Rail assembly with invertible side-mount adapter for direct and indirect mounting applications

A rail attachable to a building surface, comprising:

• a first end and a second end that are spaced from one another in a longitudinal dimension by a length;
• a rail top and a rail bottom that are spaced from one another in a vertical dimension by a height and substantially parallel to one another;
• first and second rail sides that are spaced from one another in a lateral dimension by a width and substantially parallel to one another, the first and second rail sides substantially perpendicular to the rail top and the rail bottom, wherein the rail bottom extends from the first rail side to the second rail side;
• an attachment fastener slot that extends from the first end to the second end between the first and second rail sides, the attachment fastener slot separating a first section of the rail top from a second section of the rail top;
• a first rail channel that extends from the first end to the second end of the rail proximate to the first rail side;
• a first pocket having a first pocket closed perimeter and that extends from the first end to the second end, wherein the first pocket abuts the first rail channel in the lateral dimension, and wherein the first rail channel is positioned between the first rail side and the first pocket in the lateral dimension such that the first pocket is spaced from the first rail side by the first rail channel;
• a second pocket having a second pocket closed perimeter and that extends from the first end to the second end;
• a third pocket that is disposed between the first pocket and the second pocket in the lateral dimension, wherein the rail bottom defines a lower extreme of the third pocket, the third pocket comprising:
• a first interior wall between the first pocket and the third pocket, the first interior wall having an upper portion and a lower portion;
• a second interior wall between the second pocket and the third pocket, the second interior wall having an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion of the second interior wall being substantially parallel to the lower portion of the first interior wall;
• an upper section of the third pocket positioned between the upper portion of the first interior wall and the upper portion of the second interior wall, the upper section having a first width;
• and
• a lower section of the third pocket positioned between the lower portion of the first interior wall and the lower portion of the second interior wall, the lower section having a second width that is less than the first width, wherein the attachment fastener slot extends to and intersects the upper section of the third pocket.

A rail assembly, comprising:

• a rail comprising:
• a rail top and a rail bottom that are spaced from one another in a vertical dimension by a rail height;
• a first end and a second end that are spaced from one another in a longitudinal dimension;
• first and second rail sides that are spaced from one another in a lateral dimension that is orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension, wherein the rail top comprises an attachment fastener slot that extends from the first end to the second end, wherein the first rail side comprises a first rail channel that extends from the first end to the second end, and wherein the first rail channel has a maximum channel height in the vertical dimension defined by the rail top and the rail bottom, the maximum channel height extending from the rail top to the rail bottom;
• a first pocket having a first pocket closed perimeter and that extends from the first end to the second end, wherein the first pocket has a first pocket height in the vertical dimension defined by the rail top and the rail bottom, wherein the first pocket height is approximately equal to the maximum channel height;
• a second pocket having a second pocket closed perimeter and that extends from the first end to the second end;
• and
• an attachment fastener pocket that extends from the first end to the second end, wherein a portion of the rail bottom defines a lower extreme of the attachment fastener pocket, wherein the attachment fastener slot extends to and intersects the attachment fastener pocket, and wherein the first pocket is located between the first rail side and the attachment fastener pocket in the lateral dimension;
• an adapter that is slidably engageable with the first rail channel, wherein the adapter comprises a coupling section and a mounting flange.