U.S. patent application number 11/286012 was filed with the patent office on 2007-05-24 for construction site hole cap for covering holes.
Invention is credited to Louis Boyd.
Application Number | 20070113490 11/286012 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38052103 |
Filed Date | 2007-05-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070113490 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Boyd; Louis |
May 24, 2007 |
Construction site hole cap for covering holes
Abstract
A hole cover is provided for covering holes formed in the
walking surfaces at construction job sites. The hole cover includes
a cap having a top surface, a bottom surface and an edge. In
addition, the cap includes a plurality of bores which project
vertically from the cap's top surface to the bottom surface. The
hole cover further includes a plurality of pins which are
positioned within the bores. Each pin includes a head and shaft.
The pins are sufficiently long so that once positioned within the
bores, the pins extend downwardly so as to project into a
construction site hole which is intended to be covered.
Inventors: |
Boyd; Louis; (Fallbrook,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DRUMMOND & DUCKWORTH
Suite 500
4590 MacArthur Blvd.
Newport Beach
CA
92660
US
|
Family ID: |
38052103 |
Appl. No.: |
11/286012 |
Filed: |
November 23, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/133 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04G 21/3204
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
052/133 |
International
Class: |
E04H 13/00 20060101
E04H013/00 |
Claims
1. A construction site hole cover for covering holes formed in
walking: surfaces, the hole cover comprising: a cap having a top
surface, a bottom surface and a edge; a plurality of bores
projecting through said cap from said top surface to said bottom
surface; and a plurality of pins projecting downwardly through said
plurality of bores to below said bottom surface for projecting into
a surface hole and for restricting lateral displacement of said
hole cover.
2. A construction site hole cover of claim 1 wherein said cap has a
cental vertical axis and said plurality of bores and corresponding
pins are positioned concentrically about said central vertical axis
to form at least one set of concentrically aligned bores for
allowing said pins to project into a walking surface hole.
3. A construction site hole cover of claim 2 wherein cover includes
at least two sets of concentrically aligned bores for allowing said
pins to project into a walking surface hole for covering holes of
different sizes with the hole cover.
4. A construction site hole cover of claim 1 wherein said cap has a
circular edge to form a disc-like structure.
5. A construction site hole cover of claim 1 wherein said cap has a
rectangular edge.
6. A construction site hole cover for covering holes formed in
walking surfaces, the hole cover comprising: a substantially
disc-like cap having a top surface, a bottom surface and a circular
edge; a plurality of bores projecting through said disk-like cap
from said top surface to said bottom surface; and a plurality of
pins projecting downwardly through said plurality of bores to below
said bottom surface for projecting into a surface hole and for
restricting lateral displacement of said hole cover.
7. A construction site hole cover of claim 6 wherein said disc-like
cap has a cental vertical axis and said plurality of bores and
corresponding pins are positioned concentrically about said central
vertical axis to form at least one set of concentrically aligned
bores for allowing said pins to project into a walking surface
hole.
8. A construction site hole cover of claim 7 wherein cover includes
at least two sets of concentrically aligned bores for allowing said
pins to project into a walking surface hole for covering holes of
different sizes with the hole cover.
9. A construction site hole cover for covering holes formed in
walking surfaces, the hole cover comprising: a substantially
rectangular cap including a substantially flat top, a substantially
flat bottom and a rectangular edge; a plurality of bores projecting
through said rectangular cap from said top surface to said bottom
surface; and a plurality of pins projecting downwardly through said
plurality of bores to below said bottom surface for projecting into
a surface hole and for restricting lateral displacement of said
hole cover.
10. A construction site hole cover of claim 9 wherein said
disc-like cap has a cental vertical axis and said plurality of
bores and corresponding pins are positioned concentrically about
said central vertical axis to form at least one set of
concentrically aligned bores for allowing said pins to project into
a walking surface hole.
11. A construction site hole cover of claim 10 wherein cover
includes at least two sets of concentrically aligned bores for
allowing said pins to project into a walking surface hole for
covering holes of different sizes with the hole cover.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to safety devices for
construction sites. More specifically, the invention relates to
safety devices for covering holes formed in the floor at many job
sites.
[0002] Workers face a variety of hazards while working on a
construction site. One of the more prevalent hazards is caused by
holes formed in walking surfaces. These holes are formed in the
construction of flooring for the introduction of drains, electrical
wiring, water piping, lighting systems, etc. Typically, these holes
are only a few inches wide, far too small for an adult to fall
into. However, they do provide a tripping hazard. Moreover, wheeled
objects such as wheelbarrows, dollies, and other contraptions can
be inadvertently rolled into these surface holes. Open holes can
also be troublesome because various construction equipment such as
nuts, bolts, brackets, and tools are prone to fall into such holes.
