SUPPORT BRACKET AND METHOD FOR TEMPORARY GUARD RAILING

Abstract

The present invention provides a support bracket and method of use of a plurality of support brackets in order to construct a temporary guard railing that is easily assembled and removed. The support bracket comprises a support base, support walls upstanding from the base defining therebetween an upwardly opening socket for receipt of a post, and at least one concrete reinforcement member fixedly attached to and laterally extending at an outward angle from one of the support walls.

Description

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to guard railing, and more particularly to a support and system for temporary guard railing for preventing falls during construction of a building.

A concrete slab is a common structural element of modern buildings. Horizontal slabs of steel reinforced concrete, typically between 4 and 20 inches thick, are most often used to construct floors and ceilings, while thinner slabs are also used for exterior paving.

In many domestic and industrial buildings a thick concrete slab, supported on foundations or directly on the subsoil, is used to construct the ground floor of a building. These can either be “ground-bearing” or “suspended” slabs. In high rise buildings and skyscrapers, thinner, pre-cast concrete slabs are slung between the steel frames to form the floors and ceilings on each level.

OSHA prescribes a number of safety measures which must be taken to protect workers while a building is under construction, and these may also serve to protect other persons, such as an owner or prospective purchaser who wishes to see the building while under construction. Among these are requirements for temporary guard railing to be erected along the edges of floor surfaces where there is no wall or other restraint, and from which there is a sufficient vertical drop to present a serious hazard should a person fall from the edge of the floor surface.

Undesirable amounts of time and materials may be used where the temporary guard railing is constructed in a conventional manner. Additional time is spent in removing the temporary guard railing when it is no longer needed, and even if some of the materials from that temporary railing can be re-used, it is usually necessary to disassemble that material and reconstruct a guard rail from scratch when it is re-used.

SUMMARY

The present invention is a support bracket and method of use of the support bracket in order to construct a temporary guard railing that is easily constructed and removed and is extremely cost efficient.

Generally speaking, the present invention is a support bracket for temporary guard railing, which comprise a support base, support walls upstanding from the base defining therebetween an upwardly opening socket for receipt of a post, and at least one concrete reinforcement member fixedly attached to and laterally extending at an outward angle from one of the support walls.

In a version of the invention, the support walls comprise a front wall, a rear wall, and opposing sidewalls upstanding from the support base defining an upwardly opening socket having a rectangular cross section for receipt of a post having a rectangular cross section. Ideally, the socket is configured to receive a desired dimension of dimensional lumber that is well known in the construction industry.

In another version, at least two concrete reinforcement members are fixedly attached to and laterally extending at an angle from each of the opposing sidewalls The concrete reinforcement is a thin elongated vertical strip having an angled flat end portions which provide lateral strength to the support bracket and temporary guard railing while embedded within a concrete slab.

Moreover, a method of construction and use of a plurality of support brackets which, when utilized conjunction, provide the ability to construct a temporary guard railing in a timely manner, meet OSHA safety requirements, and can be easily removed while utilizing cost friendly parts such as dimensional lumber.

The method for constructing temporary guard railing, includes (a) providing one or more support bracket having a support base, support walls including a front wall, a rear wall, and opposing sidewalls upstanding from the base defining an upwardly opening socket having a rectangular cross section for receipt of a post having a rectangular cross section, and at least one concrete reinforcement member fixedly attached to and laterally extending at an outward angle from one of the support walls; (b) affixing the support bracket to a sidewall of concrete formwork such that the top perimeter of the support bracket is aligned with the top of the concrete formwork; (c) pouring concrete into the formwork and around the support bracket in order to create a concrete slab; (d) providing a post having a rectangular cross section; and (e) inserting the post into the socket.

Other versions of the method may comprise the additional steps including providing a barrier means for connecting two or more posts in order to create a complete temporary guard rail.

