METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FALL PREVENTION

Abstract

A method and apparatus for fall prevention is provided. A fall prevention apparatus may include at least two posts with each having a primary leg. A fall prevention apparatus may also include at least two clamp devices. Each clamp device may be attached to the primary leg of one of the posts and adapted to hold at least one cable that is disposed through the clamp device in a substantially fixed position relative to the primary leg. A fall prevention apparatus may further include at least one cable secured between two posts by the clamp devices.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of and herein incorporates by reference the disclosure of U.S. Ser. No. 61/181,591, filed May 27, 2009.

BACKGROUND

There are approximately 100,000 incident reports each year regarding falls by employees that work in situations requiring them to be suspended from or operating at dangerous heights (e.g., buildings, skyscrapers, construction sites). Given the dangerous conditions, many falls result in death or serious injury. In addition to the physical harm to an employee, a business may lose millions of dollars per year based on project delay, increased insurance premiums, liability claims, and an increase in workman compensation claims.

Despite the great economic hardships caused by falls, businesses often take short cuts in safety to save money and time. As a result, fall prevention systems often fail to meet safety standards, such as those defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) or various state governments. For example, most fall prevention systems fail to meet certain strength standards that require a lifeline to be at least 5,000 lbs per employee or other safety requirements that require each employee to be tied off to a lifeline individually. As a result when a lifeline fails, multiple employees are subject to a fall resulting in multiple employees suffering injuries. Accordingly, there exists a need for improved ways and systems of preventing falls that not only meets existing safety regulations but also prevents multiple injuries when a failure occurs.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure discloses a fall prevention apparatus and a method for making the same. One embodiment of a fall prevention apparatus comprises at least two posts and at least two clamp devices. Each clamp device is attached to one of the at least two posts and adapted to hold at least one cable that is disposed through at least a portion of the clamp device in a substantially fixed position relative to the post. In this sense, the at least one cable is secured between the at least two posts at least partially by the at least two clamp devices. Such fall prevention apparatus may also be part of a building apparatus comprising a plurality of beams and at least two sockets, each socket attached to one of the at least two posts and attached to at least one of the plurality of beams. The posts of the apparatus may be hollow and include at least one hole through a portion of the post. One or more of the clamp devices may include a base device and at least two bolts extending from the base device, a receiving device having at least two holes configured to receive the at least two bolts, and at least two fasteners configured to substantially secure the base device to the receiving device.

One or more of the clamp devices may include an inner hollow device configured to receive at least one cable, an outer hollow device configured to receive at least one cable and configured to at least partially receive the inner hollow device, and a hollow wedge device that is configured to be pressed against a cable when the inner hollow device is at least partially received within the outer hollow device such that the at least one cable is substantially immovable relative to the primary leg. One or more of the clamp devices may be positioned within a hollow post.

One embodiment of a method of fall prevention comprises providing a building apparatus, comprising a plurality of beams, at least two posts, and at least two clamp devices, each clamp device attached to one of the at least two posts. The method may further include positioning at least one cable through at least a portion of each clamp device and isolating a portion of the at least one cable between two of the at least two posts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and advantages of this disclosure, and the manner of attaining them, will be more apparent and better understood by reference to the following descriptions of the disclosed method and apparatus, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1a shows a fall prevention apparatus according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1b shows a building apparatus including the fall prevention apparatus shown in FIG. 1a.

FIG. 2a shows a rail post of the fall prevention apparatus shown in FIG. 1a.

FIG. 2b shows the rail post of FIG. 2a attached to a socket and with a post cap.

FIG. 3a shows a corner post of the fall prevention apparatus shown in FIG. 1a.

FIG. 3b shows the corner post of FIG. 3a attached to a plurality of sockets.

FIG. 4a shows an end post according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4b shows the end post of FIG. 4a attached to a socket.

FIG. 5 shows a sandwich clamp according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 shows the sandwich clamp of FIG. 5 attached to a post according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 shows sandwich clamps attached to a post according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 shows a magnified view of a sandwich clamp of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 shows a bolt clamp according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 shows a side view of the bolt clamp of FIG. 9 attached to a post according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 shows a top section view of the bolt clamp attached to a post along line 11-11 of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12a shows a clamp device with gripping jaws according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12b shows the clamp device of FIG. 12a with gripping jaws attached to a beam according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 shows a post cap according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 14a-14c show a cable tensioning winch and clamp according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 15 shows a rescue ladder according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 16 shows a rescue winch placed on a post according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the present disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of this disclosure is thereby intended.

In FIG. 1a, a fall prevention apparatus 101 is shown according to one embodiment of the disclosure. Typically, apparatus 101 may be used in the construction of buildings, homes, and other structures to protect construction workers from falling from the structure under construction. For example, as shown in FIG. 1b, a construction system 100 is shown that includes a fall prevention apparatus 101 attached to a plurality of beams 1. As described further below, workers may tie their body harness lanyards to a cable of apparatus 101 such that the cable supports the worker in the case of a fall. Apparatus 101 may also be used in other applications. For example, apparatus 101 may be used with windmill towers, solar panel towers, power generation stations, sports arenas and complexes, shopping centers, refineries, and other applications where there is a threat of a dangerous fall or movement into a hazardous area.

