Adjustable Angle Roof Platform
An adjustable angle roof platform is comprised of a pair of lower support members, a pair of upper support members, and a floor. The lower support members have a plurality of openings at their upper ends. The openings are adapted to receive a retention pin. The lower end of each upper support member is pivotally attached to the lower end of a lower support member. The lower end of the floor is pivotally attached to the upper end of each upper support member. The floor has an opening on each side of its upper end. The floor openings are adapted to be alignable with the openings within the lower support members and to be secured to the lower support members by retention pins. The angle between the floor and a lower support member is adjustable.
Many, if not most, residential, commercial and industrial buildings have sloped roofs. The degree of the slope can be so great that it would be difficult or impossible to stand unaided upon the roof and to store objects upon the roof. During the construction or maintenance of sloped roofs, workers need to stand upon a roof and set materials, supplies and tools upon it. Workers must stand upon and materials must be placed upon sloped roofs during construction and during reroofing operations.
Sloped roofs present several significant problems during construction and maintenance. It is difficult for a worker to work upon a sloped roof. Working upon a sloped roof can be unsafe because of the risk of falling off of the roof. Materials, supplies and tools used during construction and maintenance can slide off of a roof. This can provide a significant danger to persons located below the roof on the ground. It can also cause significant inconvenience when materials, supplies and tools slide down the roof or off of the roof.
Roof jacks provide some relief to roof workers. The jacks can be nailed to a lower section of a roof and a board can be placed across the jacks. The board secured by the jacks can prevent a worker from falling off of a roof. It can also catch falling supplies, materials and tools. However, even with roof jacks, the worker continues to work off of a sloped surface. Not only can this be dangerous, it can cause the worker to not work at peak efficiency. Although the roof jacks may catch sliding materials, supplies and tools and prevent them from falling to the ground, these objects must still be retrieved after sliding. This causes an unnecessary loss of a worker's time.
What is needed is an adjustable angle roof platform. This device would provide a horizontally oriented surface upon which a worker may stand or place materials, supplies or tools. The platform should be easily movable to different locations upon the roof. The angle between the floor of the platform and its lower support must be variable in order to be adaptable for use upon roofs having differing slopes. The adjustable angle roof platform should also be usable in pairs to provide a larger adjustable angle roof surface. This would be accomplished by placing a board across two horizontally oriented adjustable angle roof platforms mounted to a roof.
SUMMARYThe aforesaid problems are solved by the adjustable angle roof platform described herein. An adjustable angle roof platform is comprised of a pair of lower support members, a pair of upper support members and a floor.
Each lower support member has an upper end and a lower end. Each lower support member has a plurality of openings in its upper end. The openings receive a retention pin. The retention pin secures the floor to a lower support member in a plurality of selectable positions.
Each upper support member has a lower end and an upper end. The lower end of each upper support member is pivotally attached to the lower end of a lower support member.
The floor has a lower end and an upper end. The floor is pivotally attached at its lower end to the upper end of each upper support member. The floor has an opening at its upper end. The opening receives a retention pin and aligns with an opening in the upper end of a lower support member. Preferably, the floor has two such openings—one at each corner of the upper end of the floor.
The lower support members, the upper support members and the floor are sized to provide adjustable angles between a lower support member and the floor when the opening within the floor is aligned with openings within a lower support member. The angles depend upon the particular opening of the lower support member to which the opening in the floor is aligned.
Preferably, each lower support member has an extension member. The extension member extends distally from the upper end of the support member. Each extension member has at least one nail retention slot. The nail retention slot is adapted to secure the roof platform to a roof with a nail. The retention slots should be angled. Each slot has an opening and a termination. The angle of each retention slot should be such that the slot opening is closer to the upper end of the lower support member to which it is attached than the slot termination is to the upper end of the lower support member to which it is attached.
Preferably, the floor has a rough surface. This will increase the coefficient of friction between the surface of the floor and an object set upon it. Thus, an object placed upon a rough surface floor will require more force to cause it to slide across the floor than the amount of force required to slide the object across the same floor without a rough surface.
One end of the floor is positioned between the two upper support members. This end of the floor should have a lip projecting from it. The lip inhibits the tendency of objects to slip off of the floor.
