Integrated Step Bolt Anchorage Assembly for Unobstructed Fall Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional step bolts on structures with communication or electrical transmission equipment lack integrated fall protection anchorage, leading to potential safety hazards during climbing and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A combination step bolt and fall protection anchorage assembly comprising a mounting plate, integrated anchorage clip with safety hook holes, and a step bolt secured perpendicularly to the mounting plate, providing both climbing and fall protection features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional step bolts are mounted separately from fall protection anchorage, then the installation process is simple, but safety hazards occur during climbing and maintenance due to lack of integrated fall protection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the step bolt and fall protection anchorage into a single integrated assembly. The mounting plate serves dual purposes: it anchors the step bolt for climbing and provides attachment points for fall protection equipment. This merging eliminates the need for separate mounting operations and ensures that both climbing and fall protection functions are available at each location, directly resolving the safety hazard while maintaining operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting plate is designed with multiple holes that serve universal functions: some holes accommodate step bolts for climbing, while other holes provide anchorage points for fall protection equipment. This multi-functionality allows the same structural component to support both climbing operations and fall protection, eliminating the need for separate dedicated anchorage points and improving overall safety without adding device complexity.
2Reliability
If fall protection anchorage is integrated into the step bolt design, then safety is enhanced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The step bolt and fall protection anchorage are merged into a single assembly unit. The mounting plate with multiple holes integrates both the step bolt anchorage function and the fall protection anchorage function, eliminating the need for separate mounting operations and reducing overall system complexity despite the enhanced safety features.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting plate serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support for the step bolt, offers attachment points for fall protection equipment, and maintains a relatively simple design. This multi-functionality allows the same component to handle both climbing and safety requirements without proportionally increasing complexity.
3Ease of operation
If separate mounting of step bolts and fall protection anchorage is used, then manufacturing is simple, but access to fall protection points may be obstructed
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the step bolt and fall protection anchorage into a single integrated assembly, the design ensures that both functions are co-located and equally accessible. The mounting plate with its multiple holes provides unobstructed access to both step bolt and fall protection anchorage points, eliminating the potential obstruction issue while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through a unified design approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting plate's multiple holes serve universal purposes, allowing workers to access both step bolt and fall protection anchorage points from the same location without obstruction. This multi-functional design maintains ease of manufacture while ensuring that all anchorage points are equally accessible for their intended purposes.
Data Source
AI summary
Combination step bolt and fall protection anchorage assemblies are disclosed that may be mounted on structures such as communication towers, poles and antennas. The assemblies include a mounting plate that can be bolted to the structure, an integrated anchorage clip connected to the mounting plate having at least one safety hook hole extending therethrough, and a step bolt secured to the integrated anchorage clip.