Safety rail for roofing; method of use and of manufacture
A safety rail for use by roofers is disclosed. The rail is light in weight, high in strength and durability, and can be installed relatively quickly.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/674,999, filed on Apr. 26, 2005.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates generally to a safety rail for use by roofers and other types of contractors.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONCurrent safety rails for roofers are cumbersome, time-consuming to install, and expensive. Consequently, there is a demand for an invention which addresses these problems.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is an object of the present invention to provide a safety rail which is easy to install and manufacture. These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent as the following description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Before explaining the disclosed embodiment of the present invention in detail it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the particular arrangement shown, since the invention is capable of other embodiments. Also, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.
It is the purpose of the present invention that a group of braces 100 be combined in the aggregate to provide a type of safety fence or safety rail around the roof of a house or other structure. One common use for such an arrangement is during the installation, repair, or tear-down of a roof of a house, although this is but an example and the present invention should not be considered as limited exclusively thereto. A movable bracket 108 holds the bottom level of the safety rail. The bracket 108 can be affixed in position by finger-screws or other securing means (not shown in
The brace 100 can have a securing weld 312 or other solidifying means at its base. This is because it is so important that the lip 104 and body of the brace 100 be very solidly attached. The main portions of the mechanical stress exerted on the brace 100 will exist largely at its base.
Use of the embodiment shown in
Normally, the device 1004 exists to create a foot layer or walkway, in which boards (e.g. 2×6) are inserted as shown in
A third embodiment of the present invention exists, in which a brace can be used with masonry, bricks, walls, wall studs, or other non-roof vertical surfaces. In this embodiment, an attachment mechanism is securedly affixed to a wall or other surface. The attachment mechanism has extension members securedly joined thereto, where these members support a base receptacle for seating a brace, and also provide a walkway such as but not limited to 20 inches in width. This embodiment has the advantage of interchangeability of parts. The brace can be inserted into the receptacle, the triangular device, or even into a U-shaped lip 104. Using such interchangeable parts, a construction company can purchase a smaller amount of braces, and insert them in the walls as the walls are being completed but before the roof is begun. After the walls are completed, by making some simple adjustments, the same braces can be used on the roof as well. Thus, it is not necessary to purchase separate safety parts for the roof and also for the walls.
It is anticipated that various changes may be made in the arrangement and operation of the system of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the following claims.
Claims
1. A safety rail device, comprising:
- a vertical brace, joined to a gutterboard of a house or other structure by a U-shaped lip positioned at the base of said brace; and
- a plurality of brackets, arranged vertically along said vertical brace, for inserting and fixedly securing rails.
2. The safety rail device of claim 1, further comprising:
- wherein said vertical brace is permanently joined to said U-shaped lip.
3. The safety rail device of claim 1, further comprising:
- wherein said vertical brace is temporarily and removably joined to said U-shaped lip.
4. The safety rail device of claim 1, further comprising:
- wherein the lowest of said brackets is slidably movable along the surface of said vertical brace.
5. The safety rail device of claim 1, further comprising:
- wherein the middle and highest of said brackets are affixed to the surface of said vertical brace.
6. The safety rail device of claim 1, wherein a group of said devices are combined in the aggregate to form a safety rail around a structure.
7. The safety rail device of claim 1, wherein said safety rail has three or more horizontal levels.
8. The safety rail device of claim 4, wherein said lowest bracket holds a bottom level of the safety rail and is affixed in position by finger-screws or other securing means.
9. The safety rail device of claim 1, wherein at least two fixed brackets support the middle and top levels of the brace, wherein the rail is affixed in position by finger-screws or other securing means.
10. The safety rail device of claim 1, wherein said lip is manufactured to have a plurality of holes.
11. The safety rail device of claim 10, wherein the rigidity and resistability of said brace is proportional to how many of said holes are used for fixedly securing said brace to said gutterboard.
12. The safety rail device of claim 4, wherein said movable bracket has a first securing means for securing the location of said bracket within said brace.
13. The safety rail device of claim 12, wherein said movable bracket further comprises:
- a second securing means, positioned opposite said first securing means, for securing a bottom rail within the bracket
14. The safety rail device of claim 1, the rail secured within said brackets is a 2×6 wooden board.
15. The safety rail device of claim 1, wherein said support brackets face either toward or away from the roof.
16. The safety rail device of claim 1, wherein the base of said brace can have a securing weld or other solidifying means.
17. The safety rail device of claim 1, wherein said brackets comprise a cylindrical-shaped housing, for accommodating cylindrical fencing rod such as that used in chain-link fences.
18. A safety rail device, comprising:
- a vertical brace, joined to triangular device positioned at the base of said brace which is attached to a roof beam; and
- a plurality of brackets, arranged vertically along said vertical brace, for inserting and fixedly securing rails.
19. The safety rail device of claim 18, further comprising:
- wherein said vertical brace is temporarily and removably joined to said triangular device via a slot or hollow securing mechanism which the brace can be vertically inserted.
20. The safety rail device of claim 18, further comprising:
- wherein the lowest of said brackets is slidably movable along the surface of said vertical brace.
21. The safety rail device of claim 18, further comprising:
- wherein the middle and highest of said brackets are affixed to the surface of said vertical brace.
22. The safety rail device of claim 18, wherein a group of said devices are combined in the aggregate to form a safety rail around a structure.
23. The safety rail device of claim 18, wherein said safety rail has three or more horizontal levels.
23. The safety rail device of claim 19, wherein said vertical brace is affixed to said triangular device by one or more finger-screws or other securing means.
24. The safety rail device of claim 18, wherein an angle of said triangular device matches with the pitch of the roof.
25. The safety rail device of claim 18, wherein said triangular device can be adjustable in angle so as to accommodate a variety of roof pitches.
26. A safety rail device, comprising:
- a vertical brace, joined to an attachment mechanism positioned at the base of said brace which is attached to a wall stud or scaffolding structure; and
- a plurality of brackets, arranged vertically along said vertical brace, for inserting and fixedly securing rails.
27. The safety rail device of claim 26, further comprising:
- wherein said vertical brace is temporarily and removably joined to said wall stud or scaffolding structure via a slot or hollow securing mechanism which the brace can be vertically inserted.
28. The safety rail device of claim 26, wherein a group of said devices are combined in the aggregate to form a safety rail around a structure.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 7, 2005
Publication Date: Oct 26, 2006
Inventor: Melvin Gaines (Frankfort, KY)
Application Number: 11/147,058
International Classification: E04G 3/32 (20060101);