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Title:
DISCRETE ANCHOR MEANS FOR JOINING UNITS OF CONSTRUCTION
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2001/055522
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
This invention relates to a discrete, resilient anchoring means (2) and to a construction assembly for joining a decorative panel to a rail which includes (a) a solid panel, (b) a hollow rail housing of modified U-shape configuration having a continuous top wall, an outer side wall depending from each end of the top wall, a shortened bottom wall extending inwardly from each end of each outer side wall and positioned on a plane parallel with the top wall and a shortened inner side wall positioned parallel with the outer side wall and located at each end of each bottom wall and extending vertically inside the rail housing at a distance below the top wall and (c) a discrete, resilient anchor means (2) capable of insertion into the interstice of the hollow housing and generally having W configuration which is modified to form a series of undulations comprising a center loop (3) having an enlarged expansion area (4) at its top portion and at least one shorter, oppositely facing side loop (5,6) at each side of the center loop (3).

Inventors:
FERGUSON WILLIAM M
CUTTING STEPHEN H
Application Number:
PCT/US2001/002792
Publication Date:
August 02, 2001
Filing Date:
January 29, 2001
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
LEHIGH CONSUMER PRODUCTS CORP (US)
International Classes:
E04F11/18; E04H17/14; E04H17/16; F16B5/06; (IPC1-7): E04B1/61
Foreign References:
USD244695S1977-06-14
US4006569A1977-02-08
US3323819A1967-06-06
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Myers Jr., George C. (N.W. Suite 1000 Washington, DC, US)
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Claims:
WHAT IS CLAIMED IS :
1. A discrete, flexible anchor means of generally W configuration modified to contain a plurality of continuous, alternating undulations comprising a central loop having an enlarged expansion area at its top section and at least one shorter side loop at opposite sides of said central loop ; said side loops having outer side walls and having deflectable locking means on said outer side walls ; said anchor means responsive to compression by pressure exerted at its side walls.
2. The anchor means of claim 1 in which the central loop has one shorter side loop at opposite sides thereof.
3. The anchor means of claim 1 which includes a plurality of similarly hortened side loops at opposite sides of said central loop.
4. The anchor means of claim 1 wherein said central loop comprises a single center loop.
5. The anchor means of claim 1 wherein said central loop comprises a plurality of individual adjacent loops of approximately the same dimension and each having an expansion area at their top sections.
6. The anchor means of one of claims 1,3,4 or 5 wherein the distal ends of the side walls of the outermost side loops contains pressure responsive, retractable lips or flanges adapted for locking said anchor means within a hollow housing.
7. The anchor means of claim 1 which is adapted to be snapped into a hollow housing having support for said locking means.
8. The anchor means of claim 1 which is composed of an extruded resilient synthetic thermosetting polymer.
9. The anchor means of claim 8 wherein said polymer is a nonbrittle, semirigid material selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, polycarbonate, high density polyethylene, polystyrene, polyacrylate and SB and SBS rubbers.
10. The assembly comprising: (a) an elongated hollow housing having a continuous top wall, a side wall depending from both end of said top wall, a shortened bottom wall extending inwardly from the ends of each side wall and an upwardly extending inner side wall at the end of each bottom wall, said inner side wall being terminated at a distance below the top wall wherein said walls of said housing having inner and outer surfaces, (b) the anchor means of claim 1, including a central loop with walls having inside facing surfaces, inserted and secured within the housing of (a) and (c) a solid panel integrally positioned between inside wall surfaces of said central loop on a plane perpendicular to the elongated hollow housing.
11. The assembly of claim 10 wherein said anchor means contains locking means adapted to engage the inside surface of the inner side wall of the housing.
12. The assembly of claim 11 wherein the locking means on each of said outer side loops comprises outwardly flared flanges at the distal ends of the anchor and adapted to engage the top of the inner wall of said housing. as a first locking means and a second locking means adapted to prevent displacement of the anchor on a plane parallel with the outer walls of the housing.
13. The assembly of claim 10 wherein the anchor means contains a first locking means at its distil ends which are recessed responsive anchor side pressure and wherein the lower portion of the anchor means is extended downward in line with inner wall facing surfaces of the central loop and laterally beyond said first locking means so as to abut and form a seal between said panel and said housing.