Other systems may comprise other variations and combinations. The aforementioned version should not be construed in the limiting sense.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description and accompanying figures where:

FIG. 1 is a right, front side perspective view of the support bracket;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the support bracket of the version shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation view of the support bracket of the version shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a left side elevation view of the support bracket of the version shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a right side elevation view of the support bracket of the version shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the support bracket of the version shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the support bracket of the version shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is front perspective view of the support bracket affixed to a sidewall of a formwork of the version shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is front perspective view of positioned rebar within the formwork and interwoven with the support bracket of the version shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is front perspective view of the formwork filled with concrete encompassing the support bracket of the version shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is front perspective view of the formwork filled with concrete encompassing the support bracket with top cover of the version shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is a rear perspective view of the support bracket of the version shown in FIG. 1 embedded within concrete with the formwork removed;

FIG. 13 is a rear perspective view of the support bracket of the version shown in FIG. 1 embedded within concrete having a post inserted therein;

FIG. 14 is an illustrative perspective view of a system utilizing a plurality of support brackets, posts, and barrier means; and

FIG. 15 is an illustrative perspective view showing the support bracket of the version shown in FIG. 1 with top cover and overlaid with tile.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the figures wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating a preferred version of the invention only and not for purposes of limiting the same, the present invention is a support bracket and method of use of the support bracket in order to construct a temporary guard railing.

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary versions of the invention. The description is not to be taken in the limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Various inventive features are described below that can each be used independently of one another or in combination with other features.

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1-FIG. 7 thereof, a new support bracket 10 for temporary guard railing embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention are shown.

In the version, the support bracket 10 generally comprises a support base 12, support walls having a front wall 14, a rear wall 16, and opposing sidewalls 18, 20 upstanding from the base 12, which define an upwardly opening socket 22.

In the version, the socket 22 has generally a rectangular cross section formed by the support walls for receipt of a post which has a rectangular cross section. The front wall 14 and the rear wall 16 being parallel to and opposed to each other and having a horizontal length longer than the opposing sidewalls 18, 20. The opposing sidewalls 18, 20 are parallel to and opposed to each other. While the support walls could be discontinuous, it is highly preferable that they be directly adjoined to one another to form a complete enclosure defining the socket 22. Ideally, the cross section is configured to receive standardized dimensional lumber as known in the construction industry. Dimensional lumber is a term known in the industry for lumber that is cut to standardized width and depth specified in inches. For example, a customary sized piece of lumber defined as a two-by-four and other variants are commonly used throughout the construction realm. Ideally, the cross section of the socket 22 is sized to fit the dimensions of a two-by-four as known in the industry. The actual size of a two-by-four is 1.5 inches by 3.5 inches. It will be known, the invention can be adapted to fit other lumber cross section sizes or other non-wood posts with a rectangular or other shaped dimensions.

Moreover, the invention may comprise at least one concrete reinforcement member 24 fixedly attached to and laterally extending at an outward angle from one of the support walls. In the illustrated version, support bracket 10 comprises four concrete reinforcement members 24, two vertically positioned on each of the opposing sidewalls 18, 20. Each concrete reinforcement member 24 are fixedly attached to and horizontally extend forward and outward from the opposing sidewalls 18, 20. Ideally, as illustrated, the concrete reinforcement members are attached to the opposing sidewalls 18, 20 near the joinder of the opposing sidewalls 18, 20 and the rear wall 16.

In particular, each concrete reinforcement member 24 is a thin elongated vertical strip having opposing surfaces 26, 28. The opposing surfaces 26, 28 provide a surface area that is sufficient to bond and coexist with poured concrete which provides strength and rigidity to the support bracket 10. Moreover, the concrete reinforcement members 24 may further comprise angled flat end portions 31 that are bent outward which provide opposing surfaces that are generally parallel with the front wall 14 surface. The flat end portions 31 provide further strength and rigidity to the support bracket 10 by creating a gripping force resistant to lateral movement of the support bracket 10 while embedded within a poured slab of concrete. In other versions, the concrete reinforcement member 24 can be of any size, shape or material such that it provides support, strength and reinforcement to the support bracket 10, which in turn provides support to an inserted post and/or temporary guard rail coupled therewith.

