Sliding Guardrail Systems and Methods of Utilizing Sliding Guardrail Systems

The present disclosure relates to sliding guardrail systems and methods of utilizing sliding guardrail systems.

Removable guardrails are commonly used to provide fall protection in environments having one or more areas that may present a hazard to personnel, such as openings that present a falling hazard or other hazard to workers. Many conventional guardrails are installed in sockets formed in the floor and require workers to lift the guardrails to and from the sockets, when being installed or removed. Typically, many individual guardrails are installed side-by-side in order to surround an opening or otherwise form a continuous barrier. In order to provide adequate fall protection, guardrails typically are sturdy and of robust construction. As such, the guardrails may be heavy, and as a result, require time and effort to safely move, install, and remove. Moreover, frequent placement and/or movement of the guardrails can lead to injuries due to repetitive lifting. Furthermore, additional safety concerns arise when placing and removing the guardrails from the sockets in the floor, as the guardrails do not provide any fall protection when not installed in the floor.

Sliding guardrail systems and methods of utilizing sliding guardrail systems are disclosed herein. In some examples, sliding guardrail systems comprise at least one track and at least one sliding guardrail operatively coupled to the at least one track. In some examples, the at least one track defines a channel extending longitudinally through the at least one track. In some examples, the at least one sliding guardrail is configured to be selectively translated along a longitudinal length of the at least one track and to be selectively locked in place at a selected position along the longitudinal length of the at least one track.

In some examples, a method of utilizing a sliding guardrail system includes translating the at least one sliding guardrail to a selected position along the longitudinal length of the track and locking the at least one sliding guardrail in the selected position relative to the at least one track.

Sliding guardrail systems and associated methods are disclosed. Generally, in the figures, elements that are likely to be included in a given example are illustrated in solid lines, while elements that are optional to a given example or that correspond to a specific example are illustrated in dashed lines. However, elements that are illustrated in solid lines are not essential to all examples of the present disclosure, and an element shown in solid lines may be omitted from a particular example without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

schematically illustrates sliding guardrail systems. As shown in, sliding guardrail systemsmay be installed or utilized in an assembly environment(a.k.a. a production environment). Sliding guardrail systemsmay be utilized in any suitable environment to provide fall protection or a barrier to restricted or hazardous regions in the environment. In some examples, the assembly environmentcomprises at least one raised platformcomprising an edgeat least partially defining an opening. The openingis configured to receive a work piecewhich is accessible by a user such as a worker from the raised platform. In some examples, the work piececomprises a fuselageof an aircraft.

In some examples, the assembly environmentincludes a pair of the raised platformsdisposed on opposing sides of the opening. In other words, the openingmay be defined between the respective edgesof two or more opposing raised platforms. In some examples, the raised platformcomprises a plurality of edgesformed in a floor of the raised platformand defining the openingthrough the floor of the raised platformitself. For example, the raised platformmay comprise edgesthat define a rectangular or other suitably shaped openingin the floor of the raised platform. The raised platformmay be raised above a ground of the assembly environmentby any suitable height configured to facilitate a worker accessing the fuselageor other suitable work piecefrom the platform. As a result, the openingdefined by the edgesof the raised platformposes a potential falling hazard for workers accessing the work piecefrom the raised platform.

As shown in, sliding guardrail systemsare configured to be disposed proximate the edgeand to selectively block, shield, and/or guard the edgeto provide fall protection for workers. Sliding guardrail systemscomprise at least one trackand at least one sliding guardrailoperatively coupled to the at least one track. The sliding guardrail(s)are configured to be selectively translated (e.g., slid, rolled, etc.) to any suitable position along a longitudinal length of the track(s)and selectively locked in place at a selected position along the longitudinal length of the track(s). The sliding guardrail(s)are configured to remain operatively coupled to the track(s), both when translated along the longitudinal length of the track(s)and when locked in place at the selected position. This facilitates the sliding guardrail(s)providing fall protection for a worker, both when being repositioned and when locked into a selected position.

