U.S. patent application number 10/316177 was filed with the patent office on 2003-10-23 for two piece rail and insert system.
Invention is credited to Forbis, John T., Kaltenbach, Roy H., Mueller, Frank H..
Application Number | 20030196395 10/316177 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29218715 |
Filed Date | 2003-10-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030196395 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Forbis, John T. ; et
al. |
October 23, 2003 |
Two piece rail and insert system
Abstract
A two piece rail and insert system includes a rail that may be
constructed of a pultruded fiber reinforced material. The rail may
be configured to receive an insert which may be constructed of a
vinyl material that is easier to cut than the pultruded fiber
reinforced material. Therefore, openings can be more easily formed
into the insert to make the system compatible with different
configurations and spacings of balusters. The softer vinyl material
used in the insert causes less damage to the cutting machinery
thereby reducing the cost of the assembly. The vinyl insert may
also reduce the amount of harmful dust produced while forming the
openings.
Inventors: |
Forbis, John T.; (York,
NE) ; Mueller, Frank H.; (York, NE) ;
Kaltenbach, Roy H.; (York, NE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KARL R CANNON
PO BOX 1909
SANDY
UT
84091
US
|
Family ID: |
29218715 |
Appl. No.: |
10/316177 |
Filed: |
December 9, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60339018 |
Dec 7, 2001 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/300 ;
256/59 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04F 11/1842 20130101;
E04F 2011/1821 20130101; E04F 2011/1827 20130101; E04F 11/1817
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/300 ;
256/59 |
International
Class: |
E04H 017/14; E04H
012/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A rail and cap system for a barrier, said rail and cap system
comprising: a rail formed of a first material having a first
hardness, said rail comprising a channel for receiving said
barrier; and a cap configured to cover said channel, said cap being
formed of a second material having a second hardness, said cap
comprising a plurality of spaced apart openings for receiving said
barrier; wherein said second hardness is less than said first
hardness to facilitate forming said openings in said cap.
2. The rail and cap system of claim 1, wherein said rail further
comprises a means for receiving a cap.
3. The rail and cap system of claim 2, wherein said means for
receiving a cap comprises a slot.
4. The rail and cap system of claim 1, wherein said rail is formed
of a pultruded fiber reinforced material.
5. The rail and cap system of claim 4, wherein said pultruded fiber
reinforced material has a Barcol hardness of greater than about
50.
6. The rail and cap system of claim 1, wherein said cap is formed
of a vinyl material.
7. The rail and cap system of claim 6, wherein said vinyl material
has a Shore D hardness of less than about 86.
8. The rail and cap system of claim 1, wherein said cap further
comprises an upper wall and a lower wall, said upper wall separated
from said lower wall to form a space between said upper wall and
said lower wall.
9. The rail and cap system of claim 8, wherein said upper wall
forms a ledge that is received in a slot in said rail.
10. A method of forming rail and cap system for a barrier, said
method comprising the steps of: (a) selecting a first material
having a first hardness for forming a rail of said rail and cap
system; (b) selecting a second material having a second hardness
for forming a cap of said rail and cap system; (c) forming a
plurality of openings in said cap for receiving said barrier; and
(d) joining said rail and said cap.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein step (a) further comprises
selecting a material having a Barcol hardness greater than about 50
for forming said rail.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein step (a) further comprises
selecting a pultruded fiber reinforced material for forming said
rail.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein step (b) further comprises
selecting a material having a Shore D hardness of less than about
86 for forming said cap.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein step (b) further comprises
selecting a vinyl material for forming said cap.
15. The method of claim 10, wherein step (c) further comprises
forming said openings with a router.
16. The method of claim 10, wherein step (c) further comprises
forming said openings with a punch.
17. The method of claim 10, wherein step (c) further comprises
cutting said cap to form said openings.
18. The method of claim 10, wherein step (d) further comprises
inserting said cap in a slot formed in said rail.
19. The method of claim 10, further comprising selecting said first
material to have a greater hardness than said second material.
20. The method of claim 10, further comprising forming a channel in
said rail for receiving said barrier.
21. A method of forming rail and cap system for a barrier, said
method comprising the steps of: (a) forming a rail using a
pultruded fiber reinforced material; (b) forming a cap using a
vinyl material; and (c) joining said rail and said cap.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein step (a) further comprises
selecting a material having a Barcol hardness greater than about 50
for forming said rail.
