Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/668,817, entitled “Fall Protection Guardrail,” filed on Mar. 25, 2015, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/970,227, entitled “Fall Protection Guardrail,” filed Mar. 25, 2014, which applications are incorporated in their entirety here by this reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a guardrail support used during construction and, more particularly, to a novel guardrail support for use in the erection of a fall protection barrier at multi-story construction sites using wood framing. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Modern construction techniques applicable to multi-story apartment and commercial building construction require that safety barriers or guardrails be erected around the perimeter of all uncompleted floors to protect workers against accidental falls. In the United States, safety regulations require construction worker fall protection for any walking or working surface that is six feet (1.8 meters) or more above a lower level. Guardrail systems are a common means of fall protection. Safety regulations often require that guardrail systems have at least two rails, a top rail with a top edge that is typically 39-45 inches (1.0-1.2 meters) above the walking/working level, and a midrail that is midway between the walking/working level and the top rail. 
     The general practice to erect such fall protection safety barriers, particularly in wood-framed buildings, is to use long “2×4” boards (commonly referred to as “two-by-fours”). Such boards are nailed together in varying patterns in order to provide the desired guard railings. After such railings have served their purpose, they are knocked down, the longer boards typically reserved for future guard railings. The shorter boards are not always reusable. Furthermore, the longer lengths of lumber frequently become damaged due to the application thereto of repeated impact blows, different nail placements, and when tearing out nails upon disassembly. Although such makeshift guard railings may meet safety requirements, they require more than one person and a fair amount of time to construct and often result in the destruction of the materials used when they are disassembled after completion of work at a construction site. Obviously, the additional labor and cost of materials used will add to the expense of the job. Many such railings also fail to pass the rigidity requirements of safety inspectors. 
     As a result, various designs have been proposed to aid in erecting temporary fall protection barriers that meet strict safety guidelines. To a large extent, however, most of the proposed designs are impractical, expensive, and too complicated. Guardrail systems that are too complicated will not be used efficiently and/or properly by workmen at a construction site, thereby posing a safety risk. 
     Therefore, a need exists for a simple and reusable guardrail system that is effective in preventing accidental falls, meets safety guidelines, and can be assembled and disassembled efficiently. 
     SUMMARY 
     A fall protection guardrail support and assembly for erecting a fall protection barrier for workmen at construction sites, particularly in wood-framed buildings, is disclosed herein. Some of the advantages of the guardrail support disclosed herein are that it is quick and easy to install and assemble and disassemble. The components are reusable, and the lumber used for the rails suffers less damage on disassembly than in most current systems, thus allowing its reuse in most situations. 
     In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, a guardrail support for a temporary safety barrier is provided wherein the guardrail support comprises a support bracket adapted with a positioning stop to position a support bracket against a vertical wall framing member and further adapted to attach to the vertical framing member, wherein the support bracket also extends laterally from the wall framing member to an integral pole support that is vertically oriented, and a pole that is adapted to fit into the pole support, the pole having an upper rail support adapted to hold a plurality of rails at a height required for a top rail, and a lower rail support adapted to hold a plurality of rails at a height required for a midrail. The rails are preferably comprised of 2×4 lumber, as it is inexpensive and readily available. The pole support and pole may have holes that match up when the latter is inserted into the former, such holes adapted to accommodate a safety pin or a screw, bolt, or other suitable device to prevent the pole from being accidentally removed from the pole support. The upper and lower rail supports of the pole may be equipped with a rail retention device, to prevent the rails from being accidentally removed from the rail supports, which may comprise a safety pin through a set of holes in the rail support and pole wherein the safety pin is located atop the rails or through a hole in the rails, a hinged top cover for the bracket that closes the bracket opening, or a screw through a support bracket into both rails, as shown in  FIGS. 9 and 11 , or any other suitable retention device to prevent accidental removal of the rails. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, additional brackets may be attached to the support pole, adapted and positioned so that they can support a scaffolding, which may have fall protection afforded by the above-described rails. In such an embodiment, the support bracket and pole would have to be adapted to handle the additional weight from scaffolding. In an alternate embodiment, two or more support brackets could be used with a single support pole that has a longer insertion member. The framing member to which the support bracket(s) is attached should be capable of handling the scaffolding load, both vertically and in other load directions. Additional attachment points could be adapted for other uses. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  depicts a perspective view of a support bracket of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  depicts a perspective view of a support bracket of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  depicts a perspective view of the present invention in use on a framing member; 
         FIG. 4  depicts an exploded view of the present invention and a framed wall in a horizontal position; 
         FIG. 5  depicts a perspective view of the present invention installed on a framed wall in a horizontal position; 
         FIG. 6  depicts a perspective view of the present invention installed on a framed wall in a vertical position; 
         FIG. 7  depicts a close-up perspective view of an embodiment of the rail support of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  depicts a close-up perspective view of an embodiment of the rail support of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  depicts a cross section view taken through line  9 - 9  of the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 10  depicts an exploded view of another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 11  depicts the embodiment shown in  FIG. 10  in use. 
