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US 6,752,385 B2Granted
Railing system
OwnerPaul Robert Zen, Sergio Luigi Zeninventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A railing system comprising a first longitudinal rail portion defining a channel into which pickets are insertable at spaced intervals. Fasteners are used to pivotally connect the pickets to the channel for orientation to a desired angle with respect to the first longitudinal rail portion. A second longitudinal rail portion is fittable onto the first longitudinal rail portion to form an assembled rail member in which the channel and fasteners are concealed within the interior of the assembled rail member. The railing system provides a simple and efficient way to install railings, and is particularly suited for assembly of railings at an incline to the horizontal.
Claims18
A railing system comprising:
- a first longitudinal rail portion defining a channel into which pickets are insertable at spaced intervals, the channel being formed by a first longitudinal surface and a pair of spaced side walls extending inwardly toward each other adjacent the longitudinal surface as angled side wall portions, and then extending away from the first longitudinal surface as inset, planar side wall portions in a spaced, parallel configuration;
- fasteners to pivotally connect the pickets to the channel insertable through pairs of openings in the inset planar side wall portions and through each picket to allow for orientation of each picket to a desired angle with respect to the first longitudinal rail portion, each of said fasteners comprising a rigid post having an enlarged head at one end to engage with an exterior of one of the planar side wall portions and a deformable locking body at an opposite end to engage with an exterior of the other of the planar side wall portions such that the rigid post is anchored between the side walls to pivotally support the picket;
- and
- a second longitudinal rail portion having a second longitudinal surface and side walls fittable over the first longitudinal rail portion such that the side walls of the second longitudinal rail portion engage the first longitudinal rail portion to form an assembled rail member with the channel and fasteners concealed within the interior of the assembled rail member and the enlarged head and locking body of each fastener being accommodated in the region between the side walls of the second longitudinal rail portion and the inset side wall portions of the first longitudinal rail portion.
1 more element
A railing system for mounting a plurality of pickets to a rail at a desired angle comprising:
- a first longitudinal rail portion having a longitudinal surface and a pair of spaced, upstanding side walls extending inwardly and upwardly toward each other over the longitudinal surface as angled side wall portions, and then extending upwardly as inset planar side wall portions in a spaced, parallel configuration over the longitudinal surface, the side walls defining a channel into which the pickets are insertable at spaced intervals, the longitudinal surface having a plurality of spaced openings to receive the pickets with the openings being dimensioned to accommodate the pickets over a range of angles to the first longitudinal rail portion;
- fasteners-insertable through the inset side wall portions and the pickets to pivotally connect the pickets within the channel for orientation to a desired angle with respect to the first longitudinal rail portion, each of said fasteners comprising a rigid post having an enlarged head at one end to engage with an exterior of one of the side walls and a deformable locking body at an opposite end to engage with an exterior wall of the other side wall such that the rigid post is anchored between the side walls to pivotally support the picket;
- and
- a second longitudinal rail portion having an upper surface and downwardly depending side walls fittable over the first longitudinal rail portion such that the first longitudinal rail portion and the downwardly depending side walls of the second longitudinal rail portion engage adjacent the lower surface of the first rail longitudinal rail portion to form an assembled rail member with the channel and fasteners concealed within the interior of the assembled rail member and the enlarged head and locking body of each fastener being accommodated in the region between the side walls of the second longitudinal rail portion and the inset side wall portions of the first longitudinal rail portion.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.