Universal rail mounting bracket

Abstract

A universal rail mounting bracket for attachment of a handrail or fence rail to a support structure. An adapter is also disclosed which is matingly engageable with the bracket, the adapter providing a suitable geometric mating surface with a support structure to which the rail will be attached, such as a wall, fence post, or column. By substitution of the adapter portion, the bracket portion can be adapted to virtually any surface and can support the attachment of the rail such that is may extend at any desired angle.

1. A device for mounting a rail to a support structure, the device comprising a bracket and an adapter;
 a) said bracket comprising a mounting plate having a support arm extending from a first surface of said mounting plate, and an adapter interface comprising a recessed area defined in a central portion of a second surface of said mounting plate; 
 b) said adapter comprising a body having a bracket interface defined at a first end of said body, an attachment interface defined at a second end of said body, said bracket interface comprising a raised portion extending from said first end of said adapter body and shaped to conform to said recessed area; 
 c) wherein said adapter interface and said bracket interface are defined to matingly engage each other; and 
 d) said attachment interface comprises a geometric surface defined to substantially conform to an outer surface of said support structure. 
 
     
     
       2. A device for mounting a rail to a support structure, the device comprising a bracket and an adapter;
 a) said bracket comprising a mounting plate having a support arm extending from a first surface of said mounting plate, an adapter interface defined on a second surface of said mounting plate, and a first aperture defined between said first and second surfaces, wherein said adapter interface comprises a raised portion extending from said second surface, 
 b) said adapter comprising a body having a bracket interface defined at a first end of said body, an attachment interface defined at a second end of said body, and a second aperture defined between said first end and said second end, wherein said bracket interface comprises a recessed area defined in a central portion of said first end and said raised portion is shaped to conform to said recessed area; 
 c) said adapter interface and said bracket interface matingly engage each other with said first and second apertures coaxially aligned; and 
 d) said attachment interface comprises a geometric surface defined to substantially conform to an outer surface of said support structure. 
 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 1 , wherein said first apertures and said second apertures receive attachment means for securing said bracket assembly to said support structure. 
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein said recessed area is defined by a wall circumscribed about said recessed area, and said raised portion has an outer peripheral surface for engagement with an inner surface of said wall. 
     
     
       5. The device of  claim 4 , wherein said recessed area further comprises one or more alignment bores and said raised portion further comprises one or more alignment pins extending from a front surface of said raised portion, wherein said alignment pins are positioned for engagement with said alignment bores. 
     
     
       6. The device of  claim 1 , wherein said mounting plate further comprises one or more slots defined in a peripheral surface of said plate. 
     
     
       7. The device of  claim 1 , wherein said adapter body is substantially triangular such that said attachment interface is positioned at an angle with respect to said bracket interface. 
     
     
       8. The device of  claim 7 , wherein said geometric surface is substantially planar. 
     
     
       9. The device of  claim 1 , wherein said adapter body comprises a plate and said attachment interface comprises an curved surface. 
     
     
       10. The device of  claim 9 , wherein said curved surface is cylindrically concave. 
     
     
       11. The device of  claim 9 , wherein said curved surface is cylindrically convex. 
     
     
       12. The device of  claim 1 , wherein said geometric surface is angular. 
     
     
       13. The device of  claim 1 , wherein said body is a substantially rectangular cylinder and said second end of said body has a angular surface. 
     
     
       14. The device of  claim 1 , wherein said body comprises a plate and a plurality of projections extending from said plate, wherein each projection is disposed for alignment and insertion in a plurality of bores defined in said adapter interface. 
     
     
       15. The device of  claim 1 , wherein a peripheral surface of said body substantially conforms to an outer surface of said rail supported by said bracket. 
     
     
       16. A device for mounting a rail end to a support structure, the device comprising a bracket and a rail end cover;
 a) said bracket comprising a mounting plate and a support flange extending from a first surface of said mounting plate, said mounting plate adapted for attachment to said support structure and said support flange adapted to support said rail end, said bracket further comprising at least one slot defined therein;   b) said rail end cover having an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein at least said inner surface is shaped to conform to an external surface of said rail end; and   c) said rail end cover having at least one finger extending from said inner surface thereof; wherein said slot is adapted to receive said finger.   
     
     
       17. The device of  claim 16 , wherein said slot extends to a second surface opposite said mounting plate first surface. 
     
     
       18. The device of  claim 16 , wherein said rail end cover overlaps at least an upper portion of said rail end external surface. 
     
     
       19. The device of  claim 16 , wherein said rail end cover substantially encloses said rail end external surface. 
     
     
       20. The device of  claim 16 , wherein at least a portion of said rail end external surface is subjacent a portion of said inner surface of said rail end cover. 
     
     
       21. The device of  claim 16 , wherein said rail end cover is held in attachment to said bracket by cooperative engagement of said finger with said slot. 
     
     
       22. The device of  claim 16  A device for mounting a rail end to a support structure, the device comprising a bracket and a rail end cover; said bracket comprising a mounting plate and a support flange extending from a first surface of said mounting plate, said mounting plate adapted for attachment to said support structure and said support flange adapted to support said rail end, said bracket further comprising at least one slot defined therein; said rail end cover having an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein at least said inner surface is shaped to conform to an external surface of said rail end; and said rail end cover having at least one finger extending from said inner surface thereof; wherein said slot is adapted to receive said finger, further comprising an adapter interface defined on a second surface of said mounting plate; an adapter having a body with a bracket interface defined at a first end of said body and an attachment interface defined at a second end of said body; wherein said adapter interface and said bracket interface abut each other; and d) said attachment interface comprises a geometric surface defined to substantially conform to an outer surface of said support structure. 
     
     
       23. The device of  claim 22 , wherein said geometric surface is substantially planar. 
     
     
       24. The device of  claim 22 , wherein said geometric surface is angularly displaced with respect to said mounting plate. 
     
     
       25. The device of  claim 22 , wherein said geometric surface has a radius of curvature. 
     
     
       26. The device of  claim 16  further comprising: a) A device for mounting a rail end to a support structure, the device comprising a bracket and a rail end cover; a) said bracket comprising a mounting plate and a support flange extending from a first surface of said mounting plate, said mounting plate adapted for attachment to said support structure and said support flange adapted to support said rail end, said bracket further comprising at least one slot defined therein; b) said rail end cover having an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein at least said inner surface is shaped to conform to an external surface of said rail end; c) said rail end cover having at least one finger extending from said inner surface thereof; wherein said slot is adapted to receive said finger, d) an adapter interface defined on a second surface of the mounting plate; e) an adapter body having a bracket interface and an attachment interface wherein the attachment interface comprises a geometric shape defined to substantially conform to an outer surface of the support structure. 
     
     
       27. The device of  claim 26 , wherein the mounting plate further comprises one or more first apertures defined through the mounting plate and coaxially aligned with one or more second apertures defined through the adapter body. 
     
     
       28. The device of  claim 27 , wherein the first and second apertures receive attachment means for securing the bracket assembly to the support structure. 
     
     
       29. The device of  claim 26 , wherein the adapter interface and the bracket interface are defined to matingly engage each other. 
     
     
       30. The device of  claim 26 , wherein said adapter interface comprises a recessed area defined in a central portion of said second surface and said bracket interface comprises a raised portion extending from said first end of said adapter body and shaped to engage in said recessed area. 
     
     
       31. The device of  claim 26  wherein the body comprises a plate and the attachment interface comprises a curved surface. 
     
     
       32. The device of  claim 31 , wherein the curved surface is concave. 
     
     
       33. The device of  claim 31 , wherein the curved surface is convex. 
     
     
       34. The device of  claim 26 , wherein the attachment interface has an angular surface. 
     
     
       35. The device of  claim 34 , wherein the angular surface is a right angle.