23. The method of claim 21, wherein step (b) further comprises
selecting a material having a Shore D hardness of less than about
86 for forming said cap.
24. The method of claim 21, further comprising forming openings in
said cap for receiving said barrier.
25. The method of claim 24, further comprising forming said
openings with a router.
26. The method of claim 24, further comprising forming said
openings with a punch.
27. The method of claim 24, further comprising cutting said cap to
form said openings.
28. The method of claim 21, further comprising inserting said cap
in a slot formed in said rail.
29. The method of claim 21, further comprising selecting said
pultruded fiber reinforced material to have a greater hardness than
said vinyl material.
30. The method of claim 21, further comprising forming a channel in
said rail for receiving said barrier.
31. A rail and cap system for a barrier, said rail and cap system
comprising: a rail configured to be supported in a laterally
extending orientation for supporting said barrier, said rail
comprising a pair of opposing sidewalls defining a channel for
receiving said barrier, said opposing sidewalls comprising a slot;
and a cap for covering said channel, said cap having an upper wall
and a lower wall, said upper wall being spaced apart from said
lower wall and forming a ledge for being received into said slot
for attaching said cap to said rail.
32. The rail and cap system of claim 31, wherein said rail comprise
a pair of upper ridges and a pair of lower ridges formed on said
sidewalls within said channel, said upper ridges and said lower
ridges extending along a length of said channel and defining said
slot therebetween.
33. The rail and cap system of claim 31, wherein said upper wall
has a width that is greater than a width of said lower wall to
thereby form said ledge.
34. The rail and cap system of claim 31, wherein said rail is
formed of a pultruded fiber reinforced material.
35. The rail and cap system of claim 34, wherein said pultruded
fiber reinforced material has a Barcol hardness of greater than
about 50.
36. The rail and cap system of claim 31, wherein said cap is formed
of a vinyl material.
37. The rail and cap system of claim 36, wherein said vinyl
material has a Shore D hardness of less than about 86.
38. A rail and cap system for a barrier, said rail and cap system
comprising: a rail configured to be supported in a laterally
extending orientation for supporting said barrier, said rail
comprising a pair of opposing sidewalls defining a channel for
receiving said barrier, said opposing sidewalls comprising an upper
ridge and a lower ridge defining a slot therebetween; and a cap for
covering said channel, said cap having opposing ledges for being
slidably received in said slot for attaching said cap to said
rail.
39. The rail and cap system of claim 38, wherein said rail is
formed of a pultruded fiber reinforced material.
40. The rail and cap system of claim 39, wherein said pultruded
fiber reinforced material has a Barcol hardness of greater than
about 50.
41. The rail and cap system of claim 38, wherein said cap is formed
of a vinyl material.
42. The rail and cap system of claim 41, wherein said vinyl
material has a Shore D hardness of less than about 86.
43. A rail and cap system for a barrier, said rail and cap system
comprising: a rail configured to be supported in a laterally
extending orientation for supporting said barrier, said rail being
formed of a first material having a first hardness and comprising a
pair of spaced apart sidewalls defining a channel therebetween,
said channel being configured for receiving said barrier; and a cap
configured to be removably secured on said rail to cover said
channel, said cap being formed of a second material having a second
hardness, said cap comprising a plurality of spaced apart openings
for receiving said barrier therethrough; wherein said second
hardness is less than said first hardness to facilitate forming
said spaced apart openings in said cap; wherein said rail further
comprises a means for receiving said cap; wherein said means for
receiving said cap comprises a pair of upper ridges and a pair of
lower ridges formed on said sidewalls within said channel, said
upper ridges and said lower ridges extending along a length of said
channel and defining a slot therebetween for receiving said cap;
wherein said rail is formed of a pultruded fiber reinforced
material; wherein said pultruded fiber reinforced material has a
Barcol hardness of greater than about 50; wherein said cap is
formed of a vinyl material; wherein said vinyl material has a Shore
D hardness of less than about 86; wherein said cap further
comprises a hollow member having an upper wall extending in a
lateral orientation and a lower wall substantially parallel to said
upper wall, said upper wall being connected to said lower wall by a
first side and a second side such that a space is formed between
said upper wall and said lower wall; wherein said upper wall has a
width that is greater than a width of said lower wall such that
said upper wall combines with said first side and said second side
to form a pair of opposing ledges on said cap that are configured
to be received in said slot in said rail such that said cap is
adapted to slide in a longitudinal direction with respect to said
rail.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/339,018, filed Dec. 7, 2001, which is hereby
incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, including but not
limited to those portions that specifically appear hereinafter, the
incorporation by reference being made with the following exception:
In the event that any portion of the above-referenced application
is inconsistent with this application, this application supercedes
said above-referenced application.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] 1. The Field of the Invention
[0004] The present invention relates generally to rail systems, and
more particularly, but not necessarily entirely, to a rail system
having two pieces with different beneficial properties.
[0005] 2. Description of Related Art
[0006] Rails are known in the art for use in decks, porches and
fences for example. Such rails are useful in providing a secure
barrier and adding to the aesthetic appearance of a structure.
Rails are commonly used with vertical extending pickets or
balusters of various sizes, configurations and spacing. It is
common to use a particular style of rail with different types of
balusters in different settings. Therefore, manufacturing and
installation of rail systems often requires the use of tools and
machinery to form the rail to the desired configuration to be
compatible with the particular balusters to be used.
[0007] Rails made of durable materials often have a more attractive
appearance, but are more difficult to cut or otherwise shape into
condition for use with a particular baluster. High strength
materials used in rails often cause more wear on the cutting
machinery such as routers. This adds to the cost of installing the
rails. Furthermore, the use of cutting tools on higher strength
materials often emits fine dust particles into the atmosphere that
may irritate the lungs or have adverse health effects if they are
inhaled.
[0008] The prior art is thus characterized by several disadvantages
that are addressed by the present invention. The present invention
minimizes, and in some aspects eliminates, the above-mentioned
failures, and other problems, by utilizing the methods and
structural features described herein.
[0009] The features and advantages of the invention will be set
forth in the description which follows, and in part will be
apparent from the description, or may be learned by the practice of
the invention without undue experimentation. The features and
advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means
of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the
appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The features and advantages of the invention described
herein will become apparent from a consideration of the subsequent
detailed description presented in connection with the accompanying
drawings in which:
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a rail and
insert system in accordance with the principles of the present
invention;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a side view of a rail and insert system, showing
the insert installed partially within the rail;
[0013] FIG. 3 is an end view of the rail and insert system of FIG.
1, showing the insert installed within the rail;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a break-away plan view of an insert; and
[0015] FIG. 5, is a side view of a railing system including the
rail and insert system of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the
principles in accordance with the invention, reference will now be
made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific
language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be
understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is
thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the
inventive features illustrated herein, and any additional
applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated
herein, which would normally occur to one skilled in the relevant
art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered
within the scope of the invention claimed.
[0017] It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the
appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include
plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Also, as used herein, "comprising," "including," "containing,"
"characterized by," and grammatical equivalents thereof are
inclusive or open-ended terms that do not exclude additional,
unrecited elements or method steps.
[0018] Referring now to FIG. 1, a perspective view of a rail and
insert system, indicated generally at 10, is shown in accordance
with the principles of the present invention. The rail and insert
system 10 may be used in various applications such as barriers for
decks and stairs or fences for example. The system 10 may include a
rail 12 and an insert 14, also sometimes referred to as a cap.
[0019] It will be appreciated that the rail 12 may be arranged in
various sizes and configurations within the scope of the present
invention to provide a desired aesthetic appearance. The rail 12
may be configured to be supported in a laterally extending
orientation for supporting a barrier 20 such as pickets, planks or
balusters, as best shown in FIG. 5. The rail 12 may include a
channel 13 defined by channel sidewalls 23, for receiving the
barrier 20 therein. The rail 12 may also include a means for
receiving an insert or cap 14, such as slot 16, as best shown in
FIG. 3, so that the insert 14 may be received by the rail 12. The
slot 16 may be defined by an upper ridge 25 and a lower ridge 26
formed in the channel sidewall 23. The upper ridge 25 and lower
ridge 26 may extend longitudinally along the length of the rail. In
one embodiment, the insert 14 may have a ledge 15 that fits into
the slot 16 so that the insert 14 may move in a sliding
relationship with respect to the rail 12. It will be appreciated by
those skilled in the art that the insert 14 may be attached to the
rail 12 in other ways, such as by clamping onto the exterior of the
rail 12, or snapping it to the rail 12 for example, within the
scope of the present invention.
