U.S. patent application number 10/753423 was filed with the patent office on 2004-09-30 for guard rail system.
This patent application is currently assigned to Compos-A-Tron Research & Development Inc.. Invention is credited to Pratt, Jim.
Application Number | 20040188666 10/753423 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36942717 |
Filed Date | 2004-09-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040188666 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Pratt, Jim |
September 30, 2004 |
Guard rail system
Abstract
A guard rail system fabricated from standard-sized components,
preferably extruded, comprises balusters fastened to a lower rail
and to an upper retainer at fixed intervals. The balusters are
provided with central bores for receiving fasteners such as screws
through predrilled holes in the upper retainer and lower rail. A
hand rail is slip-fitted over the upper retainer in locking
relation, to provide integrated guard rail sections. Guard rail
sections so assembled are fastened to end posts, preferably using
mounting brackets having a flanged arm which nests in grooves or
recesses in the upper retainer and lower rail to provide a safe,
secure and aesthetically appealing guard rail.
Inventors: |
Pratt, Jim; (Newmarket,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Jenna L.Wilson
Dimock Stratton Clarizio LLP
20 Queen Street West, Suite 3202
Box 102
Toronto
ON
M5H 3R3
CA
|
Assignee: |
Compos-A-Tron Research &
Development Inc.
|
Family ID: |
36942717 |
Appl. No.: |
10/753423 |
Filed: |
January 9, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10753423 |
Jan 9, 2004 |
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09994736 |
Nov 28, 2001 |
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6702259 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
256/65.07 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04F 11/1842 20130101;
E04F 11/1817 20130101; E04F 11/181 20130101; Y10T 29/49634
20150115; E04F 2011/1823 20130101; E04F 2011/1827 20130101; Y10T
29/49616 20150115; E04F 2011/1819 20130101; E04F 2011/1897
20130101; E04F 11/1834 20130101; E04F 11/1812 20130101; E04F
2011/1821 20130101; Y10T 29/49826 20150115; Y10T 29/49947
20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
256/065.07 |
International
Class: |
E04H 017/14 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A guard rail system, comprising a top retainer and a bottom rail
affixed between at least two posts, a plurality of hollow balusters
extending between the top retainer and the bottom rail, each
baluster being extruded from a wood composite material and
comprising a plurality of inner webs affixed to a wall of the
baluster and to a closed bore for a fastener disposed within the
baluster wall, and a hand rail affixed to the top retainer, the
hand rail having a bearing plate supported by an upper surface of
the upper retainer, wherein the top retainer has an exterior
surface having a pair of opposed channels and the hand rail has an
internal surface having a pair of complementary projections,
whereby the hand rail is affixed to the upper retainer by sliding
engagement between the projections and the channels.
2. The guard rail system of claim 1 wherein the top retainer and
the bottom rail each have a series of pre-drilled holes for
receiving the fastening members, to thereby align the
balusters.
3. The guard rail system of claim 2 wherein a front of the bottom
rail is provided with an upstanding lip spaced from the series of
holes by a distance substantially corresponding to a distance
between the bore and a front face of the baluster.
4. The guard rail system of claim 1 wherein the balusters are
affixed between the top retainer and the bottom rail by fasteners
disposed through the top retainer and the bottom rail and into the
bore.
5. A method of assembling a guard rail, comprising the steps of: a.
pre-drilling a top retainer and a bottom rail for attachment to a
plurality of hollow balusters, the top retainer having an exterior
surface having a pair of opposed channels and each baluster
comprising a plurality of inner webs affixed to a wall of the
baluster and to a bore for a fastener disposed within the baluster
wall, b. disposing fasteners through the holes into the bores to
affix the balusters between the top retainer and bottom rail, c.
sliding a hand rail having an internal surface having a pair of
projections complementary to the channels over the upper retainer
to engage the projections in the channels, and d. affixing the top
retainer and the bottom rail to posts.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the hand rail comprises a bearing
plate supported by an upper surface of the upper retainer.
7. The method of claim 5 including, before step a., the step of
extruding the top retainer, bottom rail, balusters and hand
rail.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein each post is hollow and including
the steps of anchoring a structural member and disposing the post
over a structural member.
9. A bracket for mounting a railing on a post having a plurality of
faces, the railing comprising a top retainer and a bottom rail
affixed to the post, a plurality of balusters extending between the
top retainer and the bottom rail, and a hand rail affixed to the
top retainer, the bracket comprising: a first member for affixing
the bracket to a first face, and a second member substantially
perpendicular to the first member for affixing the bracket to the
top retainer or the bottom rail, such that when the railing is
mounted on the post it is positionable at an angle to the first
face of the post.
