Patent ID: 7744065

Claim:
A railing system comprising: an elongated upper rail; an elongated lower rail; and a plurality of balusters extending between the upper rail and the lower rail; the upper rail comprising: an elongated upper core member comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion comprising an upper flange having opposing longitudinal edges each comprising a cap connector, and the lower portion comprising a lower flange having opposing longitudinal edges each comprising a base connector, and a pair of opposing sidewalls extending from the lower flange and forming an elongated inverted channel in the core member; a cap member comprising an elongated central body having a pair of opposing sidewalls defining a channel receiving the upper portion of the core member, each sidewall of the cap member having a cap flange adjacent the central body of the cap member and in interlocking engagement with a respective one of the cap connectors of the core member such that the central body of the cap member engages the longitudinal edges of the upper flange; wherein an upper surface of the upper flange of the core member and an inner surface of the central body of the cap member face each other and diverge away from one another to form at least one conduit adapted to carry one or more utility lines inside the railing system; and a base member comprising an elongated central body having a pair of opposing sidewalls defining a channel receiving the lower portion of the core member, each sidewall of the base member having a base flange in interlocking engagement with a respective one of the base connectors of the core member, the central body of the base member comprising a plurality of openings aligned with the inverted channel of the core member; wherein the plurality of balusters extend through the plurality of openings in the base member and into the inverted channel in the core member to connect the plurality of balusters with the upper rail; and wherein the sidewalls of the cap member and the sidewalls of the base member engage one another in an overlapping relationship such that the cap member and the base member substantially enclose and conceal the core member.