US20080061281A1 - Asset Protection Railing - Google Patents
Asset Protection Railing Download PDFInfo
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- US20080061281A1 US20080061281A1 US11/851,561 US85156107A US2008061281A1 US 20080061281 A1 US20080061281 A1 US 20080061281A1 US 85156107 A US85156107 A US 85156107A US 2008061281 A1 US2008061281 A1 US 2008061281A1
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- rail
- leg
- cylindrical shape
- cuff
- axis
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47F—SPECIAL FURNITURE, FITTINGS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR SHOPS, STOREHOUSES, BARS, RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE; PAYING COUNTERS
- A47F10/00—Furniture or installations specially adapted to particular types of service systems, not otherwise provided for
- A47F10/02—Furniture or installations specially adapted to particular types of service systems, not otherwise provided for for self-service type systems, e.g. supermarkets
Definitions
- the present embodiments relate to railing and are more particularly directed to railing that may be mounted to protect nearby assets from damage that may be caused without the protection provided by the railing.
- Protective railing is used in various environments, with consumer shopping areas being a key example.
- rails are often affixed to the ground near an item to be protected by the rail.
- a rail is affixed to the ground several inches from and relatively parallel to the bottom edge of a refrigerated case or other structure that will benefit by a barrier mounted near the floor and adjacent the case.
- the rail provides a buffer area and barrier to prevent such a device from making contact with the case.
- the case which may be substantially expensive to repair or replace, is protected from damage.
- Protective railing may be used in other locations and in other forms.
- the rear area of a store which typically is not frequented by consumers but is used for stock and for shipping and delivery, may include various items that also require protection of the type described above. These areas of the store may tend to be less appealing in terms of aesthetics, but may require equal if not stronger safety protection. Indeed, movement of stock or other items tends to be more prevalent, with lesser caution, and often of greater loads in these areas and, thus, protection railing may be used in such areas as well.
- Protection railing in the prior art takes various forms, but for sake of contrast with numerous inventive aspects described later a certain typical implementation is now described.
- a store includes a refrigerated case with a generally rectangular perimeter that is 32 feet long and 8 feet wide.
- typically posts also referred to as bollards
- each such post is six feet in length and four inches in diameter and is installed by forming a two foot deep hole in the ground near the corner of the case, and the post is then affixed (e.g., cemented) into the hole so that four feet of the post extends vertically from the ground.
- a store orders railing for use between the posts discussed above based on the distance remaining between the posts.
- the store will order sets of railing for each of these dimensions, that is, two sets to extend 32 feet or less and two sets to extend 8 feet or less.
- a manufacturer of the railing will at its facility cut steel or aluminum tubing or pipe to extend these lengths and ship the resultant railing to the store for installation.
- each 7 foot 10 inch length is installed by mounting its legs to the floor, with a few inch gap between it and the next adjacent 7 foot 10 inch length, thereby filling most of the 32 feet between the posts mounted at the corners along the 32 foot length span of the refrigerated case.
- a single such rail may be mounted to span the 8 foot span along the width of the refrigerated case.
- the preceding represents a common prior art approach for floor mounted railing
- the present inventor has observed numerous drawbacks of that art.
- the preceding example assumes that each of the four corner posts is precisely and symmetrically located with respect to an adjacent corner of the refrigerated case.
- factors such as human error may cause the posts to be asymmetrically located.
- the store is left to measure each such distance and then require the manufacturer to custom cut pipes for each potentially different span.
- any such cap may be removed by a curious person or otherwise become detached, such as from routine impacts with the rail. Once a cap is off, the rail end is exposed, which some people find unappealing in look and it also may present a potential safety hazard.
- the welded legs used for mounting the railing to the floor in the prior art also require a certain amount of precision in installation, that is, the holes cut in the floor for each leg must be the same distance apart as the legs themselves. The need for such precision increases the time for installation and increases the chance of error, with additional time lost in correcting the error and potentially an unsightly result. Still other drawbacks will be ascertainable by one skilled in the art.
- a railing system comprising a first rail comprising an axis and a second rail comprising an axis.
- the system also comprises a mechanism for coupling the first rail to the second rail in a co-axial configuration, a first leg slidably attached to the first rail, and a second leg slidably attached to the second rail.
- the first leg and the second leg are for supporting the first and second rails at a distance away from a surface.
- FIG. 1 illustrates an inventive railing system with rails, legs, and a receptacle floor mount for coupling the legs and rails to a surface, such as the ground.
- FIG. 2 illustrates the receptacle floor mount of FIG. 1 in greater detail, including a hollow receptacle portion and a rubber anchor that encircles a portion of the length of the receptacle.
- FIG. 3 illustrates the leg and cuff of FIG. 1 in greater detail, including the slidable relationship of the inner diameter of the cuff along the outer diameter of the rail.
- FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative cuff per another embodiment.
- FIG. 5 illustrates a first and second rail for coupling to one another with both a protrusion extending from a first rail and having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the second rail and a collar attached to the first rail and with an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of the second rail.
- FIG. 6 illustrates a metal plug for connecting into the end of a rail.
- FIGS. 7 a and 7 b illustrate an alternative preferred embodiment where each rail has a cuff that slides over a respective member, such as a post, to retain the rails in a fixed relationship relative to the posts and the surface to which the posts are connected.
- FIG. 8 illustrates an example of an implementation of a rail system per the preferred embodiment and affixed relative to the ground and a refrigeration case, such as may be implemented in a grocery department or store.
- FIG. 1 illustrates various inventive aspects that may be used in an overall inventive railing system indicated generally at 10 .
- system 10 includes a male rail 20 and a female rail 30 that may be fitted to one another as detailed later to provide a continuous rail structure for purposes such as protecting assets as described above in the Background Of The Invention section of this document.
- Male rail 20 includes a cylindrical rail 20 CL and a leg 20 LG that extends generally perpendicular from cylindrical rail 20 CL .
- female rail 30 includes a cylindrical rail 30 CL and a leg 30 LG that extends generally perpendicular from cylindrical rail 30 CL .
- the bottom tips 20 TP and 30 TP of both legs 20 LG and 30 LG may be affixed to the ground by coupling it to a respective floor mount of the type shown by a single floor mount 40 in FIG. 1 , once such a once floor mount 40 for each such tip is located in the ground. Numerous other details about male rail 20 , female rail 30 , and floor mount 40 are discussed below.
- cylindrical rails 20 CL and 30 CL in FIG. 1 are hollow cylinders constructed of steel and more preferably of refrigeration grade stainless steel, so as to resist rust, corrosion, and the like under various conditions. Further, preferably both cylindrical rails 20 CL and 30 CL have a same outer diameter, which by way of example is 2 inches. However, looking more precisely to male rail 20 , it further includes a protrusion 20 PT , extending from an end 20 E of the rail. In the preferred embodiment, protrusion 20 PT is a separate cylinder (hollow or solid) that fits within and is affixed to the inner diameter of cylindrical rail 20 CL , where the affixation may be by way of welding or other manner ascertainable by one skilled in the art.
- the length of protrusion 20 PT extending from end 20 E is preferably the same length to which protrusion 20 PT extends within cylindrical rail 20 CL ; of course, in the perspective of FIG. 1 , this extension of protrusion 20 PT within cylindrical rail 20 CL is shown by way of dashed lines.
- protrusion 20 PT extends 6 inches externally from cylindrical rail 20 CL and, thus, those 6 inches of protrusion 20 PT are visible in the perspective of FIG. 1 ; likewise, therefore, protrusion 20 PT also extends 6 inches within cylindrical rail 20 CL .
- legs 20 LG and 30 LG in the preferred embodiments in FIG. 1 and in greater detail, they are preferably constructed of the same material as cylindrical rails 20 CL and 30 CL (e.g., refrigeration grade stainless steel). Thus, legs 20 LG and 30 LG match in strength, properties, and visual appearance with cylindrical rails 20 CL and 30 CL . Legs 20 LG and 30 LG are the same in construction and, thus, attention is directed to leg 20 LG with the understanding that the following applies equally to leg 30 LG .
- 20 LG is formed to include a hollow cuff 20 CF and a support 20 ST , where these two are fixed perpendicular to one another, preferably by welding or the like.
- Cuff 20 CF has a cylindrical inner diameter sized so as to be slidable along the outer diameter of cylindrical rail 20 CL ; thus, in the example above where the outer diameter of cylindrical rail 20 CL is 2 inches, then the inner diameter of cuff 20 CF may be approximately 2.18 inches.
