US2715513A - Adjustable railing section - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 16, 1955 E. v. KOOLS ADJUSTABLE RAILING SECTION Filed April 17, 1953 TOR. 01%,

ATTORNEYS fwd United States Patent 015 ice 2,715,513 Patented Aug; 16, 1955 ADJUSTABLE RAHJNG SECTION Edward V. Kools, Appleton, Wis., assignor to Kools Brothers, Inc., Appleton, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsm Application April 17, 1953, Serial No. 349,375

5 Claims. Cl. 256-21) This invention relates to adjustable railing section.

Various types of structures such as porches, stoops, Stairways, ramps and the like require railings, but due to architectural and structural differences the railing requirements are far from uniform and the railings, generally, must be fabricated at considerable expense to fit the special requirements of the particular installation. However, if the requirement for specially fabricated railings for each installation can be eliminated, so that the builder can purchase standard pre-formed railing units and fittings and then assemble the same on the job to fit any inclination or series of steps of any pitch there will be a considerable saving in time and expense.

The primary object of the present invention, therefore, is to accomplish the aim last mentioned by the provision of standard adjustable railing units and fittings which can I be assembled and adjusted to fit any situation where a railing is required.

A further object of the invention is to provide preformed railing units which can be manually deformed on the job to fit any inclination or series of steps of any pitch, which units are engageable with posts carrying adjustable fittings to mount the railing units in any desired angular relationship relative to the posts, vertical walls, or other supports.

A further object of the invention is to provide railing units which include upper and lower longitudinal members joined by spaced-apart metallic spindles, the spindles being weakened at their upper and lower ends by apertures so that the upper and lower extremities of a spindle may be bent or deformed relative to its major extent to adapt the spindle to the upper and lower longitudinal members of the railing units regardless of the inclination or pitch of said longitudinal members.

A further object of the invention is to provide adjustable railing units and fittings which may be manufactured and sold in disengaged condition and which are readily assembled on the job to suit any existing conditions.

A further object of the invention is to provide adjustable railing units and fittings which are relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, which, when assembled, provide a strong, durable and attractive railing, which may be shipped and stored in a knock-down condition, and which are well adapted for the purposes described.

With the above and other objects in view invention consists of the improved adjustable railing units and fittings, and their parts and combinations as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. l is a fragmentary side elevation of a stairway and stoop or porch equipped with the improved stairway units and fittings assembled to provide an integral railing structure of diiferent inclinations and angular relationships to suit the particular installation;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of an intermediate post and a pair of clamping units and angularly adjustable connectors associated therewith and extending in opposite directions from the post for the connection of the longitudinal members of a pair of adjacent units;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of an end post carrying a clamping unit and an angularly adjustable connector;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side view of a wall bracket with an angularly adjustable connector carried thereby;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a clamping unit such as is carried by a post;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a connector pivot block assemblage adapted to mount a rail on a post clamping unit;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the wall bracket plate of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary side view, with portions broken away and in section, of the spaced upper and lower longitudinal members oi. a railing unit and a connected spindle; and

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view of the showing in Fig. 8.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, it will be noted that a particular adaptation of the invention is illustrated in connection with a flight of porch stairs 12 serving a flat porch or stoop 13 having angularly related side edge portions 14 and 15 which are to be guarded by a railing. This embodiment will illustrate the manner in which the pre-formed railing units and fittings of the present invention are readily assembled on the job to meet the various conditions imposed by any particular stairway and porch structure.

