CA2016033A1 - Safety fence - Google Patents

Abstract

A B S T R A C T

A safety fence is disclosed for use with a structure which is provided with a handrail spaced from a floor deck. The safety fence includes a fence grid adapted to hang from the handrail toward the deck. A toe-board joined to the fence grid at the level of the deck. The toe board is capable of being fastened to said deck.

Description

2~1~033 The present invention relates to the field of construction equipment. In particular, the present invention provides a novel safety fence for use with scaffolding, flying forms, and the like.

When multi-level scaffolding is erected, or any scaffolding is erected at a substantial height, for instance around a building or bridge under construction or renovation, it is very important that safety precautions be taken to prevent workmen from falling off the scaffolding. Generally, the decking on the scaffolding is wooden planks. At the one metre level above the decking, there is a ledger that serves as a handrail, and around ~he deck level, there is an upstanding toe-board. The function of the toe-board is to prevent bolts, bricks and the like on the decking from being accidentally kicked o~f the decking, and also to prevent workmen from overstepping the edge of the decking. Between the handrail and the toe-board; there is usually mounted, at about knee level, a mid rail, to prevent a person from falling off the scaffolding in the vent that they trip on the decking.

The object of the present invention is to provide a safety device for use with scaffolding, to overcome the need to provide separate mid rails and toe-boards on scaffolding, and provide a simple to use, inepensive safety fence. The safety fence of the present invention may also be used with flying forms, or on open floors of building under construction.

2 ~ 3 In a broad aspect, the present invention relates to a safety fence for use with a structure which is provided with a handrail spaced from a floor deck, said safety fence including: a fence grid -adapted to hang from said handrail toward said deck; and a toe-board joined to said fence grid at the level of said deck, andcapable of being fastened to said deck.

In drawings which illustrate the present invention by way of example:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the safety fence of the present invention; and Figure 2 is an end view thereof.

Referring generally to the drawings, the present invention provides a safety fence which may include end rails 1 which are fabricated from steel bar, such as that used for rebar, bent over at their ends like canes. The upper looped over ends of the rails 1 are joined together by a laterally extending top rail 2. It will be noted that rails 1 and 2 are not required for the present invention in its most basic sense, but rather reinforce the safety fence of the present invention, and thereby contribute to its overall utility.

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2~16~33 Extending in a gen~rally rectangular configuration between the end rails and top rails, looped over generally semi-cylindrically at its upper extremity to conform to the shape of the end rails, is a fence grid 3. The fence grid 3 may be of any suitable material, such as a 2" x 3" steel grid, welded at intersection points. Other suitable fencing materials will be obvious to one skilled in the art. The fencing grid 3 is joined, at its periphery, to the side 1 and top 2 rails by welding, or by the use of suitable fasteners, the selection of which will be obvious to one skilled in the art. It will be understood that in the event side and top rails 1 and 2 are not provided, fencing grid 3 will be fabricated from a suitably rigid fencing material.

Along its lower periphery, the fence grid is joined to a toe-board 4, which may be fabricated from a sheet of sheet metal such as galvanized steel bent at a 90 angle to provide vertical 6 and horizontal 5 surfaces. The toe-board is also joined, at its lateral extremes, to the lower extremities of the side rails.

It will be observed, then, that the safety fence of the present invention is a generally rectangular fence which may be hooked over a handrail ledger of a scaffolding by means of the looped-over top edge of the safety fence. When it is thus placed in position, the toe-board 4 will be at the level of the decking, and may be fastened thereto by nails or screws driven through the ` - 2016~S~3 horizontal surface 5 of the toe-board and onto the decking. When this is done, the top edge of the fence will remain firmly on the ledger, due to the looped over configuration of the top end of the side rails and/or fence grid 3.

The safety fence of the present invention may be fabricated in any length, and is conveniently made in 37 inch, 48 inch and 94 inch lengths, being the standardized lengths of scaffolding ledgers.

It is to be understood that the examples described above are not meant to limit the scope of the present invention. It is expected that numerous variants will be obvious to the person skilled in the construction equipment design art, without any departure from the spirit of the present invention. The appended claims, properly construed, form the only limitation upon the scope of the present invention.

Claims (7)

1. A safety fence for use with a structure which is provided with a handrail spaced from a floor deck, said safety fence including:

i) a fence grid adapted to hang from said handrail toward said deck;

ii) a toe-board joined to said fence grid at the level of said deck, and capable of being fastened to said deck

2. A safety fence as described in Claim 1, further including a pair of spaced apart side rails joined to the lateral edges of said fencing grid, and also adapted to hang from said handrail.

3. A safety fence as described in Claim 2, wherein said side rails are bent in a substantially semi-circular configuration at their upper ends, whereby they may be hung on said handrails.

4. A safety fence as described in Claim 3, wherein said side rails comprise steel bars.

5. A safety fence as described in Claim 4, further including:

iv) a top rail extending laterally between the upper ends of said side rails, and being connected to said fence grid.

6. A safety fence as described in Claim 1, 2 or 5, wherein said toe-board comprises a section of angulated sheet metal having a vertical surface which may be connected to said fencing grid, and a horizontal surface which may be secured to said deck.

7. A safety fence as described in any preceding claim, dimensioned to fit between ledgers and standards of conventional scaffolding systems.