DRAWINGSThese and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:
The preferred embodiment of an adjustable angle roof platform 20 is comprised of a pair of lower support members 24, a pair of upper support members 46, a pair of floor support members 62, a floor 78 and a pair of retention pins 92. The lower support members 24, the upper support members 46, the floor support members 62 and the floor 78 should be fabricated from aluminum. Aluminum is a strong lightweight material which is resistant to corrosion.
Each lower support member 24 has a lower end 26 and an upper end 28. The lower end 26 will be positioned lower than the upper end 28 when the adjustable angle roof platform 20 is used upon a roof. The lower end 26 of each lower support member 24 is sized and shaped to pivotally receive an upper support member 46. This can be achieved by fabricating each lower support member 24 from 2″×3″×0.125″ extruded aluminum channel. Aluminum channel is rectangular in shape and has three walls. One side of the channel is open as shown in
Each lower support member 24 is sized and shaped at its upper end 28 to receive a floor support member 62. The upper end 66 of each floor support member 62 should be constructed from 1½-inch by 1½-inch extruded square aluminum tubing. This will provide the correct fit between the upper end 28 of the lower support member 24 and a floor support member 62. The upper end 66 of the floor support member 62 fits within the channel provided by the lower support member 24. In the preferred embodiment each lower support member 24 is approximately 28½ inches in length.
Each lower support member 24 has a plurality of retention pin openings 34 at its upper end 28, as shown in
Each lower support member 24 has an extension member 36 extending distally from the upper end 28 of the lower support member 24, as shown in
A foot 32 is attached to the bottom of the lower end 26 of each lower support member 24, as shown in
Each upper support member 46 has a lower end 48 and an upper end 50. The lower end 48 of each upper support member 46 is pivotally attached to the lower end 26 of a lower support member 24, as shown in
The floor support members 62 support the floor 78. The floor support members 62 can be integral with the floor. Each floor support member 62 has a lower end 64 and an upper end 66. Each floor support member 62 is pivotally attached at its lower end 64 to the upper end 50 of an upper support member 46. One floor support member 62 is pivotally attached to each upper support member 46. Each floor support member 62 has a lower bolt opening 68 within its lower end 64. The lower bolt openings 68 are used to pivotally attach the floor support members 62 to the upper support members 46. Each floor support member 62 has an upper pin opening 70 within its upper end 66. Each upper pin opening is sized, shaped and positioned such that it may receive a retention pin 92 which is inserted through a retention pin opening 34 within a lower support member 24. Preferably, the lower end 64 of each floor support member 62 is fabricated from 2″×3″×⅛″ extruded aluminum channel. This will allow the upper end 50 of an upper support member 46 to pivotally fit within the lower end 64 of the floor support member 62. In order for the upper end 66 of each floor support member 62 to fit within the upper end 28 of a lower support member 24, the upper end 66 of each floor support member 62 should be fabricated from 1.5″×1.5″ extruded aluminum square tubing. A floor support member 62 having different dimensions at its lower end 64 and at its upper end 66 can be fabricated by welding together a properly dimensioned lower end 64 structure and a properly dimensioned upper end 66 structure.
Each floor support member 62 is pivotally attached to an upper support member 46 by an upper bolt 72. The lower bolt opening 68 of each floor support member 62 is aligned with the upper bolt opening 54 of an upper support member 46. An upper bolt 72 is inserted through the aligned openings 70, 54. An upper locknut 76 is used to secure the floor support member 62 to the upper support member 46. Upper washers 74 are installed between the head of the upper bolt 72 and the floor support member 62 and between the upper locknut 76 and the floor support member 62. Floor support members 62 pivotally attached to upper support members 46 result.
