Patent Publication Number: US-2021180359-A1

Title: Taper-Loc System Improvements

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/788,616 entitled Taper-Loc System Improvements, filed Oct. 19, 2017, (expected to issue as U.S. Pat. No. 10,934,743 on Mar. 2, 2021), and to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/411,347, titled “Taper-Loc System Improvements,” filed Oct. 21, 2016, both of which are incorporated in their entirety by this reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to panel installation and removal systems and more particularly to improvements to the panel installation and removal system described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,122,654 (“the &#39;654 patent”) and U.S. Pat. No. 8,201,366 (“the &#39;366 patent”), the commercial embodiments of which are referred to as the “Taper-Loc” system. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Glass panel railing systems are used in commercial spaces and homes, and frequently are desired due to an attractive appearance derived from transparent or translucent properties. They typically are used as guard rails for walk ways in the proximity of commercial facilities and as barriers at the edges of physical drop offs for the protection of pedestrians, as well as for partitioning interior spaces in commercial buildings. Known glass panel systems include vertical panels and a base shoe assembly. The bottom edges of the panels are installed in the base shoe assembly while the top edges may support a top rail or handrail. Installation of the bottom edges of glass panels into a base shoe assembly however can be difficult, expensive and time-consuming. 
     Prior to the development of the Taper-Loc system as described in the &#39;654 and &#39;366 patents, glass panel installation systems and methodology suffered from a number of disadvantages. Some systems required cement to hold the panels in place in a base shoe. Due to the quick setting nature of the cement, often installers lacked sufficient time to place the panels in a base shoe, align the panels and ensure that the cement maintained a smooth and attractive appearance. Another drawback of this system was that adjustments to a panel&#39;s final position were essentially impossible after the cement had set. 
     Other commonly employed systems involved driving a wedge vertically into a base shoe, typically using a hammer and punch, and thereby wedging the glass panel into the base shoe. Systems of this type however, lacked a precise way to control the degree of clamping force used to secure a panel in the base shoe, Moreover, the base shoe&#39;s decorative cladding q was prone to damage during insertion of the wedge and particularly during any attempted removal of the wedge for adjustment of the glass panel or replacement. In addition, an errant blow of the hammer could damage either the glass panel, base shoe or both. 
     With the development of the Taper-Loc system as described in the &#39;654 and &#39;366 patents, the problems associated with the prior art systems for installing glass panels in a base shoe were largely eliminated. Essentially, the Taper-Loc system comprises a base shoe or rail, spacers, a glass panel and taper plates. The components as depicted in the patents may be described as follows. The base shoe comprises a rail for holding a glass panel. The base shoe is in the form of an aluminum c-channel style extrusion with relatively thick side walls. Set within the channel of the base shoe against one wall and the floor of the channel are spacers. The spacers are typically set within the shoe at intervals along the length of the base shoe. The spacers are made of plastic and serve to prevent the glass panel from directly contacting the aluminum wall or bottom surface of the base shoe. The spacers may be attached to the base shoe by means of double-sided adhesive tape. 
     The taper plates are tapered plates that are designed to engage at their thinnest ends and slide against each other such that the combined thickness of the plates increases as the plates engage along their length. The maximum combined thickness of the plates is achieved when the plates are fully overlapping. The plates include projection tabs that allow them to be used with a special tool which both drives the plates together upon installation of a glass panel in a base shoe and also functions to separate the plates in the event a shoe or panel requires replacement. The taper plates will typically be fabricated from steel or aluminum, but other metallic materials and some plastic materials are also suitable. 
     In a typical assembly, the spacers are glued at intervals to the base shoe, a glass panel is inserted in the shoe and rests upon and against the spacers. A pair of taper plates, where one pair of taper plates corresponds to each spacer, are located on the opposite side of the glass panel, and are positioned in the shoe with the thin edges of the plates partially overlapping. A side of one of the taper plates contacts the wall of the glass panel, whereas a side of the other taper plate contacts the wall of the shoe. The shoe-side taper plate is stationary. When the taper plates are driven together, the glass-side plate slides along the length of the stationary shoe-side plate. 
     As the taper plates are driven to their fully overlapped configuration, compressive force builds up between the taper plates, glass panel, spacer and the walls of the base shoe so as to secure the base shoe to the glass panel. Thereafter, press-in seals are typically installed on both sides of the base shoe to glass plate interface. 
     Though the above-described Taper-Loc system has dramatically improved upon the systems of the prior art, certain drawbacks of the system have been uncovered during use. In particular, installers will often install a base shoe, glass panel and rail assembly while saving the task of installing weather seals on the base shoe to seal the shoe to glass panel interface or seam as the last part of the installation job. This often results in installers leaning out over an installed rail assembly, without wearing a safety harness, to press in the outboard weather seal, thus creating a potentially unsafe condition where an installer could potentially fall over a rail and sustain injury. 
