Abstract:
An adjustable roofing safety system is provided which adapted to prevent materials, supplies, tools and workmen performing roofing operations on high-pitched roofs from falling over the edge, protecting both individuals on the roof and individuals who happen to be positioned at levels lower than the edge of the roof from being injured. The apparatus is selectively positionable in both the horizontal and vertical directions as needed as work progresses across the roof surface.

Description:
Cross-Reference to Related Applications 
       [0001]    This nonprovisional application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/372,808 filed on Aug. 11, 2010, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention generally relates to a roofing safety apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to an adjustable and selectively positionable roofing safety apparatus adapted to prevent material and personnel from falling over the edge of a roof. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Roofing can be a dangerous occupation since most roofs are elevated and are pitched at a large incline. Often tools, materials and even workmen slide down the incline and over the edge. The roof pitch or incline presents a challenge to the roofer to not only prevent supplies, materials and tools needed for the job from falling off the roof, but also to prevent the roofer personally from physically falling off the roof while performing roofing operations. 
         [0004]    A roofing bracket, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,691,478, issued to Henderson, Nov. 13, 1928, has been proposed to keep supplies on the roof. The roofing bracket is secured to the roof by fastening flat strips or plates to the roof&#39;s surface. The roofing bracket of the ‘478 disclosure is adapted to hold planks or boards to provide a surface to rest material thereon and to prevent material from falling over the edge of the roof. 
         [0005]    Adjustable roofing jacks, such as the jack disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,971, issued to Violet, May 19, 1992, have been proposed for use with a scaffold to prevent falls and other dangers associated with working on an elevated, highly-pitched roof. The roofing jack has a frame with a bent portion forming a support for a scaffold. The roofing jack is secured to the surface of the roof using fasteners and securement apertures on the frame, which are configured to facilitate removal of the frame from the roof. 
         [0006]    While the prior art, including the references discussed above, contribute to the safety of the roofer, the prior art does not provide for a safety apparatus that can be easily and selectively movable with a roofer as he or she progresses across the roof surface and which may be secured to the roof without piercing the shingles or other covering material. 
         [0007]    In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that a need exists for an improved adjustable roofing safety apparatus that may be securely fastened to a roof with minimal damage thereto while, at the same time, may be easily positionable at a selected location on the roof and readily moved from one location to another as work on the roof progresses. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of this original disclosure: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an adjustable roofing safety apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the adjustable roofing safety apparatus of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a partial, magnified, perspective view of an element of an adjustable roofing safety apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a side view of a scaffold support frame or sled adapted for use with the adjustable roofing safety apparatus in accordance with an embodiment; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the sled of  FIG. 4 ; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a side view of a sliding coupler adapted for use with the adjustable safety apparatus of the instant invention in accordance with another embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0015]    Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , an adjustable roofing safety apparatus in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is generally shown at  1 . The adjustable roofing safety apparatus  1  is designed to prevent tools, roofing materials, supplies, and the like and workmen from sliding off the roof regardless of the pitch. The apparatus  1  also protects anyone on the ground below the roof from being struck by falling objects. Importantly, from a safety perspective, apparatus  1  provides a safety catch for a roofer. That is, a roofer may be prevented from falling off the roof by the apparatus  1  if he should slide down the high pitched roof surface and come to rest against it. Moreover, the apparatus  1  discloses marked improvements over the prior art, inasmuch as it is selectively adjustable so the roofer may repeatedly reposition the apparatus  1  with the progression of the work across the roof surface in both the horizontal and vertical directions. 
         [0016]    The safety apparatus  1  includes a track  2 , at least one scaffold support frame or sled  6 , a connecting element or strap  4  having top and bottom ends disposed intermediate the track  2  and the scaffold support frame  6  operatively interconnecting the two, and a sliding coupler  10  secured to the top and bottom of strap  4 , the operation of which will be described in greater detail below. The track  2  is adapted to be secured to the roof, preferably near the crown or apex of the roof. The track  2  has a length greater than its width and stretches across the roof. The strap  4  is slidably coupled to the track  2  and selectively positionable at various locations along its length. The strap  4  attaches to the sled  6  and thereby connects the sled  6  to the track  2 . 
         [0017]    In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the track  2  is in the form of a rope or cable and stretches tautly across the roof apex with limited sag. The track  2  includes first and second end portions secured to the crown by fastening members  8 , which, by way of example and not of limitation, may be in the form of eye bolts, bracket plates or other fastening devices suitable for the application that fasten the respective end portions of the track  2  to the roof. The connecting element  4  can be a rope, a strap, a cable, a ratchet strap or can be a strip of flat sheet metal. Use of a ratchet strap or other similar device such as a wench, pulley or spool, which may also be operated by a hand crank, electric motor or the like, provides for vertical adjustment of the safety apparatus as work progresses from the roof apex downwardly toward the edge. Preferably, the strap  4  forms a low profile with the roof surface so as to avoid interference with the roofers’ work activities and to minimize the tripping hazard. The strap  4  includes the sliding coupler  10  on the top end and a fastening element  12  at the bottom end. In the embodiment of  FIG. 1  and as shown in greater detail in  FIG. 3 , the sliding coupler  10  is a loop having the track  2  running there through. The fastening element  12  securely fastens the sled  6  to the strap  4  and can be a weld, adhesive, bolts, etc. 
