RAILING POST SHOE ANCHOR APPARATUS AND METHOD
The present invention provides a means to achieve enhanced load distribution and bearing capacity for posts in the construction environment. In particular, the present invention provides a means to secure a load bearing post to a substrate such as concrete in applications including the construction of high-rise building balconies. Additionally, the present invention provides ease and versatility in mounting at the site of the work. The application of the present invention provides increased reliability and longevity under environmental and load stresses. Further, the unique geometry of the present invention contributes to an ease, cost effectiveness, and consistency of manufacture unattainable by competitive technologies while reducing material waste and product failure.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to mounting technologies used to secure railing posts to solid substrates. Specifically, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus employed to provide a means to engage railing systems at the site of installation in the construction environment. The application of the present invention for anchoring railings is appropriate where increased stress capacity, ease of installation, and resistance to failure is desired. This invention finds particular application in the anchoring of balcony railing posts in high-rise building construction wherein significant environmental stresses affect railing performance and where considerable longevity and reliability are desirable. Additionally, the present invention provides the installer with increased options in means of fastening to substrates. The present invention may be fastened to a variety of substrates including concrete, steel, and wood substrates.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art embodiments of shoe anchors are of a variety of geometries generally exploiting the advantages of the structural strength provided by L and U shaped railing cradles and engagements. These anchoring devices may be of stainless steel, cast iron or alloy, or aluminum construction. Prior art embodiments have limitations in terms of the environmental stresses that they are able to withstand over extended periods of time and exposure. Aluminum material generally provides the greatest performance albeit at increased and occasionally prohibitive cost due to manufacturing difficulties in addition to the raw material cost. Present technologies have limited lifetimes particularly those employing stainless steel, iron, or alloy constructions. Failure rates increase over time and require extensive and costly maintenance in the high-rise environment. The currently employed shoe anchor geometries have load limitations which necessitate increased redundancies in high stress environments.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention permits the installation and is of enhanced benefit to the builder in the anchoring of fences, balconies, and safety railings in the substrates common to these applications including wood, steel, and concrete. The present invention provides particular advantages to the builder of high rise units with balconies wherein environmental stresses are of increased and immediate concern in terms of safety, reliability, and longevity. Such environments are susceptible to stresses arising from wind, rain, snow, and a variety of other factors impacting the performance of exposed external elements such as railings and their mounting components. While providing enhanced performance in the provision of railing mounting means, the present invention additionally eases manufacturability and reduces material waste therein. Within the manufacturing process, the current invention allows the production of railing post shoe anchors through extrusion and subsequent machining to arrive at a precision, quality, and consistency generally unachievable with standard technologies. Furthermore, the ease of manufacture of the present invention allows the builder to select aluminum material for the construction of anchoring devices without the burden of undue costs generally associated with the implantation of this material. The application of the present invention increases the structural integrity of railing post mounting, increases mounting versatility, minimizes failure, and reduces requirements for redundancy. In production, the present invention reduces material cost and eases manufacturability. The implementation of the present invention enhances application safety, longevity, and reliability thereby providing a method and apparatus generally free of the deficiencies of the prior art.
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Claims
1. A railing post shoe anchor apparatus comprising:
- (a) a rigid body;
- (b) a post receptacle;
- (c) mounting holes;
- (d) handling apertures.
2. A railing post shoe anchor apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said rigid body is of contiguous material providing structural integrity as required by the application.
3. A railing post shoe anchor apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said rigid body is tapered from the post engagement end to the mounting end in order to distribute load stress as required by the application.
4. A railing post shoe anchor apparatus as in claim 3, wherein said rigid body is tapered from the post engagement end to the mounting end in order to promote ease of manufacture.
5. A railing post shoe anchor apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said post receptacle is of geometry to mechanically engage a railing post as required by the application.
6. A railing post shoe anchor apparatus as in claim 5, wherein said post receptacle may be equipped with set screws to secure a post upon installation.
7. A railing post shoe anchor apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said mounting holes are provided for mounting the apparatus to a substrate.
8. A railing post shoe anchor apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said mounting holes may be configured to provide facility to fasten the apparatus to a substrate by means of tapped screw.
9. A railing post shoe anchor apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said mounting holes may be configured to provide facility to fasten the apparatus to a substrate by means of nut and bolt.
10. A railing post shoe anchor apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said mounting holes may be of a combination of tapped screw, nut and bolt, and other configurations providing substrate fastening means.
11. A railing post shoe anchor apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said mounting holes are of configuration and number to provide fastening means sufficient to bear the load requirements of the application.
12. A railing post shoe anchor apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said mounting holes may be filled with material, such as grout, in order to promote structural integrity upon installation on a substrate.
13. A railing post shoe anchor apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said handling apertures provide ease of transport and positioning at the site of installation of the apparatus.
14. A railing post shoe anchor apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said handling apertures may be filled with material, such as grout, in order to promote structural integrity upon installation on a substrate.
15. A railing post shoe anchor method comprising:
- (a) a single contiguous block of material;
- (b) mirrored apertures;
- (c) symmetrical separation.
16. A railing post shoe anchor method as in claim 15, wherein said a single contiguous block of material may be extruded to form the profile of the railing post shoe anchor apparatus thereby providing an ease of manufacture of multiple railing post shoe anchor apparatus.
17. A railing post shoe anchor method as in claim 15, wherein said mirrored apertures are comprised of mounting holes, handling apertures, and post receptacles mirrored along a centre line of the profile of the single block of material.
18. A railing post shoe anchor method as in claim 17, wherein said mirrored apertures allow the ease of manufacture of opposed pairs of identical railing post shoe anchor apparatus upon separation.
19. A railing post shoe anchor method as in claim 15, wherein said symmetrical separation describes the separation of pairs of opposed railing post shoe anchor apparatus into identical components.
20. A railing post shoe anchor method as in claim 15, wherein said symmetrical separation is performed along a diagonal providing the taper from the receptacle end to the mounting end of a railing post shoe anchor apparatus thereby providing a load bearing and distribution advantage to the railing post shoe anchor apparatus upon implementation in the intended application.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 16, 2013
Publication Date: Jan 22, 2015
Inventor: Tomasz Tomczak (Mississauga)
Application Number: 13/943,219
International Classification: E04H 17/22 (20060101);