WO1999064110A1

WO1999064110A1 - Mounting post for a safety harness

Info

Publication number: WO1999064110A1
Application number: PCT/CA1999/000566
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jan Vetesnik
Original assignee: Unique Concepts Ltd.
Priority date: 1998-06-10
Filing date: 1999-06-10
Publication date: 1999-12-16
Also published as: AU4493199A

Abstract

A mounting assembly for a personal safety harness which allows the harness to be mounted for example on top of a transport container is arranged for mounting on a support block carried on a support surface of the container. The block has a top surface which has an opening and a hollow interior connected to the opening which has a first shoulder and a second shoulder each facing downwardly being located on respective sides of the opening. The mounting assembly has a main post portion having a lower end for engaging the block and an upper end which has an opening through which the personal safety harness is attached. The main post has a height for supporting the personal safety harness at a position spaced from the block so as to prevent injury to the person by impacting the container when falling from the support surface.

Description

MOUNTING POST FOR A SAFETY HARNESS

The present invention relates to a mounting post for a safety harness which is arranged for mounting on a support block of the type which is particularly , but not exclusively, used on the top of a bulk transport container to allow stacking of the containers. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Containers for semi trucks, trains and the like are stacked in shipping yards in which workers, at the yards, must repair or work on top of the containers. The containers have blocks located around the perimeter of the top of the container. The blocks are used to support the weight of additional containers when stacked during storage or transportation. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is one object of the present invention to provide a mounting device which allows a worker to attached a safety harness to the block to ensure the safety of the worker.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a mounting assembly for a personal safety harness: the mounting assembly being arranged for mounting on a support block carried on a support surface, the block having: a top surface which has an opening; a hollow interior connected to the opening which has a first shoulder and a second shoulder each facing downwardly being located on respective sides of the opening; the mounting assembly comprising: a main post portion having a lower end for engaging the block and an upper end; an attachment member located adjacent the upper end of the main post body for attaching the personal safety harness; the main post having a height for supporting the personal safety harness at a position spaced from the block so as to prevent injury to the person when falling from the support surface; and a post support member at the lower end of the main post for engaging the block, the post support member comprising: a base for engaging the top surface of the block; a pair of hook portions each for engaging a respective one of the shoulders to hold the main post in place in the block with the base in contact with the top surface; and means for operating movement of the hook portions from an entry position allowing the hook portions to pass through the opening to an engaging position; the base having portions thereon arranged to transfer sideways loads from the safety harness through the height of the main post to the block.

Preferably the block is carried on a top surface of a bulk transport container.

Preferably there are four block each carried at a respective corner of the top surface of a bulk transport container.

Preferably the portions of the base include a plurality of outwardly extending projections at spaced positions around the base. Preferably the portions of the base each have a resilient abutment thereon for engaging the top surface of the block and providing a shock absorbing connection therebetween.

Preferably the height of the main post is sufficient that the personal safety harness supports the person at a height above a center of gravity of the person to prevent the person hitting the surface when falling.

Preferably the operating means comprises two manually operable arms each having a pivot connecting the arm to the main post such that the hinged arms pivot about an axis transverse to the main post inwardly and outwardly of the main post to move the hook members from the entry position to the engaging position.

Preferably the arms each have a handle adjacent the upper end of the post.

Preferably the handle is shaped so that the safety harness cannot be attached to the handle.

Preferably there is provided a lock member which is arranged so that the operating means can be locked in the engaging position.

Preferably the lock member is arranged to prevent engagement of the safety harness with the attachment member when in an unlocked position.

Preferably the lock member comprises a sleeve slidable on the main post and wherein the attachment member comprises an opening in the main post, the sleeve being arranged to obstruct the opening in the unlocked position..

One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the mounting device of present invention in an operating position.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the device of figure 1 in the release position.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a cross section along the lines 4 - 4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a cross section along the lines 5 - 5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the device of figure 1 in position at the corner of a transport container with the safety harness attached to an operator on top of the container.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A mounting post 1 for a safety harness 2 is mounted on a block 3. The block 3 has a opening 5 located on the top surface 7. A hollow interior 8 connected to the opening 5 which has a first shoulder 9A and a second shoulder 9B each facing s downwardly on respective sides of the opening 5.

The mounting post 1 has a pair of hinged arms 11 and 13. The hinged arms are mounted on a vertical post 17 by a hinge 15. The hinge allows the arms to rotate about an axis relative to the mounting post 1. The hinged arms 11 and 13 are vertical, parallel and extend downwardly from the top end 17A of the vertical post 17 to the bottom end 17B. The top end 17A has an harness opening 6 to allow the safety harness to be mounted. The hinged arms 11 and 13 have an angled side 14 extending downwardly and outwardly toward the base.

A lock device 19 has a vertical slide member 21 which is parallel to the mounting post 1 and has a bottom end 21 B. The hinged arm 11 has a L- shaped slot 23 in which a slot insert 25 is inserted. The slot insert 25 is mounted on the bottom end 21 B of the slide member 21. The L-shaped slot 23 is arranged so that the slot insert 25 can be guided upwards and horizontally when the lock device 19 is actuated. A slide tube 27 of the member 21 located on the top end 17A of the vertical post 17 is arranged so that the slide tube 27 is fitted around the vertical post as best shown in Figure 4 so that the slide tube 27 can be raised guiding the slot insert 25 to allow the arms 11 and 13 to be opened into the clamping position as shown in Figure 1 and closed into the releasing position as shown in Figure 2. The slide tube has handles 29 located on respective side of the tube such that the operator can use the lock device 19.