     Another issue that has been observed on job sites is that installers have discovered that when it is desired to remove a base shoe from a glass panel, the insertion force of the taper plates upon initial installation causes the base shoe-side taper plate to stick to the base shoe and become quite difficult to remove from the base shoe. The use of silicone sealant at the taper plate interface, as some installers are want to do, compounds this problem. The problem may significantly increase the time required by installers to replace base shoes or glass panels on a job site. 
     What is needed therefore is a revised base shoe that requires at least one weather seal to be installed prior to the installation of a glass panel in the shoe and thereby eliminate problem where some installers incur safety risks by leaning out over an installed rail assembly for the purpose of installing a press-in outboard whether seal. It would also be desirable to provide a revised taper plate and base shoe design that includes provisions for removing a previously installed taper plate which is adhered or stuck to a wall of the base shoe. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The improved base shoe or rail of the present invention features a dovetail groove formed into an interior face of an outboard vertical side wall of the base shoe. The dovetail groove allows for the use of a weather seal configured with two projections which engage the interior side walls of the dovetail groove. Due to the nature of this design, the outboard weather seal must be inserted into the dovetail groove prior to the insertion of the glass pane into the base shoe, i.e. the weather seal cannot be inserted, or at least is quite difficult to insert, in the base shoe after installation of the glass panel. This design is advantageous from a safety viewpoint because it requires the outboard weather seal to be installed prior to installation of the glass panel and therefore eliminates safety risk, i.e. the risk of falling, that occurs when installers reach over an installed railing to install press-in seals at the outboard glass panel to base shoe interface. 
     Another improvement to the base shoe and taper plate assembly of the present invention regards replacing the plurality of spacers used at intervals on the base shoe with a continuous setting strip which would serve the function of the spacers, i.e. preventing contact between the glass panel and the interior face of the outboard wall of the base shoe. Universal setting block tape strips have also been added to attach the setting block to the base shoe and the glass panel to the setting block. The continuous setting strip and tape strips provide increased efficiency in installation by eliminating the need to glue in place numerous individual spacers. 
     The improved base shoe and taper plates of the present invention further improve upon the prior art by presenting a taper plate design that features a continuous projection or tab along a top surface of the taper plate where the projection rests upon a recess formed into an interior face of an inboard vertical side wall of the base shoe. The taper plate, equipped with the projection, and the depth of the recess in the base shoe, are configured such that there is a small gap between the edge of the projection and the interior face of the inboard side wall of the base shoe. The projection in combination with the gap between it and the interior face of the inboard vertical side wall provides a prying surface that allows an installer to insert a chisel, pry bar or even a screwdriver into the gap and pry the against the projection to separate the taper plate from the inboard side wall of the base shoe. 
     The above and other features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an elevation view of a base shoe of the present invention which incorporates dovetail grooves for weather seals with some parts removed for clarity. 
         FIG. 2  is another sectional view of a base shoe of the present invention shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of decorative cladding that may be applied to the base shoe of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the base shoe of  FIG. 1  showing a glass panel installed in an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a close up perspective view of an embodiment of the weather seal. 
         FIG. 6  is a close up perspective view of another embodiment of the weather seal. 
         FIG. 7  is a close up perspective view of an embodiment of the press-in weather seal of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a close up perspective view of another embodiment of the press-in weather seal of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is an elevation view of a base shoe viewed from one end with the taper plate installed. 
         FIG. 10  is an elevation view of a base shoe viewed from one end without the glass panel. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. The invention may, however, may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. 
     With reference to  FIG. 4 , an embodiment of the improved base shoe assembly  10  of the present invention is shown. The base shoe assembly  10  features a base shoe  12  in the form of a channel section, which may be surrounded by decorative cladding  14 . Inserted in the base shoe  12  is a safety weather seal  24  and a press-in weather seal  26 , a continuous glass setting strip  28 , a glass panel  30  and a pair of taper plates  62  which secure the panel  30  in the base shoe  12 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the base shoe  12  features a first inner side wall  16  having a top side  15  and a bottom side  17  opposite the top side  15 , a second inner side wall  18  also having a top side  19  and a bottom side  21  opposite the top side  19 , and a bottom wall  34  adjacent to the bottom side  17  of the first inner side wall  16  and the bottom side  21  of the second inner side wall  18 , the first inner side wall  16 , the second inner side wall  18 , and the bottom wall  34  defining a base shoe channel  36  therebetween. The top side  15  of the first inner side wall  16  and the top side  19  of the second inner side wall  18  define an opening  23 . The base shoe  12  may, optionally, be formed with a plurality of lightening passages  38  which may be of a variety of cross-sectional shapes and serve to reduce the weight of the base shoe  12 . The base shoe  12  may also includes a dovetail groove  22  formed into each of the first and second inner side walls  16 ,  18 , near the opening  23  of the channel  36 . The dovetail grooves  22  are configured to accept either the safety weather seal  24  or the press-in weather seal  26 . 