Between each pair of upright posts or supports is a railing unit of a desired length, the railing units in Fig. 1 being designated 16a, 16a, 16b and 16c, respectively. Each railing unit comprises upper and lower longitudinal metallic members 17 and 18 of inverted channel formation connected by spaced-apart metal spindles 19 having a degree of malleability. Then lengths of the various railing units 16a, 16b and 160 may vary according to requirements, and in a particular railing unit the number of spaced apart connecting spindles 19 therein will depend upon the length of the particular unit. Also, originally each unit is of rectangular formation with its longitudinal members 17 and 18 parallel and at right angles to the extremities of the spindles 19 which are welded or otherwise secured thereto, as at 35 in Fig. 8. The opposite extremities of each spindle 19 are plane while the intermediate portions are preferably twisted or spiral, as at 36. A particular feature of the present invention resides in the provision of apertures 20 (see Figs. 8 and 9) in the plane extremities of the spindles which serve to locally weaken the malleable spindles adjacent their points of connection with the spaced-apart longitudinal members 17 and 18 of a unit, whereby the originally rectangular unit may, on the job, be bent or deformed into a parallelogram so that the rails or longitudinal members 17 and 18 will assume an inclination corresponding to the pitch of the particular stairs or ramp to which said units are to be applied, as at 16a in Fig. 1. As is illustrated by the broken line showing in Fig. 8, the bending of the spindles 19 occurs in the areas of the openings 20, whereby the major extents of the spindles remain vertical.

The railing units 16a, 16b and 160 are adapted to be mounted between pairs of vertical posts or supports. In the drawing the upright posts, of square form in cross section, are designated by the numerals 21 and said posts are mounted along the stairway 12 and porch 13 in spaced apart relationship.

in Order'toniount the railing units to the supporting posts or the like, various uniform fittings and connectors are provided which are shown in detail in Figs. 2 to 7 inclusive. These fittings include post carried clamps 22 (see Figs. 2, 3 and 5), rail carried connectors 23 (see Figs. 2, 3, 4- and 6), and interposed pivot blocks 24 (see Figs. 2, 3 and 6). Additionally there are wall bracket plates 25 (Figs. 4 and 7).

A clamp 22 is in the form of an open square box with each side wall thereof having a tapped opening 26 therein. The internal opening through a member 22 is of a shape and size to snugly receive a post 21. A member 22 is clamped in position on a post by a bolt 26' threaded into a tapped opening 26 so as to impinge against a wall portion of the post. For an end post 21 such as is shown at the bottom of the stairs 12 in Fig. 1, clamps 22 are mounted on the upper and lower end portions of the post in line with the lower ends of the rails 17 and 18, the unit 16a having been deformed into parallelogram shape so that the angular extent of the rails 17 and 18 corresponds to the pitch of the stairs. The lower ends of the rails 17 and 18 of the unit 16a carry connectors 23 which are of hollow box-like formation with a tapped opening 27 in one side wall thereof to receive a bolt which impinges against the rail end onto which the connector 23 inner end of the pivot block register with openings 29 in 9 the bifurcated portions of the connector and the connector is pivotally attached to the pivot block by a pin or n'vet 30 positioned through said registering apertures 28 and 29. A pivot block 24 has a closed outer end but is open interiorly from the bottom to permit the insertion of a threaded attaching bolt 31 which is threaded through an opening in the outer end of the pivot block and into one of the openings 26 in the adjacent wall of the adjaceutipost clamp 22. In this manner the connectors 23 may be pivotally adjusted relative to the post 21 to aline with the unit rails 17 and 18 regardless of the angular extent of said rails relativeto the vertical posts.

Substantially the same arrangement is employed in connection with the intermediate post on the stairway 12 in Fig. 1, except that the post carries adjacent its opposite ends pairs of vertically spaced apart clamps 22, one pair of which is connected to the rails of the unit 16a on the downward side of the post 21 and the other pair of which is connected to the rails 17 and 18 of the unit on the upward side of the post 21. Where the inclined assembled railing is composed of several units 16a the spaced apart clamps 22 on the intermediate post permit the rails of the units on each side of the post to extend in the same inclined path.

The post 21 mounted at the top of the stairs 12 in Fig. 1 forms the anchorage for the upper end of an inclined parallelogram unit 16a and an end portion of a non-tilted rectangular unit 16b. Hence it is only necessary for the opposite ends of the post 21 to carry single clamps 22 with opposite sides of the clamps having affixed thereto by bolts 31 assembled connectors and pivot blocks 2324. With respect to the connectors 23 engaging the inclined rails of the unit 16 and 18 the connectors are pivoted to conform with the inclination of the rails 17 and 18. On the other side of said post 21 the connectors 23 are at right angles to the post to aline with the rails 17 and 18 of the unit 16b.