As shown in, the track(s)extend longitudinally along the edgeof the raised platform, e.g., parallel to the edge. This facilitates selectively positioning the sliding guardrail(s)at any suitable position longitudinally along the edgeto provide fall protection for workers on the raised platform. The track(s)may be fastened to the raised platformproximate the edgeusing screws, bolts, and/or any other suitable fastener. In other examples, the track(s)may be integrally formed in and/or inset into the surface of the raised platform. In some examples, the track(s)extend along an entirety of the edge of the raised platform. In some examples, the track(s)extend along only a section of the edgeof the raised platform.

schematically illustrate a respective one of the sliding guardrail(s)and the track(s)of the sliding guardrail systemsshown in. As shown in, the trackdefines a channel(indicated with a dash-dot line) extending longitudinally through the track. In some examples, the channelis formed as an inverted T-shaped slot having an upper elongate openingin communication with an internal slot. In other words, the channelmay define an internal slot(the bar of the inverted “T”) and an upper elongate opening(the stem of the inverted “T”) to the internal slot. The upper elongate openingis formed in an upper wallof the trackand provides access to the internal slotthrough the upper wall.

The channelis configured to receive one or more portions of the sliding guardrailto operatively couple the sliding guardrailto the channel. For example, the one or more portions of the sliding guardrailmay extend through the upper elongate openinginto the internal slotof the channel. In some examples, such as shown in the example sliding guardrail systemillustrated in, the upper elongate openinghas a first widththat is less than a second widthof the internal slot. As described further below, this facilitates preventing portions of the sliding guardrailfrom exiting the channelthrough the upper elongate openingto maintain the sliding guardrailoperatively coupled to the track.

As shown in, in some examples, the trackcomprises at least one positioning holeformed in or defined by the channel. For example, the positioning holemay comprise a recess or indentation formed in the upper elongate openingof the track. The positioning holeis configured to receive and retain a portion of the sliding guardrailto lock the sliding guardrailin position relative to the track. The positioning holemay have any suitable shape (e.g., circular/cylindrical) and/or size configured to receive and retain the respective portion of the sliding guardrailto lock the sliding guardrailin position.

As shown in, the track(s)may comprise a plurality of positioning holesdisposed along the longitudinal length of the track(s). The track(s)may comprise any suitable number of positioning holesand the positioning holesmay be spaced apart from each other along the trackby any suitable distance. This facilitates providing a plurality of positions along the longitudinal length of the trackat which the sliding guardrailis configured to be locked in place.

In some examples, sliding guardrail systemsinclude a plurality of trackseach fixed to the raised platform.schematically presents three trackson the raised platformon each side of the opening, such that the tracksare each disposed adjacent to each other and extend parallel to each other proximate the edge; however, any suitable number of tracksmay be provided depending on the configuration of the sliding guardrail system. In such examples, each of the trackscomprises a respective channelthat is configured to be operatively coupled to one or more of the sliding guardrails. Alternatively, or additionally, the trackmay comprise a unitary structure defining a plurality of channelsextending longitudinally through the unitary structure of the trackparallel to each other. In such examples, each of the channelsis configured to be operatively coupled to one or more of the sliding guardrails. Sliding guardrail systemsmay include any suitable number and arrangement of the tracks, and/or the tracksmay comprise any suitable number and arrangement of the longitudinally extending channels. Having multiple tracksand/or channelsfacilitates positioning the sliding guardrailsat different distances from the openingand further permits stowing of the sliding guardrailsat one end of the tracksor channelswhen not in use. Sliding guardrail systemsmay include any suitable number of the sliding guardrailsoperatively coupled to each of the tracksand/or channels.

As shown in, the sliding guardrailcomprises a rigid bodywhich may comprise any suitable rigid structure(s) configured to form a barrier and/or to provide fall protection for a worker. For example, the rigid bodyis configured to support the weight of a worker leaning or pressing against the sliding guardrail, when the sliding guardrailis operatively coupled to the track. In some examples, the sliding guardrailis configured to support at a minimum at leastlbs. and/or any other suitable amount of weight according to standard safety requirements for guardrails. The rigid bodyand other portions of the sliding guardrailmay comprise any suitable materials configured to maintain an upright position and resist collapsing when transverse loads are applied to the sliding guardrail. For example, the sliding guardrailmay comprise steel, aluminum, and/or any other suitable rigid metal material.

As shown in, in some examples, the sliding guardrailcomprises a shaftconfigured to extend into the channelof the at least one track. For example, the shaftmay extend downward into the upper elongate openingof the channel. In some examples, a locking footis fixed to a lower end of the shaft. The locking footis configured to be received in the channeland to be selectively received in a selected one of the positioning holesto lock the sliding guardrailin position relative to the at least one track. In some examples, the shaftextends through a hollow interior of a portion of the rigid bodyand out a bottom end of the rigid bodyinto the upper elongate opening. The shaftmay extend generally vertically from an upper endto a lower end which is fixed to locking foot.

In some examples, the locking footcomprises an upper portionand a base flangeextending around a periphery of a base of the upper portion. The upper portionis fixed to a lower end of the shaft. In some examples, such as shown in, the base flangehas a third widththat is less than or equal to the second widthof the internal slotand that is greater than the first widthof the upper elongate opening. The upper portionof the locking footis configured to be selectively received and retained within a respective one of the positioning holesto lock the sliding guardrailin place relative to the track. Due to the greater width of the base flange, the base flangeremains in the internal slotof the channel, when the upper portionis received in the positioning hole. The base flangeis configured to prevent the locking footfrom exiting from the channelthrough the upper elongate opening.

In some examples, the sliding guardrailcomprises a locking-foot actuatorconfigured to transition the locking footbetween an extended position(as shown in) and a retracted position(as shown in). When the locking footis in the extended position, the locking footis positioned to be disposed entirely within the internal slotof the channel. When disposed in the extended positionwith the locking footdisposed entirely within the internal slot, the sliding guardrailis configured to be selectively translated along the longitudinal length of the track. In other words, when the locking footis in the extended positionand disposed entirely within the internal slot, the sliding guardrailis not locked in place and is free to be translated along the track. When the locking footis disposed in the retracted position, the locking footis positioned to be received within a respective one of the positioning holesformed in the upper elongate openingof the channel. For example, when the locking footis in the retracted position, the upper portionof the locking footis received in the respective one of the positioning holes. The base flangeis configured to remain disposed in the internal slotand to abut an internal-slot upper wallof the internal slot. When the locking footis disposed in the retracted positionand received in the positioning hole, the sliding guardrailis locked in place relative to the positioning hole.

The locking-foot actuatormay comprise any suitable mechanisms configured to selectively translate the locking footbetween the extended positionand the retracted position. For example, the locking-foot actuatormay comprise a push-pull clampoperatively coupled to the upper endof the shaft. The push-pull clampis configured to be selectively actuated or toggled to translate the shaftup and down which transitions the locking footbetween the extended positionand the retracted position. For example, when the locking footis disposed in the extended position, the push-pull clampmay be actuated to translate the shaftupward, such that the locking footis translated upward and into the retracted position. Prior to actuating the push-pull clamp, the locking footmay be aligned with a selected one of the positioning holes, such that the upper portionof the locking footis received in the selected positioning hole, when the locking footis translated upward into the retracted positionby the push-pull clamp.

In some examples, the sliding guardrailis configured to be translated on the trackby sliding or rolling the sliding guardrailalong the track. In some examples, the sliding guardrailmay comprise any suitable components and/or structures configured to facilitate sliding or rolling the sliding guardrailalong the longitudinal length of the track. For example, the sliding guardrailmay comprise one or more wheels. The wheelsare configured to contact the upper wallof the trackand to facilitate sliding the sliding guardrailrelative to the track. In some examples, the sliding guardrailcomprises a pair of wheelseach configured to contact the upper surface of the track. The wheelsmay be configured to at least partially bear the weight of the sliding guardrailon the track. The wheelsmay be coupled to any suitable portion of the rigid body, such that the wheelsare positioned to contact the upper surface of the track.

In some examples, the wheelsmay be spring-biased and configured to provide clearance between the rigid bodyand the trackwhen the locking footis disposed in the extended position. This facilitates the selective repositioning of the sliding guardrailby rolling the sliding guardrailon the wheels. In such examples, when the locking footis transitioned into the retracted positionand is received within the positioning hole, a force is applied on the trackbetween the wheelsand the base flangeof the locking foot. In some examples, this force may cause the spring-biased wheelsto compress, such that the rigid bodyof the sliding guardrailis brought into contact with the trackto further lock the sliding guardrailin position relative to the track.

In some examples, the sliding guardrailcomprises a downward extensionconfigured to be received in the channel. In some examples, the downward extensioncomprises a lower extent of the rigid bodyand/or any suitable rigid structure fixed to the rigid bodyand is configured to extend into the channel. The downward extensionmay have any suitable shape and/or size configured to be received in the channeland to maintain and support the sliding guardrailin an upright position relative to the track. For example, the downward extensionis configured to prevent the sliding guardrailfrom tipping over or collapsing when the sliding guardrailis subjected to a transverse force, e.g., from a person falling or moving into, or leaning on, the sliding guardrail. In other words, the downward extensionis configured to bear any transverse load that is applied to the sliding guardrail. In some examples, the sliding guardrailcomprises multiple downward extending portions that are each configured to be received in the channel. In some examples, the downward extensionsare configured to facilitate the sliding guardrailbearing a minimum required weight oflbs. and/or any other suitable amount of weight according to standard regulations.

In some examples, the sliding guardrailcomprises a sliderconfigured to extend into the channeland to guide the sliding guardrail, when the sliding guardrailis translated along the longitudinal length of the track. In some examples, the slideris configured to extend through the upper elongate openingof the channeland is received in the internal slot. In some examples, the slideris configured to contact or abut the surfaces or walls (e.g., internal-slot upper wall) of the internal slotto maintain alignment of the sliding guardrailon the trackduring translation of the sliding guardrail. The slidermay be fixed to a bottom end of the rigid bodyin any suitable manner, such that the slideris positioned to extend into the channel.

In some examples, the sliding guardrailcomprises a handleconfigured to be utilized by a user to translate the sliding guardrailalong the length of the track. For example, the handlemay comprise any suitable structures coupled to the rigid bodyand configured to be held and pulled by a user to translate the sliding guardrailalong the track. In some examples, the handleis configured to be selectively transitioned between a deployed configuration and a stowed configuration. When in the deployed configuration, the handlemay be positioned away from the rigid bodyof the sliding guardrail, such that the handleis positioned in an easily accessible position for the user. When in the stowed configuration, the handlemay be positioned proximate the rigid bodyto decrease the overall size and profile of the sliding guardrail.

Turning now to, illustrative non-exclusive examples of sliding guardrail systemsare illustrated. Where appropriate, the reference numerals from the schematic illustrations ofare used to designate corresponding parts of the examples of; however, the examples ofare non-exclusive and do not limit the sliding guardrail systemsto the illustrated embodiments of. That is, sliding guardrail systemsare not limited to the specific embodiments of, and sliding guardrail systemsmay incorporate any number of the various aspects, configurations, characteristics, properties, etc. of the sliding guardrail systemsthat are illustrated in and discussed with reference to the schematic representations ofand/or the embodiments of, as well as variations thereof, without requiring the inclusion of all such aspects, configurations, characteristics, properties, etc. For the purpose of brevity, each previously discussed component, part, portion, aspect, region, etc. or variants thereof may not be discussed, illustrated, and/or labeled again with respect to the examples of; however, it is within the scope of the present disclosure that the previously discussed features, variants, etc. may be utilized with the examples of.

illustrate an example sliding guardrail system. As shown in, the sliding guardrail systemincludes a sliding guardrailoperatively coupled to a track. The sliding guardrailcomprises a rigid bodyconfigured to maintain an upright position and to block or close off an opening, such as opening, described above. The sliding guardrailis operatively coupled to the track, such that the sliding guardrailis configured to be translated to a selected position along the longitudinal length of the track. The sliding guardrailcomprises a pair of wheelseach contacting an upper surface of the trackand configured to facilitate the sliding translation of the sliding guardrailalong the length of the track. The sliding guardrailcomprises a handledisposed in a deployed configuration inand a stowed configuration in. As shown in, when the handleis disposed in the deployed configuration, the handleextends away from the rigid body, such that the handleis positioned to be pulled on by a user to translate the sliding guardrailalong the longitudinal length of the track.

