Post and rail system using extrudable plastic posts

A post and rail system, comprising:

• a plurality of extruded tubular posts of plastic material, each said post having uniform internal dimensions and having an integrally formed sidewall of generally constant wall thickness, said sidewall defining an internal cavity and having apertures leading into said cavity;
• rigid support members comprising cylindrical metal pipes each of the members having upper and lower end portions, the upper end portion of each member extending within said internal cavity of one of said tubular posts while the lower end portion respectively extends below a lower end of the said one post and said lower end portion is adapted to be fixed in a vertical position;
• spacers extruded from plastic and located wholly within said posts, each spacer having a tubular portion sized to snugly receive one of said metal pipes, and each spacer having longitudinal ribs projecting outwardly from the tubular portion and suitable for firm engagement within a said internal cavity of said posts and which provide a clear space of at least one-half inch adjacent the interior of the post sidewall at the locations of said apertures;
• said tubular portion of each spacer having circumferentially spaced internal surface portions suitable for gripping one of said metal pipes at spaced locations around the pipe, said internal surface portions each being located between a pair of said ribs, the tubular portion having flexibility to allow distortion of its shape so that said internal surface portions can positively locate on pipes of slightly varying dimensions;
• said system also including normally horizontal rails supported between said posts and extending into said apertures in the sidewalls of said posts, each said rail including an end portion which extends beyond internal surfaces of a post sidewall and towards said metal pipe;
• said rails including upper rails and lower rails, and said spacers being positioned to support the posts at locations both at bases of the posts and adjacent said upper rails;
• wherein said spacers are short in relation to the posts, and wherein said internal surface portions are adapted to grip the pipe firmly before the spacer is fixed, as by screw means, to the pipe.

A post and rail system comprising:

• a plurality of extruded tubular posts of plastic material, each said post having uniform internal dimensions and having an integrally formed sidewall of generally constant wall thickness, said sidewall defining an internal cavity of generally square cross-section and having apertures leading into said cavity;
• rigid support members comprising cylindrical metal pipes each of the members having upper and lower portions, the upper portion of each member extending within an internal cavity of one of said tubular posts while the lower end portion respectively extends below a lower end of the said one post and said lower end portion is adapted to be fixed in a vertical position;
• spacers of extruded plastic material for locating said support members inside the posts, each spacer having a tubular portion and four longitudinal ribs each extending outwardly from said tubular portion, said ribs lying in mutually perpendicular planes, said ribs each having an outer edge engaging in a corner of a said internal cavity, and wherein an outer edge portion of one of a said ribs has a flange projecting outwards from the plane of the rib;
• a screw inserted through an outer corner portion of each post and passing into said flange to fix the spacer within the post;
• said system also including normally horizontal rails supported between said posts and extending into said apertures in the sidewalls of said posts, each said rail including an end portion which extends beyond internal surfaces of a post sidewall and towards said metal pipe.