Tie-off anchor device with manually secured weights

A tie-off anchor device having manually secured weight members includes a plurality of base plates detachably secured to a hub portion. The base plates have a predetermined quantity of weight members detachably secured to each of the base plates. The hub portion and base plates are disposed upon a preselected structure. A plate end of an arm member is vertically secured to a top wall of each of the base plates, and a knob retaining member is secured to a top end portion of each of the plate ends of each of the arm members. A weight retaining member is detachably secured, via a knob member, to each of the knob retaining members, and the weight retaining members detachably secure a predetermined quantity of weight members to a top wall of each of the plurality of base plates.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a tie-off anchor device for providing safety for a person standing on an elevated structure, and more particularly, to a safety tool that includes a member for receiving a detachable strap secured to a person standing on an elevated structure, the safety tool further including manually detachable weight members that can be manually secured to a selected member of the tool.

2. Background of the Prior Art

A myriad of prior art fall protection tie-off anchor devices for person standing and/or working on an elevated structure are commercially available. The prior art fall protection devices include configurations having relatively heavy portions or weight members secured to and distally positioned from a hub portion of the configuration. The hub member and prior art weight members ultimately “gripping” a portion of the structure that is relatively near where the user is working or standing. To enable prior art fall protection devices to be manually transported up to elevated platforms or structures, the weight members must be separated from a hub member, carried up to an elevated structure, whereupon, the hub member is disposed upon a selected portion of the elevated structure, and the weight members are then secured to the hub member via mechanical means that typically include bolt and nuts that require an excessive amount of manual labor time. Further, when prior art fall protection devices are carried down from an elevated structure, the nut and bolt combinations must be manually separated, and the hub member, weight members and nut and bolt connectors must be manually carried to a lower elevation or ground level.

The problem with the prior art fall protection devices is the assembly time and the methods used by persons of the prior art devices for reducing the assembly time and/or reducing the quantity of weights that must be carried up to the structure that the person is standing upon. To reduce the manual assembly time for the prior art fall protection devices, an assembly of hub and weight members is provided that includes a reduced quantity of weight members that is less than the minimum quantity of weight members required to maintain safety for the person strapped to the hub member when standing or working upon an elevated structure.

There is a need for a tie-off anchor device that includes manually secured weight members that are relatively easy to attach and remove from a member of the device. Further, there is a need for a tie-off anchor device that will not function and cannot be used unless a minimum quantity of weight members are included with the tie-off anchor device that will be detachably secured to a person standing on an elevated structure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a principal object of the present invention is to provide a single man tie-off anchor device having manually secured weight members. A feature of the device is a plurality of weight members detachably and manually secured to cooperating base plates via a knob member. Another feature of the device is a knob retaining member integrally secured to an inner portion of a top end portion of a plate end of an arm member detachably secured to a hub member. An advantage of the device is that the knob member can be manually rotated to insert into or extract from the knob retaining member to ultimately secure or separate the plurality of weight members from respective base plates.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a device that assembles and disassembles in a relatively short time frame. A feature of the device is a hub end of the arm member having a configuration and dimensions that allows the hub end to snugly encase a cooperating hub conduit member integrally secured to a base portion of the hub member. without using any bolts, nuts or similar fasteners. An advantage of the device is that no fasteners are used to assemble the device, thereby virtually eliminating the assembly time to secure the base plates to the hub member.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a device that secures and separates the weight members to and from the base plates in a relatively short time frame. A feature of the device is a weight retaining member that allows a shank portion of the knob member to extend through the retaining member and rotationally insert into and extract from the knob retaining member. Another feature of the device is a portion of the knob member maintaining continual engagement with a top wall of the weight retaining member when the shank portion of the knob member is forcibly inserted into the knob retaining member. Yet another feature of the device is a bottom edge portion of the weight retaining member and securing arms integrally joined to the bottom edge forcibly engaging a top wall of a top weight member to urge the weight members upon the base plates. An advantage of the device is that no fasteners are used to secure the weight members upon the base plates, thereby substantially reducing the time to dispose and secure the weight members upon the base plates.

