Abstract:
A system and method of fastening a railing member against an anchored horizontal rim beam of a deck, stairway or balcony. The system typically includes a series of upright railing members in combination with a plurality of securing members. The securing member can be a clench bolt, a clench strap (formed or welded), or clench brackets. The securing member is able to secure and/or fasten the railing member and the rim beam together without creating holes in the substance of the rim beam or other deck material, so that rotting, splintering or other type of erosion of the deck material over time is minimized. The railing attachment system and method can be used on wood, fiber, synthetic, steel or concrete decks, for either newly constructed or repair of pre-existing decks, balconies or stairways.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to railings and barriers used to separate environmental areas, and more particularly to a system and method for installing railing members in residential and commercial decks, staircases, and balconies. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Residential and commercial decks, stairs and balconies have railings to separate these structures from adjacent areas and prevent persons from falling off. The railings have top rails supported on upright posts that are attached to the decks and stairs. A number of laterally spaced upright members also typically extend between the top rails and the decks and/or stairs. 
         [0003]    Upright post attachment for railings has been accomplished by many means. To ensure a strong connection, a carpenter/builder will typically use ½″ diameter through bolts to attach 4×4 upright wood posts to the deck rim, and the posts then support a horizontal top rail. Sometimes the builder will notch the posts to custom fit to the decking, while others will not. Some will attach the posts to the inside edge of the deck, while others secure the posts to the outside edge of the deck. Also, some builders will use a top bolt anchor method, mounting a post on top of the deck and affixing the post via multiple bolts and/or screws into the structural members of the deck material, such as the rim beams and joists. When bolts or screws penetrate in this way, it becomes very easy (for example, due to over-tightening of the penetrating bolts) to crush the wood fibers of the structural members and diminish the strength of the connection. Over time, collection of water and erosion within the bolt holes can lead to premature structural failure, including splintering, mold growth and rotting. 
         [0004]    In addition to the use of through bolts, there are a number of patented devices which use a system of mounting brackets, plates, hollow tubes and/or mounting sleeves for securing posts to mounting surfaces. Such systems can have drawbacks, such as difficulty in installation of multiple bolts, plates and brackets. All of these systems puncture a deck&#39;s structural components in one fashion or another. Also, these bracket systems can become loose and unstable over time. 
         [0005]    Accordingly, there is a need for an upright rail post anchoring system and method for use on a diversity of mounting surfaces which can provide superior structural rigidity and strength and strong securing capacity without creating holes in the substance of the deck material or its supporting members, so that there is no rotting, splintering or other type of erosion over time, and which utilizes an uncomplicated design that is easy to manufacture and install in both new and retrofit applications. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention provides a rail post attachment system and method that eliminates the need for penetrating the structural members of the deck material. The system typically includes a securing member which fastens an upright post or railing member against a deck or floor rim beam. Specifically, the securing member can be a large, square clench bolt, a clench strap (either formed or welded), or clench brackets, as described herein. The inventive system and method can be used to install railings for decks, staircases and/or balconies, and can be used on structures made of wood, fiber, steel, concrete or other synthetic composite materials. 
         [0007]    A first aspect of the invention provides a system, in a railing for a deck, stairway or balcony, comprising: (a) an anchored horizontal rim beam; (b) a plurality of railing members; and (b) a plurality of securing members for fastening the plurality of railing members in an upright and perpendicular orientation against the horizontal rim beam, wherein each one of the securing members is fitted about the rim beam and fastened to one of the plurality of railing members, thereby securing the railing member against the rim beam. Typically each railing member is laterally spaced along the length of the rim beam a predetermined distance from the preceding railing member. 
         [0008]    A second aspect of the invention provides a railing for a deck, stairway or balcony, comprising: (a) a plurality of laterally spaced railing members; (b) an anchored horizontal rim beam; and (c) a plurality of securing members for attaching the plurality of railing members against the rim beam in general vertical alignment with the rim beam. 
         [0009]    A third aspect of the invention provides a method of constructing a railing system, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a plurality of securing members and a plurality of railing members for fastening to an anchored horizontal rim beam; (b) aligning a first railing member of the plurality of railing members in a vertical position with the horizontal rim beam; (c) fitting a first securing member about the rim beam; (d) connecting the first securing member against the first railing member; (e) securing the rim beam against the first railing member by tightening the connection between the first securing member and the first railing member; and (f) repeating steps (b) through (e) with subsequent securing members and railing members, each railing member being laterally spaced along the length of the rim beam a predetermined distance from the preceding railing member. 
