Patent Application
20200165825
Embodiments are generally related to deck railing hardware and, more particularly, to hardware that allows a deck railing insert or infill to be removed while providing shear strength while installed.
Prior art deck railings consist of a three-point system, posts, rails and infill. Each of these attachment points are critical for the safety of a deck railing system and each rely on the quality of the attachments whereas the posts are attached mechanically to the deck, the rails both upper and lower are mechanically attached to the posts and the infill is mechanically attached to the upper and lower rails.
The traditional method of building a deck railing is on-site at the home of which the deck is being built, one piece at a time. First the posts are installed, then the main upper and lower rails that extend from post to post, and finally the balusters are attached directly to the main upper and lower rails to thereby form the infill. The infill is the structure between the posts and between the top rail and bottom rail. There are two general classifications, wood and non-wood products. Today the majority of deck railings are built on-site and out of wood which makes up the majority of the deck railing market. Non-wood products are creative alternatives to wood and are generally newer uses of materials such as aluminum, cables, other metals, composites and glass. These non-wood products are generally classified as deck railing systems, or come complete with the upper and lower rails, the infill that attaches to the rails and in many cases include the matching style of posts. What is common in all these products is the deck railing infill is permanently attached to the rails and posts.
It is a fact that all materials and products used to build a deck railing will need maintenance, whether it is simply cleaning or refinishing. Because railings systems are all permanently affixed to the deck, to reach the outside of the railing system to clean, refinish or even repair can be challenging, especially when you must use a ladder to reach the outside of the railing system. If you are dealing with a wood deck railing, the balusters are usually attached with a simple nail or screw, and removing them when the lumber rots or needs some other form of maintenance can consume a lot of time. Maintenance costs are typically higher when ease of access is diminished because of the railing system is permanently attached to the deck.
A variety of decks and deck railings are disclosed in the prior art. Following is a list of relevant prior art patents and patent applications, all of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. The listed patents and patent applications are incorporated by reference for their teachings of deck railings and deck railing systems wherein the embodiments disclosed herein are advancements over those teachings. The list is:
Systems and methods for improved deck rails are needed to speed installation and maintenance while improving quality.
The following summary is provided to facilitate an understanding of some of the innovative features unique to the disclosed embodiments and is not intended to be a full description. A full appreciation of the various aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein can be gained by taking the entire specification, claims, drawings, and abstract as a whole.
When wood, metal, glass, cables, composites, or other materials are used to build a deck railing, there are several factors that will affect the result of the deck railing system.
It is an aspect of the embodiments that a removable deck railing system can include a removable infill assembly, a top shear strut, and a bottom shear strut. The embodiments are designed and configured to fit within and be attached to a deck railing frame. A deck railing frame generally has two posts, a top rail, and a bottom rail. The top rail and the bottom rail are between the posts and connect the posts to one another to thereby form a rectangular deck railing frame.
The removable infill assembly can include an upper infill rail, a lower infill rail, and one or more filling elements. The filling elements can be or include balusters, a panel, or slats. The upper infill rail, a lower infill rail, and one or more filling elements can be wood elements because many homeowner's desire wood railings or railing that appear to be completely made of wood. Similarly, the deck railing frame can be entirely wood in order to meet homeowner's aesthetic preferences.
The upper infill rail, filling elements, and lower infill rail can be attached to one another to form the removable infill assembly with the upper infill rail above the filling elements and the lower infill rail below the filling elements. An upper infill shear strut can be attached to the upper infill rail's top surface, which is the side opposite the filling elements. A lower infill shear strut can be attached to the lower infill rail's bottom surface, which is the side opposite the filling elements. In such an embodiment, the upper infill shear strut is above the upper infill rail and is attached to the upper infill rail, the lower infill shear strut is below the lower infill rail and is attached to the lower infill rail, the filling elements are below the upper infill rail, above the lower infill rail, and are connected to the upper infill rail and to the lower infill rail.
A top shear strut can be configured for attachment to a deck railing frame's top rail. The top shear strut can be attached to the bottom of the top rail such that it can interface with the removable infill assembly. A bottom shear strut can be configured for attachment to a deck railing frame's bottom rail. The bottom shear strut can be attached to the top of the bottom rail such that it can interface with the removable infill assembly. As such, the removable infill assembly is configured for being positioned within and removably attached to the deck railing frame. When used, the upper infill shear struts can be removably attached to the top shear strut, and the lower infill shear strut can be removably attached to the bottom shear strut.
