Abstract:
A safety apparatus for use on an elevated surface, for providing fall protection for multiple elevated surface configurations, so as to adaptably secure a safe work environment, the safety apparatus comprising a base member, wherein the base member includes a vertical mounting surface and a horizontal mounting surface, a stanchion, a first vertical clamping surface near the base of the stanchion, an adjustable clamp arm having a second clamping surface, wherein the clamp arm is operable to be attached to the stanchion in a horizontal slab clamp configuration, and at least one bracket operable to receive a horizontal fall protection barrier.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a safety rail base and post for use on an elevated surface such as a roof for fall prevention. In particular the invention relates to a safety rail base and post for use on or near the edge of various types of elevated surface, such as a roof with a low edge, a low edge with a gravel stop, a parapet wall, and a concrete slab, and for compact storage of said rail base and post. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Federal and state regulations, as well as insurance providers, require the use of safety systems to prevent workers from falling from elevated surfaces during construction or maintenance repairs. In certain instances if the proper safety procedures are not followed, governmental organizations such as Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) can levy fines against companies and building owners due to non-compliance. 
     The safety systems are important from a regulation standpoint as well as good business practice. Safety systems protect workers from accidental falls and the resulting injuries or death that can occur. Minimizing these types of accidents and the resultant repercussions is important to protect life and limb as well as to reduce liabilities. 
     Often construction and maintenance/repair companies encounter numerous types of elevated edges, including flat edges, raised edges such as gravel stops, parapet walls, and slab overhangs. These various edges may be encountered on different job sites, a single job site, or even on a single building, and therefore construction companies currently need various types of safety rail bases. For that reason, there are various types of safety rail bases in the prior art; however the construction company must keep the various bases on hand or purchase them when required. This results in large costs and extra storage dedicated to safety equipment. There exists more versatile safety rail bases which are compatible with up to two of the various types of elevated surface edges, thereby decreasing the chance of multiple bases being required on a given jobsite; however construction companies prefer being able to use a single base for three or more of the types of elevated edges that they encounter. 
     Similarly, construction companies must choose between the available horizontal fall protection barrier types, including, but not limited to, lumber-based rails, metal rails, and cable systems. This is further complicated by the fact that currently there does not exist in the prior art any base and post apparatus that receives multiple types of horizontal barrier types. For example, if a construction company requires a lumber rail for a first job and a cable system for a second job, the company must purchase or rent two entire apparatus systems. Furthermore, not every type of base is produced for every type of horizontal system. This forces construction companies to purchase different brands of railing system, which is undesirable because construction companies often have developed business relations or trust with specific safety product manufacturers. 
     Lastly, construction sites are often complicated, dangerous places with many hazards and limited space. Therefore it is desirable to store and transport all of the parts of a single base and post (i.e. stanchion) together as a single unit. Keeping the parts in this way minimizes the necessary storage space required and minimizes the risk of losing parts when not in use. Currently there does not exist a parapet clamp base and post which can be stored compactly and as a single unit; that is, the current parapet clamps must be disassembled to store compactly, in which case the parts are separate and can be lost. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a safety rail base and post apparatus  100  for attachment to an elevated surface. The safety rail base and post includes an anchor plate member, a stanchion, a first vertical clamping surface, an adjustable clamp arm having a second clamping surface, configurable to be attached to flat edges, raised edges, parapet walls, and slab overhangs, and at least one bracket operable to receive a lumber rail, metal rail, and tensioned cable. 
     The safety rail system design provides a temporary railing system for installation on the perimeter of an elevated surface to ensure that when a worker is on the elevated surface that all government regulations and insurance requirements are met for use of proper safety railings. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a safety base and post that is configurable to be mounted on flat edges, raised edges, parapet walls, and slab overhangs. By providing a base and post that can be used on any one of these elevated surfaces, a construction company can more readily protect against fall hazards without having to purchase numerous bases and posts. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a safety base and post having an adjustable bracket that is configurable to receive a lumber-based horizontal barrier, a metal steel horizontal barrier, and a tensioned cable. By providing a base and post having an adjustable bracket configurable to receive any of these types of horizontal barriers, a construction company can more easily adapt its safety plan to the requirements of the job site and limit the amount of safety equipment required. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a safety base and post configurable to be compactly stored as a single unit. This will enable construction companies to reduce consumption of valuable space on job sites, reduce the number of hazards presented by a stored safety unit, and reduce the chance of parts becoming lost or misplaced due to disjointed storage. 
