Safety rail mounting bracket system

Abstract

A safety rail mounting bracket system comprising a first rail holder having a first base plate carrying an upper mounting bracket and a lower mounting bracket for releasably carrying rail members. A second rail holder having a second base plate carrying an upper mounting bracket and a lower mounting bracket for releasably carrying rail members. The first base plate is mounted to a first wall defining a first side of an opening and the second base plate is mounted to a second wall opposite the first wall and defining a second side of the opening. The mounting brackets on the first and second base plates are space apart a predetermined distance to comply with applicable regulatory requirements so that the rail members are properly positioned within the opening.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A rail holder for a safety rail mounting bracket system comprising:
 an elongated rectangular base plate for mounting in a vertically extending orientation on a mounting surface;   an upper mounting bracket carried on a top side of said base plate for releasably carrying a distal end portion of a first rail member;   a lower mounting bracket carried on said top side of said base plate for releasably carrying a distal end portion of a second rail member, wherein said lower mounting bracket is vertically spaced from and vertically aligned with said upper mounting bracket;   said upper and lower mounting brackets defined by a series of bracket walls having a generally U-shaped arrangement, wherein said bracket walls include a pair of laterally spaced opposing straight side walls vertically aligned on said base plate and an interconnecting straight bottom wall extending between said side walls so that an open top side and an open front side is formed in each said mounting bracket for receiving said first and second rail members along an interior side of said U-shaped walls; and,   a series of bracket reinforcing walls laterally spaced from each other and extending outwardly from an exterior side of said bracket walls;   whereby said mounting brackets are space apart a predetermined distance on said base plate to comply with applicable regulatory requirements for safety rail installation when mounted to said mounting surface.   
     
     
         2 . The rail holder of  claim 1  wherein said base plate includes a floor extension portion extending from below said lower mounting bracket, wherein said floor extension portion engages a floor surface to position said upper and lower mounting brackets at a predetermined height from said floor surface. 
     
     
         3 . The rail holder of  claim 1  including an angled end portion on a distal end of each of said bracket side walls extending outwardly from said open top side to flare said open top side for receiving said rail members between said bracket side walls. 
     
     
         4 . The rail holder of  claim 1  including a series of fastener openings extending through said base plate for receiving a fastener to secure said base plate to said mounting surface. 
     
     
         5 . The rail holder of  claim 4  including an upper fastener opening disposed generally adjacent said open top side between said bracket side walls for each said upper and lower mounting brackets, and a lower fastener opening disposed below said bottom wall of each said upper and lower mounting brackets. 
     
     
         6 . The rail holder of  claim 5  wherein each said upper and lower fastener opening includes a counter sink recess for receiving the head of a fastener so that said fastener is flush with said top side of said base plate to avoid interference with said rail members. 
     
     
         7 . The rail holder of  claim 1  wherein said bracket reinforcing walls are right-angle triangle shaped walls with the right-angle side disposed adjacent said bracket walls and the hypotenuse side extending from the edge of said bracket walls to said base plate. 
     
     
         8 . The rail holder of  claim 1  wherein said base plate includes a recessed interior cavity on a bottom side for facing said mounting surface. 
     
     
         9 . The rail holder of  claim 8  including a series of base reinforcing walls extending laterally across said recessed interior cavity of said base plate from a first side wall to a second side wall of said base plate. 
     
     
         10 . The rail holder of  claim 9  wherein a majority of said base reinforcing walls are concentrated opposite said upper and lower mounting brackets. 
     
     
         11 . The rail holder of  claim 10  including a series of angled base reinforcing walls extending from a cylindrical fastener opening wall defining said fastener openings in said base plate to said side walls of said base plate. 
     
     
         12 . The rail holder of  claim 11  including a center reinforcing wall extending between cylindrical fastener opening walls opposite each said upper and lower mounting bracket and extending through said series of laterally extending base reinforcing walls. 
     
