US 2006/0065885 A1 · Structural post assembly for thermoplastic railing system

Abstract

These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by a structural post assembly for a thermoplastic railing system in which a tubular metal support column is secured to the substrate upon which thermoplastic railing system is mounted by means of a base plate, the support column being internally threaded at its upper end, a slidably rotatable base rail connector of one piece construction having a segmented cylindrical core defining an aperture is slidably receivable over the support column and positioned at the lower end proximate the base plate thereof, and an adjustable upper rail connector generally cubic in shape positioned proximate the upper end of the metal support column, the adjustable upper rail connector and base connector adjustable for the slidable receipt of a thermoplastic sheath, the thermoplastic sheath being locked in position by a threaded fastener through the adjustable upper rail connector and into the internally threaded aperture of the support column thereby fixing the vertical support member for the thermoplastic railing system in the correct horizontal and vertical orientation for geometrical symmetry of the railing system.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A structural support post assembly for thermoplastic railing systems of the type having a plurality of vertical support posts having horizontal rails there between said rails having a plurality of vertical balusters secured thereto, said structural support post assembly comprising:

a base member secured to a substrate, said base member having a centrally disposed aperture therethrough;
a support pole, cylindrical in cross sectional area, having a lower end and an upper end, said lower end receivable and securable within said aperture of said base plate;
an adjustable base rail connector slidably receivable on said support post and positionable proximate said lower end of said support post, said base rail connector defined by a segmented cylindrical core having four outward corner projections in 90 degree flexed relationship to each adjacent corner projection, each projection defining a corner, defined by adjacent planar vertical surfaces, the cross section of said base rail connector defined by said corner projections equaling the interior cross section of a thermoplastic support post sleeve slidably engageable over said base rail connector;
an adjustable upper rail connector securable on said upper end of said support post, said upper rail connector for the slidable receipt within a thermoplastic support post sleeve, said base rail connector and said upper rail connector allowing for the correct orientation and squaring of the thermoplastic support post sleeve before the connection of horizontal rails of said thermoplastic railing system.

1 more element

A method of installation for a structural support post assembly for thermoplastic railing systems of the type having a plurality of vertical support posts having horizontal rails there between, said horizontal rails having a plurality of vertical balusters secured thereto, said method of installing said structural support post assembly comprising:

a. securing a base plate member to a substrate, said base plate member having a centrally disposed aperture there through;
b. positioning a vertical support pole having a lower end and an upper end, cylindrical in cross section into said aperture in said base member and securing said vertical support pole thereto;
c. slidably positioning an adjustable base rail connector onto said support pole and positioning said adjustable base rail connector proximate said lower end of said support pole, said adjustable base rail connector defined by a segmented cylindrical core having four outward corner projections in 90 degree flex relationship to each adjacent corner projection, each projection defining a corner, defined by adjacent planar vertical surfaces, the cross section of said base rail connector defined by said corner projections and equaling the interior cross section of a thermoplastic support post sleeve slidably engagable over said base rail connector;
d. positioning an upper rail connector securable on said upper end of said support pole, said upper rail connector for slidable receipt within said thermoplastic support post sleeve;
e. slidably positioning said thermoplastic support post sleeve over said upper rail connector, said lower rail connector, and said support post;
f. adjusting said thermoplastic support post sleeve utilizing said adjustable base rail connector and said adjustable upper rail connector to achieve the correct orientation and squaring of said thermoplastic support post sleeve;
g. securing said upper rail connector to said support post;
h. repeating steps a through g for an adjacent structural support post;
i. securing said horizontal rails between said adjacent thermoplastic support post sleeves by securing said rails to said adjustable base rail connector and said adjustable upper rail connector;
and
j. repeating steps a through i to complete construction of said thermoplastic railing system.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Structural post assembly for thermoplastic railing system

Life of this patent

Structural post assembly for thermoplastic railing system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims9