CA1307154C - Guard railing assembly - Google Patents
Guard railing assemblyInfo
- Publication number
- CA1307154C CA1307154C CA000583632A CA583632A CA1307154C CA 1307154 C CA1307154 C CA 1307154C CA 000583632 A CA000583632 A CA 000583632A CA 583632 A CA583632 A CA 583632A CA 1307154 C CA1307154 C CA 1307154C
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- rail
- pickets
- rails
- posts
- railing assembly
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
- E04F11/00—Stairways, ramps, or like structures; Balustrades; Handrails
- E04F11/18—Balustrades; Handrails
- E04F11/181—Balustrades
- E04F11/1817—Connections therefor
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
- E04F11/00—Stairways, ramps, or like structures; Balustrades; Handrails
- E04F11/18—Balustrades; Handrails
- E04F2011/1868—Miscellaneous features of handrails not otherwise provided for
- E04F2011/1882—Miscellaneous features of handrails not otherwise provided for with traction cable inside post or rail
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Architecture (AREA)
- Civil Engineering (AREA)
- Structural Engineering (AREA)
- Bridges Or Land Bridges (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A railing assembly is provided, having a minimal number of structural and connecting component parts which can be easily assembled on-site without requiring the use of special tools or conventional fastening means. The railing comprises a tubular top and bottom rail, a plurality of support posts and a plurality of rod members.
The top rail has a bottom region containing holes for receiving the top ends of the posts and the bottom rail has top and bottom regions provided with aligned holes through which pass the bottom ends of the posts. The bottom region of the top rail and the top region of the bottom rail have internal means defining longitudinally extending channels, the rod members being slidably received in the channels and passing through transverse holes through the posts. A plurality of pickets may be provided between the support posts. The pickets are slidably received in a slip-fit connection by a corresponding plurality of holes disposed at spaced apart intervals along the undersurface of the top rail and the upper surface of the bottom rail. Transverse holes are provided near the upper and lower ends of the pickets for slidably receiving the rod members as aforesaid. In an alternative embodiment, one or more panel sections may replace the pickets, each panel section being supported and retained by means of integrally formed pairs of parallel ribs, outwardly located on each rail. In yet another embodiment, the panel sections are supported and retained by integral slots inwardly disposed in each of the top and bottom rails. The railing according to the present invention is more readily adaptable to curved configurations and provides for easier disassembly compared to existing railing structures.
A railing assembly is provided, having a minimal number of structural and connecting component parts which can be easily assembled on-site without requiring the use of special tools or conventional fastening means. The railing comprises a tubular top and bottom rail, a plurality of support posts and a plurality of rod members.
The top rail has a bottom region containing holes for receiving the top ends of the posts and the bottom rail has top and bottom regions provided with aligned holes through which pass the bottom ends of the posts. The bottom region of the top rail and the top region of the bottom rail have internal means defining longitudinally extending channels, the rod members being slidably received in the channels and passing through transverse holes through the posts. A plurality of pickets may be provided between the support posts. The pickets are slidably received in a slip-fit connection by a corresponding plurality of holes disposed at spaced apart intervals along the undersurface of the top rail and the upper surface of the bottom rail. Transverse holes are provided near the upper and lower ends of the pickets for slidably receiving the rod members as aforesaid. In an alternative embodiment, one or more panel sections may replace the pickets, each panel section being supported and retained by means of integrally formed pairs of parallel ribs, outwardly located on each rail. In yet another embodiment, the panel sections are supported and retained by integral slots inwardly disposed in each of the top and bottom rails. The railing according to the present invention is more readily adaptable to curved configurations and provides for easier disassembly compared to existing railing structures.
Description
~3~)'7~1 S9~
GUA~ ILING ASSEMBlY
The present invention relates to hand or guard railing assemblies and more particularly to an improved railing assembly comprising a minimal number of constituent component parts which can be easily assembled on-site without requiring the use of special tools.
Conventionally, railing assemblies are typically fabricated in work shops by skilled metal workers who join the constituent structural components of a railing, comprising rails, post members and pickets, by way of welding or brazing. Such railing assemblies are expensive to manufacture owing to the requisite use of skilled labour and specialized tools. Further, these conventional assemblies are generally cumbersome to transport to the construction site for final installation.
