Abstract:
A telescopic seating system with aisle rails in the form of discrete and lightweight uprights. A telescopic seating system, such as a bleacher system or a platform seating system, is equipped with a series of uprights, which are easily movable to positions whereby the seating system can be retracted. The railing system includes discrete lightweight and movable uprights, each having a single closed-loop upper section. The noses of the decks upon which rows of seating are mounted have sockets which receive the lower end of each upright and support the uprights in the aisles of the seating system. Because the uprights are lightweight, discrete and easily moveable, the tendency to use the seating system without installing the handrails is reduced or eliminated.

Description:
This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/019,308, filed Feb. 5, 1998, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/704,493, which was filed on Aug. 20, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,663, issued on Sep. 29, 1998, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 08/704,492 filed Aug. 20, 1996 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,057. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to hand railings for bleachers, platform seating and other telescopic seating arrangements. More particularly, the invention relates to a system of handrails which can be mounted to, removed from, and stored within a telescopic seating assembly. 
     Hand railing systems for bleachers are generally well-known in the prior art. Examples of such systems can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,361,991 (Wiese) and 4,014,522 (Sutter) wherein a sloping upper rail is supported by a plurality of support members extending downwardly from the rail into supports mounted to the underlying telescopic structure. 
     Other more complex systems are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,997,165 (Wiese), 3,788,608 (Raymond et al), and 3,401,918 (Wiese), where the railings include multiple hinges and multiple interconnected and moveable parts. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,523 (Reader) shows simple handrails, but in the context of fixed stadium seats. This railing has a plurality of vertical supports attached at multiple locations to a stadium chair at the end of a row of stadium seats. 
     In telescopic seating systems, there is generally a requirement that the railing be removable from its use position in order for the seating to telescope from the extended position, in which the rows of seating are accessible, to a retracted position, in which the seating assembly occupies a minimum of floor space. Installation and storage of the railings can present problems, especially if hinges are precluded or eliminated from the design, as they often are because of their tendency to snag. The  Life Safety Code Handbook  (1994) at Section 5-2-2.4.4 suggests that handrails have “no projections that might engage loose clothing.” Large handrails which cannot be stored on or near the seating assembly may need to be carried longer distances, by multiple workers. Even if storage is near the location where the seating will be used, assembly of large unhinged rails can be difficult because of alignment problems resulting from large tolerances present in telescopic seating systems. Large and/or complex handrail assemblies are also a problem in that they are heavy and, if dropped, can damage the seating assembly itself or a gymnasium floor. Large or complex handrail assemblies are generally difficult to handle and install and, as a result, installation may be postponed or avoided if a shortage of personnel or time should arise. 
     In instances where a railing does not get installed, either because of a remote storage location or because of a complex assembly, a second hazard emerges, in addition to the absence of a handrail: the hardware used to support the missing handrail can itself be a tripping hazard. This is particularly true of systems which are intended to be installed down the center of an aisle. 
     The present invention solves many of the problems associated with prior art handrail systems used in telescopic seating assemblies. The railing system of the present invention can be easily handled by one person, and its installation is not dependent upon or otherwise complicated by variance in the alignment of sections of the telescopic assembly to which it is mounted. The components of the system of the present invention may be readily stored within the seating assembly with which it is used. In addition, the railing system of the present invention meets all code requirements regarding spacing and the absence of snag and tripping hazards. 
     The invention can be summarized, with reference to a preferred embodiment, as a series of independently supported uprights mounted to the decks of a telescopic seating assembly. Each upright has a single elongated base segment to which is mounted a plate which fits into a support socket afixed to the nose of a deck. A curved section comprised of a series of bent sections extends upwardly and at angles from a base segment to form a closed loop which may be readily grasped by spectators entering and leaving the seating assembly. 
     The objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which show some preferred embodiments of the invention. It will be recognized by persons skilled in the art, however, that the drawings and the embodiments shown and described herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to preclude other versions, modifications, variations or improvements from coming within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, references should be made to the accompanying drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a telescopic seating assembly in an extended position showing uprights of the present invention in their installed position. 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the assembly of FIG. 1 in the retracted position and the uprights in a stowed position. 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 are side and front elevational views, respectively, of an upright of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is an exploded side view of the connection used to support the components of a railing system of the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged exploded front view of the lower end of an upright about to be inserted into a socket in the system of the present invention. 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of an alternative preferred embodiment of an upright made for use in practicing the present invention. 
     FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the curved upper section of the upright shown in FIG.  7 . 
     FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of a railing system of the present invention as utilized on a telescopic platform seating assembly. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 show a bleacher assembly  10  with a handrail system comprised of uprights  12  affixed to the decks  14  of the assembly  10 . As with most bleacher systems, the bleacher assembly  10  includes bleacher seats  16  supported by decks  14 . The decks  14  are supported by vertical framework  22  and horizontal framework  24  to facilitate movement of the assembly to and from the extended position (shown in FIG. 1) and the retracted position (shown in FIG.  2 ). 
     FIG. 2 shows the uprights  12  removed from their supports (see FIG. 5) and stored in the space behind the bleacher seats  16 . 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 show an upright  12  in more detail. Each upright is comprised of a vertically oriented (when installed) base segment  28 . In the version shown here, a tubular metal of generally squared-off cross-section was used, but a rounded or other cross-sectional shape could be used for aesthetic or other reasons. 
     The upright  12  has a curved upper section  30  comprised of a first bent portion  32  which defines an angle of about 90 degrees in the clockwise direction as shown in FIG. 3. A second bent portion  34  extends from the first bent portion  32 , and also defines a 90 degree angle continuing in the clockwise direction. Finally, the loop created by the curved upper section  30  is completed by a third bent portion  36 , also bent in a 90 degree angle, which brings the upper end  35  of the tube used to form the upright back to a position which is adjacent to the upper end of the base segment  38  at a junction  37 . 