- leg 20 LG may be positioned as shown in FIG. 1 by sliding cuff 20 CF onto the extreme end 20 EE of protrusion 20 PT and then moving cuff 20 CF axially along cylindrical rail 20 CL to the position shown in FIG. 1 .
- Cuff 20 CF has a width W 1 of 3 inches in the axial direction of cylindrical rail 20 CL , and as detailed later cuff 20 CF , once positioned as desired, may be fixed in position relative to cylindrical rail 20 CL by way of a set screw 20 SS or set screws such as those with an allen wrench head. Moreover, note the outer diameter of cuff 20 CF may be generally uniform or, alternatively as shown in FIG. 1 , the diameter of cuff 20 CF may be larger toward its middle and taper downward to the outer length of the cuff. In any event, once cuff 20 CF is so fixed in position, then support 20 ST provides a support to cuff 20 CF and, thus, necessarily also provides a support to cylindrical rail 20 CL and protrusion 20 PT . Also in this regard, support 20 ST may be of any desired length, where in the example herein support 20 ST is 8 inches longs.
- floor mount 40 in FIG. 1 and in greater detail, it includes two pieces, namely, a flanged receptacle 40 FR and an anchor 40 AN , as are also shown in a different perspective and separated in FIG. 2 .
- flanged receptacle 40 FR has a flange 40 FL at one end and a hollow receptacle 40 RC extending away from that flange 40 FL .
- the open end of hollow receptacle 40 RC is for receiving tip 20 TP or tip 30 TP of a leg 20 LG or 30 LG , once floor mount 40 is mounted into the floor (or ground, or other structure), as detailed later.
- the diameter of the hole in flange 40 FL and, thus, the inner diameter of receptacle 40 RC is sized to receive the outer diameter of either leg 20 LG or 30 LG .
- the outer diameter of either leg 20 LG or 30 LG may be 0.75 inches, in which case the inner diameter of receptacle 40 RC is 0.78 inches.
- anchor 40 AN preferably is formed of rubber and is generally a cylindrical piece of rubber with an inner diameter sized to force-fit slide over the outer diameter of receptacle 40 FR ; thus, the inner diameter of anchor 40 AN may be approximately 0.823 inches.
- a number of ribs 40 AR are axially oriented around the outer circumference of anchor 40 AN , with the example of FIG. 2 illustrating eight such ribs, and such ribs may therefore effectively extend the outer diameter of anchor 40 AN to approximately 0.90 inches.
- the length L 1 of anchor 40 AN is preferably shorter than the length L 2 of receptacle 40 RC , where by example length L 1 may be 2.25 inches while length L 2 may be 2.625 inches. This relationship of lengths avoids bottlenecking of anchor 40 AN around receptacle 40 RC during installation, as detailed later.
- an installer determines the total desired length of a rail. For example, assume that the installer desires a rail that spans 15 feet 6 inches. Toward this end, the installer obtains a male rail 20 and a female rail 30 with combined cylindrical rail lengths 20 CL and 30 CL that initially exceed the desired span. For example, the installer in the present example may obtain a male rail 20 of a standard length, such as with its cylindrical rail 20 CL of 8 feet (and its protrusion 20 PT extending 6 inches beyond that 8 feet) and a female rail 30 of a standard length, such as with its cylindrical rail 30 CL of 8 feet.
- the installer cuts female rail 30 to a length so that its cylindrical rail 30 CL , when combined with the cylindrical rail 20 CL of male rail 20 , will total the entire desired span.
- cylindrical rail 30 CL of female 30 is cut to a length of 7 feet 6 inches, so that it may be combined with the standard 8 foot length of cylindrical rail 20 CL of male rail 20 so as to span 15 feet 6 inches.
- any appropriate cutting device may be used given the material used to form female rail 30 , where in the preferred embodiment when that material is steel then examples of an appropriate cutting device would be a hot saw or carbide diamond tip blade.
- female rail 30 is cut to the desired length, then the hollow end 30 E of female rail 30 is positioned to fit around, and slid toward, protrusion 20 PT of male rail 20 ; thus, the outer diameter of protrusion 20 PT fits within the inner diameter of female rail 30 .
- Female rail 30 and male rail 20 are then pushed together until end 20 E of cylindrical rail 20 CL contacts end 30 E of cylindrical rail 30 CL .
- protrusion 20 PT is entirely encased and no longer visible, as it resides inside female rail 30 .
- cylindrical rail 20 CL and cylindrical rail 30 CL combine to form a continuous rail of length 15 feet 6 inches, that is, the longitudinal axis of each cylindrical rail is co-linear to form a single line spanning 15 feet 6 inches.
- both of cuff 20 CF and cuff 30 CF are slidable along the outer diameter of the respective cylindrical rail 20 CL and cylindrical rail 30 CL , then either cuff may be slid to cover the interface that exists where ends 20 E and 30 E meet.
- FIG. 3 note in FIG. 3 that a single cuff X CF is shown and it is to be understood that cuff X CF is covering an interface in this manner, where to illustrate this covering aspect in FIG.
- an interface is shown by way of a dashed line where ends 20 E and 30 E meet.
- the preferred embodiments include other alternatives for a cuff to cover the interface between two rails, whether both are female rails or one is male and one is female, as also discussed later.
- FIG. 3 also illustrates the result of system 10 after the installation of a leg X LG into a ground surface GS, where leg X LG may represent either leg 20 LG or leg 30 LG from FIG. 1 .
- leg X LG may represent either leg 20 LG or leg 30 LG from FIG. 1 .
- anchor 40 AN is 0.823 inches in diameter
- anchor 40 AN is 0.823 inches in diameter
- anchor 40 AN is 0.823 inches in diameter
- anchor 40 AN is 0.823 inches in diameter
- anchor 40 AN is positioned around the lower portion of flanged receptacle 40 FR and preferably the combination is force fitted into the hole in ground surface GS, such as by use of a rubber mallet or the like.
- mount 40 may be used in this regard, but the preferred pieces of mount 40 permit the advantageous elimination of such adhesives in various installations. Particularly, as mount 40 is driven into ground surface GS, anchor 40 AN and the ribs 40 AR thereon will friction fit into the ground hole while also creating retaining force against the outer diameter of frame receptacle 40 FR . Thus, in this manner, mount 40 is retained firmly within ground surface GS, and indeed may remain in the ground without the use of an adhesive.
- anchor 40 AN is shorter in length than flanged receptacle 40 FR , then anchor 40 AN is able to move and compress sufficiently so as to avoid bottlenecking of the rubber where if such bottlenecking were otherwise to occur it could cause mount 40 to not seat satisfactorily within the ground.
- the bottom tip (e.g., 20 TP or 30 TP in FIG. 1 ) of leg X LG is inserted into the hollow end of flange 40 FL , thereby extending into the length of flanged receptacle 40 FR .
- leg X LG sized relative to the preferred inner diameter of flanged receptacle 40 FR , then the fitting relationship between the two may be maintained without the use of adhesives, where in an alternative embodiment such a relationship may be further maintained with an adhesive if desired.
- leg X LG once leg X LG is so positioned, then it provides support to its respective cuff X CF , thereby further supporting both male rail 20 and female rail 30 , as shown in the final result of FIG. 3 .
- the preferred embodiment includes legs that are slidable in the axial direction with respect to the rails, thereby permitting the covering of rail interfaces as described above and/or alternatively permitting legs to be moved to various locations along the rail so as to permit the installation of the legs into a ground surface at different locations.
- the preferred embodiment provides great latitude for on-sight installation while accommodating varying spans as may be incurred at the location desiring the installation.
- male rail 20 and female rail 30 are both 8 feet in length
- female rail 30 may be cut down to a size anywhere from 6 inches to 8 feet in length.
- the two provide a span of anywhere between 8.5 feet and 16 feet as may be achieved on site with the teachings of this document as well as installation details provided later.
- more than two rails may be coupled in this manner, where for example a rail may include a male end and a female end, whereby successive ones of such rails may be coupled together with the male end of one such rail connected to the female end of a next rail, where the male end of that female-containing rail is coupled to a next rail, and so forth where the last coupled rail requires only female ends.
- one rail with one male end and one female end can be combined with multiple rails each having two female ends, whereby the cut to ensure the desired length of the entirety of the span of the rails is made to only one female and where one female rail end may be located touching or near a different female rail end, where both such ends are positioned close to one another or touching within the interior of a cuff for purposes of rigidity and aesthetics.
- FIG. 4 illustrates system 10 of FIG. 1 with an alternative cuff 50 CF that also may be used in a preferred embodiment.