         [0010]    These and further objects, features, advantages and characteristics of the system and method of the present invention will be more fully appreciated upon viewing the following drawings, detailed description of the preferred embodiments, and claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with a general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view as seen from the inside of a deck constructed with one embodiment of a railing system of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a side view of one embodiment of a square clench bolt used as a securing member in the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing embodiments of the securing members of the invention, including a formed clench strap, clench brackets, a welded clench strap, and a square clench bolt. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4A  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a formed clench strap used as a securing member in the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 4B  is a perspective view of one embodiment of clench brackets used as a securing member in the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4C  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a welded clench strap used as a securing member in the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view as seen from the outside of a deck showing various embodiments of a securing member of the invention, including the formed clench strap, clench brackets, welded clench strap, and square clench bolt. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]    As defined herein, the term “railing member” is a vertically-oriented post, baluster, support, column, spindle, picket, rod, bar, pole, stake, shaft, pillar, beam or the like, which forms and supports a railing section of a deck, stairway, balcony, parapet or the like. In a preferred embodiment, the railing member is a supportive post for a top rail or railing cap of a railing section, and is typically located at the corners of a deck and at regular intervals in between. A railing member can be made of materials such as wood, stone, steel, concrete, iron, plaster, polyurethane, or other polymeric materials. 
         [0020]    The terms “rim beam,” “perimeter joist” or “rim joist” mean a horizontally-oriented beam, truss or joist which railing members can be secured to. The rim beam is typically anchored to the joist ends of a deck, stairway, or balcony. As a non-limiting example, the floor joists of a deck provide support for the flat decking boards (usually 16 inches on center), and the “rim beam,” “perimeter joist” or “rim joist” as defined herein can be attached to the ends of the floor joists, typically on the sides of the deck situated away from the house or fixed structure. 
         [0021]    The present invention is a railing system and method of constructing such, including a plurality of upright railing members or posts in combination with a plurality of securing members.  FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of the main elements of a deck  10  constructed using the system and method of the present invention, as viewed from inside the deck. The main decking, including the framing joists  12 , the deck flooring  14  and the rim beam  16  (also known as a rim joist or perimeter joist) are typically installed first (or have been previously installed, e.g. in retrofit applications), prior to the railing system installment. Each railing member  18  is vertically mounted against the structure of the rim beam  16  by a plurality of securing members  20 , which fasten together the plurality of railing members  18  in an upright and perpendicular orientation against the horizontal rim beam  16 . As illustrated, each railing member  18  is typically laterally spaced along the length of the rim beam  16  a predetermined distance from the preceding railing member. 
         [0022]    In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the railing members  18  are steel angle posts, typically 2.5 inches×2.5 inches× 3/16 inches, with pre-drilled holes for fitting stainless steel wire rope  22  therethrough. A top railing cap  24  is attached by a bolt or screw  25  onto the top portion of each post  18 , with the wire rope  22  strewn horizontally through holes in the steel angle posts  18  between the cap  24  and the deck flooring  14 . The wires  22  are equally horizontally spaced to meet local codes (typically 10 rows), and the railing cap  24  is typically 2 inches×3 inches× 3/16 inch steel, bolted to each steel angle post  18 . The railing members  18  can vary in height, but should at least be tall enough to meet local codes, and are typically between 30 inches and 45 inches above the deck surface. Other building methods besides horizontally strewn wire rope can be used between the main vertical posts as well, in order to meet local building codes. These include any type of vertical railing member as defined herein, and can be made of materials such as wood, glass, Plexiglas, wire mesh, or other panel material. 
         [0023]    In  FIG. 2  the securing member is a square clench bolt  26 , which is a cylindrical threaded fastener with square shoulders that is affixed about the rim beam  16  and fastened to the railing member  18 . The clench bolt  26 , like all of the securing members disclosed herein, thus fastens the railing member  18  against the outside vertical face of the horizontal rim beam  16  without creating holes in the substance of the rim beam, deck material or its supporting members. As illustrated, the square clench bolt  26  includes two externally threaded legs  27   a ,  27   b , for passing through the railing member  18 , a shoulder portion  27   c  between each of the legs for fitting about the inside vertical face of the rim beam  16 , and two internally threaded nuts  28   a ,  28   b , for screwing on to the threaded legs  27   a ,  27   b . Once the shoulder portion  27   c  of the clench bolt is placed about the inside vertical face of the horizontal rim beam  16 , the nuts  28   a ,  28   b  are screwed onto the legs. Tightening of the nuts  28   a ,  28   b  above and below (respectively) the rim beam  16  causes the railing member  18  to be fastened against the outside vertical face of the rim beam  16 , with no penetration of any bolts or creation of holes in the substance of the rim beam. 
