Patent Publication Number: US-7594643-B2

Title: Balcony and stairway railing assemblies

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   In the development of modern ornamental balcony and stairway railing assemblies, there has been a continuing need for railing assemblies which may be adapted to various structural features at which the railing assemblies are required to be erected. For example, there are several slope angles for stairways which require accommodation by the stairway railing assembly. Still further, there has been a continuing need to develop modular balcony and stairway railing assemblies which may be assembled on site, are adaptable to various applications and do not require custom prefabrication away from the site of the installation of the balcony or stairway railing. 
   My U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,820,111 and 6,059,269 address the above-mentioned problem with modular balcony and stairway railing assemblies. However, there has been a further need for stairway railing assemblies, in particular, which can accommodate various stairway slope angles. There has also been a desire to provide ornamental railing assemblies which are easy to transport in a disassembled condition and are easy to erect on site to accommodate stairways and balconies of different railing length requirements. It is to these ends that the present invention has been developed. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides improved balcony and stairway railing assemblies. 
   In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, balcony and stairway railing assemblies are provided with balusters which may be interconnected by two part connector or collar members which can be adapted to be used with balcony railings and which also can be adapted to be used with stairway railings of various slope angles. The baluster connectors or collars are also, preferably, provided in two opposed parts which may be releasably connected together with threaded fasteners and which can be modified slightly to connect balusters of stairway railing assemblies of a wide range of angles. For example, a family of four collars of the above-described type can be provided to accommodate stairway railing angles in the range of about twenty-one degrees to forty-nine degrees (measured from the horizontal). 
   The present invention also provides a modular balcony and stairway railing assembly which may be made up of balusters which may be interconnected by collars or connectors of a type as described herein, which collars or connectors may also support additional railing barrier parts, such as elongated rods which support one or more ornamental parts of the railing assembly. 
   Further in accordance with the invention, there are provided balcony and stairway railing assemblies which are particularly modular, may be fabricated and shipped to the site of erection in a dissembled condition and erected onsite easily while accommodating balconies and stairways of different lengths and slope angles, respectively. 
   Those skilled in the art will further appreciate the above-mentioned advantages and superior features of the invention together with other important aspects thereof upon reading the detailed description which follows in conjunction with the drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a side elevation of a balcony railing assembly in accordance with the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a side elevation of a stairway railing assembly in accordance with the invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a top plan view of one of the parts of a baluster connector or collar in accordance with the invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the other of the connector or collar parts for a connector or collar in accordance with the invention; 
       FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of the connector or collar parts illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
       FIG. 5A  is a side elevation of another embodiment of a collar in accordance with the invention; 
       FIG. 5B  is a view taken generally from line  5 B- 5 B of  FIG. 5A ; 
       FIG. 6  is a side elevation of a baluster for the balcony and the stairway railing assemblies in accordance with the invention; and 
       FIG. 7  is a side elevation one of a modular ornamental barrier part for the balcony and railing assemblies of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   In the description which follows, like parts are marked throughout the specification and drawing with the same reference numerals, respectively. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be shown exaggerated in scale in the interest of clarity and conciseness. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is illustrated a portion of a balcony railing assembly in accordance with the invention and generally designated by the numeral  10 . The railing assembly  10  is characterized by spaced apart vertically extending balusters  12  which are interconnected by connector or collar assemblies in accordance with the invention, each generally designated by the numeral  14 . Vertically spaced collars or collar assemblies  14  are preferably two part structures which will be described in further detail hereinbelow. The connectors or collars  14  also support elongated vertically extending modular ornamental barrier parts  16  which will also be described in further detail herein. The modular construction of the balcony railing assembly  10  is advantageous in that any length of railing assembly may be provided for forming a barrier extending between a floor structure  18  and an elongated railing cap  20 . 
   In a preferred embodiment of the balusters  12 , each comprises spaced apart vertically extending rod portions  22  interconnected by integral curvilinear top and bottom head parts  24  and  26 , which each also include opposed axially aligned trunnion parts  25  and  27 , for example. The trunnion parts  25  and  27  are adapted to project into respective bores formed in the floor  18  and the handhold or railing cap  20 , as shown. Alternatively, the trunnion parts  25  and  27  may be secured to mounting plates or the like, not shown, which, in turn, may be connected to the floor  18  and the underside  21  of the railing cap  20 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , one end of the railing assembly  10  is provided with a terminating rod or stanchion part  29 . Alternatively, one or both ends of a railing assembly, such as the railing assembly  10 , may terminate with balusters  12 , for example. The parts  16  also, of course, serve as barrier parts together with the vertically extending legs  22  of the baluster parts  12 . The integral opposed curvilinear heads  24  and  26  also serve as barrier parts for the railing assembly  10 . 
   Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the baluster parts  12  and the ornament parts  16  may be utilized in a sloping stairway railing assembly, generally designated by numeral  30 . The overall lengths of the balusters  12  may vary depending on the application as a balcony or stairway railing. Stairway railing assembly  30  is erected between a stairway riser  32  and a railing cap  34  similar to the railing cap  20 . In this respect, the opposed trunnions  25  and  27  of the balusters  12  may project into suitable bores formed in the riser  32  and bores opening to the bottom surface  35  of the railing cap  34  in the same manner as provided for the railing assembly  10 . Other means of securing the balusters  12  may be provided as mentioned hereinbefore. The balusters  12 , when used in a railing assembly such as the railing assembly  30 , are interconnected by modified connector or collar assemblies  14   a , as illustrated. Collar assemblies  14   a  are substantially like the collar assemblies  14  but are modified in shape, as illustrated, for aesthetic purposes and to accommodate the slope angle of the stairway at which the railing assembly  30  is erected. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5 , one of the collars or collar assemblies  14  is illustrated in detail. As shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5 , each connector or collar assembly  14  is characterized by opposed, elongated substantially rectangular collar parts  14   b  and  14   c  which are each provided with semi cylindrical bore portions  40 ,  42  and  44  so that when the parts  14   b  and  14   c  are mated along cooperating surfaces  46  and  48  substantially circular bores are formed for receiving respective legs  22  of adjacent balusters  12 . The respective collar parts  14   b  and  14   c  are assembled and secured to each other, preferably, with elongated headless threaded fasteners  50  which are operably disposed in threaded bores  52   a  and  52   b  of the respective parts  14   b  and  14   c . One or both ends of fasteners  50  may include tool engaging surfaces. Alternatively, fasteners  50  may comprise conventional machine screws with pan heads, shallow round heads or other aesthetically pleasing shaped heads, in which case one of the bores  52   a  or  52   b  does not require to be threaded. The central bore formed by bore portions  42  includes a stepped bore portion  42   a  of reduced diameter and the bores formed by portions  40 ,  42 ,  42   a  and  44  are each provided with a central axis  40   x ,  42   x  and  44   x , respectively, which axes are normal to opposed somewhat parallel top and bottom surfaces  54  and  56  of the assembled collars  14 , as indicated in  FIG. 5 . 
   When the collar parts  14   b  and  14   c  are secured together the dimensions of the bores formed by bore portions  40  and  44 , with respect to the square cross section of the legs  22 , are such as to provide for tightly clamping the collars to the legs of the balusters  12 . As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the bore axes  40   x ,  42   x  and  44   x  may be formed at an angle to the opposed surfaces  54  and  56 , as is the case for the modified collars  14   a , and this angle may be selected to be one of a series of angles which may allow for a relatively wide range of slopes of stairway railing systems utilizing selected ones of collars  14   a , for example. 
   The respective parts  14   b  and  14   c  of collar assembly  14  may be identical and when joined together form the generally rectangular block illustrated in  FIGS. 1 ,  3 ,  4  and  5  and wherein the block-like collar has, as shown in  FIG. 5 , opposed end walls  58  and  60  and opposed longitudinal side walls  62  and  64  which may be provided with certain surface interruptions for decorative or aesthetic purposes, as illustrated. Accordingly, the separable collar parts  14   b  and  14   c  enable collars or collar assemblies, such as the collars  14  and  14   a , to be secured to adjacent balusters  12  so that a railing assembly may be erected on site or prior to shipment to the point of installation. Of course, the separable collar assemblies  14  and  14   a  allow one to take advantage of onsite erection of a railing assembly rather than requiring prefabrication and shipment of large railing assembly panels from a point of manufacture to the point of installation. 
   Referring to now to  FIGS. 5A and 5B , the collar assembly  14   a  is substantially like the collar assembly  14  except it is provided with cooperating parts  14   d  and  14   e  which may be secured together by suitable threaded fasteners, such as headless machine screws  50 . The collar assembly  14   a  has opposed top and bottom planar and parallel surfaces  54   a  and  56   a  and opposed end surfaces  58   a  and  60   a . Baluster receiving bores  40   c ,  42   c ,  42   d  and  44   c  each have respective central vertical axes  40   x ,  42   x  and  44   x , however, in the embodiment of the collar assembly  14   a , these axes are at an angle Z,  FIG. 5A , with respect to the parallel surfaces  54   a  and  56   a  to accommodate the baluster legs  22  in the same manner, generally, as such legs are accommodated by the collar assemblies  14 . 
