Panel Stack Safety Holder

Abstract

A holder apparatus ( 10,10′,110,210 ) for safely holding one or more construction material panels ( 52 ) at a work site within a building under construction. The holder rests on flooring ( 100 ) and is locatable adjacent a selected wall structure ( 102 ) and includes a base ( 12,12′,112,212 ) having a top load-bearing surface ( 14,114,214 ) canted at a small angle upwardly extending away from the adjacent wall. First and second stop rails ( 20,24 ) parallel to the wall define inner and outer stops for bottom edges ( 54 ) of a panel stack placeable onto the holder to be leaned against the wall ( 102 ), to assure that their bottom edges seated on the top surface ( 14,114,214 ) are at least a safe distance from the wall to prevent toppling, and a maximum distance to assure against sliding of the bottom panel edges away from the wall. An anti-tilt frame ( 40,40′,140,240 ) extends upwardly from the base beyond the second stop rail ( 24 ) and angled toward the wall to prevent toppling of the panels ( 52 ).

1 . An apparatus for holding one or more panels on edge to lean against an adjacent wall structure, comprising:
 at least a base having a top load-bearing surface, the base being disposed adjacent the wall structure wherein the top surface is canted and rises extending away from the adjacent wall structure such that one or more panels resting on edge on the top surface would not tend to slide away from the adjacent wall structure.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the top surface is canted at an angle equal to the angle of the bottom edge of one or more panels assumed when placed onto the top surface and leaned against the adjacent wall structure. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the top surface is canted at an angle between about 2° and 10°. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the angle accommodates a ratio of: distance from the adjacent wall structure:height of panels of about 1:8. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further including a plate adjacent the adjacent wall structure enabling fastening of the base to the adjacent wall structure. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the plate is secured to the base by at least one vertical post holding it at a selected height above the base. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the base includes a plurality of vertical support frames engageable with the floor surface to support the top load-bearing surface. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the vertical support frames are oriented parallel to the adjacent wall structure. 
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further including at least two spaced-apart angled members along a wall-adjacent end of the base and extending upwardly from the top surface a small selected distance from the wall-adjacent end and angled theretoward to ends positioned above the wall-adjacent base end, whereby bottom edges of the one or more panels are seated on the top surface at least said small selected distance from the adjacent wall structure. 
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further including a first stop rail generally parallel to the adjacent wall structure and projecting upwardly from the top surface and located a selected short distance from the adjacent wall structure to assure that the one or more panels are seated at least the selected short distance from the adjacent wall structure. 
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the first stop rail is positioned a selected distance of at least six inches from the adjacent wall structure when the one or more panels have a dimension of about four feet from bottom edge to top edge, when the panels are seated on the top surface. 
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein angled members extend from the ends of the first stop rail toward and to the adjacent wall structure to prevent panels from being seated between the first stop rail and the adjacent wall structure. 
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further including a second stop rail generally parallel to the adjacent wall structure and projecting upwardly from the top surface a selected substantial distance from the adjacent wall structure to stop the bottom edges of the one or more panels from sliding away from the adjacent wall structure. 
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the second stop rail is located a distance sufficient to enable a stack of panels to be seated on edge between the first and second stop rails. 
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the second stop rail is so positioned that an angle assumed by a panel does not exceed about 40° from vertical when the panel's bottom edge engages the second stop rail and the panel's top edge engages the adjacent wall structure. 
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further including a second stop rail generally parallel to the adjacent wall structure and projecting upwardly from the top surface a selected substantial distance from the adjacent wall structure to stop the bottom edges of the one or more panels from sliding away from the adjacent wall structure. 
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the second stop rail is repositionable with respect to the first stop rail. 
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further including an anti-tilt railing extending upwardly from the base a selected substantial distance from the adjacent wall structure to prevent toppling of the one or more panels should the one or more panels be moved in a direction away from the adjacent wall structure. 
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the anti-tilt railing is angled toward the adjacent wall structure. 
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the anti-tilt railing includes a horizontal top bar having a rounded side surface serving to be engaged by an adjacent one of the panels without damaging the one panel upon contact. 
   
   
       21 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the anti-tilt railing is securable to and removable from the base. 
   
   
       22 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the anti-tilt railing includes a plurality of upstanding posts connectable with the base. 
   
   
       23 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the base includes sleeves defining generally vertical apertures thereinto into which respective ones of the upstanding posts are insertable. 
   
   
       24 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of wheels are assembled to the base, whereby the holder is mobile. 
   
   
       25 . An apparatus for holding one or more panels on edge to lean against an adjacent wall structure, comprising:
 at least a base having a top load-bearing surface, the base being disposed on a horizontal floor surface adjacent the wall structure and including at least a first stop rail generally parallel to the adjacent wall structure and projecting upwardly from the top surface a selected short distance from the adjacent wall structure to assure that the one or more panels are seated at least the selected short distance from the adjacent wall structure.   
   
   
       26 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the first stop is a rail positioned a selected distance of at least six inches from the adjacent wall structure when the one or more panels have a dimension of about four feet from bottom edge to top edge, when the panels are seated on the top surface. 
   
   
       27 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the first stop is a gusset plate angled between joints with an upstanding vertical plate adjoined to the base at least six inches from the upstanding vertical plate. 
   
   
       28 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the holder is a one-piece structure. 
   
   
       29 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , further including a second stop rail generally parallel to the adjacent wall structure and projecting upwardly from the top surface a selected substantial distance from the adjacent wall structure to stop the bottom edges of the one or more panels from sliding away from the adjacent wall structure. 
   
   
       30 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the top surface is canted and rises extending away from the adjacent wall structure such that one or more panels resting on edge on the top surface would not tend to slide away from the adjacent wall structure. 
   
   
       31 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the top surface is canted at an angle equal to the angle of the bottom edge of one or more panels assumed when placed onto the top surface and leaned against the adjacent wall structure. 
   
   
       32 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the top surface is canted at an angle between about 2° and 10°. 
   
   
       33 . The apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein the angle accommodates a ratio of: distance of first stop rail from the adjacent wall structure:height of panels of about 1:8. 
   
   
       34 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein a plurality of wheels are assembled to the base, whereby the holder is mobile.