Improvements to the traditional art were achieved by the use of aluminium extrusions for fabricating the various sub-assemblies of railing structures. These developments generally sought to facilitate assembly at the construction site by unskilled installers, hence permitting the railing structures to be more easily and inexpensively transported as compact sub-assemblies.
However, the above-mentioned improvements still have certain disadvantages. For instance, most of the improved railing structures have numerous sub-assemblies, that is5 rails with two or three component parts or top and bottom rails of markedly different construction.
Existing railing assemblies may also require a number of additional connecting components or various cover sections such as clip portions for securing the assembly of a multi-component rail or for covering open sections of a bottom rail extending between the posts and pickets of a particular railing structure. Other arrangements may require special tools in order to assemble the various ,~
components or require conventional fastening means such as screws, rivets or bolts. The foregoing disadvantages of the prior art tend to result in high costs of the structures.
An additional disadvantage of prior art railing assemblies is that of poor on-site flexibility. For instance, many of the structures of the prior art are difficult to disassemble, owing to a clip-fit method of assembly requiring prying apart the individual component parts. Still others are poorly adaptable to architectural configurations other than straight~line rails and railing structures disposed in a strictly vertical plane.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a hand or guard railing assembly requiring a minimum number of structural and connecting components, thereby affording cost savings in relation to manufacturing and transportation of the assembly.
Moreover, the simplicity of the arrangement according to the present invention, having a total of only four different constituent sub-assemblies, and requiring no conventional fastening means for assembly, provides greater ease of installation of the railing assembly compared to other types of railing assemblies.
It is another object of the present invention to provide greater on-site flexibility of the railing assembly over that associated with the prior art. For instance, the railing assembly according to the present invention is more readily adaptable to curved configurations and provides for easier disassembly compared to existing railing structures.
According to a broad aspect of the invention there is provided a railing assembly comprising a tubular top rail, a tubular bottom rail, a plurality of support posts and a plurality of rod members, the top rail having a , : .
, ' ' ~ ~3()~7~
bottom region containing holes for receiving the top ends of said posts, the bottom rail having top and bottom regions provided with aligned holes through which pass the bottom ends of said posts, the bottom region of said top rail and the top region of said bottom rail having internal means defining longitudinally extending channels, said rod members being slidably received in said channels and passing through transverse holes through said posts~
A plurality of parallel vertical pickets may be provided at predetermined locations between the support posts, which pickets are slidably received in a slip-fit aonnection by a corresponding plurality of holes disposed at longitudinally spaced apart intervals respectively along the undersurface of the top rail and the upper surface of the bottom rail. Transverse holes are provided near the upper and lower ends of the pickets for slidably receiving the rod members which secure the pickets to the top and bottom rails.
In another embodiment of the present invention, one or more panel sections may replace the pickets and may consist of tempered glass or any other appropriate sheet material. Each panel section is supported and retained by means of integrally formed pairs of parallel ribs, outwardly located on each rail. The pair of ribs on the upper rail are downwardly projecting and extend lengthwise at least between two adjacent posts. The pair of ribs on the bottom rail correspondingly are upwardly projecting and extend longitudinally between the same two posts.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the panel sections may be supported and retained by integral slots inwardly disposed in each of the top and bottom rails. The slots are formed by two inwardly extending parallel vertical flanges and an internal web member perpendicularly disposed thereto.
~3~ S4 In drawings which illustrake the embodiments of the present invention, FIGURE 1 is an isometric view showing one embodiment of a railing assembly according to the present invention;
FIGURE 2 is an end view of the railing assembly shown in FIGURE 1;
FIGURE 3 is an enlarged end view of this embodiment which better illustrates the components of the assembly;
FIGURE 4 is a detailed isometric exploded view of the embodiment showing a top railing, support post, picket and rod member;
FIGURE 5 is a detailed isometric partially sectioned view of the embodiment as depicted in FIGURE 4 and as fully assembled;
FIGURE 6 is a front elevational view of another embodiment of a railing assembly according to the present invention and having panel sections instead of pickets;
FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view of the top rail of this other embodiment on a plane perpendicular to the top and bottom rails thereof.
FIGURES 8~ 9 and 10 are end views of a top railing showing different embodiments of joining pieces for joining two rails together.
FIGURE 11, located on the same sheet of drawings as FIGURE 7, is a cross-sectional view of the top rail of yet another embodiment of the railing assembly according to the present invention and having panel sections instead of pickets, viewed on a plane perpendicular to the top and bottom rails thereof.