As shown in FIG. 1a, apparatus 101 may include multiple posts 109a, 109b, 109c (109c shown in FIG. 4), cables 3, 10, clamps (shown in FIGS. 5, 8, and 9), and other devices described below to prevent individuals from failing from a rail, ledge, and the like or restrict movement of individuals into a hazardous area. As discussed more thoroughly below, apparatus 101 is designed to isolate segments of cable between posts. In other words, each segment of cable between two posts is substantially independent from other segments of cable.

In apparatus 101, posts may be designed to be used along a rail or a relatively straight path (referred to herein as a rail post 109a), at corners or where there are substantial changes in direction for a cable (referred to herein as a corner post 109b), or at the end of a path (referred to herein as an end post 109c). An apparatus 101 may be used at any height but typically it may be used when there is a fall hazard of above six feet, such as seven and a half feet. As shown in FIG. 2a, a rail post 109a is a primary leg 105 having an elongated structure that may have a cross-section of any shape, including but not limited to square, circular, or rectangular. In this discussed embodiment, primary leg 105 has a three by three inch square cross-section. While primary leg 105 can be a solid piece of material, in this embodiment, primary leg 105 is a hollow tube that is made up of four walls that surround an opening that runs the length of the primary leg 105. The wall of a hollow primary leg 105 may have various thicknesses, such as, for example, a one-fourth inch thick wall or a three-sixteenths inch thick wall. Instead of being hollow, a primary leg 105 may be solid and may include openings or holes (described below) in various locations. As shown in FIG. 2b, one of the holes in the primary leg may be used to attach a socket 155 (described below) and other holes in the primary leg may receive cables 3,10. A primary leg 105 may typically be forty-eight inches long but may be other lengths, such as, for example, forty-five inches. Primary legs 105 may typically be formed of steel but may be formed of other materials, such as, for example, iron or composites.

As shown in FIG. 3a, a corner post 109b may include a primary leg 105, as described above, and brace legs 113 that may extend from the primary leg 105 in directions substantially perpendicular to one another about the longitudinal axis of the primary leg 105. In particular, the brace legs 113 may extend in the direction of a cable or the like in order to provide additional support to the primary leg 105. Each brace leg 113 may have the same cross-sectional size and shape as the primary leg 105 or may have a different cross-sectional size and shape. For example, a primary leg 105 may have a square cross-section while one or more brace legs 113 may have a circular cross-section. Also, the thickness of a brace leg wall may be the same as the thickness of the primary leg wall or each may be different from one another. In another example, one or more brace legs 113 may be solid and optionally include holes (described below) while the primary leg 105 may be hollow. In other words, the brace legs 113 may have the same composition and cross-sectional structure as the primary leg 105 but may also be other shapes, sizes, compositions, and the like.

The brace legs 113 and primary leg 105 may be formed as one part or one or more brace legs 113 may be attached to the primary leg 105. As shown in FIG. 3a, brace legs 113 are typically attached to the primary leg 105 at about two-thirds up the primary leg 105 from the bottom of the primary leg 105. It will be appreciated that brace legs 113 may be attached to the primary leg 105 at other locations of the primary leg 105 as well. The brace legs 113 may be attached to the primary leg 105 in any number of ways known in the art, including but not limited to by welding or using hinging plates and pins, among other ways of attachment. As shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b, while brace legs can be attached to primary leg 105 at any angle, brace legs 113 are typically formed or attached to the primary leg 105 so as to extend from the primary leg 105 at an angle that is less than perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the primary leg 105. For example, brace legs 113 may extend from the primary leg 105 at an angle of forty-five degrees from the longitudinal axis of the primary leg 105. The brace legs 113 may extend from the primary leg 105 at various angles, such as between twenty and seventy degrees.

As shown in FIG. 3a, the brace legs 113 may typically be designed such that the free end portion of each brace leg 113 is substantially parallel with the primary leg 105. For example, each brace leg 113 may extend from the primary leg 105 and include a bend in direction resulting in a length of the brace leg 113 that is substantially parallel with the primary leg 105. Furthermore, the brace legs 113 may terminate at the same plane as defined by the end of the primary leg 105. However, it will be appreciated that the free end portion of the brace leg may be designed in other formations as well that will cause the free end portion of the brace legs to not be parallel to the primary leg 105. As shown in FIG. 3b, the free end portion of each brace leg 113 may be attached to a socket 155.

As shown in FIG. 4a, an end post 109c may include a primary leg 105 and one or more brace legs 113. End posts 109c may have the same composition and structure as corner posts 109b and may have one or more brace legs 113 that are substantially parallel or coplanar about the longitudinal axis of the primary leg 105. For end posts 109c, one or more brace legs 113 may extend at an angle of forty-five degrees from the longitudinal axis of the primary leg 105 or may extend at various other angles, such as between twenty and seventy degrees. Like with the corner post 109b, while brace legs can have any type of design, brace legs 113 may typically be designed such that the free end portion of each brace leg 113 is substantially parallel with the primary leg 105. For example, each brace leg 113 may extend from the primary leg 105 and include a bend in direction resulting in a length of the brace leg 113 that is substantially parallel with the primary leg 105. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4a, brace legs 113 may terminate at the same plane as defined by the end of the primary leg 105. Also, as shown in FIG. 4b, each brace leg 113 and primary leg 105 of an end post 109c may be attached to sockets 155.

