Hidden fastener guard rail system

Abstract

A guard rail system available in kits ready for assembly is formed of a capped wood composite with the look and feel of wood. The system includes balusters fastened to an upper rail and a bottom rail, each of which are attached to a post or wall. The upper rail is formed of a plurality of pieces that fit together to form a circumferential finished surface and include a longitudinal cavity. Fasteners that couple the balusters to the upper rail and the upper rail to the posts, are not externally visible. The brackets that couple the upper rail to the posts are disposed within the longitudinal cavity.

1 . A guard rail system comprising: 
 an upper rail and a lower rail, each affixed to at least two anchor members, each anchor member comprising a wall or a post,    one or more balusters affixed to said upper rail and said lower rail,    said upper rail comprising a plurality of cooperating longitudinal members and including a longitudinal cavity therein, wherein said upper rail is secured to said balusters without externally visible fasteners, and said upper rail is affixed to each of said anchor members by a bracket disposed completely within said longitudinal cavity and not externally visible.    
   
   
       2 . The guard rail system as in  claim 1 , wherein said upper rail comprises a handrail affixed over a top universal rail that is joined to said one or more balusters.  
   
   
       3 . The guard rail system as in  claim 2 , wherein said handrail is affixed to said top universal rail using fastening means not externally visible.  
   
   
       4 . The guard rail system as in  claim 2 , wherein said top universal rail has a cross-sectional shape of an upright U.  
   
   
       5 . The guard rail system as in  claim 4 , wherein said handrail snap-fits into said top universal rail.  
   
   
       6 . The guard rail system as in  claim 4 , wherein said handrail includes a longitudinal first flange that is engaged below a corresponding longitudinal second flange of said top universal rail to secure said handrail to said top universal rail.  
   
   
       7 . The guard rail system as in  claim 2 , wherein said handrail is affixed to said top universal rail by a screw having a head flush with a lower surface of said top universal rail.  
   
   
       8 . The guard rail system as in  claim 2 , wherein said handrail includes a surface with at least one of a beveled portion, a substantially flat portion, a curved portion and an edge.  
   
   
       9 . The guard rail system as in  claim 1 , wherein said upper rail has a circumferential finished surface.  
   
   
       10 . The guard rail system as in  claim 1 , wherein said balusters are affixed to said upper rail by a top fastener extending through one of said longitudinal members and into a corresponding upper bore formed in said baluster, and affixed to said lower rail by a bottom fastener extending through said lower rail and into a corresponding bottom bore formed in said baluster.  
   
   
       11 . The guard rail system as in  claim 1 , wherein said balusters are affixed to at least one of said upper rail and said lower rail by an adhesive.  
   
   
       12 . The guard rail system as in  claim 1 , wherein said lower rail comprises a base rail subjacently coupled to a lower universal rail and forming a bottom longitudinal cavity therebetween, fasteners that fasten said lower universal rail to said balusters are not externally visible, and said lower rail is affixed to each of said anchor members by a bracket disposed completely within said bottom longitudinal cavity.  
   
   
       13 . The guard rail system as in  claim 1 , wherein said bracket is L-shaped with holes for receiving fastening members extending therethrough, at least one of said holes being a first hole for receiving a first screw that extends through said first hole, through one of said cooperating longitudinal members and into a corresponding bore in one of said balusters.  
   
   
       14 . The guard rail system as in  claim 1 , wherein said upper rail, said lower rail, and said balusters are formed of vinyl material, a polymer wood composite or a capped wood composite.  
   
   
       15 . The guard rail system as in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said upper rail, said lower rail, and said balusters have a surface with a wood grain finish.  
   
   
       16 . The guard rail system as in  claim 1 , wherein said one or more balusters comprise transparent sheets or panels of glass or polymer.  
   
   
       17 . The guard rail system as in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said upper rail, said lower rail, and said balusters are formed of a foamed polymer composite building material.  
   
   
       18 . The guard rail system as in  claim 17 , wherein said building material is capable of having a screw countersunk therein without predrilling.  
   
   
       19 . The guard rail system as in  claim 1 , wherein said anchor member comprises a post and further comprising a post sleeve surrounding said post and wherein each of said brackets affixes said upper rail to said post through said post sleeve or to said post sleeve.  
   
   
       20 . The guard rail system as in  claim 1 , wherein said lower rail includes a lower universal rail affixed to said one or more balusters and including a longitudinal cavity extending upwardly from a bottom surface thereof, said lower universal rail affixed to each of said anchor members using a bracket that does not extend outside said longitudinal cavity.  
   
   
       21 . The guard rail system as in  claim 1 , wherein said lower rail is affixed to each of said anchor members by a fastener not visible from above or laterally.  
   
   
       22 . The guard rail system as in  claim 1 , wherein said upper rail is secured to said one or more balusters using first fasteners.  
   
   
       23 . A kit for a guard rail system comprising: 
 an upper rail and a lower rail, each affixable to at least two anchor members, each anchor member comprising a wall or a post,    one or more balusters adapted to be coupled to said upper rail and said lower rail,    said upper rail comprising a handrail and a top universal rail to be joined together, said handrail over said top universal rail, to form a longitudinal cavity therebetween,    fastening means for fastening said top universal rail to said balusters and which are not externally visible when said guard rail system is assembled, and    brackets that affix said upper rail to each of said anchor members and which are disposed completely within said longitudinal cavity and not externally visible when said guard rail system is assembled.    
   
   
       24 . The kit for a guard rail system as in  claim 23 , wherein said top universal rail has a cross-sectional shape of an upright U when affixed to said one or more balusters.  
   
   
       25 . The kit for a guard rail system as in  claim 23 , wherein said handrail and said top universal rail cooperate to produce said upper rail having a finished surface including at least one of a beveled portion, a substantially flat portion, a curved portion and an edge.  
   
   
       26 . The kit for a guard rail system as in  claim 20 , wherein said upper rail, said lower rail, and said balusters are formed of a capped wood composite material.  
   
   
       27 . The kit for a guard rail system as in  claim 23 , wherein each of said balusters includes a bore for receiving a fastener therein.  
   
   
       28 . A guard rail system comprising: 
 an upper rail and a lower rail each affixed to at least two anchor members, each anchor member comprising a wall or a post,    one or more balusters affixed to said upper rail and said lower rail,    said upper rail comprising a handrail superjacently joined to a top universal rail with a longitudinal cavity therebetween, wherein said upper rail is affixed to said balusters without externally visible fasteners, said upper rail is affixed to each of said anchor members by a bracket disposed completely within said longitudinal cavity and not externally visible, and said top universal rail has a cross-sectional shape of an upright U and is affixed to said balusters.    
   
   
       29 . The guard rail system as in  claim 28 , wherein said upper rail is affixed to said balusters by fasteners that extend through said top universal rail, and said balusters each include a bore that receives one of said fasteners therein.  
   
   
       30 . The guard rail system as in  claim 28 , wherein said upper rail, said bottom rail and said balusters are formed of a capped wood composite material and form a pre-prepared kit ready for assembly.  
   
   
       31 . The guard rail system as in  claim 29 , wherein said lower rail is affixed to each of said anchor members by a fastener not visible from above or laterally.  
   
   
       32 . The guard rail system as in  claim 28 , wherein said lower rail comprises a lower universal rail having a cross-sectional shape that is substantially the same as the cross-sectional shape of said top universal rail.