Referring now to the drawings, FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 illustrate one particular embodiment of the present invention consisting of a prefer~bly tubular extruded .
.
-~3C~'7~4 aluminium top rail 1 which is identical in nature and substantially parallel to bottom rail 2. The assembly comprises top and bottom rails 1 and 2 supported by a plurality of spaced apart parallel vertical posts 3, only one of which is shown in FIGURES 1 - 3. A plurality of parallel vertical pickets 4 are arranged between adjacent support posts 3. The posts 3 and pickets 4 preferably have a circular cross-section, and may be formed from solid or tubular material, preferably drawn or extruded aluminium or any other structurally suitable material.
Details of the assembly will be described hereinafter.
Support posts 3 extend through holes through the bottom rail 2 and are secured at the lower terminal ends 17 thereof to a supporting surface 5 by suitable attachment 1~ means 6 which are well known to those skilled in this art.
The details of the assembly arrangement of rails 1 and 2, support posts 3 and pickets 4 are best shown in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5. The undersurface of top rail 1 contains, at longitudinally spaced apart intervals, a plurality of radially disposed holes 9,12 which respectively conform to the outer circumferences of support posts 3 and pickets 4 in such manner as to permit an intimate slip-fit connection with the upper terminal ends of the posts and pickets. In like manner, the upper surface of bottom rail 2 contains identical corresponding holes 20,21 which are similarly adapted to receive the lower terminal ends of posts 3 and pickets 4. Moreover, the undersurface of bottom rail 2 contains a number of longitudinally spaced apart holes 22 aligned with holes 20 disposed along the top surface thereof, which holes 20,22 permit the lower terminal ends 17 of posts 3 to extend through lower rail 2 to the connecting means 6 as aforesaid.
.
~ 3()~'3~
The inner surfaces 18,23 of top and bottom rails 1,2 each include four pairs of opposed open flutes 7 running the entire length of the rails 1,2 and disposed at 90 intervals around the inner circumferences thereof.
The flutes are arcuate in cross-section and define generally C-shaped channels. The lower flutes 15 of top rail 1 and the upper flutes 24 of lower rail 2 slidably receive at least one rigid connecting rod 10 preferably composed of steel. The connecting rods 10 secure each one of the posts 3 and pickets 4 to rails 1,2 through paired openings 11, which are pre-drilled radially through each of the upper and lower ends of the posts and pickets 3,4. FIGURE 3 illustrates the post 3 fitting between the two opposing flutes 7 inside the railing 1 and 2. In some instances the ends of the flutes 7 may have to be cut off to fit larger diameter posts 3.
The remaining three pairs of flutes 7 of each rail which do not receive a connecting rod allow for the attachment of end caps to the rails by way of self-tapping screws. Similarly, end plates may be appended to the rails to allow for attachment of the rail assembly to a wall or supporting column. Alternatively, the open flutes may be provided with three corresponding short angle rods, bent at 90, permitting mitered terminal ends of two perpendicularly disposed rails to closely abut in a corner configuration.
A further advantage of the provision of four symmetrically disposed open flutes as aforesaid is to promote the even bending of the top and bottom rails so that the present embodiment is readily adaptable to curved configurations. In such curved configurations, rigid connecting rods 10 are replaced with sufficiently flexible rods in order to permit easy passage of the rods through the corresponding open flutes of the curved top and bottom ~3~
rails.
The details of the assembly of the upper terminal ends of posts 3 and pickets 4 to top rail 1 are illustrated more fully in FIGURES 4 and 5. Paired openings 11 are pre-drilled radially at a distance from the respective terminal ends 8,14 of posts 3 and pickets 4, permitting the upper terminal ends to bear securely against the leading edges 16 of topmost flutes 19 of rail 1, as shown in FIGURE 5 or, in the case of larger diameter tubing, against the inner surface 18 of rail 1.
Likewise, the position (not shown) of the paired openings 11 for the lower terminal ends of pickets 4 are determined in such manner as to allow for the lower ends 25 (FIGURE
3) of pickets 4 to bear securely against the leading edges 1S 27 of lowermost flutes 26 of rail 2 or against the inner surface 23 thereof. The position (not shown) of paired openings 11 for the lower terminal surface ends of posts 3 may themselves be fixed by reference to the vertical distance separating the upper radially paired openings from the lower radially paired openings along the length of any one of the pickets 4. The paired openings 11 closely conform to the cross-sectional profiles of rigid connecting rods 10 to co-operably receive and engage same in a slidable manner.
