Patent Publication Number: US-2007101662-A1

Title: Adjustable Angle Roof Platform

Description:
BACKGROUND  
      Many, if not most, residential, commercial and industrial buildings have sloped roofs. The degree of the slope can be so great that it would be difficult or impossible to stand unaided upon the roof and to store objects upon the roof. During the construction or maintenance of sloped roofs, workers need to stand upon a roof and set materials, supplies and tools upon it. Workers must stand upon and materials must be placed upon sloped roofs during construction and during reroofing operations.  
      Sloped roofs present several significant problems during construction and maintenance. It is difficult for a worker to work upon a sloped roof. Working upon a sloped roof can be unsafe because of the risk of falling off of the roof. Materials, supplies and tools used during construction and maintenance can slide off of a roof. This can provide a significant danger to persons located below the roof on the ground. It can also cause significant inconvenience when materials, supplies and tools slide down the roof or off of the roof.  
      Roof jacks provide some relief to roof workers. The jacks can be nailed to a lower section of a roof and a board can be placed across the jacks. The board secured by the jacks can prevent a worker from falling off of a roof. It can also catch falling supplies, materials and tools. However, even with roof jacks, the worker continues to work off of a sloped surface. Not only can this be dangerous, it can cause the worker to not work at peak efficiency. Although the roof jacks may catch sliding materials, supplies and tools and prevent them from falling to the ground, these objects must still be retrieved after sliding. This causes an unnecessary loss of a worker&#39;s time.  
      What is needed is an adjustable angle roof platform. This device would provide a horizontally oriented surface upon which a worker may stand or place materials, supplies or tools. The platform should be easily movable to different locations upon the roof. The angle between the floor of the platform and its lower support must be variable in order to be adaptable for use upon roofs having differing slopes. The adjustable angle roof platform should also be usable in pairs to provide a larger adjustable angle roof surface. This would be accomplished by placing a board across two horizontally oriented adjustable angle roof platforms mounted to a roof.  
     SUMMARY  
      The aforesaid problems are solved by the adjustable angle roof platform described herein. An adjustable angle roof platform is comprised of a pair of lower support members, a pair of upper support members and a floor.  
      Each lower support member has an upper end and a lower end. Each lower support member has a plurality of openings in its upper end. The openings receive a retention pin. The retention pin secures the floor to a lower support member in a plurality of selectable positions.  
      Each upper support member has a lower end and an upper end. The lower end of each upper support member is pivotally attached to the lower end of a lower support member.  
      The floor has a lower end and an upper end. The floor is pivotally attached at its lower end to the upper end of each upper support member. The floor has an opening at its upper end. The opening receives a retention pin and aligns with an opening in the upper end of a lower support member. Preferably, the floor has two such openings—one at each corner of the upper end of the floor.  
      The lower support members, the upper support members and the floor are sized to provide adjustable angles between a lower support member and the floor when the opening within the floor is aligned with openings within a lower support member. The angles depend upon the particular opening of the lower support member to which the opening in the floor is aligned.  
      Preferably, each lower support member has an extension member. The extension member extends distally from the upper end of the support member. Each extension member has at least one nail retention slot. The nail retention slot is adapted to secure the roof platform to a roof with a nail. The retention slots should be angled. Each slot has an opening and a termination. The angle of each retention slot should be such that the slot opening is closer to the upper end of the lower support member to which it is attached than the slot termination is to the upper end of the lower support member to which it is attached.  
      Preferably, the floor has a rough surface. This will increase the coefficient of friction between the surface of the floor and an object set upon it. Thus, an object placed upon a rough surface floor will require more force to cause it to slide across the floor than the amount of force required to slide the object across the same floor without a rough surface.  
      One end of the floor is positioned between the two upper support members. This end of the floor should have a lip projecting from it. The lip inhibits the tendency of objects to slip off of the floor. 
    
    
     DRAWINGS  
      These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an adjustable angle roof platform.  
       FIG. 2  is a broken away section of the adjustable angle roof platform of  FIG. 1 , showing the fit between an opening within a floor support member attached to the floor, the openings within a lower support member and a retention pin.  
       FIG. 3  is a side elevation view of the adjustable angle roof platform of  FIG. 1  mounted to a sloped roof and providing a horizontally oriented platform.  
