Collapsible safety rail system

Abstract

A collapsible safety rail system for providing a portable or permanent protective barrier to provide for fall prevention from elevated or other work areas. Lockable pivot assemblies are located between heavy bases and the end posts of collapsible safety rail assemblies. Removable detent pins are utilized to lock the pivot assemblies to maintain the erected position of the collapsible safety rail assemblies in protective vertical orientation or are removed to allow maneuvering of the collapsible safety rail assemblies to a minimum viewable profile position when not required for personnel protection.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A collapsible safety rail system comprising a plurality of safety rails, a plurality of support bases spaced from each other on a substrate, each of said support bases having at least two spaced and upstanding receiving posts thereon, each of said plurality of safety rails having a left-hand post and a right-hand post spaced from said left-hand post, a top rail connected to and extending from said left-hand post to said right-hand post, said left-hand post having a bottom end and said right-hand post having a bottom end, a pivot assembly interconnecting said bottom end of said left-hand post to a receiving post on one of said plurality of bases and another pivot assembly interconnecting said bottom end of said right-hand post to a receiving post on another of said plurality of bases whereby each of said safety rails is collapsible from an upright position to a horizontal position relative to said substrate by means of said pivot assemblies. 
     
     
         2 . The collapsible safety rail system of  claim 1 , wherein said lower end of each of said left-hand posts and said right-hand posts has a pair of radial edges including a first pair of opposite holes in the lower end of said radial edges and a second pair of opposite holes in said lower end of said radial edges and above said first pair of opposite holes. 
     
     
         3 . The collapsible safety rail system of  claim 2 , wherein each of said pivot assemblies has a tubular member one end of which is inserted in said receiving post on said support base and is fixable therein, said tubular member being in an upright position, an interconnecting mounting member vertically aligned with and fixed to said tubular member, said interconnecting member having three elongated planar panels with two planar panels being parallel to each other and a third planar panel being connected to opposing edges of said two planar panels, the lower end of said interconnecting member being fixed in an upright position to an upper end portion of said tubular member, the upper end of said interconnecting member having a third pair of opposite holes in said parallel panels and a fourth pair of opposite holes adjacently spaced from a below said third pair of opposite holes, each of said radial edges at the bottom end of each of said left-hand posts and said right-hand posts being inserted into the upper end of said interconnecting member such that said first and fourth pairs of opposite holes are in alignment and said second and third pairs of opposite holes are in alignment, said lower end of said interconnecting mounting member being fixed to said upper end portion of said tubular member and a pivot pin being inserted through said first pair of opposite holes and said fourth pair of opposite holes. 
     
     
         4 . The collapsible safety rail system of  claim 3 , wherein there is a sufficient clearance between the ends of said radial edges and said third planar panel such that each of said safety rails is pivotable into a substantially horizontal position relative to said substrate. 
     
     
         5 . The collapsible safety rail system of  claim 3 , wherein said pivot assembly has a detent pin which is inserted through said second and third pair of holes such that each of said safety rails is maintained in an upright and secure position. 
     
     
         6 . The collapsible safety rail system of  claim 5 , wherein said detent pin has a spring loaded ball at the insertable end thereof and a ring at the opposite end thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The collapsible safety rail system of  claim 3 , wherein said lower end of said interconnecting member is fixed to said upper end portion of said tubular member by welding, riveting or other well known fastening means. 
     
     
         8 . The collapsible safety rail system of  claim 3 , wherein each of said receiving posts has a first pair of opposite openings therein and each of said tubular members has a second pair of opposite openings therein and there is a locking pin extending through said first pair and second pair of openings in order to secure said tubular member to said support base. 
     
     
         9 . The collapsible safety rail system of  claim 8 , wherein said first pair of opposite openings are slots. 
     
     
         10 . The collapsible safety rail system of  claim 9 , wherein each of said left-hand posts and said right-hand posts is rotatable within a respective receiving post. 
     
     
         11 . The collapsible safety rail system of  claim 3 , wherein said substrate is a floor or a flat roof of a building. 
     
     
         12 . The safety rail system of  claim 3 , wherein said plurality of safety rails are four in number and said plurality of spaced bases are at least five in number. 
     
     
         13 . The safety rail system of  claim 12 , wherein there are two safety rails arranged in linear tandem to each other and a pair of safety rails arranged parallely spaced from each other and tangentially to opposite ends of said two safety rails. 
     
     
         14 . The safety rail system of  claim 3 , wherein said support bases are made from cast iron or other heavy weight material. 
     
     
         15 . The safety rail system of  claim 3 , wherein said support bases are fixed to said substrate. 
     
     
         16 . The safety rail system of  claim 3 , wherein said support bases are portable.