14. The assembly of claim 10 wherein the assembly additionally includes a separate weather resistant sealing gasket adapted to form a weather resistant barrier between said panel and said housing and positioned to cover the juncture of said anchor means and said housing and said sealing means and said panel.
15. The assembly of claim 10 wherein the anchor means is an elongated member approximately coterminal with the length of said hollow housing and said central loop is adapted to receive a plurality of in line panels positioned perpendicularly with respect to said elongated housing.
16. The assembly of claim 10 wherein said elongated hollow housing contains a plurality of separate and spaced anchor means and wherein the central loop of each anchor means is adapted to receive a panel positioned perpendicularly with respect to said elongated housing.
17. The assembly of claim 10 wherein the inner side walls of each central loop are spaced by a distance slightly less than the thickness of the panel to assure snug engagement between the inner side wall surfaces each central loop and said panel.
18. The assembly of claim 10 wherein the walls of the side loops are spaced by a distance sufficient to allow for expansion of said panel and for insertion of said anchor means into said housing.
19. The assembly of claim 10 wherein an inner surface of the central loop wall of said anchor means is faced with panel cushioning material.
20. The assembly of claim 19 wherein said cushioning material is a silicone caulking compound or a felt pad.
21. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the thickness of the elongated housing inner side wall is at least equal to the extension of the anchor flanges and the ends of the housing inner walls form elongated channels which engage said flanges.
22. The assembly of claim 10 wherein said panel is a glass or extruded polymeric sheet.
23. An area divider or fence assembly comprising (a) the anchor means of claim 1 inserted into each of (b) a series of in line horizontal, hollow rail housings having top, outer side, shortened bottom and inner side walls ; (c) vertical in line posts vertically spaced between said rails adapted to support said rail housings in horizontal position and (d) a plurality of vertical panels internally anchored to said rail housings via said anchor means.
24. The assembly of claim 23 wherein each of (a), (b), (c) and (d) are uniformly spaced from each other.
25. The assembly of claim 23 wherein said post is joined to said rail housing by means of a bracket having a lower horizontally extending hollow member of a size and shape adapted to be horizontally inserted into said rail housing and to abut the inner surfaces of the top and side walls of the rail housing.
26. The assembly of claim 25 wherein said bracket encloses said anchor means also inserted in the end portion of the rail housing.
27. The assembly of claim 25 wherein the anchor means is recessed from the end portion of the rail housing and the bracket hollow member does not engage the anchor.
28. The assembly of claim 23 containing a top and a bottom hollow rail housing each having anchor means of identical construction inserted therein, panel top and bottom sections secured in the top and bottom rail housings by means of said anchor means of Claim 1 and posts having top and bottom brackets joining the post to said top and bottom rails.
29. The assembly of claim 28 wherein the post, at about its midpoint, is attached to a side section of a panel by means of a separate shortened, sideended section of the rail housing containing said anchor means.
30. The assembly of claim 29 wherein the top and bottom of said separate sideended section of said rail housing is protected against moisture by impervious top and bottom seal cap collars adapted to cover said separate sideended section.
31. An area divider assembly comprising (i) the anchor means of claim 1 inserted into each of (b) a plurality of spaced vertical rail housings and one or more horizontal panels spanning the vertical rail housings and perpendicularly attached thereto through said anchor means.
Description:
DISCRETE ANCHOR MEANS FOR JOINING UNITS OF CONSTRUCTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION In one aspect the invention is drawn to a unique, resilient anchoring means for securing a solid sheet or panel member within an elongated hollow rigid housing or rail member. In another aspect the invention concerns an improved anchor means which is compressible upon insertion into a hollow housing. In still another aspect, this invention is directed to an area divider assembly comprising vertical decorative solid panels fixedly and internally anchored in a series of in line horizontal hollow rail housings which are supported at intervals by vertical posts, as in a fence, room or office divider, balcony balustrade, staircase railing and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various transparent divider constructions are known and favored for pool enclosures, floor dividers, roof deck guards, stair railings and the like. In such applications the transparent panels provide maximum panoramic visibility and/or light transmission while simultaneously providing safety and attractive area spacing.