Generally, the composition and structure of a post 109a, 109b, 109c may be chosen in order to ensure that the post 109a, 109b, 109c has the ability to withstand a certain tension or strength threshold caused by forces on a cable 3,10. For example, a post 109a, 109b, 109c may need to be designed to withstand up to 5,000 pounds of tension caused by a tie off line without substantially bending or deforming. The primary leg 105 and/or brace leg(s) 113 of a post 109a, 109b, 109c may be designed to include a 3 inch by 3 inch square tubing made of steel having a thickness of three-sixteenths of an inch. Of course, other post designs may be used to withstand various tensions caused by tie off lines. In addition, primary legs 105 may be painted with various colors to alert individuals that they are approaching a fall prevention apparatus and a potentially dangerous area.

Posts 109a, 109b, 109c may have one or more holes. A hole, as used herein, may refer to an opening in a surface (e.g., primary leg 105 or brace leg 113) or an opening that passes completely through a part (e.g., primary leg 105 or brace leg 113). A hole may be used to receive cable, clamps, various connectors such as bolts, and the like. Holes may be distributed about a post based upon how each post is used. For example, if a post will be used for a construction site, the holes may be made based upon standards in the industry. In another example, if a post will be used as a guardrail for persons of all ages, there may be multiple holes all along the length of a post for receiving cables in order to guard against intrusion by individuals of all heights. A hole may have various shapes and dimensions. The shape of a hole may be circular, oval, or any other shape. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, a hole may be an oval that is about two inches long and one and one-fourth inches wide (from one straight side to the other straight side of the oval).

Apparatus 101 may be arranged such that the top cable is positioned at any height above a floor surface to comply with legal requirements. For example, according to California OSHA laws, the top cable of apparatus 101 can be positioned 42 to 45 inches above the rail, ledge, or other floor surface.

As shown in FIG. 2a, a primary leg 105 may have, for example, a first hole 50a located about one inch from a first end E1 of the primary leg 105 that may be used to receive a cable and/or clamp. As shown in FIG. 2a, the primary leg 105 may have a second hole 50b located about seven inches from a second end E2 of the primary leg 105 that may be used for securing the primary leg 105 to a socket 155 (described below) or other ground securing device. This second hole 50b may be about 9/16 inches in diameter or any other size. Also, the primary leg 105 may have a third hole 50c located about mid-length of the primary leg 105, such as, for example, twenty-one inches above a finished floor. Similar to the top cable, apparatus 101 may be arranged such that the mid-rail cable is positioned at any height in between the floor surface and the top cable. For example, according to California OSHA laws, the mid-rail cable of apparatus 101 can be positioned 21 to 22 inches above the rail, ledge, or other floor surface. It should be noted that the primary leg 105 may have additional holes in other locations.

As shown in FIG. 3a, brace legs 113 may include holes 50e, particularly proximate the free end of the brace leg 113 that is not attached to the primary leg 105. A hole 50e proximate the free end of the brace leg 113 may typically be used to receive bolts or other fastening devices to secure the respective brace leg 113 to a socket 155 or other ground securing device. For example, a brace leg 113 may have a hole 50e that is four inches from the end of the unattached (free) end of the brace leg 113.

Each post may be attached to various surfaces, such as a rail, platform, ledge, and the like in any manner of ways known in the art. For example, one or more posts 109a, 109b, 109c may be welded, glued, bolted, or attached in another way to a beam, such as an I-beam, used in construction. Alternatively, a post 109a, 109b, 109c may be attached to a surface via a socket 155. For example, FIG. 2b shows a post 109a attached to a socket 155. A socket 155 may be designed to accommodate a primary leg 105 or a brace leg 113. Sockets 155 are generally elongated, hollow structures that are designed to receive ends of primary legs 105 and ends of brace legs 113. As such, the dimensions of the cross section of a socket 155 may be larger than the dimensions of the cross section of the primary leg 105 or brace legs 113, so that the ends of the primary leg 105 or brace legs 113 can fit into the socket 155. For example, the cross section of a socket 155 may be a three and one-half inch square with a one-quarter inch wall thickness, while the primary leg 105 may be a three inch square cross section with a one-quarter inch wall thickness. The length of a socket 155 may be, for example, eight inches long. Of course, the socket 155 may be other heights, cross-sections, and shapes sufficient to hold either the primary leg 15 or brace legs 113.

One or more sockets 155 may be connected to a base plate (not shown in the Figures), which may be bolted to a surface. The base plate may be various shapes and sizes, such as six inches long, three and one-half inches wide, and one-fourth inch thick. Alternatively, each socket 155 and/or base plate may be welded to a surface or attached in another way, such as, for example, using rebar and/or concrete. For construction projects utilizing beams 1 (e.g., FIG. 1b), sockets 155 may be attached to beams 1 before the beams 1 are assembled to form a structure. For example, sockets 155 may be attached to beams 1 at a factory or a worksite. Then, each beam 1 may be transported to a construction site and used to create a structure, where the beams 1 having a socket 155 attached may be strategically placed to be utilized in apparatus 101.

