Abstract:
A ladder stabilizing system for incorporation into a roofing system and for receiving and releasably retaining a ladder therein. The ladder stabilizing system includes a mounting plate disposed between layers of the roofing material and further includes a ladder bracket fixedly attached to the mounting plate and includes a section adapted to accommodate the features of the edge of the roofing system. The ladder bracket further includes a set of lateral supports for receiving the ladder there between and retention members for releasably securing the ladder to the ladder stabilizing system.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a safety device for securing a ladder and protecting a building and, more particularly, to a roof mounted ladder bracket system. 
         [0003]    Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Safety and stability are of the utmost importance when using a ladder to access the roof of a building. The use of a ladder in such circumstances is inherently dangerous and a worker falling from a ladder can sustain life-threatening injuries. Attempts at increasing the safety of utilizing a ladder to access the roof of a building have fallen short of solving several problems. Ladder stabilizers of the prior art that attach to or cooperate with the bottom of the ladder do not protect the areas of the building where the ladder contacts the building and to a large extent do not prevent the ladder from falling backwards from the building due to an overturning moment. Prior art ladder stabilizer devices that do incorporate features to prevent the ladder from falling due to an overturning moment lack the ability to accommodate many of the features found in commercial buildings and further they compromise the integrity of these roofing systems. It is highly likely that the use of any of these prior art devices would void the warranty offered by manufacturers of commercial roofing systems. 
         [0005]    The prior art includes devices that include a support pad or platform to stabilize the bottom of the ladder including U.S. Pat. No. 6,490,842. The prior art further includes stabilizing devices that attach to a ladder purporting to allow a person to safely access roofs such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,837,338, 6,408,983, 6,152,262, 7,293,630, 7,753,170 7,757,814 as well as U.S. Patent application numbers 2003/0188924, 2007/0267251, and 2011/0127110. Even if these types of devices function as described, they do little, if anything, to protect the features of a building at the point of contact with the ladder. In addition none of these prior art devices adequately addresses the danger of a ladder falling away from the building due to an overturning moment acting on the ladder. 
         [0006]    Some other prior art devices attach to building structure to prevent damage to the building when a ladder is used such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,578,665 and 6,722,469. Still other prior art ladder stabilizing devices attach to removable platforms that protect the roofing structure such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,783,415. While devices which embody these prior art inventions may protect the building from contact with a ladder they do not incorporate features that integrate with the roofing system to provide for a permanently installed device that ensures the integrity of the roofing system, especially with regard to modern commercial roofing systems. For instance, while the invention describe in U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,469 may protect the edge of some structures it lacks any features to accommodate and protect an edge mounted drip lip common in commercial construction. Furthermore, although the invention describe in U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,469 may be mounted below the roof covering it does not describe a method for ensuring the integrity of the roofing system or the ongoing integrity of the bracket itself in so much as the fasteners are non-inspectable. 
         [0007]    Therefore, there exists a need for a ladder stabilization system intended for permanent installation that reliably and safely stabilizes a ladders while accommodating commercial roofing features and maintaining the integrity of modern roofing systems. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The invention generally relates to a roof mounted ladder stabilizing system. for incorporation into a roofing system and for receiving and releasably retaining a ladder therein. The ladder stabilizing system includes a mounting plate disposed between layers of the roofing material and further includes a ladder bracket fixedly attached to the mounting plate and includes a section adapted to accommodate the features of the edge of the roofing system. The ladder bracket further includes a set of lateral supports for receiving the ladder there between and retention members for relasably securing the ladder to the ladder stabilizing system. 
         [0009]    An embodiment of the present invention ladder stabilizing system for use with a roofing system includes a mounting plate incorporated into and fixedly attached to a portion of the roofing system wherein the mounting plate includes at least one fastener. The ladder stabilizing system further includes a ladder bracket having a first section for engagement with the at least one fastener of the mounting plate for fixedly attaching the bracket to the roofing system. The bracket also includes a second portion adapted to accommodate an edge of the roofing system and to receive a ladder. The second portion of the bracket further includes at least one lateral support extending therefrom and a retention member. 
         [0010]    In an embodiment of the present invention the retention member releasably fixes the ladder to the ladder stabilizing bracket and further includes a pair of lateral supports extending from the ladder stabilizing bracket and positioned to receive the ladder there between. 
         [0011]    In yet another embodiment of the present invention ladder stabilizing system of the mounting plate includes threaded studs and the ladder bracket is fixedly attached to the mounting plate studs by threaded. 
