Handrail connection

Abstract

A smooth continuous uninterrupted graspable hand rail has joints made by connectors between adjoining pipe sections. The hand rail is made up of pipe sections which have their respective ends abutting. The connectors have two pieces, each of which fits into one of the abutting ends. For angular connections, the connector pieces are coupled together by an a joint which may be adjusted to position the pieces at an angle corresponding to the angle of the pipe connection. For straight connections, the end pieces of the connector are aligned. In either case, the pipe sections have complementary ends which abut to form a continuous graspable hand rail, and are held in abutting engagement by the connector which is cemented or otherwise bonded to the abutting end portions of the pipe section.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A handrail assembly comprising: 
 successive sections of pipe of selected lengths and/or shapes of pipe, each with a common inside cross-sectional dimension, the abutting ends of adjacent sections of pipe being formed with opposed complimentary faces of conforming size and contours in order to fit together over their interface to make a smooth, solid abutting joint;    connector means connecting adjacent sections of pipe, the connector means providing interconnected similar frictional pieces insertable within and frictionally engaging the respective inside surfaces of said adjacent sections, allowing compression when squeezed to produce effective reduction in outer diameter to permit the respective insertable pieces to be placed within one end of each pipe section being joined and to permit ready expansion when the insertable piece is released to engage the inside surface of the pipe section, sufficient area of the surface of each insertable piece of the connector means being capable of engaging the inside surface with frictional force sufficient to resist removal of the connector means from the pipe and the insertable pieces of the connector means joining the respective adjacent sections of pipe and allowing movement toward one another and holding in place the pipe sections to provide tight closure together of the confronting conforming surfaces of the adjacent pipe sections with a smooth continuous surface provided at the outer surface of the railing sections and frictional force of the insertable pieces of the connector means and the abutting end surfaces of the adjacent sections providing a solid and secure joint.    
     
     
         2 . The handrail assembly of  claim 1  in which insertable frictional pieces of the connector means are composed of generally tubular molded parts of resilient resinous material, each molded part having at least a lengthwise slot which permits squeezing to close the slot and reduce the diameter of the generally tubular part to permit said part to be inserted into the end of a pipe section, release of the tubular part allowing the resiliency of the tubular part to cause it to expand and engage the inside of the pipes, providing friction which resists movement of the tubular part within the pipe section.  
     
     
         3 . The handrail assembly of  claim 2  in which the pipe sections making up the rail are generally circular in cross-section, at least internally of the pipe sections, and the generally tubular molded parts also have a generally conforming circular cross-section.  
     
     
         4 . The handrail assembly of  claim 3  in which the tubular insertable pieces of the connector means are part of a unitary structure in which the tubular insertable pieces at opposite ends of the connector means are inserted into the opposed ends of the pipe sections being joined and the pipe sections moved toward one another until their opposed complimentary and conforming end faces conformingly abut.  
     
     
         5 . The handrail assembly of  claim 4  in which respective collapsible insertable tubular pieces of the connector means are part of a continuous tubular structure, said pieces having their axes at a predetermined angle with each other corresponding to the angle of the railing sections of the pipes which they are joining.  
     
     
         6 . The handrail assembly of  claim 3  in which each insertable tubular piece has a plurality of contacting surfaces around the circumference, separated from each other by regions not intended to contact the internal surface of the railing pipe section.  
     
     
         7 . The handrail assembly of  claim 6  in which the surface of each insertable tubular piece has a gear-like appearance to provide alternating surface areas around the circumference of the insertable tubular pieces of larger radius from the axis which can individually adjust to better conform to the inner diameter of the pipe.  
     
     
         8 . The handrail assembly of  claim 7  in which selected alternating surface areas have narrow ribs of flexible resilient moldable resinous material for contact with the internal diameter of the pipe at three spaced locations about the circumference of the pipe, said ribs being capable of being shaved to facilitate insertion of the insertable tubular pieces into the inner diameter of the pipes.  
     
     
         9 . The handrail assembly of  claim 3  in which each of the insertable tubular pieces of the connector means is separate from the other and connected together by connection means that allows angular adjustment of each relative to the other in at least one plane to allow the insertable tubular connector pieces to be positioned for insertion into pipe sections oriented at a predetermined angle to each other, said insertable tubular pieces being engaged in the respective bores of the pipe railing sections, the ends of the pipe sections conforming and abutting each other and being positioned at said predetermined angle relative to each other, the connector being adjusted to said predetermined angle to add rigidity to the conforming joint.  
     
     
         10 . The handrail assembly of  claim 9  in which the connection of the tubular pieces together is cast integrally with the individual insertable tubular pieces, the ends of the aligned sections having complementary abutting surfaces and end portions which enclose the connector member when the complementary end surfaces of the pipe abut.  
     
     
         11 . A coupling for joining together a first tubular member and a second tubular member, each tubular member having an interior bore and an open end, said coupling comprising: 
 A. a generally cylindrical connector formed of a flexible resilient material and comprising a slot extending longitudinally along the length of the connector, said slot defining a pair of end walls in the slot; and    B. a plurality of circumferentially spaced contact areas projecting radially outwardly from the connector and extending longitudinally along the connector,    wherein, the connector is configured for inward deflection along the slot to converge the end walls in the slot toward one another and effectively reduce the diameter of the connector, permitting the connector to be inserted into the open ends of the first and second tubular members and form a friction connection between the contact areas and the interior bores in the tubular members.    
     
     
         12 . The coupling of  claim 11 , wherein the connector comprises a first section adapted for insertion in the first tubular member, and a second section adapted for insertion in the second tubular member.  
     
     
         13 . The coupling of  claim 12 , wherein the first and second sections of the connector are fixed together in generally parallel alignment and are configured for joining the first and second tubular members in generally parallel alignment.  
     
     
         14 . The coupling of  claim 12 , wherein the first and second sections of the connector are pivotally connected and adjustable to join the first tubular member at an angle with respect to the second tubular member.  
     
     
         15 . The coupling of  claim 11 , wherein each contact area on the connector comprises an elongated rib projecting radially outwardly from the connector, wherein the ribs are configured to frictionally engage the interior bores of the tubular members when the connector is inserted into the tubular members.  
     
     
         16 . A coupling for connecting a first tubular member to a second tubular member, said coupling comprising: 
 A. a connector having a generally cylindrical cross section and a longitudinal slot extending along the length of the body; and    B. a plurality of contact areas projecting radially outwardly from the connector and circumferentially spaced along the connector;    wherein, the connector is configured for insertion into said first and second tubular members, each of said tubular members comprising an opening at one end having a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the connector, said connector being formed of a resilient flexible material that deflects inwardly along said slot upon insertion of the connector into the opening on each of said tubular members to permit clearance of the connector through the openings, said connector extending into each of said first and second tubular members to connect the tubular members together.    
     
     
         17 . The coupling of  claim 16 , wherein the contact areas frictionally engage the interior of the tubular members upon insertion of the connector into the tubular members.  
     
     
         18 . The coupling of  claim 16 , further comprising a plurality of shallow grooves formed between the contact areas, said grooves containing a bonding agent for securing the connector inside the tubular members.  
     
     
         19 . The coupling of  claim 16 , wherein the connector comprises a first section for insertion into the first tubular member and a second section for insertion into the second tubular member.  
     
     
         20 . The coupling of  claim 19 , wherein the first section and second section are connected by a pivot joint.