The floor 78 has a lower end 80 and an upper end 82. The floor 78 is attached to the floor support members 62. A floor brace 87 is mounted midway between the ends 80, 82 of the floor. The floor brace 87 is oriented perpendicularly to the floor support members 62. The floor support brace 87 is mounted on the same side of the floor 78 as the floor support members 62 are mounted. The floor support brace 87 provides additional stability when heavier weights are placed upon the floor 78. Ultimately, the floor 78 will provide a horizontally oriented surface when the adjustable angle roof platform 20 is mounted upon a sloped roof. The floor 78 should have a rough surface 84. The rough surface 84 increases the coefficient of friction between the surface of the floor 78 and an object set upon the floor 78. Preferably, a floor lip 86 projects perpendicularly from the end of the floor 78 which is between the two upper support members 46. This is the lower end 80 of the floor 78. The floor lip 86 prevents objects from slipping off of the floor 78 at the lower end 80 of the floor 78. Preferably, the floor 78 is fabricated from 20″×24″×0.125″ aluminum plate. The floor lip 86 should have a height of approximately 1½″. The floor lip 86 can be fabricated by bending along the 20 inch dimension at the lower end 80 of the floor 78.
The floor support members 62 can be eliminated by incorporating some of their features into the floor 78. In such a case the floor 78 would be adapted to be pivotally attachable at its lower end 80 directly to the upper support members. This can be accomplished by providing the floor with orthogonally oriented flanges at each corner of its lower end 80. The flanges would have openings for pivotally attaching the flanges to an upper support member 46 with a bolt. Orthogonally oriented flanges would also be provided at each corner of the upper end 82 of the floor 78. These flanges would be adapted to receive a retention pin 92 and be aligned with an opening 34 in the upper end 50 of a lower support member 46, as previously described for a floor support member 62.
In order to secure the floor 78 and the floor support members 62 to the lower support members 24, the upper pin opening 70 of each floor support member 62 is aligned with a retention pin opening 34 of a lower support member 24. A retention pin 92 is then inserted through the aligned openings 70, 34, as shown in
When the floor 78 is secured to the lower support members 24, an angle 88 is defined between the bottom of the lower support member 24 and the floor 78, as shown in
The lower support members 24, the upper support members 46 and the floor support members 62 are sized to provide adjustable angles 88 between the bottom of a lower support member 24 and the floor 78 when an opening 70 within a floor support member 62 is aligned with openings 34 within a lower support member 24.
In order to use the adjustable angle roof platform 20, it is placed upon a sloped roof in a desired location. The extension members 36 are closer to the peak of the roof, while the pivotal connections between the upper support members 46 and the lower support members 24 are closer to the bottom of the roof. Nails 44 are hammered through a retention slot 38 on each extension member 36 into the roof, thereby securing the adjustable angle roof platform 20 to the roof. The upper pin opening 70 of each floor support member 62 is aligned with a selected retention pin opening 34 within each lower support member 24. The retention pin openings 34 are selected such that the floor 78 is horizontally oriented upon the roof. The floor support members 62 are secured to the lower support members 24 by inserting a retention pin 92 through each set of aligned openings 70, 34. The adjustable angle roof platform 20 can now be used by a worker to stand upon a level surface. The adjustable angle roof platform 20 can also be used for the convenient placement of materials, supplies and tools. The floor lip 86 will prevent objects from falling off of the floor 78 and down the roof. When the worker is done using the adjustable angle roof platform 20, or desires to move it to another position, the adjustable angle roof platform 20 is pushed toward the peak of the roof. This movement causes the slots 38 within the extension members 36 to disengage from the nails 44. This disengagement can be made easier by not hammering the nails 44 completely into the roof. Once the adjustable angle roof platform 20 is disengaged from the nails 44, the nails 44 can be removed or hammered into the roof. The adjustable angle roof platform 20 can now be moved to another location for continuation of work upon the roof. When the work is completed the platform removal process is again performed and the adjustable angle roof platform 20 is removed from the roof.