     A continuous setting strip  28  may be installed in the base shoe  12 . The continuous setting strip  28 , typically made of plastic, is preferably of L-shaped configuration and supports and protects the glass panel  30  from contact with the meallic walls of the base shoe  12 . As such, the continuous setting strip  28  has a top arm  27  and a bottom arm  29  projecting perpendicularly from the top arm  27 . In some embodiments, the top arm  27  and the bottom arm  29  may be two separate pieces. The continuous setting strip  28  improves upon the prior design disclosed in the &#39;654 patent and &#39;366 patents by replacing a plurality of individual setting blocks which formerly supported and protected the glass panel  30 . The continuous setting strip  28  may be secured to the first inner wall  16  of the base shoe by a continuous tape strip  42 . The continuous tape strip  42  improves upon the design shown in the &#39;654 and &#39;366 patents by eliminating the need to individually glue the formerly used setting blocks into place. 
     The improved base shoe  12  also features another continuous tape strip  40  placed on the top side  31  of the bottom arm  29  of the L-shaped surface of the continuous setting strip  28 . The continuous tape strip  40  assists in securing the glass panel  30  to the continuous setting strip  28 . The continuous tape strips  40 ,  42  may comprise double-sided adhesive tape. 
     As referenced above, the improved base shoe  12  of the present invention features dovetail grooves  22  formed into first inner side wall  16  and the second inner side wall  18  of the base shoe  12  near their respective top sides  15 ,  19 . The dovetail groove  22  allows for the use of the safety weather seal  24  which will be typically located on an outboard facing side  33  of a fully assembled base shoe assembly  10 . The safety weather seal  24  is configured with two projections  44  which engage the interior side walls of the dovetail groove  22 . Due to the nature of this design, the safety weather seal  24  must be inserted into the dovetail groove  22  prior to the insertion of a glass panel  30  into the base shoe  12 , i.e. the weather seal  24  cannot properly be inserted in the base shoe  12  after installation of the glass panel  30 . This design is advantageous from a safety viewpoint. 
     Frequently, glass walls rill be installed at the border of drop-offs. With the previous press-in seal design (as referenced in the &#39;366 and &#39;654 patents), it has been observed that some installers have a habit of installing the weather seals as the last step in the installation. This requires an installer to lean over the glass wall to install the outboard weather seal which presents a safety risk. The new safety weather seal  24  eliminates this risk because it cannot be inserted after a glass panel  30  has been installed in the base shoe  12 . Because the safety weather seal  24  must be installed prior to installation of a glass panel  30 , it eliminates the risk of falling that occurs when installer reaches over an installed railing to install the safety weather seal  24  at the outboard side of the glass panel to the base shoe interface. 
     With reference to  FIG. 5 , an enlarged perspective view of the safety weather seal  24  of the present invention base shoe assembly  10  is shown. The safety weather seal  24  includes a body section  46  having a top side  51 , a bottom side  53  opposite the top side  51 , a lateral side  55  adjacent to the top side  51  and the bottom side  53 , and a medial side  57  opposite the lateral side  55  and adjacent to the top side  51  and the bottom side  53 . The lateral side  55  of the safety weather seal  24  interfaces with the first inner side wall  16  and the medial side  57  interfaces with the glass panel  30 . 
     In preferred embodiment, the bottom side  53  is non-parallel to the top side  51 . Specifically, moving from the lateral side  55  to the medial side  57 , the bottom side  53  may angle towards the top side  51 . Therefore, the lateral side  55  may be taller than the medial side  57  as shown in  FIG. 5 . The body section  46  may further comprise one or more safety weather seal channels  59  extending the length of the body section  46  to facilitate compressibility of the body section  46 . 
     Extending from the lateral side  55  of the body section  46  is a dovetail groove engagement portion  52  which terminates with a pair of opposing projections  44 . The projections  44  are connected to the body section  46  by a stem  43 . The projections  44  may form a 90 degree angle with the stem  43 . In the preferred embodiment, the projections  44  form an oblique angle with the stem  43 . More preferably, the projections  44  form an acute angle with the stem  43 , thereby creating an arrow shape when viewed in cross-section. 
     The safety weather seal  24  also includes at least one glass scraper seal  50  protruding from the medial side  57 . The embodiment shown in  FIG. 5  comprises three glass scraper seals  50 . In the preferred embodiment, at least one of the glass scraper seals  50  may be angled towards the top side  51 . 