         FIGS. 12A and 12B  show variations of the bottom bracket. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of presently-preferred embodiments of the invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention. 
     The fall protection guardrail described herein includes a novel support bracket  2  that attaches to framing  4  and holds a pole  6  that has a top end  5  and a bottom end  7 . As shown in a preferred embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the support bracket  2  may comprise two components, an attachment member  8  and a pole support  10 . 
     The attachment member  8  may be constructed of an attachment face  12 , with a first surface  14  and a second surface  16 , and four sides. The attachment face  12  may be rectangular and substantially planar, and its surface may define at least one attachment hole  56 . On one or more sides of the attachment face  12 , reinforcing members  18   a - d  are coupled with the attachment face  12 . The reinforcing members  18   a - d  may be planar rectangles such as flat bar stock, typically arranged perpendicular to the attachment face  12 . The reinforcing members  18  may also be other shapes (not shown) such as an L-shape (angle iron), square or rectangular tubing, channel bar, I-beam, T-bar, or any other suitable shape, and may be arranged in any suitable configuration on the attachment face  12 . In a preferred embodiment the attachment face  12  is approximately 10 inches (25.4 cm)×6 inches (15.24 cm), although other dimensions may be used. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the attachment member  8  may be comprised of a single sheet of steel, with cut out corners, wherein the sides are folded up on the first side of the attachment face  12  to form the reinforcing members  18   a - d , and their corners are fastened together, typically by welding, but any suitable attachment method may be used. The resulting open “box” may have three sides  18   a - c  or four sides  18   a - d . Alternatively, the reinforcing members  18   a - d  can comprise separate bar stock or other shapes described above, welded or otherwise coupled with the attachment face  12 , again with three or four sides. In either case, the attachment member may comprise a top reinforcing member  18   a , a bottom reinforcing member  18   c  opposite and parallel to the top reinforcing member  18   a , and a side reinforcing member adjacent  18   b , perpendicular, and attached to the top and bottom reinforcing members  18   a ,  18   c  to form the open box configuration, wherein the side reinforcing member  18   b  is opposite the pole support  10 . In some embodiments, the pole support  10  may make up the fourth reinforcing member to complete the open box configuration. In other embodiments, a second side reinforcing member  18   d  may be attached to the attachment member  8  opposite the first side reinforcing member  18   b  and adjacent and perpendicular to the top and bottom reinforcing members  18   a ,  18   c . The pole support  10  may be attached to the second side reinforcing member  18   d.    
     In a preferred embodiment, the pole support  10  may be constructed of square tubing, although other shapes of tubing may be used so long as the tubing comprises at least one wall  11  defining a first cavity  13 . As used herein, the term “square tubing” shall include any rectangular tubing with equal or unequal side dimensions. Square tubing may be advantageous to keep the pole  6  in a certain orientation without use of a pin, and also has greater bending strength than round tubing for a given thickness when the moment is in line with the sides of the tubing. Square tubing may also be easier to attach to the square sides of the attachment member  8  “box.” Square tubing also has an advantage if a safety pin is used, described below. Nevertheless, other shapes of tubing may be used for the pole support  10 . However, non-cylindrical shaped tubing is preferred to prevent unwanted rotation of the pole  6  within the pole support  10 . In a preferred embodiment, the pole support  10  is comprised of square tubing defining a first cavity  13  having a first cavity dimension of approximately 1.25 inches (3.175 cm) by 1.25 inches and an outer pole support dimension of approximately 1.5 inches (3.81 cm) by 1.5 inches, although other dimensioned tubing may be used. 
