Patent ID: 6039150
Filing Date: 2000-03-21
Classification: E04G,Y10S

Abstract:
A guard rail scaffold assembly mounted around an above ground structure surface to be guarded by the assembly so as to protect an operator on the guarded surface against falling therefrom;wherein:the scaffold assembly comprises a plurality of transversely spaced vertically extending guard rail assembly members, a plurality of elongated horizontally extending guard rails each extending between and supported by a respective pair of immediately adjacent guard rail assembly members, and a plurality of fastener pads, one for each guard rail assembly member, each fastener pad comprising a respective pad separable connector part and being fastened to a fastener engagement area of a surface of the structure selected from a wall surface thereof and the guarded surface;wherein:each guard rail assembly member comprises an elongated base member comprising a base member separable connector part cooperatively engaged with a respective pad separable connector part to form therewith a pivotable separable connector having a pivot axis that extends horizontal and parallel to the selected structure surface, and about which pivot axis the base member is pivotable relative to the guarded surface when the scaffold assembly is installed around the guarded surface, the base member being pivotable about the pivot axis for adjustment of its direction of elongation so that the said direction can be made to extend at least approximately parallel to the fastener engagement area;each guard rail assembly member also comprises an elongated guard rail support member having a corresponding direction of elongation and connected to the base member so as to extend above the guarded surface with the directions of elongation of the elongated base member and the guard rail support member in the same flat plane perpendicular to the guarded surface, the guard rail support member having at least one guard rail retainer member receiving a respective horizontally extending guard rail to retain it at a required distance above the guarded surface; andeach guard rail assembly member further comprises two wall surface engaging members on the base member, both spaced from the pivot axis on opposite sides thereof and engaging respective correspondingly spaced engagement areas of the same selected structure surface, to thereby maintain the direction of elongation of the base member parallel to the fastener engagement area;wherein:the last-mentioned spaced engagement areas also constitute respective spaced pivot areas about which the base member is urged to pivot when it is subjected to a force acting respectively outward away from or inward toward the wall surface;wherein:an outward acting force applied to a guard rail urges the base member for pivoting movement at the corresponding pivot area away from the selected structure surface, thereby producing a corresponding pivoting force moment at the respective pivot area, and an inward acting force urges the base member for pivoting movement at the other corresponding pivot area away from the selected structure surface, thereby producing a corresponding pivoting force moment at the respective pivot area;and wherein:the force that is applied to the pivotal separable connector as the result of an inward or an outward force is thereby applied thereto as a maximum of tension force acting outward at least approximately perpendicularly to the fastener engagement area and as a minimum of peeling force acting parallel to the fastener engagement area.