- cuff 50 CF in the axial direction of rails 20 and 30 , has the same shape and inner and outer dimensions as cuff 20 CF (or cuff 30 CF ) of FIG. 1 , although a distinction is that cuff 50 CF does not include a leg or other perpendicular extension.
- the width W 2 of cuff 50 CF in the axially direction relative to rails 20 and 30 may be shorter than width W 1 of cuff 20 CF (or cuff 30 CF ).
- width W 2 is preferably 1 to 2 inches.
- cuff 50 CF in installation, initially cuff 50 CF is slid over cylindrical rail 20 CL (or cylindrical rail 30 CL ) and thereafter protrusion 20 PT is inserted fully into end 30 E of female rail 30 and ends 30 E and 20 E are brought to contact one another; thereafter, cuff 50 CF is preferably slid over the interface that thereby results at ends 30 E and 20 E to prevent exposure of that interface. Moreover, once cuff 50 CF is so positioned, it may be affixed in this position relative to the interface by tightening a set screw 50 SS . In any event, therefore, any risk of injury as well as any undesirable aesthetic association from that interface is prevented by covering that interface from external contact.
- cuff 50 CF provides various of the same functions as cuff 20 CF (or cuff 30 CF ), but does so without the addition of a protruding leg and may be less noticeable given the lack of that leg and the preferable reduction of width W 2 as compared to width W 1 .
- cuff 50 CF may be made with a uniform outer diameter.
- an annular ring may be fixed inside the inner cylindrical diameter of the cuff 50 CF and with the ring having a slightly smaller diameter than the cylinder inner diameter.
- the annular ring provides a stop when either end 20 E or 30 E is inserted inside the cuff, that is, each such end will only penetrate just short of half the axial length of the interior of cuff 50 CF and then make contact with the ring, thereby keeping the cuff and cylindrical rail fixed relative to one another and also, if desired, eliminating the need for any type of set screw adjustment.
- FIG. 5 illustrates system 10 of FIG. 1 with an alternative cuff 60 CF that also may be used in a preferred embodiment.
- cuff 60 CF has the same dimensions as cuff 50 CF of FIG. 4 .
- cuff 60 CF is affixed in the position illustrated in FIG. 5 at the time of manufacture, such as via welding or the like.
- cuff 60 CF is affixed so that its inner diameter covers edge 20 E of cylindrical rail 20 CL before rails 20 and 30 are brought together.
- cuff 60 CF will similarly cover edge 30 E of cylindrical rail 30 CL once cylindrical rail 30 CL is slid over protrusion 20 PT to bring edges 20 E and 30 E toward, and preferably in contact, with one another.
- cuff 60 CF is pre-positioned and physically fixed in the manner illustrated in FIG. 5 and thereby avoids additional work by the installer and also eliminates the possibility of the installer failing to include a cuff that would otherwise cover an interface between two joined rails.
- FIG. 6 illustrates another aspect of the preferred embodiment system 10 of the preceding Figures. Specifically, FIG. 6 illustrates a terminal end TE of either cylindrical rail 20 CL or cylindrical rail 30 CL and at the opposite ends of each rail as compared to the ends 20 E and 30 E that are joined together. In the preferred embodiment, at that opposite end TE of each such rail is a rounded metal plug 10 PG . In the preferred embodiment, plug 10 PG is formed of a same type of metal as cylindrical rails 20 CL and 30 CL and is affixed to the respective rail end via welding.
- the preferred embodiment includes an approach with a more permanent affixation of the plug, which provides for a more sturdy, safe, and longer-lasting result.
- the preferred embodiment permits a male and female rail to be joined to span a greater distance than could be provided by either singular rail, and that span is continuous with only one open end for each rail (the other ends being coupled). Each such open end represents a terminal end TE as in FIG. 6 and preferably is enclosed by a plug 10 PG .
- the preferred embodiment provides for multiple rails in a continuous span with no gaps between these rails and only plugs at each end of the span.
- FIGS. 7 a and 7 b illustrate a system 100 as an additional inventive preferred embodiment and that shares certain aspects with embodiments described above.
- System 100 is for use in connection with two (or more) posts 110 P1 and 110 P2 , also sometimes referred to in certain architectures as bollards.
- System 100 includes a male rail 120 and a female rail 130 that may be fitted to one another to provide a continuous rail structure, again for purposes such as protecting assets as described above in the Background Of The Invention section of this document and here between posts 110 P1 and 110 P2 . As shown in FIG.
- male rail 120 includes a cylindrical rail 120 CL that extends generally perpendicularly from the axis of a cylindrical hollow cuff 120 CF , where cuff 120 CF ultimately is to be slid over and around the outer diameter of a post such as post 110 P1 ; thus, a preferred inner diameter of cuff 120 CF is 4.5 inches.
- female rail 130 includes a cylindrical rail 130 CL that extends generally perpendicularly from the axis of a cylindrical hollow cuff 130 CF , where cuff 130 CF ultimately is to be slid over and around the outer diameter of a post such as post 110 P2 .
- cylindrical rail 120 CL and cylindrical rail 130 CL are constructed of steel and a same outer diameter, which by way of example is within a few inches of the diameter of posts 110 P1 and 110 P2 and, therefore, may be in the range of 2 to 3 inches, with an example being 2.5 inches.
- the length of each rail may be the same, such as 4 feet from its cuff to the end of its cylindrical rail portion 120 CL or 130 CL , although a different length could be manufactured for the male as opposed to the female rail.
- male rail 120 includes a protrusion 120 PT , extending from an end 120 E of the rail.
- protrusion 120 PT is a separate cylinder that fits within and is affixed to the inner diameter of cylindrical rail 120 CL , where the affixation may be by way of welding or other manner ascertainable by one skilled in the art.
- the outer diameter of protrusion 120 PT in the present example may be approximately 2.375 inches, assuming therefore that the inner diameter of cylindrical rail 120 CL is slightly larger and therefore that protrusion 120 PT may be inserted and affixed into that inner diameter of rail 120 CL .
- the length of protrusion 120 PT extending from end 120 E is preferably the same length to which protrusion 120 PT extends within cylindrical rail 120 CL ; in the perspective of FIG. 7 a, this extension of protrusion 120 PT within cylindrical rail 120 CL is shown by way of dashed lines.
- protrusion 120 PT extends 6 inches externally from cylindrical rail 120 CL and, thus, those 6 inches of protrusion 120 PT are visible in the perspective of FIG. 7 a, and likewise therefore protrusion 120 PT also extends 6 inches within cylindrical rail 120 CL .
- an installer determines the total desired length of a rail to span between two posts such as posts 110 P1 and 110 P2 .
- the installer desires a rail that spans 5 feet, 6 inches.
- the installer obtains a male rail 120 and a female rail 130 that, when combined in length from cuff to respective ends 120 E and 130 E exceeds 5 feet 6 inches, such as with cylindrical rail 120 CL of 2 feet (and its protrusion 120 PT extending 6 inches beyond that 2 feet) and with cylindrical rail 130 CL of 4 feet.
- the installer cuts female rail 130 to a length so that its cylindrical rail 130 CL , when combined with the cylindrical rail 120 CL of male rail 20 , will total the entire desired span.
- cylindrical rail 130 CL is cut to a length of 3 feet 6 inches, so that it may be combined with the 2 foot length of cylindrical rail 120 CL of male rail 120 so as to span 5 feet 6 inches.
- any appropriate cutting device may be used given the material used to form female rail 130 .
- Female rail 130 and male rail 120 are then pushed together until end 120 E of cylindrical rail 120 CL contacts end 130 E of cylindrical rail 130 CL .
- a cuff comparable to that in either FIG. 4 or FIG. 5 also may be located on either rail prior to joining the rails to one another and to thereby cover the interface that will occur at edges 120 E and 130 E after the rails are so connected.
- protrusion 120 PT is entirely encased and no longer visible, as it resides inside female rail 130 .
- cylindrical rail 120 CL and cylindrical rail 130 CL combine to form a continuous rail of length 5 feet 6 inches.
- each such cuff 120 CF and 130 CF includes a mechanism for fixing the cuff at a desired vertical height along its respective post; in a preferred embodiment, this mechanism is a set screw or machine bolt that passes through threads formed in the cuff so that the screw then contacts the respective post positioned within the inner diameter of the cuff, thereby affixing the cuff relative to the post.
- FIG. 8 illustrates an example of implementation of a rail system 10 per the preferred embodiment and affixed relative to the surface SF of the ground and a refrigeration case 200 , such as may be implemented in a grocery department or store.