10. The bracket of claim 9 wherein the first member is angled to
fit over a corner of the post.
11. The bracket of claim 9 wherein the second member is joined to
the first member by a rotating fastener.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a Continuation-in-Part of application
Ser. No. 09/994,736, filed Nov. 28, 2001, entitled GUARD RAIL
SYSTEM, which is incorporated by reference herein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to guard rail systems. In particular,
this invention relates to a prefabricated guard rail system,
components for a guard rail system and kits of components for a
guard rail system, which is strong, inexpensive, easy to assemble
and self-aligning, and meets the requirements of local building
codes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Guard rails are used around decks, staircases and other
elevated structures, to prevent injury and possible death from
falling off of the edge of such structures. Most building codes
have rigid requirements for guard rails, both in terms of when they
are required and certain construction parameters, including for
example the maximum spacing between balusters, length of span,
height and load requirements.
[0004] The installation of guard rail systems can be a very labour
intensive procedure. Balusters must be installed at precise
intervals, and be substantially true to the vertical, both to
comply with building code requirements and to be aesthetically
acceptable.
[0005] Guard rails can be constructed from lumber, and frequently
are in order to keep costs down. In a typical lumber guard rail
construction balusters or pickets are nailed or screwed to top and
bottom rails, which in turn are nailed to posts secured to or
around the structure. A considerable amount of attention is
required to ensure that the balusters are evenly spaced and
vertical, and there is a limit to the aesthetic appeal which can be
achieved. Moreover, the resulting guard rail is subject to
separation, warping and other weathering effects over time, due to
limits on the strength and degree of structural integration which
can be achieved using nails and lumber.
[0006] The fabrication of components for guard rail systems can be
facilitated by extruding components, for example out of a synthetic
wood composition, plastic, aluminium or another suitable material.
However, whether cut from lumber or extruded, the assembly and
installation of the guard rail requires considerable skill, labour
and time in order to construct a guard rail which is both
structurally secure and appealing.
[0007] There is accordingly a need for a guard rail system which is
easy to assemble, inexpensive, and produces a durable, structurally
integrated guard rail which bdth meets building code requirements
and is aesthetically appealing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention overcomes these disadvantages by
providing a guard rail system fabricated from standard-sized
components, which is strong enough to meet and exceed building code
requirements. According to the invention, balusters which are
preferably (but not necessarily) extruded are fastened to a lower
rail and to an upper retainer at fixed intervals. The balusters are
provided with central bores for receiving fasteners such as screws
through predrilled holes in the upper retainer and lower rail. A
hand rail is slip-fitted over the upper retainer in locking
relation, to provide integrated guard rail sections. In the
preferred embodiment guard rail sections so assembled are fastened
by means of a special bracket system to end posts to provide a
safe, secure and aesthetically appealing guard rail.
[0009] The invention provides a versatile, easy to assemble and
structurally secure guard rail system which can be used in any
application where conventional guard rails are used.
[0010] The present invention thus provides a guard rail system,
comprising a top retainer and a bottom rail affixed between at
least two posts, a plurality of hollow balusters extending between
the top retainer and the bottom rail, each baluster comprising a
plurality of inner webs affixed to a wall of the baluster and to a
bore for a fastener disposed within the baluster wall, and a hand
rail affixed to the top retainer, wherein the balusters are affixed
between the top retainer and the bottom rail by fasteners disposed
through the top retainer and the bottom rail and into the bore.
[0011] The present invention further provides a guard rail system,
comprising a top retainer and a bottom rail affixed between at
least two posts, a plurality of hollow balusters extending between
the top retainer and the bottom rail, each baluster comprising a
plurality of inner webs affixed to a wall of the baluster and to a
bore for a fastener disposed within the baluster wall, and a hand
rail affixed to the top retainer, the hand rail having a bearing
plate supported by an upper surface of the upper retainer, wherein
the upper retainer has an exterior surface having a pair of opposed
channels and the hand rail has an internal surface having a pair of
complementary projections, whereby the hand rail is affixed to the
upper retainer by sliding engagement between the projections and
the channels.