Two adjustable angle roof platforms 20 can be used to provide a larger adjustable angle roof work surface. This is accomplished by securing two spaced apart adjustable angle roof platforms 20 to a roof. The adjustable angle roof platforms 20 are aligned to provide a desired location for an adjustable angle roof work surface. They are secured to the roof with nails 44 as described. The floors 78 are horizontally oriented as described. A second platform 94 is set upon the floors 78 of the two spaced apart adjustable angle roof platforms 20 to provide a horizontally oriented work surface upon the roof, as shown in
The adjustable angle roof platform 20 described herein provides many advantages. It allows the angle between a lower support member 24 and the floor 78 to be easily and quickly adjusted. This allows the adjustable angle roof platform 20 to be used to quickly provide a horizontally oriented level surface upon a sloped roof. This flat surface is much easier for a worker to work from when standing upon it. The horizontally oriented floor surface makes it much less likely that materials, supplies or tools will slide down or off of a sloped roof. One adjustable angle roof platform 20 can be used for a worker to stand upon, while another is used to securely hold materials, supplies or tools in a convenient location. An adjustable angle roof platform 20 can be quickly and easily moved from one location upon a roof to another. A large horizontally oriented surface can be provided upon a sloped roof by placing a second platform 94 across the floors 78 of two spaced apart adjustable angle roof platforms 20.
Although the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art undoubtedly will find alternative embodiments obvious after reading this disclosure. With this in mind, the following claims are intended to define the scope of protection to be afforded the inventor, and those claims shall be deemed to include equivalent constructions and methods insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. An adjustable angle roof platform comprising:
- a pair of lower support members, each said lower support member having a lower end and an upper end, each said lower support member having a plurality of openings at its upper end for receiving a retention pin and for securing a floor in a plurality of positions;
- a pair of upper support members, each said upper support member having a lower end and an upper end, the lower end of each said upper support member being pivotally attached to the lower end of a lower support member; and
- a floor having a lower end and an upper end, said floor being pivotally attached at its lower end to the upper end of each upper support member, said floor having an opening at its upper end for receiving a retention pin and aligning with an opening in the upper end of a lower support member;
- wherein the lower support members, the upper support members and the floor are sized to provide adjustable angles between a lower support member and the floor when the opening within the floor is aligned with openings within a lower support member, said angles depending upon the particular opening of the lower support member to which the opening in the floor is aligned.
2. The adjustable angle roof platform of claim numeral 1, wherein each said lower support member has an extension member extending distally from the upper end of the support member and each said extension member has at least one nail retention slot adapted to secure the roof platform to a roof with a nail.
3. The adjustable angle roof platform of claim numeral 2, wherein each said retention slot is angled such that the slot opening is closer to the upper end of the lower support member to which it is attached than the slot termination is to the upper end of the lower support member to which it is attached.
4. The adjustable angle roof platform of claim numeral 1, wherein the floor has a rough surface for increasing the coefficient of friction between the surface of the floor and an object set upon it.
5. The adjustable angle roof platform of claim numeral 1, wherein the end of the floor between the two upper support members has a lip projecting therefrom for preventing objects from slipping off of the floor.
6. An adjustable angle roof platform comprising:
- a pair of lower support members, each said lower support member having a lower end and an upper end, each said lower support member having a plurality of openings at its upper end for receiving a retention pin and for securing a floor support member in a plurality of positions;
- a pair of upper support members, each said upper support member having a lower end and an upper end, the lower end of each said upper support member being pivotally attached to the lower end of a lower support member;
- a pair of floor support members, each said floor support member having a lower end and an upper end, each said floor support member being pivotally attached at its lower end to the upper end of an upper support member, each said floor support member having an opening at its upper end for receiving a retention pin and aligning with an opening in the upper end of a lower support member; and
- a floor attached to the floor support members for providing a horizontally oriented surface on the roof of a building;
- wherein the lower support members, the upper support members and the floor support members are sized to provide adjustable angles between a lower support member and the floor when an opening within a floor support member is aligned with openings within a lower support member, said angles depending upon the particular opening of the lower support member to which the opening in the floor support member is aligned.
7. The adjustable angle roof platform of claim numeral 6, wherein each said lower support member has an extension member extending distally from the upper end of the support member and each said extension member has at least one nail retention slot adapted to secure the roof platform to a roof with a nail.
8. The adjustable angle roof platform of claim numeral 7, wherein each said retention slot is angled such that the slot opening is closer to the upper end of the lower support member to which it is attached than the slot termination is to the upper end of the lower support member to which it is attached.
9. The adjustable angle roof platform of claim numeral 6, wherein the floor has a rough surface for increasing the coefficient of friction between the surface of the floor and an object set upon it.
