Fences – Rail – Connection
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-22
2002-05-14
Friedman, Carl D. (Department: 3635)
Fences
Rail
Connection
C403S374100, C403S374200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06386518
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to handrails of the type that are mounted on walls and that have end members that are installed on the exposed ends of the handrails to prevent clothing, the hands and arms of persons, and objects from being caught in an otherwise open gap between the wall and the end of the handrail.
Construction Specialties, Inc., the assignee of the present invention, makes and sells a line of wall protection products under the trademark ACROVYN®. The ACROVYN® line includes several styles of handrails that have extruded aluminum retainers and covers of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) blended with a small amount of an acrylic polymer that are mounted on the retainers. The retainers provide the strength and rigidity for the support of persons who use the handrails for assistance and also endure impacts of objects that strike the handrails. The covers provide durable and attractive surfaces to the exposed parts of the handrail. Handrails similar to the ACROVYN® handrails are available from several suppliers.
Wall-mounted handrails of all types are supported in spaced relation to the walls so as to leave a space between the handgrip portion of the handrail and the wall for the user's fingers. It is a well-known and virtually universal practice to have an end member (often called an “end cap”) that is part of the handrail or is installed on the handrail to cover an exposed end, such as at door openings, and close the gap that would otherwise exist between the end of the handrail and the wall and would be susceptible to allowing clothing or a hand of a person or a part of an object to become caught by the end of the handrail. End caps usually are curved or angled to deflect objects away from the wall and have free ends remote from the handrail body located very close to the wall. Where sections of a handrail run along walls that meet at outside corners, curved corner handrail members similar to end caps, and often end caps configured to be attached to the handrail sections and thus suited for dual use, are joined to the handrail sections.
In a handrail of the ACROVYN® type, an end cap previously has been coupled to the handrail by reception of one or more locating bosses that project from the body of the end cap and extend into corresponding socket(s) in the aluminum retainer and by a flange on the end cap that is secured to the retainer by screws or bolts and nuts. The mounting of the end caps on the retainer of handrails in the previously known arrangements is tedious and time-consuming.
Ordinarily, the end caps are installed on the retainer before the retainer is mounted on the wall. After the retainer is installed, the fasteners for the end caps are no longer accessible. Should adjustment of the position of the end cap be required, such as to form a tight joint with the handrail cover, it is necessary to remove the cover to gain access to the fasteners.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a handrail and end member assembly that is easily and quickly assembled and has a single inexpensive fastener component. Another object is to provide a handrail and end member assembly that allows adjustment of an end member relative to a handrail without having to disassemble any part of the assembly.
The foregoing objects are attained, in accordance with the present invention, by a handrail and end member assembly that includes an elongated handrail having an axis, an undercut groove of a generally “C” shape in cross section extending axially along at least an end part of the handrail, and an end member received adjacent the end part of the handrail and having a mounting flange portion located in overlapping relation to the undercut groove. A lock member is coupled to the mounting flange portion against movement of the lock member relative to the mounting flange portion in a direction parallel to the handrail axis and for rotation relative to the mounting flange portion about a lock member axis perpendicular to the handrail axis. A locking cam portion of the lock member that is received in the mounting groove is configured to permit the lock member to be moved axially along the locking groove in an unlocked rotational position relative to the locking groove and to frictionally engage walls of the locking groove in a locked rotational position relative to the locking groove and thereby retain the end member against axial movement relative to the handrail.
The lock member, by virtue of its configuration, as described above, is quickly and easily moved between the locked position and unlocked position; locking and unlocking the lock member requires rotating it only one-quarter of a revolution about its axis. Securing the end member to the handrail, moreover, involves only a single fastener member, as compared to two or more screws or bolts
uts, as in previously known handrail/end member structures. By its nature, the lock member is relatively large and thus more easily handled and manipulated, as compared to screws and nuts/bolts.
In a preferred arrangement, in which coupling the lock member to the mounting flange portion is facilitated, a shank portion of the lock member is received in a substantially vertically oriented slot in the mounting flange portion of the end member. To secure the end member to the handrail against displacements in directions other than axially of the handrail, the handrail includes at least one socket portion in at least the end part thereof, and the end member has a positioning boss portion telescopically received in the socket portion of the handrail.
The lock member should have a head that is formed with a tool-receiving formation, such as facets like those of a nut, adapted to receive a tool for use to facilitate rotating the lock member.
In advantageous configurations, the locking cam portion of the cam member includes upper and lower locking portions lying substantially parallel to the handrail axis in the locked position that frictionally engage opposed upper and lower portions of the undercut groove in the locked position and upper and lower tapered and curved lead-in portions adjacent the locking portions that permit the locking portions to move gradually into pressure engagement with the upper and lower portions of the undercut groove upon rotation of the lock member from the unlocked position to the locked position. In addition, the locking cam portion has right and left end portions intermediate the upper and lower locking and lead-in portions. (For convenience in describing the invention and the embodiment, the portions of the undercut groove in the retainer and the parts of the lock member are termed “upper” and “lower” with respect to the locked position of the lock member and “right” and “left” with respect to the front of the handrail.) By making the end portions substantially narrower than the upper and lower portions, insertion of the locking cam portion into the receiving groove in the handrail and sliding it endwise into position are facilitated. With such a configuration, each of the lead-in portions widens progressively in a direction from the adjacent end portion toward the adjacent locking portion.
The lock member is well-suited by its design and function to be made in one piece as a moldment of a solid polymeric material, for example, nylon. Other materials, including metals, can be used for the lock member.
It is advantageous to use the invention in handrails of the type having a retainer of extruded aluminum and a cover of a polymeric material received on a portion of the retainer located to face away from the wall. The undercut groove may be located on a portion of the retainer that faces toward the wall and is not covered by the cover, thus making the lock member inconspicuous but also making it accessible for operation to make adjustments in the position of the end member, should that be necessary.
For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be made to the following description of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken in conj
Baker & Botts L.L.P.
Construction Specialties, Inc.
Friedman Carl D.
McDermott Kevin
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