Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1523-8 2157325
BALCONY RAILING
This invention relates to barriers such as fences and
railings and more particularly to a post and connector means
for attaching rails to the post.
While wrought iron railings are well known and include a
conventional fastening means such as welding or nuts and bolts,
special fasteners for aluminum alloy fences and railings have
only recently come into use.
The use of anodised aluminum alloys has obvious advantages
including reducing maintenance, ease of installation, weight
savings and inherent decorative characteristics. However, the
use of aluminum alloy requires modification in cross-sections
and changes in fastening means, in order to provide the
required structural integrity. For example, drilling holes
through posts or rails is avoided where possible to minimize
weakening of the post or rail.
Cross-sections of the extruded shapes of rails or posts
are designed to provide maximum bending strength, while
requiring minimum material due to the higher cost of alloys,
as compared to steel. On site welding is also_to be avoided.
In United States Patent No. 3,942,763 a connector is
disclosed which attempts to eliminate apertures in the rail
elements connected to posts. The need for connector means to
be employed to connect a railing section to a fixed support
through clamping action has been recognized. However, the
square box section type tubing requires an aperture to be pre-
drilled through the post, in order to bolt the connector to the
post.
One attempt to eliminate holes in the vertical post is
shown in United States Patent No. 3,879,017 and includes
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connecting means clamped to a vertical post. However,
there is no provision for concealing the vertical slots,
the fastening means or the ends of the rails.
In addition to the desirability of avoiding inaccurate
pre-drilling of posts, it is desirable to conceal the
fastening means so as to improve the appearance and reduce
the number of sharp edges protruding bolt heads or the
like.
The use of brackets mounted in posts having C-shaped
cross-section has been in use by applicant and is shown in
United States Patent No. 4,286,772. It was considered
adequate to close the partially open wall of the upright
channel members by using a plastic strip. However, this
, plastic strip did not provide a completely satisfactory
appearance.
A further consideration is that of concealing
inaccurate cutting of the ends of the rails, particularly
if cutting or fitting was required on site using hand held
power saws. .
It was therefore desirable to provide a novel channel
type post which would conceal the connectors clamped
therein, while providing the appearance of a tubular post
and concealing the ends of the rails.
In accordance with the first aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a post for a railed fence
system, the post comprising:
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a pair of J-shaped side walls each having a first end
adjacent a stem portion and a second end adjacent a base
portion, the sidewalls being interconnected at their
respective first ends by a connecting wall and defining an
opening between their respective second ends;
a stem extension substantially perpendicular to the
base portion of each side wall having an inner face
oriented towards an outer surface of the respective base
portion, the inner faces comprising opposing ribs to define
a channel;
a bracket having a top wall, a bottom wall and a
vertical wall interconnecting the top and bottom walls, the
bracket being constructed to be received and securely
retained against an inner surface of each base portion by a
fastening means within the channel, the bracket being
adapted to receive a rail; and
a cover strip constructed and arranged to engage the
ribs to sealingly cover an open channel location adjacent
the bracket bottom wall.
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In the accompanying drawings, which illustr.ate embodiments
of the invention:
Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the use of the
posts of this invention in a porch and stair railing;
Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the post,
connector means, and a railing;
Figure 3 is a top plan view of the corner post of Figure
2, and an end post; and
Figure 4 is a top plan view of a double line post
constructed in accordance with this invention.
Referring now, in detail, to the drawings, a porch or
balcony rail system is shown at 10 in Figure 1, in conjunction
with a porch or a balcony floor 12 and stairs 14.
The balcony or porch rail system 10 includes upper and
lower rails 20 and 22, respectively, secured to end posts 24
and corner posts 26. As shown in Figure 2, the rails 20 and
22 are substantially C-shaped in cross-section and have two
side walls 28 and 30, and an interconnecting wall 32. A
partial front wall 34 of the rail 20 or 22 has an opening
formed between the substantially J-shaped side walls 28 and 30
The rail 20 is connected to the post 24 by an angle
bracket 40. The bracket 40 has a top wall 42, a vertical wall
44 and preferably has a shorter bottom wall 46. A washer
hereinafter referred to as a channel washer 48 received in the
post 24, is provided with fastening means in the form of a bolt
and nut 50 and 52.
The corner post 26 includes a pair of channels 60 and 62
at right angles to each other. The corner post 24 is
preferably formed by extrusion of an aluminum alloy to provide
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a single diagonal partition wall 64, side walls 66 and 68 each
having J shaped outer ends and disposed at right angles to each
other. The J shaped portions 70 and 72 of the side walls 66
and 68, and similar curved portions 74 and 76 on each side of
the partition wall define slots 80 and 82. The side walls 66
and 68 and the partition wall 64 extends outwardly beyond the
front wall and have integral longitudinally extending ridges
86 to receive and engage aluminum inserts 90. The inserts 90
have ribs 92 and 94 provided with grooves 98 -on their outer
side faces to mate with the ridges 86 of the side walls 66 and
68 and the partition wall 64.
As shown more clearly in Figure 3, the end post 24 has a
pair of J-shaped side walls 110 and 112 and an integral
connecting wall 114. The J-shaped side walls define a slot 116
therebetween.
The side walls 110 and 112 extend beyond the J-shaped
portions at 120 and 122 and have opposed longitudinally
extending ridges 124 and inner faces thereof for cooperation
with the aluminum insert 90 described with reference to the
corner post 26.
As shown in Figure 4, an intermediate lirie post 130 is
provided when required due to distance between end posts 26 and
corner posts 24. The intermediate post has two pairs of J-
shaped side walls 110 and 112 similar to those described with
reference to the line post 24, joined by a single connecting
wall 132. The walls 110 and 112 define slots 116 and wall
portions 120 and 122 have ridges 124 to retain the inserts 90.
