Rail mounting apparatus and method

Abstract

A method and apparatus is disclosed for mounting a rail (e.g., fence, stair or banister) to a support structure (e.g., a post, wall, etc.), wherein a rail mounting bracket is provided that allows the rail to be supported within an interior of the bracket in a desired position until the rail can be fixedly secured to the bracket in the desired position. The bracket provides various projections from its face that allows a rail to be supported and fixed to the bracket at an upwardly and/or downwardly inclined angle relative to the bracket face. The bracket is designed to withstand various loads specified by building standards for composition fences and banisters.

1 . A rail support for supporting at least a portion of a rail on a support structure, comprising: 
 front and back faces, wherein the back face fixedly faces the support structure so that at least a portion of the rail weight is transferred to the support structure;    first and second rail side supports extending from said front face, wherein the first and second rail side supports are spaced apart a distance for providing at least a portion of an exterior end of the rail therebetween, and for restricting horizontal movement of the end of the rail;    first and second lower supports extending from said front face, wherein the first lower support is spaced vertically above the second lower support when the back face fixedly faces the support structure;    wherein the first lower support is effective for supporting the exterior end of the rail when the rail is in a substantially horizontal orientation, and the second lower support is effective for supporting the exterior end of the rail when the rail is angled from horizontal by more than approximately 30 degrees.    
   
   
       2 . A method for supporting at least a portion of a rail on a support structure, comprising: 
 attaching a bracket having front and back faces to the support structure, wherein the back face fixedly seats against the support structure so that at least a portion of the rail weight is transferred to the support structure;    positioning an end of the rail between first and second rail side supports extending from said front face, wherein the first and second rail side supports are spaced apart a distance for providing an exterior of the end of the rail therebetween, and for restricting horizontal movement of the end of the rail;    supporting the end of the rail on one of first and second lower supports extending from said front face, wherein the first lower support is spaced vertically above the second lower support when the back face is fixedly seated against the support structure;    wherein the first lower support is used for supporting the exterior end of the rail when the rail is in a substantially horizontal orientation, and the second lower support is used for supporting the exterior end of the rail when the rail is angled from horizontal by more than approximately 30 degrees.    
   
   
       3 . A support bracket for supporting at least a portion of a rail on a support structure, comprising: 
 front and back faces, wherein the back face fixedly seats against the support structure so that at least a portion of the rail weight is transferred to the support structure;    first and second rail side supports extending from said front face, wherein the first and second rail side supports are spaced apart a distance for providing an exterior end of the rail therebetween, and for restricting horizontal movement of the end of the rail;    first and second lower supports extending from said front face, wherein the first lower support is spaced vertically above the second lower support when the back face is fixedly seated against the support structure;    wherein the first lower support is effective for supporting the exterior end of the rail when the rail is in a first orientation, and the second lower support is effective for supporting the exterior end of the rail when the rail is in a second orientation; and    wherein the first lower support is supported on a remainder of the bracket along a predetermined edge so that the first lower support is separable from the remainder of the bracket along the predetermined edge.    
   
   
       4 . A method for supporting at least a portion of a rail on a support structure, comprising: 
 attaching a bracket having front and back faces to the support structure, wherein the back face fixedly seats against the support structure so that at least a portion of the rail weight is transferred to the support structure;    positioning an end of the rail between first and second rail side supports extending from said front face, wherein the first and second rail side supports are spaced apart a distance for providing an exterior of the end of the rail therebetween, and for restricting horizontal movement of the end of the rail;    supporting the end of the rail on one of first and second lower supports extending from said front face, wherein the first lower support is spaced vertically above the second lower support when the back face is fixedly seated against the support structure; and    separating the first lower support from a remainder of the bracket when the second lower support is used to support the end of the rail.    
   
   
       5 . A rail support for supporting at least a portion of a rail on a support structure, comprising: 
 front and back faces, wherein the back face fixedly seats against the support structure so that at least a portion of the rail weight is transferred to the support structure;    first and second rail side supports extending from said front face, wherein the first and second rail side supports are spaced apart thereby providing a recess for receiving an exterior of an end of the rail;    wherein each of the first and second rail side supports has: (a) a rail contacting side that contacts the end of the rail in the recess for restricting horizontal movement of the rail, and (b) a side facing away from the end of the rail;    at least one lower support extending from said front face, wherein the at least one lower support supports the end of the rail;    for each rail side support of the first and second rail side supports, there are one or more guide slots exterior to the recess and adjacent to the rail side support;    a cover having an opening for receiving the rail therein, said cover extending about the opening an effective amount for covering the front face, said cover including a plurality of guides wherein each guide enters a corresponding one of the guide slots when the cover attaches over the front face;    wherein for at least one of the guide slots and a corresponding one of the guides, the one guide frictionally engages the at least one guide slot, and wherein the cover is removable from the remainder of the rail support with a force in the range of five to twenty pounds.    
   
   
       6 . A method for supporting at least a portion of a rail on a support structure, comprising: 
 attaching a bracket having front and back faces to the support structure, wherein the back face fixedly seats against the support structure so that at least a portion of the rail weight is transferred to the support structure;    positioning an end of the rail between first and second rail side supports extending from said front face, wherein the first and second rail side supports are spaced apart thereby providing a recess for receiving an exterior of an end of the rail;    wherein each of the first and second rail side supports has: (a) a rail contacting side that contacts the end of the rail in the recess for restricting horizontal movement of the rail, and (b) a side facing away from the end of the rail;    wherein for each rail side support of the first and second rail side supports, there is at one or more guide slots exterior to the recess and adjacent to the rail side support;    supporting the end of the rail on at least one lower support extending from said front face;    attaching a cover over the front face, the cover having an opening for receiving the rail therein, said cover including a plurality of guides, and wherein each guide enters a corresponding one of the guide slots when the cover attached over the front face;    wherein for at least one guide slot and a corresponding one of the guides, the one guide frictionally engages the one guide slot, and wherein the cover is removable from the remainder of the rail support with a force in the range of five to twenty pounds.