Patent Abstract:
A construction system for building a home independently is provided that assists a sole home builder so that a modern home can be built without the use of heavy machinery or reliance on professionals.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/354,669 filed on Jun. 14, 2010. The entire disclosure of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/354,669 is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to a construction system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a construction system for building a home independently. 
     2. Background Information 
     Whether for recreation or necessity, accomplishing projects with little or no help from professionals, known as do-it-yourself projects, continues to be popular. These do-it-yourself projects can extend to the necessities of life such as shelter, for example. Do-it-yourself shelters are not usually modern homes and are often primitive. Even if the knowledgeable builder could construct her own home, it is very time consuming to do so with limited help and no heavy machinery. Thus, building a modern home by oneself with little or no help from professionals is considered daunting or viewed as impossible. Even if the modern home is delivered in modules to limit on-site construction steps, lifting of heavy modules and steadying the heavy modules while installed are considered impossible tasks for less than a few men with no heavy machinery. Nevertheless, because of a continuing popular desire for independence and self-sufficiency, there is a need for a construction system that assists the independent building of a modern home. 
     In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved construction system that assists independent home building. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A construction system for building a home independently is provided that assists a sole home builder so that a modern home can be built without the use of heavy machinery or reliance on professionals. 
     These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of this original disclosure: 
         FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of a truss clip system; 
         FIG. 1B  is a top view of a first shell of the truss clip system; 
         FIG. 1C  is a side view of the first shell of the truss clip system; 
         FIG. 1D  is a top view of a second shell of the truss clip system; 
         FIG. 1E  is a side view of the second shell of the truss clip system; 
         FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of a lift assist assembly; 
         FIGS. 2B ,  2 C and  2 D are perspective views of extension bars of varying size; 
         FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of the lift assist assembly, having a lift component, and a lift assist device; 
         FIG. 3B  is a magnified perspective view of a top portion of the lift assist assembly and the lift component; 
         FIG. 4A  is a perspective view of the lift component of the lift assist assembly; 
         FIG. 4B  is a back view of the lift component; 
         FIG. 4C  is a magnified view of a lock mechanism of the lift component; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the lift assist assembly and the lift assist device; 
         FIG. 6A  is a perspective view of the lift assist assembly with another embodiment of the lift component and the lift assist device; 
         FIG. 6B  is a side view of the lift assist assembly with lift component and the lift assist device of  FIG. 6A ; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the lift assist device; 
         FIG. 8A  is a perspective view of a ratchet assembly of the lift assist device; 
         FIG. 8B  is a side view of the ratchet assembly of  FIG. 8A ; 
         FIG. 8C  is a partial cross-section view of the ratchet assembly taken along line A-A of  FIG. 8B ; 
         FIG. 9A  is a rear perspective view of a gable bracket mechanism; 
         FIG. 9B  is a side view of the gable bracket mechanism of  FIG. 9A ; 
         FIG. 9C  is a rear view of the gable bracket mechanism of  FIG. 9A ; 
         FIG. 9D  is a rear perspective view of the lift assist device with the gable bracket mechanism; 
         FIG. 10A  is a perspective view of a plurality of safety railing assemblies used on an unfinished roof; 
         FIG. 10B  is a perspective view of the safety railing assembly 
         FIG. 10C  is a rear perspective, magnified view of a mount of the safety railing assembly; 
         FIG. 10D  is a front perspective, magnified view of the mount of the safety railing assembly; 
         FIG. 11A  is a perspective view of a base assembly of the safety railing assembly; 
         FIG. 11B  is a perspective view of the base assembly in use on an unfinished roof; 
         FIG. 11C  is a partial cross section view of the base assembly; 
         FIG. 11D  is a perspective view of a cam apparatus of the base assembly; 
         FIG. 12A  is a perspective view of a wall stop in use with a wall at an upper level of a home; 
         FIG. 12B  is a side view of the wall stop; 
         FIG. 12C  is a front view of the wall stop; 
         FIG. 12D  is a perspective view of the wall stop; 
         FIG. 13A  is a rear perspective view of a wall lift in use with a wall to be lifted; 
         FIG. 13B  is a perspective view of the wall lift; 
         FIG. 14A  is a perspective view of multiple corner draw breaker bars in use with walls forming a corner; 
         FIG. 14B  is a side view of the corner draw breaker bar; 
         FIG. 14C  is a partial cross section view of the corner draw breaker bar of  FIG. 14B ; 
         FIG. 15A  is a rear perspective view of a cart in use with a wall; 
         FIG. 15B  is a perspective view of the cart; 
         FIG. 15C  is a bottom perspective view of the cart; 
         FIG. 15D  is a side view of the cart; 
         FIG. 15E  is a partial cross section of the cart taken along line B-B in  FIG. 15D ; 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective view of the cart in  FIGS. 15A-15E  with an adapter; 
         FIG. 17A  is a rear perspective view of a wall splice base clamp in use with two walls for mating together; 
         FIG. 17B  is a magnified view of a portion of  FIG. 17A ; 
         FIG. 17C  is a perspective view of the wall splice base clamp; 
         FIG. 17D  is a top view of the wall splice base clamp; 
         FIG. 17E  is a bottom view of the wall splice base clamp; 
         FIG. 17F  is a partial cross section view of the wall splice base clamp taken along line F-F of  FIG. 17E ; and 
         FIG. 17G  is an exploded view of the wall splice base clamp. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Selected embodiments of the present invention will now be explained with reference to the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the following descriptions of the embodiments of the present invention are provided for illustration only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. 
