Patent ID: 6948283

Claim:
A post mounting apparatus, comprising: a base member for attaching an end of a post thereto, wherein the end has an opening into a hollow interior of the post having interior walls; wherein said base member includes: (a1) a support member for inserting into the opening, said support member having one or more sloping sides that slope relative to the interior walls of the post, and (a2) a substantially vertical wall offset from said support member so as to accept the end of the post between said support member and said vertical wall; one or more gripping elements, each gripping element having a wedge with a narrower end and a wider end such that said wedge is positioned between a corresponding one of the sloping sides and a corresponding one of the post interior walls; a tightening mechanism for securing each wedge (W) of the one or more wedges between the corresponding sloping side, and the corresponding interior wall for the wedge W; wherein said tightening mechanism includes a moveable portion that is moveable between: (b1) an initial position wherein at least one of the wedges is not secured to at least one of the corresponding sloping side and the corresponding one of the interior post walls for the at least one wedge, and (b2) a second position wherein said at least one wedge is secured to both of the corresponding sloping side and the corresponding interior post walls.