Many of the existing glass railing constructions require nailing through the glass panel to join the panel and railing components. When such fastening means are exposed, they are subject to corrosion and tampering by individuals which often leads to property damage or loss and which adversely affects the structural integrity of the assembly thereby presenting a safety hazard. Further, tempered glass panes attached by means of bolts or screws must be sized and drilled prior to the tempering process thereby adding to the cost and labor of construction.

The current glass panel assemblies which provide internal panel/rail attachment do not compensate for lateral and vertical expansions of the panel member which occur during climatic changes. Thus these assemblies are subject to panel deformation and slippage.

Accordingly it is an object of this invention to overcome the above deficiencies and to provide an internally mounted panel anchoring means which resists displacement, eliminates the need for pre-attachment panel processing and which preserves the aesthetic appearance of transparent space dividers.

Another object is to provide an improved anchoring means which nullifies damage due to both lateral and vertical panel expansion.

Still another object is to provide an inexpensive, convenient and commercially useful anchoring means for the perpendicular attachment of one member to another.

These and other applications and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and disclosure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention concerns an improved resilient anchor means for joining a solid panel member within the housing of a perpendicularly positioned hollow housing or rail member, which anchor means posses a generally W configuration modified to contain compressible looped undulations comprising a central loop having an enlarged area at its top portion and at least one shorter side loop at both sides thereof. The enlarged area permits vertical expansion of a solid member when inserted into the central loop and the side loops permit lateral expansion of said inserted solid member. The anchor means also contains locking means to fixedly position the anchor in a hollow housing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention generally comprises a discrete, resilient anchor means for perpendicular internal attachment of an elongated rigid first hollow member, e. g. a rail, to a solid second member, e. g. a panel, wherein the first hollow member comprises a modified, inverted U-shaped structure defined as having a continuous top wall, an outer side wall depending from each end of the top wall, a shortened bottom wall extending inwardly from each end of each outer side wall and a shortened inner side wall at each end of each bottom wall which extends inside the interstice of the hollow member and is terminated at a space below the top wall.

The hollow first member, e. g. an elongated hollow rail housing, is composed of rigid metal such as galvanized steel, aluminum, brass or other material having similar, substantially non-deformable character and strength.

The hollow member has a wall thickness of between about 0.05 and about 0.15 inches, preferably between about 0.075 and about 0.12 inches.

Although the free distal end portions of the hollow housing may be somewhat thicker than remaining portions for added support of the insertable anchor means, a uniform wall thickness throughout the housing is preferred. The tops of the inner and outer surfaces of the inner side walls in the housing form a pair of elongated ledge or shoulder channels spaced below and extending on a plane parallel with the elongated top wall and are adapted to engage and support the outer side loop sections of the anchor means when inserted and fixedly positioned therein.

Although the overall dimensions of the present hollow member can vary widely, housings having a height of between about 1 and about 2.5 inches and a width of between about 1 and about 2 inches are typical. The length of the housing exceeds that of the panel and is conveniently from about 3 to about 8 feet, preferably from about 4 to about 6 feet.

The present anchor means comprises a discrete, resilient structure of a size and shape which enable it to be inserted and fixedly positioned within the above housing. More specifically the anchor means is a structure having a generally W configuration which is modified to describe a continuous series of alternating, undulating loops comprising a central loop having an enlarged expansion area at its top and at least one shorter, oppositely facing side loop at each side thereof. If desired a plurality of two alternately facing side loops at each side of the central loop can be included for additional stress or impact absorption in the structure. Also, two or three central loops can be included in the anchor when double pane or triple pane panel structures are to be installed.

The width of the spacing between the inner surfaces of the central or center loop is slightly narrower than the displacement of the inserted panel to assure a snug fit. Critically, the top of each central loop has an enlarged spatial area sufficient to allow vertical expansion of a selected panel member.