As shown in, the sliding guardrailcomprises a shaft guide pinextending through a shaft-guide slotformed in the rigid body. The shaft guide pinis coupled to the shaftwhich extends through a hollow interior of the rigid body, as described further above with reference to. The shaft guide pinand shaft-guide slotare configured to guide the vertical translation of the shaftwhen the locking-foot actuatoris toggled to transition the locking footbetween the extended positionand the retracted position. In other words, the shaft guide pinand the shaft-guide slotare configured to maintain vertical alignment of the shaftduring translation and to ensure that the shaftis translated vertically by the locking-foot actuator. The sliding guardrailfurther comprises a handle guide pinand a handle-guide slot. The handleextends into a hollow interior of the rigid bodyand is coupled to the handle guide pinextending through the handle-guide slot. The handle guide pinand handle-guide slotare configured to guide the handleand maintain vertical alignment of the handlewhen the handleis transitioned between the deployed and stowed configurations.

As shown in, the trackdefines three distinct channelseach extending longitudinally through the trackparallel to one another. In this example, the trackcomprises a unitary structure or single unit defining the three channels. In other examples, as described above, the sliding guardrail systemsmay include a plurality of different trackseach defining a respective channeland positioned adjacent to one another. The trackofis shown having three channels, however the tracksmay have any suitable number and arrangement of the channels. Each of the channelsis configured to be operatively coupled to one or more of the sliding guardrails. In other words, each of the channelsis configured to receive a portion of one or more of the sliding guardrailsto operatively couple the sliding guardrail(s)to the track. The portions of the sliding guardrailthat are received in the channel(e.g., the locking foot) are configured to slide within the channelwhen the sliding guardrailis translated along the length of the track. As shown inillustrating sectional views of the track, the channelseach define an upper elongate openingformed in an upper wallof the trackand an internal slotformed within the track.

As shown in, each channelcomprises a plurality of positioning holesspaced apart from each other along the longitudinal length of the track. Each of the positioning holescomprises a circular indentation or recess formed in the upper wallof the trackand the upper elongate opening. The positioning holesare configured to selectively retain the locking footof the sliding guardrailto lock the sliding guardrailin position relative to the positioning holeand the track, as shown indescribed further below.

illustrate sectional views of the trackand the sliding guardrailoperatively coupled to the track.illustrates the locking footdisposed in an extended position.illustrate the locking footin a retracted position. As shown in, the locking footcomprises an upper portionand a base flangeextending around the periphery of a base of the upper portion. The base flangehas a third widthless than a second widthof the internal slot, but greater than a first widthof the upper elongate opening. As such, the base flangeis configured to prevent the locking footfrom exiting the channelthrough the upper elongate openingand to maintain the sliding guardrailoperatively coupled to the track.

When the locking footis disposed in the extended position, as shown in, the locking footis disposed entirely within the internal slotof the channel. In other words, both the upper portionand the base flangeof the locking footare disposed in the internal slotwhen the locking foot is disposed in the extended position. When the locking footis disposed in the extended position, the sliding guardrailis configured to be translated along the longitudinal length of the trackwith the locking footbeing translated within the internal slot. In other words, when the locking footis disposed in the extended position, the sliding guardrailis not locked in place and is configured to be moved along the length of the track.