     Components of a construction system will now be described with reference to the Figures. Referring initially to  FIGS. 1A-1E , a truss clip system  100  is illustrated in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. The truss clip system  100  aligns a vertical beam that needs to be connected to a horizontal beam at a specific location on the horizontal beam. The truss clip system  100  also ensures perpendicularity of the vertical beam with the horizontal beam. The truss clip system  100  includes a first shell  102  and a second shell  104  which are disposed on sides of the horizontal and vertical beams. The first shell  102  has a first end  106  and a second end  108  opposite the first end  106 . The first shell  102  is bent at an angle to form a lateral beam guide  110  and an upper beam guide  112 . The lateral beam guide  110  is preferably disposed at a right angle to the upper beam guide  112  so as to be positioned on a side of a horizontal beam while the upper beam guide  112  is disposed on the connecting, perpendicular surface. 
     The upper beam guide  112  has a plurality of alignment apertures  114  on each end and a flap  116  with a flexible hinge  118  disposed on the first end  106 . The flap  116  pivots about the flexible hinge  118  to selectively lie flat on the upper beam guide  112 . The flap  116  has a plurality of alignment pegs  120  to facilitate alignment of and secure alignment of the alignment apertures  114 . The alignment pegs  120  are preferably pointed and curved back towards the hinge  118 . The alignment pegs  120  are disposed on an end of the flap  116  opposite the hinge  118 . The upper beam guide  112  has a channel  122  that is sized and configured to receive vertical beams or supports and to guide the vertical beams. Sides of the channel  122  slope towards the lateral beam guide  110  and away from the flap  116  to form first and second wedge shape sections  124 ,  126  of the upper beam guide  112 . 
     The second shell  104  is substantially the same as the first shell  102  except that the flap  116  is on an opposite side (second end  108 ) when compared with the first shell  102 . The channel  122  slopes toward lateral beam guide  110  and away from the second end  108  (away from flap  116 ). 
     The shells  102 ,  104 , when disposed on respective sides of the horizontal beam, are slidably coupled via the upper beam guides  112 . Specifically, the first upper beam guide  112  slidably couples with the second upper beam guide  112   b  such that one substantially covers the other. More specifically, first wedge shape section  124   a  slidably couples with first wedge shape section  124   b  and second wedge shape section  126   a  couples with second wedge shape section  126   b  such that the alignment apertures  114  on each wedge shape section  124 ,  126  are in alignment to receive pegs  120 . The shells  102 ,  104  guide the vertical beam to a perpendicular position with the lateral beam as they slidably couple. The channels  122  of each shell  102 ,  104  provide guidance to align the vertical beam with the horizontal beam and/or to guide to a particular location on the horizontal beam, or ensure perpendicularity of the vertical beam with the lateral beam. 
     Once in position, the shells  102 ,  104  are locked together in the desired location and orientation. The shells  102 ,  104  are locked by driving the pointed ends of the pegs  120  through the alignment apertures  114  of both shells  102 ,  104  on a respective end and into the horizontal beam. The pegs  120  are driven through the alignment apertures  114  and into the horizontal beam by applying downward pressure on the flap  116 . The shells  102 ,  104  are preferably comprised of steel or other hard alloy, for example. 
