Temporary Rail Structure for a Floor

The present invention relates to temporary rail structures and more particularly to a temporary rail structure designed to be used around the floor of a building during the construction process.

For many years it has been recognized that buildings under construction present a safety problem. In particular, it is not uncommon for young children to come onto the property of a building that is under construction and to climb and move throughout the building during periods of time when the construction site is unattended. In this same regard, it is not unusual for children and adults as well to stumble, fall or trip while moving through and around the building site, often resulting in serious bodily injury. One particular area of a building that is under construction that presents a special problem is the floor of the building before the walls are actually erected. This is especially true with floors that extend high above the surrounding ground area such as second floor areas.

Beginning in 1993, OSHA will require some type of temporary railing structure around floor areas that are disposed a certain height above the surrounding ground.

There have been attempts at designing temporary rail structures for buildings under construction. For example, see the disclosures found in the following U.S. Patents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,747,898; 3,756,568; 3,881,698; 3,901,481; 3,920,221; 3,938,619; 3,995,833; 4,236,698; and 4,363,467.

However, to a large extent, most of these temporary rail structures are impractical and difficult to use. One of the main problems with temporary rail structures of the past is that they are difficult to handle and hard to attach to the floor structure. Temporary rail structures that are difficult to apply or attach to the open sided floor of a building under construction will not be used efficiently by building framers.

Therefore, there is a need for a reasonably inexpensive temporary rail structure for use by residential builders that is easy to erect and easy to disassemble.

The present invention entails a temporary rail structure for use by the building trades on floors that do not have surrounding side wall structures. In particular, the temporary rail structure of the present invention comprises a series of posts that are designed to be secured about the edge of a floor area and to receive and support a series of side railings. In order to accommodate the present invention, a hole is formed at various places around the floor in the sub-floor itself, adjacent the inside of a band that surrounds floor joists that support an overlying sub-floor. Each posts of the temporary rail structure of the present invention includes a lower yoke-shaped member that is designed to attach to the top portion of the surrounding band that extends around the floor joist of the floor system. The yoke includes an inside leg that extends through the opening formed in the sub-floor adjacent the inside of the band. On the outside leg of the yoke there is provided a screw-type tightener that is screwed into engagement with the outside of the band thereby pulling the inside leg of the yoke closely and tightly adjacent the inside of the band so as to secure the yoke and associated post structure to the band of the floor system. Thereafter, a series of these posts are secured in like manner to the floor structure. The respective posts are connected by a series of horizontal rails that extend from end-to-end and which are supported by vertically spaced rail holders formed on the post structure.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a temporary railing structure for a floor system that is easy to erect and install and which is easy to dismantle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a temporary railing structure for a floor system for a building under construction wherein the temporary railing structure is easy to handle and is relatively inexpensive.

Still a further object of the present invention resides in the provision of a temporary railing structure that is designed to mount directly to a band surrounding the floor system and in particularly designed to extend through an opening formed in the sub-floor.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a temporary railing structure that is compatible with all residential type floor systems under construction.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and obvious from a study of the following description and the accompanying drawings which are merely illustrative of such invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a temporary post that forms a part of the temporary railing structure of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a special temporary corner post that forms a part of the temporary railing structure of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the temporary railing structure of the present invention mounted to a floor system.

The present invention entails a temporary railing structure for use around a floor system of a building under construction. As previously noted, OSHA is about to implement regulations that require the erection of a temporary railing structure around a floor system of a building under construction. Apparently, the regulations will require that once a floor has been constructed that the same cannot be left unattended by the contractor or framer without there being a temporary rail erected around the open sided floor structure.

Before describing the temporary railing structure of the present invention, it may be beneficial to basically review the structure of a floor system. In this regard, a floor system will include a series of parallel floor joists FJ that support a floor or sub-floor SF there above. A band B will extend around the floor joists FJ and will define the perimeter of the floor system. As will be appreciated from subsequent portions of this disclosure, one important feature of the present invention relates to how the temporary railing structure is actually secured to the floor system. In this regard, the present invention entails forming holes or openings in the sub-floor SF at points around the parameter of the floor system. In particular, these openings are formed adjacent the inside of the band B at selected points around the floor system. As will be appreciated from subsequent portions of this disclosure, the railing structure of the present invention entails a series of posts with each post having a yoke-type attachment that fits down over the top portion of the band B. One leg of the yoke extends through the opening formed in the sub-floor SF.

