Vertically raising safety rail with dual support structure for rail arm bearing

Abstract

A vertical raising safety rail with dual support structure for rail arm bearing. The safety rail includes lower linkage arm assemblies that are connected to a base and to a center rail assembly and configured to raise or lower the center rail assembly relative to the base when a rotational force is applied to the drive shaft. The safety rail also includes upper linkage arm assemblies that are connected to the center rail assembly and to a top rail. The upper linkage arm assemblies are connected to corresponding lower linkage assemblies and are configured to move the top rail relative to the center rail assembly. When the top rail is raised, one or more safety curtains are unfurled from a take-up roller inside the top rail to provide a safety curtain in the vertical plane of the safety rail. Each rail arm assembly includes a dual support structure for supporting a bearing axle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vertically raising safety rail, comprising:
 a base;   a moveable rail assembly operably coupled to a bearing configured to rotate about a bearing axle;   a first bearing axle support structure coupled to the base and coupled to the bearing axle at a first rotational anchor point; and   a second bearing axle support structure coupled to the base and coupled to the bearing axle at a second rotational anchor point.   
     
     
         2 . The safety rail of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a shaft; and   a motor configured to maneuver the shaft;   wherein the bearing rotates in a first direction when the motor rotates the shaft in a second direction; and   wherein the bearing rotates in a third direction when the motor rotates the shaft in a fourth direction.   
     
     
         3 . The safety rail of  claim 2 , wherein the drive shaft is operably coupled to the base. 
     
     
         4 . The safety rail of  claim 2 , wherein the motor comprises a motor from the group composed of: a pneumatic motor, an electrical motor, a hydraulic motor, and a magnetic motor. 
     
     
         5 . The safety rail of  claim 1 , wherein the first support structure is anchored to the base at a side wall of the base. 
     
     
         6 . The safety rail of  claim 1 , wherein the second support structure is anchored to the base at a bottom wall of the base. 
     
     
         7 . The safety rail of  claim 1 , wherein the second support structure further comprises a vertical adjustment mechanism for vertically adjusting the second support structure. 
     
     
         8 . The safety rail of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an arm plate housing the bearing;   a shaft assembly operably coupled to the shaft; and   a drag linkage arm coupled between the arm plate and the shaft assembly.   
     
     
         9 . The safety rail of  claim 8 , wherein the shaft comprises a ball-screw shaft and the shaft assembly comprises a ball-screw shaft assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The safety rail of  claim 1 , wherein first support structure and the second support structure are coupled to each other. 
     
     
         11 . A safety rail system, comprising:
 a mount configured to secure a maneuverable safety rail to an immovable surface;   a base coupled to the mount;   a moveable rail assembly operably coupled to a bearing configured to rotate about a bearing axle;   a bearing axle support structure coupled to the base and coupled to the bearing axle at a first rotational anchor point; and   a drag-linkage arm for facilitating the transfer of rotational motion from a shaft to linear motion of the moveable rail assembly.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a rail arm housing the bearing and coupled to the drag linkage arm at an anchor point set apart from a rotation axis of the bearing axle. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a ball-screw assembly operably engaged with the shaft and coupled to the drag-linkage arm. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the immovable surface comprises a catwalk. 
     
     
         15 . A method, comprising:
 actuating a motor to impart a rotational force on a drive shaft;   imparting linear motion to a ball-screw assembly in response to the rotational force on the drive shaft;   imparting linear motion to a drag-linkage arm coupled to the ball-screw assembly in response to the linear motion of the ball screw assembly, the linear motion of the drag-linkage arm incongruent with the linear motion of the ball-screw assembly;   imparting a rotational motion to an arm rail plate coupled to the drag-linkage arm in response to the linear motion of the drag-linkage arm; and   maneuvering a first linkage assembly coupled to the arm rail plate in response to the rotational force imparted to the arm rail plate so that the first linkage assembly moves away from the base.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising unfurling a safety curtain in a vertical plane formed by the base and the first linkage assembly in response to maneuvering the first linkage assembly. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising rotating the arm rail plate about a bearing axle having a bearing axis. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 supporting the bearing axle with a first support structure coupled to a first rotational anchor point disposed on a first side of the arm rail plate; and   supporting the bearing axle with a second support structure coupled to a second rotational anchor point disposed on a second side of the arm rail plate.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising maneuvering the first linkage assembly toward the base in response to a second rotational force from the motor that is opposite the first rotational force from the motor.