabricated in a plurality of sections that may be slideably engaged, one inside another, to provide a telescoping adjustment of length. The temporary guard rail system may be adapted and secured to various features of a building such as balconies, elevated platforms, stair cases, and the perimeter of a floor prior to the external walls or permanent protective railings being erected to prevent accidental injury. Further, the temporary guard rail system is designed and manufactured to conform to OSHA requirements for temporary guard rails. This system also provides a versatile safety device which is easy to install, easy to dismantle, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

An improved temporary guardrail system for removable attachment to a building under construction including a plurality of upright stanchions, said stanchions being connected by a plurality of vertically spaced, upper and lower horizontal side rails, the improvements comprising:

anchoring means being fixedly attached at a bottom end of each of said stanchions, said anchoring means including a rectangular plate, said plate being fixedly attached to said bottom end of each of said stanchions in perpendicular relation thereto, each of said stanchions being located at a point that is laterally offset from a center point of said plate such that mechanical advantage is gained in counteracting a force generated by a person falling against said upper and lower horizontal side rails when said anchoring means is attached to said building, each of said stanchions including a first threaded stud projecting upwardly and outwardly from a top end thereof in axial alignment therewith enabling each of said upper horizontal side rails to be rotatably mounted thereon at any angular relationship in a horizontal plane;
means for rotatably connecting said upper and lower side rails to said stanchions enabling each respective upper and lower side rail to be rotated up to 360 degrees about a longitudinal axis of each respective stanchion in a horizontal plane and each respective upper and lower side rail to be pivoted at varying angles in a vertical plane;
means for telescopically adjusting the length of each respective upper and lower side rail enabling said temporary guardrail system to be adapted to various structural features of said building;
and
angulation means attached to said first threaded stud enabling said upper side rails to be attached thereto and pivoted in a vertical plane at varying angles in relation to said stanchion, said angulation means including an L-shaped stair and incline adapter bracket disposed on said first threaded stud at said top end of said stanchion, said bracket including a second threaded stud disposed in perpendicular relation to the longitudinal axis of said stanchion permitting said upper side rails to be mounted thereon and pivoted in a vertical plane at varying angles for installation of said temporary guardrail system on inclines and flights of stairs.

2 more elements

Facts

Application

08/755,596Filed 25 Nov 1996 · continuation

Priority

14 Apr 1995

Granted

4 Nov 1997

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

E04G 21/3223
Against falling down: means supported by building floors or flat roofs, e.g. safety railings
E04H 17/1413
Fences constructed of rigid elements, e.g. with additional wire fillings or with posts: post-and-rail fences, e.g. without vertical cross-members
E04H 17/006
Fencing, e.g. fences, enclosures, corrals: caps or covers for posts
E04H 17/1448
Details of connections between rails and posts: adjustable, angled or hinged connections

Abstract

Claims10