Patent Abstract:
An aerial-lift-platform accessory ( 10 ) comprising a container ( 30 ) for holding items, a hanger ( 40 ) for hanging the container ( 30 ) on an upper safety rail ( 25 ), and a brace ( 50 ). The brace ( 50 ) is convertible between a bracing condition whereat its arm ( 51 ) braces the container ( 30 ) against a lower safety rail ( 26 ) and a carrying condition whereat its arm ( 51 ) is stowed close to the contour of the container ( 30 ).

Full Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is a divisional application under 35 USC §121 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/491,213 filed on Jun. 7, 2012 which claimed priority under 35 USC §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/493,993 filed on Jun. 7, 2011. The entire disclosure of this provisional patent application is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    An aerial lift platform generally comprises a deck, an elevator for raising the deck to significant heights, and a safety railing surrounding the deck. The safety railing typically comprises vertical posts arranged around the deck&#39;s border and horizontal bars extending across the vertical posts. The vertical posts and the horizontal bars together guard workers, tools, building supplies, and other items from falling from the deck. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    An accessory for an aerial lift platform is provided that is compatible with standard platform constructions. The aerial-lift-platform accessory allows tools, building supplies, and/or other items to be easily, neatly, and safely conveyed to an elevated work level. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         [0004]      FIG. 1  shows an accessory being used on an aerial lift platform. 
           [0005]      FIGS. 2-3  shows the aerial-lift-platform accessory and adjacent sections of the horizontal bars of the safety railing. 
           [0006]      FIGS. 4-8  show various views and/or embodiments of the aerial-lift-platform accessory. 
           [0007]      FIGS. 9-11  show possible ways of converting a brace of the aerial-lift-platform between a bracing condition and a carrying condition. 
           [0008]      FIG. 12  shows another type of accessory being used on an aerial lift platform. 
           [0009]      FIG. 13  shows the aerial-lift-platform accessory of  FIG. 12  and adjacent sections of the upper horizontal bar of the safety railing. 
           [0010]      FIGS. 14-17  show the aerial-lift-platform accessory of  FIG. 12  and parts thereof. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    Referring now to the drawings, and initially to  FIG. 1 , an accessory  10  is shown in use on an aerial lift platform  20 . The aerial lift platform  20  generally comprises a deck  21 , an elevator  22  for moving the deck  21  to significant heights, and a safety railing  23  surrounding the deck  23 . The safety railing  23  can be constructed to resist a 300-pound outward force when it is leaned or otherwise pushed against. 
         [0012]    The safety railing  23  can comprises a plurality of vertical posts  24  and horizontal bars  25 - 26 . The vertical posts  24  are securely affixed to the deck  21  and arranged around its margin of the deck  21  about thirty to fifty inches apart. They typically extend upward from the deck  21  to a tallness t 25  of about forty-two to forty-five inches. 
         [0013]    The horizontal bars  25  extend across an upper perimeter of the vertical posts  24  (e.g., they are situated at a tallness t 25  of about forty-two inches to about forty-five inches above the deck  21 ). The horizontal bars  26  extend across an intermediate perimeter of the vertical posts  24 , and they are usually situated at a height t 26  of about ten to thirty inches above the deck  21 . And the upper bar  26  and the lower bar  25  are separated from each by a vertical distance d of about twelve to thirty-five inches. 
         [0014]    Turning now to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the aerial-lift-platform accessory  10  is shown hung on a top horizontal bar  25  of the safety railing  23 . The accessory  10  comprises a container  30  for holding items such as tools, a hanger  40  for hanging the container  30  on the upper railing bar  25 , and brace  50  for bracing against the lower railing bar  26 . 
         [0015]    The brace  50  prevents the container  30  from tilting forward and its contents spilling out when it is hung on the top horizontal bar  25 . The brace  50  includes an arm  51  which is selectively movable between a bracing position and a carrying position. In the bracing position shown in  FIG. 2 , the arm  51  extends downward to below the lower bar  26  of the safety railing  23 . Thus, there is a distance b between the arm&#39;s bottom end to the lower bar  26 . This distance b is preferably at least 3 inches, at least 5 inches and/or at least 10 inches. 
         [0016]    Referring now to  FIGS. 4-7 , the container  30  can comprise a front wall  31 , a rear wall  32 , a bottom wall  33 , and side walls  34 . These walls  31 - 34  of the container  30  define a storage space  35  within the container  30 . In the illustrated storage accessory  10 , the top side of the container  30  is left open so as to allow easy access to the items stored in the space  35 . However, a removable lid or other cover can be provided for the container  30 . Additionally or alternatively, a permanent top wall can be provided with access to the space  35  being obtained in another manner (e.g., side doors and/or drawers). 
         [0017]    The illustrated hanger  40  comprises rectangular panels  41 - 43  forming an inverted U-shape channel  45  for the lower railing bar  26 . The panel  41  is secured to the rear wall  32  of the container  30 , the panel  42  extends outwardly from the top edge of the panel  41 , and the panel  43  extends downwardly from the distal edge of the panel  42 . In  FIG. 5  (and also  FIG. 3 ), the hanger  40  and/or the panels  41 - 43  are centrally located on, and do not extend entirely across the rear wall  32  of the container  30 . As shown in  FIG. 8 , the hanger  40  can instead extend entirely thereacross. In either or any event, any hanger  40  which forms an appropriate railing-bar channel  45 , or other means of secure connection to the bar  26 , can be employed. 
         [0018]    As was indicated above, the brace  50  comprises an arm  51  which is selectively movable between a bracing position and a carrying position. This arm movement between the bracing-carrying positions can be accomplished in any suitable manner. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 9-11 , this movement can be accomplished by the arm  51  having a pivotal attachment  52  ( FIG. 9 ), the arm  51  having telescoping pieces  51   a - 51   c  ( FIG. 10 ), or by both a pivotal attachment  52  and telescoping pieces  51   a - 51   c  ( FIG. 11 ). 