       FIG. 4  is a side elevation view of the adjustable angle roof platform of  FIG. 1  mounted to a roof having a greater slope than the roof shown in  FIG. 3  and providing a horizontally oriented platform.  
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an adjustable angle roof work surface comprised of two adjustable angle roof platforms and a second platform set upon the floors of the two adjustable angle roof platforms.  
       FIG. 6  is a top plan view of the adjustable angle roof platform of  FIG. 1 .  
       FIG. 7  is a side elevation view of the adjustable angle roof platform of  FIG. 1 .  
       FIG. 8  is a broken away section of the adjustable angle roof platform of  FIG. 7 , showing a floor support member of the adjustable angle roof platform of  FIG. 7  secured to a lower support member by a retention pin; also shown is a second platform set upon the floor of the adjustable angle roof platform. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      The preferred embodiment of an adjustable angle roof platform  20  is comprised of a pair of lower support members  24 , a pair of upper support members  46 , a pair of floor support members  62 , a floor  78  and a pair of retention pins  92 . The lower support members  24 , the upper support members  46 , the floor support members  62  and the floor  78  should be fabricated from aluminum. Aluminum is a strong lightweight material which is resistant to corrosion.  
      Each lower support member  24  has a lower end  26  and an upper end  28 . The lower end  26  will be positioned lower than the upper end  28  when the adjustable angle roof platform  20  is used upon a roof. The lower end  26  of each lower support member  24  is sized and shaped to pivotally receive an upper support member  46 . This can be achieved by fabricating each lower support member  24  from 2″×3″×0.125″ extruded aluminum channel. Aluminum channel is rectangular in shape and has three walls. One side of the channel is open as shown in  FIG. 1 . The width of the opening is approximately 2 inches. The width of the channel is such that the channel can pivotally receive an upper support member  46  constructed from 1.5″×1.5″ square aluminum tubing. The locus for the pivotal attachment can be provided by a hole approximately 11/32″ in diameter, the center of which is approximately 1 inch from the bottom of the channel and 1 inch from the end of the channel, as shown in  FIG. 6 . Each parallel wall of the aluminum channel contains such a hole. These holes serve as a bolt opening  30  within the lower end  26  of the lower support member  24 . A lower bolt  56  can be used to pivotally attach an upper support member  46  to a lower support member  24 .  
      Each lower support member  24  is sized and shaped at its upper end  28  to receive a floor support member  62 . The upper end  66  of each floor support member  62  should be constructed from 1½-inch by 1½-inch extruded square aluminum tubing. This will provide the correct fit between the upper end  28  of the lower support member  24  and a floor support member  62 . The upper end  66  of the floor support member  62  fits within the channel provided by the lower support member  24 . In the preferred embodiment each lower support member  24  is approximately 28½ inches in length.  
      Each lower support member  24  has a plurality of retention pin openings  34  at its upper end  28 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . Preferably, each parallel wall of the aluminum channel from which a lower support member  24  is fabricated contains approximately twelve openings having an approximate diameter of 25/64″. The openings  34  should have their centers approximately 1 inch above the bottom of the lower support member  24 . The openings  34  should be spaced apart approximately 1 inch each. The center of the first opening  34  should be approximately 1 inch from the end of the upper end  28  of the lower support member  24 . Each opening  34  on a wall of the lower support number  24  has a corresponding opening  34  on the opposite wall of the lower support member  24 , such that a retention pin  92  may be inserted through both openings  34  wherein the axis of the retention pin  92  is perpendicular to the plane of the walls of the lower support member  24 , as shown in  FIGS. 1-2 . The plurality of openings  34  within each lower support member  24  allow a retention pin  92  to secure a floor support member  62  to a lower support member  24  in a plurality of positions. When specific dimensions are referred to within this specification, those dimensions are approximate and are intended to provide a basis for enabling an embodiment of the invention. The dimensions are not intended to limit other embodiments of the invention.  