In another embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURES 6 and 7, the pickets 4 normally disposed between support posts 3 are replaced with a panel section 29. The panel section may consist of tempered glass or any other appropriate plate or sheet material. For particular constructions calling for a curved railing assembly, flexible sheet material such as that known by the trade mark PLEXIGLAS is the preferred panel section material.
Details of the panel arrangement of this embodiment are shown in FIGURE 7. Panel sections 29 are 3~ 5~
supported and retained by the use of integral paired parallel ribs 28 which are downwardly projecting from top rail 1 and extend longitudinally at least the distance between two adjacent posts 3. Conversely, the corresponding bottom rail 2 of this particular embodiment (FIGURE 6) will contain similar paired ribs but projecting upwards and extending a~ least the distance betweeen two adjacent posts 3. Paired ribs 28 form a relatively deep channel for accepting panel support clips 30 for securely retaining the edge of panel section 29.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, the panel section 29 and panel support clips 30 as described above are supported and retained by integral slots which are inwardly disposed in the top and bottom rails. As shown more fully in FIGURE 11, the undersurface of top rail 35 of this embodiment contains a downwardly facing channelar slot 36 comprising two inwardly extending parallel vertical flanges 37 and an internal web member 38 perpendicularly disposed thereto. The flange and web members 37, 38 extend longitudinally the entire length of the rail 35.
Top rail 35 includes at least three pairs of opposed open flutes 39a, 39b, 39c likewise running the entire length of the rail and de~ining generally C-shaped channels. Two of such pairs 39a, 39b are provided at the inner surface 40 of the rail 35 in a diametrically spaced apart and horizontal relationship for supporting web member 38. For instance, web member 38 may extend horizontally between any two corresponding flutes of the diametrically disposed pairs, as at 41 and 42. Web member 38 oontalns a plurality of holes (not shown) at longitudinally spaced apart intervals aligned with similar holes disposed on the undersurface of the rail, which holes permit the terminal ends 8 of the support posts 3 to _ 9 _ extend through the web member and abut against the inner surface 40 of the rail.
A third pair of opposed open flutes 39c may be provided adjacent either corner defined by the intersection of parallel flanges 37 and web member 38 for receiving connecting rod 10. In this embodiment, the connecting rod 10 is not engaged radially through the support posts 3, but is received by means of aligned transverse holes laterally displaced in relation to the diameter of the support posts.
The bottom rail of this embodiment (not shown) is of identical construction as top rail 35, but providing an upwardly facing channelar slot for the panel sections and panel support clips as aforesaid. Additionally, as in the other embodiments of the present invention previously discussed, the undersurface of the bottom rail contains longitudinally spaced apart holes to thereby permit the lower terminal ends of the support posts to extend the bottom rail to connecting means for attachment to a support surface.
Referring now to FIGURES 8, 9 and 10, FIGURE 8 illustrates a vertical joining piece 31 which is used at a joint between two sections of top rail 1 and bottom rail 2. Set screws 32 may be fitted in tapped holes 35 on the underside of the rail to lock the joining piece 31 in place. FIGURE 9 illustrates another form of joining piece 33 which is in the form of a cross and fits into the four flutes 7, and FIGURE 10 shows a horizontal joining piece 34. At corners the different shapes of joining pieces may be made into elbows or angles, and the railing out at the appropriate angle to fit together.
Various changes may be made to the embodiments shown herein without departing from the scope of the present invention which is limited only by the following ~3~ 5~
claims. For instance, the connecting rods 10 of the embodiment described hereinabove may be provided in short lengths as opposed to a continuous length equivalent to that of the corresponding rail. Also by way of example, the embodiments may be adapted to railing assemblies having different angles of inclination.
GUA~ ILING ASSEMBlY
The present invention relates to hand or guard railing assemblies and more particularly to an improved railing assembly comprising a minimal number of constituent component parts which can be easily assembled on-site without requiring the use of special tools.
Conventionally, railing assemblies are typically fabricated in work shops by skilled metal workers who join the constituent structural components of a railing, comprising rails, post members and pickets, by way of welding or brazing. Such railing assemblies are expensive to manufacture owing to the requisite use of skilled labour and specialized tools. Further, these conventional assemblies are generally cumbersome to transport to the construction site for final installation.