         [0024]    The size and type of securing member chosen can depend on the size and dimensions of the rim beam  16 . The inside dimensions of a clench bolt  26 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , installed at the end of the deck flooring  14 , has a vertical height ‘H’ of between 5.0 inches and 14.0 inches between leg portions  27   a ,  27   b , and leg portion lengths of between 3.0 inches and 13.0 inches. Also, the legs  27   a ,  27   b  and shoulder portion  27   c  of the bolt  26  have a diameter between 0.5 inches and 1.0 inches. The legs  27   a ,  27   b  include a threaded portion for receiving and mating with a corresponding threaded nut  28   a ,  28   b . Typically a perimeter joist or rim beam  16  around which the bolt  26  fits is between 0.5 inches and 8.0 inches wide/thick, more typically between 1.5 inches and 3.0 inches wide, and is typically made of wood or steel, but can also be any synthetic structural material on the market. 
         [0025]    As a non-limiting example, the shoulder portion  27   c  of the square clench bolt  26  as shown in  FIG. 2  has a height ‘H’ of 7.25 inches, the legs  27   a ,  27   b  have a length/width ‘L’ of 6.0 inches, and the thickness is 0.5 inches in diameter. The clench bolt  26  is fitted around a (previously installed/anchored) 1.5 inch rim beam  16 , and the legs  27   a ,  27   b  pass through and are bolted to a 4×4 inch wooden post  18 . Fastening of the clench bolt  26  to the post  18  after fitting the shoulders of the bolt  26  about the rim beam  16  creates a sturdy and secure connection without creating any holes in or otherwise penetrating the rim beam itself. 
         [0026]    In addition to the square clench bolt  26  of  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3  illustrates various other embodiments of a securing member, namely a formed clench strap  30 , a pair of clench brackets  32 , or a welded clench strap  34 . The formed clench strap  30  is similar to the square clench bolt  26 , but the shoulder and leg portions are typically flat instead of cylindrical, and the legs include foot portions with a hole therethrough for passing a bolt. The flat shoulder portion of the clench strap  30  can thus fit snugly with the rim beam  16 . The clench brackets  32  are similar to the clench strap  30 , but is a two-piece apparatus having two separated shoulder/leg portions that can be spaced apart to accommodate any size rim beam (i.e. a horizontal rim beam of any vertical height). 
         [0027]    The welded clench strap  34  of  FIG. 3  is typically used in conjunction with a steel angle post  18  (or other steel type post) as the railing member  18 , and includes a single leg  35  that is welded to the post  18 , while opposite the single leg  35  (at the lower end of the railing member  18 ) a threaded bolt and nut combination is included for passing through holes at the lower end of the shoulder portion and the post  18 , thereby securing/fastening/clenching the post member  18  against the rim beam  16 . It can be appreciated that the single leg  35  of the clench strap  34 , which is welded to the post  18 , must be substantially the same length as the thickness of the rim beam  16  to ensure a snug fit. This is better visualized in  FIG. 4C . Also, from viewing  FIG. 3  (better shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B ) it can be appreciated that both the formed clench strap  30  and the clench brackets  32  include legs with foot portions having holes that receive bolts therethrough, and two nuts for screwing on to the bolts, thereby securing the railing member  18  against the rim beam  16 . 
         [0028]    In practice, the rim beam  16  is seated within the shoulder portion(s) prior to passing the bolts through the holes of the legs, which is then followed by passing the bolts through the railing member  18 . Typically the railing member  18  (e.g. a steel type post) will have pre-manufactured holes that can line up with the hole(s) of the securing member. However, holes can also be drilled through the railing member, if not already present. The nuts  43   a ,  43   b  are then screwed on to their corresponding bolts  42   a ,  42   b  and tightened, thereby securing the railing member  18  against the rim beam  16 . This is illustrated in better detail in  FIGS. 4A-4C . 
