Patent Publication Number: US-6910310-B2

Title: Chair rail system and method

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
   This invention pertains to architectural trim rails. More particularly, this invention relates to decorative chair rail systems. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Chair rails have a history of being decorative as well as functional. Originally, chair rails were running lengths of wood that ran along a wall at the same height as the back of a chair. The chair rail, typically a couple of inches thick, functioned to protect the wall from damage caused by a chair hitting against the wall. As time progressed, decorative features were added to chair rails. 
   Today, chair rails are often used principally to provide a visual break in a room in order to impart decorative features. In some cases, chair rails have a groove along a back, bottom edge for mating with a panel, or wainscot. A wainscot comprises a panel that extends below a chair rail. In some cases, relatively thick panels having recesses therein are used. In other cases, tongue-and-groove boards join together to provide a decorative panel. In yet other cases, a relatively thin glass or board panel is used. In even other cases, a relatively thick, carved panel is used. However, it is necessary to first choose a panel in order to determine the thickness, and to then match a chair rail that has a properly sized groove along the bottom edge sized to overlap a given thickness of the chosen panel. Accordingly, distributors, vendors, and store owners are required to stock chair rails having multiple thickness grooves in order to provide customers with chair rails that can accept multiple wainscots having diverse thicknesses. Accordingly, there exists a need to reduce the requirement for distributors and vendors to stock multiple, decorative chair rails in order to enable mating with multiple unique wainscots. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A chair rail system is provided for enabling interchangeable and selective mating of a base molding within a chair rail system to enable mounting of the chair rail system to a unique one of multiple unique panel members, each having a unique thickness. Accordingly, a plurality of base rails are provided, each having a unique undercut edge dimension. One of the plurality of base rails is selected to match a dimensional thickness for a pre-selected panel member. Decorative features are imparted to the chair rail system by way of a cap rail which is affixed to the selected base rail. In this manner, a store owner or distributor only needs to stock a given unit quantity of decorative cap rail, which can be relatively expensive to form, and also stock multiple unique base rails so that a selected combination can be assembled to provide a desired chair rail system for a selected panel having a specific thickness. 
   According to one aspect, a chair rail system includes a decorative cap rail and a plurality of base rails. The plurality of base rails each has an undercut edge sized to receive an edge of a panel member. One of the base rails has an undercut edge dimension to receive a panel having a specific first thickness. Another of the base rails has an undercut edge dimension to receive a panel having a specific, second thickness that is greater than the first thickness. 
   According to another aspect, a chair rail system includes an ornamental molding apparatus including an ornamental cover strip and at least two base strips. The ornamental cover strip includes a raised decorative feature on a front face and a geometric fastening feature on a back face. The at least two base strips each include an undercut relief feature configured to overlap an edge of a panel member underlying thereunder. One of the base strips includes an undercut edge sized to receive a first wall panel having a first thickness and another of the base strips has an undercut edge sized to receive a second wall panel having a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness of the first wall panel. 
   According to yet another aspect, a method is provided for assembling a decorative chair rail molding system. The method includes: providing a decorative cap rail, a plurality of base rails each with an undercut lip sized with a unique depth, and a wall panel having a unique thickness; positioning the wall panel against a wall; selecting one of the base rails having an undercut lip depth sized to receive and overlay an edge of the wall panel; affixing the one base rail over the wall panel and to the wall; and affixing the decorative cap rail atop the one base rail. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the following accompanying drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating assembly of a selectively assembled chair rail system being received onto a selected wainscot. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating a selection of chair rail base rails each having a unique thickness for receiving a correspondingly sized wainscot. 
       FIG. 3  is an end view of the selection of chair rail base rails of FIG.  2 . 
       FIG. 4  is a plan view of a decorative cap rail of  FIGS. 1 and 6 . 
       FIG. 5  is an end view of the decorative cap rail taken along line  5 — 5  of FIG.  4 . 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a chair rail system having a full-width chair rail base rail. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   This disclosure of the invention is submitted in furtherance of the constitutional purposes of the U.S. Patent Laws “to promote the progress of science and useful arts” (Article 1, Section 8). 
   Reference will now be made to a preferred embodiment of Applicant&#39;s invention. An exemplary implementation is described below and depicted with reference to the drawings comprising a chair rail system identified by reference numeral  10 . While the invention is described by way of a preferred embodiment, it is understood that the description is not intended to limit the invention to such embodiment, but is intended to cover alternatives, equivalents, and modifications which may be broader than the embodiment, but which are included within the scope of the appended claims. 