illustrate the locking footdisposed in the retracted positionand received within the positioning holeof the track. Transitioning the locking footinto the retracted positioncomprises actuating the locking-foot actuatorto translate the locking foot upward from the extended positioninto the retracted position. As shown in, when the locking footis disposed in the retracted position, the upper portionof the locking footis received in the positioning holeand the base flangeabuts an internal-slot upper wallof the internal slot. When the locking foot is disposed in the retracted position, a pressure is applied on the upper wallof the trackbetween the upper surface of the base flangeand the wheelsand/or other portions of the sliding guardrailthat contact the upper surface of the track. The pressure applied between the wheelsand the base flangefacilitates maintaining the sliding guardrailin an upright position, resisting nominal transverse loads applied to the sliding guardrail, and further locking the sliding guardrailin position relative to the track. The positioning holeis configured to retain the upper portionof the locking foot, such that the sliding guardrailis prevented from being translated along the track. The locking footmay be transitioned back into the extended positionto allow the sliding guardrailto be repositioned relative to the track.

illustrate an example of the sliding guardrail systemsinstalled in an example assembly environment. As shown in, the assembly environmentcomprises a raised platformcomprising edgesdefining an opening. In the example of, the edgesare formed in a rectangular shape and in a central portion of the raised platformto define the openingthrough a floor of the raised platform. The floor of the raised platformis raised above a ground of the assembly environmentby pillars. As a result, the openingdefined by the edgesof the raised platformposes a fall hazard for workers. As shown in, the openingis configured to receive a fuselageof an aircraft, such that workers can access portions of the fuselagevia the raised platform.

The sliding guardrail systemis disposed proximate the edgesand the openingand is configured to protect workers from the fall hazard posed by the opening. As shown in, the sliding guardrail systemcomprises a plurality of sliding guardrailseach operatively coupled to a respective trackrunning longitudinally along the edgeof the opening. The sliding guardrailsare configured to be selectively positioned along the trackto block off the openingand/or to provide access to selected sections of the fuselage. For example, as shown in, the sliding guardrailsare translated along the trackto remove the sliding guardrailsfrom blocking access to a front portion of the fuselage. The position of the sliding guardrailsis easily adjusted by a user, as described above, to either provide access to a portion of the fuselageor to block off a portion of the opening.

schematically provides a flowchart that represents illustrative, non-exclusive examples of methods according to the present disclosure. In, some steps are illustrated in dashed boxes indicating that such steps may be optional or may correspond to an optional version of a method according to the present disclosure. That said, not all methods according to the present disclosure are required to include the steps illustrated in solid boxes. The methods and steps illustrated inare not limiting and other methods and steps are within the scope of the present disclosure, including methods having greater than or fewer than the number of steps illustrated, as understood from the discussions herein.

As seen in, a methodincludes translatingat least one sliding guardrailto a selected position along the longitudinal length of at least one track. In some examples, methodsinclude lockingthe at least one sliding guardrailin the selected position relative to the at least one track. In some examples, methodsinclude repositioning the at least one sliding guardrailalong the longitudinal length of the track. The at least one sliding guardrailremains operatively coupled to the at least one trackduring each of the steps of methods, such that the at least one sliding guardrailis configured to provide continued fall protection for a user.

The translatingthe at least one sliding guardrailto the selected position may comprise sliding and/or rolling the sliding guardrailto the selected position. When the at least one sliding guardrailis translated in step, a locking footof the at least one sliding guardrailis disposed in an extended positionin which the locking footis received entirely within an internal slotof a channel. As described above, when the locking footis disposed in the extended position, the sliding guardrailis configured to be selectively and freely translated along the longitudinal length of the track.

In some examples, the lockingthe sliding guardrailin the selected position may comprise aligningthe locking footof the at least one sliding guardrailwith a respective positioning holeof the at least one track, and transitioningthe locking footto a retracted position, such that at least a portion of the locking foot(e.g., upper portion) is received within the positioning hole. In some examples, the transitioningthe locking footinto the retracted positioncomprises actuating or toggling a push-pull clampto move the locking footvertically upwards from the extended positioninto the retracted position. When the locking footis disposed in the retracted positionand received within the positioning hole, the sliding guardrailis prevented from being translated along the length of the trackas a result of the positioning holeretaining the locking foot.