- the illustration of FIG. 8 is merely for context and is not necessarily to scale or with precise locations of the elements of system 10 .
- system 10 is shown to be constructed and mounted relative to two aligned refrigerator cases 200 1 and 200 2 .
- respective posts 10 P1 and 100 P2 or bollards.
- along the width and length of case 200 1 and extending partially along the length of case 200 2 shown in the partial cutaway perspective of FIG.
- each such rail may have a male end and a female end or just female ends as described earlier in the document, where in any event preferably the interface between two adjoining rails is enclosed within a respective cuff X CF .
- cuffs X CF While only a few such cuffs X CF are shown, the number and positioning thereof may be adjusted by one skilled in the art based on various criteria, including desired support, length of railing, aesthetics, and the like.
- a cart CT is shown nearby system 10 so that it may be appreciated that if cart CT is advanced toward cases 200 1 and 200 2 , it will be stopped from making contact with those cases by instead first contacting system 10 ; also in this regard, the length of the illustrated legs X LG may be selected to support the rails 20 / 30 at a desired distance from surface SF (e.g., the store floor or ground) and that also is likely to coincide with the height of the lower structure of cart CT, that is system 10 is positioned at a desirable height in an effort to likely come in contact with cart CT before cart CT contacts case 200 1 and 200 2 .
- surface SF e.g., the store floor or ground
- FIGS. 7 a and 7 b may be implemented at each corner or ninety degree connection, whereby either separate cuffs are used for each rail in a different dimension or a cuff is formed with railing extending in different directions, such as with one extension along the width of case 200 1 and another extension along the length of case 200 1 .
- each leg/cuff X LG /L CF combination is slid onto the railing or located relative to the desired railing position or chalk line, and preferably at least one leg/cuff X LG /L CF is positioned 12 inches from each respective plug 10 PG .
- an additional leg/cuff may be planned to be positioned in the surface at the location of that interface, that is, so that such a cuff will eventually cover the interface.
- a line is traced on the surface (e.g., floor) at each location into which a leg will be affixed, where the trace is around the outer perimeter of the leg support 20 ST .
- a hole is formed into the surface at the trace location, where the depth of the hole may be approximately 3 inches or other appropriate depth to accommodate the receptacle 40 RC .
- a floor mount 40 is located in the drilled hole whereby the receptacle 40 RC , with its surrounding anchor 40 AN , is fitted or struck into this hole, such as using a rubber mallet, until the underside of the flange 40 FL comes in contact with the surface.
- any adjustments in the lengths of rails 20 / 30 may be made by appropriately cutting the female end or ends of one or more rails are to obtain the desired length or span in a direction and if not already, the rails are slid inside the cuffs.
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Abstract
A railing system. The system comprises a first rail comprising an axis and a second rail comprising an axis. The system also comprises a mechanism for coupling the first rail to the second rail in a co-axial configuration, a first leg slidably attached to the first rail, and a second leg slidably attached to the second rail. The first leg and the second leg are for supporting the first and second rails at a distance away from a surface.
Description
- This application claims priority to, the benefit of the filing date of, and hereby incorporates herein by reference, U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/842,922, entitled “Asset Protection Railing,” and filed Sep. 7, 2006.
- Not Applicable.
- The present embodiments relate to railing and are more particularly directed to railing that may be mounted to protect nearby assets from damage that may be caused without the protection provided by the railing.
- Protective railing is used in various environments, with consumer shopping areas being a key example. In these environments such as stores, rails are often affixed to the ground near an item to be protected by the rail. For example, in a grocery or other store, often a rail is affixed to the ground several inches from and relatively parallel to the bottom edge of a refrigerated case or other structure that will benefit by a barrier mounted near the floor and adjacent the case. As a result, if a consumer approaches the refrigerated case with a grocery cart, the cart will make contact with the rail rather than the case, thereby protecting the case from damage. Indeed, even greater damage could be inflicted on such a case by machinery in the store, such as those devices used to move stock into the store (e.g., hand pulled or motorized pallet mover); again, however, the rail provides a buffer area and barrier to prevent such a device from making contact with the case. As a result, the case, which may be substantially expensive to repair or replace, is protected from damage. Protective railing may be used in other locations and in other forms. For example, the rear area of a store, which typically is not frequented by consumers but is used for stock and for shipping and delivery, may include various items that also require protection of the type described above. These areas of the store may tend to be less appealing in terms of aesthetics, but may require equal if not stronger safety protection. Indeed, movement of stock or other items tends to be more prevalent, with lesser caution, and often of greater loads in these areas and, thus, protection railing may be used in such areas as well.
- Protection railing in the prior art takes various forms, but for sake of contrast with numerous inventive aspects described later a certain typical implementation is now described. Consider an instance where a store includes a refrigerated case with a generally rectangular perimeter that is 32 feet long and 8 feet wide. In the prior art, typically posts, also referred to as bollards, are installed near each of the four corners of the case. For example, each such post is six feet in length and four inches in diameter and is installed by forming a two foot deep hole in the ground near the corner of the case, and the post is then affixed (e.g., cemented) into the hole so that four feet of the post extends vertically from the ground. In this manner, therefore, there can be one such post, for a total of four, nearby each respective corner of the refrigerated case. Thus, these posts protect the corners of the case, while railing is then used to protect the length and width of the case as between the posts, as discussed below.
- In the prior art, typically a store orders railing for use between the posts discussed above based on the distance remaining between the posts. Thus, in the scenario above, if each of the four corner posts is precisely located as described, there may be 32 feet along both length dimensions of the case and between the posts and 8 feet along both width dimensions of the case and between the posts (assuming the posts are mounted outward of the corners of the case at a certain distance). As a result, typically the store will order sets of railing for each of these dimensions, that is, two sets to extend 32 feet or less and two sets to extend 8 feet or less. In response, a manufacturer of the railing will at its facility cut steel or aluminum tubing or pipe to extend these lengths and ship the resultant railing to the store for installation. Note that for lengthy spans, such as 8 or 10 feet or greater, typically the manufacturer will cut multiple pieces, usually of the same length. Thus, for the 32 foot span described above, the manufacturer may cut 4 lengths of rails, each being 7
feet 10 inches. Moreover, note that the prior art manufacturer often welds fixed position lengths extending perpendicularly from the rail to serve as legs for installation. Thus, when these pipes arrive at the store, each 7foot 10 inch length is installed by mounting its legs to the floor, with a few inch gap between it and the next adjacent 7foot 10 inch length, thereby filling most of the 32 feet between the posts mounted at the corners along the 32 foot length span of the refrigerated case. Similarly, a single such rail may be mounted to span the 8 foot span along the width of the refrigerated case. - While the preceding represents a common prior art approach for floor mounted railing, the present inventor has observed numerous drawbacks of that art. For example, the preceding example assumes that each of the four corner posts is precisely and symmetrically located with respect to an adjacent corner of the refrigerated case. Naturally, in a typical implementation, factors such as human error may cause the posts to be asymmetrically located. Thus, instead of having two 32 foot spans along the case length between posts and two 8 foot spans along the case width between the posts, there could be differences of one or even several inches. Thus, the store is left to measure each such distance and then require the manufacturer to custom cut pipes for each potentially different span. This is quite inefficient and also may require multiple iterations if the store's measurements are inaccurate, if the cuts made at a distant location are inaccurate, or if the measurements are not made and symmetry between the posts is assumed and later found not to be the case. The prior art suffers other drawbacks as well. As another example of such a drawback, for lengthy spans such as the 32 foot example above, as mentioned that span typically is covered by installing numerous smaller length pipes/rails with gaps between each rail. At the ends of each such pipe, often a plastic cap is attached for safety and/or aesthetics. Thus, where there are four rails, and with each rail having a cap at each of its two ends, there are a total of eight caps, with each cap posing a potential problem. For example, any such cap may be removed by a curious person or otherwise become detached, such as from routine impacts with the rail. Once a cap is off, the rail end is exposed, which some people find unappealing in look and it also may present a potential safety hazard. As still another example of a drawback, the welded legs used for mounting the railing to the floor in the prior art also require a certain amount of precision in installation, that is, the holes cut in the floor for each leg must be the same distance apart as the legs themselves. The need for such precision increases the time for installation and increases the chance of error, with additional time lost in correcting the error and potentially an unsightly result. Still other drawbacks will be ascertainable by one skilled in the art.
- Thus, while the preceding approach has useful application, the present inventor has discovered that it may be improved upon. Such improvements are borne out in the preferred embodiments, as discussed below.