Tolerance for lateral panel expansion is provided by the outward deflection of the central loop walls into the spaces between it and the side loops in the present resilient anchor structure. Accordingly, the width of the spacing between the walls of the central loop or loops relative to the spacing between the walls of the side loop or loops can vary, depending on the expansion potential of the selected panel. In most cases, the width between the walls of the central loop or loops is greater than the spacing between the walls of the side loop or loops.

The anchor means is pressure compressible and the walls of the outermost side loops are provided with locking means adapted to engage the inner wall of the housing. Preferably the locking means comprises a first locking means such as a flange at the distal ends of the outermost loops which engage the shoulders or channels of the housing inner walls coupled with a second locking means which is a solid extension at the bottom of the anchor located below upper flange by a distance equal to the area between the upper edge of the inner wall housing and the outer surface of the bottom wall housing.

Although the preferred first locking means of the anchor are outwardly flared flange sections adapted to engage the channels of the inner wall housing upon compression and"snap in"insertion into the housing, other locking means, such as a barb, a retractable hinge, a toggle joint, etc. mateable with reciprocal means in the inner side walls of the housing, can be substituted at the upper end portions of the present anchor means without departing from the scope of this invention. In a less preferred embodiment, the second locking means can be a similar protuberance located at the lower portion of the outermost loop walls within the bottom wall of the housing. The first and second locking means prevent anchor displacement on a plane parallel to the housing outer walls.

The length of the anchor means can be coextensive with the length of the hollow housing member. Alternatively, shortened individual anchor means can be inserted at predetermined, preferably uniformly spaced, intervals along the length of the hollow member. In a particular embodiment as in a fence wherein inline rails are attached to and supported by spaced in line posts, the anchor means is preferably recessed from the ends of the housing.

In the above preferred embodiment, the enlarged bottom section of the anchor means forms a seal between both the anchor and the outer surface of the bottom wall housing and the anchor and the panel when inserted into the central loop Alternatively, and particularly when all locking means are located within the housing, a separate seal gasket adapted to engage the bottom wall housing, the anchor and the panel can be employed.

The present anchor means is composed of a pressure deformable, resilient polymeric or other material including polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, polycarbonate, a flexible rubberized product such as SBS or SB rubbers and similar materials having like properties and may even include a flexible metal.

Although not required, the surface of the anchor which abuts the panel member may be faced with cushioning, such as a silicone caulking layer, a felt pad and the like to absorb excessive stress or impact.

For assembly, the anchor means is positioned in the hollow housing by depressing the side walls of the outer loops in the modified W-shaped structure to pass the housing shoulder channels, sliding or"snapping in"the anchor means so that the side loop outer wall surfaces press against the inner surfaces of the housing inner side walls and then releasing pressure to permit seating and engagement of the anchor locking means with the shoulder channels or other portions of the inner surfaces of the housing inner walls.

The solid panel member, e. g. a square, rectangular or oval panel, can be clear, semi-transparent or translucent, colored or colorless, textured or smooth, patterned or non-patterned and can be composed of tempered or shatterproof glass, a plastic such as acrylic, polycarbonate or the like. In general, the panel thickness can vary from about 0.25 to about 1.5 inches; although for certain purposes, for example as protective dividers, separating an employee from a client in a workplace subject to burglary, the panel can be bullet proof and have a greater thickness. The overall dimensions of the panel include a height of from about 1.5 to about 6 feet and a width of from about 1.5 to about 10 feet, preferably, for a fence or room divider having horizontal rails and vertical panels, a height of from about 1 to 7 feet and a width of from about 4 to 6 feet.

The above panel is fixedly mounted in the anchor means perpendicular to the length of the housing by forcing the upper section of the panel between the inner wall surfaces of the center loop until the top of the panel reaches the enlarged expansion area. Generally, the panel is supported by at least one similar and reversed housing/anchor arrangement along the base portion of the panel.