Methodsoptionally include repositioningthe at least one sliding guardrailafter the locking. In some examples, the repositioningmay comprise transitioningthe locking footfrom the retracted positionto the extended position, such that the locking footis disposed entirely within the internal slotof the channeland translatingthe sliding guardrail along the longitudinal length of the trackto a different position. In some examples, the transitioningcomprises actuating or toggling the push-pull clampto move the locking footdownward from the retracted positionto the extended position. As described above, when the locking footis disposed in the extended positionand disposed entirely within the internal slot, the sliding guardrailis free to be translated to any suitable position along the longitudinal length of the track.

During each of steps,,,,,, andof methods, the sliding guardrailis configured to remain operatively coupled to the track. For example, a downward extensionof the sliding guardrail, a slider, and/or the locking footare each configured to be received in the channelof the trackduring each step of the method. The downward extension, the slider, and/or the locking footare configured to maintain the sliding guardrailin an upright position and resist against transverse loads that may be applied to the sliding guardrailduring any of the steps of method. For example, the sliding guardrailis configured to remain in an upright position and resist collapsing in response to a user leaning against or falling into the sliding guardrailduring any one of the steps of the method. As a result, the sliding guardrailis configured to provide continued fall protection for users, such as workers, when being translatedinto the selected position, when being lockedinto position, and when being repositioned. In some examples, as described above, the sliding guardrail systemcomprises a plurality of tracksaligned proximate one another and one or more of the sliding guardrailsare coupled to each of the tracks. In such examples, the sliding guardrailsthat are coupled to the track(s)disposed closest to the edgeprovide added fall protection for a worker that is translating or locking the sliding guardrailscoupled to the track(s) disposed further from the edge.

Illustrative, non-exclusive examples of inventive subject matter according to the present disclosure are described in the following enumerated paragraphs:

A. A guardrail system () comprising:

A1. The guardrail system () of paragraph A, wherein the channel () defines an internal slot () and an upper elongate opening () to the internal slot ().

A1.1. The guardrail system () of paragraph A1, wherein the upper elongate opening () has a first width () and the internal slot () has a second width (), and wherein the first width () is less than the second width ().

A1.2. The guardrail system () of paragraph A1 or A1.1, wherein the at least one sliding guardrail () comprises a shaft () configured to extend downward into the upper elongate opening (), and a locking foot () fixed to the shaft () and configured to be received in the channel ().

A1.2.1. The guardrail system () of paragraph A1.2, wherein the locking foot () comprises an upper portion () and a base flange (), wherein at least the base flange () is configured to be received in the internal slot () of the channel (), and wherein the base flange () has a third width () greater than the first width () of the upper elongate opening (), and wherein the base flange () is configured to restrict passage of the base flange () through the upper elongate opening ().

A1.2.2. The guardrail system () of any one of paragraphs A1.2 or A1.2.1, wherein the at least one track () comprises at least one positioning hole () formed in the channel (), wherein the at least one positioning hole () is configured to selectively receive and retain at least a portion of the locking foot () to retain the at least one sliding guardrail () in a fixed position relative to the at least one positioning hole ().

A1.2.2.1. The guardrail system () of paragraph A1.2.2, wherein the at least one positioning hole () comprises a plurality of positioning holes () spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal length of the track ().

A1.2.2.2. The guardrail system () of paragraph A1.2.2 or A1.2.2.1, wherein the at least one sliding guardrail () comprises a locking-foot actuator (), wherein the locking-foot actuator () is configured to transition the locking foot () between an extended position (), in which the locking foot () is positioned to be disposed entirely within the internal slot (), and a retracted position () in which at least the portion of the locking foot () is positioned to be received in the at least one positioning hole ().

A1.2.2.2.1. The guardrail system () of paragraph A1.2.2.2, wherein when the locking foot () is in the extended position () and within the internal slot (), the at least one sliding guardrail () is configured to be selectively translated along the longitudinal length of the track (), and wherein when the locking foot () is in the retracted position () and in the at least one positioning hole (), the at least one sliding guardrail () is held in a fixed position relative to the at least one positioning hole ().