Self-fastening systems for securing ornamental capitals and/or bases to architectural columns

Abstract

Self-fastening systems for securing ornamental capitals (and/or bases) to architectural columns include a plurality of spring retention members for frictionally retaining the capitals on the column shafts. If the body member of the capitals is made of a thermoplastic material with relatively thick (i.e., rigid) walls, the spring retention members may comprise a plurality of integral spring tabs for frictionally engaging the exterior wall surface of the column shafts. If the body member of the capitals is made of a thermoplastic material with relatively thin walls, the spring retention members may comprise spring clips on the uppermost end of the column shafts for frictionally engaging the uppermost end of a tubular inner wall portion of the capitals. If the body member of the capitals is made of a thermoset foam material, the spring retention members may comprise spring clips anchored to the body members for frictionally engaging the exterior wall surface of the column shafts.

1 . An ornamental capital for architectural columns comprising a body member having a through passage for receiving an upper end portion of an architectural column shaft, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced spring retention members inside the body member surrounding the through passage for frictionally retaining the capital on the upper end portion of the column shaft. 
     
     
         2 . The capital of  claim 1  wherein the spring retention members comprise spring clips attached to the body member. 
     
     
         3 . The capital of  claim 2  wherein the spring clips are anchored to the body member. 
     
     
         4 . The capital of  claim 2  wherein each of the spring clips includes a radially inwardly and axially upwardly inclined spring finger that frictionally engages an exterior wall surface of the upper end portion of the column shaft when the capital is placed thereover. 
     
     
         5 . The capital of  claim 4  wherein the body member is made of a thermoset foam material. 
     
     
         6 . The capital of  claim 5  wherein the thermoset foam material is polyurethane. 
     
     
         7 . The capital of  claim 1  wherein the body member is made of a thermoplastic material, and the spring retention members comprise a plurality of circumferentially spaced spring tabs integral with the body member. 
     
     
         8 . The capital of  claim 7  wherein each of the spring tabs has a radially inwardly and axially upwardly inclined spring finger for frictionally engaging an exterior wall surface of the upper end portion of the column shaft. 
     
     
         9 . The capital of  claim 8  wherein the body member has a lower end wall containing an opening to the through passage sized to closely slidably receive the upper end portion of the column shaft, and the spring finger of each of the spring tabs has an upper end portion in axially upwardly spaced relation from the opening in the lower end wall that frictionally engages the exterior wall surface of the upper end portion of the column shaft to self center the capital on the column shaft. 
     
     
         10 . In combination, an architectural column having a column shaft and an ornamental capital adapted to be slidably received over an upper end portion of the column shaft, the capital comprising a body member having a through passage for receipt of the upper end portion of the column shaft, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced spring retention members inside the body member surrounding the through passage for frictionally retaining the capital on the upper end portion of the column shaft. 
     
     
         11 . The combination of  claim 10  wherein the spring retention members comprise spring clips attached to the body member. 
     
     
         12 . The combination of  claim 11  wherein each of the spring clips includes a radially inwardly and axially upwardly inclined spring finger that frictionally engages an exterior wall surface of the upper end portion of the column shaft when the capital is placed thereover. 
     
     
         13 . The combination of  claim 12  wherein the body member is made of a thermoset foam material. 
     
     
         14 . The combination of  claim 10  wherein the body member is made of a thermoplastic material, and the spring retention members comprise a plurality of circumferentially spaced spring tabs integral with the body member, the spring tabs extending radially inwardly and axially upwardly into frictional engagement with an exterior wall surface of the upper end portion of the column shaft when the capital is placed thereover. 
     
     
         15 . The combination of  claim 10  wherein the body member has a lower end wall containing an opening to the through passage sized to closely slidably receive the upper end portion of the column shaft, and the spring retention members have upper end portions in axially upwardly spaced relation from the opening in the lower end wall that frictionally engage the exterior wall surface of the upper end portion of the column shaft to self center the capital on the column shaft. 
     
     
         16 . In combination, an architectural column having a column shaft and an ornamental capital, the capital comprising a thermoplastic body member having an axially extending tubular inner wall portion providing a through passage for closely slidably receiving an upper end portion of the column shaft, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced spring clips attached to an uppermost end of the column shaft, each of the spring clips having an axially downwardly extending spring finger adapted to receive an upper end portion of the tubular inner wall portion of the capital between an exterior wall surface of the column shaft and the spring finger for frictionally retaining the capital on the upper end portion of the column shaft. 
     
     
         17 . The combination of  claim 16  wherein the uppermost end of the column shaft is tubular, and each of the spring clips is snap fitted over the uppermost end of the column shaft. 
     
     
         18 . The combination of  claim 17  wherein each of the spring clips has a pair of laterally spaced, axially downwardly extending spring fingers for frictionally gripping an interior wall surface of the uppermost end of the column shaft and the upper end portion of the tubular inner wall portion of the capital when inserted between an exterior wall surface of the column shaft and the spring finger overlying the exterior wall surface. 
     
     
         19 . The combination of  claim 18  wherein the spring fingers have oppositely outwardly angled outer end portions. 
     
     
         20 . The combination of  claim 18  wherein each of the spring fingers has radially inwardly and axially upwardly extending barbs for resisting pull off of the spring clips from the uppermost end of the column shaft and removal of the upper end portion of the tubular inner end portion of the capital when inserted between the exterior wall surface of the column shaft and the spring finger overlying the exterior wall surface.