     Other objects of the present invention relating to an adaptable safety base and post configurable for numerous elevated edges and horizontal barrier types will become readily apparent upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and are for illustration by way of example and not limitations. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a top perspective view of a safety base and post apparatus and horizontal barriers system installed on the perimeter of a building, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a top perspective of a safety base and post installed on a flat edge, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a top perspective of a safety base and post installed on a gravel stop edge, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a top perspective of a safety base and post installed on a parapet wall, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a top perspective of a safety base and post installed on a slab overhang, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a top perspective of a safety base and post in a stored configuration, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is to a safety base and post apparatus as shown in  FIGS. 1-6 . Specifically, the invention is an adaptable safety rail and base apparatus  100  configurable to be installed on elevated surfaces such as that of a building  102  ( FIG. 1 ), including flat edges  104  ( FIG. 2 ), over raised edges  106  ( FIG. 3 ), parapet walls  108  ( FIG. 4 ), and slab overhangs  110  ( FIG. 5 ), as well as being configurable to be compactly stored as a single unit ( FIG. 6 ). 
     The safety base and post apparatus is shown in multiple views in  FIGS. 1-6  and the invention presents an adaptable base and post, when used in conjunction with horizontal safety barriers provides a fall restraint on or near the edge of an elevated surface to aide in the safety of workers. As detailed in  FIG. 2 , the safety base and post apparatus  100  includes a base  10  and stanchion  12 . The base  10  includes a generally vertical mounting surface  14  and generally horizontal mounting surface  16 . The mounting surface  14  is preferably precisely vertical and the horizontal mounting surface  16  precisely horizontal, so as to form a right angle between the two surfaces; however in another embodiment it may be beneficial to provide surfaces  14 ,  16  having a relative angle as low as forty-five degrees and as high as one hundred and thirty-five degrees. The surfaces  14 ,  16  include at least one hole  18  for receiving at least one fastener  20 . Preferably the surfaces  14 ,  16  include a plurality of holes  18  for receiving a plurality of fasteners  20 . The fastener  20  can be a screw, lag bolt, nail, rivet, masonry anchor, or any other anchoring product used in the industry and designed for the desired building structure to attach the base  10  to the elevated surface  102 . The fastener  20  is generally a roofing screw, concrete screw, or any fastener designed to structurally mount a railing system to a structure. The vertical mounting surface  14  and horizontal mounting surface  16  enables the apparatus to be mounted to a flat edge  104 , i.e. a flat edge configuration. The base  10  is made of any material used in the industry to fabricated safety rail systems, including but not limited to metal, such as steel and aluminum, wood, plastic, other man-made materials, as well as any material approved for use to ensure the safety structure meets OSHA standards. In one embodiment, the base  10  is made of steel with a thickness of 1/16″ to 5/16″ of an inch. The base  10  itself and the base  10  and stanchion  12  together may be formed out of a single piece of material, or joined out of multiple pieces through manufactured processes such as welding, bonding, or fastening. In one embodiment the stanchion  12  is generally elongated and straight; however, in certain instances it may be preferable for the stanchion  12  to have at least one bend so as to create an offset between the distal ends of the stanchion  12 . The stanchion further is preferably tubular and even more preferably a round tube. 
     In another embodiment of the invention, and as shown in  FIG. 3 , the base  10  further includes a space  22  intermediate the mounting surfaces  14 ,  16  configured to accept a raised edge  106 . This configuration enables the apparatus  100  to be mounted to surfaces  102  having a raised edge  106 . Raised edges such as gravel stops are generally at most one inch high and one inch thick; therefore the space  22  is preferably no larger than one inch by one inch in size. 
     In another embodiment of the invention, and as shown in  FIG. 4 , the safety base and post apparatus  100  is further configured to clamp onto a parapet wall  108 . In this embodiment, the apparatus  100  further includes a first vertical clamping surface  24 . In a particular embodiment, the first vertical clamping surface  24  is attached preferably to the stanchion  12  by an adjuster  26 . Alternatively the adjuster  26  may attach the clamping surface  24  to the base  10 . The adjuster  26  is preferably adjustable, thereby enabling a user to alter the position or spacing of the first vertical clamping surface  24 . The apparatus  100  further includes an intermediate opening  28  for at least partially receiving an adjustable clamp arm  30 . In this embodiment the stanchion  12  and adjustable clamp arm  30  are preferably least partially tubular, and preferably made of round tube. The adjustable clamp arm  30  is generally L-shaped and includes a second clamping surface  32  near its distal end. An adjuster  34 , preferably a screw-type adjuster, connects the second clamping surface  32  to the adjustable clamp arm  30 . In this way, the second clamping surface  32  can be adjusted in relation to the adjustable clamp arm  30 . A fastener  36  secures the adjustable clamp arm  30  in the intermediate opening  28 . The fastener  36  is preferably a screw-type fastener but can be a clamp, latch, pin, or other fastener known in the art to fasten two members together. In this configuration, the first vertical clamping surface  24  and second clamping surface  32  are vertically parallel and operable to cooperatively clamp to a parapet wall  108 . Further inserting the adjustable clamp arm  30  into the intermediate opening  28 , tightening the fastener  36  and then tightening the adjusters  26  and  34  create a secure clamping of the parapet wall  108 . Parapet walls generally vary in thickness from four inches to twenty-four inches, so the adjustable clamp arm  30  and adjusters  26  and  34  are operable to adjust the clamping surfaces  24  and  32  between four inches and twenty-four inches apart. The adjustable clamp arm  30  is made of any material used in the industry to fabricated safety rail systems. 
