Safe Ascend Bosun's Chair

Abstract

A bracing system for providing seated stability to workers requiring a means of elevation in order to access the exteriors of buildings of several stories height. The present invention suspends a bosun's chair by means of a sturdy frame erected by means of two “legs” connected together to form an A-frame shape. Each leg is assembled using multiple pole sections fitted together by ferrules. A summit support rod, fitted to where the legs come together at the summit, leans against the building.

Description

CONTINUITY DATA[0001]This is a non-provisional patent application claiming priority to U.S. provisional patent application No. 61 / 361,423, filed on Jul. 4, 2010.BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION[0002]The present invention is a movable bosun's chair support apparatus and bracing system that provides seated stability to painters, window washers, and other workers who require a means of elevation in order to access the exteriors of buildings that have a height of several stories.[0003]Window washing bosun's chair systems that hang suspended from the top of high buildings have been used for many years. Yet these systems cannot be used for smaller structures of several stories height, because those structures are not tall enough for a bracing apparatus to be attached to the roof. For these smaller structures, before the creation of the present invention, the only way to get up high enough was to use a ladder.[0004]A ladder is a device designed to provide safe access to a workstation, b...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]The present invention suspends a bosun's chair to enable a user to work on the elevated portions of a building. This is accomplished by means of a sturdy frame erected by means of two “legs” connected together to form an A-frame shape. Each leg is assembled using multiple pole sections fitted together by conventional outer bonded ferrules. The pole sections are composed of carbon fiber in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, although they can also be made of other materials such as fiberglass or aluminum due to the high cost of carbon fiber. Each leg has at its base a pole footing attached to its lowermost pole section by means of a pivot and a base support rod. The pivot and base support rod are composed of steel in the preferred embodiment, although they can also be made of material of equivalent durability. Underneath each pole footing is matting of rubber or equivalent material to increase the present invention's stability. A summit support rod is fitted to where the legs come together at the summit, and this summit support rod leans against the building. The preferred embodiment of the present invention is envisioned as 40 feet in height.

[0009]After leaning the summit of the device against the building, the user adjusts the height of the legs if necessitated by an uneven ground surface. For added safety, a connecting cable can be attached to the legs at the bottom of the A-frame. At the top of the A-frame above the bosun's chair is placed a conventional ratcheting pulley. The conventional ratcheting pulley allows for easy ascending, and a brake system allows the operator to easily descend as well.

[0010]This present invention eliminates ladder fatigue on the user's legs and feet, as well as the dangers inherent in using a ladder. With the present invention, the user is tied to a system that prevents side to side movement and keeps the user close to the working surface whether it is 20 feet or 30 feet in the air.

Problems solved by technology

Yet these systems cannot be used for smaller structures of several stories height, because those structures are not tall enough for a bracing apparatus to be attached to the roof.

A ladder is a device designed to provide safe access to a workstation, but its use as a workstation itself is limited and fraught with dangers.

Also, in one half the ladder accidents investigated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the worker carried materials in his hands as he climbed, a practice that contributes to slips.

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