US3057991A - Handrails and means for illuminating the same - Google Patents

Description

HANDRAILS AND MEANS FOR ILLUMINATING THE SAME Filed Oct. 20, 1960 Oct. 9, 1962 L. R. GRENADIER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. Z E W /.S E- GRENKD/ER BY W w A 7' TOZ/VE X Oct. 9, 1962 R. GRENADIER 3,057,991

HANDRAILS AND MEANS FOR ILLUMINATING THE SAME Filed 001;. 20, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTOP/VEX Oct. 9, 1962 R. GRENADIER 3,057,991

HANDRAILS AND MEANS FOR ILLUMINATING THE SAME Filed Oct. 20, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 102 I I l i I Jfl' F 1 Ca. l I

INVENTOR. gag LEW/5 12. anem a/12 BY I United States Patent 3,057,991 HANDRAILS AND MEANS FOR ILLUMINATING THE SAME Lewis R. Grenadier, Tenafly, N.J., assignor to Ender- Monarch Corporation, Garfield, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Oct. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 63,755 21 Clm'ms. (Cl. 2402) This invention relates to handrails and means for illuminating the same.

An object of this invention is to provide a highly improved structure of the character described, which shall serve as a handrail and as a lighting unit; in which the lighting elements shall be fully enclosed and tamper-proof; which shall be easy to install and adapted to be disassembled easily; which will accommodate fluorescent lamps of various sizes; which may be used with supporting posts spaced apart any desired distances, and in which the height of the handrail may be varied to suit.

Another object of this invention is to provide a highly improved illuminating handrail which shall comprise an elongated handrail top member open at its underside, and to the underside of which is attached an elongated light transmitting casing open at its upper side, with a fluorescent lamp in the casing and fixed to the handrail member, and said handrail member providing a wire-way for wiring for the lamp.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an illuminated handrail construction of the character described comprising a post, a T-shaped transition open at the top and mounted on top of the post, an elongated handrail member open at its underside and disposed over the transition and supported thereon and extending to opposite sides thereof, V-shaped casings of light transmitting material open at the top and having the ends thereof received in the wings of the transition and closing the undersides of the handrail member, and fluorescent lamps in the casings and attached to the handrail member.

A further object of this invention is to provide an illuminated handrail comprising posts supporting an elongated handrail member .which is open at its underside, and closed by casings of light transmitting material, disposed between the posts, With lamps in the casings and between the posts.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a strong, rugged and wholly enclosed illuminated handrail construction of the character described, which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to assemble, which shall be tamper-proof, and practical and eflicient .to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out. a

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of invention'will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown an illustrative embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 1 is a vertical longitudinal, cross-sectional view of an illuminated handrail construction embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial view of the structure of FIG. 1, illustrating a modified form of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an illuminated horizontal handrail construction embodying the invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a corner illuminated handrail construction embodying the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a staircase illuminated handrail construction embodying the invention;

FIG. 7 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view taken on line 7--7 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a partial top plan view of the transition and lamp casing;

FIG. 9 is a vertical, longitudinal section through an end cap attached to a transition;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 10--10 of FIG. 9; and

FIG. l 1 is a top view of the end cap alone. 1

Referring now in detail to the drawing, 10 designates an illuminated handrail construction embodying the invention. The same comprises a plurality of bases 11. Each 'base 11 comprises a square base flange 12 of metal such as aluminum or bronze having a central hole 13. Extending up from the base flange 12 is a square flange 14. Surrounding the upstanding flange 14 is a square groove 15. The base may be attached to a floor support, when concealment mounting is desired, by means of a center bolt 11a passing through a hole in a washer 11b and screwed to a nut 11c. Bolt 11a may be fastened to the floor or support on which the base is mounted. I

Fitted on each base is a vertical square hollow post 16 of aluminum or bronze, the lower end of which telescopes with flange 14, and is received in square groove 15. The posts 16 may be of any suitable height. Their lower ends may be fixed to the base 11 by screws 16a screwed into flanges 14.