     In another embodiment of the invention, shown in  FIG. 5 , the apparatus  100  can be mounted to a slab overhang  110 . In this embodiment, the apparatus further includes a lower opening  38 . The lower opening  38  is preferably located distally on the bottom end of the stanchion  12 . In this embodiment the stanchion  12  and adjustable clamp arm  30  are preferably tubular. In this configuration the adjustable clamp arm  30  is at least partially inserted into the lower opening  38 . The stanchion  12  typically includes an auxiliary opening  40  near the lower opening  38 . The adjustable clamp arm  30  includes a corresponding fastener opening  42 . When the auxiliary opening  40  and fastener opening  42  are aligned, a fastener  44 , typically a through-pin, is inserted through the auxiliary opening  40  and fastener opening  42 , so as to secure the adjustable clamp arm  30  at least partially in the lower opening  38 . In this configuration, the second clamping surface  32  and horizontal mounting surface  16  are horizontally parallel and thus can be moved adjacent to the bottom and top of a slab overhang  110 , respectively. Tightening the adjuster  34  creates a secure clamping of the slab overhang. Slab overhangs are generally between two inches and twelve inches thick. Therefore the adjustable clamp arm  30  and adjuster  34  are operable to adjust the vertical offset between the clamping surface  32  and horizontal mounting surface  16  from between two inches and twelve inches. 
     In another embodiment of the invention, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the apparatus  100  can be compactly stored as a single unit. In this embodiment the apparatus  100  further includes an upper opening  46 . In this embodiment the stanchion  12  and adjustable clamp arm  30  are preferably tubular. The upper opening  46  is preferably located distally on the top end of the stanchion  12 . The adjustable clamp arm  30  is at least partially inserted into the upper opening  46 . A storage opening  48  is located near the upper opening  48 . When the storage opening  48  and fastener opening  42  are aligned, the fastener  44  is inserted through the storage opening  48  and fastener opening  42 , thereby securing the adjustable clamp arm  30  in a storage configuration. 
     Turning again to  FIGS. 2-4 , the safety base and post apparatus  100  is operable to receive various horizontal barriers, including lumber type horizontal barriers  112  ( FIG. 2 ), metal rail type horizontal barriers  114  ( FIG. 3 ), and tensioned cable type horizontal barriers  116  ( FIG. 4 ). The apparatus  100  generally includes at least one and preferably two brackets  50 . More particularly, and as shown in  FIG. 2 , the bracket  50  can be positioned at various heights on the stanchion  12 . The bracket  50  can also be positioned at various rotational angles, to be used on various architectural geometries such as corners and circular buildings, or for utilizing the other horizontal barriers such as metal rail and tensioned cable type barriers, detailed below, or for utilizing the various mounting and clamping configurations, as described above. A fastener  52 , preferably a screw-type fastener, can be tightened to secure the bracket  50  at a specified height on the stanchion  12 . The bracket  50  includes a guide  54  having a space  56  for receiving a lumber-based horizontal barrier  112 . The guide  54  further includes at least one hole  58  for receiving a fastener  60  to secure the barrier  112  to the guide  54 . Typical fasteners include but are not limited to screws, nails, pins, or other suitable fastener. 
     Similarly, and as shown in  FIG. 3 , the bracket  50  generally includes a pin  62  for receiving a metal rail type horizontal barrier  114 . In a particular embodiment, the pin  62  and guide  54  are oppositely positioned on the bracket  50 . To switch between utilizing the guide  54  and the pin  62 , the bracket  50  is simply rotated 180 degrees and secured by tightening the fastener  60 . 
     Similarly, the bracket  50  generally includes at least one hook  64  for receiving a tensioned cable  116 . Preferably, the bracket  50  includes two oppositely facing hooks  64  offset from one another, which improves the ease with which a cable  116  is attached to the apparatus  100  without becoming unhooked. 
     Thus, there has been described a safety base and post assembly  100 . It is apparent to those skilled in the art, however, that many changes, variations, modifications, other uses, and applications are possible, and also such changes, variations, modifications, other uses, and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed covered by the invention, which is limited only by the claims which follow.