Support for safety barrier

Abstract

A temporary safety barrier is used to protect workers from accidentally falling through a stairwell or other opening in a structure in the course of construction. The barrier is composed of a post having a stop and two or more connectors for attachment of hand rails to the post. A bracket is nailed or screwed to a stringer and a joist where the two are interconnected. The bracket together with the joist and stringer define a space for removable receipt of the post. When the post is within the space, the stop contacts the structure and prevents the post from falling out of the space.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A support for a safety barrier for use in conjunction with a building structure made up of longitudinally extending stringers and laterally extending joists interconnected at joints, said support including: a post having a stop and at least one connector for attachment of a horizontal rail to said post; and a bracket having a pair of outer plates disposed at right angles to each other and an inner plate, said outer plates having a plurality of apertures formed therein for receipt of fasteners for attaching said bracket to said structure adjacent to one said joint such that said inner plate and a portion of said joist and stringer adjacent to said one joint define a space for receipt of said post and when so received, said stop contacting said structure and preventing said post from falling downward through said space.  
     
     
         2 . A support as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said bracket has a pair of inner plates at right angles to each other.  
     
     
         3 . The support as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said bracket is shaped in the form of a “W”.  
     
     
         4 . The support as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said connector is shaped in the form of an “L” having a first limb which extends outwardly from said post and a second limb which extends upwardly from said first limb, said first and second limbs adapted to contact a lower wall and a side wall, respectively, of said horizontal rail.  
     
     
         5 . In combination, a horizontal hand rail and a support therefor, said combination being used in conjunction with a building structure made up of longitudinally extending stringers and laterally extending joists interconnected at joints, said support including: a post having a stop and at least one connector for attachment of said rail to said post; and a bracket having a pair of outer plates disposed at right angles to each other and an inner plate, said outer plates having a plurality of apertures formed therein for receipt of fasteners for attaching said bracket to said structure adjacent to one said joint such that said inner plate and a portion of said joint and stringer adjacent to said one joint define a space for receipt of said post and when so received said stop contacting said structure and preventing said post from falling downward through said space.  
     
     
         6 . A support as claimed in  claim 5  wherein said bracket has a pair of inner plates at right angles to each other.  
     
     
         7 . The support as claimed in  claim 6  wherein said bracket is shaped in the form of a “W”.  
     
     
         8 . The support as claimed in  claim 7  wherein said connector is shaped in the form of an “L” having a first limb which extends outwardly from said post and a second limb which extends upwardly from said first limb, said first and second limbs adapted to contact a lower wall and a side wall, respectively, of said horizontal rail.