- In one preferred embodiment, there is a railing system. The system comprises a first rail comprising an axis and a second rail comprising an axis. The system also comprises a mechanism for coupling the first rail to the second rail in a co-axial configuration, a first leg slidably attached to the first rail, and a second leg slidably attached to the second rail. The first leg and the second leg are for supporting the first and second rails at a distance away from a surface.
- Other embodiments and aspects are also disclosed and claimed.
-
FIG. 1 illustrates an inventive railing system with rails, legs, and a receptacle floor mount for coupling the legs and rails to a surface, such as the ground. -
FIG. 2 illustrates the receptacle floor mount ofFIG. 1 in greater detail, including a hollow receptacle portion and a rubber anchor that encircles a portion of the length of the receptacle. -
FIG. 3 illustrates the leg and cuff ofFIG. 1 in greater detail, including the slidable relationship of the inner diameter of the cuff along the outer diameter of the rail. -
FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative cuff per another embodiment. -
FIG. 5 illustrates a first and second rail for coupling to one another with both a protrusion extending from a first rail and having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the second rail and a collar attached to the first rail and with an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of the second rail. -
FIG. 6 illustrates a metal plug for connecting into the end of a rail. -
FIGS. 7 a and 7 b illustrate an alternative preferred embodiment where each rail has a cuff that slides over a respective member, such as a post, to retain the rails in a fixed relationship relative to the posts and the surface to which the posts are connected. -
FIG. 8 illustrates an example of an implementation of a rail system per the preferred embodiment and affixed relative to the ground and a refrigeration case, such as may be implemented in a grocery department or store. -
FIG. 1 illustrates various inventive aspects that may be used in an overall inventive railing system indicated generally at 10. By way of introduction,system 10 includes amale rail 20 and afemale rail 30 that may be fitted to one another as detailed later to provide a continuous rail structure for purposes such as protecting assets as described above in the Background Of The Invention section of this document.Male rail 20 includes acylindrical rail 20 CL and aleg 20 LG that extends generally perpendicular fromcylindrical rail 20 CL. Similarly,female rail 30 includes acylindrical rail 30 CL and aleg 30 LG that extends generally perpendicular fromcylindrical rail 30 CL. Thebottom tips legs single floor mount 40 inFIG. 1 , once such a once floor mount 40 for each such tip is located in the ground. Numerous other details aboutmale rail 20,female rail 30, and floor mount 40 are discussed below. - Turning now to
cylindrical rails FIG. 1 and in greater detail in the preferred embodiment, they are hollow cylinders constructed of steel and more preferably of refrigeration grade stainless steel, so as to resist rust, corrosion, and the like under various conditions. Further, preferably bothcylindrical rails male rail 20, it further includes aprotrusion 20 PT, extending from anend 20 E of the rail. In the preferred embodiment,protrusion 20 PT is a separate cylinder (hollow or solid) that fits within and is affixed to the inner diameter ofcylindrical rail 20 CL, where the affixation may be by way of welding or other manner ascertainable by one skilled in the art. Further, the length ofprotrusion 20 PT extending fromend 20 E is preferably the same length to whichprotrusion 20 PT extends withincylindrical rail 20 CL; of course, in the perspective ofFIG. 1 , this extension ofprotrusion 20 PT withincylindrical rail 20 CL is shown by way of dashed lines. Thus, for sake of example, assume inFIG. 1 thatprotrusion 20 PT extends 6 inches externally fromcylindrical rail 20 CL and, thus, those 6 inches ofprotrusion 20 PT are visible in the perspective ofFIG. 1 ; likewise, therefore,protrusion 20 PT also extends 6 inches withincylindrical rail 20 CL. - Looking to
legs FIG. 1 and in greater detail, they are preferably constructed of the same material ascylindrical rails 20 CL and 30 CL (e.g., refrigeration grade stainless steel). Thus,legs cylindrical rails Legs leg 20 LG with the understanding that the following applies equally toleg 30 LG.Let 20 LG is formed to include ahollow cuff 20 CF and asupport 20 ST, where these two are fixed perpendicular to one another, preferably by welding or the like.Cuff 20 CF has a cylindrical inner diameter sized so as to be slidable along the outer diameter ofcylindrical rail 20 CL; thus, in the example above where the outer diameter ofcylindrical rail 20 CL is 2 inches, then the inner diameter ofcuff 20 CF may be approximately 2.18 inches. As a result,leg 20 LG may be positioned as shown inFIG. 1 by slidingcuff 20 CF onto theextreme end 20 EE ofprotrusion 20 PT and then movingcuff 20 CF axially alongcylindrical rail 20 CL to the position shown inFIG. 1 .Cuff 20 CF has a width W1 of 3 inches in the axial direction ofcylindrical rail 20 CL, and as detailed latercuff 20 CF, once positioned as desired, may be fixed in position relative tocylindrical rail 20 CL by way of aset screw 20 SS or set screws such as those with an allen wrench head. Moreover, note the outer diameter ofcuff 20 CF may be generally uniform or, alternatively as shown inFIG. 1 , the diameter ofcuff 20 CF may be larger toward its middle and taper downward to the outer length of the cuff. In any event, oncecuff 20 CF is so fixed in position, then support 20 ST provides a support to cuff 20 CF and, thus, necessarily also provides a support tocylindrical rail 20 CL andprotrusion 20 PT. Also in this regard,support 20 ST may be of any desired length, where in the example hereinsupport 20 ST is 8 inches longs. - Looking to
floor mount 40 inFIG. 1 and in greater detail, it includes two pieces, namely, aflanged receptacle 40 FR and ananchor 40 AN, as are also shown in a different perspective and separated inFIG. 2 . Indeed, as shown in greater detail inFIG. 2 ,flanged receptacle 40 FR has aflange 40 FL at one end and ahollow receptacle 40 RC extending away from thatflange 40 FL. Thus, returning briefly toFIG. 1 , the open end ofhollow receptacle 40 RC is for receivingtip 20 TP ortip 30 TP of aleg flange 40 FL and, thus, the inner diameter ofreceptacle 40 RC is sized to receive the outer diameter of eitherleg leg receptacle 40 RC is 0.78 inches. Returning toFIG. 2 ,anchor 40 AN preferably is formed of rubber and is generally a cylindrical piece of rubber with an inner diameter sized to force-fit slide over the outer diameter ofreceptacle 40 FR; thus, the inner diameter ofanchor 40 AN may be approximately 0.823 inches. Further, a number ofribs 40 AR are axially oriented around the outer circumference ofanchor 40 AN, with the example ofFIG. 2 illustrating eight such ribs, and such ribs may therefore effectively extend the outer diameter ofanchor 40 AN to approximately 0.90 inches. Lastly, in the preferred embodiment, the length L1 ofanchor 40 AN is preferably shorter than the length L2 ofreceptacle 40 RC, where by example length L1 may be 2.25 inches while length L2 may be 2.625 inches. This relationship of lengths avoids bottlenecking ofanchor 40 AN aroundreceptacle 40 RC during installation, as detailed later. - The installation of
system 10 inFIGS. 1 and 2 is now described, with the installed product shown inFIG. 3 . In the preferred embodiment, an installer determines the total desired length of a rail. For example, assume that the installer desires a rail that spans 15 feet 6 inches. Toward this end, the installer obtains amale rail 20 and afemale rail 30 with combinedcylindrical rail lengths male rail 20 of a standard length, such as with itscylindrical rail 20 CL of 8 feet (and itsprotrusion 20 PT extending 6 inches beyond that 8 feet) and afemale rail 30 of a standard length, such as with itscylindrical rail 30 CL of 8 feet. Next, the installer cutsfemale rail 30 to a length so that itscylindrical rail 30 CL, when combined with thecylindrical rail 20 CL ofmale rail 20, will total the entire desired span. Thus, in the present example wherein the desired span is 15 feet 6 inches, thencylindrical rail 30 CL offemale 30 is cut to a length of 7 feet 6 inches, so that it may be combined with the standard 8 foot length ofcylindrical rail 20 CL ofmale rail 20 so as to span 15 feet 6 inches. Note than any appropriate cutting device may be used given the material used to formfemale rail 30, where in the preferred embodiment when that material is steel then examples of an appropriate cutting device would be a hot saw or carbide diamond tip blade. Oncefemale rail 30 is cut to the desired length, then thehollow end 30 E offemale rail 30 is positioned to fit around, and slid toward,protrusion 20 PT ofmale rail 20; thus, the outer diameter ofprotrusion 20 PT fits within the inner diameter offemale rail 30.Female rail 30 andmale rail 20 are then pushed together untilend 20 E ofcylindrical rail 20 CL contacts end 30 E ofcylindrical rail 30 CL. Thus, at thispoint protrusion 20 PT is entirely encased and no longer visible, as it resides insidefemale rail 30. Moreover, with the cutting described above, then at this pointcylindrical rail 20 CL andcylindrical rail 30 CL combine to form a continuous rail of length 15 feet 6 inches, that is, the longitudinal axis of each cylindrical rail is co-linear to form a single line spanning 15 feet 6 inches. Still further, because both ofcuff 20 CF andcuff 30 CF are slidable along the outer diameter of the respectivecylindrical rail 20 CL andcylindrical rail 30 CL, then either cuff may be slid to cover the interface that exists where ends 20 E and 30 E meet. Toward this end, note inFIG. 3 that a single cuff XCF is shown and it is to be understood that cuff XCF is covering an interface in this manner, where to illustrate this covering aspect inFIG. 3 an interface is shown by way of a dashed line where ends 20 E and 30 E meet. In addition and as detailed later, the preferred embodiments include other alternatives for a cuff to cover the interface between two rails, whether both are female rails or one is male and one is female, as also discussed later. -