[0012] In further aspects of the guard rail system of the
invention: the top retainer and the bottom rail each have a series
of pre-drilled holes for receiving the fastening members, to
thereby align the balusters; a front of the bottom rail is provided
with an upstanding lip spaced from the series of holes by a
distance substantially corresponding to a distance between the bore
and a front face of the baluster; the upper retainer has an
exterior surface having a pair of opposed channels and the hand
rail has an internal surface having a pair of complementary
projections, whereby the hand rail is affixed to the upper retainer
by sliding engagement between the projections and the channels; the
hand rail is provided with a bearing plate supported by an upper
surface of the upper retainer; a portion of the hand rail above the
bearing plate is hollow; the balusters have a substantially square
cross section and a substantially central bore; the webs extend
from corners of the baluster wall to the bore; the posts are hollow
and provided bosses disposed along an interior wall of the post,
for abutting against a structural member disposed through each
post; and/or the top retainer and bottom rail are affixed to the
posts by a bracket comprising a flanged arm having depending
flanges spaced apart so as to nest in grooves formed in the top
retainer and bottom rail, to thereby interlock the bracket with the
top retainer and bottom rail.
[0013] The present invention further provides a method of
assembling a guard rail, comprising the steps of: a. pre-drilling a
top retainer and a bottom rail for attachment to a plurality of
hollow balusters, the top retainer having an exterior surface
having a pair of opposed channels and each baluster comprising a
plurality of inner webs affixed to a wall of the baluster and to a
bore for a fastener disposed within the baluster wall, b. disposing
fasteners through the holes into the bores to affix the balusters
between the top retainer and bottom rail, c. sliding a hand rail
having an internal surface having a pair of projections
complementary to the channels over the upper retainer to engage the
projections in the channels, and d. affixing the top retainer and
the bottom rail to posts.
[0014] In further aspects of the method of the invention: the hand
rail comprises a bearing plate supported by an upper surface of the
upper retainer; the method includes, before step a., the step of
extruding the top retainer, bottom rail, balusters and hand rail;
each post is hollow and the method includes the steps of anchoring
a structural member and disposing the post over a structural
member; and/or the top retainer and bottom rail are affixed to the
posts by a bracket comprising a flanged arm having depending
flanges spaced apart so as to nest in grooves formed in the top
retainer and bottom rail, to thereby interlock the bracket with the
lower rail and upper retainer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] In drawings which illustrate by way of example only a
preferred embodiment of the invention,
[0016] FIG. 1 is an elevation of a guard rail system according to
the invention on a sun deck;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a cross sectional front elevation of the guard
rail system of FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 3 is a cross sectional end elevation of the guard rail
system of FIG. 1;
[0019] FIG. 4 is a cross section of a baluster of FIG. 1;
[0020] FIG. 5 is a cross section of an end post of FIG. 1;
[0021] FIG. 6 is a cross section of the upper retainer of FIG.
1;
[0022] FIG. 7 is a cross section of the lower rail, baluster, upper
retainer, and handrail of an embodiment of the invention;
[0023] FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of a bracket for fastening
the guard rail sections to the end posts, according to one
embodiment of the invention;
[0024] FIG. 9 is a plan view of a bracket, according to a further
embodiment of the invention; and
[0025] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a bracket
according to yet a further embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0026] FIG. 1 illustrates a guard rail system 10 according to the
present invention. The guard rail system 10 is illustrated in the
environment of a sun deck for purposes of example only, however it
will be appreciated that the guard rail system is adaptable to any
environment in which a conventional guard rail system may be
used.
[0027] In a preferred embodiment the components of the guard rail
system are entirely extruded, for example in accordance with the
technique described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,516,472 for an Extruded
Synthetic Wood Composition and Method for Making Same issued May
14, 1996 to Strandex Corporation, and Canadian Patent No. 2153659
issued Feb. 23, 1999 to Strandex Corporation, which are
incorporated herein by reference. However, the components of the
invention may alternatively be milled from wood, molded or extruded
from plastic or metal, or otherwise suitably formed. The particular
material or materials from which the components of the guard rail
are formed is limited only by the requirement for sufficient
structural strength in the finished railing to comply with building
code requirements. FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the various components
of the invention, comprising an end post 20, a lower rail 30, an
upper retainer 40, balusters 50 and a hand rail 60. In the
preferred embodiment the invention further includes a specially
designed bracket 70 for fastening the guard rail sections to the
end posts.
