Variable Angle Stair Railing Bracket Hinge
A stair railing hinge includes specially adapted leaves that interlock to define a range of motion suitable for all stair railing implementations, and allow for good contact surfaces at every point. The stair railing hinge is compact enough to be completely concealed by a railing cover. A hinge kit includes leaves defining different ranges of motion for a top railing and bottom railing respectively.
Embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed generally toward stair railing bracket, and more particularly toward an adjustable angle stair railing bracket hinge.
BACKGROUNDStair rails may abut a post at a range of possible angles depending on the specifics of the staircase. Existing brackets are not adjustable to account for variations in the angle of contact between the rails and posts; and mass produced brackets generally form a 90° angle which is not useful for any implementation. Leaf and pin hinges allow for adjustability but are generally weak and ill-suited to the stresses of stair rails. Custom fabricated brackets and hinges are stronger, but also more expensive and provide a poor contact surface for all of the necessary connecting components.
Consequently, it would be advantageous if an apparatus existed that is suitable for connecting stair rails to posts in a range of range of angles, and providing good contact surfaces at all of the connecting points.
SUMMARYIn one aspect, embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed to a stair railing hinge with specially adapted leaves that interlock to define a range of motion suitable for all stair railing implementations, and allowing for good contact surfaces at every point. Furthermore, the stair railing hinge is compact enough to be completely concealed by a railing cover.
In a further aspect, a hinge kit includes leaves defining different ranges of motion for a top railing and bottom railing respectively.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and should not restrict the scope of the claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein and together with the general description, serve to explain the principles.
The numerous advantages of the embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein may be better understood by those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying figures in which:
Before explaining at least one embodiment of the inventive concepts disclosed herein in detail, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts are not limited in their application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components or steps or methodologies set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. In the following detailed description of embodiments of the instant inventive concepts, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the inventive concepts. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the instant disclosure that the inventive concepts disclosed herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known features may not be described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the instant disclosure. The inventive concepts disclosed herein are capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As used herein a letter following a reference numeral is intended to reference an embodiment of the feature or element that may be similar, but not necessarily identical, to a previously described element or feature bearing the same reference numeral (e.g., 1, 1a, 1b). Such shorthand notations are used for purposes of convenience only, and should not be construed to limit the inventive concepts disclosed herein in any way unless expressly stated to the contrary.
Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary, “or” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by anyone of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present).
In addition, use of the “a” or “an” are employed to describe elements and components of embodiments of the instant inventive concepts. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the inventive concepts, and “a” and “an” are intended to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.
Finally, as used herein any reference to “one embodiment,” or “some embodiments” means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the inventive concepts disclosed herein. The appearances of the phrase “in some embodiments” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, and embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed may include one or more of the features expressly described or inherently present herein, or any combination of sub-combination of two or more such features, along with any other features which may not necessarily be expressly described or inherently present in the instant disclosure.
Broadly, embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed to a specialized leaf hinge for securely attaching stair rails to posts so that the leaf hinge is completely concealed by the stair railing.
Referring to
In some embodiments, the top railing 102 and bottom railing 104 may include cap elements (not shown) that extend from one railing post 106 to the other railing post 106, and completely conceal the hinges 108, 110.
While
Referring to
The railing leaf 200 and post leaf interlock and are held together by one or more hinge screws 204. The one or more hinge screws 204 prevent lateral motion between the railing leaf 200 and the post leaf 202; in other embodiments, the one or more hinge screws 204 also cause expansion in the post leaf 202 to create a friction lock between the railing leaf 200 and the post leaf 202.
Referring to
Referring to
In some embodiments, the post leaf 202 may include one or more recesses for engaging the first position stop 210 and/or the second position stop 212.
In some embodiments, the interface between the railing leaf 200 and the post leaf 202 provides sufficient strength to support the weight of a railing. In some embodiments, one or more hinge screws 204 may create additional tension at the interface to enhance the carrying capacity of the first hinge type 108.
In some embodiments, the railing leaf 200 and post leaf 202 may be extruded rather than stamped.
Referring to
The railing leaf 300 and post leaf interlock and are held together by one or more hinge screws 304. The one or more hinge screws 304 prevent lateral motion between the railing leaf 300 and the post leaf 202; in other embodiments, the one or more hinge screws 304 also cause expansion in the post leaf 202 to create a friction lock between the railing leaf 300 and the post leaf 202.
Referring to
Referring to
In some embodiments, the post leaf 202 may include one or more recesses for engaging the first position stop 310 and/or the second position stop 312.
In some embodiments, the interface between the railing leaf 300 and the post leaf 202 provides sufficient strength to support the weight of a railing. In some embodiments, one or more hinge screws 304 may create additional tension at the interface to enhance the carrying capacity of the second hinge type 110.
The first hinge type 108 and second hinge type 110 generally define different usable ranges of deflection between the railing leafs 200, 300 and post leafs 202. The different ranges of deflection may be useful for different installation purposes. For example, one hinge type 108, 110 may be useful for installations where the attached stiffener is on top of the hinge while the other may be useful when the attached stiffener is beneath the hinge; or, one hinge type 108, 110 may be useful for portions of the installation where the railing is at an obtuse angle to the post while the other hinge type 108, 110 may be useful for portions of the installation where the railing is at an acute angle to the post.
In some embodiments, the railing leaf 300 may be extruded rather than stamped.