   In an effort to prevent obscuring the invention at hand, only details germane to implementing the invention will be described in great detail, with presently understood peripheral details being incorporated by reference, as needed, as being presently understood in the art. 
   The invention according to  FIG. 1  comprises chair rail system  10 , including a base rail, or molding,  212  and a decorative cap rail, or molding,  14 . Base rail  212  includes a tongue  18  that is received into a complementary groove  20  on a back surface  22  of cap rail  14 . Cap rail  14  is then secured atop base rail  212  via an adhesive and/or using fasteners, such as brads or screws. Alternatively, a tongue can be provided on cap rail  14  and a groove can be provided on base rail  212 . Further alternatives include using any raised structure on one of the base rail  212  and cap rail  14  that interfits within a recess of the other of the base rail  212  and cap rail  14 . Even further alternatively, cap rail  14  can have a flush back surface that is adhesively bonded, nailed, or screwed onto a similar flush front surface of base rail  212 . According to one construction, base rail  212  is secured to a wall via fasteners such as nails that are driven through system  10  and tongue  18  into the wall. Cap rail  14  is then adhesively affixed onto base rail  212  in a manner that hides the fasteners or nails. 
   As used herein, the term “molding” is intended to refer generally to a decorative plane or curved strip that is used for ornamentation or finishing. Such decorative planes or curved strips can be formed of metal, wood, plaster, plastic, or some other material having sufficient structural stability. However, it is not necessary that a “molding” be formed by way of a molding process. Instead, the term “molding” is intended to include decorative planes or curved strips that can be formed by molding, milling, cutting, and various other techniques used for shaping such a decorative plane or curved strip. 
   As used herein, the term “wainscot” is intended to refer generally to a lining of a wall. In one case, the lining can be an interior wall. In other cases, “wainscot” in a more limiting sense refers to the lower two or three feet of an interior wall when finished differently from the remainder of the wall. The term “wainscot” also refers to a wall lining formed with paneling of any sort. 
   Cap rail  14  is mounted atop base rail  212  to extend below a bottom, or undercut, edge  26  of base rail  212  so as to provide a groove, or gap  20  having a thickness “t”. Groove  24  is provided beneath inner surface  22 . Inner surface  22  comprises an undercut surface that is provided along bottom edge  26  of chair rail assembly  10 . A panel comprising a wainscot  16  is received beneath and against base rail  212 , as well as underneath decorative cap rail  14 . 
   When received atop base rail  212 , decorative cap rail  14  and base rail  212  define a gap  24  having a thickness “t”. Upon assembly, inner surface  22  of cap rail  14  overlays a top portion of wainscot  16  which is received between inner surface  22  and a wall (not shown) onto which a back surface  28  of base rail  212  is affixed. 
   Chair rail system  10  is configured to accommodate interchangeable versions of base rail  212  so as to provide a gap that has a desired dimension “t” that matches the thickness of a selected, desired panel (similar to panel  16 ). Gap  24  is provided with a depth “t” and an overlap sized to accommodate the selected panel. The panel  16  can be mounted to a wall by affixing base rail  212  into bottom edge abutment with a top edge  30  of the panel and then affixing cap rail  14  on top of base rail  212 . Alternatively, cap rail  14  is affixed atop base rail  212 , after which chair rail system  10  is mounted in overlap and atop the panel. 
     FIG. 2  illustrates a plurality of unique, interchangeable base rails  12 ,  112 ,  212 ,  312  and  412 , each having a unique thickness “t” for bottom edge  26 . More particularly, base rail  12  is configured to provide a gap that is sized, when assembled into the chair-rail system of  FIG. 1 , to receive a panel comprising a {fraction (3/16)}″ glass sheet. For example, a glass sheet can be used to construct a wainscot for decorative and/or industrial applications where it is desirable to provide a sanitary surface that is easily cleaned, such as in a restaurant or public lavatory. 
   Base rail  112  is sized to provide a gap that is configured and dimensioned to receive a panel comprising a ¼″ sheet of plywood. For example, a sheet of plywood having a veneer, such as a mahogany or birds-eye maple veneer, can be used with a chair rail system that includes base rail  112  in order to provide a second decorative wall feature. 
   Base rail  212  is sized to receive a panel  16  (see  FIG. 1 ) comprising ⅜″ wainscot formed by vertical tongue-and-groove boards. According to one construction, panel  16  (of  FIG. 1 ) comprises a plurality of tongue-and-groove cedar boards that impart a third decorative wall feature. 
   Base rail  312  is sized to provide a gap to receive a panel comprising a ½″ sheet panel. For example, base rail  312  is used in a chair rail system in order to accommodate use with a ½″ sheet panel that imparts a fourth decorative wall feature. 