Improvements to the traditional art were achieved by the use of aluminium extrusions for fabricating the various sub-assemblies of railing structures. These developments generally sought to facilitate assembly at the construction site by unskilled installers, hence permitting the railing structures to be more easily and inexpensively transported as compact sub-assemblies.
However, the above-mentioned improvements still have certain disadvantages. For instance, most of the improved railing structures have numerous sub-assemblies, that is5 rails with two or three component parts or top and bottom rails of markedly different construction.
Existing railing assemblies may also require a number of additional connecting components or various cover sections such as clip portions for securing the assembly of a multi-component rail or for covering open sections of a bottom rail extending between the posts and pickets of a particular railing structure. Other arrangements may require special tools in order to assemble the various ,~
components or require conventional fastening means such as screws, rivets or bolts. The foregoing disadvantages of the prior art tend to result in high costs of the structures.
An additional disadvantage of prior art railing assemblies is that of poor on-site flexibility. For instance, many of the structures of the prior art are difficult to disassemble, owing to a clip-fit method of assembly requiring prying apart the individual component parts. Still others are poorly adaptable to architectural configurations other than straight~line rails and railing structures disposed in a strictly vertical plane.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a hand or guard railing assembly requiring a minimum number of structural and connecting components, thereby affording cost savings in relation to manufacturing and transportation of the assembly.
Moreover, the simplicity of the arrangement according to the present invention, having a total of only four different constituent sub-assemblies, and requiring no conventional fastening means for assembly, provides greater ease of installation of the railing assembly compared to other types of railing assemblies.
It is another object of the present invention to provide greater on-site flexibility of the railing assembly over that associated with the prior art. For instance, the railing assembly according to the present invention is more readily adaptable to curved configurations and provides for easier disassembly compared to existing railing structures.
According to a broad aspect of the invention there is provided a railing assembly comprising a tubular top rail, a tubular bottom rail, a plurality of support posts and a plurality of rod members, the top rail having a , : .
, ' ' ~ ~3()~7~
bottom region containing holes for receiving the top ends of said posts, the bottom rail having top and bottom regions provided with aligned holes through which pass the bottom ends of said posts, the bottom region of said top rail and the top region of said bottom rail having internal means defining longitudinally extending channels, said rod members being slidably received in said channels and passing through transverse holes through said posts~
A plurality of parallel vertical pickets may be provided at predetermined locations between the support posts, which pickets are slidably received in a slip-fit aonnection by a corresponding plurality of holes disposed at longitudinally spaced apart intervals respectively along the undersurface of the top rail and the upper surface of the bottom rail. Transverse holes are provided near the upper and lower ends of the pickets for slidably receiving the rod members which secure the pickets to the top and bottom rails.
In another embodiment of the present invention, one or more panel sections may replace the pickets and may consist of tempered glass or any other appropriate sheet material. Each panel section is supported and retained by means of integrally formed pairs of parallel ribs, outwardly located on each rail. The pair of ribs on the upper rail are downwardly projecting and extend lengthwise at least between two adjacent posts. The pair of ribs on the bottom rail correspondingly are upwardly projecting and extend longitudinally between the same two posts.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the panel sections may be supported and retained by integral slots inwardly disposed in each of the top and bottom rails. The slots are formed by two inwardly extending parallel vertical flanges and an internal web member perpendicularly disposed thereto.
~3~ S4 In drawings which illustrake the embodiments of the present invention, FIGURE 1 is an isometric view showing one embodiment of a railing assembly according to the present invention;
FIGURE 2 is an end view of the railing assembly shown in FIGURE 1;
FIGURE 3 is an enlarged end view of this embodiment which better illustrates the components of the assembly;
FIGURE 4 is a detailed isometric exploded view of the embodiment showing a top railing, support post, picket and rod member;
FIGURE 5 is a detailed isometric partially sectioned view of the embodiment as depicted in FIGURE 4 and as fully assembled;
FIGURE 6 is a front elevational view of another embodiment of a railing assembly according to the present invention and having panel sections instead of pickets;
FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view of the top rail of this other embodiment on a plane perpendicular to the top and bottom rails thereof.
