Patent Publication Number: US-9896848-B1

Title: Collapsible safety railing

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention pertains generally to safety barriers that are useful for protecting workers at construction sites. More particularly, the present invention pertains to temporary structures that can be installed on staircases, which are located inside/outside a building during construction, to help prevent workers from falling off an otherwise unprotected staircase during the construction of the building. The present invention is particularly, but not exclusively, useful as a temporary guardrail having prefabricated sections which can be assembled and installed on a staircase at a construction site, and then disassembled after use for removal and subsequent use at another construction site. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Whether the use of safety equipment is required at a construction site to prevent death or injury is always a paramount concern. Of particular concern here is the hazard that is presented when a staircase is being constructed for a building, and is to be used during construction, but which remains unprotected for extended periods of time. Specifically, the hazardous condition is created when such staircases have no guardrails to prevent workers from falling off the otherwise unprotected staircase. 
     Heretofore, when it has been recognized that a guardrail is essential for an unprotected staircase at a construction site, the needed guardrail has been typically constructed using on-site materials. Subsequently, when the temporary guardrail is to be replaced, or is no longer needed, the materials that were used for constructing the guardrail are merely discarded. 
     With the above in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a temporary guardrail for an otherwise unprotected staircase, using prefabricated sections, which can be assembled on site and installed on the staircase. Another object of the present invention is to provide a temporary guardrail for an unprotected staircase which can be disassembled after use, removed from a construction site, and then reused at another construction site. Still another object of the present invention is to provide prefabricated sections for a temporary guardrail, wherein the individual sections of the guardrail can be reconfigured into compact units to facilitate transport between different construction sites. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a temporary guardrail for a staircase which is easy to assemble, is simple to install, and is comparatively cost effective. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, a temporary guardrail for an unprotected staircase is provided which includes prefabricated sections that can be assembled and installed for use. After use, the guardrail can be disassembled and reconfigured for transport for reuse at a different site. As envisioned for the present invention, the staircase defines an incline angle α which is accounted for in the assembly of the guardrail. 
     Structurally, the present invention includes a safety section, a support section, and a stabilizing section which are assembled together to create the guardrail. In detail, the safety section includes an elongated upper railing having a first end and a second end. Also included in the safety section is a bottom baluster having a first end and a second end, with the first end of the bottom baluster hinged to the first end of the upper railing. Further, the safety section includes a top baluster having a first end and a second end. Similar to the bottom baluster, the first end of the top baluster is hinged to the second end of the upper railing. 
     The support section of the temporary guardrail includes an elongated lower railing having a first end and a second end. For an assembly of the guardrail, the first end of the lower railing is engaged with the bottom baluster, and its second end is engaged with the top baluster. With this engagement the lower railing is positioned parallel to the upper railing. Importantly, in this combination, both the lower railing and the upper railing are respectively oriented relative to the bottom baluster and the top baluster by the incline angle α. Further, wing nuts are provided for engaging the lower railing with the bottom baluster and with the top baluster. The wing nuts can then be used to tighten these engagements, to thereby stiffen the combination of the safety section with the support section. Also included in the support section is an attachment pad for affixing the second end of the bottom baluster to a bottom step of the staircase. Similarly, an attachment pad is used for affixing the second end of the top baluster to a top step of the staircase. 
     The stabilizing section of the guardrail includes an upper support member having a first end and a second end, with a bracing pad swivel mounted at its first end for abutment against a ceiling structure above the guardrail. The stabilizing section also includes a lower support member having a first end and a second end, with a peg pad swivel mounted at its second end for engagement of the peg with the upper railing of the safety section. Additionally, an adjuster is engaged between the second end of the upper support member and the first end of the lower support member. During an installation of the guardrail, manipulation of the adjuster causes the bracing pad to push against the ceiling structure, and force the peg pad into engagement with the upper railing. The intended consequence of manipulating the adjuster is to stabilize the guardrail on the staircase. 
     As intended for the present invention, the upper railing, the bottom baluster and the top baluster of the safety section, as well as the lower railing of the support section, each respectively comprises a plurality of telescopingly interactive concentric tubes. Further, each tube has a length and is rectangular shaped, it is also hollow and each tube is formed with a plurality of holes aligned along the length of the tube. Within this structure, pins can be inserted through aligned holes between pairs of concentric tubes to fix a relationship between tubes in the pair. Also, the wing nuts which are used to engage the lower railing with the safety section can be tightened to stiffen the upper railing, the lower railing, the bottom baluster and the top baluster into a predetermined configuration with each other. 
     As an additional safeguard for the guardrail of the present invention, a netting can be used with the guardrail. When used, the netting can be supported on the combined safety section and support section to extend between the upper railing and the lower railing, and between the bottom baluster and the top baluster. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The novel features of this invention, as well as the invention itself, both as to its structure and its operation, will be best understood from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the temporary guardrail of the present invention when it has been installed on a staircase; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the temporary guardrail of the present invention showing the prefabricated sections of the guardrail in their relative positions for assembly; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the safety section of the temporary guardrail for the present invention in a collapsed and folded configuration to facilitate transport; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the support section of the temporary guardrail for the present invention in a collapsed configuration to facilitate transport; and 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the stabilizing section of the temporary guardrail for the present invention in a disassembled configuration to facilitate transport. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Initially referring to  FIG. 1 , a guardrail in accordance with the present invention is shown and is generally designated  10 . In  FIG. 1 , the guardrail  10  is shown assembled and installed on a staircase  12 . A more comprehensive structural appreciation of the guardrail  10 , however, will be had by cross-referencing  FIG. 1  with  FIG. 2 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 2  it will be seen that the guardrail  10  essentially includes three prefabricated sections. They are: a safety section  14 , a support section  16  and a stabilizing section  18 . 
     In detail,  FIGS. 1 and 2  show that the safety section  14  includes, in combination, an upper railing  20 , a bottom baluster  22 , and a top baluster  24 . A hinge  26  interconnects the bottom baluster  22  with the upper railing  20 , and a hinge  28  interconnects the top baluster  24  with the upper railing  20 . Also, it will be seen that an attachment pad  30  is provided for the bottom baluster  22  and, similarly, an attachment pad  32  is provided for the top baluster  24 . 
     Still referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the support section  16  is shown to include a lower railing  34  and a pair of wing nuts  36   a  and  36   b . Specifically, as described in detail below, the wing nuts  36   a  and  36   b  are provided to establish a configuration for the guardrail  10 , and to stiffen the guardrail in this configuration. 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  also show that the stabilizing section  18  (not shown in  FIG. 1 ) includes an upper support member  38  and a lower support member  40 . An adjuster  42  interconnects the upper support member  38  with the lower support member  40 . Further, the upper support member  38  is shown to include a bracing pad  44  that is mounted on a swivel  46 , opposite the adjuster  42 , for its connection with the upper support member  38 . As for the lower support member  40 , a peg pad  48  is formed with a peg  50  and is mounted on the lower support member  40 , opposite the adjuster  42 . 
     Several structural considerations are provided for the installation and assembly of the guardrail  10  of the present invention. In particular, the upper railing  20 , the bottom baluster  22  and the top baluster  24  of the safety section  14 , as well as the lower railing  34  of the support section  16  each include a plurality of tubes  52 , of which the tubes  52   a - c  shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4  are only exemplary. Structurally, however, the tubes  52  are similar. In particular, the safety section  14  and the support section  16  respectively include a plurality of telescopingly interactive concentric tubes  52 . Each tube  52  has a length and is rectangular shaped. And further, each tube  52  is formed with a plurality of holes  54  that are aligned along the length of the respective tube  52 . The holes  54   a - c  shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4  are only exemplary. 
     As indicated in  FIG. 2 , the various tubes  52  that are disclosed above can be selectively configured by using pins  56 , such as the pins  56   a - d . In detail, each pin  56  can be inserted through aligned holes  54  between pairs of concentric tubes  52  to fix a relationship between tubes  52  in the pair. Further, the wing nuts  36  that are used to connect the lower railing  34  with the bottom baluster  22  and to the top baluster  24  can be tightened to stiffen the upper railing  20 , the lower railing  34 , the bottom baluster  22  and the top baluster  24  into a predetermined configuration with each other. 
     As indicated in  FIG. 1 , during assembly of the guardrail  10 , the guardrail  10  can be stabilized by fixing the attachment pad  30  of the bottom baluster  22  onto the bottom step  58  of the staircase  12 . Also for this purpose, the attachment pad  32  of the top baluster  34  can be fixed onto the top step  60  of the staircase  12 . For purposes of the present invention, both pads  30  and  32  can be fixed onto the respective step  58  and  60  by any means well known in the pertinent art. 
     In addition to the above disclosure, the stabilizing section  18  is specifically intended to provide stability for the guardrail  10 . Specifically, this is accomplished by first inserting the peg  50  of the peg pad  48  of the lower support member  40  into a hole  54  on the upper railing  20  of the safety section  14 . The bracing pad  44  of the upper support member  38  is then positioned against a ceiling structure (not shown). With the peg pad  50  and the bracing pad  44  in place, the adjuster  42  can then be manipulated to push the bracing pad  44  into contact with the ceiling structure to provide stabilized support for the guardrail  10 . 
     As a further safety measure, a netting  62  can be supported on the combined safety section  14  and support section  16 . When in place, the netting  62  will preferably extend between the upper railing  20  and the lower railing  22 , and between the bottom baluster  22  and the top baluster  24 . 
     After use of the guardrail  10  at a location (e.g. construction site) is completed, the guardrail  10  can be disassembled by removing the netting  62  from the guardrail  10 . The stabilizing section  18  can then be removed between the upper railing  20  and the ceiling structure (not shown). Next, the lower railing  34  of the support section  16  is disengaged from the safety section  14  by removing the wing nuts  36 . These actions effectively separate the safety section  14 , the support section  16  and the stabilizing section  18  from each other. 
     Once it is separated, the safety section  14  can be prepared for transport by collapsing the upper railing  20 , the bottom baluster  22  and the top baluster  24 . The collapsed bottom baluster  22 , and the collapsed top baluster  24  can then be folded against the collapsed upper railing  20  for transport as shown in  FIG. 3 . Similarly, the lower railing  34  can be collapsed for transport as shown in  FIG. 4 . And, the stabilizing section  18  can be disassembled and prepared for transport as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     While the particular Collapsible Safety Railing as herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of obtaining the objects and providing the advantages herein before stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as described in the appended claims.