Fitted on top of each of said posts 16, is a T-shaped transition fitting 20. Said transition 20 may be made as a metal casting such as aluminum or bronze. It has a lower tubular portion 21 of square cross-section telescoped into the upper end of post 16 and attached thereto by means 21b. At the upper end of square tubular portion 21 is a thickened square portion 22 forming an undershoulder 23 contacting the upper end of post 16. At its upper end, said transition comprises a transverse portion 24 open at the top and comprising a central portion 25 from which extend outwardly, wings 26 of U-shaped crosssection. The central portion 25 and the inner ends of the wings have opposed portions 25a formed with vertical flat inner surfaces 27 disposed in the planes of the inner surfaces 21a of the front and rear walls of tubular portion 21. Said central portion 25 has outer flat surfaces 28 extending the length of thickened portion 22. The wings 26 each have side walls 30 and a bottom wall 31.

The inner surfaces 27 extend to outer vertical end shoulders 33 disposed somewhat outwardly of the thickened 'portions 22. The portions 25 and walls 30 of the wings and horizontal upper edges 37. Thus the transition has extra thickness between shoulders 33 and below tongues 36.

The side walls 30 of the wings are curved at their lower ends, merging with the curved bottom walls 31. Wings 26 have end edges 26a of U-shaped cross-section. Also, wings 26 are provided with inner transverse reinforcing webs 41 located outwardly of surfaces 27, and having central lower edges 4am from which extend upwardly and outwardly, inclined edges 40b.

Between the adjacent wings 26 of adjacent transitions 20, are casings 4-2 of clear or translucent milk-white or colored light transmitting material, such as acrylic plastic. Each casing 42 is of uniform transverse U-shaped crosssection, having side walls 42a and a bottom wall 42b and the ends thereof are slidably received and nested or telescoped in the ends of the wings. Upper ends of the side walls 42a are in the planes of the tongues 36. The upper end edges 420 of the side walls 42a are horizontal and at the level of the upper edges 37 of tongues 36. Tamperproof set screws 45 screwed up through threaded openings 46 in bottom walls 31 serve to contact end edges of the casings 42 to prevent side movement of the casings.

The posts 16 and transitions 20 support an elongated top handrail member 50 of extruded aluminum or bronze or other suitable metal. Said handrail member 50 is symmetrical about its longitudinal, vertical mid-section. Handrail member 50 is of uniform transverse cross-section. Member 50 has a top wall 51 from which extend downwardly curved walls 52, from which extend downwardly and inwardly converging inclined walls 53. Extending from the lower ends of walls 53 are horizontal inwardly extending walls 54 resting on the upper end edges 35 of the transition. Extending upwardly from the inner ends of walls 54 are walls 55 contacting the outer surfaces of tongues 36. Extending inwardly from the upper ends of walls 55, at a level spaced above the upper edges 37 of tongues 36 (and edges 420 of casings 42), are top shoulder forming webs 56, from the inner ends of which there extend downwardly, flanges 57, located inwardly of tongues 36 and inwardly of the side walls 42a of casing 42. The lower edges of flanges 57 are substantially at the horizontal level of walls 54. Walls 55, 56, 57 form grooves 58 which open downwardly, and top shoulders for the purpose hereinafter appearing. In the grooves 58, and contacting edges 37 and 420 are gaskets 60 of any suitable soft material such as rubber or rubber-like material.

The top wall 51 is formed at its underside with a central downwardly thickened portion 61. Extending inwardly toward each other, from the junctures of walls '52, 53 are horizontal spaced reinforcing ribs 62.

Resting on the shoulder walls 56 above the inner ends of wings 26, are transverse horizontal bars 65. Elongated flat head screws 66 pass through countersunk holes 67 in bottom walls 31 of the wings and are screwed through threaded holes 68 in said bars, to clamp said transitions to said handrail member. Screws 68 are located at opposite sides of thickened portions 22.

Mounted on the shoulder walls 56, outward of each wing 26, are transverse spaced horizontal bars 70, 71. Contacting the undersides of the bars 65, 70, on each side of each transition, is a longitudinal wire cover extension 72, comprising a top web 72:: from which extend downwardly, parallel side flanges 72b, located just inwardly of, but spaced from walls 57. Web 72a contacts the undersides of bars 65, 70 and is fixed thereto by screws 73.

