Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SAFETY RAILING FOR LADDER MOUNTED SCAFFOLDING
Backqround of the Invention
The present invention relates to safety railing
suitable for attaching to existing ladder mounted
scaffolding systems.
It is well known to provide a small scaffold
for overhead work by attaching support brackets to a pair
of spaced-apart ladders and then suspending a scaffold on
the support brackets so that it extends between the
ladders. However, a worker can easily step back off the
edge of the scaffold and fall.
Numerous scaffolds have been designed with
integral safety railing to protect against a worker
inadvertently stepping off the scaffold. Examples of
such scaffolding include Livick, U.S. Patent No.
4,941,547; Underhill, U.S. Patent No. 4,640,385; Moore,
U.S. Patent No. 2,910,135; Fieroh, U.S. Patent No.
2,245,661; Sneddon, U.S. Patent No. 2,080,015; and
Warner, U.S. Patent No. 2,043,312. However, the safety
railing is not suitable for attachment to existing
scaffolds that do not include integral safety railing
to protect against a worker inadvertently falling.
What is therefore desired is safety railing
~ 25 that is detachably connectable to existing ladder mounted
scaffolds that do not include safety railing.
Summary of the Present Invention
The present invention overcomes the
aforementioned drawbacks and shortcomings of the prior
art by providing safety railing suitable for attachment
to existing ladder mounted scaffolding that does not have
safety railing. The safety railing of a first embodiment
of the present invention includes a pair of scaffold
bracket supports, each of which is detachably connectable
to a respective support bracket of the ladder mounted
scaffolding. Each of a pair of elongate vertical
2178~
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supports includes a receiving member suitable for
engagement with a rung of a respective ladder. Each of
the vertical supports is connected to a respective one of
the scaffold bracket supports so as to maintain the rela-
tive position of each of the vertical supports and arespective one of the support brackets in a fixed rela-
tionship to each other. A railing bracket is connected
to the upper end of each vertical support to support at
least one rail therebetween.
Sufficient structural support is provided to
the vertical supports by detachably affixing them to
respective scaffold bracket supports and ladder rungs.
To prevent a worker from inadvertently stepping off the
scaffolding at least one rail is supported by the railing
brackets supported by the vertical supports at a location
above the scaffolding. Accordingly, the safety railing
is connectable to the scaffolding when needed and
detachable from the scaffolding when not needed.
The safety railing of a second embodiment of
the present invention is detachably connectable to the
ladders without connection to the scaffolding. The
vertical supports include receiving members suitable for
engagement with a rung of a respective ladder to support
the lower portion of the vertical supports. The railing
brackets are connected to the upper end of the vertical
supports to support at least each rail therebetween. An
elongate member is attached to each railing bracket and
detachably connectable to a rung of a ladder to provide
support to the upper portion of the vertical support.
The foregoing and other objectives, features,
and advantages of the invention will be more readily
understood upon consideration of the following detailed
description of the invention, taken in conjunction with
the accompanying drawings.
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Brief Description of the Drawings
FIG. 1 is a partial front view of a first
exemplary embodiment of the present invention including a
pair of spaced-apart ladders supporting a scaffold and
S safety railing.
FIG. 2 is a side view taken along line 2-2 of
FIG. 1 showing a railing holder, scaffold bracket
support, extendable vertical support, and rails of the
ladder shown in section.
FIG. 3 is a partial view, at an enlarged scale,
of the extendable vertical support, as shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view, at an
enlarged scale, of the scaffold bracket support, as shown
in FIG. 2.
FIG. S is a partial sectional view, at an
enlarged scale, of the railing-holder, as shown in
FIG. 2.
FIG. 6 is a side view of a second exemplary
embodiment of the present invention including a pair of
spaced-apart ladders supporting an inwardly directed
scaffold with a lower rail support, and an upper rail
support supported by ladder rails.
FIG. 7 is a partial sectional front view, at an
enlarged scale, of the lower rail support taken along
line 7-7 of FIG. 6.
FIG. 8 is a partial side view, at an enlarged
scale, of the upper rail support and a U-shaped rail
securement mechanism, as shown in FIG. 6.
FIG. 9 is a top view of the upper rail support,
as shown in FIG. 8.
FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line
10-10 of FIG. 8 showing the U-shaped rail securement
mechanism. -
FIG. 11 illustrates the preferred method of
assembly of the individual parts for the safety railing,as shown in FIG. 1.
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FIG. 12 illustrates the preferred method ofassembly of the individual parts for the safety railing,
as shown in FIG. 6.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment
Referring to FIG. 1, a pair of conventional
ladders 20 and 22 are oriented in a parallel spaced-apart
relationship leaning up against a vertical surface 18.
Each ladder 20 and 22 includes a respective pair-of
vertical support rails 24, 26, and 28, 30. Supported
between respective pairs of rails 24, 26, and 28, 30 are
ladder rungs 32a-32j and 34a-34j.