[0028] The end post 20, illustrated in FIG. 5, is preferably hollow
and has an interior dimension which allows the end post 20 to be
slip-fitted over a structural member 2 (shown in phantom in FIG. 5)
such as a 4.times.4 pressure treated post, 2.times.4 pressure
treated lumber or a 31/2 inch steel pipe (for example of the type
used in chain link fencing), which is anchored into the ground,
deck substructure or other foundation for the guard rail 10. In the
preferred embodiment the end post 20 comprises vertical ridges 22
which snugly abut the four by four post 2 in order to fix the end
post 20 in a stable, vertical position.
[0029] Rail sections are formed by a series of balusters 50
fastened to the lower rail 30 and the upper retainer 40. The lower
rail 30 and upper retainer 40 are preferably predrilled at the
desired positions for the balusters, for example 4 inches on-center
(OC).
[0030] The lower rail 30, shown in FIG. 7, preferably comprises a
hollow body 32 having decorative flanges 34 depending therefrom,
serves to impart aesthetic appeal to the lower rail 30 and to hide
the hardware such as screws 4 which secure the balusters 50 and
brackets 70 (shown in FIG. 9) which secure the lower rail 30 to the
end post 20. In a preferred embodiment, an alignment lip (not
shown) serves the purposes of both aligning the balusters 50 along
the lower rail 30 and concealing any small gap between the
balusters 50 and the body 32 of the lower rail 30 after the
balusters 50 have been fastened thereto.
[0031] The upper retainer 40, shown in FIG. 6, comprises an
abutment plate 42 extending axially along the upper retainer 40
which abuts the top ends of the balusters 50, and a pair of wings
44 which are preferably dimensioned to overlap the sides of the
balusters 50, holding the balusters 50 in place and keeping them
from rotating, as shown in FIG. 3. Preferably the row of drill
holes 8 is contained within a longitudinal recess 46, so that the
heads of fasteners such as screws 6 or recessed relative to, or at
least are flush with, the top face 43 of the upper retainer 40,
thereby avoiding the need to countersink screws 6 when the
balusters 50 are fastened to the upper retainer 40.
[0032] The hand rail 60, shown in FIG. 7, has an exterior surface
61 configured in any desired shape or pattern for usability and
aesthetic appeal. The interior surface 63 of the hand rail 60 is
configured to slip-fit over the upper retainer 40. The hand rail 60
is slip-fit over the upper retainer 40. Preferably the interior
surface 63 has a bearing plate 64 having ridges or bosses 66 which
bear on the top surface 43 of the upper retainer 40, to snugly
secure the handrail 60 in position. Preferably there is a hollow
between the bearing plate 64 and the upper surface of the hand rail
60, which increases strength, and reduces the cost and weight of
the hand rail 60. Also, a slight flexibility in the bearing plate
64 and the wings 62 allows the hand rail 60 to grip the upper
retainer 40 when slip-fitted thereto.
[0033] The balusters 50, shown in FIG. 4, may be formed in any
desired decorative shape, and may be symmetrical in cross section.
Each baluster 50 is hollow and provided with inner webs 52 affixed
to the wall of the baluster 50 and supporting a bore 54, which
preferably extends along the entire length of the baluster 50. In
the embodiment shown the balusters 50 each have a square cross
section and the webs 52 extend from the corners of the baluster
wall toward a central bore 54.
[0034] The spacing between the bore 54 and the front outer face 56
of the baluster 50 corresponds to the spacing between the
predrilled holes 8 and the wings 44 of the upper retainer 40, and
to the spacing between the predrilled holes 9 and the lip 36 of the
lower rail 30. Thus, when assembled in the manner described below,
the balusters 50 will self align against the wings 44 and the lip
36 to align the balusters relative to one another, and to square
the balusters relative to the rail section when the upper retainer
40 and lower rail 30 are affixed to the end post 20.