[0020] Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, an end view and plan view of
the insert 14 are shown. The insert 14 may be formed as a hollow
member having an upper wall 17 configured to extend in a lateral
orientation, and a lower wall 19 configured to extend substantially
parallel to said upper wall 17. The insert 14 may have a first side
27 and a second side 28 connecting the upper wall 17 and the lower
wall 19 such that a hollow space 21 may be defined between the
upper wall 17 and the lower wall 19. The upper wall 17 may have a
width that is greater than a width of the lower wall 19 such that
the upper wall 17 may combine with the first side 27 and the second
side 28 to form a pair of opposing ledges 15 on the insert 14 that
are configured to be received in the slot 16 in the rail 12 such
that the insert 14 is adapted to slide in a longitudinal direction
with respect to the rail 12. It will also be understood that the
insert 14 may be formed as a solid member within the scope of the
present invention.
[0021] The insert 14 may include openings 18 into which pickets,
planks or balusters, may be received for forming a vertical barrier
20. The openings 18 may extend through the upper wall 17 and the
lower wall 19 and may have any of various sizes, shapes and
spacings, within the scope of the present invention to be
compatible with the configuration of a desired picket, plank or
baluster forming barrier 20. It will be appreciated that the
openings 18 shown in FIG. 1 are depicted with different sizes for
illustrative purposes, and that the actual sizes of the openings 18
may be uniform to conform with the configuration of the picket,
plank or baluster forming the barrier 20.
[0022] One advantage of the moveable relationship between the rail
12 and the insert 14 is that the system 10 may be adjustable and
therefore more easily installed on slopes such as on stairs. In
such circumstances, the barrier 20 may not extend in a
perpendicular relationship with respect to the rail 12 and insert
14. The insert 14 may be moved with respect to the rail 12 to
adjust the orientation of the barrier 20.
[0023] The rail 12 may be formed of various materials such as a PVC
vinyl; a composite material made from a blend of wood flour and PVC
resin, for example, with an extruded PVC vinyl top coating; or a
pultruded fiber reinforced material made from a blend of fiberglass
and PVC resin, for example, with an extruded acrylic top
coating.
[0024] Pultrusion is a process for manufacturing reinforced
profiles wherein a set of fibers are pulled through a resin bath
and then through a heated die giving the profile its shape. After
the profile passes through the die the profile may be cooled by air
or water and cut into desired lengths. The resin used may be of
various materials such as polyesters, vinyl esters, and epoxies for
example. Furthermore, various types of fibers may be added in the
pultrusion process to produce profiles having different
characteristics, such as different strengths, hardnesses, or
elasticities. The fiber may be either a fiber mat or a series of
continuous fibers, or any other suitable fiber reinforcement.
[0025] The pultruded fiber reinforced material may provide rails
having high hardness and strength characteristics and an attractive
high quality appearance. However, due to the high strength and
hardness characteristics of the pultruded fiber reinforced
material, the machinery used to cut the rails wears out more
rapidly than with lower strength materials. Resins used in
pultruded fiber reinforced materials may be very abrasive to
carbide tooling machinery. Furthermore, a fine powdery dust may be
produced while cutting the pultruded fiber reinforced material. The
dust may contain particles that are small enough to become airborne
to increase the risk of being inhaled. This dust may irritate the
lungs or be harmful to the health of the individuals involved with
cutting the pultruded fiber reinforced material if the dust is
inhaled.
[0026] An advantage of the present invention is that the rail
assembly 10 is configured such that the rail 12 may receive the
insert 14 to be compatible with various different baluster 20
configurations. The insert 14 may be constructed of a vinyl
material, such as PVC, that is less costly to manufacture and cut
than the material used in the rail 12, such as pultruded fiber
reinforced material. The softer vinyl material used to construct
the insert 14 may be cut clean more easily than the harder
pultruded fiber reinforced materials. The openings 18 may be formed
in the insert 14 by a manner known in the art such as using a
router, or punching, stamping or cutting for example. The use of
vinyl material in the insert 14 where cutting is required, reduces
the wear on the cutting machinery, and thereby further reduces the
cost of the installed rail system 10. Moreover, the cuttings
generated while forming the openings 18 in the vinyl material are
generally large enough to avoid becoming dispersed in the air.