     Pin opening or notch  39  is formed on the lower part of the end of the tube which is adjacent to the upper part of the base segment  28 . The purpose of the notch is to allow drainage of liquids used in finishing processes. A weld  41  is used to connect the upper edge of the upper end  35  to a side surface of the base segment  28 . The upright is preferably made of 1.5 inch 14 gauge steel tube stock. 
     At the lower end  31  of the upright  12 , a flat plate  38  is welded to the rear face of the base segment  28 . Perpendicular to the plate  38 , a nut  40  is welded to the lower end  31  of the base segment. As is explained below, the nut  40  is internally threaded so as to receive a set screw  44  (see FIG. 5) used to lock the upright in place. 
     FIG. 5 shows the details of a structure used to support an upright of the present invention. A deck  14  is comprised of plywood flooring  56  carried by horizontally disposed metal subflooring channels  58 . The nose of the deck includes a nosebeam  68  which covers a nose plate  66  disposed at the end of the channel  58 . A standoff  67  is welded to the lower portion of the channel  58 . 
     A bracket  46 , including a horizontal flange  50  and a vertical flange  45  is attached to the metal subfloor channel  58 , to the nose plate  66 , and to the nose beam  68  by three bolts  52 . The bolts  52  all have countersunk heads which fit into countersunk holes in the bracket  46  so as to minimize the tripping and snag hazard associated with the support hardware for the uprights, in the event that the seating assembly is used with the uprights having been installed. The tripping hazard is further minimized by the fact that the bracket  46  wraps neatly around the nose of the deck  14  and projects only slightly upwardly from the upper surface of the deck and slightly forward beyond the nose of the deck. The standoff  54  fits into a hole  60  in the plywood flooring  56 . 
     The plate  38  which is welded to the lower end  31  fits into slots  47  and  49 . The slots  47  and  49  defining a socket  48  are bounded by the vertical flange  45 , cover plates  51  and  53 , and small end plates  55  and  57 . When the bottom edge of the plate  38  abuts the end plates  51  and  53 , the set screw  44 , preferably a hex socket type, may be used to hold the upright in place by holding the plate  38  within slots  47  and  49  which form the socket  48 . 
     To ensure that the step formed by the deck  14  is readily visible, a black contrasting tread is placed on the upper corner of the nose beam  68  covering the upper surface of the nose beam  68  and a forward portion of the plywood flooring  56 . A strip of mylar tape  62  is placed between the tread  64  and the nose beam  68  to cover perforations in the top surface of the nose beam  68 . 
     FIGS. 7 and 8 show an alternative preferred embodiment of the upright  12   a  used in the railing system of the present invention. In this embodiment, the lower end  31   a  is the same as the lower end  31  described above with reference to FIGS. 3,  4  and  5 . Throughout FIG. 7 and 8, the suffix “a” is included in the reference numerals to differentiate the embodiment of these figures from the earlier described upright  12  shown in FIGS. 3,  4  and  5 . However, where similar structural components appear, the same numerical portion of the reference numeral is used. 
     The curved upper portion  30   a  is comprised of a first bent portion  32   a  bent in a clockwise direction about 90 degrees (Angle W). A second bent portion  34   a  extends substantially immediately from the first bent portion  32   a.  The second bent portion  34   a  defines a counterclockwise angle in excess of 180 degrees and leads to a straight portion  35   a,  which is disposed at an angle A, which should be approximately equal to the incline defined by the seating of the system with which the upright is to be used. In the example shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the second bent portion  34   a  defines an angle of 204 degrees, which will result in the straight portion  35   a  being disposed at an angle (A) of 24 degrees with respect to horizontal, if angle W is 90 degrees and the base element  28   a  is vertical. 
     A third bent portion  36   a,  connected by straight section  35   a  to the second bent portion  34   a,  defines an angle Y, which in this example is about 66 degrees. A straight section  37   a  and a 90 degree forth bent portion  39   a  completes the loop defined by the upper curved section  30   a.  The result of the combination of the bent and straight sections is a shape that reassembles a pelican&#39;s head. This shape extends the curved upper portion along the line defined by the incline of the rows of seating and enables the railing to meet the spacing requirements of most, if not all, relevant building codes, while at the same time allowing easy installation and storage of the uprights. All current U.S. building codes require that handrails be designed to carry a force of 200 pounds applied at any point and in any direction along the top curved section of the rail. Lateral extensions of the top curved portion in both directions relative to the base segment  28   a  in FIG. 7, as opposed to extension in only one direction as shown in FIG. 3, minimizes the torsional force which must be carried by both the base segment and the socket shown in FIG.  5 . For rails of equal horizontally projected width, the “pelican head” design rail would carry and transmit about ½ the torsional force due to its load balancing design. Thus, thinner, lighter materials may be used. 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 show a railing system for a telescopic bleacher assembly. FIG. 9, however, shows that the same components, i.e. uprights and associated support hardware as described above, may be used on a system which uses platforms seating  70  of the type in which seating with folding backs, arms and seats pivot into a horizontal or other stored position. The uprights  12   b  shown in FIG. 9 are supported on the decks  14   b  by the same support components as are shown in FIG.  5 . 
     When the platform seating assembly  10   b  is ready to be put into a retracted position, a single person can loosen the set screws used to hold the uprights  12   b  in place, remove the uprights  12   b  from their supports and lay them in a horizontal position on the decks  14   b,  at the location of a step in an aisle in the assembly, without any resulting interferences with the ability of the seats  70  of platform seating to fold downward into their stowed positions. 
     While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous alternatives, modifications, and variations of the embodiment shown can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.