Combination handrail/crash rail

Abstract

A combination crash rail and railing system provides walking-aid support along a wall and protects the wall from impact damage. The system includes a distinct handrail and crash rail components, and one or more wall-mounting brackets. The handrail and crash rail components are independently mounted along the wall on common wall-mounting brackets that are secured to the wall. The wall-mounting brackets have a universal design that allows flexibility in the choice of the types of handrail and crash rail components that can be installed. In one universal design, a wall-mounting bracket includes a base plate, which can be secured to a wall surface, and separate handrail- and crash rail-mounting flanges that are disposed at the ends of a pair of arms that extend from the base plate.

1 . A wall-mounting bracket for securing a handrail and a crash rail to a wall, the wall-mounting bracket comprising: 
 a base plate for attachment to a wall surface;    a handrail-mounting flange disposed on a first arm extending forward from a top portion the base plate; and    a crash rail-mounting flange disposed on a second arm extending from a bottom portion of the base plate, wherein the handrail-mounting and the crash rail-mounting flanges are respectively configured for independent mechanical attachment to the handrail and the crash rail.    
   
   
       2 . The wall-mounting bracket of  claim 1  wherein the base plate and the crash rail-mounting flange comprise plates that are substantially vertical, and wherein the handrail-mounting flange comprises a plate that is substantially horizontal.  
   
   
       3 . The wall-mounting bracket of  claim 1  wherein the handrail-mounting flange comprises a plate having a width of about ⅝ ths  of an inch and a length of about 2 inches.  
   
   
       4 . The wall-mounting bracket of  claim 1  wherein the crash rail-mounting flange comprises a plate having a width of about ½ inches and a length of about 1 inch.  
   
   
       5 . The wall-mounting bracket of  claim 1  wherein the wall-mounting bracket has a cast metal construction.  
   
   
       6 . A method for providing walking-aid support along a wall and for protecting the wall from impact damage, comprising: 
 securing a common wall-mounting bracket on a wall surface, wherein the common wall-mounting bracket comprises: 
 a base plate that is attachable to the wall;  
 a handrail-mounting flange; and  
 a crash rail-mounting flange, wherein the handrail-mounting flange and the crash rail-mounting flange are disposed at the ends of a pair of arms that extend away from the base plate;  
   attaching a handrail to the handrail-mounting flange, wherein the handrail provides the walking aid support; and    independently attaching a crash rail to the crash rail-mounting flange, wherein the bumper protects the wall from impact damage.    
   
   
       7 . A combination handrail/crash rail, comprising: 
 a handrail component;    a crash rail component; and    at least one wall-mounting bracket for supporting a length of the combination railing system along a wall, wherein the handrail and crash rail components are distinct, and wherein the at least one wall-mounting bracket comprises independent attachment points for attaching the handrail component and the crash rail component.    
   
   
       8 . The combination handrail/crash rail system of  claim 7  wherein the independent attachment points are configured to provide a clearance space between an attached handrail component and an attached crash rail component.  
   
   
       9 . The combination handrail/crash rail system of  claim 8 , wherein the clearance space has a dimension of about 1½ inches to about 2 inches between the attached handrail component and the attached crash rail component, whereby a person can grip the attached handrail component without contacting the crash rail component.  
   
   
       10 . The combination handrail/crash rail system of  claim 7  wherein the at least one wall-mounting bracket comprises a bracket that is configured to be attached to any one of a plurality of handrail types, and wherein the plurality of handrail types comprises metal crash rails, synthetic material crash rails, wood crash rails, and wood-vinyl crash rails.  
   
   
       11 . The combination handrail/crash rail system of  claim 7  wherein the at least one wall-mounting bracket comprises a bracket that is configured to be attached to any one of a plurality of crash rail types, and wherein the plurality of crash rail types comprises metal crash rails, synthetic material crash rails, wood crash rails, and wood-vinyl crash rails.  
   
   
       12 . The combination handrail/crash rail system of  claim 7  wherein the crash rail component comprises a crash rail cover and a retainer web.  
   
   
       13 . The combination handrail/crash rail system of  claim 7  wherein the at least one wall-mounting bracket comprises: 
 a base plate for attachment to a wall surface;    a handrail-mounting flange disposed on a first arm extending from the base plate; and    a crash rail-mounting flange disposed on a second arm extending from the base plate, wherein the handrail-mounting and the crash rail-mounting flanges respectively comprise the independent attachment points for attaching the handrail component and the crash rail component.    
   
   
       14 . The combination handrail/crash rail system of  claim 13  wherein the crash rail-mounting flange comprises a flange that is substantially vertical when the base plate is secured to a vertical wall.  
   
   
       15 . The combination handrail/crash rail system of  claim 13  wherein the handrail-mounting flange comprises a flange that is substantially horizontal when the base plate is secured to a vertical wall.  
   
   
       16 . The combination handrail/crash rail system of  claim 13  wherein the base plate has a vertical height of about 3 inches, wherein the hand-rail mounting flange is at about 2½ inches forward from a front surface of the base plate and at about 1½ inches upward of a top end of the base plate, and wherein the crash rail-mounting flange is at about 2 inches forward from the front surface of the base plate and at about the same height as a bottom end of the base plate.  
   
   
       17 . The combination handrail/crash rail system of  claim 7  wherein the wall-mounting bracket comprises a cast metal bracket.  
   
   
       18 . A length of the combination handrail/crash rail system of  claim 7  wherein the handrail and the crash rail components are installed independently of each other.