FIGURES 8~ 9 and 10 are end views of a top railing showing different embodiments of joining pieces for joining two rails together.
FIGURE 11, located on the same sheet of drawings as FIGURE 7, is a cross-sectional view of the top rail of yet another embodiment of the railing assembly according to the present invention and having panel sections instead of pickets, viewed on a plane perpendicular to the top and bottom rails thereof.
Referring now to the drawings, FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 illustrate one particular embodiment of the present invention consisting of a prefer~bly tubular extruded .
.
-~3C~'7~4 aluminium top rail 1 which is identical in nature and substantially parallel to bottom rail 2. The assembly comprises top and bottom rails 1 and 2 supported by a plurality of spaced apart parallel vertical posts 3, only one of which is shown in FIGURES 1 - 3. A plurality of parallel vertical pickets 4 are arranged between adjacent support posts 3. The posts 3 and pickets 4 preferably have a circular cross-section, and may be formed from solid or tubular material, preferably drawn or extruded aluminium or any other structurally suitable material.
Details of the assembly will be described hereinafter.
Support posts 3 extend through holes through the bottom rail 2 and are secured at the lower terminal ends 17 thereof to a supporting surface 5 by suitable attachment 1~ means 6 which are well known to those skilled in this art.
The details of the assembly arrangement of rails 1 and 2, support posts 3 and pickets 4 are best shown in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5. The undersurface of top rail 1 contains, at longitudinally spaced apart intervals, a plurality of radially disposed holes 9,12 which respectively conform to the outer circumferences of support posts 3 and pickets 4 in such manner as to permit an intimate slip-fit connection with the upper terminal ends of the posts and pickets. In like manner, the upper surface of bottom rail 2 contains identical corresponding holes 20,21 which are similarly adapted to receive the lower terminal ends of posts 3 and pickets 4. Moreover, the undersurface of bottom rail 2 contains a number of longitudinally spaced apart holes 22 aligned with holes 20 disposed along the top surface thereof, which holes 20,22 permit the lower terminal ends 17 of posts 3 to extend through lower rail 2 to the connecting means 6 as aforesaid.
.
~ 3()~'3~
The inner surfaces 18,23 of top and bottom rails 1,2 each include four pairs of opposed open flutes 7 running the entire length of the rails 1,2 and disposed at 90 intervals around the inner circumferences thereof.
The flutes are arcuate in cross-section and define generally C-shaped channels. The lower flutes 15 of top rail 1 and the upper flutes 24 of lower rail 2 slidably receive at least one rigid connecting rod 10 preferably composed of steel. The connecting rods 10 secure each one of the posts 3 and pickets 4 to rails 1,2 through paired openings 11, which are pre-drilled radially through each of the upper and lower ends of the posts and pickets 3,4. FIGURE 3 illustrates the post 3 fitting between the two opposing flutes 7 inside the railing 1 and 2. In some instances the ends of the flutes 7 may have to be cut off to fit larger diameter posts 3.
The remaining three pairs of flutes 7 of each rail which do not receive a connecting rod allow for the attachment of end caps to the rails by way of self-tapping screws. Similarly, end plates may be appended to the rails to allow for attachment of the rail assembly to a wall or supporting column. Alternatively, the open flutes may be provided with three corresponding short angle rods, bent at 90, permitting mitered terminal ends of two perpendicularly disposed rails to closely abut in a corner configuration.
A further advantage of the provision of four symmetrically disposed open flutes as aforesaid is to promote the even bending of the top and bottom rails so that the present embodiment is readily adaptable to curved configurations. In such curved configurations, rigid connecting rods 10 are replaced with sufficiently flexible rods in order to permit easy passage of the rods through the corresponding open flutes of the curved top and bottom ~3~
rails.
The details of the assembly of the upper terminal ends of posts 3 and pickets 4 to top rail 1 are illustrated more fully in FIGURES 4 and 5. Paired openings 11 are pre-drilled radially at a distance from the respective terminal ends 8,14 of posts 3 and pickets 4, permitting the upper terminal ends to bear securely against the leading edges 16 of topmost flutes 19 of rail 1, as shown in FIGURE 5 or, in the case of larger diameter tubing, against the inner surface 18 of rail 1.
