Hinge assembly for elevational rails

An articulated attachment assembly and a rail system and method of installation for rail installations in which there is an elevational change between vertical supports, in which the articulated attachment assembly eliminates the need for field mitering of components and provides instead a first articulated hinge assembly having a first mounting block to be attached to the first support, a second mounting block to be attached to the first rail connection block, and a hinge member to couple the second mounting block to the first mounting block and enable the second mounting block, the first rail connection block, and the rail to pivot together relative to the first mounting block and the first support.

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

The present disclosure pertains to attaching rails to support structures and, more particularly, to components for rails having varied elevational changes between support structures in which the attachment hardware is adjustable and hidden from view.

Description of the Related Art

Rails, which includes bottom rails, top rails, and railings (also known as top hand rails), are utilized in a variety of applications, including elevated porches and decks, around swimming pools, and along stairways. The rail structure typically can include a top hand rail or railing and upright or vertical supports that hold the railing above the ground or to a structure, such as a wall or deck. In installations employing a barrier between the vertical uprights, a bottom rail is utilized to support the barrier in combination with the top rail or top hand rail. The connections between the rails and the vertical supports are often done with fasteners such as screws, rivets, or bolts.

It is often necessary to install bottom rails, top rails, and railings at an angle to the vertical support to accommodate a change in elevation, such as on a stairway or sloped walkway. In such installations, it is desirable to use a rail connection block as the interface between the railing and the vertical support. When a rail is installed in the field, it is necessary to miter the end of the rail connection block so that it meets the vertical support with a flush abutment while angling away from the vertical support.

Mitering rail connection blocks in the field is undesirable because it is time-consuming, labor intensive, and requires access to the proper tools and equipment. Experience has shown that securing the rail connection block during cutting operations in the field is difficult and results in dangerous safety issues for installers. Having an adequate vise or other similar clamping apparatus would address the issue but is not desirable or feasible due to the costs in labor, time, and equipment.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present disclosure is directed to an articulated attachment assembly for rail installations involving an elevational change between the supports, and is further directed to a rail system, and method of installation.

In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, an articulated attachment assembly for rail installations involving an elevational change between supports is provided. The articulated attachment assembly eliminates the need for field mitering of components and provides instead a first articulated hinge assembly having a first mounting block to be attached to the first support, a second mounting block to be attached to the first rail connection block, and a hinge member to couple the second mounting block to the first mounting block and enable the second mounting block, the first rail connection block, and the rail to pivot together relative to the first mounting block and the first support.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, a railing system is provided that includes a first support and a second support, a rail having a first end and a second end, a first rail connection block sized and shaped to be attached to the first end of the rail, and a first articulated hinge assembly that itself includes a first mounting block to be attached to the first support, a second mounting block to be attached to the first rail connection block, and a hinge member to couple the second mounting block to the first mounting block and enable the second mounting block, the first rail connection block, and the rail to pivot together relative to the first mounting block and the first support. The system further includes a second rail connection block sized and shaped to be attached to the second end of the rail, and a second articulated hinge assembly that itself includes a first mounting block to be attached to the second support, a second mounting block to be attached to the second rail connection block, and a hinge member to couple the second mounting block to the first mounting block and enable the second mounting block, the second rail connection block, and the rail to pivot together relative to the second support.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, the first and second articulated hinge assemblies enable the rail to pivot relative to the respective first support and the second support in the range of 29 degrees to 38 degrees.

In accordance with still yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a glass panel having a bottom edge and an opposing top edge is included as a barrier. The system further includes a top rail infill capable of attachment to the bottom side of the top rail, the top rail infill having a channel, and a first vinyl liner sized and shaped to be received in the channel of the top rail infill and further sized and shaped to receive the top edge of the glass panel.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a bottom rail is provided along with two articulated hinge assemblies to attach the rail to the first and second supports.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, a bottom rail infill is provide that is capable of attachment to the channel in the top side of the bottom rail, the bottom rail infill having a channel, and a second vinyl liner is provided that is sized and shaped to be received in the channel of the bottom rail infill and sized and shaped to receive the bottom edge of the glass panel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various disclosed implementations. However, one skilled in the relevant art will recognize that implementations may be practiced without one or more of these specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures or components or both associated with extruded posts, top and bottom rails, railings, inserts, panels of glass, and fasteners or other materials and the like have not been shown or described in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring descriptions of the various implementations of the present disclosure.

Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims that follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, such as “comprises” and “comprising” are to be construed in an open inclusive sense, that is, as “including, but not limited to.” The foregoing applies equally to the words “including” and “having.”

Reference throughout this description to “one implementation” or “an implementation” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the implementation is included in at least one implementation. Thus, the appearance of the phrases “in one implementation” or “in an implementation” in various places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same implementation. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more implementations.

The figures are provided (a) to further describe representative implementations of the present disclosure, (b) to show certain implementations or permutations of the present disclosure, and (c) to show enablement, function, and use thereof. In the detailed description of the figures that follows, like elements may be referred to with the same reference number throughout the different implementations of the present disclosure.

As used herein, the term rail is intended to embrace and mean, without limitation, a bottom rail, a top rail, and a top hand rail (also referred to as a railing). Rails may be a single piece, such as wood, plastic, metal (ferrous and non-ferrous), and may be formed using a variety of processes known in the art, such as extrusion. Rails may also include guardrails along platforms, walkways, stairs, stages, balconies, roadways, walkways, trails, and the like. Rail installations may be free-standing, meaning they include their own vertical support as an integral part of the rail installation. In the present disclosure, the term rail is intended to be applied to rails that are supported by a separate support or supporting structure, such as a post, a wall, spindle, picket, baluster, banister, balustrade, or even a natural structure, such as a tree or a rock wall, to which the rail must be attached either before or at the time of installation of the railing system. Moreover, a “railing,” “railing system,” and “rail system” can be considered a single rail between two supports, a plurality of rails, and even a fence or barrier in which one or more panels, bars, and other components (e.g., balusters, spindles, pickets, balustrades, lattices) cooperate with the rails to form a barrier that is either opaque, translucent, or transparent.

A representative implementation described herein utilizes extruded rails, either of plastic or metal. However, it is to be understood that the present disclosure can be adapted for use with other forms of rails, including without limitation those described and referred to herein.

Referring initially toFIGS.1and2, shown therein is a representative implementation of a rail mounting apparatus400for use with a top rail402and bottom rail403(shown inFIG.10A) having a first end404to be attached to a first support, in this implementation a lower post406, and a second end408to be attached to a second support, in this implementation an upper post410. The rail mounting apparatus400includes a first rail connection block412sized and shaped to be attached to the first end404of the top rail402, and a first articulated hinge assembly414. The articulated hinge assembly414includes a first mounting block416(Block B) to be attached to the lower post406, a second mounting block418(Block A) to be attached to the first rail connection block412, and a hinge member in the form of a hinge pin420to couple the second mounting block418to the first mounting block416and enable the second mounting block418, the first rail connection block412, and the rail402to pivot together relative to the first mounting block416and the lower post406.

In this representative implementation of the mounting apparatus400, the hinge pin420consists of an externally threaded socket head screw422and an internally threaded socket nut424. It is to be understood that a wide variety of hinge pins or axles can be employed to retain the first and second mounting blocks416,418in rotational engagement.

The first mounting block416is a single unitary piece having a body426with central neck428extending therefrom with a lateral axial bore430extending through a distal end432. A pair of parallel legs434extend from two opposing ends of the body426in a same direction that is substantially orthogonal to the neck428. Two parallel, smooth bore openings436are formed in the opposing ends of the body426where it joins with the legs434.

The second mounting block418is likewise a single unitary piece having a body438with a yoke440formed by two parallel arms442extending from the body438. Each arm442has a lateral axial bore444formed through a distal end446thereof. A pair of parallel legs448extend from two opposing ends of the body438in a same direction that is substantially orthogonal to the yoke440. Two parallel, smooth bore openings450are formed in the opposing ends of the body438where it joins with the legs448.

The first mounting block416is coupled to the second mounting block418by placing the neck428of the first mounting block416in the yoke440of the second mounting block418. When properly positioned, the lateral axial bore430of the first mounting block416will be co-axial with the lateral axial bore444of the second mounting block418. The socket head screw422is then inserted through the lateral axial bore444of the yoke440and the bore430of the neck428and secured in place with the threaded socket nut424. It is to be understood that other hinge designs may be used to couple the first and second mounting blocks416,418together, such as free fit hinges, friction fit hinges, spring hinges, continuous hinges, and the like.

The rail connection block412is preferably a solid, unitary piece, preferably formed of extruded metal or plastic. It has a substantially U-shaped body452with a pair of mutually parallel legs454extending in a same direction from a cross piece456to form a bottom channel458. The corners460where the legs454meet the cross piece456have an elongate cylindrical shape with a smooth longitudinal axial bore462. A longitudinal expansion slot464is formed along the length of each cylindrical corner to permit a self-tapping threaded fastener466to enter the bore456and provide resilient expansion of the bore and avoid fracturing of the cylindrical corner460. In addition, the cylindrical corners have a diameter that extends the corner460above a top surface of the cross piece456to create an upper channel468. An opening469is formed in the cross piece456to enable a threaded fastener to pass through the cross piece and attach an additional component to the cross piece456, which is described in more detail herein below.

