Abstract:
A scaffolding system for an attic area has a plurality of board members. An attachment device is provided for securing a first board member to an adjoining board member.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to a scaffolding and, more specifically, to an adjustable length scaffolding for use in an attic. 
         [0002]    Worker safety is of great importance to both construction industry employers and employees. Worker safety is of such importance that a federal agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSHA), was created to draft, inspect, and enforcing work place safety and health regulations. 
         [0003]    As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,391, various scaffolding and safety systems have been designed. Some are engineered from the ground up while others are designed to hang off the roof or wall structure. All of these scaffold systems, however, suffer from a common defect—the enormous amount of time to assemble, erect, reposition, and take down such systems. 
         [0004]    There are hanging scaffolds, scaffold systems that are affixed to the roof and hang over the cave to support a working platform, that have been designed to reduce the amount of labor and time necessary for scaffold assembly/disassembly. However, while saving some time, these hanging scaffolds are not without their own shortcomings. 
         [0005]    Furthermore, many hanging scaffold systems are theoretically designed for easy pre-assembly prior to deployment, again with the objective of reducing labor costs and cutting productivity losses. Most of these hanging scaffold systems, however, are not as stable as ground based scaffold systems 
         [0006]    Further, hanging scaffold systems require a roof anchoring point that is able to withstand thousands of pounds of force in several directions while the construction work is in progress. Typically, the roof anchor is nailed, bolted or fixedly attached to the roof to provide the necessary safety margin. However, this results in a roof anchoring system that requires additional time and effort to remove and reposition, thereby reducing the time savings associated with the hanging scaffold system. 
         [0007]    An additional issue is that the hanging scaffold systems are only designed to hang from the exterior surface of the roof. The hanging scaffolding system was not designed for use in an attic crawl space. 
         [0008]    Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a circuit and method that overcomes the above problems. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0009]    A scaffolding system for an attic area has a plurality of board members. An attachment device is provided for securing a first board member to an adjoining board member. 
         [0010]    A scaffolding system for an attic area has a plurality of board members. An attachment device is sued for securing a first board member to an adjoining board member. Warning markings are formed on a front surface of at least one of the plurality of board members. Rafter attachment devices are formed on a bottom surface of at least one of the plurality of board members. 
         [0011]    A scaffolding system for an attic area has a plurality of board members. An attachment device is sued for securing a first board member to an adjoining board member. The attachment device comprises a channel formed on at least one side surface of the first board member. A groove is formed on a surface of the channel. A tab member is formed on the adjoining board member. A locking tab member extends down from the tab member for engaging the groove when the tab member is inserted into the channel to secure the first board member to the adjoining board member. 
         [0012]    The features, functions, and advantages can be achieved independently in various embodiments of the disclosure or may be combined in yet other embodiments. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    Embodiments of the disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the attic scaffolding system for use in an attic of a building; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a top view of an individual board of the attic scaffolding system; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a top view of multiple boards of the attic scaffolding system; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a side view of an individual board of the attic scaffolding system; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a magnified view of one embodiment of the locking system used in the attic scaffolding system; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a magnified view of another embodiment of the locking system used in the attic scaffolding system. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    Referring now to the Figures, an attic scaffolding system  10  is shown. The system  10  is designed to be used in an attic area  12  of a house and or building. The attic area  12  may be defined as the area between the ceiling  14  and a roof section formed by trusses  16 . The system  10  is designed to be positioned on existing rafters  18  in the attic area  12 . The system  10  may be used to allow a person to work within the attic area  12 . Presently, when working in the attic area  12 , workers stand on the individual rafters  18 . Alternatively, individual boards may be used to allow a person to stand in between consecutive rafters  18 . However, the individual board needs to be lifted and moved every time the worker moves. 
         [0021]    The system  10  is designed to quickly and easily attach and lock multiple planks  20  together. This allows for a removable floor to be formed on the rafters  18 . As stated above, the system  10  is formed of a plurality of plank members  20 . Each plank member  20 , and thus the system  10 , is of a size to allow the plank members  20  to be carried through an attic opening  11 . The plank members  20  may be formed of an electrically non-conductive material. 
         [0022]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , a top surface  20 A of the plank member  20  may have markings  22 . The markings  22  may be formed around one or more edges on the top surface of the plank member  20 . The markings  22  may be used as a warning indictor to let a person know that they are near the edge of the plank member  20 . The marking  22  may be a red strip, a fluorescent yellow/green strip, a grip strip, or the like. The above listing is given an example and should not be seen in a limiting manner. 
         [0023]    Located on a bottom surface  20 C of the plank member  20  may be a latching device  40 . The latching device  40  may be used to secure the plank member to a rafter  18 . The latching device  40  may be used to prevent the plank member  20  from moving/sliding when positioned on a rafter  18 . The latching device  40  may be a hook or the like. 
         [0024]    Located on one or more side surfaces  20 B of each plank member  20  may be an attachment mechanism  24 . The attachment mechanism  24  may be used to attach one or more additional plank members  20  to an existing plank member  20 . The attachment mechanism  24  may be form as part of the plank member  20 . Alternatively, the attachment mechanism  24  may be a separate device. 
         [0025]    As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , one embodiment of the attachment mechanism  24  may be seen. In this embodiment, the plank member  20  may have one or more sides where a channel  26  may be formed. The channel  26  may be formed along one or more side surfaces  20 B of the plank member  20 . The channel  26  may be formed along a central area of the side surface  20 B. The channel  26  may run a length of the side surface  20 B. 
         [0026]    Located in the channel  26  is a groove  28 . The groove  28  is formed along a surface  26 B on the channel  26 . The groove  28  may run the length of the channel  26 . 
         [0027]    The plank member  20  may have one or more sides where a tab  30  may be formed. The tab  30  may be formed along one or more side surfaces  20 B of the plank member  20 . The tab  30  may be formed along a central area of the side surface  20 B. The tab  30  may run a majority of the length of the side surface  20 B. 
         [0028]    The tab  30  may have a locking member  32  which extends from the tab  30 . The locking member  32  may be a locking tab  32 A which extends down from tab  30 . In operation, the tab  30  of one plank member  20  may be inserted into the channel  26  of a corresponding plank member  20 . The locking tab  32 B may be slide into the channel  28  thereby forming a snap lock connection. By lifting the plank member  30 , the locking tab  32 B may be slide out of the channel  28  thereby unlocking the plank member  30  from the corresponding plank member  20 . 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , another attachment mechanism  24 ′ may be seen. In this embodiment, the attachment mechanism  24 ′ may be an “I” beam  34 . The “I” beam  34  has a pair of “I” beam channels  36 . Located in at least one “I” beam channel  36  is a locking tab  32 A′. In this embodiment, the plank member  20  may be a standard board  20 ′. The board  20 ′ having a notch  38  formed on at least one side surface. The notch  38  may run a length of the at least one side surface. 
         [0030]    In operation, the board  20 ′ may be inserted into the “I” beam channel  36 . The locking tab  32 A′ may be slide into the notch  38  of the board  20 ′ thereby forming a snap lock connection. By lifting the board  20 ′, the locking tab  32 A′ may be slide out of the notch  38  thereby unlocking the board  20 ′ from the attachment mechanism  24 ′. 
         [0031]    While embodiments of the disclosure have been described in terms of various specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments of the disclosure can be practiced with modifications within the spirit and scope of the claims.