         [0018]    The strap  4  and the sled  6  constitute a catch assembly  14  that is able to slide along the track  2  to a desired position and cooperate with adjacent catch assemblies that are similarly structured and arranged to support scaffolding of conventional lengths used in the construction field. Preferably, in the safety apparatus  1 , a plurality of catch assemblies  14  are slidably connected to the track  2 . The sleds  6  of the catch assemblies  14  support at least one scaffold or board  16 , which serve as a safety rail to abut debris, tools, materials or even roofers, for example, that slide down the roof. Moreover, in structures where roofing operations are being performed along long roofs, multiple catch assemblies may be selectively positioned across the roof surface to enable several crews to be on the roof at the same time without interfering with one another. 
         [0019]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , a scaffold support frame or sled  6  is shown in greater detail and includes a first end portion  18  adapted to be connected to the fastening element  12  and a second end portion  20 . The sled is preferably formed from a rigid material such as a flat metal plate bent into a generally L-shaped configuration adapted to support a plank or scaffold. As best seen in  FIGS. 2 and 5 , the first end portion  18  lies on the roof so as to form a low profile with the roof surface and preferably has a plurality of apertures  22  in alignment along a length thereof. The apertures  22  allow a roofer to optionally secure the catch assembly  14  by driving nails, screws or the like through the apertures  22  into the underlying surface. Moreover, the apertures may be structured and arranged to receive fasteners for securing toe boards thereto or for securing safety straps worn by members of a roofing crew while working on the inclined roof surface. As described above, the sled  6  is bent at an angle from the first end portion  18  to form the second end portion  20 , which extends away from the roof surface. The second end portion  20  includes a tongue portion  24  used as a guard to ensure that the board  16  does not rise upwardly from the roof surface. Preferably, the sled is dimensioned widthwise to provide stability for the planking material, and, in practice, it has been found that widths of at least one foot are suitable for this application. To facilitate slideable movement of a sled across the roof surface, rollers (not shown) may also be positioned between the roof and the sled for ease of movement as work progresses. 
         [0020]    Referring now to  FIG. 6 , a second embodiment of the safety apparatus  1  is shown. In this embodiment, the sliding coupler  10  of the track  2  forms a channel  26  underneath. Specifically, the sliding coupler  10  has curved first and second sides  28 ,  30  that accept the sides of the track  2 , which, in this embodiment, is a flat strip of metal having a width that fits in the channel  26 . The sliding coupler  10  optionally includes bearings  32  disposed in the curved portions of the first and second sides  28 ,  30  to facilitate sliding. Preferably, a plurality of catch assemblies  14  are attached to respective sliding couplers  10 . 
         [0021]    The above-described safety apparatus  1  provides a roofer with an apparatus that is repositionable as work progresses. Furthermore, the safety apparatus  1  can be strategically positioned on the roof so as to be most likely to catch debris, materials or a roofer and prevent injury to the roofer or workers below the roof. Thus, the apparatus  1  is a continuously connected system that is configurable to best suit the needs of the roofer. That is, whether through the track  2  or through boards  16 , the plurality of catch assemblies  14  are continuously connected. The catch assemblies  14  are optionally not connected by boards  16  at the sled  6  to allow free movement thereof. Furthermore, the apertures  22  can be used to more precisely position the sled  6  on and to secure it to the roof via a nail or screw, for example. 
         [0022]    In understanding the scope of the present invention, the term “comprising” and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended to be open ended terms that specify the presence of the stated features, elements, components, groups, integers, and/or steps, but do not exclude the presence of other unstated features, elements, components, groups, integers and/or steps. The foregoing also applies to words having similar meanings such as the terms, “including”, “having” and their derivatives. Also, the terms “part,” “section,” “portion,” “member” or “element” when used in the singular can have the dual meaning of a single part or a plurality of parts. As used herein to describe the present invention, the following directional terms “forward, rearward, above, downward, vertical, horizontal, below and transverse” as well as any other similar directional terms refer to those directions of a roof equipped with the present invention. Accordingly, these terms, as utilized to describe the present invention should be interpreted relative to a roof equipped with the present invention. Finally, terms of degree such as “substantially”, “about” and “approximately” as used herein mean a reasonable amount of deviation of the modified term such that the end result is not significantly changed. For example, these terms can be construed as including a deviation of at least ±5% of the modified term if this deviation would not negate the meaning of the word it modifies. 
         [0023]    While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Furthermore, the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments according to the present invention are provided for illustration only, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.