Referring toFIG.1, shown therein is the second block418(Block A) is positioned with the legs448against the legs454of the rail connection block412and the openings450in axial alignment with the openings462. The second block418is attached to the rail connection block412with two fasteners466passing through the openings450in the second mounting block and into the openings462of the rail connection block412in a self-tapping fashion. It is to be understood that one or both of the openings450and462may be threaded and machine screws used, which is a matter of design choice and cost.

The first block416(Block B) is then attached to the second block418with the hinge pin420as described above. The legs434of the first block416should extend in substantially the same direction as the legs448of the second connection block416and the legs454of the rail connection block412. This completes the assembly of the rail mounting apparatus400having the first block416that will be used for a top rail or railing installations having an upward elevation change, as described more fully below.

For bottom rail upward elevation change rail installations, a mounting block470(Block C) is used instead of the first mounting block416(Block B). The third mounting block470is a single unitary piece having a body472with central neck474extending therefrom with a lateral axial bore476extending through a distal end478. A pair of parallel legs480extend from two opposing ends of the body472in a same direction that is substantially orthogonal to the neck474. Two parallel, smooth bore openings482are formed in the opposing ends of the body472where it joins with the legs480.

The assembly procedure is illustrated inFIGS.3-8. InFIG.3, for an elevational change in an upward direction where a top rail or railing is to be attached, the first block416(Block B) is selected and attached to a support structure, such as the lower post406, using two of the self-threading fasteners446so that the neck428projects upward and away from the post406and the legs434extend downward. For bottom rail installations where the elevation change is upward, the third block470(Block C) is similarly attached to the support structure with the neck474pointing in a upward direction away from the lower post406and the legs480pointing upward.

Next, as shown in the exploded view ofFIG.4, the second block418(Block A) is attached to the rail connection block412using the two fasteners446that pass through the openings450in the second mounting block418and into the elongate openings462formed in the cylindrical corners460.

FIG.5is an exploded view of the bottom side post assembly for an upward elevation change of a lower or bottom rail (not shown) in which the third block470(Block C) is attached to the post406as described above with the legs pointing upwards. The second block418(Block A) is already attached to the rail connection block412as described above, and the assembly is inverted so that the channel454between the two legs454is facing upward. The second block418(Block A) and the third block470(Block C) are then rotatably coupled together using the socket head screw422and the socket nut424as described above.FIG.6shows the completed bottom side post assembly.

For the top rail installation,FIGS.7and8show the top portion of the lower post406with the first mounting block416(Block B) attached to the lower post406, and the second mounting block418(Block A) attached to the rail connection block412and pivotally connected to the first mounting block416(Block B) via the hinge pin420. The connection to the upper post410is done in a similar fashion, except the third mounting block470(Block C) is attached to the upper post410and pivotally connected to the second mounting block418(Block A) via the hinge pin420. The range of motion provided by this implementation of the present disclosure is shown inFIG.9, which is a side view ofFIG.8, in which the rail connection block412can move between the angles of 29° and 38° inclusive. Once the rail connection blocks412are attached to the respective posts, the bottom rail403or a top rail infill (not shown) will be snapped into the respective groove468,458.

A complete installation of the system in connection with a stairway484is shown inFIGS.10A-10E. Each of the four mounting points are shown inFIGS.10B-10E, which are enlarged, partial views in which the rail402is shown in phantom. As can be seen therein, the orientation of the rail connection block412will either be right side up for top rail402connections or upside down for bottom rail403connections. More particularly, in this implementation, each installation must have the second block418(Block A) at the ends404,408of the top rail402as well as at the ends of the bottom rail403, and first and third mounting blocks416,470(Blocks B and C) at diagonal mounting areas.

When the upper and lower rails402,403, are attached to the respective rail connection blocks412, they will extend past the rail connection blocks412to the respective post402,403and cover the rail connection block412and related mounting blocks416,418,470and hardware, concealing them from view after installation. The constrained space of this implementation limits the amount of angular movement of the articulated assemblies400and their attached rails402,403.

A glass panel486is shown in this implementation, which is held in place by the upper and lower rails402,403and related hardware. For the top rail402, an infill will be snapped into the lower groove458on the rail connection block412and held in place by a self-threading fastener extending through the opening469in the cross piece456in the rail connection block412.