Another object of the present invention is to maintain a predetermined quantity of weight members upon the base plates. A feature of the device is providing configurations and dimensions for the plate end, weight members, weight retaining member, knob member and knob retaining member that cooperate to secure a minimum quantity of weight members upon the base plates. An advantage of the device is that if a quantity of weight members disposed upon any base plate is less than a preselected safe quantity, the weight retaining member will not engage the top wall of the top weight member, resulting in the weight members not being secured to the respective base plate, which is an unacceptable condition that will prevent the use of the device until more weight members are added to enable the respective weight retaining member to engage the top wall of the top weight member and secure all weight members to the respective base plate.

In brief, the tie-off anchor device with manually secured weights includes:

a plurality of base plates detachably secured to a hub portion, the plurality of base plates have a predetermined quantity of weight members detachably secured each of the plurality of base plates, the hub portion and the plurality of base plates are ultimately disposed upon a preselected structure;

a plurality of arm members each having a plate end perpendicularly secured to a top wall of each of the plurality of base plates, each arm member has a hub end detachably secured to a hub conduit member integrally joined to a top wall of a base portion of the hub member, each arm member has an extension portion integrally joined to each of the plate ends and the hub ends;

a plurality of knob retaining members secured to an inner portion of a top end portion of each of the plurality of plate ends of the plurality of arm members;

a plurality of weight retaining members detachably secured to the plurality of knob retaining members, the plurality of weight retaining members detachably securing a predetermined quantity of weight members to the plurality of base plates; and

a plurality of knob members for manually securing the plurality of weight retaining members to the plurality of knob retaining members such that the weight retaining members forcibly engage top walls of top weight members, thereby detachably securing a predetermined quantity of weights upon a top wall of each of the plurality of base plates; whereby, a person wearing a harness can secure the harness to the hub portion of the device and prevent the person from falling from the preselected structure and engaging a lower elevation surface.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the figures, a tie-off anchor device having manually secured weights in accordance with the present invention is denoted as numeral10. The device10is manufactured from steel or similar non-deformable material and includes a predetermined quantity of base plates12(preferably four) detachably secured to a hub member14via an arm member16having a cylindrically configured conduit forming a plate end18integrally secured, via welding or similar means, to a center portion20of a base plate12, and a hub end22detachably secured to a hub conduit member24integrally secured to a base portion26of the hub member14. The base plates12have a predetermined quantity of weight members28(preferably four) disposed upon each base plate12such that each group of four base plates12are detachably secured to each of the arm members16. The preferred material to fabricate the weight members28is a relatively rigid rubber, although alternative materials can be substituted for the rubber such as metal. The arm member16further includes an extension portion30integrally joined to the plate and hub ends18and22to promote the separation of the base plates12from the hub conduit member24and the hub member14a predetermined distance. The base plates12and hub member14each include a rubber bottom grip29with a knurled surface to secure the positions of the base plates and hub member12and14when disposed upon a preselected structure (not depicted).

The plate end16and the extension portion30of the arm member16include respective bottom edge portions31and33each being perpendicularly secured to a top wall35of each of the base plates12. A channel configured weight retaining member32is detachably secured to a top end portion34of each plate end18of each arm member16. The weight retaining members32detachably secure respective weight members28to respective base plates12and corresponding plate ends18via a knob member36having a shank portion48that inserts through an orifice37in a top wall41of the weight retaining member32. A handle portion50of the knob member36is then manually rotated to rotationally insert the shank portion48into a knob retaining member40disposed in the top end portion34of each plate end18.

The weight members28include a plate end aperture23for removably receiving the plate end18of the arm member16, a handle aperture25for promoting the manual lifting of a weight member28, and a longitudinal extension slot27extending from the plate end aperture23to the handle aperture25and continuing to a lateral side wall21to removably receive the extension portion30of the arm member16, thereby promoting the insertion of the plate end18and the extension portion30through each weight member28vertically aligned upon a base plate12.

Referring toFIGS. 3 and 4, the weight retaining member32includes a relatively cube configuration having a cavity51formed via three planar side walls52and a fourth planar side wall54with a longitudinal slot56for vertically receiving a top edge portion58of the extension portion30of the arm member16when the device10is disposed on a structure. The weight retaining member32further includes three securing arms60that ultimately engage a top wall62of a top weight member64. The securing arms60are substantially flat, light weight, rigid, metal plates having longitudinal dimensions relative longer than the arms60lateral dimension. The securing arms60distribute a holding force across the top wall62of each of the top weights64to promote vertical alignment of a plurality of the weight members28and to secure the plurality of weight members28upon the base plates12when a sufficient manual force has been rotationally urged upon the knob member36. Although the arms60are depicted as “strips” of rigid metal, a myriad of metal plate configurations can be used to replace the arms60and secure the weight members28to the base plates12, including but not limited to disc and square configurations having a relatively large bottom wall that engages the top wall62of the top weight64, thereby providing increased compressive force upon the stacked weight members28that maintains the stacked weight members28in a vertically aligned arrangement as the handle portion50of the knob member36is rotationally urged into forcible engagement with the top wall41of the weight retaining member32.