FIG. 3 also illustrates the result ofsystem 10 after the installation of a leg XLG into a ground surface GS, where leg XLG may represent eitherleg 20 LG orleg 30 LG fromFIG. 1 . In the preferred embodiment and to accomplish this installation, first a hole is formed in ground surface GS, where the diameter and length of that hole is to accommodatefloor mount 40, shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 . Thus, whereanchor 40 AN is 0.823 inches in diameter, then a hole of 1.0 inch in diameter is formed in ground surface GS. Next,anchor 40 AN is positioned around the lower portion offlanged receptacle 40 FR and preferably the combination is force fitted into the hole in ground surface GS, such as by use of a rubber mallet or the like. Alternatively or additionally, an adhesive may be used in this regard, but the preferred pieces ofmount 40 permit the advantageous elimination of such adhesives in various installations. Particularly, asmount 40 is driven into ground surface GS,anchor 40 AN and theribs 40 AR thereon will friction fit into the ground hole while also creating retaining force against the outer diameter offrame receptacle 40 FR. Thus, in this manner, mount 40 is retained firmly within ground surface GS, and indeed may remain in the ground without the use of an adhesive. Moreover, becauseanchor 40 AN is shorter in length thanflanged receptacle 40 FR, then anchor 40 AN is able to move and compress sufficiently so as to avoid bottlenecking of the rubber where if such bottlenecking were otherwise to occur it could causemount 40 to not seat satisfactorily within the ground. In any event, once mount 40 is in the ground, the bottom tip (e.g., 20 TP or 30 TP inFIG. 1 ) of leg XLG is inserted into the hollow end offlange 40 FL, thereby extending into the length offlanged receptacle 40 FR. Here again, with the preferred outer diameter of leg XLG sized relative to the preferred inner diameter offlanged receptacle 40 FR, then the fitting relationship between the two may be maintained without the use of adhesives, where in an alternative embodiment such a relationship may be further maintained with an adhesive if desired. In any event, once leg XLG is so positioned, then it provides support to its respective cuff XCF, thereby further supporting bothmale rail 20 andfemale rail 30, as shown in the final result ofFIG. 3 . - Before proceeding with additional inventive aspects, various observations are now noteworthy with respect to benefits provided by
system 10 as has thus far been described and in contrast to the prior art. Specifically, the Background Of The Invention section of this document describes various drawbacks of the prior art, specifically including: (i) the use of separate rails with gaps between them for spans beyond a certain distance; (ii) the use of fixed legs; and (iii) the troubles that arise when dimensions are not as expected, such as between asymmetrically located posts. The preferred embodiments eliminate each of these issues. First, with the connection of a male and female rail, a continuous metal rail is provided in that there is no gap as between one rail and the next, sinceprotrusion 20 PT couplesmale rail 20 andfemale rail 30. Thus, unlike the prior art, there is greater structural integrity along a lengthy span, and arguably aesthetics are likewise improved in that there are no visible interruptions from one rail to the next in a linear dimension. Further, the preferred embodiment includes legs that are slidable in the axial direction with respect to the rails, thereby permitting the covering of rail interfaces as described above and/or alternatively permitting legs to be moved to various locations along the rail so as to permit the installation of the legs into a ground surface at different locations. Lastly and perhaps most importantly in terms of economics, complexity, and customization, the preferred embodiment provides great latitude for on-sight installation while accommodating varying spans as may be incurred at the location desiring the installation. For example, in the instance wheremale rail 20 andfemale rail 30 are both 8 feet in length, note thatfemale rail 30 may be cut down to a size anywhere from 6 inches to 8 feet in length. Thus, in combination with the 8 footmale rail 20, the two provide a span of anywhere between 8.5 feet and 16 feet as may be achieved on site with the teachings of this document as well as installation details provided later. Still further, more than two rails may be coupled in this manner, where for example a rail may include a male end and a female end, whereby successive ones of such rails may be coupled together with the male end of one such rail connected to the female end of a next rail, where the male end of that female-containing rail is coupled to a next rail, and so forth where the last coupled rail requires only female ends. Alternatively, and for example to reduce cost in using multiple rails where each has both a male and female end, then one rail with one male end and one female end can be combined with multiple rails each having two female ends, whereby the cut to ensure the desired length of the entirety of the span of the rails is made to only one female and where one female rail end may be located touching or near a different female rail end, where both such ends are positioned close to one another or touching within the interior of a cuff for purposes of rigidity and aesthetics. These aspects are in stark contrast to the manner of the prior art where on site measurements must be made and conveyed to a manufacturer, then materials are shipped, and then the shipped materials must be matched to the specific location of the measurements and installed only in that area. Clearly, therefore, the preferred embodiments provide numerous advantages. -
FIG. 4 illustratessystem 10 ofFIG. 1 with an alternative cuff 50 CF that also may be used in a preferred embodiment. Particularly, in one embodiment, in the axial direction ofrails FIG. 1 , although a distinction is that cuff 50 CF does not include a leg or other perpendicular extension. Moreover, also in a preferred embodiment, the width W2 of cuff 50 CF in the axially direction relative torails end 30 E offemale rail 30 and ends 30 E and 20 E are brought to contact one another; thereafter, cuff 50 CF is preferably slid over the interface that thereby results at ends 30 E and 20 E to prevent exposure of that interface. Moreover, once cuff 50 CF is so positioned, it may be affixed in this position relative to the interface by tightening a set screw 50 SS. In any event, therefore, any risk of injury as well as any undesirable aesthetic association from that interface is prevented by covering that interface from external contact. Thus, cuff 50 CF provides various of the same functions as cuff 20 CF (or cuff 30 CF), but does so without the addition of a protruding leg and may be less noticeable given the lack of that leg and the preferable reduction of width W2 as compared to width W1. - Further in connection with
FIG. 4 , note that certain additional modifications may be made to cuff 50 CF. For example, cuffs 20 CF and 30 CF inFIG. 1 are shown to have a changing outer diameter whereby that diameter is larger toward the cuff middle and tapers downward to smaller diameters in the direction toward the outer length of the cuff. In contrast, cuff 50 CF may be made with a uniform outer diameter. In addition, also in a preferred embodiment, an annular ring may be fixed inside the inner cylindrical diameter of the cuff 50 CF and with the ring having a slightly smaller diameter than the cylinder inner diameter. As a result, the annular ring provides a stop when either end 20 E or 30 E is inserted inside the cuff, that is, each such end will only penetrate just short of half the axial length of the interior of cuff 50 CF and then make contact with the ring, thereby keeping the cuff and cylindrical rail fixed relative to one another and also, if desired, eliminating the need for any type of set screw adjustment. -
FIG. 5 illustratessystem 10 ofFIG. 1 with an alternative cuff 60 CF that also may be used in a preferred embodiment. Preferably cuff 60 CF has the same dimensions as cuff 50 CF ofFIG. 4 . However, in contrast, cuff 60 CF is affixed in the position illustrated inFIG. 5 at the time of manufacture, such as via welding or the like. Thus, in the preferred embodiment and as shown inFIG. 5 , cuff 60 CF is affixed so that its inner diameter coversedge 20 E ofcylindrical rail 20 CL beforerails edge 30 E ofcylindrical rail 30 CL oncecylindrical rail 30 CL is slid overprotrusion 20 PT to bringedges FIG. 5 and thereby avoids additional work by the installer and also eliminates the possibility of the installer failing to include a cuff that would otherwise cover an interface between two joined rails. -
FIG. 6 illustrates another aspect of thepreferred embodiment system 10 of the preceding Figures. Specifically,FIG. 6 illustrates a terminal end TE of eithercylindrical rail 20 CL orcylindrical rail 30 CL and at the opposite ends of each rail as compared to theends rounded metal plug 10 PG. In the preferred embodiment, plug 10 PG is formed of a same type of metal ascylindrical rails FIG. 6 and preferably is enclosed by aplug 10 PG. Thus, unlike the prior art where each rail has a gap between it and the next rail and, therefore, also has two plugs per each rail, the preferred embodiment provides for multiple rails in a continuous span with no gaps between these rails and only plugs at each end of the span. -
FIGS. 7 a and 7 b illustrate asystem 100 as an additional inventive preferred embodiment and that shares certain aspects with embodiments described above.System 100 is for use in connection with two (or more) posts 110 P1 and 110 P2, also sometimes referred to in certain architectures as bollards.System 100 includes amale rail 120 and afemale rail 130 that may be fitted to one another to provide a continuous rail structure, again for purposes such as protecting assets as described above in the Background Of The Invention section of this document and here between posts 110 P1 and 110 P2. As shown inFIG. 7 a,male rail 120 includes acylindrical rail 120 CL that extends generally perpendicularly from the axis of a cylindricalhollow cuff 120 CF, wherecuff 120 CF ultimately is to be slid over and around the outer diameter of a post such as post 110 P1; thus, a preferred inner diameter ofcuff 120 CF is 4.5 inches. Similarly,female rail 130 includes acylindrical rail 130 CL that extends generally perpendicularly from the axis of a cylindricalhollow cuff 130 CF, wherecuff 130 CF ultimately is to be slid over and around the outer diameter of a post such as post 110 P2. Preferablycylindrical rail 120 CL andcylindrical rail 130 CL are constructed of steel and a same outer diameter, which by way of example is within a few inches of the diameter of posts 110 P1 and 110 P2 and, therefore, may be in the range of 2 to 3 inches, with an example being 2.5 inches. Further, the length of each rail may be the same, such as 4 feet from its cuff to the end of itscylindrical rail portion - Continuing in