      Each lower support member  24  has an extension member  36  extending distally from the upper end  28  of the lower support member  24 , as shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 6 . Each extension member  36  has at least one nail retention slot  38 . Each nail retention slot  38  has a slot opening  40  and a slot termination  42 . Each nail retention slot  38  is adapted to removably secure the adjustable angle roof platform  20  to a roof with a nail  44 . This can be accomplished by fabricating each nail retention slot  38  such that its width is smaller than the head of a nail, but larger than the diameter of the shaft of a nail. Preferably, the nail retention slots  38  are angled with respect to a transverse axis of the extension member  36 . The term transverse axis of an extension member  36  refers to an axis which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the extension member  36 . Each retention slot  38  has a slot opening  40  and a slot termination  42 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . The retention slots  38  are angled such that the slot opening  40  is closer to the upper end  28  of the lower support member  24  to which it is attached than the slot termination  42  is to the upper end of lower support member  24  to which it is attached, as shown in  FIG. 6 . The angled retention slots  38  securely hold the adjustable angle roof platform  20  to a roof when the adjustable angle roof platform  20  is mounted to a roof, as shown in  FIG. 3 , and in use. The angled retention slots  38  also permit the adjustable angle roof platform  20  to be easily removed from a roof to which it has been mounted by sliding the adjustable angle roof platform  20  toward the peak of the roof and thus releasing it from the securing force of any nail  44  positioned within a retention slot  38  of an extension member  36 . Each extension member  36  should have three nail retention slots  38 . The nail retention slots  38  should be angled at approximately 45° to the transverse axis of the extension member  36 . Preferably each extension member  36  is fabricated from 2.5″×18″×0.125″ aluminum plate. Approximately 9 inches of the extension member  36  should extend distally from the upper end  28  of the lower support member  24 . The remainder of the extension member  34  should be secured beneath the lower support member  24 , as shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 7 .  
      A foot  32  is attached to the bottom of the lower end  26  of each lower support member  24 , as shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 7 . The feet  32  provide support and stability for the lower support members  24 . The feet  32  also ensure that the lower support members  24  will lie flat across a flat surface. In other words, the upper end  28  of a lower support member  24  will not be higher than the lower end  26  of that lower support member  24  because of the increased effective height of the upper end  28  of the lower support member  24  caused by the extension member  36 . Each foot  32  is approximately 2.5″×2.5″ in the preferred embodiment. The feet  32  should be fabricated from ⅛″ aluminum plate.  
      Each upper support member  46  has a lower end  48  and an upper end  50 . The lower end  48  of each upper support member  46  is pivotally attached to the lower end  26  of a lower support member  24 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . The upper end of each upper support member  46  is sized and shaped to allow pivotal attachment to a floor support member  62 . The upper support members  46  can be fabricated from 1.5″×1.5″ extruded aluminum square tubing. This will allow the upper support member  46  to pivotally fit within the channel at the lower end  26  of the lower support member  24  and the channel at the lower end the  64  of a floor support member  62 . The lower end  48  of each upper support member  46  contains a lower bolt opening  52 . The lower bolt opening  52  provides for the pivotal attachment of the upper support member  46  to a lower support member  24 . In order to pivotally attach each upper support member  46  to a lower support member  24  a lower bolt  56  is inserted through the bolt opening  30  of the lower support member  24  and the lower bolt opening  52  of the upper support member  46 . A lower locknut  60  pivotally secures the upper support member  46  to the lower support member  24 . A lower washer  58  is inserted between the head of the lower bolt  56  and the lower support member  24 . A lower washer  58  is also inserted between the lower locknut  60  and the lower support member  24 . The upper end  50  of each upper support member  46  contains an upper bolt opening  54 . The upper bolt opening  54  is used similarly to the lower bolt opening  52  to facilitate pivotal attachment of the upper end  50  of the upper support member  46  to a floor support member  62 . In the preferred embodiment the length of each upper support member  46  is approximately 13¼″.  
