GUARDRAIL SAFETY BRACKET

Abstract

A bracket for a guardrail is formed from a flat metal blank. A vertical triangular gusset plate has vertical, horizontal and hypotenuse margins. A base plate extends in a transverse direction from the horizontal margin and has slots by which fasteners may fasten the bracket to a substrate at any of a plurality of positions. A first vertical plate extends in the transverse direction from the vertical margin of the gusset plate. A sloping plate extends in the transverse direction from the hypotenuse margin. A top end of the sloping plate is spaced from the first vertical plate so as to accommodate an upright of the guard rail.

Claims

1. A guardrail bracket integrally formed from a flat metal blank, the bracket comprising: a vertical triangular gusset plate having a horizontal margin, a vertical margin and a hypotenuse margin; a horizontally disposed base plate joined to the horizontal margin of the gusset plate and extending therefrom in a transverse direction, at least one orifice formed through the base plate and adapted to receive a fastener for fastening the base plate to a substrate; a first vertical plate joined to the vertical margin of the gusset plate and extending therefrom in the transverse direction; and a sloping plate joined to the hypotenuse margin of the gusset plate and extending therefrom in the transverse direction, a top end of the sloping plate being spaced from the first vertical plate so as to accommodate the insertion of at least one guard rail upright between the first vertical plate and the sloping plate.

2. The bracket of claim 1, wherein the base plate is elongate in a longitudinal direction at right angles to the transverse direction, the at least one orifice being a slot that is elongated in the longitudinal direction such that a fastener may be inserted through the slot at any of a plurality of positions along the slot.

3. The bracket of claim 2, wherein the slot is a first slot, the base plate having a second slot longitudinally spaced from the first slot, the second slot receiving a second fastener which may be inserted through the second slot at any of a plurality of second positions along the second slot.

4. The bracket of claim 1, wherein the base plate, first vertical plate and sloping plate are oriented into respective planes perpendicular to the gusset plate by bending.

5. The bracket of claim 1, wherein a bottom end of the sloping plate is spaced from the base plate so as to permit the insertion of a horizontally disposed base board.

6. The bracket of claim 1, wherein the first vertical plate has a bottom end, the bottom end of the first vertical plate being upwardly spaced from the base plate so as to create a toe board fastening space, the toe board fastening space permitting the fastening of a transversely disposed toe board to the at least one upright by one or more fasteners passing through the toe board fastening space.

7. The bracket of claim 1, wherein the first vertical plate is disposed in a plane, a body of the base plate extending rearwardly from the plane, a forward lip of the base plate extending forwardly of the plane, such that a transversely oriented toeboard may be placed on top of the lip and adjacent the first vertical plate.

8. The bracket of claim 1, wherein the base plate has a first margin joined to the gusset plate and a second margin opposed to the first margin, a second vertical plate joined to the base plate at the second margin and upwardly extending therefrom in parallel to the gusset plate.

9. A guardrail bracket comprising: a vertically disposed flat triangular gusset plate with a horizontal margin, a vertical margin and a hypotenuse margin; a horizontally disposed base plate joined to the horizontal margin of the gusset plate and extending therefrom in a transverse direction, the base plate being elongated in a longitudinal direction at right angles to the transverse direction, a plurality of slots being formed through the base plate and being longitudinally aligned, each slot adapted to receive therethrough a fastener for fastening the bracket to a substrate at any of a plurality of fastener positions along the slot; a first vertical plate joined only to the vertical margin of the gusset plate and extending therefrom in the transverse direction; and a sloping plate joined only to the hypotenuse margin of the gusset plate and extending therefrom in the transverse direction, a top end of the sloping plate being spaced from the first vertical plate so as to be adapted to receive therebetween at least one guardrail upright.

10. The bracket of claim 9, wherein the base plate has a first margin joined to the gusset plate and a second margin opposed to the first margin, a second vertical plate joined only to the second margin of the base plate and upwardly extending therefrom in a plane parallel to the gusset plate.