Referring to
As illustrated in
Furthermore, the post leaf 202 may define a first position stop engaging surface 406 that fully or partially interlocks with a first position stop in a post leaf engaging portion of a railing leaf when the post leaf 202 is in or near a first terminal position. Likewise, the post leaf 202 may define a second position stop engaging surface 408 that engages or abuts a second position stop in a post leaf engaging portion of a railing leaf when the post leaf 202 is in or near a second terminal position. The first position stop engaging surface 406 and second position stop engaging surface 408 may provide additional support when the post leaf 202 is in or near a terminal position, which is a likely state during installation.
In some embodiments, the post leaf 202 includes a railing leaf engaging element 410 that allows the post leaf 202 to pivot with respect to the railing leaf. The railing leaf engaging element 410 may define a hinge screw hole 412. A hinge screw inserted in the hinge screw hole 412 may prevent lateral movement of the post leaf 202 and/or expand the railing leaf engaging element 410 to create a friction lock between the post leaf 202 and the corresponding railing leaf.
Referring to
In some embodiments, the stiffener 502 may be connected to a first hinge type 108 and a second hinge type 110 as necessary to conform to the angle between the railing 500 and each stair railing post.
Referring to
Referring to
It is believed that the inventive concepts disclosed herein and many of their attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description of embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the broad scope of the inventive concepts disclosed herein or without sacrificing all of their material advantages. The form herein before described being merely an explanatory embodiment thereof, it is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes.
Claims
1. A stair railing hinge apparatus comprising:
- a railing leaf comprising: a railing engaging portion; and a post leaf engaging portion having a first position stop and a second position stop;
- a post leaf having a first contact surface and a second contact surface defining one or more screw holes, the first contact surface and second contact surface defining an angle such that a screw inserted through the one or more screw holes abuts the first contact surface while the second contact surface abuts a railing post.
2. The stair railing hinge apparatus of claim 1, wherein the post leaf defines a first engaging surface configured to engage the first position stop.
3. The stair railing hinge apparatus of claim 2, wherein the post leaf defines a second engaging surface configured to engage the second position stop.
4. The stair railing hinge apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first position stop and second position stop define a range of motion of the post leaf.
5. The stair railing hinge apparatus of claim 4, wherein the range of motion is less than 40°.
6. The stair railing hinge apparatus of claim 1, wherein the post leaf defines a hinge screw hole.
7. A railing installation kit comprising:
- a first stair railing hinge comprising: a railing leaf comprising: a railing engaging portion; and a post leaf engaging portion having a first position stop and a second position stop defining a first range of motion; and a post leaf having a first contact surface and a second contact surface defining one or more screw holes, the first contact surface and second contact surface defining an angle such that a screw inserted through the one or more screw holes abuts the first contact surface while the second contact surface abuts a railing post; and
- a stiffener element configured to attach to the first stair railing hinge at a proximal end.
8. The railing installation kit of claim 7, further comprising:
- a second stair railing hinge comprising: a railing leaf comprising: a railing engaging portion; and a post leaf engaging portion having a first position stop and a second position stop defining a second range of motion; and
- a post leaf having a first contact surface and a second contact surface defining one or more screw holes, the first contact surface and second contact surface defining an angle such that a screw inserted through the one or more screw holes abuts the first contact surface while the second contact surface abuts a railing post,
- wherein the stiffener element is further configured to attach to the second stair railing hinge at a distal end.
9. The railing installation kit of claim 8, wherein the first range of motion is distinct from the second range of motion.
10. The railing installation kit of claim 8, wherein the first stair railing hinge is configured for installation between the stiffener element and a railing post where an angle defined by the stiffener element and the railing post is obtuse as measured from the first stair railing hinge.
11. The railing installation kit of claim 8, wherein the second stair railing hinge is configured for installation between the stiffener element and a railing post where an angle defined by the stiffener element and the railing post is acute as measured from the first stair railing hinge.
12. The railing installation kit of claim 7, further comprising a railing cap element configured to cover the stiffener element.
13. The railing installation kit of claim 9, wherein the railing cap element is further configured to conceal the first stair railing hinge when installed.
14. A stair railing comprising:
- a first stair railing hinge comprising: a railing leaf comprising: a railing engaging portion; and a post leaf engaging portion having a first position stop and a second position stop defining a first range of motion; and a post leaf having a first contact surface and a second contact surface defining one or more screw holes, the post leaf affixed to a first railing post via one or more screws, each of the one or more screws abutting the first contact surface, and the second contact surface abutting the first railing post; and
- a stiffener element attached to the first stair railing hinge at a proximal end.
15. The stair railing of claim 14, further comprising:
- a second stair railing hinge comprising: a railing leaf comprising: a railing engaging portion; and a post leaf engaging portion having a first position stop and a second position stop defining a second range of motion; and
- a post leaf having a first contact surface and a second contact surface defining one or more screw holes, the post leaf affixed to a second railing post via one or more screws, each of the one or more screws abutting the first contact surface, and the second contact surface abutting the second railing post,
- wherein the stiffener element is attached to the second stair railing hinge at a distal end.
16. The stair railing of claim 15, wherein the first range of motion is distinct from the second range of motion.
17. The stair railing of claim 16, wherein the first stair railing hinge is disposed between the stiffener element and the first railing post at an obtuse angle as measured from the first stair railing hinge.
18. The stair railing of claim 17, wherein the second stair railing hinge is disposed between the stiffener element and the second railing post at an acute angle as measured from the first stair railing hinge.
19. The stair railing of claim 18, further comprising a railing cap element covering the stiffener element.
20. The stair railing of claim 19, wherein the railing cap element conceals the first stair railing hinge when installed.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 27, 2016
Publication Date: Jan 3, 2019
Inventor: James Goodman (Troy, AL)
Application Number: 15/336,204