Referring also to FIG. 2, a scaffolding 40 for
overhead work is attached to and supported by the spaced-
apart ladders 20 and 22. The scaffold 40 includes a pair
of platform support brackets 41 supported by respective
ladder 20 and 22. Each support bracket 41 includes a
scaffold bracket 42 with a pair of U-shaped members 44
and 46 spaced apart to engage a pair of adjacent ladder
rungs 32d and 32e. Each support bracket 41 further
includes a horizontally oriented extension member 48 and
an adjustably inclined support 51 supporting the exten-
sion member 48. Each support bracket 41 is located and
supported on each ladder 20 and 22 at the same elevation.
A horizontal platform 50, preferably constructed of a
rigid material, is supported by the pair of support
brackets 41 to support the weight of workers and con-
struction materials. Each support bracket 41 includes an
upwardly extending tab 52 to prevent either end of the
horizontal platform 50 from inadvertently sliding off
the respective support bracket 41. However, scaffolds
frequently do not include a safety railing to prevent
workers from inadvertently stepping back off the edge of
the scaffolding 40 and falling.
A safety railing 100 suitable to prevent
workers from stepping back off the scaffolding 40
includes a pair of elongate hollow tubular vertical
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supports 102. Referring to FIG. 3, each vertical support
102 includes an elongate tubular leg 104 that slidably
fits within the lower end of the vertical support 102.
The tubular leg 104 includes holes (not shown) that are
aligned with holes 108 in the vertical support 102 by
moving the tubular leg 104 with respect to the vertical
support 102. After aligning a suitable pair of respec-
tive holes, a pin 110 is inserted through the holes to
maintain the tubular leg 104 and vertical support 102 in
a fixed relationship with respect to each other. Accord-
ingly, the adjustable length of the safety railing 100
provides flexibility to engage a wide variety of ladders.
A U-shaped foot 112 is affixed to the bottom
end of the tubular leg 104. The U-shaped foot 112 is
engaged over a rung 32j of the ladder 20 and then a
retaining piece 120 is inserted through aligned holes in
the foot 112 to prevent inadvertent disengagement of the
U-shaped foot 112 from the rung 32j.
Referring to FIG. 4, slidably located on each
vertical support 102 is a scaffold bracket support 140.
The scaffold bracket support 140 includes a rectangular-
shaped opening defined by a pair of vertical sides 142
and 144 and a pair of vertical ends 146 and 148. The
rectangular-shaped opening is sized to fit over tab 52.
A set screw 150 is threaded through the vertical side 144
to secure the tab 52 against the vertical side 142 to
maintain the scaffold bracket support 140 in a fixed or
rigid relationship with respect to the scaffolding 40. A
series of holes 154 and 156 are respectively located in
the vertical support 102 and the vertical sides 146 and
148 to receive a pin 152 therethrough. The holes 154 in
the vertical support 102 are preferably linearly vertic-
ally aligned. The holes 156 in the scaffold bracket
support 140 are preferably linearly horizontally aligned.
The pin 152 inserted through a pair of aligned holes 154
and 156 vertically ad~usts the vertical support 102
with respect to the scaffolding 40 by selecting the
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appropriate hole 154. The holes 156 in the scaffold
bracket support 140 permit the vertical support 102 to be
adjusted horizontally with respect to the scaffolding
40. Movement of the vertical support 102 in both the
5 horizontal and vertical directions permits alignment
adjustment of the vertical support 102 with respect to
the scaffolding 40.
Referring to FIG. 5, slidably located at the
upper end of each vertical support 102 is a railing
holder 170. The railing holder 170 has a hollow leg 172
that slidably fits over the vertical support 102. A hole
174 is provided in the hollow leg 172. The vertical
support 102 includes a plurality of holes 176. A pin 178
is placed through a pair of aligned holes 174 and 176 to
15 position the railing holder 170 at the desired elevation.
The railing holder 170 has a pair of hollow spaced-apart
legs 180 and 182 perpendicularly oriented with respect to
the hollow leg 172. The hollow legs 180 and 182 are
preferably sized to receive 2" x 4" rails 190 and 192. A
hollow leg 184, preferably sized to receive a 2" x 6"
rail 194, is affixed to each of the scaffold bracket
supports 140.
Referring again to FIG. 1, the safety railing
100 is affixed to each ladder 20 and 22. With two safety
railings 100, the rails 190, 192, and 194 may be inserted
through the respective pairs of hollow legs 180, 182, and
184 to provide horizontal rails to protect workers
against inadvertently stepping off the scaffolding 40 and
falling. Referring to FIG. 2, a chain 200 interconnects
the top of each vertical support 102 to the respective
ladder 20 and 22 to prevent the worker from inadvertently
walking off the end of the horizontal platform 50. In
addition, a flexible sheet 202 i-s supported by each
respective chain 200. The lower portion of each flexible
sheet 200 includes a tubular portion 204. The flexible
sheet 202 is secured in position by passing a bungie cord
206 through the tubular portion 204 and affixing the ends
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of the rope 206 to the screw 150 and a rung 32a and 34a.