         [0019]    Preferably, the arm  51  is fixed to the container  30  in the bracing position, fixed to the container  30  in the carrying position, and remains fixed to the container  30  as it is moved therebetween. And when the arm  51  is in the carrying position, it is preferably positioned above the bottom wall  3 * of the container  30  and does not extend laterally beyond the side walls  34  of the container  30 . That being said, a removable brace  50  and/or arm  51 , and/or one that projects outside the container contour in the carrying position, is possible contemplated. 
         [0020]    The container  30  can further comprise a handle  60 , a tray  70 , a drawer  80 , and/or an apron  90 . The handle  60  is located relative to the container  30  for convenient lifting as it is being carried to and from work sites. The tray  70  can be inserted into the container storage space  35  and accessible through its open top. The drawer  80  can be withdrawn from a pocket formed in the front wall  31  (or any other part) of the container  30 . The apron  90  can be optionally fastened to the container  30  for the storage of additional items. 
         [0021]    Referring now to  FIGS. 12-17 , another aerial-lift-platform accessory  110  is shown. In  FIG. 12 , two accessories  110  are being used in tandem on an aerial lift platform  20  to convey building supplies (e.g., lumber and/or piping) alongside the deck  21 . Depending upon the load to be lifted and/or the platform size, only one accessory  110  or more than two accessories  100  can be employed. 
         [0022]    The aerial-lift-platform accessory  110  comprises a pole  130 , a hanger  140  for hanging the pole  130  on the upper horizontal bar  25 , an upper bracket  150  for cradling building supplies, and a lower cradle  160  for cradling building supplies. The accessory  110  need not include both the upper bracket  150  and lower bracket  160  as only one may suffice in some circumstances. Alternatively, additional brackets (e.g., similar to bracket  150 ) could be provided along the pole length. 
         [0023]    The pole  130  includes a vertical strut  131  and a horizontal foot  132  extending perpendicularly outward from a bottom end thereof. The hanger  140  and the upper bracket  150  are connected to the vertical strut  131 , and the lower bracket  160  is connected to the horizontal foot  132 . In the illustrated embodiment, the pole  130  is formed from square metal rod. 
         [0024]    The hanger  140  includes a clamp  141  having rectangular panels  142 - 144  forming a channel  145  for the upper railing bar  25 . The first panel  142  and the second panel  143  can be vertically oriented and situated on opposite sides (i.e., inner and outer relative to the deck  21 ) of the bar  25 . The third panel  144  can extend horizontally therebetween. The clamp  141  (e.g., the panels  142  and  143 ) can include openings  146  for receipt of locking members. 
         [0025]    The hanger  140  also includes a sleeve  147  with a conduit  148  for receipt of the pole  130 , and more particularly a top region of its strut  131 . If the pole  130  is made from square metal rod, as illustrated, the sleeve  147  and the conduit  148  can have a similar geometry. Openings  149  for positioning pins (not shown) can be provided in the sleeve  147  to adjust the vertical reach of the post  130 . The sleeve  147  is fixed to the outer vertical panel  143  of the clamp  141 . 
         [0026]    The upper bracket  150  is connected to an intermediate region of the pole strut  131 . The bracket  150  can comprise legs  151 - 153  forming a cradle  154  for building supplies. In the illustrated embodiment, the first leg  151  is vertically oriented and connected to the pole  130 , the second leg  152  extends horizontally outward from a bottom end of the first leg  151 , and the third leg  153  extends vertically upward from distal end of the second leg  152 . If the pole  130  and/or its vertical strut  131  are made of square bar, as illustrated, the bracket  150 , the legs  151 - 153 , or just the leg  151  can be square-tube (e.g., similar to the sleeve  147 ). 
         [0027]    The bracket  150  can be vertically adjustable relative to the pole  130  to accommodate a range of short-to-tall cargo. Specifically, for example, the bracket  150 , and particularly its leg  151 , can be slidable relative to pole strut  131 . The bracket  150  can be provided with position-pin openings  159  which align with similar openings  139  in the post  130  to lock the bracket in the desired vertical position. 
         [0028]    The lower bracket  160  is connected to the foot  132  of the pole  130 . The bracket  160  has legs  162 - 163  forming, with the bottom region of the pole strut  131 , a cradle  164 . The first leg  162  can be horizontally oriented and connected to the pole foot  132  and the second leg  163  can extend upward from the distal end of the first leg  162 . Again, if the pole  130  and/or the foot  132  are made from square bar, the bracket  160  and/or its legs  162 - 163  (or just leg  162 ) can be made of tubular-bar-receiving material. 
         [0029]    The lower bracket  160  can be horizontally adjustable relative to the pole  130  to accommodate thin-to-wide cargo. To this end, the bracket  160  and particularly the bracket panel  162  can be slidable relative to the foot  132 . Position-pin openings  169  in the first bracket leg  162  (which coordinate with similar openings in the pole  130 ) can be used to lock the bracket  160  in the desired horizontal position. 
         [0030]    As shown in  FIG. 17 , a further feature  170  can be added which takes advantage of the unused upper regions of the sleeve  147 . This feature  170  can comprise, for example, a clipboard, water bottle, or other item with a connection shaft for insertion into the sleeve  147 . 
         [0031]    One may now appreciate that the accessory  10 / 110  is compatible with standard aerial lift platforms and it allows tools, work supplies, and/or other items to be easily, neatly, and safely conveyed to an elevated work level. While the accessory  10 , the aerial lift platform  20 , and/or the accessory  110  have been shown and described with respect to a certain embodiment or embodiments, other equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this disclosure.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4