The slots56of the weight retaining members32snugly and slidably receive the top edge58of a respective extension portion30when the members32are manually urged downward upon the substantially vertically positioned extension portion30. The weight retaining members32are manually urged downward when the shank portion48of the knob member36is rotationally inserted through the weight retaining member32and into the knob retaining member40. The handle portion50of the knob member32forcibly urges the weight retaining member32in a vertically downward direction upon the extension portion30weight members28due to the extension portion30guiding and stabilizing the vertical downward movement of the weight retaining member32, via the slot56, when a relatively large manual force is rotationally imparted upon the weight retaining member32via the handle portion50.

The extension portions30stabilize the vertical movement of the weight retaining members32until a bottom edge portion66of the weight retaining member32engages a top wall62of a top weight64, resulting in the extension portion30“filling” the slot56until a relatively small portion of the slot56remains (seeFIG. 3). The vertical dimension of the remaining slot portion56is the maximum downward vertical distance the weight retaining member32can travel before engaging the top edge portion58of the extension portion30, thereby preventing the bottom edge66of the weight retaining members32from engaging a top wall62of a top weight member64in the event that a predetermined quantity of weight members28have been reduced to an unacceptable quantity that correspondingly reduces the gripping force generated by rubber bottom grip29of the base plates12upon the supporting structure, resulting in an “unsafe” condition for the user “connected” to the device10.

The configurations and dimensions of the hub member14, arm member16, plate end18, weight members28, weight retaining member32, knob member36and/or the knob retaining member40, can be adjusted to secure a minimum number of weight members28upon the base plates12. If the quantity of weight members28disposed upon the base plate12is three instead of four (for example, seeFIG. 3), due to the “thickness” of each weight member28being greater than the distance between a bottom wall74of the weight retaining member32and a top edge58of the extension portion30, and a top edge of the plate end18; the bottom wall74will engage the edge58of the extension portion30and the top edge of the plate end18before the securing arms60and the bottom edge portion66of the weight retaining member32engage the top wall62of the top weight member64, resulting in none of the weight members28being secured by the weight retaining member32to the respective base plate12. This is an unacceptable condition that will prevent the use of the device10until a fourth weight member64is added to the stack of three weight members28to enable the respective weight retaining member32to engage the top wall62of the top (or fourth) weight member64and secure all four weight members28to the respective base plate12.

Preventing the bottom edge66of one or more of the weight retaining members32from engaging a top wall62of a top weight64defeats the safety purpose for using the device10and causes the device10to become ineffective to prevent a person wearing a harness having a strap detachably secured to the hub member14from falling from the preselected structure and engaging a lower elevation surface. The device10cannot be used when a required quantity of weight members28are not disposed upon and secured to the base plates12. The requirements for operating the device10safely, including the minimum quantity of weight members28to be secured upon the base plates12, are displayed as warnings on multiple portions of the device10.

The knob retaining member40includes a funnel configured shank receiving portion42having a central orifice portion46with a threaded inner cylindrical wall49that rotationally receives the threaded shank portion48of the knob member36. The shank receiving portion42includes an outer edge portion43that is integrally secured, via welding or similar means, to an inner portion44of the top end portion34of the plate end18of the arm member16. The funnel configured shank receiving portion42guides the shank portion48into the threaded orifice portion46as the shank portion48is manually inserted though the non-threaded orifice37in the top wall41of the weight retaining member32; whereupon, the shank portion48is rotationally inserted into the threaded orifice46until the weight retaining member32is secured upon the top wall62of the top weight64. A handle portion50of the knob member36forcibly engages the top wall41of the weight retaining member32, resulting in the handle portion50forcibly urging the weight retaining member32and the securing arms60integrally joined to the bottom edge portion66of the engagement member32into the top wall62of the top weight60.

