Safety apparatus for roofers

Claim 2

A safety device for preventing workers from falling off of a peaked roof, comprising: (a) a saddle adapted to be mounted on the peak of said roof; (b) a stanchion mounted on said saddle, said stanchion having at least a top portion rotatable relative to said stanchion; (c) a boom pivotally connected to a top portion of said stanchion, said boom being pivotable in the vertical direction with respect to said stanchion; (d) damping means for resiliently biasing said boom above a worker and for damping vertical pivoting of said boom relative to said stanchion; (e) tether means slidably connected at one end with said boom and connectable at the other end to a safety belt or harness at a worker's back, said rotatable stanchion and slidable tether allowing the worker a high degree of work mobility on the roof without interference by said tether means; and, (f) means responsive to rapid movement of said tether means relative to said boom in the event of a worker's loss of footing or falling, to arrest said tether means so that said tether means and said boom means absorb the force of such rapid movement when said tether means catches the worker.

Claim 3

The safety device of claim 1, wherein said damping means includes a pneumatic cylinder having first and second ends, said first end pivotally connected with said stanchion at a portion intermediate said top portion and said bottom portion, and said second end pivotally connected with said boom at a portion radially spaced from said stanchion.

Claim 4

The safety device of claim 2 wherein said pneumatic cylinder includes spring biasing means to urge said boom to a predetermined angle relative to said stanchion.

Claim 5

The safety device of claim 1, wherein said tether means includes a sleeve slidably mounted on said boom and a cable connected at one end with said slidable sleeve and connectable at the other end to said worker's safety belt or harness.

Claim 6

The safety device of claim 4 wherein said movement responsive means includes a brake surface carried by said sleeve engagable with said boom and a lever member pivotally actuatable by tension along said cable to engage said braking surface with said boom.

Claim 7

The safety device of claim 4, wherein said movement responsive means includes a collar arranged around the outer periphery of said boom adjacent an end remote from said stanchion, said collar being biased axially inwardly toward said stanchion and operative to engage said slidable sleeve in the event of a worker's fall, thereby to absorb the shock of said slidable sleeve contacting said collar member thereby to decellerate said tether means and the worker at the end of the full movement allowed to the worker by each of said stanchion, said boom and said tether means.

Claim 8

The safety device of claim 1, wherein said stanchion includes a hollow tube and said saddle includes a vertical post adapted to be received in said hollow stanchion and at least two support legs pivotally connected to said vertical post, said support legs adapted to engage said roof on opposite sides of the peak, each of said legs being individually adjustable by adjustment means to accomodate roofs of different slopes.

Claim 9

The safety device of claim 7, wherein said adjustment means includes a horizontal shaft about which said support legs are freely rotatable, an apertured disk concentric with said horizontal shaft, and an adjustment arm having an abutment member, said adjustment arm being rotatable about said horizontal shaft and including an aperture which is adapted to align with an aperture in said disk whereby a pin inserted through the aligned apertures locks the adjustment arm in place so that said abutment member is adapted to engage said support legs.

Claim 10

The safety device of claim 8, wherein said abutment member is mounted on a threaded shaft threaded through said adjustment arm, whereby fine adjustments of the position of said abutment member are made by turning the threaded shaft.

Claim 11

A safety device for preventing a worker from falling off of a roof, comprising: (a) mounting means adapted to be arranged on said roof; (b) a vertical stanchion mounted for azimuthal rotation in said mounting means; (c) a boom pivotally connected to a top portion of said stanchion, said boom being pivotable in elevation with respect to said stanchion; (d) damping means for restricting elevational pivoting of said boom relative to said stanchion; (e) brake means slidably engaging a substantial length of said boom; and (f) tether means for connecting a predetermined length of cable or rope from said brake means to a worker's safety harness or belt, said rotatable stanchion, said slidable brake means and said tether means allowing the worker a high degree of mobility over on the surface of the roof, but in the event of a worker's slipping on said roof, said tether means operating to actuate said brake means to catch the worker before an unrestrained fall off the roof.

Claim 12

A safety device for preventing a worker from falling off of a roof, comprising: (a) mounting means adapted to be arranged on said roof; (b) a vertical stanchion mounted for azimuthal rotation in said mounting means; (c) a boom pivotally connected to a top portion of said stanchion, said boom being pivotable in elevation with respect to said stanchion; (d) damping means for restricting elevational pivoting of said boom relative to said stanchion; (e) brake means slidably engaging a substantial length of said boom; and (f) tether means for connecting a predetermined length of cable or rope from said brake means to a worker's safety harness or belt, said rotatable stanchion, said slidable brake means and said tether means allowing the worker a high degree of mobility over on the surface of the roof, but in the event of a worker's slipping on said roof, said tether means operating to actuate said brake means to catch the worker before an unrestrained fall off the roof.

Claim 13

The safety device of claim 10, wherein said first boom damping means includes a pneumatic cylinder having first and second ends, said first end pivotally connected with said stanchion at a portion intermediate the length of said stanchion, and said second end pivotally connected with said boom at a portion axially spaced from said stanchion.