This presents a safety hazard in multistory buildings to workers
below.
[0003] In an effort to address these construction site hazards, the
United States Department of Occupational Safety and Health
Administration ("OSHA") has promulgated a variety of regulations in
an effort to increase the safety at job sites. These regulations
include 29 C.F.R. .sctn.1910.23 (e)(7) et seq; 29 C.F.R.
.sctn.1910.23 (9) and 29 C.F.R. .sctn.1926.502(i) et. seq. which
relate to the construction of floor opening covers. C.F.R.
.sctn.1926.502(i) et. seq. which relate to the construction of
floor opening covers. These sections states that hole covers may be
of any material that meets a specific strength requirement that the
cover will effectively support two times the weight of employees,
equipment and materials that may be imposed on the cover at any one
time. OSHA requirements also state that covers will leave no
openings more than 1'' wide, that the covers can not project more
than 1'' above the floor level and that all edges must be chamfered
to an angle of not more than 30 degrees from the horizontal. The
OSHA requirements also dictate that all hinges, handles, bolts and
other parts shall set flush with the floor or cover surface, and
that covers shall be color-coded or marked with the word "HOLE" or
"COVER" to provide warning of hazard. Furthermore, the cover must
be secured in place over a hole so as to prevent accidental
displacement by the wind, equipment, or employees.
[0004] Attempts have been made to comply with the OSHA
requirements. For example, U.S. patent application Ser. No.
10/724,583 describes a cover for covering construction site holes.
The cover includes a disk-like cap and a stem which projects
downwardly from the cap. The stem is sized to fit precisely into
the opening of a man-made construction hole. Unfortunately, because
the stem is sized to fit only one size hole, various sizes of such
covers would be required to be maintained on a job site.
[0005] Therefore, there is a significant need for an improved cover
which is adaptable to fit a variety of sizes of construction site
holes.
[0006] There is also a need for a cover which complies with OSHA
requirements.
[0007] There is also a need for a cover which is sufficiently
inexpensive to manufacture and buy that contractors wouldn't think
twice about purchasing such covers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention addresses the aforementioned
disadvantages by providing an improved cover for covering holes
formed in the walking surfaces at construction job sites.
[0009] The cover includes a planar cap for covering the hole. The
cap has a substantially flat top surface, a flat bottom surface for
engaging the hole and walking surface, and an edge. The cap may be
constructed in various shapes and sizes. For example, where the
hole to be covered is circular, which is very common, the cap will
typically have a disk-like structure having a circular edge.
Meanwhile, where a hole to be covered is rectangular, the cover's
cap would likewise preferably be rectangular.
[0010] The hole cover of the present invention further includes a
plurality of bores which project through the cap from the cap's top
surface to the cap's bottom surface. In addition, the hole cover of
the present invention includes a plurality of pins which are
removably positioned within the bores so as to project from the
cap's top surface through the cap to extend downwardly below the
cap's bottom surface. In addition, the pins preferably include a
head, similar to the head of a nail, and the bores include a recess
at the cap's top surface. The recesses are sized for receipt of the
pin's head so that when the pins are positioned within the bores,
the pins heads are flush with the cap's top surface.
[0011] The cover's bores are preferably arranged in a pattern
including several discrete sets of bores. In a preferred
embodiment, a first set includes two to four bores spaced equal
distance from the cap's center vertical axis. For example, a
preferred construction includes a set of three bores spaced 1" from
the hole's central axis. In addition, the hole cover preferably
includes additional sets of bores spaced equal distance from the
cover's central axis. For example, a preferred hole cover may
include additional sets of bores spaced 2'' and 4'' from the
cover's central axis.
[0012] As would be understood by one skilled in the art, pins would
typically not be placed in every bore when the hole cover was used
to cover a hole. For example, when covering a hole having a 2''
diameter, pins are placed in the bore's located 1'' from the cap's
center axis so as to be spaced apart sufficiently to engage the
inner sidewalls of a hole when the hole cover was positioned in
place. Likewise, when covering a hole having a 4'' diameter, pins
are positioned within the bores located 2'' from the cap's central
axis. Thereafter, the hole cover is positioned so that the pins
extend through the bores and into the hole to be covered. Lateral
movement of the hole cover is thereby restricted by the pins
engaging the hole's interior sidewalls.
[0013] Various modifications of the present invention can be made.
For example, the cap can have a substantially dome-like structure
having a substantially spherical curved surface. Alternatively, the
cap can have a truncated shape including a periphery portion which
projects upwardly at an angle of less that 30 degrees terminating
at a flat horizontal top surface.
[0014] The cap and pins can be made of a variety of materials
including metals and plastics. However, preferably the cap and pins
are made from high strength, impact resistant lightweight plastics
such as polyethylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)
polyvinylchloride (PVC), etc.
