PICKET ATTACHMENT

FIXATION DE MONTANT DE CLOTURE

English Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A structure, useful as a balustrade or fence, comprising
a rail attached to a plurality of pickets. The rail has
first and second longitudinal members that are pressed
together to form the rail. There are spaced openings formed
in one longitudinal member with an open edge for each opening
at an edge of the longitudinal member, Channels are formed
in each side of the picket member, adjacent an end of the
picket member. There are projections on the first and second
members, adjacent to each opening. Each projection is
received in a channel of a picket. The arrangement of
channels and projections provides a rattle-free structure.
The structure can be further improved by the incorporation of
a settable compound to assist in the pressing together of the
first and second members.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive
property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A rail structure having a rail attached to a
plurality of pickets, the rail comprising first and second
longitudinal members that are pressed together to form the
rail;
a plurality of spaced openings formed in the first
longitudinal member with an open edge for each opening at an
edge of the first longitudinal member;
an opposed pair of spaced channels formed in each side
of each picket adjacent an end of the picket, a first channel
of each pair being closer to the end of the picket than the
second channel of each pair;
first projections in the interior of each first and
second longitudinal member to fit closely into the opposed
first channels on a picket;
second projections on each first and second longitudinal
member to fit closely into opposed second channels on a
picket;
a pair of male members formed at a pair of side edges of
the first longitudinal member;
a pair of female members formed at a pair of side edges
of the second longitudinal member to receive the male members
of the first longitudinal member with a press fit to form the
rail;
whereby pressing together of the first and second
longitudinal members, with pickets located between the first


and second longitudinal members in the plurality of spaced
openings formed in the first longitudinal member, to engage
the male members of the first longitudinal member with the
female members of the second longitudinal member engages the
first and second projections respectively in the first and
second channels with a press fit that prevents movement of
the pickets relative to the rail.

2. A structure as claimed in claim 2 including a
settable compound in the female members of the second
longitudinal member to secure the male members.

3. A structure as claimed in claim 2 in which the male
members are of generally triangular section and in which the
female members include a raised portion to prevent egress of
the male member.

4. A structure as claimed in claim 3 including
serrations on the surface of the male members.

5. A structure as claimed in claim 1 including top and
bottom rails each attached to the plurality of pickets in the
manner defined in claim 1.

Description

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PICKET ATTACE~MENT


This invention relates to a structure, particularly a
structure useful to form ~encing, balustrades and the like.

Pencing and balustrades, for example on patios and
balconies, are well known. They provide a pleasing
appearance. They may be of wrought iron, wood or,
increasingly, aluminum. Aluminum has the great virtues of
; excellent weather resistance, ease of formation, lightness
and is itself of pleasing appearance. In certain
circumstances, aluminum is not coated at all but, in other
circumstances, a simple clear lacquer inish is sufficient to
provide a maintenance free surface.

The fencing or balustrade typically comprises a top rail
secured to pickets, that is vertical members extending
downwardly from the top rail and spaced at any desired
intervals. The pickets may extend into a wooden or concrete
~base or the like or, more usually, are also attached to a
bottom ra~11. The rails are supported on end posts which are
mounted to ~a base structure~; the steps, balcony or the like
~; for which the structure provides an edge.~

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In aluminum struc-tures, the pickets may be attached to the
rails in a variety of ways. My Uni-ted States Patent No. 4,125,249
issusS~d 14 November, 1978 shows a system in which variation of the
angle of a picket to the rail is achieved. However, in many
structures a permanent attachment is used. For example, the
pickets may be welded to longitudinal rails. A further known
system is the use of a snap-together rail comprising longitudinal
sections -that can be joined together by snap-fit. There are
openings formed in one of the longitudinal members to receive the
pickets. A disadvantage of the system is that the pickets are a
loose fit within -the rail structures, which is undesirable.
Longitudinal mem~ers of this type are used for both -top and bottom
rails.



The present invention seeks to provide a simple solution to
the above problem of loose piclcets and, in addition, provides an
improvement for securing the longituclinal members tha-t form the
rail.