     The attachment member  8  may then be coupled with the pole support  10 . The pole support  10  may be coupled with the attachment member  8  by welding or other suitable methods. In a preferred embodiment, the attachment member  8  is a three-sided “box,” and the pole support  10  is a piece of square tubing with a side dimension that is the same width as the reinforcing members  18   a - c , wherein the square tubing may be welded or otherwise coupled with the attachment member  8  so that the square tubing becomes the fourth side of the “box” and acts as a reinforcing member  18   d.    
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in a preferred embodiment the attachment member  8  is a rectangle with unequal sides, where one of the long sides is coupled with the pole support  10 . Although the pole support  10  is shown as being the same length as the long side of the attachment member  8 , the pole support  10  could be longer or shorter. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in a preferred embodiment a positioning member  20  is attached to the second surface  16  of the attachment face  12 . The purpose of the positioning member  20  is to act as a stop to accurately position a first portion of the second surface  16  of the attachment face  12  of the attachment member  8  that is distal to the pole support  10  against a building framing member  4 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . Preferably, the first portion of the second surface  16  of the attachment face  12  touching the framing member  4  (referred to as the “attachment surface”  22 ) is approximately equal to the width of the framing member  4 , although it may be wider or narrower. For example, for a building made with 2×4 framing members  4  (which are nominally 1.5 inches×3.5 inches (3.81 cm×8.89 cm)), the attachment surface  22  would be 3.5 inches wide. For a building with framing members  4  that are larger, the attachment surface  22  could be sized to match, or be kept at the same 3.5 inch size, or made larger or smaller. Although the positioning member  20  is shown as a piece of angle iron in  FIGS. 1-3 , it may be any suitable structure that makes the attachment surface  22  the appropriate dimension, whether it be one or more “ears” cut into the attachment face  12  and bent up to act as a stop, or some other type of bar stock, round stock, or any suitable shaped protrusion. The attachment surface  22  may be equipped with attachment holes  56  to accommodate fasteners  42 , described below. 
     In some embodiments, the attachment face  12  may have attachment holes  56  on both sides of the positioning member  20 . This allows the attachment member  8  to be attached to a framing member with the first surface  14  facing the framing members  4 . This may be suitable when framing members  4  are made with large 2×6 or 2×8 beams, and the like. Stronger screws or fastening devices may be used to secure the attachment member  8  in this manner. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , a pole  6  may be adapted to fit into the pole support  10  and equipped with a pole stop  24  in between the top end  5  and the bottom end  7 , but preferably near its bottom end  7 . Thus, the bottom end  7  defines a pole support insert  9 . The pole stop  24  insures that the pole support insert  9  is suitably inserted into the pole support  10 , but insures the pole  6  cannot slip further into the pole support  10  than necessary. The pole stop  24  may be constructed of bar stock or square tubing that is the same dimension as the pole support  10 , and welded or suitably fastened to the pole  6  at the desired location. In a preferred embodiment, the pole  6  is comprised of square tubing that has an inner dimension of approximately 1.0 inches (2.54 cm) by 1 inch, and an outer dimension of approximately 1.25 inches (3.175 cm) by 1.25 inch. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , both the pole support  10  and the pole  6  may be equipped with corresponding pole locking pin holes  26 ,  27 , through which a pole locking pin  28  may be inserted to prevent the pole  6  from accidentally falling or lifting out of the pole support  10 . The pin holes  26 ,  27  may be spaced apart in regular increments, such as two inch increments so that the proper height of the pole  6  can be selected, for example to accommodate 10-inch, 12-inch, 14-inch floor joists, and the like. The pole locking pin  28  may be a standard spring and ball detent pin, such as those sold under the Kwik-Lok® brand, with or without a release button, or any other suitable locking pin, including but not limited to heavy duty cotter pins, pintle pins, industrial safety and snap pins, or other suitable retaining pins. The pole locking pin  28  may be attached to either the pole  6 , the support bracket  2  or the pole support  10  by a wire cable or other suitable retaining device, so that that a pole locking pin  28  is always within reach. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , in a preferred embodiment the upper portion of the pole  6  is comprised of a lower rail support  30  and an upper rail support  32 . The rail supports  30 ,  32  may be constructed of bar stock welded into the desired configuration. In a preferred embodiment, the rail support is comprised of an L-shaped piece of bar stock that is coupled with the pole  6  near the top end and a diagonal element  38  coupled with the L-shaped piece of bar stock. The L-shaped piece of bar stock comprises a horizontal element  34  and vertical element  36  connected at a corner  35 . The diagonal element  38  is coupled to the corner  35  of the “L” and also coupled with the pole  6  at a position distal to the pole&#39;s  6  top end to act as a support for the “L.” In particular, the diagonal element  38  has a first end  37  and a second end  39  opposite the first end  37 , the first end  37  of the diagonal element  38  coupled to the corner  35  of the L-shaped piece of bar stock and the second end  39  of the diagonal element  38  attached to the pole  6  at a position below the horizontal element  34  to act as a support for the L-shaped piece of bar stock. 