Sockets 155 typically include holes 51 of various dimensions (e.g., 9/16 inch diameter holes) that correspond to the size and location of holes 50b of a post 109a, 109b, 109c or holes 50e of a brace leg 113. In other words, when a primary leg 105 or brace leg 113 is disposed in a socket 155, holes 51 of the socket 155 (see, for example, FIG. 7) may line up with holes 50b in the primary leg 105 or holes 50e in the brace leg 113. By lining up the holes, a bolt or other fastening device may be inserted to secure the socket 155 and post together. For example, when the respective holes 51 of the socket 155 and 50b of posts 109a, 109b, 109c are lined up, a one-half inch hex head bolt or other bolt type may be inserted through the holes 51 of the socket 155 and 50b of post 109a, 109b, 109c and a hex nut and washer may be applied and tightened to prevent the post 109a, 109b, 109c from coming loose from the socket 155. Like with posts, the holes 51 of sockets 155 may have various shapes and dimensions. The shape of socket holes 51 may be circular, oval, or another shape. The socket holes 51 may be about seven inches from a base plate or an end of the socket 155 that is attached to a base plate or beam. Sockets 155 may be formed of any type of material, such as, for example, steel, iron, composites, and the like. It should be noted that posts 109a, 109b, 109c and sockets 155 may be attached together by welding, gluing, or other securing methods as well.

If a post 109a, 109b, 109c has been welded to a surface directly, it may not be removable from the surface in some circumstances. However, by using sockets 155 to secure posts 109a, 109b, 109c to surfaces, posts 109a, 109b, 109c may generally be reusable. For instance, a socket 155 may be cast into concrete, welded, or bolted to a surface where it receives a post 109a, 109b, 109c. When it is time to dismantle the apparatus 101 (e.g., when the particular floor of a building is substantially constructed), the post 109a, 109b, 109c may be removed (e.g., by removing a bolt) and used again. If cast in concrete, the socket 155 may be cut down to the concrete level and plugged with concrete. If bolted to the floor surface, the socket 155 may itself be removed and reused.

Apparatus 101 may also include clamp devices. Clamp devices may be used to support and restrict the movement of cables. Clamp devices may be designed to attach to posts 109a, 109b, 109c. For example, a clamp device may attach to the inside of a hollow post, to the inside of a hole in the post, or the external surface of a post. Clamp devices may also be designed to attach to various structures such as construction beams 1 and the like. Various types of clamp devices may be used to support cables and restrict movement of cable.

In FIG. 5, a bolt sandwich clamp 172 is shown. A bolt sandwich clamp 172 includes a female plate 173 and a male plate 174. As shown in FIG. 5, the male plate 174 may include one or more bolts 174a that are threaded and that pass through the male plate. Bolts 174a may also be ribbed such that they can be pressed into the male plate 174 upon assembly. Alternatively, the bolts 174a may be formed with the male plate 174. The male plate 174 may also include one or more carved out channels 178 designed to receive one or more cables 3,10 (cable 10 is shown in FIG. 1a.). As shown in FIG. 5, the mouth 179 of each channel 178 may be rounded or the like to provide a smooth edge for the cables 3,10 to bend about should the cables 3, 10 be flexed or displaced.

Still referring to FIG. 5, a female plate 173 may include as many holes 52 as male plate has bolts 174a. Each of the holes 52 will be positioned to correspond to the location of one of the bolts 174a on female plate 173. As shown in FIG. 5, female plate 173 has two holes 52 that are positioned in a location to each receive one of the two bolts 174a. The female plate 173 may also include one or more channels 178 with rounded mouths 179. Each channel 178 may include ridges or grooves to assist in gripping one or more cables 3, 10. When the female plate 173 and male plate 174 are mated, the respective channels 178 align to form one or more passageways P for cables 3, 10. Also, when the plates 173,174 are mated, bolts 174a pass through the holes 52 of the female plate 173. In order to secure the two plates 173,174 together, nuts 174b may be applied to the bolts 174a.

A cable 3, 10 may be positioned in channel 178 so that when the male plate 174 and female plate 173 are assembled to form the sandwich clamp, the cable 3, 10 passes through the channel 178 and mouths 179. In this manner, the movement of cable 3, 10 through the clamp can be substantially restricted. It should be noted that the male plate 174 and female plate 173 may not include bolts 174a and corresponding holes 52 but only channels 178 that form a passageway P. In that case, the plates 173 and 174 may be welded, glued, or attached together in some other manner.

As shown in FIG. 6, a cable 3 passes through holes 50a of post 109a and channel 178 of bolt sandwich clamp 172 that has been positioned within a hollow post 109a, so that the mouths 179 fit within holes 50a to limit the movement of the cable 3 and clamp 172. In this manner, a bolt sandwich clamp 172 fits closely against the interior walls of a post 109a, 109b, 109c such that the clamp 172 is substantially secure therein. Alternatively, a stub post (not shown) attached to post 109a, 109b, 109c may be used to house a sandwich clamp or other clamps disclosed herein.