Now turning to the drawings, the temporary railing structure of the present invention is shown therein and indicated generally by the numeral 10. The temporary railing structure 10 comprises a series of posts 12. The posts 12 in the embodiment disclosed are formed from channel iron but it is appreciated that other materials such as wood, plastic and the like can be utilized.

Formed on the lower end of each post is attaching means, indicated generally by the numeral 14, for attaching respective posts 12 to the band B. Attaching means 14 is in the form of a U-shaped yoke with the lower portion 12a of the post forming an outside leg of the U-shaped yoke attaching means 14. Attaching means 14 further includes an inside leg 16. Defined between the outside leg 12a and the inside leg 16 is a band cavity 18 that is designed to receive the band B of the floor system. Also forming a part of the attaching means 14 is a screw tightener 20 that is threaded into the outside leg 12a. It is therefore appreciated that the screw tightener 20 can be tightened down on band B that extends through the band cavity 18 of the attaching means 14.

Formed on the post 12 is at least two rail supports indicated generally by the numeral 22. Rail supports 22 are appropriately spaced on the posts and are adapted to receive and support a horizontal rail such as two-by-fours or two-by-sixes. The particular design of the rail supports 22 will vary to some degree depending on whether the post is a corner post, such as shown in FIG. 2 or an intermediate post which is shown in FIG. 3. First, in the case of a corner post, one is referred to in the drawing in FIG. 2. Here, the rail support structure 22 includes a base 26 that projects outwardly from the post 12 and an upturned leg 24 that extends upwardly from an end of the base 22. Thus, it is appreciated that for a corner version post, as shown in FIG. 2, that the rail supports 22 act to engage and hold simply a terminal end of a horizontal rail 32. Post 12 includes screw-type tighteners 30 which are designed to be screwed into engagement with the end portion of the rail 32 so as to tightly secure the same within the rail supports 22.

Now, turning to FIG. 1, there is shown therein an intermediate temporary rail 12 which is designed to receive and support approaching rails that extend from opposite directions. See the right most post 12 in FIG. 3. In other words, with the intermediate post, as shown in FIG. 1, the same is designed to support two rails 32 end-to-end at two separate vertical positions on the post 12. Turning to the rail support structure for the intermediate post 12, it is seen that the same includes a base 26 and an upper leg portion 24. In addition, there is provided horizontal wings 28 that extend outwardly from both the post and the upper leg 24. This permits two rails to be positioned end-to-end between the wings 28 that form a part of the rail support structure 22 on each intermediate post 12. To secure the rails 32 end-to-end, there is provided screw tighteners 30 that are formed in the outermost wings 28 of each rail support structure 22. There is also provided in the intermediate post a screw-type tightener 30 in the post 12 itself with this central screw-type tightener 30 being disposed between the screw-type tighteners 30 threaded in the wings 28.

To erect and use the temporary railing structure 10 of the present invention, a hole or opening 40 must be formed in the sub-floor itself adjacent the inside of the band B. This permits the inside leg 16 of the attachment means 14 to be inserted downwardly through the opening 40 in the sub-floor. This is done at spaced intervals around the perimeter of the floor under construction. After the yolk or attachment means 14 is inserted over a top portion of the band, the lower screw tightener 20 is turned such that it tightens down on the band B extending through the band cavity 18 of the yolk or attaching means 14. This securely anchors the post 12 to the band B. A series of posts 12 are secured onto the band B at various points and locations around the perimeter of the floor system. See FIG. 3. Next, horizontal rails 32 are connected between the respective posts 12. It is appreciated that at each corner, a pair of corner posts 12, such as that shown in FIG. 2 would be used. The rails 32 can be formed of two-by-fours, two-by-sixes, or the like, and are simply extended from one post to an adjacent post with the rails being supported in the rail supports 22 and the screw-type tighteners 30 screwed down on the rail so as to press them against the opposite structure that forms a part of the rail supports 22.

From the foregoing discussion, it is appreciated that the present invention entails a relatively simple but functional temporary rail support kit or structure that enables one to quickly and easily mount a portable side railing structure around the floor of a building or house under construction.

The present invention may, of course, be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.