     Lift Assist Assembly 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2A-3B , a lift assist assembly  200  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention will now be explained. The lift assist assembly  200  aids a sole home builder in lifting construction loads that would be otherwise too heavy to lift alone. The lift assist assembly  200  also helps to lift a construction load higher than would otherwise be possible when lifting alone. For example, the lift assist assembly  200  can lift a pre-constructed wall or truss high above the sole home builder&#39;s head. The lift assist assembly  200  steadies the heavy construction load as it is lifted to a desired height e.g. to a roof or floor above in a multistory structure. 
     The lift assist assembly  200  includes a base bar  202 , a lifting component  204 , a guide track  206 , a pulley bar  208  and one or more pulleys  210 . The base bar  202  provides leverage to lift a heavy construction load by a sole home owner. The base bar  202  is preferably comprised of steel or other strong alloys and is sized and configured to be strong enough to resist bending during use of the pulley bar  208  and pulleys  210  at a top end of the base bar  202  to lift the heavy construction load. The base bar  202  has a connecting end portion  212  and a receiving end portion  214  opposite the connecting end portion  212 . The connecting end portion  212  is directly connected to the base bar  202  and extends from the base bar  202  as a bar with a smaller size or diameter than the base bar  202 . 
     The base bar  202  further includes a connecting face  216  at a location where the connecting end portion  212  extends out of the base bar  202 . The connecting face  216  is formed by a difference in size between the smaller connecting end portion  212  extending out of the base bar  202 . The connecting face  216  is not perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the base bar  202 . Instead, the connecting face  216  slopes down and away from the guide track  206 . The receiving end portion  214  has an aperture  215  with a complementary size to receive a connecting end portion  209  of the pulley bar  208 . The receiving end portion  214  has a receiving face  217  that slopes upwardly toward the guide track  206 . The connecting face  216  and the receiving face  217  have complimentary orientations and, when installed correctly, the base bar  202  correctly fits with the pulley bar  208  when the connecting face  216  abuts the receiving face  217 . This ensures that the bars  202  and  208  are connected properly and that the guide track  206  is properly aligned. 
     The lift assist assembly  200  further includes a cable guide  218  straddling the base bar  202 . The cable guide  218  guides a cable used in conjunction with the pulleys  210 . The cable guide  218  has arms  220  and a leader portion  222  linking the arms  220  together. The arms  220  are disposed on opposite sides of the base bar  202 . The leader portion  222  has an aperture therethrough that the cable runs through during use. The aperture optionally has a bushing or roller bearings disposed therein to limit friction. 
     The guide track  206  is disposed on the base bar  202  to guide the lift component  204  along the base bar  202 . The guide track  206  includes a spacer  226  and a guide panel  228  disposed on the spacer  226 , which is connected to the base bar  202  and links the guide track  206  to the base bar  202 . Both the guide panel  228  and the spacer  226  extend approximately the longitudinal length of the base bar  202 . The spacer  226  is sized so as to space the guide panel  228  a distance from the base bar  202  to make room for and facilitate movement of the lift component  204  traveling up the base bar  202  along the guide track  206 . The spacer  226  can be a thin bar or as simple as a welding bead between the guide panel  228  and the base bar  202 . The spacer  226  connects at a center portion of the guide panel  228 . The spacer  226  and the guide panel  228  constitute the guide track  206  for guiding a moving weight along the base bar  202 . 
     The pulley bar  208  has a connecting end portion  254  configured to connect to the receiving end portion  214  of the base bar  202  or the receiving end portion of an extension bar, as will be described below. At the opposite end of the connecting end portion  254  are the pulleys  210  and pulley support structure  256  for connecting the pulleys  210  and supporting the pulleys  210  in use. 
     The lift assist assembly  200  further includes a plurality of extension bars  258 . One or more of the extension bars  258  are optionally disposed between the base bar  202  and the pulley bar  208  to increase the length and leverage of the lift assist assembly  200 . A sole home builder can therefore adjust the height of the lift assist assembly  200  using the extension bars  258  when the construction load requires more leverage for lifting or needs to be lifted to a height higher than the height obtainable with only the base bar  202  and the pulley bar  208 . 
