# Patent

## Title
Rail skirt system

## Abstract

The rail skirt system includes a top rail, a skirt that hangs from the top rail, formed from rail bar members connected together at their inner ends by a middle connector tube connectable to a locking support leg, to provide support for the top rail on a side of a shelter. The outer ends of the rail bar members are connected to legs of the shelter by fixed corner connecting brackets.

## Background
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is based upon a Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 11/739,621, filed on Apr. 24, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,686,026, which is based upon Provisional Patent Application No. 60/796,341, filed Apr. 28, 2006, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.


BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to folding, collapsible structures, and more particularly relates to a rail skirt assembly for folding, collapsible structures with legs to which the rail skirt may be mounted.
Temporary shelters that can be easily transported and rapidly set up at emergency sites can be particularly useful in providing temporary care and housing. Such shelters can also be useful for non-emergency outdoor gatherings, such as for temporary military posts, field trips, and the like. It would be desirable to provide a rail skirt for a collapsible shelter for converting a collapsible shelter into an exhibit booth. The present invention fulfills these and other needs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly and in general terms, the invention provides for a rail skirt system for a collapsible shelter with a plurality of legs to which the rail skirt is mounted, to provide at least a partially sheltered base portion of the shelter, so as to allow the shelter to be transformed into a booth structure, such as an exhibitor booth.
The rail skirt includes a top rail, and typically includes a skirt that hangs from the top rail. The skirt typically is double sided, and may be formed of a fabric material such as a polyester fabric, for example. The top rail is typically formed from first and second rail bar members that are inserted into a middle connector tube having a middle forked bracket that is connectable to a locking support leg, to provide support for the top rail on a side of the shelter. Each rail bar member includes a locking end with a pair of spring mounted outer detent pins extending from opposing sides of the locking end of the rail bar member. The detent pins are typically mounted on opposing leaf springs secured inside the locking end of the rail bar member. A pair of inner buttons are also mounted on the opposing leaf springs, so that pressing one of the inner buttons depresses the corresponding outer detent pin of the corresponding leaf spring.
The locking support leg includes one end that rests on a floor or ground surface, and a locking end with a pair of spring mounted outer detent pins extending from opposing sides of the locking end of the locking support leg, and the detent pins are likewise mounted on opposing leaf springs secured inside the locking end of the locking support leg. A pair of inner buttons are also mounted on the opposing leaf springs, so that pressing one of the inner buttons depresses the corresponding outer detent pin of the corresponding leaf spring, allowing the locking support leg to connect the opposing outer detent pins in apertures of the middle forked bracket of the middle connector tube of the top rail.
The locking ends of the rail bar members are connected to legs of the shelter with fixed corner connecting brackets having a pair of journal arms pivotally connected together by a pivot pin, and having an open configuration and a closed configuration that clamps to a leg of the shelter. The outer ends of the journal arms have forked ends with apertures that receive the outer detent pins of the locking ends of the rail bar members, allowing the rail bar members of the top rail to be clamped to the legs of the shelter. These and other forms of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and from the accompanying drawings.



BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a collapsible shelter with a rail skirt system according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is another perspective view of a collapsible shelter with a rail skirt system illustrating rail bar members and corner connecting brackets of the rail skirt system of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a locking end portion of the rail member of the rail skirt system of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the locking end portion of the rail member of the rail skirt system of FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a locking support leg of the rail skirt system of FIG. 1.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a locking corner bracket, shown in an open configuration, for mounting the rail skirt system of FIG. 1 to a collapsible shelter according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the locking corner bracket of FIG. 6 shown in a closed configuration.



DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the drawings, a collapsible shelter with a rail skirt system according to the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1, and typically includes a collapsible shelter 10, including a canopy portion 12 with three or more sides 14, and three or more corners 16. Such a collapsible shelter typically has four sides and four corners. The canopy portion is typically formed of nylon fabric, so as to be light and easily transportable, although the canopy portion may be made of other similar sheet materials, such as canvas, or other types of cloth fabric, or plastic. Legs 18 are typically provided at each corner to support the canopy. A collapsible framework 20, typically including a perimeter truss framework and a central truss framework, is connected to the legs to stabilize and support the collapsible shelter, as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,533, which is incorporated by reference herein. A rail skirt 22 may be attached to the legs of the collapsible shelter along at least one side of the shelter, and typically along three sides of the shelter, to transform the shelter into a booth structure, such as an exhibitor booth.
The rail skirt includes a top rail 24, and a skirt 26, that can be hung from the top rail, typically double sided and formed of a fabric material such as a polyester fabric, for example. The top rail may be formed from a single rail bar member, but is typically formed from first and second rail bar members 28 having a first inner end 30 that is inserted into a middle hollow connector tube 32 having a middle forked bracket 34 that is connectable to a locking support leg 36, shown in FIG. 5.
Referring to FIGS. 2-4, each rail bar member includes a second or outer locking end 38 with a pair of spring mounted outer detent pins 40a, 40b extending from opposing sides 42a, 42b of the second end of the rail bar member. The detent pins 40a, 40b are mounted on opposing leaf springs 44a, 44b secured at one end inside the second end of the rail bar member, such as by rivets 45 or spot welds, for example. A pair of inner buttons 46a, 46b are also mounted on the opposing leaf springs, so that pressing one of the inner buttons depresses the corresponding outer detent pin of the corresponding leaf spring, and squeezing both inner buttons simultaneously will similarly depress both of the outer detent pins simultaneously, and releasing the inner buttons will cause the outer detent pins to extend outwardly from the rail bar member.
Referring to FIG. 5, the locking support leg 36 is similar to the rail bar members of the top rail, including a first or bottom end 48 that will rest on a floor or ground surface, and an opposing second locking end 50 with a pair of spring mounted outer detent pins 40a, 40b extending from opposing sides 42a, 42b of the second end of the locking support leg, as in the rail bar members discussed above. The detent pins 40a, 40b are likewise mounted on opposing leaf springs 44a, 44b secured inside the second end of the locking support leg. A pair of inner buttons 46a, 46b are also mounted on the opposing leaf springs, so that pressing one of the inner buttons depresses the corresponding outer detent pin of the corresponding leaf spring, and squeezing both inner buttons simultaneously will similarly depress both of the outer detent pins simultaneously, and releasing the inner buttons will cause the outer detent pins to extend outwardly from the locking support leg, allowing the locking support leg to connect the opposing outer detent pins in apertures 52 of the middle forked bracket of the middle hollow connector tube of the top rail.
Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the second or outer locking ends of the rail bar members are connected to legs of the shelter with fixed corner connecting brackets 54. The fixed corner connecting bracket includes first and second hinged bracket portions 56a, 56b having journal arms 58a, 58b pivotally connected together by a pivot pin 60. Inner struts 62a, 62b extend perpendicularly from the journal arms, and forked brackets 64a, 64b extend from the inner struts 62a, 64a, respectively, and include first and second connecting arms 66a, 66b with opposing apertures 68a, 68b for receiving the outer detent pins of the second ends of the rail bar members. One of the inner struts 62a includes a tongue member 70 projecting from the inner strut 62a, and the other inner strut 62b includes a corresponding groove or slot 72 that receives the tongue member. Extending through the tongue member is a hole 74, that is aligned to mate with a corresponding hole 76 through the portion of the inner strut 62b enclosing the groove or slot, when the tongue member is received in the slot, allowing the fixed corner connecting bracket to be locked in a closed configuration, by insertion of a threaded locking pin 78 through the hole 76 through the portion of the inner strut 62b enclosing the groove or slot. The threaded locking pin includes a shaft 80 with a head 82 at one end, and threads (not shown) at an opposing end that mates with corresponding internal threads in the hole 76 through the portion of the inner strut 62b enclosing the groove or slot. One of the journal arms 58a preferably includes a locking tab 88 on the inner surface 90 of the journal arm that is adapted to be received in a corresponding leg mounting hole (not shown) formed in a desired location on a leg of the collapsible shelter. Thus, in an open configuration, the fixed corner connecting bracket may be closed around and attached to the leg of the collapsible shelter.
It will be apparent from the foregoing that while particular forms of the invention have been illustrated and described, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims.

## Claims

1. In a rail skirt system for a collapsible shelter having a plurality of legs, the rail skirt system including a top rail removably connected between an adjacent pair of said plurality of legs, wherein said top rail includes a middle connector tube, and first and second rail bar members having inner ends that are removably received in the middle connector tube, each said rail bar member including an outer locking end with a pair of spring mounted outer detent pins extending from opposing sides of the outer locking end of the rail bar member, the improvement comprising:
a plurality of corner connecting brackets connecting said locking ends of adjacent rail bar members between adjacent legs of the shelter, each of said corner connecting brackets having a pair of journal arms pivotally connected together by a pivot pin, and having an open configuration and a closed configuration that clamps to one of said plurality of legs of the shelter, and wherein said journal arms have outer ends that are forked and that include apertures that receive the outer detent pins of the outer locking ends of the rail bar members, allowing the rail bar members of the top rail to be clamped to the legs of the shelter.