A stub post is designed to hold clamp devices, such as those shown in FIG. 5, 7, or 9, and is configured to be attached to the exterior surface of posts or other structures. A stub post may be attached to various surfaces using welds, bolts, and other attachment devices. A stub post may have various cross-sections, such as, for example, square, circular, and the like. The cross-section of a stub post is typically sized to receive various clamp devices and may be formed of various materials, such as steel. A stub post may be various lengths such as three to ten inches. In addition, a stub post may include one or more holes that match up with the holes 50b, 50c in a post 109a, 109b, 109c if the stub post is fitted over the post 109a, 109b, 109c. In any case, a bolt sandwich clamp 172 may be substantially immovable relative to a stub post when housed within the stub post. Accordingly, a bolt sandwich clamp 172 and stub post effectively act together to restrict the movement of a cable 3, 10 relative to the stub post and post 109a, 109b, 109c.

In FIG. 7, two weld sandwich clamps 182 are shown attached to the external surface of a post 109a, 109b, 109c. A weld sandwich clamp 182 may include a male plate 184 and a female plate 183. Typically, bolts 184a pass through the male plate 184 and may be inserted into the holes of the female plate 183. Similar to the sandwich clamp 172 described above, when mated, the male plate 184 and female plate 183 of the weld sandwich clamp 182 are designed to form at least one passageway P to accommodate a cable(s) 3,10. In FIG. 7, for example, the weld sandwich clamp forms two passageways P.

Also in FIG. 7, a toe board plate 11 is shown attached to post 109a, 109b, 109c. A toe board plate 11 may be various shapes and sizes. For example, a toe board plate 11 may be three inches wide, ten inches long, and one-fourth inch thick. Typically, a toe board plate 11 may be welded midway along the length of a socket 155. Wood boards, such as 2×4 boards, and other structures may be attached to toe board plates 11 and each other to form a continuous span of toe boards about apparatus 101 to protect against objects falling off the ledge of the structure upon which the apparatus 101 is situated. For example, each toe board plate 11 may include various holes, such as three-sixteenths inch diameter holes. Wood boards or other structures may be attached to toe board plates 11 using nails or other attachment devices.

As shown in FIG. 8, which is a magnified view of one of the weld sandwich clamps 182 of FIG. 7, cable 10 is received within a passageway P defined by the male and female plates 184,183. The bolts 184a may extend through the female plate 183 and into a post 109a, 109b, 109c. In that case, nuts may be applied to bolts 184a within the post 109a, 109b, 109c to secure the male plate 184 to the female plate 183, as well as secure the weld sandwich clamp 182 to the post 109a, 109b, 109c. Alternatively, weld sandwich clamps 182 may be attached to a post 109a, 109b, 109c using welds. For example, in FIG. 8, welds 14,15 secure female plate 183 to post 109a, 109b, 109c, while bolts 184a secure the male plate 183 to the female plate 183. It should be noted that other arrangements of welds, bolts, or other attachment methods may be used to secure a weld sandwich clamp 182 to a post 109a, 109b, 109c. For instance, bolts may penetrate a post 109a, 109b, 109c to secure the male plate 183 to the post and welds may be used to secure the female plate 184 to the post. In any event, once a weld sandwich clamp 182 is attached to post 109a, 109b, 109c, the cable will be positioned within the channel and be fixed to the post. In this manner, the interaction of the clamp and post restrict movement of a cable 3,10 relative to the clamp 182 and the post 109a, 109b, 109c.

In FIG. 9, a through-bolt clamp 195 is shown attached to cable 3. A through-bolt clamp 195 may include a hollow threaded bolt 196 having an external threaded portion, a depressible, hollow part 197 having a concave portion 197a and optionally a cylindrical portion 197b, and a hollow smooth bolt 198 having a threaded interior portion configured to receive the exterior threaded portion of the hollow threaded bolt 196. FIG. 10 shows the through-bolt clamp 195 secured to cable 3 and primary leg 105.

FIG. 11 shows a top cross-section view of FIG. 10 along line 11-11. The depressible part 197 may be positioned between each of the bolts 196,198, where the heads of each bolt 196,198 are facing outward and the concave portion 197a of the depressible part 197 faces toward the threaded inner portion of the smooth bolt 198. As the hollow threaded bolt 196 and hollow smooth bolt 198 are mated together, the depressible part 197 may be pushed against a sloped area of the interior portion of the hollow smooth bolt 198, thereby causing the depressible part 197 to press against the cable 3 that is passing through the bolt. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, like the bolt sandwich clamp 172, a through-bolt clamp 195 may be attached to a primary leg 105 of a post 109a, 109b, 109c through a hole 50a in the primary leg 105 so that it is secured to cable 3 that passes through the hole of the primary leg and the through-bolt clamp 195 to fix the clamp and cable to the post. In this manner, the through-bolt clamp 195 and the primary leg 105 of the post substantially restrict the movement of cable 3 that passes through the clamp 195 and primary leg 105.

Referring to FIGS. 9-11, the hollow threaded bolt 196 and hollow smooth bolt 198 may be designed, for example, such that each has about a seven-sixteenths inch diameter hole through the longitudinal axis of each bolt. Similarly, the depressible, hollow part 197 may have a seven-sixteenths inch diameter hole through its longitudinal axis. The taper angle of the depressible, hollow part 197 may be various angles, such as between five and forty degrees. Typically, the taper angle of the sloped area of the interior portion of the hollow smooth bolt 198 may be designed such that the depressible, hollow part 197 is constricted and presses against a cable 3,10.