Bars 70 are attached to the handrail member 50 by screws 74 passing through clearance holes in webs 72a and engaging threaded holes 75 in bars 70 and impinging the undersides of thickened top wall portions 61. Upon tightening the screws 74 against the top wall of the handrail member, the bars 70 are clamped to walls 56 of said member, thereby attaching the wire cover extensions 72 relative to said handrail member.

Attached to the bars 71 by screws 80 are wire cover members 81 also each having a top web 81a and parallel, downwardly extending side flanges 81b. Also attached to the bars 71 by head screws 82 are socket plate brackets 83 to which are fixed socket plates 84 for fluorescent lamps 85 attached thereto in the usual manner.

Screws 86 screwed through threaded openings 87 in bars 71, impinge against the thickened portions 61 of the handrail member 50 for attaching said bars, and hence the wire covers and lamps, to the handrail member. The lamps 85 are disposed in the casings 42, below the wire covers 81. The lamps may be of various lengths. Also, there may be more than one lamp between two posts, it being necessary to provide bars 71, at the ends of each lamp together with socket plate brackets and socket plates. The wiring for the lamps may pass through the space, chamber or wire way provided in the handrail member. The illumination from the lamps passes through the light transmitting casings 42.

The wire covers 81 may be painted white at their undersides to reflect light downwardly.

As shown in FIG. 4, the handrail member is horizontal all through. The posts 16 may be interconnected by lower brace members 90 parallel to the handrail member, in any suitable manner.

In FIG. 5 there is shown a corner portion of a handrail 10b. In this case the corner transition 20a has wings extending at right angles to one another. Also the handrail member has portions 50a at right angles to one another.

In FIG. 6 is shown an illuminated stair handrail 10c, in which one transition 20b has one horizontal wing and one inclined wing, and another transition 200, has both its wings at an inclination. The upper end of the post which supports transition 200, is also inclined, to conform to the inclination of the staircase.

In FIG. 3 there is illustrated an illuminated handrail construction 1011! similar to the construction of FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 7 and 8, except that for the screws 45, there is substituted spring pressed pins 92 passing through holes 93 in webs and having enlarged flat heads 94 pressing against ends of casing 42. These spring pressed pins keep the casings 42 from shifting.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 9, an end cap may be attached to one end of an end transition 20. Said end cap 100 has side walls 101, a bottom wall 102, an upwardly and outwardly curved end wall 103. Side walls 101 have end edges 101a, and bottom wall 102 has an end edge 1020, which abut the end edges 26a of a transiton 20. Side walls 101 have top horizontal edges 101b which contact the undersides of webs 51 of the top rail member 50 which extends beyond the transition 20 and overlaps the end cap.

End cap 100 also has an outer end closed portion 104 which has an edge 106 that conforms to and contacts the outer end of handrail member 50.

Also, end cap 100 has a horizontal tongue 107 extending from end wall 103 and which lies on shoulder walls 56 of the rail member 50.

Means is provided for attaching the end cap 100 to the top handrail member 50 for closing one end of a transition. To this end there is mounted on shoulder walls 56 and adjacent the end of tongue 107, a transverse bar 110. Extending through a countersunk opening 111 in bottom wall 102, is a screw 112 screwed through a threaded open ing 113 in bar 110.

It will thus be seen that there is provided an apparatus in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In combination, a post, a T-shaped transition mounted on the upper end of the post and having a central portion over the post and outwardly extending wings, an elongated handrail member mounted on top of said transition and having portions in alignment with and disposed over the wings and extending beyond said wings, elongated light transmitting casings at the undersides of said handrail member and on opposite sides of said transition, in alignment with the wings and in end to end alignment with each other, and means mounted on said handrail member at the underside thereof, to support lamps in said casings in end to end alignment.

2. The combination of claim 1, the ends of said casing being telescoped in the ends of said wings.

3. The combination of claim 2, in combination with stop means on the wings of the transition engaging the adjacent ends of said casings.

