Patent ID: 8083214

Claim:
A plug fastener, comprising: a first hemispheroidal portion; a second hemispheroidal portion opposed to the first hemispheroidal portion, the first and second hemispheroidal portions being symmetrical to one another about their plane of opposition, each hemispheroidal portion comprising: a pair of mating surfaces each truncating a respective one of said hemispheroidal portions, each mating surface defining a mating plane that is parallel to the plane of opposition whereby the mating planes of the respective first and second hemispheroidal portions are opposite from each other across the plane of opposition, and ridges extending outwardly from the respective hemispheroidal portions between the mating surfaces and the plane of opposition, and deformable to frictionally engage an interior surface of an opening in an end of a baluster; and an aperture extending through the first and second hemispheroidal portions between openings in the first and second mating surfaces, wherein the aperture is substantially perpendicular with respect to the plane of opposition and comprises a first countersink defined within an opening in the first mating surface, and a second countersink defined within an opening in the second mating surface.