As mentioned above, apparatus 101 may not include one or more posts 109a, 109b, 109c but instead may include clamp devices that are configured to attach to various structures. Clamp devices may be attached to structural beams 1 or other structures using bolts, welds, glue, and the like. As shown in FIG. 12a, a bolt on clamp device 170 having two weld on sandwich clamps 182 may include gripping jaws 171 having teeth 171t to provide gripping power to attach the clamp device 170 to a structural member. Of course, the bolt on clamp device 170 may also be configured to grip onto a post 109a, 109b, 109c. One of the jaws may be in a fixed position (referred to as jaw 171a) while a second jaw (referred to as jaw 171b) may be attached to a tightening bolt TB which moves open and closed as a main large bolt LB is turned clockwise or counterclockwise. This allows for the bolt on clamp 170 to be used for gripping and holding materials of varying thickness. The moving jaw 171b may be fastened onto a large bolt LB with a smaller tightening bolt TB passing through the moving jaw 171b and threaded into the center of the large bolt LB. This prevents the moving jaw 171b from separating away from the bolt on clamp 170 and becoming lost or unusable in the clamping motion.

All of the various clamp devices 170, 172, 182, and 195 discussed above may also be configured to allow a cable 3,10 to make a substantial change in direction (e.g., ninety degrees) about the clamp. For the clamp devices 172 and 195 that are disposed within the primary leg 105 of posts 109a, 109b, 109c or a stub post, the location, size, and/or shape of the holes of the primary leg 105 or stub post, as well as the shape of the passageway P of the clamp device, may be configured so that the clamp device accommodates the change in direction desired for the cable 3,10. For clamp devices 170 and 182 that are attached to the external surface of a post 109a, 109b, 109c or to any type of structural surface, two or more clamps may be attached such that each is perpendicular (or at some other angle) about the post, structural surface, or about a clamping device, such as a bolt on clamp.

For example, as shown in FIG. 12a, a bolt on clamp 170 has two weld on clamps 182 oriented in different directions to allow for a change in direction of one or more cables. In other words, by passing a cable 3,10 through a channel 178 of a first weld on clamp device 182a and a channel 178 of a second weld on clamp device 182b, the cable 3,10 changes directions about the structure according to the difference in orientation of the first and second clamp devices. FIG. 12b shows two bolt on clamps 170a and 170b each having two weld on clamp devices 182 attached to a construction I-beam 1. In FIG. 12b, mid-rail cable 10 changes direction as it passes through the two weld on clamps of bolt on clamp 170. In this manner, even with a change in direction of a cable, a bolt on clamp device 170 may still be configured to support a cable as the cable undergoes a five thousand pound load.

Because of the restriction of movement administered by each clamp device, a portion of cable 3,10 extending between two posts 109a, 109b, 109c (see, for example, FIG. 1a) may be isolated from the other portions of cable 3,10. For example, as shown in FIG. 1a, the tension of a portion of cable 3,10 between two posts 109a, 109b, 109c may generally remain unchanged even with the manipulation of other portions of the same cable 3,10. In a construction setting, the isolation of tension within portions of cable 3,10 may be advantageous, particularly when workers use the cable 3,10 as a tie off point for their body harnesses. If portions of cable 3,10 are not isolated (as is the case with prior art systems), the cable 3,10 may become dangerously stretched and experience high amounts of tension, which may cause the cable 3,10 to fail because of the tension or because the cable 3,10 is pressed against sharp edges. If the cable 3,10 fails, those workers relying on the cable 3,10 for support may fall causing serious bodily harm or even death. With the apparatus 101 of the present disclosure, a worker may fall or displace the cable 3,10 with his or her own weight and thereby cause the portion of cable 3,10 upon which he or she is tied to experience increased levels of tension. However, this high level of tension is isolated to the portion of cable 3,10 on which the worker is tied. Therefore, workers may be tied on different portions of cable 3,10 and the displacement and tension on those portions would not be cumulative. In the event of a failure of one of the sections of cable, the remaining sections of the cable will remain intact and connected to the other posts. In this manner, the other sections of the cable will not fail due to another portion failing. Accordingly, apparatus 101 may provide support to multiple workers without the threat of overloading a cable 3,10. It should be noted that the number of workers that may be tied off onto the same cable 3,10 may depend upon the number of posts 109a, 109b, 109c that have been installed.

As mentioned above, when a portion of cable 3,10 between posts 109a, 109b, 109c is displaced, the cable 3,10 may be pulled against the mouth of a clamp device. By rounding or smoothing out the surface of the mouth of the clamp device, a cable 3,10 may be less likely to break because of an acute rupture at the mouth. See, for example, FIG. 5 which shows a rounded mouth 179 of a bolt sandwich clamp 172. By contrast, a ragged or sharp mouth surface may likely trigger a rupture as a cable 3,10 is pushed or dragged against it.

