Temporary safety guard rail system

Abstract

A safety guard rail apparatus includes a base fitting removably engaged with a lower portion of an upright post. A midrail fitting is removably engaged with a medial portion of the upright post and further removably engaged with a horizontal midrail. A toprail fitting is removably engaged with an upper portion of the upright post and further removably engaged with a horizontal toprail. The base, midrail and toprail fittings are engaged with the upright post, the midrail and toprail using common fasteners such as nails or screws. A corner fitting is adapted for receiving an end portion of each of two of the horizontal midrails or toprails. In this manner, a temporary guard rail may be constructed around elevated construction sites for worker safety.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . Fittings for building a safety guard rail apparatus, the fittings comprising in combination: 
 a base fitting adapted for receiving a lower portion of an upright post; a midrail fitting adapted for receiving a medial portion of the upright post and further adapted for receiving a horizontal midrail; and a toprail fitting adapted for receiving an upper portion of the upright post and further adapted for receiving a horizontal toprail; the base, midrail and toprail fittings adapted for engagement with the upright post and the midrail and toprail using a means for fastening.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a corner fitting adapted for receiving an end portion of each of two of the horizontal midrails or toprails.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the base fitting provides a first channel attached to both a planar mounting plate and a spaced apart planar tacking flange, the mounting plate and the tacking flange laying in a common plane.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the base fitting further provides a second channel mounted in parallel with the first channel, the base fitting thereby adapted for receiving the lower portion of the upright post in a position adjacent to the mounting plate within the first channel, and further adapted for receiving the lower portion in a position spaced apart from the mounting plate within the second channel.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the midrail fitting provides a horizontally oriented tube joined medially with a vertically oriented tube as a T-shaped assembly.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the toprail fitting provides a horizontally oriented tube joined medially with a vertically oriented tube in side-by-side abutment.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the corner fitting provides a pair of horizontally oriented tubes joined terminally at a right angle.  
     
     
         8 . A safety guard rail apparatus comprising in combination: a base fitting removably engaged with a lower portion of an upright post; a midrail fitting removably engaged with a medial portion of the upright post and further removably engaged with a horizontal midrail; and a toprail fitting removably engaged with an upper portion of the upright post and further removably engaged with a horizontal toprail; the base, midrail and toprail fittings removably engaging the upright post, the midrail and toprail using a means for fastening.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  further comprising a corner fitting removably engaging an end portion of each of two of the horizontal midrails or toprails.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the base fitting provides a first channel attached to both a planar mounting plate and a spaced apart planar tacking flange, the mounting plate and the tacking flange laying in a common plane.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the base fitting further provides a second channel mounted in parallel with the first channel, the base fitting thereby adapted for receiving the lower portion of the upright post in a position adjacent to the mounting plate within the first channel, and further adapted for receiving the lower portion in a position spaced apart from the mounting plate within the second channel.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the midrail fitting provides a horizontally oriented tube joined medially with a vertically oriented tube as a T-shaped assembly.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the toprail fitting provides a horizontally oriented tube joined medially with a vertically oriented tube in side-by-side abutment.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the corner fitting provides a pair of horizontally oriented tubes joined terminally at a right angle.  
     
     
         15 . Fittings for building a safety guard rail apparatus, the fittings comprising in combination: 
 a means for base fitting adapted for receiving lower portions of a means for upright support; a means for midrail fitting adapted for receiving medial portions of the means for upright support and further adapted for receiving a means for medial horizontal support; and a means for toprail fitting adapted for receiving upper portions of the means for upright support and further adapted for receiving means for upper horizontal support; the means for engaging upright and horizontal support engagable with the means for upright support and the means for medial and upper horizontal support, using a means for fastening.    
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15  further comprising a means for corner fitting removably engaging an end portion of each of two of the means for horizontal support.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein the means for base fitting provides a first means for receiving attached to a planar means for mounting and spaced apart therefrom, a planar means for tacking, the means for mounting and the means for tacking laying in a common plane.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the means for base fitting further provides a second means for receiving in parallel with the first means for receiving, the means for base fitting thereby adapted for receiving the lower portion of the means for upright support in a position adjacent to the means for mounting within the first means for receiving, and further adapted for receiving the lower portion in a position spaced apart from the means for mounting within the second means for receiving.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein the means for midrail fitting provides a horizontally oriented tube joined medially with a vertically oriented tube as a T-shaped assembly.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein the means for toprail fitting provides a horizontally oriented tube joined medially with a vertically oriented tube in side-by-side abutment, and wherein the means for comer fitting provides a pair of horizontally oriented tubes joined terminally at a right angle.