     The rail supports  30 ,  32  may be constructed in any configuration or manner to provide sufficient support for the rails  44 . The rails  44  are elongated structures, each rail having a length L, a width W, and a thickness T, wherein the length L is greater than the width W, and the width W is greater than or equal to the thickness T. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the vertical element  36  of the “L” of the rail support is at least as tall as the width W of the rail  44 . The vertical element  36  of the “L” of the upper rail support  32  would typically terminate at or near the same height as the pole  6 . For example, when using 2×4 lumber as rails  44 , the vertical element  36  of the “L” of the rail support would be at least 3.5″ tall. In a preferred embodiment, the horizontal element  34  of the “L” of the rail support may have a length that is approximately twice the thickness T of the rail  44  to accommodate two rails  44 , as shown in  FIGS. 6-9 . For example, when using 2×4 lumber as rails  44 , the horizontal element  34  of the “L” of the rail support would be at least 3.0 inches (7.62 cm) wide on the interior, to accommodate two rails  44 , each having a thickness T of 1.5 inches with a bit of excess space to allow some play. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , a framed wall  40  is typically constructed on the ground or other horizontal surface. When the wall framing is complete but still lying horizontally, the attachment surface  22  of the support bracket  2  may be placed against a framing member  4 , and attached to the framing member  4  by screws, nails, or other fasteners  42  driven through the attachment holes  56  into the framing member  4 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the topmost reinforcing member may also have one or more attachment holes  56 , and a fastener  42  may be driven through the hole(s) and into the top plate  42  of the wall framing  40 . The fasteners  42  should be of sufficient strength to hold the support bracket  2  to the framing member  4  when the guardrail system is assembled and under the specified minimum load. In a typical configuration, the support bracket  2  is fastened to the framed wall  40  such that the pole support  10  is located on the outside of the wall. 
     At some point, preferably before the framed wall  40  is raised to the vertical position, the pole  6  is placed into the pole support  10 . A pole locking pin  28  may be inserted into the pole locking pin holes  26 ,  27  as shown in  FIG. 5 . Then the wall is raised to the vertical position and secured to other framing, and the guardrail supports are already in position. Once the floor (not shown) is attached to the top of the framed wall  40 , the rails  44  can be placed into the rail supports  30 ,  32 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, the vertical element  36  of the “L” of each rail support would be taller than the width W of the rail  44  to accommodate a rail locking pin  46  to function as the retention device. As shown in  FIG. 6 , in such a configuration, the pole  6  and the vertical element  36  of the “L” of the rail support would define corresponding rail locking pin holes  48 , which are typically located slightly higher than the largest dimension of the rail. After the rails  44  are placed into the rail supports  30 ,  32 , the rail locking pins  46  are inserted into the rail locking pin holes  48 ,  49  to retain the rails  44  in the rail supports  30 ,  32 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     In alternative embodiments, the rails  44  may be retained in the rail supports  30 ,  32  by other structures that serve as the retention device. In  FIGS. 7-9 , one such alternative embodiment is shown, which comprises a vertical element  36  of the “L” of the rail support that is the same height or slightly shorter than the larger dimension of the rail, and a retention clamp  50  as the retention device, which may be an “L” shaped element coupled with the pole  6  by a hinge  52  or other suitable attachment method or apparatus. The vertical element  36  of the “L” of the rail support and the retention clamp  50  may have corresponding retention holes  54 ,  55  and a nail, screw, or other fastener  42  may be driven through the retention holes  54 ,  55  and into one or both rails  44  to secure the rails  44  in the rail support, as shown in  FIGS. 7-9 . Alternatively, the retention clamp  50  may be omitted and a fastener  42  may be driven through a retention hole in the vertical element  36  of the “L” of the rail support, or through a retention hole in the pole  6 , or both, into one or both of the rails  44 . 