11. A guardrail bracket comprising: a vertically oriented gusset plate having a bottom margin, a vertical margin and a third margin at an angle to the vertical margin; a horizontally oriented base plate having a first margin joined to the bottom margin of the gusset plate and a second margin opposed to the first margin, at least one orifice formed throught eh base place and adapted to receive a fastener for fastening the bracket to a substrate; a first vertical plate extending in the transverse direction from the vertical margin of the gusset plate; and an elongate fourth plate extending in the transverse direction from third margin of the gusset plate, the fourth plate having a first end proximate to the first vertical plate and a second end remote from the first vertical plate, the first end of the fourth plate being spaced from the first vertical plate by an upright opening, the upright opening adapted to receive at least one vertical upright of a guard rail.

12. A guardrail comprising: at least one upright; a guardrail bracket, a vertically disposed triangular gusset plate of the bracket having a vertical margin, a bottom margin and a hypotenuse margin; a horizontally oriented base plate of the bracket joined to and extending in a transverse direction from the bottom margin of the gusset plate, at least one orifice formed through the base plate for receiving a fastener for attaching the base plate to a substrate; a first vertical plate of the bracket joined to and extending in the transverse direction from the vertical margin of the gusset plate, the gusset plate extending in a rearward direction from the first vertical plate wherein the rearward direction is at right angles to the transverse direction; a sloping plate of the bracket joined to and extending in the transverse direction from the hypotenuse margin of the gusset plate, the sloping plate having a top end proximate to the first vertical plate and remote from the base plate, and a bottom end proximate to the base plate and remote from the first vertical plate, the top end of the sloping plate being rearwardly spaced from the first vertical plate to define an upright opening, the at least one upright closely received in the upright opening; and the bottom end of the sloping plate being upwardly spaced from the base plate to define a base board opening, a base board being closely received in the base board opening and disposed to be adjacent the base plate, whereby a shear force impinging on the at least one upright from a frontward direction opposed to the rearward direction will be transmitted by the sloping plate to the base board and the base plate.

13. The guardrail of claim 12, wherein the at least one upright is a front upright, a post of the guardrail comprising the front upright and a rear upright abutting the front upright and disposed to the rear of the front upright.

14. The guardrail of claim 12, wherein the base plate has a second margin opposed to the gusset plate, a second vertical plate upwardly extending from the second margin of the base plate in a plane parallel to the gusset plate, the at least one upright being rectangular in cross section, the second vertical plate preventing the axial twisting of the at least one upright.

15. The guardrail of claim 12, wherein the first vertical plane is disposed in a plane, the base plate having a body that rearwardly extends from the plane, a lip of the base plate forwardly extending from the plane, a toe board of the guardrail being transversely disposed on top of the lip.

16. The guardrail of claim 12, wherein at least one orifice comprises a longitudinally oriented slot, the fastener adapted to pass through the slot at any of a plurality of locations along the slot.

17. The guardrail of claim 16, wherein the slot is a first slot, the base plate further having a second longitudinally oriented slot longitudinally spaced from the first slot, the second slot adapted to receive a second fastener therethrough at any of a plurality of positions along the second slot for fastening the base plate to the substrate.

18. The guardrail of claim 16, wherein the fastener is a lag screw.

19. The guardrail of claim 12, wherein the base plate has a width in the transverse direction and the sloping plate has a width in the transverse direction, the width of the sloping plate being less than the width of the base plate so as to enhance access to the fastener that attaches the base plate to the substrate.

20. The guardrail of claim 12, wherein the first vertical plate has a bottom margin that is upwardly spaced from the base plate so as to define a toe board fastening space, a transversely oriented toe board disposed forwardly of the first vertical plate and across the toe board fastening space, at least one toe board fastener passing through the toe board fastening space so as to join the toe board to the at least one upright.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Further aspects of the invention and their advantages can be discerned in the following detailed description as read in conjunction with the drawings of exemplary embodiments, in which like characters denote like parts and in which:

[0017] FIG. 1 is a top rear left perspective view of a temporary guardrail according to the prior art;

[0018] FIG. 2 is a top rear left perspective view of a guardrail bracket according to the invention;

[0019] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a frame of reference, aligned to the view of the guardrail bracket presented in FIG. 2;