Accordingly, the present invention is a rail structure ha~ing
a rail attached to a plurality of pickets, the rail comprising
first and second longitudinal members that are preæsed together to
form the rail; a plurality of spaced openings formed in the first
longitudinal member with an open edge for ea~h opening at an edge
of the first longitudinal member; an opposed pair of spaced
channels formed in each side of each picket adjacent an end of the
picket, a first channel of each pair being closer to the end of the
picket than the second channel of each pair; first projections in


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the interior of each firs-t and second longitudinal member to fit
closely into the opposed first channels on a picket; second
projections on each first and second longitudinal member to fit
closely into ~pposed second channels on a picke-t; a pair of male
members formed at a pair of side edges of the first longitudinal
member; a pair of female members formed at a pair of side edges

of the second longitudinal member to receive the male members of
the first longitudinal member with a press fit to :Eorm the rail;
whereby pressing together of the first and second longitudinal
members, with pickets located between the first and second
longitudinal members in the plurality of spaced openings formed in
the first longi-tudinal memberl to engage the male members of the
fi.rst longitudinal memher with the female member~ of -the second
longitudinal member engages the first and second projections
respectively in the first and second channels with a press fit that
prevents move~ent of the pickets relative to the rail.



Aspects of the invention are illustrated, merely by way of
example, in the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a detail of a s-tructure according -to the present
invention;
Figure 2 is a detail on the line Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a partial exploded view of -the structure of Figure
l; and
Figure 4 is a furth~r detail of the s-tructure of Figure 1.



The drawings show a structure having a top rail 10 attached to
a plurality o~ pic~ets 12. In the embodiment of


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Figure 1, a bo-ttom rail 14 is also shown but the bottom rail
is not essential. The picke-ts 12 may simply extend to the
ground, into concrete or into an underlying wooden structure.



Rail 10 comprises first and second longitudinal members
16 and 18 that, as shown most clearly in Figure 2, press
together to form the rail. This pressing together of the
first ancl second longitudinal members 16 and 18 is achieved
by the provision of a pair of male members 20 formed at edges
24 of the first longitudinal member 16.



A pair of corresponding female members 26 are formed at
edges 28 of the second longitudinal member 18 to receive the
male members 20 with a press fit. As is clear in Figures 2
to 4 the fence may be produced as an extrusion but the shape
shown is, subject to comments made below, immaterial.



As shown most clearly in Figure 3, there is a plurality
of spaced openings 30 formed in the first longitudinal member
16 with an open edge for each opening at an edge 24 of the
first longitudinal member 16, that is adjacent the lower male
member 20.




The pickets 12 are each formed with a pair of channels
32 on each side, adjacent an end. As shown particularly in
Figures 2 and 3, there are spaced projections 34 on the firs-t
longitudinal member 16 and spaced projections 36 on each

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second longitudinal member 18 to be received in the channels
32 to locate -the picket 12.



Figure 2 also shows -the provision of a raised portion 37
adjacent the outer edge of each female member 26 of the
second longitudinal member 18 to preven-t egress of the

triangular ends of the male members 20. Serrations 38 shown
in Figure 3 also facilitate contact with a settable
composition received in the female members.



Thus to construct the s-tructure shown in Figure l, the
longitudinal members 16 and 18 are cut -to length to extend
between end posts, not shown. Pickets 12 are located in a
first longitudinal member 16 with the projections 34 of the
first longitudinal member engaging one pair of channels 32 in
the picket 12. An appropriate settable compound, silicone,
an epoxy adhesive or the like, is placed in the female
members 26 and the first and second longitudinal members 16
and 18 are then pressed together with the projections 36 on
the æecond longitudinal member 18 engaging the other pair of
channels 32, that is opposed to those already engaged on the
projections 34 of the first longitudinal member 16. Pressing
together of the first and second longitudinal members 16 and
18 ensures engagement of the male and female members 20 and
26 and of the pickets on the projections. In -this way an
extremely æecure and stable structures provide, also assisted

by the settable compound in female members 26.

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Further stability may be achieved, in extreme cases, by
inser-ting self-tapping screws through the outer wall of
member 16 and through the upstanding wall of member 16
carrying projection 34~ The screw is self-tapped into a hole
formed in longitudinal member 18 adjacent upper projection
36. The screw is counter~sunk and may be placed at, for
example, thr~e foot in-tervals. It will b~ unob-trusive.



If required the bottom rail may be attached in precisely
the same way and, in constructing the structure, the lower
first longitudinal members will be engaged in the same way
and at the same time as the upper first longitudinal members.
The two second longitudinal members are then engaged -to
complete the structure.



The present invention thus provides a structure of great
simplicity yet rigidLty. The pickets are secured firmly and
without rattling.

Representative Drawing