The next post 21 in Fig. I mounted on the porch at the junction of the right angularly related side edges 14 and 15 of the porch illustrates another possibility wherein the railing unit 160 which is to guard the porch edge 15 is at right angles to the railing unit 16b. In this event the connectors 23. and pivot blocks 24 for the rails 17 and 18 of the unit 160 are secured to the clamps 22 at ill of the vertical wall or support while the upper opening has threaded thereinto a bolt 31 for the mounting of a pivot block 24 (see Fig. 4). The pivot block, of course, carries a connector 23 which is secured to the adjacent rail of the unit 160, whereby the ends of the unit 160 remote from the post 21 are firmly anchored to the structure wall.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that the improved railing units and fittings provide standard structural elements which can be readily assembled on the job to produce a strong and attractive post-mounted railing adaptable to any existing conditions and to any flight of stairs or inclined walk or ramp, The various elements may be assembled so that the railing units are in an inclined relationship, or the railing units may be disposed in any angular relationship relative to each other. The fittings borne by the posts and carrying the unit rails are standardized and permit an unlimited number of relationships between the assembled parts. The railing units and fittings are simple, permit the easy and inexpensive formation and installation of a railing of any length and disposition, and are well adapted for the purposes described.

What is claimed as the invention is:

l. A pitch conforming railing section, comprising spaced-apart longitudinal rails having imperforate surfaces, and spindles transversely interposed between said rails in spaced-apart relation, one set of ends of the spindles being anchored to irnperforate surface portions of one of the rails and the other set of ends of the spindles being anchored to imperforate surface portions of the other of said rails, said spindles having malleable areas inwardly of their anchored ends to vary the angular relationship between the rails and the spindle extents between said malleable areas while maintaining parallelism between the rails.

2. A pitch adjustable railing section, comprising elongated, spaced-apart upper and lower longitudinal metallic rails, the surface portions of which are imperforate, and vertical metallic spindles spacedly interposed between said rails and having their opposite ends anchored to imperforate surface portions of the upper and lower rails respectively, said railing section normally being of rectangular shape, said spindles having malleable areas inwardly of their anchored ends while the major extents of the spindles between said malleable areas are rigid, said malleable areas of the spindles permitting manual deformation of the railing section from a rectangle to a parallelogram to conform the inclination of the rails to the pitch of a flight of stairs or the like.

3. A pitch conforming railing section, comprising spaced-apart longitudinal rails having all surface portions thereof irnperforate, and spindles transversely interposed between said rails in spaced-apart relation, one set of ends of the spindles being anchored to imperforate portions of one of the rails and the other set of ends of the spindles being anchored to imperforate portions of the other of said rails, said spindles having parallel, locally weakened malleable areas inwardly of their anchored ends permitting permanent deflection of the rails from their original positions to alter the pitch of said raiis while maintaining the same in parallelism.

4. A pitch adjustable railing section, comprising elongated, spaced-apart upper and lower longitudinal metallic rails having all surface portions thereof imperforate,

and vertical metallic spindles spacedly interposed between said rails and having their opposite ends anchored to imperforate surface portions of the upper and lower rails respectively, said railing section normally being of rectangular shape, said spindles having locally weakened malleable areas inwardly of their anchored ends while the major extents of the spindles between said malleable areas are rigid, said malleable areas of the spindles permitting manual bending of the spindles at said areas to deform the railing section from a rectangle to a parallelogram to conform the inclination of the rails to the pitch of a flight of stairs or the like along which said railing section is mounted.

5. A pitch conforming railing section, comprising spaced-apart longitudinal rigid metal rails having all surface portions thereof imperforate, and spindles transversely interposed between said rails in spaced-apart relation, one set of ends of the spindles being anchored to imperforate portions of one of the rails and the other set of ends of the spindles being anchored to imperforate References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,074,693 Carter et al. Oct. 7, 1913 2,427,723 Hawkins et al Sept. 23, 1947 2,558,142 Lapp et a1 June 26, 1951 2,563,529 Hawkins Aug. 7, 1951 2,655,345 Lindman Oct. 13, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 6,161 Great Britain 1887

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