As further illustrated in the figures, the support bracket 10 may further comprise at least one attachment member 36 positioned to attach the support bracket 10 to a flat surface such as the outer side of formwork or a wooden frame. The attachment member 36 can be of any shape or configuration needed to properly attach the support bracket 10 to a flat surface. In the version, there are two attachment members 36 which are rectangular in shape with a forward facing surface 38 and a rear facing surface 40. The attachment members 36 have attachment holes 30 adapted to receive a connection means 32 such as a nail or screw in order to attach the support bracket 10 to formwork or other flat surface. The attachment members 36 are laterally placed adjacent to each of the opposing sidewalls 18, 20, whereby the rear facing surface 40 is generally flush or parallel with the rear wall 16 surface. This ensures during attachment the rear wall 16 lays flat with the flat surface.

Referring to figures FIG. 8-FIG. 15, the following is the method of use of the above described support bracket 10 in order to provide a temporary guard railing that can be erected in a timely manner, meets OSHA safety requirements, and can be easily removed while utilizing cost friendly parts such as two-by-fours as posts. It will be known that the steps described below are not all critical to the inventive method and may be carried out in alternate sequences.

As illustrated by FIG. 8, the first step in the method is to provide a support bracket 10 and affixing the support bracket 10 to a sidewall 58 of concrete formwork 56 such that the top perimeter 42 of the socket 22 is generally aligned with the top surface 44 of the formwork 56.

As illustrated by FIG. 9, rebar 46, also known as reinforcing bar, is positioned within the formwork 56 and about the support bracket 10 as commonly practiced in the construction industry.

As illustrated by FIG. 10, the next step in the method is to pour mixed cement or concrete 48 into the formwork 56, thereby encompassing the support bracket 10, concrete reinforcement members 24 and rebar 46. The concrete 48 is then allowed to cure in order to create a concrete slab as known in the construction industry. FIG. 11 shows the utilization of a top cover plate 50 for providing protection to the socket 22 while the concrete 48 is being poured and while the concrete 48 is cured.

FIG. 12 is a rear perspective view of the support bracket 10 embedded within concrete 48 having the formwork 56 removed. The rear wall 16 of the support bracket 10 is exposed as well as the attachment members 36. It will be known that the formwork does not need to be removed in order to carry out the invention.

As illustrated in FIG. 13, a post 60 is provided which has a cross section that correlates and fits within the cross section of the socket 22. The post 60 is ideally a length of a dimensional lumber as known in the construction industry. The post 60 is inserted into the socket 22, thereby creating a secure, supportive fit with the support bracket 10.

Referring to FIG. 14, a system of a plurality of support brackets 10 may be embedded and aligned about the perimeter 52 of the concrete slab 48. This allows for a plurality of posts 60 to be interconnected by a barrier means 54 which creates a temporary guard railing about the perimeter 52 of the concrete slab 48. The barrier means 54 can be any construction material that is positioned to form a barrier between each of the posts 60. For example, as illustrated, one or more pieces of dimensional lumber may be horizontally connected between two posts 60, thus creating a barrier between the connecting posts 60. Other barrier means 54 may be utilized as known in the construction industry such as chains, rope, and synthetic bands or a combination thereof. The barrier means 54 can be made of any material using sound engineering judgment such as metal, wood, natural and synthetic fibers, and/or plastic.

Now referring to FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, once the constructed temporary guard railing is no longer required, it can easily be uninstalled by removing the barrier means 54, and in turn removing the plurality of posts 60 from the sockets 22 of the plurality of support brackets 10. The top cover plate 50 can be fitted with the support bracket in order to cover the socket 22. At this point, the top perimeter 42 and the top cover plate 50 of the support bracket 10 is generally flush with the surface of the concrete slab 48. As illustrated in FIG. 15, a flooring material 56 can be easily installed on the concrete slab 48 surface—overlaying and concealing the support bracket 10 embedded within. As illustrated, the flooring material 56 in the version is tile. It will be known that other flooring known in the construction industry may be utilized.