4. The combination of claim 1, in combination with means to clamp the transition to the handrail member.

5. The combination of claim 4, in combination with wire covers mounted on said handrail members and over lamps supported by said lamp supporting means.

6. The combination of claim 5, in combination with wire cover extensions between the wire covers and the middle of the transition, and means to mount said wire cover extensions on said handrail member.

7. The combination of claim 1, said means attached to the handrail member, for supporting lamps comprising bracket plates to receive the ends of said lamps.

8. In combination, an elongated handrail member having a top wall, side walls extending down from the top wall, and portions extending from the lower ends of said side walls, and disposed inwardly of the side walls and projecting up from the lower ends of said side walls, and having downwardly opening grooves and top shoulders, a transition having side walls, the upper ends of which contact the lower ends of the side walls of the handrail member, casings of light transmitting material and of U- shaped cross-section, open at the top and having their outer ends telescoped within the outer ends of said transition, and their upper ends being received in said grooves, and means mounted on said handrail member for supporting fluorescent lamps in said casings.

9. The combination of claim 8, said transition having upwardly extending tongues projecting into said grooves, between the inner ends of said casings.

10. The combination of claim 8, in combination with means to attach said transition to said handrail member.

11. The combination of claim 8, said mounting means comprising bars on said shoulders, and screws screwed through threaded openings in said bars and impinging on the underside of the top wall of said handrail member, and means attached to said bars to support the ends of said lamps.

12. The combination of claim 10, said means for attaching the transition to said handrail member comprising transverse bars mounted on said shoulders, and screws passing through openings in said transition and screwed to said bars.

13. In combination, a base, a post mounted on the base, a transition having a downwardly extending tubular portion telescoping with the upper end of the post, said transition having outwardly extending longitudinally aligned Wings, an elongated handrail member mounted on top of the transition, and having portions in alignment with the wings and extending therebeyond, said handrail member having parallel downwardly opening grooves, casings of light transmitting material and U-shaped cross-section having their ends telescoping with said wings and having upper ends received in said grooves, and means on said handrail member to mount lamps located in said casings.

14. The combination of claim 13, said handrail member having elongated shoulders above said grooves, said mounting means comprising transverse bars on said shoulders, screws screwed to said bars and impinged the underside of the handrail member, and means on said bars to support the ends of said lamps.

15. The combination of claim 14, in combination with means to mount on said bars, wire covers overlying lamps supported by said lamp supporting means.

16. The combination of claim 13, said handrail member having an elongated chamber at its underside adapted to receive wiring for said lamp.

17. An illuminated handrail comprising an elongated top handrail member having a top Wall and downwardly extending side walls, spaced members having bottom walls and upwardly extending side walls, disposed at the underside of said top handrail member, means to attach said spaced members, to said top handrail member with the upper edges of said spaced members contacting the handrail member, casings of light transmitting material, and of U-shape, between and engaging said spaced members, and having bottom and side walls, and located at the undersides of said top member, lamps in said casings, and means to attach said lamps to said top handrail member.

18. The combination of claim 17, in combination with posts supporting said spaced members, and means to attach said spaced members to said posts.

19. The combination of claim 17, the bottom and side walls of said spaced members slidably receiving the ends of the bottom and side walls of said casings.

20. The combination of claim 19, said top handrail member having downwardly opening grooves receiving the upper ends of said casings.

21. In combination, a straight, elongated top handrail member open at the bottom, a fitting open at the top and at its ends, at the underside of said handrail member, a casing of light transmitting material having one end received in one end of said fitting, means to attach said fitting to said handrail member, means attached to the underside of said handrail member and within said casing to support a fluorescent lamp, and an end cap attached to the other end of said fitting and closing one end of said handrail member, and a post supporting said fitting between the ends thereof.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,310,593 Orlicki Feb. 9, 1943 2,348,930 Schepmoes May 16, 1944 2,914,657 Akely et a1 Nov. 24, 1959 2,926,238 Anderson et al Feb. 23, 1960 OTHER REFERENCES German application 1,042,758, printed Nov. 6, 1958 (K1. 2-1f87).

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