The present invention is particularly suitable for use as a decorative fence or indoor space divider having horizontal rails and vertical panels ; although the position of these members can be reversed. When vertical rails are employed in the assembly, the panels are secured at their horizontal ends by means of said anchors which are vertically mounted in the rail housing. In the first case, the horizontal rails are supported by vertical posts each integrally attached to an immovable base or footing and positioned at intervals along the extent of the space divider; whereas in the second case, posts can be eliminated as the rails themselves are secured in an upright position by fixed attachment to a base or footing. In the present invention, the use of unexposed anchoring means permitting lateral and vertical panel expansion, the arrangement of the railings and the decorative non-deformable panels, provides a construction which is aesthetically pleasing, structurally sound and easily adapted to various site requirements.

In the first scenario requiring post supports for the rails, each of the upright posts is secured to a footing such as a floor or deck surface. The posts can be square, rectangular or tubular, hollow or solid structures and are composed of high strength, rigid metal of the same or different material as the railing. The posts can be joined to the railing by several means including the arrangement of a post aperture aligned with and adapted to receive the horizontal ends of the rail member. A preferred post/rail attachment, using vertical posts involves the use of a unique bracket which is affixed to the post and which is adapted to be inserted into the hollow interior of the railing and positioned to engage the inside surfaces of the entire top and side walls of the housing. The bracket used for this purpose is generally L-shaped with a flat upright leg section suitable for fastening to the post and a longitudinally extended, three dimensional hollow bottom section adapted in size and shape to engage the inner wall surfaces of the railing. The base of the bottom bracket is open to allow for spacing between the inner walls of the housing but are adapted to bear against the bottom wall inner surface of the housing. The above bracket provides a superior secure post/rail joint; however, it is to be understood that conventional methods of attaching post members to rail members can also be applied in the present construction assembly. Each of the posts contains similar top and bottom post/rail attachments when upper and lower rail or rail/panel supports are employed. Additionally, the post can include a separate side panel support at or about the post mid-section. The mid-section panel support comprises a shortened up ended section of the present rail/anchor assembly which is secured directly to the side of the post by nailing or any other convenient method. The length of the post mid-section support varies from about 1 to about 5 inches. All rail/post and post/panel unions are protected against weathering by integral anchor design or by use of a separate waterproof cover or gasket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of preferred anchor means of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the anchor/housing/panel assembly wherein the anchor is mounted within the hollow housing and the panel is secured in perpendicular position with respect to the housing by means of the inserted anchor member.

Figure 3 is a front plan view of an anchor/railing/panel assembly which can be substituted in Figure 2 and which is a modification of the housing/anchor assembly of Figure 2 wherein a separate member is employed in the assembly to form a seal embracing the side wall surface of the panel and the bottom surfaces of the housing bottom wall and the anchor.

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of a post/housing assembly wherein the post is secured to the housing and is perpendicular thereto.

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of a post and panel side support assembly.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view of a fence incorporating the assemblies of Figures 2 through 5 and Figure 7 is a fragmentary plan view of a modification of Figure 6 incorporating the assembly of Figure 2 or Figure 3 wherein the rail is vertically positioned and a plurality horizontal panels are employed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS SHOWN IN THE DRAWINGS With reference to Figure 1, there is shown a preferred embodiment of the anchor means of the present invention wherein discrete, resilient anchor means 2 has a modified W configuration having center loop 3 with enlarged expansion area 4 at its top section and having shorter pressure compressible side loops 5 and 6 at either side of center loop 3. Distal ends 7 and 8 of side loops 5 and 6 are terminated with first locking means as outwardly flared flanges 9 and 10. Second locking means 91 and 92 are provided to support and fixedly seat anchor means 2 in a hollow housing. Spacing 11 between the walls of central loop 3 is slightly narrower than the wall thickness of a panel to be inserted therein and the width of side wall spaces 12 and 13 are responsive to pressure exerted at walls 5 and 6 which is sufficient to allow insertion of anchor 2 into a hollow housing.

Figure 2 illustrates an anchor/hollow housing/panel assembly 25 wherein elongated modified U-shaped hollow housing 24 is shown as enclosing the similarly elongated anchor means described in Figure 1.