It is a further aspect of the embodiments that the upper infill shear strut, the lower infill shear strut, the top shear strut, and the bottom shear strut can be carbon fiber. The use of carbon fiber is not merely a selection of an available material but is the result of prototyping, testing, and evaluation. A deck railing system must be tested to prove that it meets certain structural and mechanical requirements before it can be sold through many commercial outlets or used by most reputable builders. An embodiment has recently undergone third party testing and exceeded the required mechanical and structural requirements for such railing systems. The tested embodiment had posts, top rail, bottom rail, upper infill rail, lower infill rail, and fill elements that were made of wood. The shear struts (upper infill shear strut, lower infill shear strut, top shear strut, and bottom shear strut) were made of carbon fiber. This particular mix of materials not only passed the tests, but the embodiment appears to be entirely wood because the shear struts are hidden. Furthermore, the removable infill assembly is light and rigid which means it can be uninstalled and reinstalled numerous times with a low risk of deformation or damage. Alternative embodiments may have shear struts that are fiberglass, steel, aluminum, or some other material.
It is an aspect of the embodiments that threaded inserts and lock-down screws can be used to removably attach the upper infill shear strut to the top shear strut and to removably attach the lower infill shear strut to the bottom shear strut. Those practiced in the repair or production of furniture or mechanical devices are familiar with threaded inserts. A threaded insert is a fastening element that can be pressed into or screwed into a hole in a first element, such as a shear strut. A threaded hole in the threaded insert provides for a screw to be threaded into the threaded insert to thereby fasten a second element, such as an upper infill shear strut, to the first element. For example, some threaded inserts have external threads such that they can be screwed into a properly sized hole. Such threaded inserts can be screwed into holes in the top shear strut. In some embodiments the threaded insert can be threaded into a hole in the top shear strut and into a hole the top rail, the holes being aligned, such that the threaded insert helps fasten the top shear strut to the top rail. In other embodiments, the shear strut does not enter the main rail. The removable infill assembly can then be held in the deck railing frame by lock-down screws that extend through holes in the upper infill rail and the upper infill shear strut. The lock-down screws are threaded into the threaded insert. Lock-down screws and threaded inserts can hold the bottom of the removable infill assembly in the deck railing frame. An addition threaded insert can be installed in the bottom shear strut by being screwed into or pressed into a hole. The lower infill shear strut can be attached to the bottom shear strut by an additional lock-down screw that extends through the lower infill rail and the lower infill shear strut and is threaded into the additional threaded insert.
The removable infill assembly can be held in the deck railing frame by spring-loaded binding elements. A bottom spring-loaded binding element can be attached to the bottom shear strut or bottom rail. The lower infill rail can have a lower cavity that interacts with the spring-loaded binding element to releasably hold the lower infill rail within the deck railing frame. A top spring-loaded binding element can be attached to the top shear strut or top rail. The upper infill rail can have a top cavity that interacts with the spring-loaded binding element to releasably hold the lower infill rail within the deck railing frame.
It is yet a further aspect of the embodiments to install a removeable infill assembly in a deck railing frame with a method comprising removably attaching a removable infill assembly in a deck railing frame comprising a top rail, a bottom rail, and two posts wherein the two posts are connected by the top rail and the bottom rail to thereby form the deck railing frame. The removable infill assembly comprises an upper infill rail, a lower infill rail, and one or more filling elements. The one or more filling elements are below the upper infill rail and are connected to the upper infill rail. The one or more filling elements are above the lower infill rail and are connected to the lower infill rail. A top shear strut can be attached to the top rail on its bottom side. A bottom shear strut can be attached to the bottom rail on its top side. The removable infill assembly engages the top shear strut and the bottom shear strut when the removable infill assembly is positioned within and removably attached to the deck railing frame.
A through screw can be provided for attaching the infill in place after it is inserted inside the opening of the deck railing frame. The deck railing frame is formed by the upper and lower main rails and the two posts. The screws can mechanically attach the shear struts together. Since there are two shear struts on top and two shear struts on the bottom, through screws that penetrate through both sets of shear struts will create a stronger shear value than if one were to just screw the in-field insert through for example, a wood sub-rail into the wood main rail. This mechanical integrity can be applied to various materials such as steels, aluminum, titanium, composites and other industry used materials like fiberglass and carbon fiber.