FIG. 7 a,male rail 120 includes aprotrusion 120 PT, extending from anend 120 E of the rail. In the preferred embodiment,protrusion 120 PT is a separate cylinder that fits within and is affixed to the inner diameter ofcylindrical rail 120 CL, where the affixation may be by way of welding or other manner ascertainable by one skilled in the art. Thus, the outer diameter ofprotrusion 120 PT in the present example may be approximately 2.375 inches, assuming therefore that the inner diameter ofcylindrical rail 120 CL is slightly larger and therefore thatprotrusion 120 PT may be inserted and affixed into that inner diameter ofrail 120 CL. Further, the length ofprotrusion 120 PT extending fromend 120 E is preferably the same length to whichprotrusion 120 PT extends withincylindrical rail 120 CL; in the perspective ofFIG. 7 a, this extension ofprotrusion 120 PT withincylindrical rail 120 CL is shown by way of dashed lines. In any event, for sake of example, assume inFIG. 7 a thatprotrusion 120 PT extends 6 inches externally fromcylindrical rail 120 CL and, thus, those 6 inches ofprotrusion 120 PT are visible in the perspective ofFIG. 7 a, and likewise thereforeprotrusion 120 PT also extends 6 inches withincylindrical rail 120 CL. - The installation of
system 100 inFIGS. 7 a and 7 b is now described, with the installed product shown inFIG. 7 b. In the preferred embodiment, an installer determines the total desired length of a rail to span between two posts such as posts 110 P1 and 110 P2. For example, assume that the installer desires a rail that spans 5 feet, 6 inches. Toward this end, the installer obtains amale rail 120 and afemale rail 130 that, when combined in length from cuff torespective ends cylindrical rail 120 CL of 2 feet (and itsprotrusion 120 PT extending 6 inches beyond that 2 feet) and withcylindrical rail 130 CL of 4 feet. Next, the installer cutsfemale rail 130 to a length so that itscylindrical rail 130 CL, when combined with thecylindrical rail 120 CL ofmale rail 20, will total the entire desired span. Thus, in the present example wherein the desired span is 5 feet 6 inches, thencylindrical rail 130 CL is cut to a length of 3 feet 6 inches, so that it may be combined with the 2 foot length ofcylindrical rail 120 CL ofmale rail 120 so as to span 5 feet 6 inches. Note than any appropriate cutting device may be used given the material used to formfemale rail 130. Oncefemale rail 130 is cut to the desired length, then thehollow end 130 E offemale rail 130 is positioned to fit around, and slid toward,protrusion 120 PT ofmale rail 120.Female rail 130 andmale rail 120 are then pushed together untilend 120 E ofcylindrical rail 120 CL contacts end 130 E ofcylindrical rail 130 CL. While not shown inFIGS. 7 a and 7 b, a cuff comparable to that in eitherFIG. 4 orFIG. 5 , but sized accordingly, also may be located on either rail prior to joining the rails to one another and to thereby cover the interface that will occur atedges protrusion 120 PT is entirely encased and no longer visible, as it resides insidefemale rail 130. Moreover, with the cutting described above, then at this pointcylindrical rail 120 CL andcylindrical rail 130 CL combine to form a continuous rail of length 5 feet 6 inches. In any event, with the rails joined in this manner, at this point cuffs 120 CF and 130 CF are slid over posts 110 P1 and 110 P2, respectively. Finally, note that while not shown, preferably eachsuch cuff - Given
system 100, note that it shares various benefits withsystem 10 described above and further provides a mechanism of protection between posts or bollards where in the prior art it is believed typically such posts alone are used to provide protection with no structure between such posts. Thus, again with the connection of a male and female rail, a continuous metal rail is provided and great latitude is provided for on-sight installation while accommodating varying spans as may be incurred at the location desiring the installation. -
FIG. 8 illustrates an example of implementation of arail system 10 per the preferred embodiment and affixed relative to the surface SF of the ground and a refrigeration case 200, such as may be implemented in a grocery department or store. The illustration ofFIG. 8 is merely for context and is not necessarily to scale or with precise locations of the elements ofsystem 10. In general, therefore,system 10 is shown to be constructed and mounted relative to two aligned refrigerator cases 200 1 and 200 2. Thus, near the extending corners of case 200 1 are locatedrespective posts 10 P1 and 100 P2 (or bollards). Also, along the width and length of case 200 1, and extending partially along the length of case 200 2 shown in the partial cutaway perspective ofFIG. 8 , are rails labeled 20/30, because each such rail may have a male end and a female end or just female ends as described earlier in the document, where in any event preferably the interface between two adjoining rails is enclosed within a respective cuff XCF. Further, while only a few such cuffs XCF are shown, the number and positioning thereof may be adjusted by one skilled in the art based on various criteria, including desired support, length of railing, aesthetics, and the like. Lastly, for sake of context, a cart CT is shownnearby system 10 so that it may be appreciated that if cart CT is advanced toward cases 200 1 and 200 2, it will be stopped from making contact with those cases by instead first contactingsystem 10; also in this regard, the length of the illustrated legs XLG may be selected to support therails 20/30 at a desired distance from surface SF (e.g., the store floor or ground) and that also is likely to coincide with the height of the lower structure of cart CT, that issystem 10 is positioned at a desirable height in an effort to likely come in contact with cart CT before cart CT contacts case 200 1 and 200 2. Lastly, note that whilerails 20/30 are shown with ends near but not attached to posts 100P1 and 110P2, in an alternative embodiment the inventive teachings ofFIGS. 7 a and 7 b may be implemented at each corner or ninety degree connection, whereby either separate cuffs are used for each rail in a different dimension or a cuff is formed with railing extending in different directions, such as with one extension along the width of case 200 1 and another extension along the length of case 200 1. - Having illustrated an example of the implementation environment of
system 10 inFIG. 8 , the following is one set of installation instructions for that system. First, unconnected rails are laid out in front of (or around) the item (e.g., case) to be protected. A chalk line may be used to depict the desired position of the rails relative to the case, such as ½ inch from the outer perimeter of the case. Next, each leg/cuff XLG/LCF combination is slid onto the railing or located relative to the desired railing position or chalk line, and preferably at least one leg/cuff XLG/LCF is positioned 12 inches from eachrespective plug 10 PG. In addition, in order to cover an eventual interface between two separate rails, an additional leg/cuff may be planned to be positioned in the surface at the location of that interface, that is, so that such a cuff will eventually cover the interface. Next, a line is traced on the surface (e.g., floor) at each location into which a leg will be affixed, where the trace is around the outer perimeter of theleg support 20 ST. Preferably using a drill, a hole is formed into the surface at the trace location, where the depth of the hole may be approximately 3 inches or other appropriate depth to accommodate thereceptacle 40 RC. Next, afloor mount 40 is located in the drilled hole whereby thereceptacle 40 RC, with its surroundinganchor 40 AN, is fitted or struck into this hole, such as using a rubber mallet, until the underside of theflange 40 FL comes in contact with the surface. Next, any adjustments in the lengths ofrails 20/30 may be made by appropriately cutting the female end or ends of one or more rails are to obtain the desired length or span in a direction and if not already, the rails are slid inside the cuffs. For example, if an 8 foot male and an 8 foot female are provided, and if 15 feet of combined span is desired from the rails once coupled, then one foot is cut from the 8 foot female to create a 7 foot female, and that 7 foot female is then mated with the 8 foot male, via the protrusion of the latter, to create a 15 foot span of railing. Finally, the cuffs are slid along the railing (if not already so located) and the bottom tips of each leg XLG are placed into respective anchor receptacles; preferably, the cuff is further attached to the rail by adjusting itsrespective set screw 20 SS. - From the above, it may be appreciated that the above embodiments provide useful applications in the field of railing to protect assets. While the present embodiments have been described in detail, various substitutions, modifications or alterations could be made to the descriptions set forth above without departing from the inventive scope. For example, note that while only two rails are shown as adjacent to one another herein, more than two such rails may be joined using various of the described approaches either using a male female coupling or by way of a cuff as between two females. For example, in a span of 31.5 feet, two 8 foot females and a third 7.5 foot female could be positioned linearly and end to end with respect to one another, with cuffs coupling the ends of the females to provide a 23.5 continuous span. Next, an 8 foot male, with a 6 inch protrusion, could be joined to either end of the continuous female span, thereby completing the span at 31.5 feet. Naturally, where welded plugs 10 PG such as shown in
FIG. 6 are included, the non-coupling end of the male rail in this example would include such a plug as would only one end of the female that is farthest from the male. Still other combinations of the aspects described herein will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, where the inventive scope is therefore instead depicted in the following claims.
