Fences – Panel
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-16
2003-04-29
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3679)
Fences
Panel
C256S065140
Reexamination Certificate
active
06554257
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCES TO CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS
None.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a safety rail system for providing a protective barrier for blocking access to a hazardous area or for preventing falls from an elevated area.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art safety rail systems required the user to secure components of the systems by some type of securing method, such as by using anchor bolts or by welding pieces together. One similar prior art system to this invention utilizes cast bases and rail sections. This system uses two post receivers on each cast base to support only two rail sections. In each post receiver are four cast holes spaced 90 degrees from one another. These holes are used to secure the rail sections to the base with some type of securing pin. In contrast, the present invention utilizes a plurality of offset slots instead of holes to provide for infinite positioning.
A common prior art system has toe board receiver slots cast into the perimeter of the base itself, creating protrusions. These protrusions could extend up to six inches from the base surface. In contrast, this invention uses removable toe board adapters. By utilizing the adapter method, potential hazards due to protrusions extending from the base are eliminated. One hazard is a potential tip-over of a forklift driving over the protrusion. Another potential hazard is human injury should someone trip over the protrusion and fall. These protrusions also become a nuisance when toe boards are not in use.
No known system allows for infinite positioning and in addition has locking gates and removable toe board adapters. The present invention provides for all three of these features inclusive or independent.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The general purpose of the present invention is to provide a safety rail system which is intended to be used to cordon off work areas and the like where human safety is an issue. When the cast iron base is coupled to the rail and/or gate sections, it has enough weight, mass and strength to withstand tipping. Thus, the system provides a safe means of protection should one fall against it. It also meets and exceeds OSHA regulations for permanent safety railings. When used on an elevated work surface, optional toe board adapters are added. These adapters enable the system to be in accordance with OSHA regulations pertaining to elevated work areas.
The base is the vital component of this invention and enables the system to be as versatile as it is described herein. The base has four post receivers so as to enable as many as four rail sections, latching posts, or gate posts to be incorporated at any one time. Thus, the system has the versatility to have up to four quadrants of work areas to be defined by the base placement. The base also incorporates four symmetrically positioned holes to enable a permanent mount to a surface, via some form of anchor bolts, if desired.
Designed into each of the post receivers are strategically positioned slots. These slots will align with two vertically spaced holes in the vertical posts of the rail sections. This alignment will enable the rail sections to be secured to the base at infinite positions along a 360° rotation with some type of locking pin.
The rail sections used in this invention come in varying lengths and are comprised of iron tubing with a sufficient wall thickness to withstand the potential force that could be exerted when a person falls against a rail section. It is to be understood that aluminum or another appropriate material may be used in the rail section construction. The rail sections include a rail-locking system that adds additional strength to the entire system, preventing tipping. The vertical posts of each rail section have doughnut-shaped metal pieces (securing rings) welded at equal heights from the bottoms of the posts. The securing rings have precise internal cutouts that enable each rail section to be secured to each other with some type of securing means. A carabiner or locking safety chain would be sufficient to additionally secure the rail sections together. The internal cutouts enable the rail sections to be secured to one another at infinite directions of any rail section that is incorporated in the base at any one time.
This invention incorporates a derivative of the rail section. It is a gate assembly that is utilized to access a work area without having to remove locking pins and a rail section to gain access. A coupler is designed to attach and lock a gate post to a base post receiver. This feature is important so it can lock the angle of assembly of the gate post to the base. Without the coupler, the gate post would move within the post receiver slots and then would not align with the gate latching post after moving from its original installation position.
When this invention is used on an elevated work surface, as defined by OSHA regulations, an adapter or receiver for required toe boards is available. Toe boards are intended to keep objects from being kicked over the elevated work surface that may cause injury to someone below. These toe board adapters or receivers slide onto the lower ends of the vertical posts of each rail section and then are lowered onto the toe board. After positioning onto the toe board, the adapters are secured to the rail section with a securing bolt or knob of one's choice. The toe boards are then secured to the adapter by nails or by a locking pin that is similar to or the same as that used to secure the rail section to the base. Because these adapters are designed to rotate on the vertical post before being locked into place, they can be positioned in any direction so that they follow the in-line path of the rail section itself.
This invention comes with an optional number of horizontal cross members or vertical posts that can be welded to the rail sections. This feature enables this portable system to be used in a variety of markets. One example of this feature is the agricultural market. One could specify the requirements of spacing between the horizontal/vertical spacing of the cross members so that animals could not escape from a livestock pen created using this invention.
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Cottingham John R.
Jaeger Hugh D.
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