Rail attachment bracket with snap-on cover
AssigneeKroy Building Products, Inc.
InventorRon West
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An attachment system for connecting a hollow rail to a support post includes an attachment bracket with a face plate for attachment to the support post, and a distally extending internal support member for nesting within the end of the rail. To enable disposition of the rail in an orientation other than orthogonal to the face plate, a portion of the internal support member is rounded to tapered, to provide the rail with up to forty-five degree movement from the orthogonal position. The attachment system also includes a snap-on cover which connects to the attachment bracket to cover the attachment bracket and provide a more aesthetically pleasing appearance to the attachment point between the support post and the rail.
Claims20
An attachment bracket for connecting a composite rail having a hollow, open end to a support post, the attachment bracket comprising:
- a face plate for disposition against and attachment to the support post, the face plate having at least one slot formed therein, said slot being configured for receiving a tab of a snap-on connector;
- means for attaching the face plate to the support post;
- and
- an internal support means extending outwardly from the face plate, the internal support means being configured for nesting within an opening in the composite rail, the internal support means having distal end disposed opposite the face plate, and having a rounded/tapered portion along the distal end wherein the distal end slopes toward the face plate for facilitating disposition of a rail at an angle other than orthogonal from the face plate.
An attachment bracket for connecting a composite rail having a hollow, open end to a support post, the attachment bracket comprising:
- a face plate for disposition against and attachment to the support post, the face plate having at least one slot formed therein, said slot being configured for receiving a tab of a snap-on connector;
- means for attaching the face plate to the support post;
- and
- an internal support means extending outwardly from the face plate, the internal support means being configured for nesting within an opening in the composite rail, the internal support means having distal end disposed opposite the face plate, and having a rounded/tapered portion along the distal end wherein the distal end slopes toward the face plate for facilitating disposition of a rail at an angle other than orthogonal from the face plate;
- cover means having an exterior wall defining an opening, the opening being configured to receive the end of a rail therein and means for attaching the cover means to the attachment bracket;
- and
- wherein the cover means further comprises a plurality of ribs attached to the exterior wall adjacent to the opening, the ribs extending in a generally parallel configuration to form a containment area therebetween, the containment area being disposed in alignment with the opening.
An attachment system for securing an end of a hollow rail to a support post while maintaining at least a majority of the attachment mechanism from view, the system comprising:
- an attachment bracket configured for attachment to a support rail, the attachment bracket including:
- a face plate having a plurality of holes formed therein for extending an anchoring mechanism through the plurality of holes to thereby secure the face plate;
- and
- an internal support member extending outwardly from the face plate, the internal support member being configured for nesting in the end of the hollow rail and for providing support thereto;
- cover means having an exterior wall defining an opening, the opening being configured for disposition about the end of the hollow rail, the exterior wall extending outwardly and proximally from the opening so as to substantially cover the face plate when the cover means is attached to the attachment bracket;
- and
- attachment means formed in the attachment bracket and the cover means for providing toolless attachment between the attachment bracket and the cover means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.