         [0012]    In still another embodiment of the present invention the roofing system is comprised of a sheathing material and the mounting plate is disposed between layers of sheathing material. 
         [0013]    In yet another embodiment the roofing system includes a drip lip and the second portion is adapted to accommodate the drip lip. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  illustrates various features of the roof mounted ladder stabilizing system, in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a front view of an example roof mounted ladder stabilizing system, in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a side view in partial section of an example roof mounted ladder stabilizing system, in accordance with certain aspect of the present disclosure. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  illustrates an example of a backing plate and sealing layer of a roof mounted ladder stabilizing system, in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]    The ladder securing systems of the prior art have limitations of safely securing the ladder against a building while maintaining the overall integrity of the building and roof. Therefore, certain embodiments of the present invention provide for safely and easily releasably securing a ladder to the side of a building while overcoming the limitations of the prior art. 
       EXAMPLE ROOF MOUNTED LADDER BRACKET SYSTEM 
       [0020]      FIGS. 1-4  illustrate an exemplary roof mounted ladder stabilizing system  100  including ladder bracket system  200  integrally mounted to roofing system  300  for securing and stabilizing ladder  101 . 
         [0021]    The features and components of an example of a modern commercial roofing system is best described with reference to  FIG. 1 . The roofing system  300  shown in  FIG. 1  is a typical modern day commercial roofing system comprising various layers and utilizing a thermoplastic membrane as the top layer for preventing moisture ingression. The present invention may include any known or contemplated membrane and roof system materials including thermoplastic membranes or ethylene propylene diene monomer EPDM rubber and will be described herein with specific reference to thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) roofing system materials. Roof system  300  includes a substrate such as corrugated metal sheeting  301  that is fastened to the rafters of a building structure in a known way utilizing appropriate fasteners (not shown). A layer of insulation  302  which may be comprised of a polyisocyanurate material is applied on top of corrugated metal sheeting  301  and fastened thereto using washers  303  and fasteners  304 . The example roof system  300  further comprises a TPO bonding adhesive  305  layered on top of the insulation  302  and attached thereto by washers  303  and fasteners  304 . Roofing system  300  further includes a top layer of 0.060 inch thick TPO membrane  306  which is heat welded to the TPO adhesive layer  305  and heat welded along lap joints with subsequent TPO membrane layers (not shown). Now with reference to  FIG. 3  TPO roof system  300  further comprises a nailer strip  307  which in this example system comprises a kiln dried Douglas Fir that is fastened to corrugated metal sheeting  301  using suitable fasteners  308  ( FIG. 1 ). Still referring to  FIG. 3  the edge of TPO roof system  300  comprises a TPO clad metal edge  309  that includes a drip lip  310  formed therein and projecting upward therefrom and wherein the metal edge is fastened to nailer strip  307  using appropriate nails  311 . The example TPO roofing system  300  provides aesthetic, structural, thermal and moisture integrity for a building (not shown). It is contemplated that the present invention includes roofing systems other than that described herein above including different substrate materials and configurations, different insulation materials, backing boards, adhesives, caulks, fasteners and the like. 
         [0022]    The roof ladder bracket system  200  of the present invention is integrated with the TPO roofing system  300  and it further maintains the aesthetic, structural, thermal and moisture integrity of the roofing system. With reference to  FIG. 4  roof ladder bracket system  200  includes a mounting plate  201  fastened to the nailer strip  307  using fasteners  202 . Mounting plate  201  is advantageously comprised of a corrosion resistant metal such as an aluminum alloy having a dimension of about 0.125 inches thick, 4 inches wide and 24 inches long. Mounting plate  201  includes a plurality of mounting studs  203  fixed thereto and may be comprise of 0.375 inch diameter by 1.125 inch long course thread steel bolts. In order to insure the moisture integrity of roofing system  300  a sufficient amount of a TPO compatible sealant  204  is applied on the top of mounting plate  201  and may further be applied to the bottom side of mounting plate  201  (not shown). A mounting plate cover  205  comprised of 0.060 inch thick TPO membrane material is applied over mounting plate  201  and includes holes positioned at predetermined locations to allow mounting studs  203  to protrude there through. Mounting plate cover  205  is heat welded to membrane  306  and to TPO clad metal edge  309 . An appropriate TPO compatible caulking  206  is applied in an amount capable of providing a watertight seal around mounting studs  203 . Once mounting plate cover  205  is heat welded to membrane  306  and to TPO clad metal edge  309  and caulking  206  is applied, the moisture proof integrity of the roofing system  300  is maintained. The mounting plate, various features, mounting methods and sealing techniques may comprise other materials and configurations without deviating from the present invention. 