Likewise, the position (not shown) of the paired openings 11 for the lower terminal ends of pickets 4 are determined in such manner as to allow for the lower ends 25 (FIGURE
3) of pickets 4 to bear securely against the leading edges 1S 27 of lowermost flutes 26 of rail 2 or against the inner surface 23 thereof. The position (not shown) of paired openings 11 for the lower terminal surface ends of posts 3 may themselves be fixed by reference to the vertical distance separating the upper radially paired openings from the lower radially paired openings along the length of any one of the pickets 4. The paired openings 11 closely conform to the cross-sectional profiles of rigid connecting rods 10 to co-operably receive and engage same in a slidable manner.
In another embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURES 6 and 7, the pickets 4 normally disposed between support posts 3 are replaced with a panel section 29. The panel section may consist of tempered glass or any other appropriate plate or sheet material. For particular constructions calling for a curved railing assembly, flexible sheet material such as that known by the trade mark PLEXIGLAS is the preferred panel section material.
Details of the panel arrangement of this embodiment are shown in FIGURE 7. Panel sections 29 are 3~ 5~
supported and retained by the use of integral paired parallel ribs 28 which are downwardly projecting from top rail 1 and extend longitudinally at least the distance between two adjacent posts 3. Conversely, the corresponding bottom rail 2 of this particular embodiment (FIGURE 6) will contain similar paired ribs but projecting upwards and extending a~ least the distance betweeen two adjacent posts 3. Paired ribs 28 form a relatively deep channel for accepting panel support clips 30 for securely retaining the edge of panel section 29.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, the panel section 29 and panel support clips 30 as described above are supported and retained by integral slots which are inwardly disposed in the top and bottom rails. As shown more fully in FIGURE 11, the undersurface of top rail 35 of this embodiment contains a downwardly facing channelar slot 36 comprising two inwardly extending parallel vertical flanges 37 and an internal web member 38 perpendicularly disposed thereto. The flange and web members 37, 38 extend longitudinally the entire length of the rail 35.
Top rail 35 includes at least three pairs of opposed open flutes 39a, 39b, 39c likewise running the entire length of the rail and de~ining generally C-shaped channels. Two of such pairs 39a, 39b are provided at the inner surface 40 of the rail 35 in a diametrically spaced apart and horizontal relationship for supporting web member 38. For instance, web member 38 may extend horizontally between any two corresponding flutes of the diametrically disposed pairs, as at 41 and 42. Web member 38 oontalns a plurality of holes (not shown) at longitudinally spaced apart intervals aligned with similar holes disposed on the undersurface of the rail, which holes permit the terminal ends 8 of the support posts 3 to _ 9 _ extend through the web member and abut against the inner surface 40 of the rail.
A third pair of opposed open flutes 39c may be provided adjacent either corner defined by the intersection of parallel flanges 37 and web member 38 for receiving connecting rod 10. In this embodiment, the connecting rod 10 is not engaged radially through the support posts 3, but is received by means of aligned transverse holes laterally displaced in relation to the diameter of the support posts.
The bottom rail of this embodiment (not shown) is of identical construction as top rail 35, but providing an upwardly facing channelar slot for the panel sections and panel support clips as aforesaid. Additionally, as in the other embodiments of the present invention previously discussed, the undersurface of the bottom rail contains longitudinally spaced apart holes to thereby permit the lower terminal ends of the support posts to extend the bottom rail to connecting means for attachment to a support surface.
Referring now to FIGURES 8, 9 and 10, FIGURE 8 illustrates a vertical joining piece 31 which is used at a joint between two sections of top rail 1 and bottom rail 2. Set screws 32 may be fitted in tapped holes 35 on the underside of the rail to lock the joining piece 31 in place. FIGURE 9 illustrates another form of joining piece 33 which is in the form of a cross and fits into the four flutes 7, and FIGURE 10 shows a horizontal joining piece 34. At corners the different shapes of joining pieces may be made into elbows or angles, and the railing out at the appropriate angle to fit together.
Various changes may be made to the embodiments shown herein without departing from the scope of the present invention which is limited only by the following ~3~ 5~
claims. For instance, the connecting rods 10 of the embodiment described hereinabove may be provided in short lengths as opposed to a continuous length equivalent to that of the corresponding rail. Also by way of example, the embodiments may be adapted to railing assemblies having different angles of inclination.