     In yet another embodiment, the retention device may be a retention lip  31  that is at the top of the vertical element  36  and extends towards the pole  6 . The retention lip  31  could be any structure that extends towards pole  6 , such as a bent portion of the vertical element  36 , a separate welded element, or any suitable structure. As shown in  FIG. 11 , to secure a pair of rails in this embodiment, a first rail  44  is placed against the vertical element  36 , beneath the retention lip  31 , and a second rail  44  is placed between the first rail  44  and the pole  6 , and at least one fastener  42  is driven through both the first and second rails  44 , which lock them together. Then the retention lip  31 , which is of sufficient length to engage the top of the first rail  44 , prevents these locked-together rails  44  from lifting out of the rail support  30 ,  32 . To prevent the rails  44  from moving laterally within the rail support  30 ,  32 , one or more fasteners  42  with a protruding head could be driven through the rails  44  on one side or both sides of the vertical element  36  or the pole  6 , wherein the protruding head would engage the vertical element  36  or the pole  6  to prevent significant lateral movement of the rails  44 . Alternatively, the pole  6  and/or the vertical element  36  could have one or more holes  55  through which a single fastener  42  could be driven into the rails  44  to prevent both lateral and vertical movement of the rails. This latter embodiment could be used with or without the retention lip  31 . 
     In some embodiments, the support bracket  2  could be used to support a pole  6  that holds scaffolding  47 . The support bracket  2  and pole  6  would have to be sized to accommodate the additional load of the scaffolding  47  and the worker(s) using the scaffolding  47 , as well as the live loads from those worker(s). A longer support bracket  2  may be used to spread the load over a greater length of the framing member  4 . Alternatively, several smaller support brackets  2  may be used to support a single pole  6 . In some embodiments, the pole support  10  may be positioned farther away from the building than the guardrail supports described above, to accommodate the width of the scaffolding walking surface. The pole  6  may be long enough to insert into the entire length of such extended support bracket(s)  2 , although a shorter or longer length could be used. In a preferred embodiment, the scaffolding may be supported by scaffolding supports, a similar structure as the rail supports  30 ,  32  attached to the pole  6 , but wider and shallower to accommodate the scaffolding walking surface, which may typically be 12 to 18 inches (30.5 to 45.74 cm) wide. The scaffolding surface may be secured in a similar manner as the rails  44  of the above described guardrail system, with locking pins. Alternatively, the scaffolding walking surfaces could be mounted on the scaffolding supports in a similar manner as existing scaffolding systems, with the scaffolding supports adapted to such mounting. The end of a scaffolding walking surface may be supported by a scaffolding end support, which can be on two separate poles  6  close together, each with an end support, or a single pole  6  with two end supports. The scaffolding support may be further adapted to attach to the building. A guardrail system as described above could be integrated into the pole  6 , with the pole  6  having rail supports  30 ,  32  extending above the scaffolding walking surface. Such guardrail system would typically be used to prevent falls from the scaffolding, and thus would be positioned on the outside of the scaffolding. 
     Alternatively, the scaffolding support pole could be a separate structure from the rail support pole. A scaffolding support pole could be placed into a support bracket, which bracket may have additional structure to attach to horizontal framing members to provide additional support. The scaffolding support pole may be substantially vertical and relatively close to the building, then have a cantilevered scaffolding support bracket incorporated into it that extends away from the building to hold the scaffolding walking surface. At the outer edge of the cantilevered scaffolding support bracket, another support bracket could be incorporated to hold a pole to support a guardrail system as described above. 