     The extension bar  258  includes a connecting end portion  260  and a receiving end portion  262  opposite the connecting end portion  260 . The connecting end portion  260  is directly connected to the extension bar  258  and extends from the extension bar  258  as a bar with a smaller size than the extension bar  258 . The receiving end portion  262  has an aperture  264  with a complementary size to receive the connecting end portion  254  from the pulley bar  208  or the connecting end portion  260  of another extension bar  258 . 
     Specifically, the aperture  264  is sized and configured with inner dimensions to receive the entire connecting end portion  212 ,  258  therein. The extension bar  258  has a connecting face  266  at a location where the connecting end portion extends out of the extension bar, the connecting face  266  is formed by the difference in size between the smaller connecting end portion  260  and the larger extension bar  258 . The connecting face  266  is not perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the extension bar  258 . Instead, the connecting face  266  slopes down and away from the guide track  206 . The receiving end portion  262  has a receiving face  268  not perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the extension bar  258 . The receiving face  268  slopes upwardly and toward the guide track  206 . The connecting face  266  and the receiving face  268  have complimentary orientations and, when installed correctly, the extension bar  258  fits on the base bar  202  correctly when the connecting face  266  abuts the receiving face  268 . Thus, the lift assist assembly  200  has a built in mechanism for ensuring that the bars  202 ,  208 ,  258  are connected properly and that the guide track  206  is properly aligned from one bar to another. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure that the base bar  202 , pulley bar  208  or extension bar  258 , while shown as round bars in the Figures, can be of various shapes, e.g. square, oblong, etc. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4A-5 , the lift component  204  has a guide body  230  and a utility tray  232  for carrying or stabilizing weight such as the construction load. The utility tray  232  extends outwardly from the guide body  230  and has a lip  234  extending upwardly along a front edge of the utility tray  232  to further stabilize the weight when lifted. The guide body  230  provides side support of the construction load on a front side and has a sleeve  236  with a channel  238  on a back side. The channel  238  is sized and configured to receive the guide track  206  therein. Thus, the sleeve  236  is slidable along the guide track  206  to guide the lift component  204  up the base bar  202 . The sleeve  236  and guide track  206  further provide safety to the sole home builder to prevent the construction load from falling, twisting, or moving laterally as the weight is raised, thereby positioning the load in a desired location. The guide body  230  has a lifting lug  240  attached at the top of the guide body  230  for connection with an end of the cable. The lift component  204  further includes a lock mechanism  242  to lock the lift component  204  at a desired point on the guide track  206 . The lock mechanism  242  includes a lever  244 , a swivel key  245 , and a bias member  246 . The lever  244  has a first end portion that mates with the swivel key  245  and a second end portion, about which the lever  244  rotates via a pin attached to the lift component  204 . The second end portion is generically rounded and has a cam portion or locking cam  247  adjacent the channel  238 . The cam portion  247  is positioned on the second end portion so as to dig into the guide track  206  to prevent the lift component  204  from sliding downward along the guide track  206 , but allow upward movement of the lift component  204 . The bias member  246  includes a spring to bias the lever  244  downward, thereby pushing the cam portion  247  into the guide track  206 . For lowering the lift component  204 , the lever  244  is rotated upward to compress the bias member  246  and the swivel key  245  is rotated to engage the lever  244  such that the compression of the bias member  246  is maintained. When the swivel key  245  engages the lever  244 , the cam portion  247  is rotated away from the guide track  206 , thereby allowing downward movement of the lift component  204 . 
     Lift Assist Device 
     Referring to FIGS.  3 A and  5 - 7 , a lift assist device  300  provides assistance to the sole home builder in lifting heavy construction loads by himself. The lift assist device  300  advantageously provides the sole home builder with a foldable device for easier storage and a device for aiding with construction of such heavy construction loads as a pre-constructed wall or truss. The lift assist device  300  is also easily maneuverable such that the sole home builder can maneuver the lift assist device  300  where needed on a home construction site. 
     The lift assist device  300  includes a folding unit  302 , a main lateral frame  304 , and a counter weight section  306  and a ratchet assembly  308 . The folding unit  302  folds for easy storage and unfolds to mate with the lift assist assembly  200 . The folding unit  302  includes a lower support component  310 , an upper support component  312  and a brace member  314 . The lower support component  310  and the upper support component  312  are connected together by a hinge  316  and connected via the brace member  314 . The lower support component  310  connects with the main lateral frame  304 . The lower and upper components  310 ,  312  are each approximately triangular shaped and have two lateral bars  318 ,  320 ,  322 ,  324  and one base bar  326 ,  328  with the base bar  326 ,  328  of each triangle being connected by the hinge  316 . The lower support component  310  has a wheel  330 ,  332  disposed on each end adjacent the upper support component  312 . The upper component  312  has a sleeve  334  for receiving the base bar  202  of the lift assist assembly  200 . 
