Collapsible safety rail system
AssigneeGregory S. Kenton
InventorsGregory S. Kenton, Anthony J. Mertes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A collapsible safety rail system for providing a portable or permanent protective barrier to provide for fall prevention from elevated or other work areas. Lockable pivot assemblies are located between heavy bases and the end posts of collapsible safety rail assemblies. Removable detent pins are utilized to lock the pivot assemblies to maintain the erected position of the collapsible safety rail assemblies in protective vertical orientation or are removed to allow maneuvering of the collapsible safety rail assemblies to a minimum viewable profile position when not required for personnel protection.
Claims20
A collapsible safety rail system comprising a plurality of safety rails, a plurality of support bases spaced from each other on a substrate, the support bases having at least two spaced and upstanding receiving posts thereon, each of said plurality of safety rails having a tubular left-hand post and a tubular right-hand post spaced from said left-hand post, a top rail connected to and extending from said left-hand post to said right-hand post, said left-hand post having a bottom end and said right-hand post having a bottom end, a first pivot assembly interconnecting said bottom end of said left-hand post to a receiving post on one of said plurality of bases and a second pivot assembly interconnecting said bottom end of said right-hand post to a receiving post on another of said plurality of bases, both first and second pivot assemblies including a detent pin for retaining the left hand and right hand posts in an upright position, and both pivot assemblies having a tubular member, one end of which is inserted in said receiving post on said support base and is fixable therein, the opposite end of said tubular member having a slotted section therein, an interconnecting mounting element inserted in an opposite end of said tubular member at the location of said slotted section, said interconnecting mounting element having an upper cylindrical post mount and a lower end shaft with a semispherical shaped end, said upper cylindrical post mount being insertable within the lower end of said left-hand post or the lower end of said right-hand ost and said semisrherical end of said shaft being insertable in the slotted end section of said tubular member, whereby the safety rails are collapsible from the upright position to a generally horizontal position relative to said substrate by means of said both first and second pivot assemblies upon removal of the detent pins such that the left-hand and right-hand posts of one safety rail are pivotable concurrently to the generally horizontal position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.