Variable rail safety system

Abstract

A multi-use variable guard rail system for providing a safe working area is mountable on various surfaces, whether sloped (roofs), vertical (walls) or horizontal (floors). A rail support of the system has an upright pivotally engaged with a base, and a brace that locks the upright relative to the base in numerous positions ranging between an acute angle and an obtuse angle where the upright and base are linearly aligned. The upright has openings that hold rails such as various sizes of lumber in a vertically stacked array without the need to cut or fasten the lumber, and which allows for replacement of rails without disassembly of the rest of the system. The base has a tongue particularly suited for roof work, namely it is used to mount the rail support to the roof, yet allows the base to be lifted for placing shingles thereunder.

1 . A guard rail support for removably receiving rail members to form a guard rail safety system for removably attaching to a structure comprising: 
 a) an elongate upright member having spaced first and second upright attachment means, and mounting means for supporting said rail members;    b) an elongate base member adapted to be removably secured to said structure and having spaced first and second base attachment means, said first base attachment means adapted to be pivotally engaged with said first upright attachment means; and,    c) an elongate brace member having spaced first and second brace attachment means, said first brace attachment means adaped to be pivotally engaged with said second base attachment means, and said second brace attachment means adapted to be selectively secured to said second upright attachment means to provide said upright member with a desired positioning relative to said base member ranging between an acute angle and an obtuse angle where said upright and base members are substantially linearly aligned.    
   
   
       2 . The guard rail support of  claim 1  wherein said second brace attachment means is adapted to align with, and be secured to, said first upright and first base attachment means to fix said upright and base members in said substantially linearly aligned position.  
   
   
       3 . The guard rail support of  claim 1  wherein said mounting means comprises at least one elongate opening in said upright member adapted to receive at least two rail members in a vertically stacked array.  
   
   
       4 . The guard rail support of  claim 3  wherein said upright member includes three of said openings longitudinally aligned, and said first and second upright attachment means are located at opposed ends of one of said openings.  
   
   
       5 . The guard rail support of  claim 1  wherein said second brace attachment means comprises a plurality of brace holes spaced along said brace member to allow said upright member to be positioned generally vertically when said base member is secured to structures of various inclines.  
   
   
       6 . The guard rail support of  claim 5  wherein said brace holes are located along said brace member to accommodate structures having pitches of at least one of 0/12, 4/12, 5/12, 6/12, 7/12, 8/12, 9/12 and 10/12.  
   
   
       7 . The guard rail support of  claim 5  wherein said brace member has first and second opposed ends, said first brace attachment means being located at said first end and one of said brace holes being located at said second end so as to align with said second upright attachment means to allow said brace member to be removably attached to said upright member when said upright and base members are in said substantially linearly aligned position.  
   
   
       8 . The guard rail support of  claim 1  wherein a planar tongue protrudes from one end of said base member and is adapted to receive fasteners to operatively secure said base member to said structure, said tongue having resilient means to allow said base member to be raised from said structure while said tongue is secured to said structure.  
   
   
       9 . The guard rail support of  claim 8  wherein said base member has an elongate U-shaped body portion adjacent said one end, said body portion having a plurality of spaced base holes for receiving fasteners to removably secure said base member to said structure, said base holes extending to either side of said second base attachment means.  
   
   
       10 . A guard rail support for removably receiving rail members to form a guard rail safety system for removably attaching to a structure comprising: 
 an elongate upright member having spaced first and second upright attachment means, and mounting means for supporting said rail members;    an elongate base member having spaced first and second base attachment means, said first base attachment means adapted to be pivotally engaged with said first upright attachment means, and including a resilient tongue protruding from one end of said base member adapted to receive fasteners to operatively secure said base member to said structure and to allow said base member to be raised from said structure pivotally about said secured tongue; and,    an elongate brace member having spaced first and second brace attachment means, said first brace attachment means adaped to be pivotally engaged with said second base attachment means, and said second brace attachment means adapted to be selectively secured to said second upright attachment means to provide said upright member with a desired positioning relative to said base member.    
   
   
       11 . The guard rail support of  claim 10  wherein said base member has an elongate U-shaped body portion adjacent said one end, said body portion having a plurality of spaced base holes for receiving fasteners to removably secure said base member to said structure.  
   
   
       12 . The guard rail support of  claim 11  wherein said base holes extend to either side of said second base attachment means.  
   
   
       13 . The guard rail support of  claim 10  wherein said mounting means comprises at least one opening in said upright member adapted to receive at least two rail members in a vertically stacked array.  
   
   
       14 . The guard rail support of  claim 10  wherein said second brace attachment means comprises a plurality of brace holes spaced along said brace member to allow said upright member to be positioned generally vertically when said base member is secured to structures of various inclines.  
   
   
       15 . A guard rail system removably installable to a structure comprising: 
 a plurality of rail members;    at least two rail supports for said rail members, each of said rail supports comprising:    an elongate upright member having spaced first and second upright attachment means, and mounting means for supporting said rail members comprising at least one elongate opening in said upright member for receiving at least two of said rail members in a vertically stacked array and adapted to allow replacement of any one of said rail members without disassembly of the rest of the system;    an elongate base member adapted to be removably secured to said structure and having spaced first and second base attachment means, said first base attachment means adapted to be pivotally engaged with said first upright attachment means; and,    an elongate brace member having spaced first and second brace attachment means, said first brace attachment means adaped to be pivotally engaged with said second base attachment means, and said second brace attachment means adapted to be selectively secured to said second upright attachment means to provide said upright member with a desired positioning relative to said base member.    
   
   
       16 . The guard rail system of  claim 15  wherein said upright member includes at least two of said openings longitudinally aligned.  
   
   
       17 . The guard rail system of  claim 15  wherein said second brace attachment means is adapted to align with, and be secured to, said first upright and first base attachment means to fix said upright and base members in a substantially linearly aligned position.  
   
   
       18 . The guard rail system of  claim 15  wherein said second brace attachment means comprises a plurality of brace holes spaced along said brace member to allow said upright member to be positioned generally vertically when said base member is secured to structures of various inclines.