Claims (21)
1. A railing system, comprising:
a first rail comprising an axis;
a second rail comprising an axis;
a mechanism for coupling the first rail to the second rail in a co-axial configuration;
a first leg slidably attached to the first rail; and
a second leg slidably attached to the second rail, wherein the first leg and the second leg are for supporting the first and second rails at a distance away from a surface.
2. The system of claim 1 :
wherein the first rail comprises a cylindrical shape and the axis of the first rail extends along a length of the cylindrical shape of the first rail;
wherein the second rail comprises a cylindrical shape and the axis of the second rail extends along a length of the cylindrical shape of the second rail.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein the mechanism for coupling comprises a cylindrical shape member extending from the first rail and for mating with an interior of the second rail.
4. The system of claim 3 wherein the cylindrical shape member extends an equal distance into an interior of the first rail and away from an end of the first rail.
5. The system of claim 3 and further comprising:
a first coupler for positioning in the surface and receiving an end of the first leg; and
a second coupler for positioning in the surface and receiving an end of the second leg.
6. The system of claim 5 wherein the first coupler and the second coupler comprise rubber.
7. The system of claim 5 wherein the first coupler and the second coupler each comprise:
a receptacle for extending a length into the surface and for receiving an end of the first leg or the second leg; and
a rubber member for encircling an outer portion but less than an entirety of the length.
8. The system of claim 2 wherein each of the first leg and the second leg comprises:
a cuff having an inner diameter for sliding along an outer diameter of the cylindrical shape of either the first rail or the second rail; and
a member extending away from the cuff and for coupling to the surface.
9. The system of claim 8 and further comprising means for affixing the cuff to the outer diameter.
10. The system of claim 8 wherein the cuff has a uniform outer diameter.
11. The system of claim 8 wherein the cuff has a first outer diameter toward a middle location and a second outer diameter, smaller than the first outer diameter, away from the middle location.
12. The system of claim 1 :
wherein the mechanism forms an interface between the first rail and the second rail; and
wherein either the first leg or the second leg comprises a member for covering the interface.
13. The system of claim 12 wherein each of the first leg and the second leg comprises a cuff having an inner diameter for sliding along an outer diameter of a cylindrical shape of either the first rail or the second rail, wherein the cuff is slidable for covering the interface.
14. The system of claim 1 :
wherein the first rail comprises a cylindrical shape;
wherein the second rail comprises a cylindrical shape;
wherein the co-axial configuration is between the axis of the first rail and the axis of the second rail; and
wherein the mechanism for coupling comprises:
a first cylindrical shape member having an outer diameter less than an outer diameter of the first rail and extending from the first rail and for mating with an interior of the second rail; and
a second cylindrical shape member having an inner diameter greater than an outer diameter of the second rail and extending from the first rail and for mating with an exterior of the second rail.
15. The system of claim 14 wherein the second cylindrical shape member further comprises an annular ring along its inner perimeter.
16. The system of claim 1 wherein the first rail and the second rail comprise stainless steel.
17. A railing system, comprising:
a first rail comprising a cylindrical shape and having an axis;
a second rail comprising a cylindrical shape and having an axis;
a cylindrical shape member having an outer diameter less than an outer diameter of the first rail and extending from the first rail and for mating with an interior of the second rail for coupling the first rail to the second rail in a co-axial configuration between the axis of the first rail and the axis of the second rail;
a first coupler attached to the first rail; and
a second coupler attached to the second rail, wherein the first coupler and the second coupler are for supporting the first and second rails at a distance away from a surface.
18. The system of claim 17 :
wherein the first coupler comprises a cuff for coupling the first rail to a first member in a generally perpendicular relationship between the first rail and the first member; and
wherein the second coupler comprises a cuff for coupling the second rail to a second member in a generally perpendicular relationship between the second rail and the second member.
19. The system of claim 18 wherein each of the first member and the second member comprise a post affixed to the surface.
20. A railing system, comprising:
a first rail comprising a cylindrical shape and having an axis;
a second rail comprising a cylindrical shape and having an axis;
a cylindrical shape member having an outer diameter less than an outer diameter of the first rail and extending from the first rail and for mating with an interior of the second rail for coupling the first rail to the second rail in a co-axial configuration between the axis of the first rail and the axis of the second rail;
a first leg attached to the first rail; and
a second leg attached to the second rail, wherein the first leg and the second leg are for supporting the first and second rails at a distance away from a surface.
21. A method of constructing a railing system, comprising:
removing a portion of a hollow end of a first rail, the first rail having an axis;
coupling the hollow end to a cylindrical shape member extending from a second rail, the second rail having an axis, such that first rail is aligned with the second rail in a co-axial configuration between the axis of the first rail and the axis of the second rail;
sliding a first leg to a first position relative to the first rail and fixing the first leg in the first position;
sliding a second leg to a second position relative to the second rail and fixing the second leg in the second position; and
affixing the first leg and the second leg to a surface.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/851,561 US20080061281A1 (en) | 2006-09-07 | 2007-09-07 | Asset Protection Railing |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US84292206P | 2006-09-07 | 2006-09-07 | |
US11/851,561 US20080061281A1 (en) | 2006-09-07 | 2007-09-07 | Asset Protection Railing |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20080061281A1 true US20080061281A1 (en) | 2008-03-13 |
Family
ID=39168640
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/851,561 Abandoned US20080061281A1 (en) | 2006-09-07 | 2007-09-07 | Asset Protection Railing |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20080061281A1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB2581532A (en) * | 2019-02-25 | 2020-08-26 | Mccue Int Inc | Flange anchor |
CN112900308A (en) * | 2021-01-31 | 2021-06-04 | 安徽达尔智能控制系统股份有限公司 | Traffic safety indicating device for high-speed construction road section |
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CN112900308A (en) * | 2021-01-31 | 2021-06-04 | 安徽达尔智能控制系统股份有限公司 | Traffic safety indicating device for high-speed construction road section |
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AS | Assignment |
Owner name: TBT CONSULTING, LLC, OKLAHOMA Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:BOUCHER, MELISSA;REEL/FRAME:019797/0333 Effective date: 20070907 |
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STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
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