Patent Publication Number: US-2023141343-A1

Title: Scaffold Safety Assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
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     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to safety devices and more particularly pertains to a new safety device for facilitating a worker to service a scaffold. The device includes a step unit which includes a platform and a series of brackets that engages a frame of a scaffold. In this way a worker can stand on the platform to service the scaffold. The device includes a gate that engages the frame of the scaffold and which is positionable above the step unit. In this way the gate inhibits the worker from inadvertently falling off of the step unit. 
     Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 And 1.98 
     The prior art relates to safety devices including a gallery device that includes platform that is attachable to a vertical surface to facilitate a worker to stand on the platform. The gallery device includes a balustrade that extends upwardly from the platform and a gate that is pivotally disposed on the balustrade. The prior art discloses a safety railing device that is attachable to a platform for inhibiting a worker from inadvertently stepping off of the platform. The prior art discloses a climbing device that is structured to resemble a ladder. The prior art discloses a scaffold device that includes a platform that is vertically adjustable along a pair of vertical rails. The prior art discloses a variety of ladder steps that is attachable to a rung of a ladder. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a scaffold that has a frame comprising a leg portion. A step unit is removably attachable to the leg portion of the frame of the scaffold to facilitate a worker to stand on the step unit. The step unit extends laterally away from the leg portion when the step unit is removably attached to the leg portion. In this way the gate facilitates the worker to access various areas of the scaffold without standing on the scaffold. A gate is removably attachable to the leg portion of the frame of the scaffold. Additionally, the gate is positionable adjacent to the platform to inhibit the worker from falling off of the platform. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective in-use view of a scaffold safety assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  2    is a top perspective view of a step unit of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  3    is a bottom view of a step unit of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  4    is a left side view of a step unit of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  5    is a front view of a step unit of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  6    is a perspective view of a gate of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  7    is a back view of a gate of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS.  1  through  7    thereof, a new safety device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS.  1  through  7   , the scaffold safety assembly  10  generally comprises a scaffold  12  has a frame  14  comprising a leg portion  16  which includes a plurality of horizontal members  18  extending between a pair of vertical members  20 . A step unit  22  is removably attachable to the leg portion  16  of the frame  14  of the scaffold  12  to facilitate a worker  24  to stand on the step unit  22 . Furthermore, the step unit  22  extends laterally away from the leg portion  16  when the step unit  22  is removably attached to the leg portion  16 . In this way the step unit  22  facilitates the worker  24  to access various areas of the scaffold  12  without standing on the scaffold  12 . Thus, the worker  24  can install walking planks, for example, on top of the scaffold  12  without having to climb or stand on the frame  14  of the scaffold  12 . 
     The step unit  22  comprises a platform  26  that has a top wall  28  and a perimeter wall  30  extending downwardly from the top wall  28 . The top wall  28  has an upper surface  32  and a lower surface  34 , and the upper surface  32  is textured to enhance traction on the upper surface  32 . The perimeter wall  30  has a first lateral side  36  and a second lateral side  38 , and the platform  26  is elongated between the first lateral side  36  and the second lateral side  38 . The step unit  22  includes a bracket  42  that has a first member  44 , a second member  46  that is perpendicularly oriented with the first member  44  and a third member  48  that extends diagonally between the first member  44  and the second member  46  such that the bracket  42  defines a right triangle. The second member  46  is attached to the lower surface  34  of the top wall  28  having the second member  46  extending between the first lateral side  36  and the second lateral side  38  of the perimeter wall  30 . Additionally, the first member  44  extends downwardly from the lower surface  34  of the top wall  28 . 
     The step unit  22  includes a platform support  49  that has a first end  50  and a second end  52 . The platform support  49  has a first portion  54  that is perpendicularly oriented with a second portion  56 . The first end  50  is associated with the first portion  54  and the second end  52  is associated with the second portion  56 . The second portion  56  is curved between the first portion  54  and the second end  52  such that the second end  52  is directed downwardly toward the first portion  54 . A first surface  58  of the first portion  54  is coupled to the first member  44  such that the platform support  49  extends outwardly beyond the first lateral side  36  of the perimeter wall  30 . Additionally, the second portion  56  extends upwardly beyond the top wall  28  of the platform  26 . 
     The second portion  56  rests on a respective one of the horizontal members  18  of the leg portion  16  of the scaffold  12  having a curvature of the second portion  56  conforming to an outer surface  60  of the respective horizontal member  18 . In this way the platform  26  can support the weight of the worker  24  when the worker  24  stands on the platform  26 . The step unit  22  includes a grapple  62  that has a primary end  64 , a secondary end  66  and an outer surface  67  extending between the primary end  64  and the secondary end  66 . The outer surface  67  is curved between the primary end  64  and the secondary end  66 , and the primary end  64  is spaced from the secondary end  66  such that the grapple  62  forms a U-shape. 
     The outer surface of the grapple  62  is coupled to the first member  44  having the grapple  62  being positioned beneath the platform support  49 . Each of the primary end  64  and the secondary end  66  is directed away from the first member  44  in the same direction that the first portion  54  of the platform support  49  extends from the first member  44 . The grapple  62  conforms to an outer surface  68  of a respective one of the horizontal members  18  of the leg portion  16  of the scaffold  12  such that the platform  26  is retained on a horizontal plane. 
     A gate  70  is removably attachable to the leg portion  16  of the frame  14  of the scaffold  12 . The gate  70  is positionable adjacent to the platform  26  to inhibit the worker  24  from falling off of the platform  26 . The gate  70  comprises a plurality of first members  72  each extending between a pair of second members  74 . Additionally, each of the first members  72  of the gate  70  is perpendicularly oriented with the second members  74  of the gate  70  such that the gate  70  has a rectangular shape. The first members  72  of the gate  70  are spaced apart from each other and are distributed along a full length of the second members  74  of the gate  70 . 
     A pair of a gate supports  78  is provided and each of the gate supports  78  has a primary end  80  and a secondary end  82 . Each of the gate supports  78  has a primary portion  84  that is perpendicularly oriented with a secondary portion  86 . The primary end  64  of the gate supports  78  is associated with the primary portion  84  and the secondary end  66  of the gate supports  78  is associated with the secondary portion  86 . The secondary portion  86  is curved between the primary portion  84  and the secondary end  82  of the gate supports  78  such that the secondary end  82  of the gate supports  78  is directed downwardly toward the primary portion  84 . Moreover, a primary surface  88  of the primary portion  84  each of the gate supports  78  is coupled to a respective one of the second members  74  of the gate  70  such that each of gate supports  78  extends laterally away from the respective second member  74  of the gate  70 . 
     Each of the gate supports  78  is positioned adjacent to opposing ends of the respective second member  74  of the gate  70 . Furthermore, the secondary portion  86  rests on a respective one of the horizontal members  18  of the leg portion  16  of the scaffold  12 . Additionally, a curvature of the secondary portion  86  conforms to the outer surface  68  of the respective horizontal member  18 . The gate  70  is positioned above the platform  26  when the platform  26  and the gate  70  are removably attached to the scaffold  12 . 
     In use, the step unit  22  is positioned at a desired height on the leg portion  16  of the frame  14  of the scaffold  12 . In this way the worker  24  can stand on the platform  26  of the step unit  22  to assemble additional stories to the scaffold  12 , install walking planks on the scaffold  12 , or perform any other service or maintenance procedures on the scaffold  12 . The gate  70  is positioned at a desired location on the leg portion  16  such that the gate  70  is positioned above the step unit  22 . In this way the gate  70  enhances safety for the worker  24  by inhibiting the worker  24  from inadvertently stepping off of the step unit  22 . 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.