[0020] FIG. 3 is a bottom left perspective view of the guardrail bracket shown in FIG. 2;

[0021] FIG. 4 is a top front left perspective view of the guardrail bracket shown in FIG. 2;

[0022] FIG. 5 is a plan view of a blank used to make the guardrail bracket shown in FIGS. 2-4, after cutting and drilling but before bending;

[0023] FIG. 6 is a top view of the guardrail bracket shown in FIG. 2;

[0024] FIG. 7 is a top front left perspective view of the guardrail bracket as being incorporated into a temporary guardrail structure;

[0025] FIG. 8 is a top rear left perspective view of the guardrail bracket and associated guardrail boards shown in FIG. 7;

[0026] FIG. 9 is a top rear left perspective view of the guardrail bracket and associated guardrail boards shown in FIG. 7; and

[0027] FIG. 10 is a schematic sectional view taken along Line 10-10 of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] FIG. 2A illustrates a frame of reference for the directions described herein, as oriented to the perspective view of a guardrail bracket 200 shown in FIG. 2. Direction 202 is a frontward direction and is disposed in a horizontal plane. Direction 204 is a rearward direction that is opposite direction 202. Directions 202 and 204 are parallel to a longitudinal axis 206. A transverse axis 208 is horizontal and is disposed at right angles to axis 206; a transverse direction or a left or right direction, will all be parallel to axis 206. The transverse direction will roughly be in the plane of the guardrail. A vertical axis 210 is at right angles to axes 206 and 208, and upward and downward denote directions in parallel to axis 210.

[0029] Referring to FIGS. 2-6, the guardrail bracket 200 advantageously may be formed from a single sheet or blank 212 of metal, such as in. thick steel. A triangular gusset plate 214 in use is disposed in a plane aligned to axes 210 and 206. Gusset plate 214 has a vertical margin 216 that extends from a top end 218 to a bottom end 220. A horizontal or bottom margin 222 extends rearwardly from end or corner 220 to a rear end or corner 224. A hypotenuse margin 226 extends from top end or corner 218 to bottom/rear end 224. In the illustrated embodiment, margins 216, 222 and 226 are all straight, making it possible to bend the plates (described below) extending from such margins to respective planes each perpendicular to the plane occupied by gusset plate 214. Margins 216 and 222 may each be about 12 inches long, and the angle between margin 226 and margin 216, and the angle between margin 226 and margin 222, may each be about 45 degrees.

[0030] As seen FIG. 5, a base plate 228 is attached by a bending fillet 230 to horizontal margin 222. The fillet 230, and the other bending fillets described herein may be about in. wide and its width will vary as a function of the thickness of the metal plate used. The base plate 228 may be rectangular in shape and may be about 3 in. wide, to match the width of standard 24 lumber (3.5 in.) A body 232 of the base plate 228 may be longer than it is wide, and may extend for the entire length of margin 222. A lip 234 of the base plate 228 forwardly extends from base plate body 232 and may be about 1.5 in. thick, matching the thickness of a toe board, which can be fabricated of 24, 26, 28, etc. lumber. A front margin 235 of the lip 234 may have rounded corners.

[0031] Base plate 228 may have a free longitudinal margin 236 that is parallel to and opposed to margin 222. At least one orifice, and in the illustrated embodiment two slots 238 and 240, are formed through the base plate 228. The slots 238 and 240 are longitudinally spaced from each other and their width is chosen so as to accept respective fasteners therethrough. These fasteners may be lag screws and are screwed into the substrate, which may be concrete, plywood or both. The fasteners alternatively could be bolts, nails or other fasteners. The base plate 228 has slots 238 and 240 so that the longitudinal position of the lag screws or other fasteners may be varied. This is a problem with temporary guard rails at construction sites: if each guardrail bracket or shoe has only fixed locations for the attaching screws, at some bracket/post locations the screws may damage structure underneath the substrate surface, such as reinforcing bar. Such damage may require the entire concrete section in which the rebar has been placed to be removed and redone.

[0032] The slots 238 and 240 may be positioned midway between fillet 230 and margin 236. The lip 234 may have a further, auxiliary fastener hole 241.

[0033] A plate 242 is joined to gusset plate vertical margin 216 by a bending fillet 244. Plate 242 may be rectangular and have a length in a vertical direction of about 8 in., and a width of about 3.375 in., this last dimension (in combination with the thickness of gusset plate 214) is selected to match the width of a standard 24. Plate 242 is connected to the rest of bracket 200 only by bending fillet 244. Plate 242 has nail holes 246 and 248 located at about the transverse center of plate 242. The nail holes 246, 248 are adapted to receive 8d or 16d nails which will be used to attach the bracket 200 to the uprights, described below (see FIG. 10). A lower margin 250 of plate 242 is spaced from base plate 232 by a vertical distance, such as about 4 inches. This permits any toe board to be nailed through this space into a front upright.

[0034] A sloping plate 252 is joined only to the hypotenuse margin 226 of the gusset plate 214 by a bending fillet 254. A width of plate 252 from the fillet 254 to a free margin 256 of the plate 252 is less than the width of base plate 228. The width of sloping plate 252 may, for example, be 1 in. Plate 252 may be rectangular. A top end 258 of the sloping plate 252 is longitudinally spaced from gusset vertical margin 216 by a width chosen to be a little more than the longitudinal dimension of the upright posts used to make the guardrail. Where two standard 24 boards are used to make up the post or stanchion, and where they are positioned as shown in FIGS. 7-10, the longitudinal space between end 258 (after bending) and margin 216 should be a little more than 3 inches.

[0035] A bottom end 260 of the sloping plate 252 may, after bending, be vertically spaced from base plate 228 by an amount sufficient to accommodate a base board. Where the base board is made of standard 24 lumber, this spacing should be about 1.56 inches, or alternatively a little more than 1.5 inches.

[0036] The gusset plate 214 is furnished with nail holes 262 and 264 for receiving nails that, in the illustrated embodiment, will be driven into a rear one of two uprights (upright 804 in FIGS. 7-10). Where the uprights are standard 24 lumber, the nail holes 262 and 264 may be rearwardly spaced about 2 in. from vertical margin 216. Gusset plate 214 further has nail holes 266 and 268 that receive nails for driving into a base board. Where the base board is fashioned of standard 24 lumber, nail holes 266 and 268 may be upwardly spaced from bottom margin 222 by about in.

[0037] In one embodiment, a fifth plate 270 is attached only to base plate 228 by a bending fillet 272. Fifth plate 270, which will become a second vertical plate in a plane parallel to gusset plate 214, may be rectangular and may have a longitudinal dimension of about 3 inches and a width, from fillet 272 to a free end 274, of about 2 in. A front end 276 of the plate 270 will be coplanar with vertical margin 216. A front nail hole 278 and a rear nail hole 280 are provided so that, after plate 270 is bent into a vertical disposition, nails may be respectively driven through hole 278 into a front upright 802 and hole 280 into a rear upright 804 (FIG. 9).

[0038] The bracket 200 is thus composed of five plates. Plates 228, 242 and 252 are connected to gusset plate 214 by linear fold lines or fillets, and therefore these plates may be bent by ninety degrees in a predetermined transverse direction, such as transversely right as seen in FIGS. 2-4. Alternatively, a bracket that is a mirror image of the bracket 200 could be formed by bending plates 228, 242 and 252, out of the plane occupied by gusset plate 214, leftward by ninety degrees. Plates 242 and 252 are only connected to gusset plate 214. Base plate 228 is connected only to gusset plate 270 and plate 270. By being bent vertically upward, the plate 270 becomes a second vertical plate which will reside in a plane parallel to gusset plate 214. Plate 270 is only connected to base plate 228.

[0039] After these four bending steps, the bracket 200 takes the form seen in FIGS. 2-4 and 6. Plate 242 occupies a vertical plane at the front of the bracket 200. Only the base plate lip 234 extends beyond it. Base plate 228 becomes a horizontal, bottom or floor plate. An upright opening 300 is defined by first vertical plate 242, gusset plate 214 and top edge 258 of sloping plate 252. A base board opening 302 is defined by gusset plate 214, bottom edge 260 of sloping plate 252 and base plate 228. An opening 304 is defined by lower margin 250 of the front vertical plate 242 and base plate 228. The opening 304 is a toe board fastening space. One or more nails or other fasteners (such as screws) may be driven or passed through a toe board, through space 304, and into an upright board such as upright 804.

[0040] FIG. 6 is a top view of the bracket 200 after it has been formed. The width of sloping plate 252 has been reduced such that its free margin 256 does not completely occlude the slot 238, 240 beneath it. The limited width of sloping plate 252 permits access by nut driver to the hex head lag screws typically used to affix the base plate 228 to the substrate 102.

[0041] FIGS. 7-10 are views of a segment of a guard rail 700, as incorporating a guard rail bracket 200 according to the invention. In the illustrated embodiment, a post or stanchion 800 is made up of a front 24 upright 802 and a rear 24 upright 804. In other embodiments a single 24 upright could constitute post 800, but in these other embodiments, the upright opening would be sized to closely fit such a single 24. In the illustrated embodiment, uprights 802 and 804 have been dropped through upright opening 300, such that their bottom ends will rest on base plate 228. Nails (not shown) are driven through gusset nail holes 262 and 264 into rear upright 804. A base board 100 is inserted through base board opening 302 to be disposed on top of base plate 228, as seen in FIG. 10. Lag screws 806, 808 are inserted through washers 810, 812, through drilled holes 814, 816 in the base board 100, and through the respective slots 238, 240 in base plate 228 and then into the substrate 102. Nails (not shown) may be driven through gusset plate nail holes 268 and 266 to even more firmly attach base board 100 to bracket 200.

[0042] Nails (not shown) are driven through first vertical plate nail holes 246, 248 into front upright 802 and through rear upright 804 (if 16d nails are used; alternatively 8d nails could be used). As shown in FIG. 9, nails (not shown) are respectively driven through second vertical plate nail hole 278 into front upright 802, and through second vertical nail hole 208 into rear upright 804.

[0043] A toe board 112 may be oriented transversely and placed on top of lip 234 and adjacent vertical plate 242. Nails (not shown) may be driven through toe board 112, through the space 304 below vertical plate margin 250, and into front upright 802. After assembly of the front and rear uprights 802, 804 to the bracket 200, a top rail 110 and a middle rail 108 may be nailed to the uprights 802, 804.

[0044] In an alternative embodiment, front and rear uprights 802, 804 may be turned 90 degrees so that they become left and right uprights, with their 3.5 in. widths then being longitudinally aligned. In this alternative embodiment, the horizontal dimension of the upright opening 300 is altered to be a little more than 3.5 in., and the positions of various nail holes in the plates are changed.

[0045] A guardrail as thus incorporating a guard rail bracket at each post location will have enhanced resistance to shear forces, particularly a shear force from a rearward direction or from a frontward direction. A shear force from a rearward direction will be resisted by first vertical plate 242. A shear force from a frontward direction will be resisted by sloping plate 252, and/or will be transmitted by sloping plate 252 to the base board 100 that has been closely fitted into opening 302. If the force from a frontward direction impacts on a member to the left (in FIG. 8) of sloping plate 252, the uprights 802 and 804 will have a tendency to twist. Since the uprights 802, 804 are rectangular in section, this twisting torque will be resisted by the interaction of their corners with second vertical plate 270.

[0046] A temporary guardrail built per FIGS. 7-10 has been tested for resistance to shear force coming from either the frontward or the rearward direction. It has been found to resist a shear force of 300 pounds, from either such direction, as applied at a point 42 inches above plate 228, without failure.

[0047] In summary, a guardrail bracket has been illustrated and described which is fashioned from a single metal plate and which contributes greatly enhanced resistance to shear forces on temporary guardrails built with it. Slots in the base plate of the bracket permit the location of affixing lag screws to be altered so as to avoid underlying structures.

[0048] While illustrated embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated in the appended drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto but only by the scope and spirit of the appended claims.