The hinged arms 11 and 13 have a first arm handle 31A and a second arm handle 31 B mounted on the arm support 33A and 33B. The arm support 33A and 33B are attached to respective arms along the inside edge 14B so that the arms are supported vertically, as best shown in Figure 3. The handles 31 A and 31 B allow the operator to actuate the arms to clamp or release. However the handles are shaped in the form of a cylindrical body with a disk shaped top cap so as to prevent the hook of the safety harness from being attached.. The arms have an angled side 14A extending downwardly and outwardly to four post support projections 35 angularly spaced around the post. Each projection 35 is formed as a triangular web with a bottom edge for engaging the top surface of the block, thus spreading the sideways loads. The bottom surface of each post support projection 35 carries a resilient abutment 37 which is a circular disk shaped for shock absorption which engages the top surface 7 of the block 3.

The arms each have a hook portion 39A and 39B located at the end of the arms which clamp the hollow interior 8 of the block 3 at a engage portion 41 A and 41 B. The engage portion is parallel to the shoulder 9A and 9B of the block 3. As the arms are in the clamping position the hooks are moved outwardly engaging the shoulder to hold the mounting post in the block. As the arms are in the releasing position the hooks are moved inwardly to release the shoulder to allow the mounting post to be inserted and removed from the block.

As best shown is Figure 5 a stiffener member 43 is attached to the a flat plate forming the arms to support the mounting post by stiffening the arrangement.

The device described above is particularly designed for use with the conventional mounting block provided at the four corners of a transport container. Such mounting blocks are provided on the top surface of the container at the four corners to accommodate and locate a further container mounted on top of the first container when stacked for storage or for rail or sea transportation. However, the device can also be used with a similar block when attached to other devices. The block therefore provides a standard mounting base for the post which can be mounted upon any suitable surface and rapidly and effectively receives the post to provide a mounting for the safety harness of the person standing on the support surface to which the block is mounted. Thus in Figure 6 there is shown a first container 50 mounted on a second container 51. Two of the blocks 3 are shown at two corners of the container and two further blocks are of course arranged at two other corners. The post 1 has a height so that a harness 52 can be attached at the top of the post by a hook passing through the opening 6. The harness attaches by suitable strapping 53 to the person 54 standing on the top surface 55 of the top container 50.

The height of the post 1 is arranged so that the opening 6 is above the centre of gravity of the person and generally of the order of four feet from the ground so that the person falling over the side adjacent the post will swing down through an arc generally indicated at 56 based upon a length of the harness 52 from the post to the person so that the person falls only to a level above the surface 55 and thus avoids crashing into the side of the container with significant force.

The fact that the arms extend from the pivot upwardly to a position adjacent the upper end places the handles at the upper end at a height where they can be readily grasped by a person standing. This has the advantage that it provides significant leverage allowing the lower ends to be move outwardly quickly and easily and against any resistance from materials accumulating inside the block. In addition, the arms being located on the post and having a relatively large angle of movement ensures that it is readily visible that the arms are not operated to properly engage the locking hooks into the block. It is not possible therefore to use the device when it is not properly engaged.

Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without department from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A mounting assembly for a personal safety harness: the mounting assembly being arranged for mounting on a support block carried on a support surface, the block having: a top surface which has an opening; a hollow interior connected to the opening which has a first shoulder and a second shoulder each facing downwardly being located on respective sides of the opening; the mounting assembly comprising: a main post portion having a lower end for engaging the block and an upper end; an attachment member located adjacent the upper end of the main post body for attaching the personal safety harness; the main post having a height for supporting the personal safety harness at a position spaced from the block so as to prevent injury to the person when falling from the support surface; and a post support member at the lower end of the main post for engaging the block, the post support member comprising: a base for engaging the top surface of the block; a pair of hook portions each for engaging a respective one of the shoulders to hold the main post in place in the block with the base in contact with the top surface; and means for operating movement of the hook portions from an entry position allowing the hook portions to pass through the opening to an engaging position; the base having portions thereon arranged to transfer sideways loads from the safety harness through the height of the main post to the block.

2. The mounting post according to claim 1 wherein the block is carried on a top surface of a bulk transport container.

3. The mounting post according to claim 2 wherein there are four block each carried at a respective corner of the top surface of a bulk transport container.

4. The mounting post according to claim 1 , 2 or 3 wherein the portions of the base include a plurality of outwardly extending projections at spaced positions around the base.

5. The mounting post according to Claim 1 , 2, 3 or 4 wherein the portions of the base each have a resilient abutment thereon for engaging the top surface of the block and providing a shock absorbing connection therebetween.

6. The mounting post according to claim 1 , 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein the height of the main post is sufficient that the personal safety harness supports the person at a height above a center of gravity of the person to prevent the person hitting the surface when falling.

7. The mounting post according to Claim 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 wherein the operating means comprises two manually operable arms each having a pivot connecting the arm to the main post such that the hinged arms pivot about an axis transverse to the main post inwardly and outwardly of the main post to move the hook members from the entry position to the engaging position.

8. The mounting post according to claim 7 wherein the arms each have a handle adjacent the upper end of the post.

9. The mounting post according to Claim 8 wherein the handle is shaped so that the safety harness cannot be attached to the handle.

10. The mounting post according to claim 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 wherein there is provided a lock member which is arranged so that the operating means can be locked in the engaging position.

11. The mounting post according to claim 10 wherein the lock member is arranged to prevent engagement of the safety harness with the attachment member when in an unlocked position.

12. The mounting post according to claim 1 1 wherein the lock member comprises a sleeve slidable on the main post and wherein the attachment member comprises an opening in the main post, the sleeve being arranged to obstruct the opening in the unlocked position.