Apparatus 101 may optionally include post caps 120. Referring back to FIG. 2b, a post cap 120 is shown attached to post 109a. Post caps 120 may be designed to fit over the ends of posts 109a, 109b, 109c, such as posts with square cross-sections, to reduce injury to workers or other objects that may fall on top of a post 109a, 109b, 109c. As shown in FIG. 13, a post cap 120 may include a smooth rounded dome 122 and a frame 124. The frame 124 may have slots 125 that allow for the post cap 120 to straddle one or more cables 3,10. The smooth rounded dome 122 provides a surface that lessens the impact on a person or object that happens to fall on top of a post 109a, 109b, 109c. A post cap 120 may also protect a post 109a, 109b, 109c and cable 3,10 from damage, such as, for example, corrosion caused by rain entering the interior of a post 109a, 109b, 109c. It should be noted that a post cap 120 may be designed to be partially received within a post 109a, 109b, 109c, stub post, and other parts of the apparatus 101.

The cables 3,10 used in apparatus 101 and that pass through or are attached to posts 109a, 109b, 109c may be high strength cables, such as aircraft cable and the like. The cables 3,10 may have a radius between ⅛ inch and three inches but may be other dimensions. The cable 3,10 may be wire rope, solid wire, solid rods, nylon rope, braided, woven ropes, and other materials. As mentioned above, the holes in the posts 109a, 109b, 109c and passageways P of the clamp devices may be designed to receive a particular radius of cable.

Apparatus 101 may also include a cable tensioning winch and clamp 200 (TWC). The TWC 200 may be designed to fit on or within a post and be secured to the post by welding, bolting, fitting over a portion of the post, and the like. In FIG. 14a, a TWC 200 is shown disposed over the primary leg 105 of a corner post 109b. The TWC 200 may be used to wrap cable 3,10 or other material around a winch spool in order to apply tension to the cable 3,10 or other material. The winding of the cable 3,10 may be accomplished by using a wrench, a winch hand, an automated system, or another device. In FIG. 14b, a TWC 200 is shown according to one embodiment of the invention. The TWC 200 of FIG. 14b includes a winch hand 202 that can be operated to increase or decrease the tension of a cable or other material about a winch spool drum 201. The TWC 200 of FIG. 14b also includes gears 204 that allow for the winch hand to be locked into place, such as when the appropriate cable tension has been reached. In addition, the TWC 200 of FIG. 14b includes a locking arm 211 that operates to secure the TWC 200 to a post. As shown in FIG. 14c, a TWC 200 may be attached to a corner post 109b proximate the mid-post cable 10 using the locking arm 211. Of course, TWC 200 may have other locking apparatus for securing TWC 200 to a post, such as, for example, a locking bolt mechanism.

Apparatus 101 may optionally include a ladder 130. As shown in FIG. 15, a ladder 130 may be portable and capable of being rolled up. The ladder rungs may be any type of material, such as, for example, aluminum. As shown in FIG. 15, a ladder 130 may have two hooks that are configured to be secured to cables 3,10 of the apparatus 101. In other words, the hooks may allow the ladder to hang from one or more cables 3,10 of the apparatus 101. Of course, the hooks may be secured to other objects as well, such as a generator or other massive object that is positioned on a floor of a structure. A ladder 130 may be sixteen inches wide and twenty feet long with aluminum H-beam rungs. The sides of the ladder 130 may be any type of material, such as, for example, a high strength five-sixteenths inch aircraft cable. The ladder 130 may be rolled up into a coil for stowing and may weigh less than thirty pounds.

Apparatus 101 may optionally include a rescue winch 140. A rescue winch typically includes a winch stand 142 and a winch assembly 144 that is attached to an end of the winch stand 142. The winch stand 142 may be an elongated, hollow tube that is configured to fit onto or within a post 109a, 109b, 109c. An end of the winch stand 142 may include a one inch shaft that fastens to the bottom of the winch assembly 144 and, therefore, locks the winch stand 142 and winch assembly 144 together. The winch stand 142 may also include slots that allow it to slip over cables as it is placed on a post. As shown in FIG. 16, a rescue winch 140 is placed on a post. As understood in the art, a winch assembly 144 may include a length of wire or other material that is attached to an arm or drum of the assembly on one end and attached to a hook or clasp on the other end. The wire or other material may be, for example, a high strength cable with a minimum breaking strength of 3,000 pounds. The safety ratio may be about 10 to 1, which means the rescue winch 140 may be able to hoist a 300 pound person. The arm of the winch assembly may be designed to extend out beyond a post 109a, 109b, 109c and also hoist an object or person upward without dragging the object or person against structures. Typically, there may be a minimum of 30 feet of wire or other material on the winch drum.

After placing the rescue winch 140 on a post 109a, 109b, 109c, an operator may lower the hook at the end of the cable and maneuver it so as to fasten on an individual, animal, building material, or the like. Using one or more handles of the winch assembly 144, the operator may then reel in the item fastened to the hook or clasp. The winch assembly 144 may be designed to rotate completely around relative to the stand. For example, the rescue winch 140 may include cone bearings that allow the winch assembly 144 to rotate or swivel relative to the winch stand. The rescue winch 140 may be stored in a suitcase or other storage device. It should be noted that the ladder 130 described above may be stored in the same storage device as the rescue winch 140.