      The floor support members  62  support the floor  78 . The floor support members  62  can be integral with the floor. Each floor support member  62  has a lower end  64  and an upper end  66 . Each floor support member  62  is pivotally attached at its lower end  64  to the upper end  50  of an upper support member  46 . One floor support member  62  is pivotally attached to each upper support member  46 . Each floor support member  62  has a lower bolt opening  68  within its lower end  64 . The lower bolt openings  68  are used to pivotally attach the floor support members  62  to the upper support members  46 . Each floor support member  62  has an upper pin opening  70  within its upper end  66 . Each upper pin opening is sized, shaped and positioned such that it may receive a retention pin  92  which is inserted through a retention pin opening  34  within a lower support member  24 . Preferably, the lower end  64  of each floor support member  62  is fabricated from 2″×3″×⅛″ extruded aluminum channel. This will allow the upper end  50  of an upper support member  46  to pivotally fit within the lower end  64  of the floor support member  62 . In order for the upper end  66  of each floor support member  62  to fit within the upper end  28  of a lower support member  24 , the upper end  66  of each floor support member  62  should be fabricated from 1.5″×1.5″ extruded aluminum square tubing. A floor support member  62  having different dimensions at its lower end  64  and at its upper end  66  can be fabricated by welding together a properly dimensioned lower end  64  structure and a properly dimensioned upper end  66  structure.  
      Each floor support member  62  is pivotally attached to an upper support member  46  by an upper bolt  72 . The lower bolt opening  68  of each floor support member  62  is aligned with the upper bolt opening  54  of an upper support member  46 . An upper bolt  72  is inserted through the aligned openings  70 ,  54 . An upper locknut  76  is used to secure the floor support member  62  to the upper support member  46 . Upper washers  74  are installed between the head of the upper bolt  72  and the floor support member  62  and between the upper locknut  76  and the floor support member  62 . Floor support members  62  pivotally attached to upper support members  46  result.  
      The floor  78  has a lower end  80  and an upper end  82 . The floor  78  is attached to the floor support members  62 . A floor brace  87  is mounted midway between the ends  80 ,  82  of the floor. The floor brace  87  is oriented perpendicularly to the floor support members  62 . The floor support brace  87  is mounted on the same side of the floor  78  as the floor support members  62  are mounted. The floor support brace  87  provides additional stability when heavier weights are placed upon the floor  78 . Ultimately, the floor  78  will provide a horizontally oriented surface when the adjustable angle roof platform  20  is mounted upon a sloped roof. The floor  78  should have a rough surface  84 . The rough surface  84  increases the coefficient of friction between the surface of the floor  78  and an object set upon the floor  78 . Preferably, a floor lip  86  projects perpendicularly from the end of the floor  78  which is between the two upper support members  46 . This is the lower end  80  of the floor  78 . The floor lip  86  prevents objects from slipping off of the floor  78  at the lower end  80  of the floor  78 . Preferably, the floor  78  is fabricated from 20″×24″×0.125″ aluminum plate. The floor lip  86  should have a height of approximately 1½″. The floor lip  86  can be fabricated by bending along the 20 inch dimension at the lower end  80  of the floor  78 .  
      The floor support members  62  can be eliminated by incorporating some of their features into the floor  78 . In such a case the floor  78  would be adapted to be pivotally attachable at its lower end  80  directly to the upper support members. This can be accomplished by providing the floor with orthogonally oriented flanges at each corner of its lower end  80 . The flanges would have openings for pivotally attaching the flanges to an upper support member  46  with a bolt. Orthogonally oriented flanges would also be provided at each corner of the upper end  82  of the floor  78 . These flanges would be adapted to receive a retention pin  92  and be aligned with an opening  34  in the upper end  50  of a lower support member  46 , as previously described for a floor support member  62 .  
      In order to secure the floor  78  and the floor support members  62  to the lower support members  24 , the upper pin opening  70  of each floor support member  62  is aligned with a retention pin opening  34  of a lower support member  24 . A retention pin  92  is then inserted through the aligned openings  70 ,  34 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . Preferably, the retention pins  92  are spring-loaded detent pins. Spring-loaded detent pins are cylindrical shafts having an activation button at one end. The other end of the cylindrical shaft has protruding spring-loaded ball locks. When pressure is placed upon the activation button the spring-loaded ball locks retract. This allows the shaft to be inserted through the openings  70 ,  34 . When pressure is released from the activation button, the spring-loaded ball locks protrude from the shaft and effectively increase the diameter of the shaft where the spring-loaded ball locks protrude. When the spring-loaded ball locks are protruding, the spring-loaded detent pin is locked and cannot be easily removed from the openings  70 ,  34 .  
