US2242427A - Tubular railing and fence construction - Google Patents

Description

May 20, 1941. J. E. HEANUE.

TUBULAR RAILINQ AND FENCE CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct.- 1 2, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR: James E. ifeanue BY W W Y ATTORNEYS.

May 20, 1941. J. E. HEANUE TUBULAR RAILING AND FENCE CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001;. 12, 1938 INVENTOR Jhmes Z. iflzanue, BY W ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 28, 1941 TUBULAR RAILING AND FENCE CONSTRUCTION James E. 'Heanue, Limerick, Pa., assignor to The United Pipe and Supply Company, Inc., town, Pa., a corporat Norrision of Pennsylvania.

Application October 12, 1988, Serial No. 234,588

1 Claim.

This invention in its broader aspects has reference to the joining of tubes in angular or analogous relation and, more particularly, to the permanent juncture of the various components involved in tubular guard railing, fence construction, and the like.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a simplified manner of and means whereby butting tube ends and sections can be more expeditiously and permanently united in predetermined relation, than heretofore, either in the shop or in the field.

Another object is the provision of tubular guard rail construction in which the main and other rails are rigidly united to complementallysectioned stanchions or supports in a novel man.- ner, or without the aid of bolts, rivets, or analogous joining means.

A further object is to provide a tubular guard railing or fence construction that is capable of diversified application, and which is comparatively cheap to manufacture, readily assembled, as well as permanently set up with a. minimum expenditure of time and labor.

Other objects and ancillary advantages will be hereinafter pointed out or become apparent from the following disclosure of typical embodiments of the invention, as illustrated by the accompanying drawings, while the novel features a are more ters-ely defined in the concluding claims.

With the foregoing in view, the present invention consists of the novel manner and means for rigidly uniting tube sections to supporting elements by abutment shapings and composite inserts with regional welds.

In the drawings, in which like reference characters are applied to corresponding parts:

Fig. I is a perspective view of a portion of hand-railing or fence construction embodying the present invention.

Fig. II is a fragmentary broken perspective view of one of the stanchions or supports, top

and supplemental rails including in the preceding View, but drawn to a larger scale for purposes of clarity.

Fig. III is a. vertical section on the plane III-III of Figs. I and II, drawn to a further enlarged scale.

Fig. IV is a horizontal section on the plane IV-IV of Figs. I and II.

I Fig. V is an exploded perspective view of the Grecian or lower cross-joint components.

Fig. VI is a horizontal section on the plane designated VI--VI in Fig. I.

' only of the latter being shown;

plane VIII-NIH of Fig.

Fig. VII is a horizontal section on the plane designated VII-VII in Fig. I.

Fig. VIII is-a horizontal corner section on the Fig. IX is a vertical section on the plane IX-IX of Fig. VIII.

Fig. X is a horizontal section on the plane X-X of Fig. I.

Fig. XI is a perspective view of one type of tube end abutment formation involved in the structure of Fig. I.

Fig. XII is a similar illustration of another end abutment formation included in Fig. I; and,

Fig. XIII is a sectional view of a thirty degree guard rail connection to a supponting vertical.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail, and firstly to Figs. I and II, the guard-railing or fence construction shown comprises tubular stanchions or spaced verticals I, a similar-section upper hand-rail 2, and single, or multiple, lower paralleling corresponding guard-rails 3, one

while the bottom ends of said verticals are adapted for rigid fixture to a suitable foundation or base support in accordance with known practice. It is to be. here remarked, the verticals I and rails 2, 3 are preferably, although not essentially, made from standard stock of even diameter.

Each vertical I, at the upperend, is appropriately and diametrically recessed to provide a seat 4, for the hand rail 2, with upper railaligning straight edges or tips 5, and opposed holes 6 spaced inwardly of said tips, all for purposes later on set forth. At each location for a lower guard-rail or rails 3, the vertical l is provided with diametrically opposed holes I, conveniently at right angles to the holes 6, for reception of a pin 8 having a. previously attached head or connector-plug 9; and after passage of said pin through the holes I a nut or second connector-plug I0 is secured thereto. In connection with the pin 8 and connector plugs 9, ll], it is to be noted the former 8 may be cut to the desired length from suitable bar stock; whereas the plugs 9, II] are preferably suitably formed or drop-forged with an axial bore I I and circumferentially-spaced opposing longitudinal ribs I2, respectively of a diameter for snug fitment therein of the ends of the pin 8, and similar engagement in the aligned ends of the guard-rail sections I3, as readily understandable from Figs. II and IV, more particularly. In practice, the connector-plug 9 is initially applied to the pin 8 and outwardly tack-welded thereto, for example, after which said pin is passed through the holes horizontal ribs I2, for reasons to be hereinafter fully explained.

The upper or hand-rail 2 though not essentially, made up continuous and provided intermediate its beveled ends I8 with spaced holes I9 arranged for registration coaxis preferably, al-

ially over the vertical I, and into each such hole is inserted a diametric stud or pin 20, Fig. 111, having a head or connector-plug 2I,-corresponding with the plugs 9, II] but shorter in length,-said plug being permanently attached to the rail 2 by an annular weld 22, as previously described in connection with the plugs 9, III.