   It has been determined in accordance with the present invention that a set of four collars can be provided for respective stairway slope angles y,  FIG. 5A , set at twenty-four degrees, thirty-one degrees, thirty-nine degrees and forty-six degrees with respect to the horizontal, when the collar assemblies are secured to a railing assembly. Thus, for such a set of collar assemblies, the angle z between the bore axes  40   x ,  42   x  and  44   x  and the surfaces  54   a  and  56   a  would be sixty-six degrees, fifty-nine degrees, fifty-one degrees and forty-four degrees, respectively. Moreover, each collar assembly  14   a  may accommodate a range of stairway slope angles without interference between the legs  22  of the balusters and the bores of the respective collar assemblies  14   a , other than that required to clamp the collar assemblies to the baluster legs  22 , thanks to the cooperation between the square cross section baluster legs  22  and the cylindrical bores formed by the collar assemblies  14   a . For example, a collar assembly  14   a  having an angle z,  FIG. 5A  of sixty-six degrees may accommodate stairway slope angles in a range of twenty-one degrees to twenty-seven degrees from the horizontal. An angle z of fifty-nine degrees accommodates a range of stairway slope angles of between twenty-eight degrees and thirty-four degrees. Still further, a collar assembly  14   a  having an angle z of fifty-one degrees may accommodate a range of stairway slope angles of thirty-five degrees to forty-two degrees and a collar assembly  14   a  having bore axes formed at an angle z of forty-four degrees may accommodate a range of stairway slope angles of forty-three degrees to forty-nine degrees. In all of the above mentioned ranges of stairway slope angles, stairway railing assemblies may be erected with the baluster legs  22  extending vertically. Exemplary dimensions for collar assemblies  14   a  are a collar assembly thickness between surfaces  54   a  and  56   a  of about 1.0 inches, and the diameters of bores  40   c  and  44   c  of 0.875 inches for a baluster leg  22   a  cross section dimension of 0.625 inches width or thickness. 
   Referring briefly to  FIG. 6 , a baluster  16  is illustrated having a continuous elongated oval shape formed by the substantially linear parallel legs  22  interconnected by opposed curvilinear end or head portions  24  and  26  and trunnion portions  25  and  27 . The balusters  16  may be formed of tubular or solid metal having polygonal cross section shapes. In the embodiment illustrated the baluster legs  22  have a square cross section shape, as indicated in  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5 B. 
   Referring to  FIG. 7 , an ornamental barrier part  16  will now be described. The ornamental barrier part  16  includes a center medallion part  70  having opposed ornamental bosses  72  which are provided with respective threaded bores and the ornamental barrier part further includes opposed ornaments  74  having respective integral bosses  76  which are cylindrical and are also provided with threaded bores. Barrier parts  16  further include elongated, preferably cylindrical, rod members  78  which are threaded at their opposite ends for connection to the bosses  72  and  76 , respectively, as illustrated in  FIG. 7 , to form the barrier part  16 . The bosses  76  of the ornaments  74  are dimensioned to fit within the collar bores  42  and  42   c  and the rod members  78  are dimensioned to fit within and extend through the bore portions  42   a  or  42   d , respectively, see  FIG. 5A , for example. Accordingly, each ornamental barrier part  16  may be assembled with respect to the collars  14  or  14   a  by mounting the ornament parts  74  in the respective bores formed in the collar assemblies  14  or  14   a  and threadedly connecting the ornament parts to the rod parts  78  which may or may not already be connected to the ornament part  70  via the respective bosses  72 . 
   The components of the respective railing assemblies  10  and  30  may be fabricated using conventional manufacturing techniques for conventional engineering materials, such as metals or plastics typically used for ornamental railing systems. The construction and assembly of the railing assemblies  10  and  30  is also believed to be within the purview of one skilled in the art based on the foregoing description. The parts of the railing assemblies described herein are particularly adapted to be configured as substantially horizontal extending railing assemblies such as the balcony assembly  10 , as well as stairway railing assemblies, such as the railing assembly  30 , having a wide range of slope angles and wherein the respective collar assemblies  14  and  14   a  provided may accommodate a wide range of slope angles as described and shown. 
   Although preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in detail herein, those skilled in the art will recognize that various substitutions and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.