     The main lateral frame  304  serves as the backbone for the lift assist device  300  and supports the ratchet assembly  308  thereon. The main lateral frame  304  includes two substantially parallel bars  338 ,  340  that connect the folding unit  302  to the counterweight section  306 . The main lateral frame  304  connects to the folding unit  302  via the lateral bars  318 ,  320  of the lower support component  310  connecting to respective lateral bars  338 ,  340  of the main lateral frame  304 . The parallel bars  338 ,  340  are preferably extendable and can have a brace therebetween. The cable passes around the swivel  344 , causing the swivel  344  to rotate about a pin as the winch pulls the cable. The swivel  344  therefore guides the cable and limits friction. 
     The counterweight section  306  and ratchet assembly  308  have a plurality of casters  344  underneath. The counterweight section  306  further includes a hand winch  348  for folding and unfolding the folding unit  302 . 
     The brace member  314  includes a hinge  350  in a center portion. The brace member  314  is sized and configured to support the upper support component  312  when vertical and further configured and arranged to fold when folding unit  302  is folded via the hinge  316 . The brace member  314  is connected at a top portion of the upper support component  312  at one end and connected to the main lateral frame  304  at the other end. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5-8C , the ratchet assembly  308  includes a base assembly  352  and a winch assembly  354  on the base assembly  352 . The base assembly  352  is disposed on the main lateral frame  304  between the folding unit  302  and the counterweight section  306 . The base assembly  352  includes a first portion  356  and a second portion  358 . The first portion  356  is connected to the second portion  358  by a hinge  360 . The first portion  356  rotates about the hinge  360 . The second portion  358  of the base assembly  352  includes an angled surface  362  that slopes downwardly toward the folding unit  302 . The base assembly  352  further includes a support arm  364 . The support arm  364  supports the first portion  356  above the angled surface  362 . The support arm  364  can be rotated away to allow the first portion  356  with the winch assembly  354  to rotate about the hinge  360 . 
     Referring now to the winch assembly  354 , the winch assembly  354  includes a removable handle  366 , a strap drum  368 , a cog wheel  370  attached to one side of the strap drum  368  and a locking assembly  372 . The removable handle  366  inserts into a handle shaft  373  on either side of the winch assembly  354  for operation of the winch assembly  354  from either side of the lift assist device  300 . The cog wheel  370  has substantially symmetrically shaped teeth positioned in a circle with a diameter smaller than the strap drum  368 . The lock assembly  372  engages the cog wheel  370  to prevent rotation of the strap drum  368  in a certain direction. Specifically, the locking assembly  372  has a symmetrically shaped dowel  374  that is inserted between the teeth of the cog wheel  370  to lock the strap drum in place. The dowel  374  is spring biased and can be pulled away from the cog wheel  370  via an actuator knob  376 . 
     Gable Bracket Mechanism 
     Referring to  FIGS. 9A-9D , a gable bracket mechanism  400  is provided to assist the sole home builder with installing the gable. Specifically, the gable bracket mechanism  400  is designed to hold and lift the gable as it is raised into position using the lift assist device  300 . The gable bracket mechanism  400  includes a mounting channel  402 , a first member  404  and a second member  406 . The mounting channel  402  is a rigid member, preferably made of a high strength metal or alloy such as steel. 
     The first member  404  and the second member  406  are pivotally attached to the mounting channel  402  at a pivot point  408 . The first member  404  includes a plurality of pivot holes  410  positioned along an edge of the first member  404 . The first member  404  provides the user with the option of rotating and securing the first member  404  and second member  406  in an angled position. A locking pin  412  is inserted through the mounting channel  402  and through the desired pivot holes  410  to angle the first member  404  and the second member  406  at a desired angle. 
     The second member  406  is attached to the first member  404  on a side opposite the side with the mounting channel  402 . Thus, the first member  404  is sandwiched by the mounting channel  402  and the second member  406 . The second member  406  is larger than the first member  404  with an arched top portion and is sized, configured and arranged to hold and carry a gable as it is raised into position. The second member  406  has a gable tray  414  extending outwardly at a bottom edge of the second member  406 . The gable tray  414  is configured and arranged to hold a gable. The gable bracket mechanism  400  is configured for use with the lift assist device  300  and is designed to be an alternative to the lift component  204 . Specifically the mounting channel  402  is designed to receive the guide track  206  of the lift assembly  200 . 
     Safety Railing Assembly 
     Referring to  FIGS. 10A-10D , a safety railing assembly  500  includes a vertical rail post  502  and first and second railing mounts  504 ,  506  disposed on the vertical rail post  502 . The assembly  500  further includes a detachable guard rail  508 . The mounts  504 ,  506  are sized and configured to hold boards, which constitute railings  510 . A plurality of the safety railing assemblies  500  are preferably installed with railings  510  linking the assemblies  500  as seen in  FIG. 10A . 
     Referring to the mounts  504 ,  506 , as best seen in  FIGS. 10B-10D , each of the mounts  504 ,  506  includes a rail retainer assembly  512  that immovably secures the railing  510  to the mount  504 ,  506 . The rail retainer assembly  512  includes a shaft member  514 , cog members  516 , a lock lever  518  and a block member  520 . The cog members  516  and the lock lever  518  are fixed to the shaft member  514  with the lock lever  518  being disposed between the cog members  516 . The block member  520  has various protrusions with apertures therethrough which form first and second openings  522 ,  524  to receive shafts along a first axis  526  and a second axis  528 , respectively. The shaft member  514  is rotatably disposed in the first opening  522  and rotates about the first axis  526 . When a railing  510  is inserted against the vertical rail post  502 , the shaft member  514  is rotated to bring the cog wheels  516  and the lock lever  518  towards the railing  510 . The cog wheels  516  slide through slots in the mounts  504 ,  506  and the block member  520  to engage the railing  510  with a plurality of cog teeth. When the cog wheels  516  are sufficiently engaged with the railing  510 , the lock lever  518 , having an aperture at an end opposite the shaft member  514 , receives a locking pin  530  disposed along the second axis  528  through the protrusions forming the second opening  524 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 11A-11D , the safety railing assembly  500  further includes a base assembly  532  that is used to secure the safety railing assembly  500  to a roof. The base assembly  532  has a flat surface for lying flush with a portion of an unfinished roof. The base assembly  532  includes a receiving post  534  for receiving the rail post  502  and a receiving portion  536  that is generally flat and extends outwardly from sides of the base assembly  532 . The detachable guard rail  508  has hooks extending from the bottom that insert into holes in the receiving portion  536  of the base assembly  532 . 
     The base assembly  532  further includes a close-fitting cavity  538 , a cam apparatus  540  in the cavity  538 , a crimper  544  and a handle  546 . The handle  546  is nonrotatably fixed to the cam apparatus  540  and rotatable with respect to the base assembly  532 . The crimper  544  is used to crimp a thin sheet of metal  548  such as a strip of tin. The thin sheet of metal  548  is nailed to the unfinished roof and the cam apparatus  540  is rotated to crimp the sheet of metal  548  via the crimper  544 . 
     Referring to FIGS.  10 B and  11 A- 11 C, the close-fitting cavity  538  allows the cam apparatus  540  to rotate therein. The cam apparatus  540  has a slot  550  for receiving the sheet of metal  548  and a locking notch  552  near the slot  550 . A free end of the thin sheet of metal  548 , which has an end nailed to the unfinished roof, is inserted between the crimper  544  and the cam apparatus  540  and then inserted into the slot  550 . 
     The handle  546  is fixed to the cam apparatus  540  so as to drive the locking notch  552  to the location of a locking block  554  protruding into the cavity  538  when the handle  546  is in a retracted position. The locking notch  552  is sized and configured to receive the locking block  554 . In other words, the cam apparatus  540  is locked via the locking notch  552  and the locking block  554  when the handle  546  is in the retracted position. During rotation of the handle  546 , the handle  546  not only rotates the cam apparatus  540  but also moves the cam apparatus  540  in an arc motion. Referring to  FIGS. 11A-11C , the base assembly  532  includes side plates  556  having an arc guide slot  558 . The portions of the handle  546  on either side of the base assembly  532  that connect to the cam apparatus  540  extends through the side plates  556  via the guide slot  558 . The guide slot  558  guides the handle  546  as it is rotated in an arc motion thereby causing the cam apparatus  540  to move in an arc motion. 
     The base assembly  532  has a pitch adjust unit  560  having pitch adjust openings  562  and pins  564  to adjust a pitch with respect to the fascia board or roof. In operation, the handle  546  rotates the cam apparatus  540  downwardly and locks in place for safety. The handle  546  is sized and configured to rotate about and over the receiving post  534  when the vertical rail post  502  is not installed. The cam apparatus  540  uses the leverage of the thin sheet metal  548  nailed to the roof to secure the safety railing assembly  500  at the edge of the roof, for the safety of the sole home builder, whether on top of the roof or on bottom. 
     Wall Stop 
       FIGS. 12A-12D  illustrate a wall stop  600  that is provided to stop or catch a wall as it is installed on an upper floor or level by the sole home builder. The wall stop  600  is preferably nailed to an exterior side of a rim joist, sub floor or floor box. Specifically, the wall stop  600  includes a mount plate  602  and a backing structure  604 . The mount plate  602  has a mounting body  606  with apertures  608  for driving nails therethrough and a platform portion  610  extending at an angle from the mounting body  606 . The backing structure  604  is attached to the platform portion  610  at a location away from the angle between the mounting body  606  and the platform portion  610  to form a gap section  612  in which the wall rests on the platform portion  610 . When the sole home builder installs a wall on an upper floor, the platform portion  610 , disposed on the exterior side of the sub floor, rests under the wall. The backing structure  604  rests on the exterior of the wall and stops the wall such that it is substantially aligned with the exterior face of the sub floor. In addition to the alignment feature, the wall stop  600  catches the wall and prevents it from falling off of the upper floor. 
     Wall Lift 
     Referring to  FIGS. 13A and 13B , a wall lift  700  is provided to help the sole home builder lift a pre-constructed wall or truss off the floor without injury. The wall lift  700  includes a lever member  702  and a fulcrum member  704  disposed on a base  706 . The lever member  702  includes a first pivot portion  708  and a second pivot portion  710 . The lever member  702  pivots about a pivot point at the fulcrum member  704  and at the second pivot portion  710 . At an end of the first pivot portion  708  is a pivot bracket  712  that is linked to a lift tray  714  via a link strap  716 . The pivot bracket  712  is further linked to a support bar  718  similar to the base bar  202 . Specifically, the pivot bracket  712  has a channel that receives a track on the base bar  202 . The first pivot portion  708  pivots about the pivot bracket  712 . In operation, the proximal end  720  of the lever member  702  is pushed down to cause the lever member  702  to pivot about the fulcrum member  704  and cause the lever member  702  to pivot with respect to the pivot bracket  712 . The pivot bracket  712  rises along the track of the support bar  718 , thereby lifting the lift tray  714 . At the proximal end  720  of the lever member  702 , locking dowels  722  are disposed which are used to lock the proximal end  720  to the base  706  via a lock mechanism configuration  724  on the base  706 . 
     Corner Draw Breaker Bar 
     Referring to  FIGS. 14A-14C , a corner draw breaker bar  800  is illustrated. The corner draw breaker bar  800  is designed to aid the sole home builder in bringing walls together that form a corner. Specifically, with the use of the corner draw breaker bar  800 , the sole home builder can ensure that two walls forming a corner are flush against a corner stud. The corner draw breaker bar  800  includes a first side portion  802 , second side portion  804 , a body portion  806 , a handle portion  808 , a draw strap channel  810 , a draw strap slot  812 , a distal end  814  and a proximal end  816 . A draw strap  818  made of a thin piece of metal, for example, is preferably secured to the corner stud via nails or screws, for example, at one end. The other end of the draw strap  818  is threaded through the draw strap channel  810 , which runs through the body portion  806 , by entering on the first side portion  802  and exiting on the second side portion  804  of the corner draw breaker bar  800 . The other end of the draw strap  818  is then loaded into the draw strap slot  812  located at the proximal end  816  and on the second side portion  804  of the corner draw breaker bar  800 . 