Apparatus 101 may optionally include tags used to identify different levels of hazards. The tags may be attached to the cables or the posts and include writing, symbols, various colors, and/or other designs to help warn individuals near the cables. The tags may include a self-adhesive, heavy duty vinyl to provide a way of securing tags to cables.

While this disclosure has been described as having a preferred design, the method and apparatus according to the present disclosure can be further modified within the scope and spirit of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the disclosure using its general principles. For example, the method disclosed herein and in the appended claims represents one possible sequence of performing the steps thereof. A practitioner may determine in a particular implementation that a plurality of steps may be combinable, or that a different sequence of steps may be employed to accomplish the same results. Each such implementation falls within the scope of the present disclosure as disclosed herein and in the appended claims. Furthermore, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this disclosure pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A fall prevention apparatus comprising:

at least two posts;

at least two clamp devices, each clamp device attached to one of the at least two posts; and

at least one cable secured between the at least two posts at least partially by the at least two clamp devices, wherein at least a portion of each clamp device holds the at least one cable in a substantially fixed position relative to each of the at least two posts.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two posts is hollow and comprises at least one hole through a portion of the post.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least one of the at least two clamp devices comprises a base device and at least two bolts extending from the base device, a receiving device having at least two holes configured to receive the at least two bolts, and at least two fasteners configured to substantially secure the base device to the receiving device and wherein the at least one of the at least two clamp devices is positioned within the at least one hollow post so that portions of the base device and receiving device substantially contact the inner surface of the hollow post to substantially stabilize the clamp device within the hollow post.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one of the at least two clamp devices comprises at least one mouth portion configured to at least partially extend through the at least one hole of the hollow post when the clamp device is positioned within the hollow post.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least one of the at least two clamp devices comprises an inner hollow device configured to receive at least one cable, an outer hollow device configured to receive at least one cable and configured to at least partially receive the inner hollow device, and a hollow wedge device that is configured to be pressed against a cable when the inner hollow device is at least partially received within the outer hollow device such that the at least one cable is substantially immovable relative to the primary leg and wherein the at least one of the at least two clamp devices is positioned within the at least one hollow post so that at least a portion of the inner hollow device and the outer hollow device substantially contact portions of the inner surface of the hollow post.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the inner hollow device comprises a threaded outer surface and the outer hollow device comprises a threaded inner surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one of the at least two clamp devices comprises at least one mouth portion configured to at least partially extend through the at least one hole of the hollow post when the clamp device is positioned within the hollow post.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two clamp devices comprises a base device and at least two bolts extending from the base device and a receiving device having at least two holes configured to receive the at least two bolts and an attachment part configured to substantially attach the at least one of the at least two clamp devices to the exterior surface of one of the at least two posts.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the attachment part comprises nuts configured to attach to the at least two bolts.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the attachment part comprises welds.

11. A building apparatus comprising:

a plurality of beams;

at least two posts;

at least two sockets, each socket attached to a portion of one of the at least two posts and attached to at least one of the plurality of beams;

at least two clamp devices, each clamp device attached to one of the at least two posts; and

at least one cable secured between the at least two posts at least partially by the at least two clamp devices, wherein at least a portion of each clamp device holds the at least one cable in a substantially fixed position relative to each of the at least two posts.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein at least one of the at least two posts is hollow and comprises at least one hole through a portion of the post.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein at least one of the at least two clamp devices comprises a base device and at least two bolts extending from the base device, a receiving device having at least two holes configured to receive the at least two bolts, and at least two fasteners configured to substantially secure the base device to the receiving device and wherein the at least one of the at least two clamp devices is positioned within the at least one hollow post so that portions of the base device and receiving device substantially contact the inner surface of the hollow post to substantially stabilize the clamp device within the hollow post.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein at least one of the at least two clamp devices comprises an inner hollow device configured to receive at least one cable, an outer hollow device configured to receive at least one cable and configured to at least partially receive the inner hollow device, and a hollow wedge device that is configured to be pressed against a cable when the inner hollow device is at least partially received within the outer hollow device such that the at least one cable is substantially immovable relative to the primary leg and wherein the at least one of the at least two clamp devices is positioned within the at least one hollow post so that at least a portion of the inner hollow device and the outer hollow device substantially contact portions of the inner surface of the hollow post.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein at least one of the at least two posts comprises a primary leg and a first brace leg and a second brace leg that extend in directions substantially perpendicular to one another about the longitudinal axis of the primary leg, wherein a portion of the primary leg is attached to one of the at least two sockets.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the socket attached to the primary leg is configured to receive a portion of each of the brace legs.

17. A method of fall prevention, the method comprising:

providing a building apparatus, comprising: a plurality of beams; at least two posts; and at least two clamp devices, each clamp device attached to one of the at least two posts;

positioning at least one cable through at least a portion of each clamp device; and

isolating a portion of the at least one cable between two of the at least two posts.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein isolating a portion of the at least one cable comprises tightening two of the at least two clamp devices so that the at least one cable is in a substantially fixed position relative to each of the at least two posts.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising attaching at least one socket to one of the plurality of beams.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising attaching at least one of the at least two posts to one of the sockets.