10. The adjustable angle roof platform of claim numeral 6, wherein the end of the floor between the two upper support members has a lip projecting therefrom for preventing objects from slipping off of the floor.
11. An adjustable angle roof platform comprising:
- a pair of lower support members, each said lower support member having a lower end and an upper end, each said lower support member being sized and shaped at its lower end to pivotally receive an upper support member, each said lower support member being sized and shaped at its upper end to receive a floor support member, each said lower support member having a plurality of openings at its upper end for receiving a retention pin and for securing a floor support member in a plurality of positions, each said lower support member having an extension member extending distally from the upper end of the support member, each said extension member having at least one nail retention slot angled such that the slot opening is closer to the upper end of the lower support member to which it is attached than the slot termination is to the upper end of the lower support member to which it is attached, each said nail retention slot being adapted to secure the roof platform to a roof with a nail;
- a pair of upper support members, each said upper support member having a lower end and an upper end, the lower end of each said upper support member being pivotally attached to the lower end of a lower support member, the upper end of each said upper support member being sized and shaped to pivotally attach to a floor support member;
- a pair of floor support members, each said floor support member having a lower end and an upper end, each said floor support member being pivotally attached at its lower end to the upper end of an upper support member, each said floor support member having an opening at its upper end for receiving a retention pin and aligning with an opening in the upper end of a lower support member;
- a floor attached to the floor support members for providing a horizontally oriented surface on the roof of a building;
- wherein the lower support members, the upper support members and the floor support members are sized to provide adjustable angles between a lower support member and the floor when an opening within a floor support member is aligned with openings within a lower support member, said angles depending upon the particular opening of the lower support member to which the opening in the floor support member is aligned, said adjustable angles including an angle which matches the slope angle of a roof upon which the platform is intended to be mounted such that a horizontally oriented platform is provided upon the roof; and
- a pair of retention pins, each said retention pin being inserted through an aligned set of openings within a lower support member and a floor support member.
12. The adjustable angle roof platform of claim numeral 11, wherein the floor has a rough surface for increasing the coefficient of friction between the surface of the floor and an object set upon it.
13. The adjustable angle roof platform of claim numeral 11, wherein the end of the floor between the two upper support members has a lip projecting therefrom for preventing objects from slipping off of the floor.
14. An adjustable angle roof work surface comprising:
- two spaced apart adjustable angle roof platforms, each adjustable angle roof platform comprising:
- a pair of lower support members, each said lower support member having a lower end and an upper end, each said lower support member having a plurality of openings at its upper end for receiving a retention pin and for securing a floor in a plurality of positions;
- a pair of upper support members, each said upper support member having a lower end and an upper end, the lower end of each said upper support member being pivotally attached to the lower end of a lower support member; and
- a floor having a lower end and an upper end, said floor being pivotally attached at its lower end to the upper end of each upper support member, said floor having an opening at its upper end for receiving a retention pin and aligning with an opening in the upper end of a lower support member;
- wherein the lower support members, the upper support members and the floor are sized to provide adjustable angles between a lower support member and the floor when the opening within the floor is aligned with openings within a lower support member, said angles depending upon the particular opening of the lower support member to which the opening in the floor is aligned; and
- a second platform set upon the floors of the two spaced apart adjustable angle roof platforms to provide a horizontally oriented work surface upon a roof.
15. The adjustable angle roof work surface of claim numeral 14, wherein each said lower support member has an extension member extending distally from the upper end of the support member and each said extension member has at least one nail retention slot adapted to secure the roof platform to a roof with a nail.
16. The adjustable angle roof work surface of claim numeral 15, wherein each said retention slot is angled such that the slot opening is closer to the upper end of the lower support member to which it is attached than the slot termination is to the upper end of the lower support member to which it is attached.
17. The adjustable angle roof work surface of claim numeral 14, wherein the floor has a rough surface for increasing the coefficient of friction between the surface of the floor and an object set upon it.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 21, 2005
Publication Date: May 10, 2007
Inventor: Troy Burgess (Macomb Township, MI)
Application Number: 11/163,539
International Classification: B61D 17/14 (20060101);