     Once the draw strap  818  is secured to the corner stud, entered through the draw strap channel  810  and secured in the draw strap slot  812 , the wall can be moved toward the corner stud. In operation, the sole home builder grasps the handle portion  808  and moves the distal end  814  away from the corner stud. This forces the first side portion  802  of the body portion  806  against the wall and causes the proximal end  816  to rotate along a surface of the wall. As the distal end  814  moves away from the corner stud, the wall becomes flush with the corner stud. The corner draw breaker bar  800  is advantageous because it ensures that not only is the wall flush against a face of the corner stud, but, with the aid of the draw strap  818 , it also aligns the face of the wall with a face of the corner stud perpendicular to the face flush with the wall. The corner draw breaker bar  800  can be used at any location on the end portion of the wall from top to bottom, but preferably is used at the very top and very bottom of the wall&#39;s end portion. 
     Cart 
     Referring to  FIGS. 15A-15E , a cart  900  with a pivotable wall tray  902  is provided to assist the sole home builder with moving heavy loads about the home construction site. The cart  900  includes a base body  904  that supports the pivotable wall tray  902 . The base body  904  further has a return mechanism  906  disposed at the base body  904 . The return mechanism  906  includes a foot pedal  908  disposed at a side of the base body  904  and a locking bar  910  underneath the base body  904 . The foot pedal  908  is spring loaded and engages the locking bar  910 . Specifically, the locking bar has a latch mechanism  912  that is utilized to lock the pivotable wall tray  902  in a desired position. The pivotable wall tray  902  is pivotably attached to the base body  904  and pivots about a pivot point at a center portion of the base body  904 . The pivotable wall tray  902  pivots toward a wall stop portion  914 , disposed on an end of the base body  904 , in order to grasp a wall or other structure between the pivotable wall tray  902  and the wall stop portion  914 . The pivotable wall tray  902  pivots toward the wall stop portion  914  when weight is set onto a bottom platform tray of the pivotable wall tray  902 . The base body  904  has four wheels at corners of the base body  904 . The base body  904  can include two casters  916  and two fixed direction wheels  918 , for example. 
     Referring to  FIG. 16 , an adapter  920  is provided to facilitate carrying fragile structures or oversized structures. The adapter  920  includes opposing walls  922  extending upwardly and having a height larger than the pivotable wall tray  902  or wall stop portion  914 . The opposing walls  922  preferably have a soft outer layer made of foam, for example, and a stiff inner core, made of a lightweight alloy, such as an aluminum alloy. At a top end portion of the opposing walls  922 , each opposing wall  922  preferably has an additional soft outer layer made of foam. The additional soft outer layer is utilized as padding to prevent damage to the structure as it rests at the top end portion of the opposing wall  922 . 
     Wall Splice Base Clamp 
     Referring now to  FIG. 17A-17G , a wall splice base clamp  1000  is used to bring two wall sections together so that they are flush with a post or stud. The clamp  1000  has a handle portion  1002  and a clamp portion  1004  attached to the handle portion  1002 . The clamp portion  1004  is configured to encompass the post and opposing ends of two wall sections. The clamp portion  1004  includes a first section  1006  and a second section  1008 . The first and second sections  1006 ,  1008  are slidably coupled so as to move towards and away from each other so as to decrease or increase the space therebetween. The handle portion  1002  is pivotably attached to the clamp portion  1004  at a pivot portion  1010  of the handle portion  1002 . Specifically, the pivot portion  1010  is pivotably attached to the first section  1006  via a pin  1012 . The handle portion  1002  includes an actuator portion  1014  that engages an actuator pin  1016  on the second section  1008 . The actuator portion  1014  includes a slot  1115  that receives the actuator pin  1016 . As the handle portion  1002  is turned, the handle portion  1002  pivots about the pin  1012  on the first section  1006 , which causes the actuator portion  1014  to engage the actuator pin  1016 , and the second section  1008  is then slid toward the first section  1006 . The inwardly sliding action of the first and second sections  1006 ,  1008  causes the walls to move toward the post and become flush against the post. 
     In understanding the scope of the present invention, the term “comprising” and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended to be open ended terms that specify the presence of the stated features, elements, components, groups, and/or steps, but do not exclude the presence of other unstated features, elements, components, groups, and/or steps. The foregoing also applies to words having similar meanings such as the terms, “including”, “having” and their derivatives. Also, the terms “part,” “section,” “portion,” “member” or “element” when used in the singular can have the dual meaning of a single part or a plurality of parts. Finally, terms of degree such as “substantially”, “about” and “approximately” as used herein mean a reasonable amount of deviation of the modified term such that the end result is not significantly changed. For example, these terms can be construed as including a deviation of at least ±5% of the modified term if this deviation would not negate the meaning of the word it modifies. 
     While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4