Therefore, danger of contaminant inhalation is reduced.
[0027] As shown in FIG. 5, the rail 12 may be attached to balusters
20 and to a bottom support 22, such as a bottom rail or flooring
for example, to provide a protective or supportive barrier for
structures such as decks, porches or fences. The rail 12 may also
be connected to a support structure such as a newel post 24 for
supporting an end of the rail 12. The present two piece rail and
insert system 10 thus allows a rail 12 of a particular style to be
used with balusters 20 of different configurations and spacings
without cutting the pultruded fiber reinforced material in the rail
12. The spacing of the balusters 20 can be configured by simply
forming the openings 18 in the insert 14 as desired. Thus, the
modification of baluster 20 spacing can be easily achieved so that
the balusters 20 can be spaced evenly in rails 12 of different
lengths. The rail and insert system 10 has high strength and
aesthetic appearance characteristics while reducing the cost of
materials in the insert 14 and reducing the cost of replacing and
repairing the cutting machinery. Furthermore, the production of
harmful dust during the cutting process may be reduced.
[0028] It will be appreciated that the term "hardness" as used
herein refers to the relative resistance a material to denting,
scratching, or bending. The hardness of a material may be measured
using various different testing methods. One embodiment of the rail
and insert system 10 may include a rail 12 that may be constructed
of a pultruded fiber reinforced material having a Barcol hardness,
as tested by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
D2583, of greater than about 40. The rail and insert system 10 may
also include an insert 14 made of a PVC material having a Shore D
hardness, as tested by ASTM D2240, of less than about 90. Another
exemplary embodiment of the rail and insert system 10 includes a
rail 12 having a Barcol hardness of greater than about 50, and an
insert 14 made of a PVC material having a Shore D hardness of less
than about 86. It will be appreciated that various different
combinations of rails 12 and inserts 14 having different hardnesses
may be used within the scope of the present invention.
[0029] Other embodiments of a rail and cap for which the principles
of the present invention may be employed are illustrated in U.S.
Pat. No. 6,460,829 for FENCE SYSTEM WITH VARIABLE POSITION RAIL,
which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its
entirety.
[0030] In accordance with the features and combinations described
above, a preferred method of forming rail and cap system for a
barrier includes the steps of:
[0031] (a) selecting a first material having a first hardness for
forming a rail of said rail and cap system;
[0032] (b) selecting a second material having a second hardness for
forming a cap of said rail and cap system;
[0033] (c) forming a plurality of openings in said cap for
receiving said barrier; and
[0034] (d) joining said rail and said cap.
[0035] It will be appreciated that the structure and apparatus
disclosed herein is merely one example of a means for receiving an
insert or cap, and it should be appreciated that any structure,
apparatus or system for receiving an insert which performs
functions the same as, or equivalent to, those disclosed herein are
intended to fall within the scope of a means for receiving an
insert, including those structures, apparatus or systems for
receiving an insert which are presently known, or which may become
available in the future. Anything which functions the same as, or
equivalently to, a means for receiving an insert falls within the
scope of this element.
[0036] Those having ordinary skill in the relevant art will
appreciate the advantages provide by the features of the present
invention. For example, the present invention may provide a two
piece rail and insert system that is simple in design and
manufacture, that has high strength characteristics and that has an
aesthetically pleasant appearance. The present invention also may
provide a rail and insert system that reduces the wear on tools
used to cut, stamp or rout the rail, and the rail system can be
machined such that the amount of harmful waste emitted into the
atmosphere is reduced.
[0037] It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements
are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the
present invention. Numerous modifications and alternative
arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without
departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and
the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and
arrangements. Thus, while the present invention has been shown in
the drawings and fully described above with particularity and
detail in connection with what is presently deemed to be the most
practical and preferred embodiment(s) of the invention, it will be
apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous
modifications, including, but not limited to, variations in size,
materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly
and use may be made without departing from the principles and
concepts set forth herein.
* * * * *