         [0029]      FIGS. 4A-4C  illustrate the formed clench strap, clench brackets, and welded clench strap embodiments of the securing member of the present invention. The formed clench strap  30  of  FIG. 4A  includes two leg portions  40   a ,  40   b , each leg having a foot portion  44   a ,  44   b  with holes  41   a ,  41   b  therethrough for passing externally threaded bolts  42   a ,  42   b  through both the corresponding foot portion  44   a ,  44   b  and the railing member  18 . A shoulder portion  40   c  is placed around the rim beam  16 . The strap  30  is placed around the rim beam  16  so that the rim beam is seated within the shoulder portion  40   c  and between the leg portions  40   a ,  40   b  prior to passing the bolts  42   a ,  42   b  through the holes  41   a ,  41   b  of the foot portions and then through the railing member  18 . Two internally threaded nuts  43   a ,  43   b  are then screwed on to their corresponding bolts  42   a ,  42   b  and tightened, fastening the railing member  18  against the rim beam  16 . The shoulder portion  40   c  of the formed clench strap  30  can have a height of between 5.0 inches and 14.0 inches between leg portions  40   a ,  40   b , and leg portion lengths of between 0.5 inches and 8 inches. Bolts  42   a ,  42   b  are typically between 2 inches and 8 inches long, in order to pass through the railing member  18 . 
         [0030]    The clench brackets  32  of  FIG. 4B  are a two-piece apparatus having two separate shoulder/leg portions  50   a ,  50   b , each of which include a foot portion  54   a ,  54   b  having a hole,  51   a  and  51   b  respectively, for passing threaded bolts  52   a ,  52   b  through the corresponding foot portion and railing member  18 . Two internally threaded nuts  53   a ,  53   b  screw on to the externally threaded bolts  52   a ,  52   b  and tighten each of the shoulder/leg portions  50   a ,  50   b  to the railing member  18 . The brackets  32  are placed about the rim beam  16  so that the rim beam is seated between the shoulder/leg portions  50   a ,  50   b , with the shoulders of each shoulder/leg portion fitting around the edge of the rim beam  16 , prior to passing the bolts through the holes  51   a ,  51   b  and railing member  18  and tightening the nuts  53   a ,  53   b . As noted above, the separate shoulder/leg portions  50   a ,  50   b  can be spaced apart to accommodate the vertical height of any size rim beam. Leg lengths and bolt sizes can be the same as disclosed above for the formed clench strap  30 . 
         [0031]    The welded clench strap  34  of  FIG. 4C  includes a single leg  35  that is welded to a steel railing member  18 , and a hole  61  through the lower end of the shoulder portion  60  opposite the single leg  35 . A threaded bolt  62  and nut  63  combination is used for tightening the shoulder portion  60  to the railing member  18  after being fitted about the rim beam  16 . This nut and bolt combination (with complimentary female and male threads) fastens the post  18  against the rim beam  16 . As noted above, it can be appreciated that the single leg  35  of the clench strap  34 , which is welded to the post  18 , must be substantially the same length as the width/thickness of the rim beam  16 , which as noted above is typically between 0.5 inches and 8 inches thick, and more typically 1.5 inches and 3.0 inches thick. Also, the welded clench strap  34  is typically used in conjunction with a steel type post as the railing member  18 , as it can be easily welded thereto prior to use. 
         [0032]      FIG. 5  illustrates a perspective view of a deck  10  constructed using the system and method of the present invention, as viewed from outside the deck. This view shows how the connections created by the various embodiments of the securing member of the present invention will look from outside the deck. It can be appreciate that the square clench bolt  26 , the formed clench strap  30 , the clench brackets  32 , and the welded clench strap  34  are all through-bolted (via a threaded bolt and nut combination) just above and below the structural rim beam member  16 , without any penetration of the rim beam  16 . Also, the welded clench strap  34  is through-bolted just below the rim beam  16 , with the top portion being welded on the opposite side to a steel type post  18  (see also  FIGS. 3 and 4C ). Thus, while the clench means of the present invention are primarily functional, for securing railing members against the rim beam of a deck without penetrating the structural members of the deck with bolts or nails, they also make the structure aesthetically pleasing to the viewer. 
         [0033]    While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of embodiments and examples thereof, it is not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the scope of the invention.