Bracket for supporting attachment of the end of a railing member to a vertical member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9322180-B2
Application number	US-201213729087-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2012
Priority date	Jan 10, 2012
Publication date	Apr 26, 2016
Grant date	Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

A rail receiving member includes a rail receiving member having a bottom wall, a plurality of side walls, and a back wall, and is configured to receive and connect to an end of a rail member. The back wall of that rail receiving member may be attached to a vertical member and covered by a cap. In an adjustable railing bracket installation, a hinge assembly can be selectively coupled to the rail receiving member in at least two orientations, each of which allowing for rotation of the rail receiving member about a hinge axis of the hinge assembly. A first orientation permits rotation of the rail receiving member about the hinge axis of the hinge assembly in a vertical plane. A second orientation permits rotation of the rail receiving member about the hinge axis of the hinge assembly in a horizontal plane.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus, comprising:
a cup having a bottom wall and being adapted to receive an end of a railing member; and
a cap adapted to cover the cup;
wherein the cup is configured to receive the cap in both of a first orientation wherein the cap is installed over a top of the cup and a second orientation wherein the cap is installed under a bottom of the cup, wherein the cap exposes the bottom wall when installed in the first orientation and exposes a top surface of the received end of the railing member when installed in the second orientation;
the cap including an inwardly extending tab member matingly received by the cup to secure the cap in each of the first orientation and the second orientation;
a hinge assembly defining a hinge axis, wherein the cup further includes a back wall, said back wall including a plurality of openings configured to receive an attachment means for securing the cup to the hinge assembly; and
wherein the cup is attachable to the hinge assembly in at least two configurations including a first configuration in which the hinge assembly is secured to the cup via a respective one of the plurality of openings such that the hinge axis is oriented to support pivotal movement of the cup in a horizontal plane and a second configuration in which the hinge assembly is secured to the cup via a respective one of the plurality of openings such that the hinge axis is oriented to support pivotal movement of the cup in a vertical plane, the bottom wall being disposed underneath the end of the railing member in both the first configuration and the second configuration.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the cup includes two opposed side walls extending perpendicularly from the bottom wall and at least one of the side walls includes an opening configured to receive an attachment means for securing the received end of the railing member within the cup.

3. The apparatus as in claim 2 , wherein a notch in the back wall is configured to receive the inwardly extending tab member and secure the cap to the cup.

4. The apparatus as in claim 3 , wherein the notch is positioned at a corner of the back wall of the cup.

5. The apparatus as in claim 2 , wherein said back wall includes at least one opening configured to receive an attachment means for securing the cup to a vertical member.

6. The apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the hinge assembly comprises:
a back plate;
a pivot opening associated with the back plate;
a U-shaped pivoting member including a center plate and two opposed ears extending perpendicularly from the center plate; and
a pivot pin coupled between the two opposed ears and extending through the pivot opening to define the hinge axis.

7. The apparatus as in claim 6 , wherein the back plate includes at least one opening configured to receive an attachment means for securing the hinge assembly to a vertical member.

8. The apparatus as in claim 6 , wherein the center plate includes at least one opening configured to receive an attachment means for securing the back wall of the cup to the center plate.

9. The apparatus as in claim 8 , wherein the back wall is attachable to the center plate in both the first configuration and the second configuration.

10. The apparatus as in claim 6 , further comprising a vertical member and means for attaching the back plate to said vertical member.

11. The apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the cap includes a flange portion configured to cover an edge of the cup and wherein the inwardly extending tab member engages a notch in an opposite edge of the cup.

12. The apparatus as in claim 1 , further comprising a vertical member and means for attaching the cup to said vertical member.

13. An adjustable railing bracket, comprising:
a rail receiving member having a bottom wall, a plurality of side walls, and a back wall, the rail receiving member configured to support a rail therein;
a hinge assembly configured to be coupled to the rail receiving member in at least two orientations which allow for rotation of the rail receiving member about a hinge axis of the hinge assembly, the at least two orientations including:
a first orientation wherein rotation of the rail receiving member about the hinge axis of the hinge assembly is in a vertical plane; and
a second orientation wherein rotation of the rail receiving member about the hinge axis of the hinge assembly is in a horizontal plane, the bottom wall being disposed underneath the rail in both the first orientation and the second orientation;
a cap adapted to cover the rail receiving member;
wherein the rail receiving member is configured to receive the cap in both of a first cap orientation wherein the cap is installed over a top of the rail receiving member and a second cap orientation wherein the cap is installed under the bottom wall of the rail receiving member, wherein the cap exposes the bottom wall when installed in the first cap orientation and exposes a top surface of the rail when installed in the second cap orientation;
wherein the cap includes an inwardly extending tab member and wherein the back wall of the rail receiving member includes a notch that is configured to receive the inwardly extending tab member and secure the cap to the rail receiving member; and
wherein the back wall of the rail receiving member includes a first hole to receive a fastener to secure the rail receiving member to the hinge assembly in the first orientation and a second hole separate from the first hole to receive the fastener to secure the rail receiving member to the hinge assembly in the second orientation.

14. The adjustable railing bracket of claim 13 , wherein the hinge assembly comprises a pivot pin received through a barrel, the pivot pin defining the hinge axis.

15. The adjustable railing bracket of claim 13 , wherein the hinge assembly is configured to support attachment to a vertical member and wherein rotation in either the first or second orientation permits pivoting of the rail receiving member relative to the vertical member over a range of about ninety degrees.

16. The adjustable railing bracket of claim 15 , wherein said range of about ninety degrees comprises plus/minus about forty-five degrees relative to perpendicular from a surface of the vertical member.

17. The adjustable railing bracket of claim 13 , wherein the notch is positioned at a corner of the back wall of the rail receiving member.

18. The adjustable railing bracket of claim 13 , wherein the cap further includes a flange member configured to cover edges of the side and bottom walls of the rail receiving member, said edges at an opposite end of rail receiving member from the back wall.

19. The adjustable railing bracket of claim 13 , further comprising a vertical member and means for attaching the hinge assembly to said vertical member.

20. The adjustable railing bracket of claim 13 , wherein the rail receiving member includes a third hole separate from the first hole and the second hole, the third hole configured to receive a second fastener to secure the rail receiving member to the hinge assembly in either the first orientation or the second orientation.

Assignees

• Fortress Iron Lp

Inventors

• Burt Kevin T
• Sherstad Matthew Carlyle
• Irick John David

Classifications

• E04F11/1834 Primary

  with adjustable angle, e.g. pivotal connections · CPC title

• E04F11/1836

  Handrails of balustrades; Connections between handrail members · CPC title

• E04F2011/1819

  between balustrade posts and horizontal or sloping balustrade members · CPC title