[0035] Preferably, the upper retainer 40 and lower rail 30 are
affixed to the end post 20 by a bracket 70, illustrated in FIG. 8,
comprising a flat arm 72 having screw holes 78, extending generally
perpendicular to an arm 74 having screw holes 78. The bracket 70
may be stamped or otherwise suitably formed from metal. In a
preferred embodiment, depending flanges 76 are provided on the arm
74, and are spaced apart so as to nest in grooves or recesses 31
and 41 respectively formed in the underside of lower rail 30 and
upper retainer 40, as can be seen in FIGS. 9 and 10, thus
interlocking with the lower rail 30 and upper retainer 40 for
increased strength and stability. In a preferred embodiment, the
bracket 70 is configured to permit the upper retainer 40 and the
lower rail 30 to be affixed to the end post 20 at an angle. As
shown in FIG. 10, the bracket 70 may comprise a flat arm 72 having
screw holes 78 for affixing to an end post 20. The bracket 70
further comprises a generally perpendicular flanged arm 74
rotatably mounted on the flat arm 72 by means of a fastener 90,
such as a rivet or another suitable fastening means. The
perpendicular flanged arm 74 is provided with screw holes 78 and
depending flanges 76, which are spaced apart so as to nest in the
grooves or recesses 31 and 41 formed in the underside of lower rail
30, and upper rail 40. The flat arm 72 and the flanged arm 74 may
likewise be stamped or otherwise formed from metal. While the
fastener 90 in the rotating bracket 70 shown in FIG. 10 provides
rotational movement over a full 360.degree., when the bracket 70 is
mounted in a guard rail assembly, full rotation may be restricted
to a range of less than 360.degree., since full rotation will be
hampered by the interference of the upper retainer 40, lower rail
30, and the end post 20. However, with the rotating bracket 70, the
guard rail assembly may be configured to surround an irregularly
(non-rectangular) shaped area.
[0036] In a further embodiment, the bracket 70 is shaped to fit
around a vertex of an end post 20. Referring to FIG. 9, the bracket
70 is provided with an angled arm 92, which is shaped to fit around
the comer of an end post 20, preferably at a 90.degree. angle. The
angled arm 92 is provided with screw holes 78 for mounting to the
end post 20. A generally perpendicular flanged arm 74 extends from
the angled arm 92. and is provided with screw holes 78 and
depending flanges 76, which are spaced apart so as to nest in the
grooves or recesses 31 and 41 formed in the underside of lower rail
30 and upper rail 40. In the preferred embodiment, the vertex 93 of
the angled bracket 70 shown in FIG. 12 truncated to provide an edge
for the join 95 between the angled arm 92 and the flanged arm 74.
If the angled bracket 70 is integrally formed, for example by metal
stamping or another suitable method, when formed the bracket 70 may
be bent along the join 95. Alternatively, if the bracket 70 is
formed from a separate flanged arm 74 and an angled arm 92, the
join 95 may be formed by spot welding or other means.
[0037] To assemble the guard rail of the invention, the end posts
20 are fitted over suitably dimensioned structural posts 2 such as
four-by-four treated lumber, and positioned to rest on the deck,
floor, stair or other elevated structure. The rail sections are
assembled by driving fasteners such as screws 6 through the
predrilled holes 8 in the upper retainer 40 into the bores 54 in
the balusters 50. The lower rail 30 is similarly fastened to the
bottom ends of the balusters 50 by driving fasteners such as screws
6 through the predrilled holes 9 into the bores 54. The rail
section so constructed is integrated and structurally secure. The
rail sections may be constructed to any suitable length, and can be
assembled to a single length of lower rail 30 and upper retainer
40, depending upon the material from which the rail section is
formed.
[0038] A length of hand rail 60 is cut to match the length of the
assembled rail section, and slip-fitted over the upper retainer 40
by aligning ridges or bosses 62 with channels 48 and sliding the
hand rail 60 along the upper retainer 40 until the upper retainer
40 is fully concealed. The rail section is then mounted between end
posts 20 by brackets 70 affixed to the upper retainer 40 and lower
rail 30 using suitable fastening members, in the case of a wood
composite or synthetic wood composite, preferably bolts with wood
or other suitable inserts (not shown), and preferably screws 6
extending through the wall of the end post 20 into the structural
member 2 for strength.
[0039] It will be appreciate by those skilled in the art that the
particular configurations of the components of the guard rail
system of the invention may be altered to suit specific
installation parameters and/or aesthetic or decorative
requirements. For example, the embodiment illustrated shows
plain-faced, square-shaped balusters 50, however the balusters 50
can be formed in any other desired configuration as long as the
bore 54 is spaced from the front face 56 of each baluster in a
manner which allows the front face 56 to align with the lip 36 of
the lower rail 30. In the embodiment shown the side faces 58 of the
balusters 50 are equidistant from the bore 54, however this is not
essential and a precise on-center spacing between baluster 50 can
be obtained even if the baluster 50 is not laterally symmetrical
relative to the bore 54.
[0040] Various embodiments of the present invention having been
thus described in detail by way of example, it will be apparent to
those skilled in the art that variations and modifications may be
made without departing from the invention. The invention includes
all such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of
the appended claims.
* * * * *