Abstract: Top and bottom packing brackets for supporting respective smaller top and larger bottom ends of a tapered architectural column during shipment and storage. Each of the packing brackets includes a ring portion and a surrounding frame portion joined together by webbing extending therebetween. The ring portion of the respective top and bottom packing brackets are sized to closely receive the smaller top and larger bottom ends of the columns.

Abstract: A centrifugally cast hollow fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) column having angled corners and straight sides. Interiorly of the column adjacent each corner are angled corner fillers that have straight angled sides adhered to straight interior wall surfaces of the column adjacent the respective corners. During molding, the corner fillers are supported within the mold with their straight sides in parallel spaced relation to the straight interior walls of the mold adjacent the respective mold corners a distance slightly greater than the desired minimum wall thickness of the column, whereby when the mold is rotated, uncured FRP material within the mold will flow by centrifugal force into engagement with the interior walls of the mold and around the corner fillers into the space between the corner fillers and interior walls of the mold adjacent the respective mold corners to form a column having a substantially uniform FRP wall thickness.

Abstract: Plastic railing systems include extruded hollow fiberglass reinforced top and bottom rail sections and newel posts, and hollow plastic balusters having locking tabs on one end adapted to be snap locked into mounting holes in a bottom wall of the top rail section. The locking tabs are retained within the mounting holes by retaining lips protruding from a front edge of the locking tabs into overlying relation with an inner surface of the bottom wall of the top rail section surrounding the holes. At the bottoms of the balusters are dowels that are adapted to be received in predrilled holes in a top wall of the bottom rail section and secured in place as by driving fasteners through predrilled pilot holes in a bottom wall of the bottom rail section into the dowels. Rake balusters are made by filling the balusters with a rigid high density plastic foam material and cutting off the ends of the balusters at the desired rake angle for attachment to the top and bottom rail sections using suitable fasteners.

Abstract: A centrifugally cast hollow fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) column having angled corners and straight sides. Interiorly of the column adjacent each corner are angled corner fillers that have straight angled sides adhered to straight interior wall surfaces of the column adjacent the respective corners. During molding, the corner fillers are supported within the mold with their straight sides in parallel spaced relation to the straight interior walls of the mold adjacent the respective mold corners a distance slightly greater than the desired minimum wall thickness of the column, whereby when the mold is rotated, uncured FRP material within the mold will flow by centrifugal force into engagement with the interior walls of the mold and around the corner fillers into the space between the corner fillers and interior walls of the mold adjacent the respective mold corners to form a column having a substantially uniform FRP wall thickness.

Abstract: An exterior building member includes an outer shell that is extruded slightly oversize out of a plastic compound such as polystyrene containing wood fill. The shell is filled with a rigid plastic foam such as rigid high density, low pressure polyurethane foam, after which material is removed from the exterior profile of the shell to bring the exterior profile to within a desired dimensional tolerance.