     In the preferred embodiment, a support bracket  2  and pole  6  may be used with our without a scaffolding frame  60 . Without the scaffolding frame  60 , the guardrail system works as described above. With the scaffolding frame  60 , the scaffolding frame  60  would be attached to the support bracket  2  and the pole  6  would be attached to the scaffolding frame  60  so that the support bracket  2  supports the pole  6  via the scaffolding frame  60 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 10 , in the preferred embodiment, the scaffolding frame  60  comprises a vertical support bar  62  having a lower end  64  and an upper end  66  opposite the lower end  64 , a horizontal support  70  bar having a proximal end  72  and a distal end  74  opposite the proximal end  72 , and a diagonal support bar  80  having a first end  82  and a second end  84  opposite the first end  82 . The proximal end  72  of the horizontal support bar  70  is attached to the upper end  66  of the vertical support bar  62 . The first end  82  of the diagonal support bar  80  is attached to the distal end  74  of the horizontal support bar  70 , and the lower end  64  of the vertical support bar  62  is attached to the diagonal support bar  80  near the second end  84 . Therefore, the vertical support bar  62 , the horizontal support bar  70 , and the diagonal support bar  80  generally define a triangular configuration. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the proximal end  72  of the horizontal support bar  70  extends past the vertical support bar  62 , thereby terminating at a free terminal end  76 . Attached to the horizontal support bar  70  in between the vertical support bar  62  and the free terminal end  76  of the horizontal support bar  70  may be another pole support insert  90 . The pole support insert  90  extends downwardly and perpendicularly from the horizontal support bar  70  and parallel to the vertical support bar  62 . The pole support insert  90  of the scaffolding frame  60  is substantially similar to the pole support insert  9  of the pole  6  so that either of the two can be inserted into the pole support  10  of the support bracket  2 . 
     In the preferred embodiment, the second end  84  of the diagonal support bar  80  extends past the lower end  64  of the vertical support bar  62 . The second end  84  of the diagonal support bar  80  may comprise a bottom bracket  100 . In the preferred embodiment, the bottom bracket  100  comprises a first arm  102  and a second arm  104  opposite and parallel to the first arm  102 , the first and second arms  102 ,  104  attached to the second end  84  of the diagonal support bar  80  with the first and second arms  102 ,  104  defining a gap therebetween. The distance between the first and second arms  102 ,  104  is sufficiently wide to receive the stud of the framing. Each of the first and second arms  102 ,  104  may define attachment holes  106  permitting the first and second arms  102 ,  104  to be fastened to a stud inserted therebetween. 
     In some embodiments, the first arm  102  and the second arm  104  each may comprise flanged endings  110 ,  112  as shown in  FIG. 12A . The flanged endings  110 ,  112  may be substantially perpendicular to their respective first and second arms  102 ,  104  and extend in opposite directions relative to each other. The flanged ends  110 ,  112  may be sufficiently parallel to each other so as to be able to rest flush against a flat surface. The flanged ends  110 ,  112  may also define attachment holes  114 . This configuration allows the second end  84  of the diagonal support bar  80  to attach to an appropriately sized stud if the stud fits in between the first and second arms  102 ,  104 , or to attach to a particularly wide frame portion by fastening the flanged ends  110 ,  112  flush against the frame. In an alternative embodiment, the bottom bracket  100  may have angled flanges  110 ,  112  as shown in  FIGS. 10-11 , adapted to fit corner framing members. In addition, as those in the art will appreciate, various pieces could be attached to the bottom bracket  100  shown in either  FIG. 10  or  FIG. 11 , to accommodate a variety of angles and shapes to fasten to various framing members. In some embodiments, as shown in  FIG. 12B , the bottom bracket  100  may be a T-bar having a flat base  117  and a perpendicular brace  115 . The perpendicular brace  115  may have holes  114 . The flat base  117  may be pressed flat against the front of the frame with the perpendicular brace  115  against the side of the frame. The perpendicular brace  115  can be fastened to the frame with a screw or some other fastener. In another embodiment, the perpendicular brace  115  can be located in another position along the face of the flat base  117  to be adapted to fit a particular side of a framing member. For example, the perpendicular brace  115  could located on the edge of the face of the flat base  117 . 
     For corner scaffolding, the length of the horizontal support bar  70  may have to be longer to accommodate the scaffolding  47  because the scaffolding frame  60  for a corner is at a 45 degree angle to the scaffolding frames  60  that are mounted 90 degrees relative to the walls of the building. 
     A second pole support  120  may be attached to the distal end  74  of the horizontal support bar  70  and/or the first end  82  of the diagonal support bar  80 , perpendicular to the horizontal support bar  70 . The second pole support  120  defines a second cavity  122  having a second cavity dimension. Thus, with the scaffolding frame  60  installed on the first pole support  10  of the support bracket  2 , the pole  6  can be installed on the second pole support  120  of the scaffolding frame  60 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 11 , in the preferred embodiment, in which the pole  6  can be interchangeably inserted into the first pole support  10  (or corner bracket  130 ) or the second pole support  120 , the pole support insert  9  of the pole  6  located below the pole stop  24  may comprise a stepped taper  17  to decrease an outer dimension of the pole support insert  9  in a stepwise manner moving towards the bottom end  7  of the pole  6 , thereby defining a larger region  19  of the pole support insert  9  having a first dimension above the step  17  and a smaller region  21  of the pole support insert  9  having a second dimension below the step  17 . The first dimension of the pole support insert  9  may be greater than the second dimension of the pole support insert  9  of the pole  6 . The first cavity  13  dimension is substantially the same as the second dimension of the pole support insert  9 , but smaller than the first dimension of the pole support insert  9  such that the larger region  19  of the pole support insert  9  cannot enter into the first cavity  13  of the first pole support  10  or the third cavity  142  of corner bracket  130 . 