The handle portion50is configured is configured to impart a relatively large rotational manual force upon the weight retaining member32and correspondingly upon the plurality of weight members28and the base plates12to maintain the relative positions of the hub member14and base plates12upon a structure such that a person wearing a harness secured to the hub portion is prevented from falling from the structure and engaging a lower elevation surface. The handle portion50configuration includes a grasping portion53and a finger portion55for maintaining a space for the user's fingers between the grasping portion53and the top wall41of the weight retaining member32as the user forcibly rotates the handle portion50with the bottom wall57of the finger portion53constantly engaging the top wall41of the weight retaining member32, thereby forcibly inserting the shank portion48of the knob member36into the “non-rotatable” knob retaining member40; resulting in the weight retaining member32forcibly urging the top weight member64of the plurality of weight members28into respective base plates12to maintain the position of the hub member14upon an elevated structure to prevent a person from falling upon a lower elevation structure in the event that person, secured to the hub member14, should fall from the elevated structure.

The funnel configured shank receiving portion42of the knob retaining member40further includes a plurality of water draining apertures69to promote the draining of water that may accumulate in the plate end18of the arm member16during normal operation of the device. The water draining apertures69promote water removal when the arm member16is inverted such that the base plate12is the “top” element relative to the arm member16, and the funnel portion42is vertically above the orifice portion46.

Although the funnel configuration for the knob retaining member40is preferred, a myriad of configurations for the knob retaining member40can be used, including but not limited to a substantially disc shaped knob retaining member40with a centrally disposed threaded orifice for receiving the threaded shank portion48of the knob member36; and a relatively “thin” substantially square configured member40integrally joined to the inner portion44of the top end portion34of the plate end18of the arm member16, the square member40having a centrally disposed threaded orifice for receiving the threaded shank portion48of the knob member36.

Another alternative knob retaining member40configuration that could be removably inserted into the plate end18of the arm member16is a substantially square configured member40slidably inserted into a lateral slot (not depicted) in the top end portion34of the plate end18. The slidably inserted square configured member40would be supported by inner rails (not depicted) disposed to cooperate with the slot to support the knob retaining member40perpendicularly to a central axis of the plate end18, such that a threaded central orifice of the slidably inserted knob retaining member40is axially aligned with the central axis of the plate end18. The slidably inserted member40requires a square configured plate end18to prevent the inserted member40from rotating as the shank portion48of the knob member36is forcibly rotated to insert into the threaded central orifice of the member40. The inserted member40snugly inserts into the slot and interior of the square configured plate end18, thereby locking the position of the member40relative to the interior of the square configured plate end18and preventing the member40from rotating inside the plate end18.

The knob member36ultimately promotes a manual force upon each weight retaining member32, which correspondingly urges the manually force upon vertically stacked weight members28, such that the vertically stacked weight members28are “squeezed” between the weight retaining members32and the top wall35of respective base plates12, thereby detachably securing the weight members28to the base plates12; whereby, a person wearing a harness (not depicted) can secure the harness to a loop portion38of the hub member14of the device10and prevent a person from falling from the preselected structure to a lower elevation surface (not depicted). A plurality of reinforcement plates47are integrally and perpendicularly secured to the top wall70of the base portion26of the hub member14. The reinforcement plates47are also secured to the loop portion38to prevent the loop portion38from deforming when the loop portion38is manually grasped and elevated to ultimately be positioned on a structure.

When the device10is disposed upon a structure, arm members16are radially spaced apart and equal distance to promote an equal distribution of weight and corresponding holding force generated by the rubber bottom grips29upon the structure. To maintain the equal radial spacing of the arm members16, a pair of relatively small vertically positioned parallel metal holding plates68are integrally joined to a top wall70of the base plate26of the hub member14, such that a lower edge portion72of the extension portion30snugly inserts between the holding plates68, thereby maintaining the separation between adjacent arm members16and the base plates12integrally joined to the arm members, and maintaining the position of the arm members16relative to the hub member14.

As an alternative to the vertically disposed holding plates68, square configured channels, when taking a top view of the channel, can be used to replace the cylindrically configured hub ends22of the arm members16and to replace the hub pipe members24such that the hub ends22snugly insert upon the hub pipe members24, thereby restricting rotational movement between the hub ends and the hub pipe members24, resulting in the maintaining of the positions of the arm members16relative to the hub member14, and the maintaining of the distance of separation between adjacent arm members16.