Housing 24 is defined as having top wall 26, outer side walls 27 and 28, shortened bottom walls 29 and 30 and inner side walls 31 and 32. The outer wall surfaces 34 and 35 of anchor side loops 5 and 6 fit snuggly against the inner side wall surfaces 36 and 37 of housing 24. Flanges 9 and 10 impinge channel surfaces ends 38 and 39 of housing inner side walls 31 and 32 and, after insertion of anchor 2 by retraction of side loops 5 and 6, release of pressure permits seating of first locking means 9 and 10 on channels 38 and 39. Simultaneous with the seating of flanges 9 and 10, second locking means 91 and 92, located below the menisci of loops 5 and 6, comprising a solid extension of center loop walls 41 and 42 and outwardly flared lips 93 and 94 under bottom housing walls 29 and 30, form a seal covering bottom walls 29 and 30, the bottom of anchor means 2 and the outer walls of a selected inserted panel, shown as panel 40. Inserted panel 40 which is positioned perpendicular to the length of housing 25, is wedged between and is fixedly supported by inner wall surfaces 41 and 42 of center loop 3 below center loop expansion area 4 of the anchor means.

Figure 3 is a modification of Figure 2 illustrating the assembly 25 wherein modified anchor means 100 is inserted into housing 24 which is modified to provide reciprocal apertures 50-51 and 96-97adapted to receive downwardly retractable lips 94 and 95 in the upper portion of loop side walls 5 and 6 and downwardly retractable lips 97 and 98 located in the lower portions of walls 5 and 6 in the anchor 100.

Figure 4 displays vertical post 55, perpendicularly positioned with respect to elongated housing 24 and rigid rail/post coupling bracket 56 adapted to integrally affix post 55 to housing 24. The housing has the characterized modified U shape shown in Figure 2 comprising top wall 26, outer side walls 27 and 28, shortened bottom walls 29 and 30 and internally extending inner side walls 31 and 32. Coupling bracket 56 comprises flat vertical leg 57 extending above horizontal hollow sleeve portion 62. Leg 57 is screwed to post 55 through aperture 58 by means of screw 59. Sleeve portion 62 has a configuration which accommodates insertion into hollow housing 24 and which is of a size and shape capable of abutting inner wall surfaces 26-30 of housing 24. In this embodiment, the anchor means is recessed from the housing end section so that, when fully assembled, a space between the post and the panel results. However, it is also within the scope of this invention to include the anchor means and panel at the end section of housing 24; in which case sleeve 62 encloses the anchor/panel assembly and the space between the panel and post is eliminated.

Figure 5 illustrates panel side support member 72 which is a shortened up-ended section of the rail/anchor assembly, i. e. rail 25 housing anchor means 2. Side panel support member 72 is mounted in vertical position on post 55 by screws 73 through wall 26 of housing rail 24. Sealing caps 75 and 76 are provided as protection against moisture and cover the top and bottom portions of side support member 72 when installed. The side of panel 40, parallel with post 55 is inserted in the anchor means as described above to provide added stability to the assembly.

Figure 6 shows a section of a decorative fence having in line vertical posts 55 and top and bottom in line horizontal rail housing members 25 containing the anchor means of the invention. The fence also includes panel side supports 72 described in Figure 5. Posts 55 are joined to railings 24 by coupling brackets 56 described in Figure 4. Spaces at either side of panels 40 indicate that the anchor means in railings 25 are recessed from the railing ends sections. This embodiment provides air circulation through the spaces between the panels and the posts.

Figure 7 illustrates a variation of a fence or space divider devoid of post support wherein hollow rails 25 containing anchor means of the invention are secured in an upright position by having their bottom ends imbedded in cement footings 80. A plurality of parallel panels 82 span rails 24 and are horizontally mounted therein via side ended anchor means. To increase or decrease air-flow through the fence, panel separators or spacers 84 of desired length can be inserted between panels or between separate anchor means vertically positioned along the interior of the rail housings.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments illustrated by the drawings and that many alterations and substitutions suggested by the general disclosure are considered within its scope. For example, it is conceived that the above anchor can be employed for single panel dividers as well as in line multiple dividers employing a plurality of hollow rail members and panels. These and many other innovations and modifications will become apparent to those familiar with space dividers. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is solely defined by the appended claims.