Handrail assembly, system and method of installation
AssigneeNondrill Pty Ltd
InventorsPaul Breen, Philip Breen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A handrail includes a support assembly for attachment to a concrete slab having an upper surface with attachment formations anchored at the upper surface. The assembly includes a handrail support component and a connector component. The connector component is attachable to the support component and an attachment formation. The support and connector components can be tightened to each other to tighten the connector component to the attachment formation for tightening the support component onto the slab. The invention extends to a handrail system including the slab, and to a method of installing handrail components on the slab.
Claims16
A handrail support assembly adapted for attachment to a construction element, the element including a pre-cast concrete wall slab in the form of a rectangular cuboid having a front face and an opposite rear face, and having a vertical operational orientation in which said front and rear faces extend upwardly, the slab further having, when in the operational orientation, an upper edge and an opposite lower edge, and two opposite side edges, each of the upper, lower and side edges extending between the front face and rear face, the construction element further including a securing element having a connection portion exposed relative to the slab and an anchor portion pre-cast with, and embedded in, the slab and formed so as to engage the slab whereby the securing element is adapted for lifting of the construction element by a lifting apparatus when the lifting apparatus is attached to the connection portion, the support assembly comprising:
- a handrail support having first engagement means;
- and
- a securing element connector having a first portion adapted for interlocking detachable connection to the connection portion and a second portion having second engagement means and being adapted for attachment to the handrail support,
- wherein the handrail support and second portion are adapted to be tightened to each other by inter-engagement of the first engagement means and second engagement means, such that the handrail support is tightened into fixed engagement with the slab,
- wherein the handrail support assembly has at least one outer surface which is adapted to conceal the first engagement means and second engagement means when the handrail support and second portion are tightened to each other.
A handrail system, comprising a construction element and a handrail support assembly, wherein:
- the construction element includes a pre-cast wall slab in the form of a rectangular cuboid having a front face and an opposite rear face, and having a vertical operational orientation in which said front and rear faces extend upwardly, the slab further having, when in the operational orientation, an upper edge and an opposite lower edge, and two opposite side edges, each of the upper, lower and side edges extending between the front face and rear face, the construction element further including a securing element having a connection portion exposed relative to the slab and an anchor portion pre-cast with, and embedded in, the slab and formed so as to engage the slab whereby the securing element is adapted for lifting of the construction element by a lifting apparatus when the lifting apparatus is attached to the connection portion;
- and wherein the handrail support assembly includes
- a handrail support having first engagement means;
- and
- a securing element connector having a first portion adapted for interlocking detachable connection to the connection portion, and a second portion having second engagement means, the second portion being adapted for attachment to the handrail support,
- wherein the handrail support and second portion are adapted to be tightened to each other by inter-engagement of the first engagement means and second engagement means, such that the handrail support is tightened into fixed engagement with the slab, and
- wherein the handrail support assembly has at least one outer surface which is adapted to conceal the first engagement means and second engagement means when the handrail support and second portion are tightened to each other.
A method of retrofitting handrail components on a construction element, the element including a pre-cast concrete wall slab in the form of a rectangular cuboid having a front face and an opposite rear face, and having a vertical operational orientation in which said front and rear faces extend upwardly, the slab further having, when in the operational orientation, an upper edge and an opposite lower edge, and two opposite side edges, each of the upper, lower and side edges extending between the front face and rear face, the construction element further including a securing element having a connection portion exposed relative to the slab and an anchor portion pre-cast with, and embedded in, the slab and formed so as to engage the slab whereby the securing element is adapted for lifting of the construction element by a lifting apparatus when the lifting apparatus is attached to the connection portion, the method comprising:
- providing a handrail support assembly having at least one outer surface, the handrail support assembly including
- a handrail support with first engagement means, and
- a securing element connector having a first portion adapted for interlocking detachable connection to the connection portion, and a second portion with second engagement means, the second portion being adapted for attachment to the handrail support;
- detachably connecting the handrail support to said second portion;
- and
- tightening the handrail support and second portion to each other by inter-engagement of the first engagement means and second engagement means such that the handrail support is tightened into fixed engagement with the slab, wherein said at least one outer surface is adapted to conceal the first engagement means and second engagement means once the handrail support and second portion are tightened to each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.