   Finally, base rail  412  is sized to provide a gap for receiving a panel comprising a ¾″ raised wainscot. For example, base rail  412  is used in a chair rail system when a decorative, carved hardwood panel is used to provide a ¾″ raised wainscot that imparts a fifth decorative wall feature. 
     FIG. 3  further illustrates in end view the range of base rails of  FIG. 2  that can be selectively used in the chair rail system of the present invention in order to accommodate wainscot of different thicknesses. As previously discussed, each base rail  12 ,  112 ,  212 ,  312 ,  412 , and  512  has a unique thickness in order to accommodate a clearance dimension “t” for a pre-selected and desired wainscot, or wall panel. 
     FIGS. 4 and 5  further illustrate features of decorative cap rail  14 . In one form, decorative cap rail  14  comprises an elongate piece of hardwood that has been milled into the shape of a decorative twisted strand rope. More particularly, cap rail  14  is imparted with the shape of a rope segment along a front face. A back surface  22  of rail  14  comprises a flat surface extending vertically through a maximum diameter of a full section of rope being simulated by cap rail  14 . Dovetail  19  is cut into the back surface  22  of cap rail  14 . 
   The incorporation of highly decorative features into cap rail  14  can be relatively complicated and costly due to the complexity involved in milling geometric features such as a rope into a piece of wood. The provision of a rope cap rail feature into an elongate piece of hardwood is one such highly decorative feature. However, it is understood that a cap rail can incorporate other decorative features such as dentil blocks, strands of grape vines and grapes, chain links, egg and dart features, or other decorative features, including those having a repeating pattern. 
   In order to accommodate customers that want the ability to mount chair rails over multiple unique panel members, each with a unique thickness, requires the provision of a plurality of base rails, each with a unique undercut edge dimension. Pursuant to previously known techniques, a store owner would be required to stock multiple, unique chair rails, each having a relatively costly and complicated decorative face feature, such as a rope raised relief, or molding, and a unique undercut edge dimension. However, chair rail system  10  only requires that a store owner stock enough decorative cap rail to enable assembly onto a selected base rail having a desired undercut edge dimension. 
   According to previously known techniques, a store owner would be required to stock up to N times the number of decorative chair rails necessary for a particular job, where N represents the total number of unique thicknesses for a wall panel, or wainscot, being sold in a store. However, according to the present technique, there is a significant reduction in the amount of highly decorative and expensive rail components that needs to be held in inventory by a store owner in order to perform a particular sized job. Instead, the store owner is only required to stock extra lengths of each specifically-sized base rail. Since the base rails generally do not contain as much decorative detail, construction costs are relatively less, and the cost to stock multiple lengths of the specifically-sized base rails (versus stocking entire chair rails) is reduced. 
     FIG. 6  illustrates an alternative configuration having a base rail  512  onto which decorative cap rail  14  is received. Base rail  512  differs in that there does not exist a gap for receiving a panel therebelow. Instead, base rail  512  is mounted directly onto a wall or panel support surface. Base rail  512  could be used to overlie an edge of a wallpaper border, similar to how wainscot is covered by chair rail system  10  of FIG.  1 . However, base rail  512  does provide a base support structure for decorative cap rail  14  along with the top and bottom edges. 
   Chair rail system  110  (as well as system  10  of  FIG. 1 ) can be imparted with numerous additional decorative features by forming cap rail  14  and base rail  512  from different materials which imparts further ornamental or decorative features. For example, cap rail  14  can be molded from a relatively dark strip of wood, such as teak or mahogany. Base rail  512  can be formed from a contrasting piece of relatively light wood such as holly. Accordingly, an additional ornamental aspect is imparted to chair rail system  110  by providing contrasting colors to the individual pieces comprising cap rail  14  and base rail  512 . Such additional ornamental features can also be imparted to chair rail system  10  of FIG.  1 . Further optional implementations can also be envisioned. The ability to remove the highly decorative component comprising cap rail  14  enables one to paint cap rail  14  without inadvertently painting base rail  512 . Additionally, base rail  512  can be painted in a first color, while separated from cap rail  14 , and cap rail  14  can be painted in a second color, after which the two are joined together. 
   Although the invention herein has been described by reference to a chair rail system, or molding, it is understood that more generally the present invention can be implemented as a wall rail system used along any portion of a wall, such as in the form of a crown molding, cove molding, base molding, or casing molding, in addition to a chair rail molding. 
   In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural and methodical features. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown and described, since the means herein disclosed comprise preferred forms of putting the invention into effect. The invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the proper scope of the appended claims appropriately interpreted in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents.