Metal safety rail for open floors of a building under construction

Abstract

A metal safety rail for open floors of a building under construction includes a baseplate secured to a floor surface, a substantially vertical inner stanchion integrally joined to the baseplate, a substantially vertical outer stanchion slidably disposed over the inner stanchion, and at least one guard member secured to adjacent outer stanchions, whereby a safety rail is ultimately disposed about a peripheral portion of an open floor of a building under construction to prevent workers from falling from the open floor to the ground below.

1 . A baseplate for supporting a safety rail upon a predetermined structure, said baseplate remaining unattached to the structure irrespective of the weight and/or configuration of the safety rail, comprising:
 a top wall having a first portion configured and dimensioned for allowing at least one inner stanchion to be integrally joined to said first portion of said top wall such that said inner stanchion is vertically disposed to receive a cooperating portion of the safety rail, said top wall having a second portion configured and dimensioned for allowing at least one guiding stanchion to be integrally joined to said second portion of said top wall such that said guiding stanchion is vertically disposed;   a gripping member secured to a bottom wall of said baseplate for preventing said baseplate from moving upon a corresponding surface of the structure; and   at least one relatively heavy weight member having a central aperture to receive said guiding stanchion to allow said weight member to engage said second portion of said top wall, said guiding stanchion cooperating with said second portion of said top wall to maintain the relative position of said weight member upon said second portion irrespective of movement of said baseplate, whereby said baseplate cooperates with adjacent baseplates to vertically maintain the position of a safety rail upon structure without attaching the baseplates to the structure.   
     
     
         2 . The baseplate of  claim 1  wherein said baseplate is fabricated from a relatively heavy material. 
     
     
         3 . The baseplate of  claim 1  wherein said baseplate includes a rectangular configuration having predetermined dimensions. 
     
     
         4 . The baseplate of  claim 1  wherein said first portion of said top wall includes two inner stanchions to be integrally joined to said first portion. 
     
     
         5 . The baseplate of  claim 1  wherein said guiding stanchion includes a threaded top end for securing an extension member to said threaded top end to ultimately increase the vertical dimension of said guiding stanchion to ultimately add and vertically stack weight members upon said second portion of said top wall for increasing the force imparted upon said baseplate, thereby increasing the vertical stability of the safety rail and the friction of said gripping member upon the structure to maintain the relative position of said baseplate upon the surface of the structure. 
     
     
         6 . The baseplate of  claim 1  wherein said weight member includes a gap for allowing cooperating portions of said weight member to separate to promote the insertion of a cap member through said central aperture when disposing said weight member upon said baseplate. 
     
     
         7 . The baseplate of  claim 6  wherein said weight member includes a second aperture that exposes a corresponding aperture in said baseplate for allowing said corresponding aperture to receive a securing screw when said weight member is disposed upon said baseplate, thereby allowing said baseplate to be secured to the structure when increased safety rail stability is required with limited damage to the surface of the structure. 
     
     
         8 . The baseplate of  claim 7  wherein said second aperture of said weight member includes a semi-circle configuration that promotes the manually lifting and carrying of said weight member. 
     
     
         9 . The baseplate of  claim 8  wherein said second aperture of said weight member includes a second gap for promoting the removal of said weight member from said baseplate by the manually grasping of one of two fingers formed by said second aperture and said second gap. 
     
     
         10 . A baseplate for supporting a safety rail upon a predetermined structure, said baseplate remaining unattached to the structure irrespective of the weight and configuration of the safety rail, comprising:
 a top wall having a first portion configured and dimensioned for allowing at least one inner stanchion to be integrally joined to said first portion of said top wall such that said inner stanchion is vertically disposed to receive a cooperating portion of the safety rail, said top wall having a second portion configured and dimensioned for allowing at least one guiding stanchion to be integrally joined to said second portion of said top wall such that said guiding stanchion is vertically disposed;   a gripping member secured to a bottom wall of said baseplate for preventing said baseplate from moving upon a corresponding surface of the structure;   at least one relatively heavy weight member having a central aperture to receive said guiding stanchion to allow said weight member to engage said second portion of said top wall, said guiding stanchion cooperating with said second portion of said top wall to maintain the relative position of said weight member upon said second portion irrespective of movement of said baseplate; and   means for vertically increasing the number of weight members upon said second portion of said top wall to maintain baseplate stability irrespective of the weight and/or configuration of the safety rail, whereby said baseplate cooperates with adjacent baseplates to vertically maintain the position of a safety rail upon the structure without attaching the baseplates to the structure.   
     