     
         13 . A rail holder for a safety rail mounting bracket system comprising:
 an elongated rectangular base plate for mounting in a vertically extending orientation on a mounting surface;   an upper mounting bracket carried on a top side of said base plate for releasably carrying a distal end portion of a first rail member;   a lower mounting bracket carried on said top side of said base plate for releasably carrying a distal end portion of a second rail member, wherein said lower mounting bracket is vertically spaced from and vertically aligned with said upper mounting bracket;   said upper and lower mounting brackets defined by a series of bracket walls having a generally U-shaped arrangement, wherein said bracket walls include a pair of laterally spaced opposing straight side walls vertically aligned on said base plate and an interconnecting straight bottom wall extending between said side walls so that an open top side and an open front side is formed in each said mounting bracket for receiving said first and second rail members along an interior side of said U-shaped walls;   a series of bracket reinforcing walls laterally spaced from each other and extending outwardly from an exterior side of said bracket walls; and,   a floor extension portion included in said base plate that extends from below said lower mounting bracket, wherein said floor extension portion engages a floor surface to position said upper and lower mounting brackets at a predetermined height from said floor surface;   whereby said mounting brackets are space apart a predetermined distance on said base plate and positioned at a predetermined height from the floor to comply with applicable regulatory requirements for safety rail installation when mounted to said mounting surface.   
     
     
         14 . The rail holder of  claim 13  including an angled end portion on a distal end of each of said bracket side walls extending outwardly from said open top side to flare said open top side for receiving said rail members between said bracket side walls. 
     
     
         15 . The rail holder of  claim 13  wherein said bracket reinforcing walls are right-angle triangle shaped walls with the right-angle side disposed adjacent said bracket walls and the hypotenuse side extending from the edge of said bracket walls to said base plate. 
     
     
         16 . The rail holder of  claim 13  wherein said base plate includes a recessed interior cavity on a bottom side for facing said mounting surface;
 a series of base reinforcing walls extending laterally across said recessed interior cavity of said base plate from a first side wall to a second side wall of said base plate; 
 a series of angled base reinforcing walls extending from a cylindrical fastener opening wall defining each said fastener openings in said base plate to said side walls of said base plate; 
 a center reinforcing wall extending between cylindrical fastener opening walls opposite each said upper and lower mounting bracket and extending through said series of laterally extending base reinforcing walls, and; 
 wherein a majority of said base reinforcing walls are concentrated opposite said upper and lower mounting brackets. 
 
     
     
         17 . A safety rail mounting bracket system comprising:
 a first rail holder having a first elongated rectangular base plate for mounting in a vertically extending orientation;   said first base plate carrying an upper mounting bracket on a top side of said base plate for releasably carrying a first distal end portion of a first rail member, and a lower mounting bracket carried on said top side of said plate for releasably carrying a first distal end portion of a second rail member, wherein said lower mounting bracket is vertically spaced from and vertically aligned with said upper mounting bracket;   a second rail holder having a second elongated rectangular base plate for mounting in a vertically extending orientation;   said second base plate carrying an upper mounting bracket on a top side of said base plate for releasably carrying a second distal end portion of a first rail member, and a lower mounting bracket carried on said top side of said base plate for releasably carrying a second distal end portion of a second rail member, wherein said lower mounting bracket is vertically spaced from and vertically aligned with said upper mounting bracket;   wherein said first base plate is mounted to a first wall defining a first side of an opening and said second base plate is mounted to a second wall opposite said first wall and defining a second side of said opening; and,   wherein said first distal end portion of said first rail member is received into said upper mounting bracket on said first base plate, said second distal end portion of said first rail member is received into said upper mounting bracket on said second base plate, said first distal end portion of said second rail member is received into said lower mounting bracket on said first base plate, and said second distal end portion of said second rail member is received into said lower mounting bracket on said second base plate;   whereby said mounting brackets on said first and second base plates are space apart a predetermined distance to comply with applicable regulatory requirements so that said first and second rail members are properly positioned within said opening.   
     
     
         18 . The safety rail mounting bracket system of  claim 17  wherein said upper and lower mounting brackets carried on said first and second base plates are defined by a series of bracket walls having a generally U-shaped arrangement, wherein said bracket walls include a pair of laterally spaced opposing straight side walls vertically aligned on said base plates and an interconnecting straight bottom wall extending between said side walls on each of said base plates so that an open top side and an open front side is formed in each said mounting bracket for receiving said first and second rail members along an interior side of said U-shaped walls. 
     
     
         19 . The safety rail mounting bracket system of  claim 18  including a series of bracket reinforcing walls laterally spaced from each other and extending outwardly from an exterior side of said bracket walls. 
     
     
         20 . The safety rail mounting bracket system of  claim 17  including a floor extension portion included in said first and second base plates that extends from below said lower mounting bracket on each of said base plates, wherein said floor extension portion engages a floor surface to position said upper and lower mounting brackets of said first and second base plates at a predetermined height from said floor surface.