       FIG. 6  shows the safety weather seal  24  with four glass scraper seals  50 . In addition, the bottom side  53 , rather than being flat, is tapered. 
     On the lateral side  55 , the safety weather seal  24  also includes a lateral lip  48  adjacent to the dovetail groove engagement portion  52 . The lateral lip  48  covers a gap at the outboard glass panel  30  to base shoe  12  interface. 
       FIG. 7  is an enlarged perspective view of the press-in weather seal  26  of the present invention. The press-in weather seal  26  includes body section  61  having a top side  71 , a bottom side  73  opposite the top side, a lateral side  75  adjacent to the top side  71  and the bottom side  73 , and a medial side  77  opposite the lateral side  75  and adjacent to the top side  71  and the bottom side  73 . The lateral side  75  of the press-in weather seal  26  interfaces with the second inner side wall  18 . In the preferred embodiment, the bottom side  73  is tapered so as to narrow in cross-sectional width moving away from the top side  71 . 
     Extending from the body section  61  on the lateral side  75  is a dovetail groove engagement portion  54  that may be pressed into the dovetail groove  22  on the second inner side wall  18  after a glass panel  30  has been installed in the base shoe  12 . In some embodiments, the dovetail groove engagement portion  54  may project. outwardly from the body section  61  at a right angle or upwardly towards the top side  71 . 
     The lateral side  75  of the press-in seal  26  further comprises a lateral lip  56 , which covers any gap between the body section  61  and the inner side wall of the base shoe  12  when the dovetail groove engagement portion  54  is engaged with the dovetail groove  22 . 
     The press-in weather seal  26  may also include a medial lip  60  projecting away from the body section  61  on the medial side  77  along the top side  71 , which covers a gap at the glass panel  30  to base shoe interface. In the preferred embodiment, the medial lip  60  is angled upwardly away from the bottom side  73 . The press-in weather seal  26  may also include one or more glass scraper seals  58  on the medial side  77 , which seals the gap at the glass panel  30  to base shoe  12  interface. In the preferred embodiment, the glass scraper seals  58  may also be angled upwardly towards the top side  71  and away from the bottom side  73 . 
     The body section  61  may further comprise one or more press-in weather seal channels  80  extending the length of the body section  61  to facilitate compressibility of the body section  61 . 
       FIG. 8  shows the press-in weather seal  26  with additional dovetail groove engagement portions  54  as well additional glass scraper seals  58 . In the preferred embodiment, the lowest dovetail groove engagement portion  54  and the lowest glass scraper seal  58  may transition into the tapered bottom side  73 , thereby forming an arrowhead shape as shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     The safety weather seal  24  and press-in weather seal  26  may be made from a variety of elastomeric compounds. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , additional features of the improved shoe assembly  10  of the present invention are shown while other components have been removed for clarity.  FIGS. 9 and 10  show the improved taper plates  62 , which feature a continuous projection  64  along a top surface of the taper plate  62 . The projection  64  rests in a recess  66  formed into the second inner Gall  18  of the base shoe  12 . The recess  66  has a recess depth  68  and a recess width  70 . The taper plate  62 , equipped with the projection  64 , and the recess depth  68  of the recess  66 , are configured such that there is a small gap  72  between the edge of the projection  64  and the second inner side wall of the base shoe  12 . Experimentation has shown that a recess width  70  of 1/32 inch and a recess depth  68  of 5/16 inch are suitable dimensions for the recess  66 . The projection  64  in combination with the gap  72  between the projection and the interior face of the second side wall  18  of the base shoe  12  provides a prying surface that allows an installer to insert a prying device into the gap and pry against the projection  64  to separate the taper plate  62  from the second side wall of the base shoe  12 . 
     The show assembly may also comprise a groove cover  79  for when the dovetail grooves are not in use. The groove cover  79  can be placed over the dovetail grooves  22  and may extend along the full length of the dovetail groove. 
     With reference to  FIG. 10 , with regard to the recess depth  68  of the recess  66  on the second inner side wall  18  of the base shoe  12 , a depth of 5/16 inch to ⅜ inch has been found by experimentation to work well with the improved base shoe  12  and taper plate  62  of the present invention. The recess depth  68  also allows for the use of larger more effective weather seals. 
     With reference to  FIG. 4 , a representation of decorative cladding  14  which may be placed on the improved base shoe  12  of the present invention is shown. The decorative cladding will typically be made from stainless steel, brass, anodized aluminum or other material having a visually attractive surface finish. 
     The foregoing detailed description and appended drawings are intended. as a description of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention are not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be constructed and/or utilized. Those skilled in the art will understand that modifications and alternative embodiments of the present invention which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the foregoing specification and drawings, and of the claims appended below are possible and practical. It is intended that the claims cover all such modifications and alternative embodiments.