Claim 14

The safety device of claim 10, further comprising second damping means adjacent the outer end of said boom, said second damping means functioning in response to engagement of said brake means therewith to absorb further the shock when said brake means and said tether means catches the worker.

Claim 15

The safety device of claim 10, wherein said brake means includes a split sleeve slidably mounted on said boom and lever means for closing said split sleeve around said boom, and said tether means includes a cable connected at one end with said lever means and connectable at another end to said safety belt or harness.

Claim 16

The safety device of claim 12, wherein said second damping means includes a biased collar arranged around the outer periphery of said boom adjacent an end remote from said stanchion, said collar operative to engage said slidable brake means in the event of a worker's fall, thereby to absorb further the shock when said brake means is actuated by tether means adjacent said remote end of said boom to catch the worker.

Claim 17

The safety device of claim 10, wherein said stanchion includes a hollow tube and said mounting means includes a saddle having a vertical post adapted to be received in said hollow stanchion and at least two support legs pivotally connected with said vertical post, said support legs adapted to engage said roof on opposite sides of a peak, and said legs being individually adjustable by adjustment means to accomodate roofs of different pitches or slopes.

Claim 18

The safety device of claim 15, wherein said leg adjustment means includes a horizontal shaft about which said support legs are freely rotatable, an apertured disk concentric with said horizontal shaft, and an adjustment arm having an abutment member, said adjustment arm being rotatable about said horizontal shaft and including an aperture which is adapted to align with an aperture in said disc whereby with a pin inserted through the aligned apertures to lock the adjustment arm in place, said abutment member are adapted to engage said support legs.

Claim 19

The safety device of claim 16, wherein said abutment member is mounted on a threaded shaft threaded through said adjustment arm, whereby fine adjustments of the position of said abutment member are made by turning the threaded shaft.

Claim 20

Apparatus for preventing workers from falling off of a sloped roof, comprising: (a) a saddle adapted to be mounted on the peak of said roof and including a vertical post and at least two support legs pivotally connected to said post, each of said support legs adapted to extend on opposite sides of said peak and including anchor plates for attaching said legs to said roof; (b) a hollow tubular stanchion having a bottom portion rotatably mounted for azimuthal rotation about said vertical post of said saddle; (c) a boom pivotally connected to a top portion of said stanchion, said boom being vertically pivotable with respect to said stanchion; (d) tether means including a sleeve slidably mounted on said boom and a cable connected at one end for travel with said slidable sleeve along said boom and connectable at another end above and behind a worker's back to a safety belt or harness, said rotatable stanchion and slidable tether allowing the worker a high degree of mobility for work on the roof without interference by tools or materials thereon, said tether means including brake means responsive to sudden tension on said cable to arrest sliding movement of said sleeve along said boom so that in the event of a worker's slipping or falling, said tether means is operative to restrain uncontrolled movement of the worker on or off the roof.

Claim 21

Apparatus for preventing workers from falling off of a sloped roof, comprising: (a) a saddle adapted to be mounted on the peak of said roof and including a vertical post and at least two support legs pivotally connected to said post, each of said support legs adapted to extend on opposite sides of said peak and including anchor plates for attaching said legs to said roof; (b) a hollow tubular stanchion having a bottom portion rotatably mounted for azimuthal rotation about said vertical post of said saddle; (c) a boom pivotally connected to a top portion of said stanchion, said boom being vertically pivotable with respect to said stanchion; (d) tether means including a sleeve slidably mounted on said boom and a cable connected at one end for travel with said slidable sleeve along said boom and connectable at another end above and behind a worker's back to a safety belt or harness, said rotatable stanchion and slidable tether allowing the worker a high degree of mobility for work on the roof without interference by tools or materials thereon, said tether means including brake means responsive to sudden tension on said cable to arrest sliding movement of said sleeve along said boom so that in the event of a worker's slipping or falling, said tether means is operative to restrain uncontrolled movement of the worker on or off the roof.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising damping means including shock absorber having first and second ends, said first end pivotally connected with said stanchion at a portion intermediate said top portion and said bottom portion, and said second end pivotally connected to said boom at a portion spaced from said stanchion.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising second damping means including a biased collar arranged around the outer periphery of said boom adjacent an end remote from said stanchion, said collar operative to engage said slidable sleeve of said tether means to assist said brake means, thereby to absorb the shock when said tether means responds to such uncontrolled movement of the worker.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said saddle includes adjustment means for individually adjusting said support legs to accomodate roofs of different slopes, said adjustment means including a horizontal shaft about which said support legs are freely rotatable, an apertured disk concentric with said horizontal shaft, and an adjustment arm having an abutment member, said adjustment arm being rotatable about said horizontal shaft and including an aperture which is adapted to align with an aperture in said disk whereby a pin inserted through the aligned apertures may lock the adjustment arm in place, said abutment member adapted to engage said support legs.

Claim 25

The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said abutment member is mounted on a threaded shaft threaded through said adjustment arm, whereby fine adjustments of the position of said abutment member are made by turning said threaded shaft.