[0015] Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present
invention to provide a hole cover for covering holes found at
construction job sites.
[0016] It is still another object of the present invention to
provide a cover which complies with OSHA requirements.
[0017] It is still another object of the present invention to
provide a cover which is adaptable for covering a variety of sized
holes.
[0018] These and other further and more specific objects and
advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those
skilled in the art from the following detailed description taken in
conjunction with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating use of the hole
cover of the present invention within a construction job site;
[0020] FIG. 2 is top perspective view of a hole cover of the
present invention;
[0021] FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the hole cover shown
in FIG. 3;
[0022] FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of a second embodiment of
the hole cover of the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 5 is a top perspective view illustrating a third
embodiment of a hole cover of the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 6 is a side cut-way view of the hole cover shown in
FIG. 2; and
[0025] FIG. 7 is a side cut-away view of the hole cover shown in
FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0026] While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in
various forms, as shown in the drawings, hereinafter will be
described the presently preferred embodiments of the invention with
the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered
as an exemplification of the invention and it is not intended to
limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated.
[0027] With reference to FIGS. 1-7, the hole cover 1 of the present
invention includes a cap 3 and a plurality of pins 25. The cap 3
includes a top surface 5, a bottom surface 7 and an edge 9. The cap
may take various forms. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2-4, the cap
may be round to provide a circular edge 9 where the intended hole
to be covered is a round hole. Where the hole intended to be
covered is rectangular, including square holes, the cap may take a
rectangular shape as shown in FIG. 5. In addition, the bottom
surface 7 is preferably flat to engage a substantially flat walking
surface. Conversely, the top surface may be spherical, as shown in
FIG. 2. Alternatively, the top surface may take a truncated form as
shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Where the cap has a truncated form, the
cap's top surface 5 will have a planer horizontal surface. In
addition, the cap will include an angled periphery portion 15 which
extends inwardly and upwardly from the cap's edge 9 to the cap's
top surface 5. To comply with OSHA requirements, this periphery
portion must extend at an angle of 30 degrees or less from the
horizontal plane.
[0028] The cap 3 further includes a plurality of vertical bores 19
which have a recess 21 formed at the bore's upper extremity. The
cap's bores are arranged in geometric patterns about the cap which
are preferably spaced equal distance from the cap's central
vertical axis. For example, FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a circular cap
and a rectangular cap, respectively, both of which include a first
set 23 of bore's 19 which are spaced 1'' from the cap's center. As
shown in FIG. 4, preferably a circular cap includes three bores for
each set 23, while a rectangular cap includes a set of four bores.
Preferably, the cap includes a plurality of sets of bores. For
example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, each cap includes a second set
24 of bore's 9 in which each bore is spaced 2'' from the cap's
central vertical axis as well as additional sets of bores spaced
even further from the cap's center.
[0029] The hole cover's pins 25 have an elongate shaft 29 and a pin
head 27 to form a construction very similar to that of a flat
headed nail. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the pin's shaft is sized to
telescopically slide within the bores 19 until the pin heads 27
rest within the bore's recess 21 so that the pin heads 27 are flush
with the cap's top surface 5.
[0030] As would be understood by construction site workers, the
hole cover of the present invention can be utilized to cover a
variety of different sized holes. For example, with reference to
FIGS. 1-4, a construction site having a circular hole having a 6''
diameter formed in the construction site's walking surface 33 can
be covered utilizing a circular hole cover 1. Three pins 25 are
placed within the bores 19 which are spaced 3'' from the cap's
center vertical axis. As shown in FIG. 1, the hole cover 1 is then
positioned so that the pins project into the hole so as to be
positioned adjacent to the hole's sidewalls 37. The hole cover is
thereby prevented from moving horizontally by the pins engaging the
hole's sidewalls.
[0031] Meanwhile, where a smaller walking surface hole 35 is found,
the same hole cover 1 can be utilized by moving the pins 25 inward
to reside in bores located closer to the cap's center. For example,
covering a circular hole having a 2'' diameter can be accomplished
by utilizing the hole covers shown in FIGS. 1-4 by placing pins 25
into the bores 19 which are positioned closest to the cap's central
vertical axis. Thereafter, the hole cover is positioned to cover
the hole, with the pins 25 once again projecting into the hole to
prevent horizontal movement of the hole cover.
[0032] While several particular forms of the invention have been
illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various
modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention. For example, the hole cover can be made by
any number of materials, though various plastics are preferred. In
addition, the cap can be constructed to be substantially solid.
Alternatively, to save weight, it can be constructed to be
substantially hollow including a plurality of ribs 17 for
structural rigidity (see FIG. 3).
* * * * *