The flexible sheets 202 further prevent a worker from
inadvertently stepping off the end of the scaffolding 40.
Referring to FIG. 6, scaffolding 240 may
alternatively be inwardly oriented between the ladder 20
and 22 and the vertical surface 18. With the scaffolding
240 inwardly oriented, workers may still step off the
scaffolding 240 and fall. Accordingly, there is a need
for a safety railing to prevent such accidents. A lower
rail support 300 includes a notch 302 sized to receive
the scaffold platform support bracket extension member
248 therein, as shown in FIG. 7. The lower rail support
300 is secured and held in a fixed relationship with
respect to the extension member 248 by a threaded wing
bolt 306. The lower rail support 300 defines an opening
308, preferably sized to receive a 2" x 6" rail 310
therethrough. By including the lower rail support 300 on
both ends of the scaffolding 240, the rail 310 may be
inserted through both openings 308 to provide lower rail-
ing as security against a worker inadvertently stepping
off the back of the scaffolding 240.
The low position of the rail 310 shown in the
embodiment illustrated in the drawings provides only
partial safety against inadvertently stepping off the
~ 25 scaffolding 240. An upper rail support 320 is used to
support additional railing to prevent workers from
inadvertently stepping off the back of the scaffolding
240. The upper rail support 320 includes a vertical
support 322 having a U-shaped bracket 326 attached to its
lower end. A pin 321 fits through aligned holes in the
U-shaped bracket to fit it to a ladder ring. A railing
holder 330 includes a hollow leg 332 that slidably fits
over the vertical support 322. The hollow leg 332
includes a hole 329 through which a pin 327 is inserted
into one of a plurality of holes 32S within the vertical
support 322 to permit vertical adjustment of the railing
holder 330. The rail holder 330 has hollow legs 334 and
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336, preferably sized to receive 2" x 4" rails 337
therethrough. The railing holder 330 is identical to the
railing holder 170 of the prior embodiment.
Referring now also to FIGS. 8 or 9, located on
the upper end of the vertical support 322 above the
hollow leg 332, is a support bracket 338. The support
bracket 338 is hingedly attached to a hollow tubular
sleeve 339 that slidably fits over the vertical support.
The support bracket has a patterned slot 342 located in
it. A U-shaped assembly 344 is movably secured to the
patterned slot 342 by a bolt 346 and wing nut 348. The
U-shaped assembly 344 is moveable and selectively posi- -
tionable to any suitable position within the patterned
slot 342. The U-shaped assembly 344 includes a U-shaped
bracket 350 sized to engage a rail. Referring to FIG. 6,
the U-shaped assembly 344 is positioned within the
patterned slot 342 so as to permit the U-shaped bracket
350 to engage a rung while maintaining the vertical
support 322 in an upright alignment. A bar 352 is
inserted into the U-shaped bracket 350 to secure the
upper rail support 320 to the,upper rail, as shown in
FIG. 10. A securing pin 354 sècures the U-shaped
assembly 344 to the rail.
FIG. 11 shows the preferred assembly of the
individual pieces of the safety railing, as shown in
FIG. 1. The tubular leg 104 is inserted within the
vertical support 102 and secured with pin 110. The scaf-
fold support bracket 140 is then slidably engaged over
the vertical support 102 and secured by pin 152. The
railing holder 170 is slidably engaged over the vertical
support 102 and secured in place by a pin 178. There-
after, the railing system 100 is engaged with the scaf-
folding and adjustments are made for a proper fit. Rails
190, 192 and 194 are inserted through the legs 180, 182
and 184.
FIG. 12 shows the preferred assembly of the
individual pieces of the safety railing shown in FIG. 6.
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The hollow legs 332 are placed on the vertical supports
322 and secured by pins 329. The U-shaped brackets 326
are placed over the appropriate ladder rungs and secured
by the pins 321. The support brackets 338 are placed on
the vertical supports and the U-shaped brackets 350 are
placed over appropriate ladder rungs and secured by pins
354. The lower rail supports 300 are then placed on the
extension members 248 and secured by tightening wing
bolts 306. Finallyt the rails 337 are placed in,the legs
334 and 336 and the rail 310 is placed in the openings
308.
The terms and expressions which have been
employed in the foregoing specification are used therein
as terms of description and not of limitation, and there
is no intention, in the use of such terms and expres-
sions, of excluding equivalents of the features shown and
described or portions thereof, it being recognized that
the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by
the claims which follow.