The present invention can be made in any manner and of any material chosen with sound engineering judgment. Preferably, materials will be strong, lightweight, long lasting, economic, and ergonomic. Portions of the system, including support bracket 10, may be fabricated from any number of suitable materials, such as, without limitation, titanium, steel and aluminum. Likewise, the portions of the system may be finished in any number of ways, including anodizing, painting, milling or left in their respective unfinished states.

Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in considerable detail, other versions and embodiments of the invention are certainly possible. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments herein.

All features disclosed in this specification including any claims, abstract, and drawings may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose unless expressly stated otherwise.

Claims

1. A support bracket for temporary guard railing, comprising:

(a) a support base;

(b) support walls upstanding from the base defining therebetween an upwardly opening socket for receipt of a post; and

(c) at least one concrete reinforcement member fixedly attached to and laterally extending at an outward angle from one of the support walls.

2. The support bracket of claim 1, wherein there are four support walls arranged to define a rectangular cross section to the socket.

3. The support bracket of claim 2, wherein the rectangular cross section to the socket is sized to receive a post made of a dimensional lumber.

4. The support bracket of claim 3, wherein the rectangular cross section is sized to receive a two-by-four sized dimensional lumber.

5. The support bracket of claim 1, wherein the concrete reinforcement member is a thin elongated vertical strip having an angled flat end portion.

6. The support bracket of claim 1, wherein there are four such support walls comprise a rear wall, a front wall, and opposing sidewalls, and wherein each opposing sidewall has at least one concrete reinforcement member.

7. The support bracket of claim 6, wherein the opposing sidewalls each having two concrete reinforcement members.

8. The support bracket of claim 7, wherein the concrete reinforcement member is a thin elongated vertical strip having an angled flat end portion and wherein the concrete reinforcement member horizontally extend forward and outward from the opposing sidewalls.

9. The support bracket of claim 8, wherein the two concrete reinforcement members on each of the opposing sidewalls are aligned vertically in respect to each other.

10. The support bracket of claim 1, further comprising at least one attachment member fixedly attached thereto for supporting the support bracket onto a flat surface.

11. The support bracket of claim 10, wherein the attachment member has a hole for receipt of a connection means in order to connect the support bracket to a flat surface.

12. The support bracket of claim 11, wherein the attachment member has a rear surface and wherein the rear surface is generally positioned flush with the surface of the rear wall.

13. A support bracket for temporary guard railing, comprising:

(a) a support base;

(b) support walls having a front wall, a rear wall, and opposing sidewalls upstanding from the support base defining an upwardly opening socket having a rectangular cross section for receipt of a post having a rectangular cross section;

(c) at least two concrete reinforcement members fixedly attached to and laterally extending at an angle from each of the opposing sidewalls; and

(d) at least one attachment member positioned to attach the support bracket to a flat surface.

14. The support bracket of claim 13, wherein the concrete reinforcement is a thin elongated vertical strip having an angled flat end portion.

15. The support bracket of claim 14, wherein the concrete reinforcement members horizontally extend forward and outward from the opposing sidewalls.

16. The support bracket of claim 14, wherein the concrete reinforcement members horizontally extend forward and outward from the opposing sidewalls.

17. A method for constructing temporary guard railing, comprising:

(a) providing one or more support bracket comprising a support base, support walls having a front wall, a rear wall, and opposing sidewalls upstanding from the base defining an upwardly opening socket having a rectangular cross section for receipt of a post having a rectangular cross section, and at least one concrete reinforcement member fixedly attached to and laterally extending at an outward angle from one of the support walls;

(b) affixing the support bracket to a sidewall of concrete formwork such that the top perimeter of the support bracket is aligned with the top of the concrete formwork;

(c) pouring concrete into the formwork and around the support bracket in order to create a concrete slab;

(d) providing a post having a rectangular cross section; and

(e) inserting the post into the socket.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of providing a barrier means for connecting two or more posts in order to create a temporary guard rail.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein each opposing sidewall has at least two concrete reinforcement members fixedly attached to and horizontally extend forward and outward from each of the opposing sidewalls.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the concrete reinforcement member is a thin elongated vertical strip having an angled flat end portion.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the concrete reinforcement member is a thin elongated vertical strip having an angled flat end portion.