The embodiments provide for easy removal on the infill insert from the main rails and posts for maintenance. The embodiments also provide for easy removal on the infill insert from the main sub rails and posts for painting and sanding when not in place and prior to placing in position. A further advantage of the embodiments is that they allow for exacting hole allocation or hardware location for future replacement infill railings. For example, original and replacement removable infill assemblies using finish lock-down screws passing though finish lock-down screw holes that travel through both the lower infill rail and the upper infill rail and through the top shear strut and bottom shear strut into threaded inserts. The finish lock-down screws can remain in place until removed to allow the removable infill assembly to be pulled out of the deck railing frame. A permanent installation of the bottom shear strut and the top shear strut will always be there during the infill replacement. Removable infill assemblies infill can change but the finish lock-down screw holes will always align with the top and bottom shear struts.
The upper and lower infill rails can have a lip, called a raised edge, such that when the replaceable infill assembly is placed into the railing frame the raised edge that aligns the replaceable infill assembly in deck railing frame and creates a stop preventing the replaceable infill assembly from going further than the hardware allows after attachment to the main rails.
The accompanying figures, in which like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally-similar elements throughout the separate views and which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, further illustrate the present embodiments and, together with the detailed description of the embodiments, serve to explain the principles of the present embodiments. The figures are not necessarily to scale or full scale.
The particular values and configurations discussed in these non-limiting examples can be varied and are cited merely to illustrate at least one embodiment and are not intended to limit the scope thereof.
The embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which illustrative embodiments of the embodiments are shown. The embodiments disclosed herein can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the embodiments to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Infill shear struts 104 can be attached to the infill rails 22, 23 of the removeable infill assembly 105 by infill rail screws inserted into infill rail screw holes 28. The infill rail screw holes 28 can be countersunk. Balusters 24 can be attached by infill rail screws that pass though the infill rail screw holes 28, through an infill rail 22, 23 and into the baluster 24.
Threaded inserts 29 can be installed in threaded insert hole 31. Infill shear struts 104 can be attached to shear struts 103 by lock-down screws 26 extending through lock-down screw holes 301 and threaded into the threaded inserts 29 installed in threaded insert holes 31.
The embodiments have been described as using various screws to fixedly attach structural elements together. The disclosure of screws is non-limiting because those practiced in the building trades are well aware of other ways to fasten elements, those ways including adhesives, bolts, nuts, dowels, and biscuits.
There are a multitude of materials available to manufacture the embodiments including composites, metals, fiberglass, and carbon fiber. Each has different characteristics. The deck railing frame and its material composition may directly affect what material or materials are best suited for a specific application or installation. As a general rule, the weaker the deck railing frame, the stronger the removable deck railing infill system needs to be because the removable deck railing infill system provides needed strength to the deck railing. If the infill attaches to the posts as well as the main rails then it can strengthen the entire deck railing frame, otherwise, it principally strengthens and joins the main rails. Below are some of the most popular materials on the markets today for deck railings. The general characteristics are presented and solutions to their mechanical deficiencies using the removable deck railing infill system are provided.
Regarding Composites:
Composites are often made from mainly recycled plastics. There are different grades, each having different strength values. For example, some lower main rails made from composite materials have “mid-supports” between rail and deck that prevent the lower main rail from sagging. Over time composites generally succumb to the ultra violet rays of the sun and end up discoloring to various degrees further damaging the integrity of the product.
Composite materials typically have a matrix material and a reinforcement material. Fiberglass typically has a matrix of polyester resin matrix and a glass fiber reinforcement. Fiberglass is sometimes called “fiberglass reinforced plastic” because the glass fibers itself is sometimes referred to as fiberglass. Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) typically has a polymer resin matrix and carbon fibers as the reinforcement. A CFRP item is often referred to as a carbon fiber item. For example, a CFRP rod is often called a carbon fiber rod. Note, as used herein, “carbon fiber” refers to CFRP while “carbon fibers” refers to the CFRP reinforcement material.
Regarding Fiberglass:
Fiberglass tends to break down under ultraviolet sun rays promoting splintering and increased product weakness.
Regarding Aluminum:
Aluminum is another popular material used for decks and deck railings. Aluminum products for railings are usually extrusions. The thickness of extrusions can be easily controlled. Manufacturers often try to minimize the extrusion thickness while still providing strength such that their products pass building code testing. While each component of the deck railing in an aluminum structure may be weaker than the fully assembled structure, individual aluminum components can bend easily. For example, someone standing on the bottom rail of an aluminum railing can bend that rail even though the full structure can easily support the weight of that person without damage to the structure.