     The second cavity  122  dimension is substantially the same as the first dimension of the pole support insert  9 , and larger than the second dimension of the pole support insert  9  such that the larger region  19  of the pole support insert  9  and the smaller region  21  of the pole support insert  9  can pass through the second cavity  122  until the second pole support  120  abuts against the pole stop  24 . 
     The reason for the varying dimensions is to accommodate the required heights for rail heights. For example, fall protection guardrails typically have a top rail at 42 inches above the flooring and a mid-rail 21 inches above the flooring, whether that flooring is for a building or scaffolding. If a first pole support  10  (or corner bracket  130  discussed below) is mounted on a framing member below the floor joist or rim board, the pole  6  has to be long enough to accommodate that distance so that the rails  44  are at the required height above the floor. Thus, the smaller region  21  of the pole support insert  9  fits into the first cavity  13  of the first pole support  10  or the third cavity  142  of corner bracket  130  (discussed below), and stops when the larger region  19  of the pole support insert  9  abuts against the top of the first or third cavities  13 ,  142 . In contrast, when the pole  6  is used for scaffolding, the horizontal support  70  defines the floor of the scaffolding  47 , so there is no need to compensate for floor joist height. Thus the larger region  19  of the pole support insert  9  passes through the second cavity  122  until the top of the second pole support  120  abuts against the pole stop  24 , which puts the rail supports  30 ,  32  at the proper heights for the scaffolding  47 . 
     The guardrail system may further comprise a corner bracket  130  that can be substituted for the support bracket  2  when the guardrail is being installed at a corner of the framing  4 . In the preferred embodiment, the corner bracket  130  may comprise a third pole support  132  and an angled attachment  134  member having a first plate  136  operatively connected to a second plate  138  at substantially a right angle. The third pole support  132  may be connected to the angled attachment member  134  where the first plate  136  meets the second plate  138 . The first and second plates  136 ,  138  each comprise a plurality of attachment holes  140  to fasten the corner bracket  130  to a corner of the framing, wherein the third pole support  132  comprises a third cavity  142  having a third cavity dimension that is substantially equal to the first cavity dimension of the first pole support  10 . 
     Therefore, in use, a support bracket  2  (or a corner bracket  130  if at a corner of the framing) may be fastened to a lower floor framing  4  lying horizontally on a ground, the lower floor framing  4  comprising a plurality of studs and a top plate. A pole support insert  9  or  90  may be inserted into the first pole support  10 , wherein the pole support insert  9  or  90  is operatively connected to a pole  6  such that when the pole support insert  9  or  90  is inserted into the first pole support  10 , a top end  5  of the pole  6  is at a desired height to create a guardrail that meets or exceeds government standards for temporary guardrail systems, wherein the pole  6  comprises at least one rail support  30 ,  32 . The pole support insert  9  or  90  may be secured in the first pole support  10 . The lower floor framing  9  can then be erected placing the rail support  30 ,  32  at the proper position. Rails  49  may be installed into the at least one rail support  30 ,  32 , whereby the guardrail is properly positioned on an upper floor area to protect construction workers working on the upper floor from falling. In addition, a support bracket  2  or a corner bracket  130  could be installed at any point in the construction process, and guardrails and/or scaffolding placed as needed. 
     In some embodiments, in which a scaffolding is desired, the pole support insert  90  of a scaffolding frame  60  may be inserted into the first pole support  10 , the scaffolding frame comprising a second pole support  120 . The pole  6  is then inserted into the second pole support  120  to operatively connect to the pole support insert  90 . 
     The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. It is intended that the scope of the invention not be limited by this detailed description, but by the claims and the equivalents to the claims appended hereto.

Technology Category: 4