US3227477A

US3227477A - Railing holding device

Info

Publication number: US3227477A
Application number: US370853A
Authority: US
Inventors: Theisen John Wesley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-05-28
Filing date: 1964-05-28
Publication date: 1966-01-04
Anticipated expiration: 1983-01-04

Description

Jan. 4, 1966 J. w. THEISEN RAILING HOLDING DEVICE Filed May 28, 1964 A m F IN VENTOR. JH/v 1 1/5545 r 7Z/E/SEA/ A r TOP/YE y United States Patent 3,227,477 RAILING HOLDING DEVICE John Wesley Theisen, 3437 Tulane Ave.,

Long Beach, Calif. Filed May 28, 1964, Ser. No. 370,853 1 Claim. (Cl. 287-56) The present invention relates generally to the field of building construction, and more particularly to a device for removably supporting a railing at any desired position from a tubular metallic upright.

In the construction of railings in the past, it has been the general practice to permanently attach the railing to a sequence of rigid uprights. When such a supported railing has to be replaced, or removed to be refininshed, it has posed a troublesome problem, which in many instances requires a substantial dismantling of the railing structure.

A major object of the present invention is to provide a device that is adapted to support a railing at any desired position relative to a tubular metallic upright, and one that permits quick and easy removal of the supported railing from the upright in the event the railing has to be replaced or refinished.

Another object of the inventionis to supply a device that permits the quick and easy mounting of a railing in a desired position on a tubular metallic upright that can be fabricated from standard, commercially available materials, requires no elaborate plant facilities for the production thereof, and is relatively inexpensive whereby it can be sold at a sufiiciently low price as to encourage its widespread use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for supporting a railing, irrespective of whether the railing is fabricated from solid material such as wood or tubular metallic stock.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description thereof, and from the accompanying drawing illustrating that form, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a railing having both a horizontal and an angularly disposed section which are removably supported by the subject of the present application from two spaced, vertically extending uprights;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the upper portion of one of the uprights, with a stud in a position to be moved through a bore therein, and permanently affixed to the interior surface of the upright;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the railing support mounted on a tubular metallic upright shown supporting a rail on the outer extremity thereof; and

FIGURE 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the device and railing supported thereon, taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 3.

With continuing reference to the drawing for the general arrangement of the invention, it will be seen that a railing A is provided that has a horizontal section and an angularly positioned section 12, each of which is supported from a tubular metallic upright B. The open upper end of each upright B is closed by a cap C, as may best be seen in FIGURES 2 and 3. Each upright also has a transverse bore 14 formed in one wall section thereof disposed at an elevation somewhat less than that at which the railing A is to be supported.

A number of fettered thread weld studs 16 are provided, the transverse cross section of which is substantially less than that of the bores 14, with each stud being adapted to be held in a movable portion 18 of a spot welder 20, and when so held, advanced through one of the bores 14 to place an end 22 of the stud in abutting contact with a section 24 of the interior surface of the tubular upright B that is in alignment with a bore. When the end 22 of the stud engages the section 24, it is immediately welded thereto. The movable portion 18 of the spot welder is sheathed in an electrical insulating material 26 to prevent inadvertent contact between the movable portion and the upright B as the movable portion is moved through the bore 14.

After being welded to the upright B, the stud .16 occupies the position shown in FIGURE 3, where it is in coaxial alignment with the center of the bore 14. An elongate rigid member D is provided that is of such transverse cross section as to be slidably insertable through the bore 14. An end portion 26 of the member D has a longitudinally extending drilled recess 28 formed therein that engages the threaded stud 16 to removably aflix the rigid member D to the upright B.

The member D has a longitudinally extending recess 30 formed in the outer end portion thereof, as can best be seen in FIGURE 3. A tapped transversely positioned bore 32 is formed in the member D and is in communication with the recess 30. A railing supporting member E is provided for each of the uprights B, and-each of the railing supporting members as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, includes a web 34 that has first and

second legs

36 and 38 respectively, depending from the longitudinal edges thereof. The first leg 36 has a bore 40 formed therein of such size as to be slidably movable on the exterior surface of the rigid member D (FIGURE 3). The second leg 38 has a second bore 42 formed therein that is slightly smaller in diameter than the bore 40, and these bores are in coaxial alignment.

When one of the railing supporting members E is mounted on one of the members D as shown in FIGURE 3, the portion of the second leg 38 adjacent the second bore 42 is in abutting contact with the outer extremity of the rigid member D. Each of the webs 34 has at least one opening 44 formed therein through which a screw 46 extends upwardly to engage a tapped bore 48 formed in the railing A.

A number of metallic inserts F are provided each of which is mountable in one of the recesses 30 of one of the members D. Each insert F includes a head 50 that has a shank 52 extending outwardly therefrom. The shank 52 is of such transverse cross section that it is snugly but slidably received within the confines of one of the recesses 30. Each shank 46 has an indentation formed therein that is defined by a circumferentially extending groove 54 formed in the shank.

The sequence of using the invention is as follows. The railing supporting members E are mounted on the members D, with the inserts F then disposed in the recesses 30. The inserts F are locked in place in members E by the use of set screws 50, as shown in FIGURE 3. The railing A is then placed on the supporting members E and attached thereto by screws 46, as best seen in FIG- URES 3 and 4.

From the above description, it will be seen that the railing supporting members E are held at fixed longitudinal poistions on the rigid members E, but may pivot relative thereto, and thus can engage and support either a horizontal section 10 of the railing A or an angularly positioned section 12 of the railing, as shown in FIGURE 1. When it is desired to remove the railing from the uprights B, each set screw 50 is merely rotated in a direction to cause it to move outwardly relative to the inserts F, and the railing A, together with the railing supporting members B then are removable from the members D to permit portions of the railing A to be replaced or refinished.

The use and operation of the invention have been described in detail, and need not be repeated.

Although the present invention is fully capable of achieving the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore mentioned, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiment thereof and I do not mean to be limited to the details of construction herein shown and described, other than as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

A device for holding a railing in any desired position relative to the horizontal from a tubular, upwardly extending metallic support having a transverse bore formed therein, which device includes:

(a) a stud afiixed to the interior surface of said upright in coaxial alignment with said bore;

(b) an elongate rigid member that extends through said bore into the interior of said upright, which member has a longitudinally extending recess in at least the outer portion thereof and a tapped transverse bore formed therein that communicates with said recess;

(c) means on that portion of said member in said upright for afiixing said member to said stud;

(d) a railing supporting member which includes a web having first and second laterally spaced legs depending therefrom, with said first leg having a bore formed therein that slidably engages the exterior surface of said member, and with said second leg having a second bore formed therein of smaller diameter than said first bore and in coaxial alignment with said first and second bores;

(e) an insert including a head and a shank, with said shank being of such diameter as to fit snugly and slidably in said recess and the second bore, which shank has an indentation formed therein that is in alignment with said tapped bore when said head is in abutting contact with an outer surface of said second leg;

(f) means for atfixing said railing to said web; and

(g) a set screw threaded in said tapped bore, which screw extends into said recess to engage said indentation to hold said railing, railing supporting member, and insert in a fixed longitudinal position on said rigid member, but with said railing and railing support being pivotally removable to a desired position relative to said rigid member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,420,671 6/ 1922 Schuette. 1,867,226 7/1932 Martin. 2,691,538 10/1954 Clausen 859 X 2,815,972 12/1957 Lagervall. 3,207,479 9/1965 Talmage et a1.

CARL W. TOMLIN, Primary Examiner.

T. A. LISLE, Assistant Examiner.