         [0023]    With reference to  FIGS. 1-3  an example of roof ladder bracket system  200  includes bracket  210  which is comprised of a formable and weldable metal and may comprise an aluminum alloy. However, bracket  210  may be comprised of any suitable material including steel, plastic, composite or other material with deviating from the spirit of the present invention. In this example embodiment, bracket  210  is fabricated from 0.250 inch aluminum sheet material and includes a generally planar section  211 , drip edge relief section  212 , fascia section  213 , lateral legs  214  and ladder retention members  215 . Planar section  211  includes holes positioned at predetermined locations to allow mounting studs  203  to protrude there through during attachment as will be more fully described herein after. Drip edge relief section  212  and facia section  213  are formed from a single sheet of aluminum material contiguous with planar section  211  using known metal forming techniques. Lateral legs  214  are comprised of a substantially similar material, are formed to match the contour of drip edge relief section  211 , and are fixedly attached thereto, preferably by welding. In the embodiment shown the dimensions of planar section  211  is approximately 24 inches by 6 inches, drip edge relief section  211  extends approximately 3 inches from planar section  211  and facia section  213  extends approximately 6 inches from drip edge relief section. Facia section  213  further includes a bent section  214  at its bottom most portion for deflecting water away from the building. Lateral legs  214  are approximately 2 inches wide, are welded to drip edge relief section  211  and extend outwardly therefrom approximately 5 inches. Lateral legs  214  further include a hole  217  therein to accommodate ladder retention member  215 . In the example shown, retention member  215  is comprised of a 21 inch long chrome plated steel chain  218  having 1 inch links and further includes a pair of quick release clips  219  positioned at either end of the chain. The present invention includes alternative retention member  215  including rope, cable, strapping, etc. 
         [0024]    With reference to  FIG. 1 , roof ladder bracket system  200  is completed when bracket  210  of roof mounted ladder stabilizing system  100  is mounted to mounting studs  203  of mounting plate  201  and is secured by flat washers  220 , lock washers  221  and nuts  222 . The bracket may be semi-permanently secured using a thread adhesive or permanently installed by welding nuts  222  to mounting studs  203 . With the roof ladder bracket system of the present invention installed as described the structural, aesthetic and moisture integrity of the roofing system is maintained. Further, and with specific regard to safety, with the ladder bracket secured to the mounting plate as described, the condition of the bracket and its attachment can be easily inspected. If the bracket has become damaged it can easily be recognized and replaced. Similarly, if any of the nuts become loose or are missing they can easily be recognized and replaced. 
       APPLICATION 
       [0025]    For certain embodiments, roof mounted ladder stabilizing system  100  is particularly useful for securing a ladder to allow a user to safely access the roof of a commercial building. 
         [0026]      FIGS. 1-3  illustrate an example roof mounted ladder stabilizing system  100  for securing a ladder to a commercial building. With the roof ladder bracket system  200  fixedly attached to the roof system  300  a user (not shown) extends a ladder  101  to the proper height above the level of the lateral supports  214  and further positions the ladder between the lateral supports and places the legs of the ladder against fascia section  213 . The user should position the base of the ladder  101  one foot away from the building for every four feet of height to fascia section  213 . In most cases, the ladder  101  should extend 3 feet past the ladder supports  214 . The user then ascends the ladder and secures the ladder to the roof mounted ladder stabilizing system  100  using the ladder retention members  215 . Although not explicitly shown in the figures, the user wraps chains  218  around each leg of the ladder  101  and releasably secures the chains thereto using quick release clips  219 . With ladder  101  positioned against the fascia section  213  the TPO clad metal edge  309  and drip lip  310  are protected from damage that may otherwise be cause by the ladder. Lateral supports  214  prevent the ladder  101  from sliding to either side and preventing a fall. Ladder retention members  215  resist an overturning moment acting on ladder  101  and thereby prevent the ladder from falling away from the building. 
         [0027]    While roof mounted ladder stabilizing system  100  has been described specific regard to a commercial roof system the present invention may be used with any known or contemplated roof system where features of the roof require physical protection and where the structural, aesthetic and moisture integrity of the roofing system needs to be maintained. 
         [0028]    While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.