Claims (16)
1. A railing assembly comprising a tubular top rail, a tubular bottom rail, a plurality of support posts and a plurality of rod members, said top rail having a bottom region containing holes for receiving the top ends of said posts, said bottom rail having top and bottom regions provided with aligned holes through which pass the bottom ends of said posts, the bottom region of said top rail and the top region of said bottom rail having internal means defining longitudinally extending channels, said rod members being slidably received in said channels passing through transverse holes through said posts.
2. A railing assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said top and bottom rails are substantially parallel.
3. A railing assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means defining longitudinally extending channels comprise a pair of opposed flutes, arcuate in transverse cross-section, to thereby define generally C-shaped channels.
4. A railing assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein the top and bottom rails are circular in transverse cross-section and have four pairs of said opposed flutes defining four channels spaced 90° apart around the interior circumferences of said rails.
5. A railing assembly as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 and comprising a plurality of pickets, the bottom region of said top rail having holes for receiving the top ends of said pickets, the top region of said bottom rail having holes for receiving the bottom ends of said pickets, said rod members passing through transverse holes through said pickets.
6. A railing assembly as claimed in claim 4 comprising a plurality of pickets, the bottom region of said top rail having holes for receiving the top ends of said pickets, the top region of said bottom rail having holes for receiving the bottom ends of said pickets, said rod members passing through transverse holes through said pickets.
7. A railing assembly as claimed in claim 6 wherein said rails, posts and pickets are circular in transverse cross-section and are formed of extruded aluminium.
8. A railing assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bottom region of said top rail has a pair of downwardly extending, parallel, spaced apart ribs and the top region of said bottom rail has a pair of upwardly extending, parallel, spaced apart ribs, said ribs extending lengthwise of said rails at least between two adjacent posts, said pairs of ribs supporting and retaining upper and lower edges of a panel.
9. A railing assembly as claimed in claim 8 wherein said means defining longitudinally extending channels comprise a pair of opposed flutes, arcuate in transverse cross-section, to thereby define generally C-shaped channels.
10. A railing assembly as claimed in claim 9 wherein the top and bottom rails are circular in transverse cross-section and have four pairs of said opposed flutes defining four channels spaced 90° apart around the interior circumferences of said rails.
11. A railing assembly as claimed in claim 10 wherein said rails and posts are circular in transverse cross-section and are formed of extruded aluminium.
12. A railing assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bottom region of said top rail and the top region of said bottom rail each has a pair of inwardly extending parallel vertical flanges and an internal web member perpendicularly disposed thereto, said flanges and web member extending lengthwise of said rails to thereby define a channelar slot for supporting and retaining upper and lower edges of a panel.
13. A railing assembly as claimed in claim 12 wherein said means defining longitudinally extending channels comprise a pair of opposed flutes arcuate in transverse cross-section, to thereby define generally C-shaped channels.
14. A railing assembly as claimed in claim 13 wherein the top and bottom rails are circular in transverse cross-section and have at least three pairs of said opposed flutes, two of said pairs defining channels horizontally spaced 180° apart around the interior circumferences of said rails, at least one other of said pairs defining the channel disposed adjacent a juncture of said flanges and said web member.
15. A railing assembly as claimed in claim 14, said web member extending between two corresponding flutes comprised in each of said two pairs of opposed flutes horizontally spaced 180° apart around the interior circumferences of said rails.
16. A railing assembly as claimed in claim 15 wherein said rails and posts are circular in transverse cross-section and are formed of extruded aluminum.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000583632A CA1307154C (en) | 1988-11-21 | 1988-11-21 | Guard railing assembly |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000583632A CA1307154C (en) | 1988-11-21 | 1988-11-21 | Guard railing assembly |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1307154C true CA1307154C (en) | 1992-09-08 |
Family
ID=4139135
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000583632A Expired - Lifetime CA1307154C (en) | 1988-11-21 | 1988-11-21 | Guard railing assembly |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1307154C (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN113187319A (en) * | 2021-05-18 | 2021-07-30 | 程巧 | A fixing device for municipal works isolated column |
-
1988
- 1988-11-21 CA CA000583632A patent/CA1307154C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN113187319A (en) * | 2021-05-18 | 2021-07-30 | 程巧 | A fixing device for municipal works isolated column |
| CN113187319B (en) * | 2021-05-18 | 2023-07-14 | 中山公用工程有限公司 | Fixing device for municipal engineering isolation fence |
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| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKLA | Lapsed |