     
         11 . The baseplate of  claim 10  wherein said baseplate is fabricated from a relatively heavy material. 
     
     
         12 . The baseplate of  claim 10  wherein said baseplate includes a rectangular configuration having predetermined dimensions. 
     
     
         13 . The baseplate of  claim 10  wherein said first portion of said top wall includes two inner stanchions to be integrally joined to said first portion. 
     
     
         14 . The baseplate of  claim 10  wherein said means for increasing the number of weight members includes said guiding stanchion having a threaded top end for securing an extension member to said threaded top end to ultimately increase the vertical dimension of said guiding stanchion to ultimately add and vertically stack weight members upon said second portion of said top wall for increasing the force imparted upon said baseplate, thereby increasing the vertical stability of the safety rail and the friction of said gripping member upon the structure to maintain the relative position of said baseplate upon the surface of the structure. 
     
     
         15 . The baseplate of  claim 10  wherein said weight member includes a first gap for allowing cooperating portions of said weight member to separate to promote the insertion of a cap member of said guiding stanchion through said central aperture when disposing said weight member upon said baseplate. 
     
     
         16 . The baseplate of  claim 15  wherein said weight member includes a second aperture that exposes a corresponding aperture in said baseplate for allowing said corresponding aperture to receive a securing screw when said weight member is disposed upon said baseplate, thereby allowing said baseplate to be secured to the structure when increased safety rail stability is required with limited damage to the surface of the structure. 
     
     
         17 . The baseplate of  claim 16  wherein said second aperture of said weight member includes a semi-circle configuration that promotes the manually lifting and carrying of said weight member. 
     
     
         18 . The baseplate of  claim 17  wherein said second aperture of said weight member includes a second gap for promoting the removal of said weight member from said baseplate by the manually grasping of one of two fingers formed by said second aperture and said second gap. 
     
     
         19 . A plurality of baseplates for supporting a safety rail upon a predetermined structure, said baseplates remaining unattached to the structure irrespective of the weight and configuration of the safety rail, comprising:
 a predetermined number of baseplates corresponding to a safety rail length formed from multiple rail sections, each one of said baseplates being separated from an adjacent baseplate a predetermined distance, each of said ones of said baseplates comprising:
 a top wall having a first portion configured and dimensioned for allowing at least two inner stanchions to be integrally joined to said first portion of said top wall such that said inner stanchions are vertically disposed to receive a cooperating portion of the safety rail, said top wall having a second portion configured and dimensioned for allowing at least one guiding stanchion to be integrally joined to said second portion of said top wall such that said guiding stanchion is vertically disposed; 
 a gripping member secured to a bottom wall of each of said ones of said baseplates for preventing said baseplates from moving upon a corresponding surface of the structure; 
 at least one relatively heavy weight member having a central aperture to receive said guiding stanchion to allow said weight member to engage said second portion of said top wall, said guiding stanchion cooperating with said second portion of said top wall to maintain the relative position of said weight member upon said second portion irrespective of movement of said baseplate; and 
 means for vertically increasing the vertical dimension of said guiding stanchion to vertically increase the number of weight members upon said second portion of said top wall to maintain baseplate stability irrespective of the weight and/or configuration of the safety rail, whereby said baseplate cooperates with adjacent baseplates to vertically maintain the position of a safety rail upon the structure without attaching the baseplates to the structure. 
   
     
     
         20 . The baseplate of  claim 19  wherein said means for increasing the vertical dimension of said guiding stanchion includes said guiding stanchion having a threaded top end for securing an extension member to said threaded top end to ultimately increase the vertical dimension of said guiding stanchion to ultimately add and vertically stack weight members upon said second portion of said top wall for increasing the force imparted upon said baseplate, thereby increasing the vertical stability of the safety rail and the friction of said gripping member upon the structure to maintain the relative position of said baseplate upon the surface of the structure.