Engineered handrail

Abstract

An elongated wood member such as a handrail comprising an elongated first and second layer of a lower grade wood product secured together to form an inner core; and an outer layer of a high grade wood product disposed substantially around all of said inner core except for a bottom surface thereof. The first and second layers are substantially vertically oriented relative to each other and have abutting side walls that may be planar in configuration or may be dovetailed to interlock together. The first, second and outer layers preferably are manufactured from the same wood product, that product preferably being solid timber strips or boards of oak or maple.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The preferred embodiments of the invention, illustrative of the best mode in which applicant has contemplated applying the principles, are set forth in the following description and are shown in the drawings and are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a handrail in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional end view of a first embodiment of the handrail of FIG. 1 and showing a first configuration of the layers of the inner core of the handrail;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional end view of the handrail of the present invention, showing a second configuration of the layers of the inner core of the handrail;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional end view of the handrail showing a third configuration of the layers of the inner core;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional end view of a second embodiment of a handrail in accordance with the present invention and showing a configuration of the layers of the inner core;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional end view of the second embodiment of the handrail and showing a second configuration of the layers of the inner core;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional end view of the second embodiment of the handrail and showing a third configuration of the layers of the inner core of the handrail;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional end view of the second embodiment of the handrail and showing a fourth configuration of the layers of the inner core;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional end view of the second embodiment of the handrail and showing a fifth configuration of the layers of the inner core; and

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional end view of the second embodiment of the handrail and showing a sixth configuration of the layers of the inner core.

Claims

1. An elongated wood member comprising: an elongated first layer of a lower grade wood product;an elongated second layer of a lower grade wood product, said first and second layers abutting one another and being secured together along a juncture; said first and second layers defining an inner core; and wherein the inner core has an upper surface, a bottom surface and side surfaces;an outer layer of a high grade wood product disposed substantially around all of said inner core except for the bottom surface thereof; said outer layer terminating in ends that are substantially coplanar with the bottom surface of the inner core.

2. The elongated wood member as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second layers are manufactured from a lower grade wood product that is of the same species as the higher grade wood product of the outer layer.

3. The elongated wood member as defined in claim 2, wherein the outer layer is manufactured from substantially solid strips or boards of high grade wood and the first and second layers are manufactured from lower grade solid timber strips or boards of the same wood species.

4. The elongated wood member as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second layers are substantially vertically oriented relative each other, whereby the juncture between the first and second layers is substantially vertical relative to an upper hand-engaging surface of the outer layer of the wood member.

5. The elongated wood member as defined in claim 1, wherein the first layer has an interior side wall and the second layer has an interior side wall and the interior side walls of the first and second layers are disposed in abutting contact with each other to form the juncture.

6. The elongated wood member as defined in claim 5, wherein the interior side walls of each of the first and second layers are substantially planar.

7. The elongated wood member as defined in claim 5, wherein the interior side wall of the first layer is complementary shaped to interlock with the interior side wall of the second layer.

8. The elongated wood member as defined in claim 1, further comprising at least a third layer of a lower grade wood product interposed between the first and second layers of the inner core.

9. The elongated wood member as defined in claim 1, further comprising an adhesive disposed between the upper surface of the inner core and an interior surface of the outer layer.

10. The elongated wood member as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second layers tapers from a region of maximum width to a region minimum width.

11. The elongated wood member as defined in claim 10, wherein the regions of maximum width of the first and second layers form the upper surface of the inner core and the regions of minimum width form the bottom surface of the inner core.

12. The elongated wood member as defined in claim 11, further comprising an elongated third layer of a lower grade wood product that is disposed intermediate the first and second layers; and wherein the third layer is substantially rectangular in cross-section.

13. The elongated wood member as defined in claim 1, wherein the outer layer is comprised of an upper section and a pair of opposing lateral sections; the lateral sections extending downwardly away from said upper section so as to form a substantially U-shaped body.

14. The elongated wood member as defined in claim 13, wherein the elongated wood member has a longitudinal axis extending between a first end and a second end thereof; and wherein each lateral section includes an elongated rib oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the wood member.

15. The elongated wood member as defined in claim 14, wherein the lateral sections each have a first and second end, said first end of each lateral section being adhesively bonded to an underside surface of said upper section and said second end of each lateral section being disposed a spaced distance away from the underside surface.

16. The elongated wood member as defined in claim 15, wherein the second ends of the lateral sections are substantially coplanar with the bottom surface of the inner core.

17. The elongated wood member as defined in claim 15, wherein the lateral sections of the outer layer each have an interior surface; and the interior surface of each of the lateral sections is adhesively bonded to a side surface of the inner core.