Structural post assembly for thermoplastic railing system

Abstract

These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by a structural post assembly for a thermoplastic railing system in which a tubular metal support column is secured to the substrate upon which thermoplastic railing system is mounted by means of a base plate, the support column being internally threaded at its upper end, a slidably rotatable base rail connector of one piece construction having a segmented cylindrical core defining an aperture is slidably receivable over the support column and positioned at the lower end proximate the base plate thereof, and an adjustable upper rail connector generally cubic in shape positioned proximate the upper end of the metal support column, the adjustable upper rail connector and base connector adjustable for the slidable receipt of a thermoplastic sheath, the thermoplastic sheath being locked in position by a threaded fastener through the adjustable upper rail connector and into the internally threaded aperture of the support column thereby fixing the vertical support member for the thermoplastic railing system in the correct horizontal and vertical orientation for geometrical symmetry of the railing system.

1 . A structural support post assembly for thermoplastic railing systems of the type having a plurality of vertical support posts having horizontal rails there between said rails having a plurality of vertical balusters secured thereto, said structural support post assembly comprising: 
 a base member secured to a substrate, said base member having a centrally disposed aperture therethrough;    a support pole, cylindrical in cross sectional area, having a lower end and an upper end, said lower end receivable and securable within said aperture of said base plate;    an adjustable base rail connector slidably receivable on said support post and positionable proximate said lower end of said support post, said base rail connector defined by a segmented cylindrical core having four outward corner projections in 90 degree flexed relationship to each adjacent corner projection, each projection defining a corner, defined by adjacent planar vertical surfaces, the cross section of said base rail connector defined by said corner projections equaling the interior cross section of a thermoplastic support post sleeve slidably engageable over said base rail connector;    an adjustable upper rail connector securable on said upper end of said support post, said upper rail connector for the slidable receipt within a thermoplastic support post sleeve, said base rail connector and said upper rail connector allowing for the correct orientation and squaring of the thermoplastic support post sleeve before the connection of horizontal rails of said thermoplastic railing system.    
   
   
       2 . The structural support post assembly for a thermoplastic railing system in accordance with  claim 1  wherein said base rail connector and said upper rail connector are identical.  
   
   
       3 . The structural support post assembly for a thermoplastic railing system in accordance with  claim 2  wherein said base rail connector and said upper rail connector are each constructed of unitary construction of molded or extruded polymer and comprises a segmented cylindrical core defining a central aperture which is securable on said support post there being four radiating projections radiating outwardly from said segmented cylindrical core in 90 degree flexed relationship to each adjacent projection, each of said radiating projections defining a corner with adjacent planar vertical surfaces and defining a gap between each adjacent corner, the segmented cylindrical core and said radiating projections provide tolerance and flexure for receipt of said thermoplastic support post sleeve for the orientation and squaring of the sleeve prior to the attachment of said rails of said railing system.  
   
   
       4 . The structural support post assembly for thermoplastic railing systems in accordance with  claim 3  wherein said upper rail connector is formed with a vertical slot in a wall of said segmented cylindrical core, said vertical slot cooperable with an aperture formed in said support post so as to permit the vertical slidable adjustment of the upper rail connector and the support post and to secure the upper rail connector in position by means of a fastener means cooperable with said slot and said aperture in said support post.  
   
   
       5 . The structural support post assembly for thermoplastic railing systems in accordance with  claim 1  wherein said support pole is formed with a threaded bore on its upper end, said threaded bore in axial alignment with said support pole.  
   
   
       6 . The structural support post assembly for thermoplastic railing systems in accordance with  claim 5  wherein said upper rail connector is secured on said upper end of said support pole by means of a plurality of washers alignable with said segmented cylindrical core and a threaded fastener means passing through said plurality of washers and said segmented cylindrical core into said threaded bore securing said upper rail connector to said support post.  
   
   
       7 . The structural support post assembly for thermoplastic railing systems in accordance with  claim 5  wherein said upper rail connector comprises a rectangular block member having a longitudinal slot, said rectangular block member positioned on top of said support post, and secured thereto by a threaded fastener passing through said longitudinal slot into said threaded bore, said rectangular member having at least one dimension equal to the interior width of said thermoplastic support post sleeve, said rectangular member adjustable on said support post by means of said longitudinal slot so as to obtain correct orientation and squaring of said thermoplastic support post sleeve before connection of said horizontal rails of said thermoplastic railing system.  
   
   
       8 . The structural support post assembly for thermoplastic railing systems in accordance with  claim 5  wherein said upper rail connector comprises two rectangular block members each having a longitudinal slot there through, said two rectangular members secured to said upper end of said support pole by means of a threaded fastener passing through said longitudinal slots and into said threaded bore, said two rectangular members being oriented perpendicular to each other, each of said rectangular members having a dimension equal to the width of the interior cross section of said thermoplastic support post sleeve, said two rectangular members adjustable with respect to each other in order to correctly orient and square said thermoplastic support post sleeve before connection of said horizontal rails of said thermoplastic railing system.  
   
   
       9 . A method of installation for a structural support post assembly for thermoplastic railing systems of the type having a plurality of vertical support posts having horizontal rails there between, said horizontal rails having a plurality of vertical balusters secured thereto, said method of installing said structural support post assembly comprising: 
 a. securing a base plate member to a substrate, said base plate member having a centrally disposed aperture there through;    b. positioning a vertical support pole having a lower end and an upper end, cylindrical in cross section into said aperture in said base member and securing said vertical support pole thereto;    c. slidably positioning an adjustable base rail connector onto said support pole and positioning said adjustable base rail connector proximate said lower end of said support pole, said adjustable base rail connector defined by a segmented cylindrical core having four outward corner projections in 90 degree flex relationship to each adjacent corner projection, each projection defining a corner, defined by adjacent planar vertical surfaces, the cross section of said base rail connector defined by said corner projections and equaling the interior cross section of a thermoplastic support post sleeve slidably engagable over said base rail connector;    d. positioning an upper rail connector securable on said upper end of said support pole, said upper rail connector for slidable receipt within said thermoplastic support post sleeve;    e. slidably positioning said thermoplastic support post sleeve over said upper rail connector, said lower rail connector, and said support post;    f. adjusting said thermoplastic support post sleeve utilizing said adjustable base rail connector and said adjustable upper rail connector to achieve the correct orientation and squaring of said thermoplastic support post sleeve;    g. securing said upper rail connector to said support post;    h. repeating steps a through g for an adjacent structural support post;    i. securing said horizontal rails between said adjacent thermoplastic support post sleeves by securing said rails to said adjustable base rail connector and said adjustable upper rail connector; and    j. repeating steps a through i to complete construction of said thermoplastic railing system.