Regarding Plastic:
Some decks and deck railings are made completely or partially from thermoplastic. Filled thermoplastics have filler materials such as minerals, clays, fibers, etc. Those practiced in forming thermoplastics are familiar with filled thermoplastics. Thermoplastics can be extruded or molded.
Regarding Wood:
Depending on the wood species used, the moisture content and condition, the strength of a deck railing can change drastically. Wood railings are mostly built on-site and are not always built with strength in mind, nor are they tested on site. Contractors and inexperienced DIY installers do not always build the railings correctly as the tempting ability to get the job done quickly means more money in contractors' pockets and the inexperience of DIY builders will generally compromise the result. The correct choice of fasteners, how lumber is cut and treated, and the installation are all variables in the inevitable demise of a wood railing system.
FAIL NOT Hardware System:
The embodiments use Fail Not Hardware. Fail Not Hardware is designed to fit factory made wood railing inserts or infill panels that will go in-between the posts and upper & lower main rails of a deck frame. The Fail Not Hardware System can also be fit in the openings of competitor rail frame deck systems by using adapters or modified hardware. In other words, the Deck Railing Inserts made by Fence Quarter, LLC can be ordered to fit a wood, composite or metal deck railing frame system of the customer's choosing even if the posts and upper/lower rails are sourced from another manufacturer. This provides customers more choices. If the customer or end user does not use wood rails or posts but wants a particular wood infill, this FAIL NOT Hardware along with the proper modifications will allow the non-wood rails and posts to be used with wooden infill. The rails and posts are more maintenance free than wood while the wood infill panel may give the customer a particular and more popular look and feel. The Fail Not Hardware system also allows for the ease of removing the infill panels for maintenance.
The Fail Not Hardware for wood railing infill panels can be CFRP hardware formed from long thin sheets of carbon fiber. The CFRP FAIL Not hardware thereby has the light weight and high strength characteristics typical of CFRP items. This hardware is never directly exposed to the sun rays because it is hidden during installation. Carbon Fiber does not fall apart and with the correct resin can handle temperatures well above the most extreme temperatures decks will receive to prevent melting and failure.
Fail Not Hardware can be used for existing and for competitor railing frame structures. There are a multitude of competitor railing frame designs on the market. For instance if the main rails of a system are nothing more than a u-channel and a cap, such that exists with a Trex system, one would need to add to the Fail Not Carbon Fiber a filler to fit into the u-shaped channel of the main rails to make the main rails more substantial and increase their strength as part of the Fail Not Hardware System. These modifications can be of different shapes and sizes to match the specific needs of the manufacture of the railing frames product line. An interesting comparable example is Weather Tech, a company who retrofits car mats to the specific size of the car manufacture. In the example above, a filler made of a material similar to the manufacture's product provides similar physical properties and may act consistent with that product and better maintain integrity. The filler can be installed before the Fail Not hardware. After the filler is installed, the Fail Not top hardware piece is applied and increases the shear value or lateral strength to help prevent railing blow-out should a person fall against such railing. Due to the various materials used from different manufactures, the Fail Not Hardware System may incorporate like materials in conjunction with the CFRP. Carbon Fiber is superior in weight and strength amongst all materials mentioned.
Another option does not use CFRP for the Fail Not Hardware but instead uses all like materials for a given competitor railing frame product. For example, aluminum fail not hardware can be used with a competitor's aluminum railing frame product. A removable infill can be assembled just like the previously described removable infills but without the carbon fiber, and although not as strong may still pass testing for code compliance by inserting the Fail Not hardware or infill into and between the competitor railings after installing the “filler” and simply screwing the infill down to and into the filler. Hence part of the Fail Not Hardware is the “filler” of competitor like materials and a lateral stop (similar to sub-rail 32, stops of shear struts 1301, 1302) can be built into the filler to prevent the infill from being pushed outward.
Since other modifications and changes varied to fit particular operating requirements and environments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention is not considered limited to the examples chosen for purposes of illustration and disclosure and covers all changes and modifications which do not constitute departures from the true spirit and scope of the specification, drawings, and illustrative claims.
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.
This patent application claims the priority and benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/772,580, titled “DECK RAILING SHEAR STRUT HARDWARE,” filed on Nov. 28, 2018, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62772580 | Nov 2018 | US |
