BRACE FOR DECK RAILING

ETANCON POUR RAMBARDE DE PONT

English Abstract

A brace for deck railing is provided in which blocking is secured between the joists and a metal brace is fastened at one end to the blocking and at the other end to the post and rim board. The brace may be adjustable in length. According to a further variant the brace has a vertical piece attached to a plate which is secured to the post. In an alternate arrangement, the vertical element is attached to a sliding sleeve which slides on the brace to permit the placing of the post to be varied.

French Abstract

L'invention porte sur un étançon pour une rambarde de pont, dans lequel étançon un élément blocage est solidement fixé entre les poutrelles, et un étançon métallique est fixé à une extrémité à l'élément de blocage, et, à l'autre extrémité, au montant et à la plaque de rebord. L'étançon peut être de longueur réglable. Selon une autre variante, l'étançon a une pièce verticale solidaire d'une plaque qui est solidement fixée au montant. Dans une variante d'agencement, l'élément vertical est solidaire d'un manchon coulissant qui coulisse sur l'étançon de façon à permettre de faire varier la disposition du montant.

Claims

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WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A bracing system for a post for supporting railing above a deck surface
of a deck,
wherein said deck comprises a plurality of parallel joists for supporting the
deck
surface and a vertical rim board forming an edge of the deck, said bracing
system
comprising:
i) a reinforcement element extending between and secured to two adjacent
joists;
ii) a bracing element secured at a first end thereof to said reinforcement
element and at a second end thereof to said rim board and further connected
to a lower end of said post.
2. The bracing system of claim 1 wherein said bracing element is secured at
the first
end thereof to said reinforcement element by a plate secured to the first end
of said
bracing element and at the second end thereof by a plate secured to said rim
board
and to the lower end of said post.
3. The bracing system of claim 1 wherein said second end of said bracing
element is
fastened to said lower end of said post and to said rim board by fastening
elements
extending through said rim board and connecting with the lower end of said
post.
4. The bracing system of claim 3 wherein said second end of said bracing
element is
fastened to said lower end of said post and to said rim board by fastening
elements
extending through a plate secured to said second end, through said rim board
and
connecting with a plate secured to the lower end of said post.
5. The bracing system of claim 1 wherein said second end of said bracing
element is
fastened to said post and to said rim board by fastening elements extending
into said
rim board and by fastening elements extending through said deck surface and
connecting with the lower end of said post.
6. The bracing system of claim 5 wherein said second end of said bracing
element is
fastened to said post and to said rim board by fastening elements extending
through

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a plate secured to said second end and into said rim board and by fastening
elements extending through said deck surface and connecting with a plate
secured
to the lower end of said post.
7. The bracing system of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said bracing
element
comprises a first hollow element and a second element telescopically movable
within
said first element to thereby permit the length of said bracing element to be
adjustable.
8. The bracing system of claim 3 wherein the bracing element comprises a
vertically
extending element attached at a lower end thereof to said bracing element and
at an
upper end thereof to a plate which is secured through said deck surface to the
lower
end of said post.
9. The bracing system of claim 3 wherein the bracing element comprises a
sleeve
concentrically and slidably mounted on a bar, and a vertically extending
element
attached at a lower end thereof to said sleeve and at an upper end thereof to
a plate
which is secured by fasteners extending through said deck surface to the lower
end
of said post.

Description

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BRACE FOR DECK RAILING
[0001]
Technical Field
[0002] The invention relates to the field of deck construction, and in
particular
construction of decks having railings supported by posts.
Background
[0003] Wooden decks are typically constructed of a number of parallel joists,
a rim
board, sheathing, and vertical posts supporting guard rails. In the past the
posts
have been bolted directly to the face of the rim board or to the rear face of
the
rim board supported by cross-braces. In either case, due to the lever arm
created by the distance from the guard rail to the attachment point of post on
rim board, a pressure applied to the guard rail creates possible failure of
the
connection of the post to the rim board. Prior art methods of reinforcing the
point of attachment of the post to the deck include an angle bracket fastened
to
the joist and rim board to reinforce the post attachment; multiple anchors
secured to the joist and against which the rim board is tightened by bolts,
and
multiple layers of blocking fastened to the rim board by fasteners to
reinforce
the rim board.
[0004] The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related
thereto are
intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the
related
art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the
specification and a study of the drawings.
Summary
[0005] The following embodiments and aspects thereof are described and
illustrated
in conjunction with systems, tools and methods which are meant to be
exemplary and illustrative, not limiting in scope. In various embodiments, one
or more of the above-described problems have been reduced or eliminated,
while other embodiments are directed to other improvements.
[0006] In the present invention, blocking is secured between the joists and a
metal
brace is fastened at one end to the blocking and at the other end to the post
and
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rim board. The brace may be adjustable in length. According to a further
variant the brace has a vertical piece attached to a plate which is secured to
the
post. In an alternate arrangement, the vertical element is attached to a
sliding
sleeve which slides on the brace to permit the placing of the post to be
varied.
[0007] In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above,
further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the
drawings and by study of the following detailed descriptions.
Brief Description of Drawings
[0008] Exemplary embodiments are illustrated in referenced figures of the
drawings.
It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be
considered illustrative rather than restrictive.
[0009] Fig. 1 and 2 show prior art methods of attaching railing to wood
decks.
[00010] Fig. 3 is an elevation partly in cross-section on line A of
Fig. 4 of the
first brace element of the invention installed on a deck.
[00011] Fig. 4 is a plan view of the invention installed on a deck,
with pickets
and guard rail removed for purposes of illustration and the deck
sheathing largely cut away and shown in phantom outline for purposes
of illustration.
[00012] Fig. 5 is an elevation partly in cross-section on line B of
Fig. 4 of the
second brace element of the invention installed on a deck.
[00013] Fig. 6 is a detail of an alternate attachment for the brace
element
shown in Fig. 6.
[00014] Fig. 7 is an elevation partly in cross-section on line B of
Fig. 4 of an
alternate embodiment of the brace element of the invention installed on
a deck.
[00015] Fig. 8 is a detail of an alternate attachment for the brace
element
shown in Fig. 6.
Description
[00016] Throughout the following description specific details are set
forth in
order to provide a more thorough understanding to persons skilled in
the art. However, well known elements may not have been shown or
described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the disclosure.