For connecting the beveled end I8 of the handrail 2 to an angularly-related continuation 23 thereof, as well as to the corner stanchion ,or vertical I, Fig. -I, the following procedure is preferably adopted. Referring toFigs. VIII and IX, it will be seen the hand-rail continuation 23 is beveled for abutment with the beveled end I8 at a right angle, for example, and that such ends are joined by a correspondingly-angled connector plug 24 of the same cross-section as the plugs 9, I0 and 2|, previously described. The hand-rail 2 and continuation 23 are also provided with holes 25, 26, respectively, for registration over the ribs 21 of the plug 24 for a purpose later on set forth. The connector-plug 24 is provided with an orifice 28, which, when the parts 2 and 23 are engaged thereon axially registers with conformatory half-round cut-outs 29 in the confronting bevel ends of said parts 2 and 23 at their underside, and through'which is inserted the pin portion 30 of a connector plug 3| whereupon all of said parts are-permanently united by a weld 32, as best understood from Fig. IX. The upper end of the corner vertical I is grooved or cut away to form what may be termed a single half-round tip 33 only, as best shown in Fig. XII, and also provided with opposed holes 34.

When it is desirable to provide a branch guardrail such as 35 in Figs. I and VI, directed at right angles to and in a common plane with the rail 3, a post I is provided with an additional hole 36 circumferentially mid-way between the holes 1 previously described. Into the hole 36 is inserted the short shank portion 31 of a connector-plug 38 in all other respects resembling the plug 2|, whereas the adjoining end of the branch guard-rail 35 is provided with duplicate recesses 39, 40, Fig. XI, at right-angles to one another as well as opposed holes 4| for registration with the ribs 42 of the plug 38, said plug being permanently connected to the post I by a suitable weld 43, prior to assembly of the railing or fence construction. On the other hand, when a similar guard-rail 44 is to be connected to the corner post I, the procedure just explained in respect to a connector plug 38' is adopted, but said guard-rail 44 is formed at its end as shown in Fig. XII; and accordingly corresponding references with a prime exponent are applied in Fig. X to avoid repetitive description.

When it is desired to provide what may be termed a cross-connected guard rail as comprehensively designated 0 in Figs. I and VII, that is to say when axially-aligned guard- rails 45, 46 are arranged at right angles to the guard rail 3, the same procedure is employed as described in connection with the branch guard rail 35, excepting that diametrically opposed holes 45', Fig. VII, are provided in the post I with associated plugs 38", whereas the coactive ends of said rails are of the cross-recessed type shown in 'Fig. XL Accordingly, in this view all parts having equivalents in the preceding description are similarly designated with double-prime exponents for purposes of illustrative differentiation.

In Fig. XIII is shown the adaptation of this invention to an inclined guard-rail 41, 48 as applied to a vertical I. It will be noted the opposed holes 49 are bored through the post in conformity with the inclination of the rails 41, 48, while the ends of said rails are angularly recessed at 50 to conform with such inclination; whereas the connector-plug construction is of the double-ended type described in connection with Figs. II, IV, VI and VII, hence corresponding references are applied with triple prime exponents to obviate otherwise unnecessary overlapping explanatory matter; with the exception it may be here remarked that the holes I1" are disposed at right angles to the planes previously disclosed, or, in other words, supposing the holes I1 horizontally-related, the holes I1"' will be vertically directed.

Having now set forth the structural details of the invention, the manner of assembling and permanently uniting the several components is as follows. First assuming the connector-plugs 20 have been secured to the hand-rail 2, also the plugs 9, I 0 and 38, as desired, to the verticals I, I in the shop, the following procedure is preferably followed in the field, or wherever the railing or fence is to be erected. The posts I, I are successively set-up with the intervening guard rail sections I3, 35, 44, 45 and 48, engaged at their ends on the associated connector plugs 9, I0 and 38; whereupon the hand- rails 2 and 23 are engaged on the studs 20, 30, of the vertical top connector-plugs 2|, 3|, respectively. The several posts I, I are thereupon appropriately anchored, and with the various rail components or sections I3, 35, 44, 45 and 46, in abutment with the associated posts, the several holes 6, I1, 25, 26, 34 and M, are plugged by welds 5| whereby all of the enumerated components are rigidly and permanently united in coactive relation. After the operations just explained are completed, the respective junctures are likewise united by edge welds 52, whereupon the entire railing or fence structure is permanently and rigidly connected as a composite whole.

Without further elaboration, it is thought the merits and advantages of the invention will be fully appreciated, and while preferred types thereof have been explained in detail, itis tobe distinctly understood that said invention is not limited thereto, but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claim.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

A joint for structures, consisting of tubular support and rail with solidconnector plugs, comprising an angularly related continuation for the rail tube, said rail and continuation having the ends beveled 'for confronting abutment across an associated corner support, a connector plug in the corner support free end with a reduced shank projecting above said support; an angled solid plug engageable in the rail tube and continuation abutting ends, said plug and rail abutting ends respectively having an orifice and cutouts for coaction with the corner support connector plug reduced shank, and differential weld junctures uniting the rail tube and. continuation to the corner support and connector plug.

JAMES E. HEANUE.

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