      When the floor  78  is secured to the lower support members  24 , an angle  88  is defined between the bottom of the lower support member  24  and the floor  78 , as shown in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 . The degree of the angle  88  depends upon the particular opening  34  of the lower support member  24  to which the opening  70  in a floor support member  62  is aligned. An object of this invention is to have the angle  88  between a lower support member  24  and the floor  78  match the slope angle of a roof upon which the platform is intended to be mounted such that a horizontally oriented platform is provided upon the roof. A horizontal platform angle  90  is shown in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 . The horizontal platform angle  90  is a right angle between the floor  78  and a plumb line adjacent to the floor  70 .  
      The lower support members  24 , the upper support members  46  and the floor support members  62  are sized to provide adjustable angles  88  between the bottom of a lower support member  24  and the floor  78  when an opening  70  within a floor support member  62  is aligned with openings  34  within a lower support member  24 .  
      In order to use the adjustable angle roof platform  20 , it is placed upon a sloped roof in a desired location. The extension members  36  are closer to the peak of the roof, while the pivotal connections between the upper support members  46  and the lower support members  24  are closer to the bottom of the roof. Nails  44  are hammered through a retention slot  38  on each extension member  36  into the roof, thereby securing the adjustable angle roof platform  20  to the roof. The upper pin opening  70  of each floor support member  62  is aligned with a selected retention pin opening  34  within each lower support member  24 . The retention pin openings  34  are selected such that the floor  78  is horizontally oriented upon the roof. The floor support members  62  are secured to the lower support members  24  by inserting a retention pin  92  through each set of aligned openings  70 ,  34 . The adjustable angle roof platform  20  can now be used by a worker to stand upon a level surface. The adjustable angle roof platform  20  can also be used for the convenient placement of materials, supplies and tools. The floor lip  86  will prevent objects from falling off of the floor  78  and down the roof. When the worker is done using the adjustable angle roof platform  20 , or desires to move it to another position, the adjustable angle roof platform  20  is pushed toward the peak of the roof. This movement causes the slots  38  within the extension members  36  to disengage from the nails  44 . This disengagement can be made easier by not hammering the nails  44  completely into the roof. Once the adjustable angle roof platform  20  is disengaged from the nails  44 , the nails  44  can be removed or hammered into the roof. The adjustable angle roof platform  20  can now be moved to another location for continuation of work upon the roof. When the work is completed the platform removal process is again performed and the adjustable angle roof platform  20  is removed from the roof.  
      Two adjustable angle roof platforms  20  can be used to provide a larger adjustable angle roof work surface. This is accomplished by securing two spaced apart adjustable angle roof platforms  20  to a roof. The adjustable angle roof platforms  20  are aligned to provide a desired location for an adjustable angle roof work surface. They are secured to the roof with nails  44  as described. The floors  78  are horizontally oriented as described. A second platform  94  is set upon the floors  78  of the two spaced apart adjustable angle roof platforms  20  to provide a horizontally oriented work surface upon the roof, as shown in  FIG. 5 . The second platform  94  is significantly larger than the floor  78  of each adjustable angle roof platform  20 . Thus a significantly larger horizontally oriented surface is provided for a worker to stand upon and for a worker to place materials, supplies and tools upon.  
      The adjustable angle roof platform  20  described herein provides many advantages. It allows the angle between a lower support member  24  and the floor  78  to be easily and quickly adjusted. This allows the adjustable angle roof platform  20  to be used to quickly provide a horizontally oriented level surface upon a sloped roof. This flat surface is much easier for a worker to work from when standing upon it. The horizontally oriented floor surface makes it much less likely that materials, supplies or tools will slide down or off of a sloped roof. One adjustable angle roof platform  20  can be used for a worker to stand upon, while another is used to securely hold materials, supplies or tools in a convenient location. An adjustable angle roof platform  20  can be quickly and easily moved from one location upon a roof to another. A large horizontally oriented surface can be provided upon a sloped roof by placing a second platform  94  across the floors  78  of two spaced apart adjustable angle roof platforms  20 .  
      Although the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art undoubtedly will find alternative embodiments obvious after reading this disclosure. With this in mind, the following claims are intended to define the scope of protection to be afforded the inventor, and those claims shall be deemed to include equivalent constructions and methods insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.