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Accordingly, the description and drawings are to be regarded in an
illustrative, rather than a restrictive, sense.
[00017] Looking at Fig. 1 and 2, a wooden deck 10 is constructed of a
number
of parallel joists 12, a fascia or rim board 14, sheathing 16, vertical
posts 18, pickets 20, bottom rail 21 and guard rails 22. In the past the
posts 18 have been bolted directly to the face of the fascia or rim board
14 as shown in Fig. 1, or to the rear face of the rim board 14 supported
by cross-braces 24 as shown in Fig. 2. In either case, due to the lever
arm created by the distance from the guard rail to the attachment point
of post 18 on rim board 14, a pressure applied to the guard rail creates
possible failure of the connection of post 18 to the rim board 14.
[00018] In the present invention as shown in Fig. 3 and 4, blocking 36
is
secured between joists 12, such as by using framing anchors 37. A
metal brace 38, having plates 40 secured at either end by welding or
the like, is fastened at one end to reinforcing blocking 36 by plate 40
and screws 41 and at the other end to rim board 14 by plate 40 which
also fastens the end of brace 38 to plate 42 by bolts 43. The lower
horizontal end 19 of post 18 is secured to plate 42 by welding or the
like to thereby secure post 18 to the rim board 14. This is preferable to
attaching the railing posts to the surface of the deck which would
penetrate the membrane. In this arrangement the end of brace 38 now
becomes the point of rotation when force is applied to the railing 22 in
direction X, for a post 18 of heightY above sheathing 16 and Z above
the brace 38, creating a more favourable lever arm which reduces the
possibility of failure when pressure is applied to the guard rail 22.
[00019] Adjustable metal brace 44, shown in Fig. 5 can also be used,
with one
end extending through a hole in joist 12 and being fastened to joist 12
by plate 46 to which it is secured by welding or the like, and at the
other end plate 40 fastens the end of brace 44, to which it is secured, to
rim board 14 and plate 40 by bolts 43. Plate 40 is thereby also secured
to plate 42 to which the lower horizontal end 19 of post 18 is welded or
otherwise fastened. In the alternate arrangement shown in Fig. 6, the
back plate 46 is arranged on the inside face of joist 12. Adjustable

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brace 44 is formed of telescopic elements with bar 45 telescoping
within hollow bar 47 to thereby permit the length of brace 44 to be
adjustable. The relative positions of bars 45, 47 can be fixed at the
desired length by a setscrew or the like but the brace will also function
without so fixing the length if the tolerance of the inner sliding bar 45
is sufficiently tight within bar 47.
[00020] Fig. 7 shows a variant in which the post 18 is secured to
sheathing 16.
Adjustable brace 50 has a vertical piece 52 attached to plate 54 which
is secured by bolts 70 to plate 42 which is in turn fastened to post 18.
As in the previous embodiment, adjustable brace 50 is formed of
telescopic elements with bar 51 telescoping within hollow bar 53 to
thereby permit the length of brace 50 to be adjustable. The end of bar
51 extends through the center of blocking 36 and is fastened to plate 46
which in turn is screwed to blocking 36. In this way the attachment of
post 18 is greatly strengthened by providing an opposing leverage. The
relative positions of bars 51, 53 can be fixed at the desired length by a
setscrew or the like but the brace will also function without so fixing
the length.
[00021] In a further alternate arrangement shown in Fig. 8, vertical
element 52
is attached to a sliding sleeve 60 which slides on brace 62 to permit the
placing of post 18 to be varied. Vertical piece 52 attached to plate 54
which is secured by bolts 72 to plate 42 which is in turn fastened to
post 18. The end of brace 62 extends through the center of blocking 36
and is fastened to plate 46 which in turn is screwed to blocking 36. In
this way again the attachment of post 18 is greatly strengthened by
providing an opposing leverage.
[00022] While a number of exemplary aspects and embodiments have been
discussed above, those of skill in the art will recognize certain
modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations thereof.
It is therefore intended that the invention be interpreted to include all
such modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations as
are within its true spirit and scope.

Representative Drawing