Modular railing system

Abstract

A modular railing system supports a plurality of rails in vertically-spaced configuration. The railing system includes a plurality of baluster units arranged between rail sets to support the rails. The baluster units include a plurality of rail supports grouped into double barrel support pairs or single barrel support pairs. The baluster units may include a short section of kick rail, and longer sections of kick rail may extend between adjacent baluster units. Also, additional rails may be joined to the modular railing system using baluster extensions or extender bars. A stair rail adjuster may be used, particularly when railing staircases, to permit adjustment of the relative vertical height of one end of a rail. To attach rails and balusters to stair treads, a finished-stair-tread adapter may be used. The finished-stair-tread adapter includes a baluster mounting member, a tread plate having a first plurality of slip nuts slidingly mounted therein, and a riser plate having a second plurality of slip nuts slidingly mounted therein.

1 . A modular railing system for railing a substantially-horizontal surface, said modular railing system comprising 
 a plurality of rails, said plurality of rails being grouped into a plurality of rail sets, wherein each of said rail sets of said plurality of rail sets comprises at least two rails of said plurality of rails, each rail of said plurality of rails having an elongated portion extending between and joining two connector portions; and    a plurality of baluster units for supporting said plurality of rails, wherein a first baluster unit of said plurality of baluster units together with a second baluster unit of said plurality of baluster units support each rail of said at least two rails of a first rail set of said plurality of rail sets in vertically-spaced relation to the other rail in said first rail set when said first rail set comprises two rails and to each of the other rails in said first rail set when said first rail set comprises greater than two rails, and wherein each of said baluster units of said plurality of baluster units comprises    a baluster pair comprising a first baluster and a second baluster, said first and second balusters being adapted to be anchored to said substantially-horizontal surface in close proximity to each other;    a first plurality of double barrel supports spaced along and affixed to said first baluster, each double barrel support of said first plurality of double barrel supports having a corresponding double barrel support of a corresponding plurality of double barrel supports each of which is spaced along and affixed to said second baluster, wherein each of said double barrel supports spaced along and affixed to said first baluster together with its corresponding double barrel support spaced along and affixed to said second baluster collectively comprise a double barrel support pair, there thus being a plurality of double barrel support pairs, said plurality of double barrel support pairs being equal in number to the number of double barrel supports in said first plurality of double barrel supports; and    a plurality of tie pipes, each tie pipe connecting the double barrel supports comprising one double barrel support pair of said plurality of double barrel support pairs;    wherein each of said double barrel supports comprises a first support and a second support, and wherein each of said tie pipes comprises a first leg and a second leg, and wherein first and second double barrel supports of a first double barrel support pair of said plurality of double barrel support pairs are connected by inserting a first leg of a first tie pipe of said plurality of tie pipes into a first support of said first double barrel support of said first double barrel support pair of said plurality of double barrel support pairs, and inserting a second leg of said first tie pipe into a first support of said second double barrel support of said first double barrel support pair of said plurality of double barrel support pairs.    
   
   
       2 . The modular railing system of  claim 1 , wherein each of said baluster units has a lower end adapted to be adjacent to said substantially-horizontal surface, and wherein a long section of kick rail extends between adjacent baluster units near said lower ends of said baluster units.  
   
   
       3 . The modular railing system of  claim 2 , wherein each of said first and second balusters has a lower portion, wherein a plurality of retention slots are cut into said lower portion of each baluster, wherein each of said long sections of kick rail includes an alignment tab; and wherein each of said alignment tabs rides in one of said retention slots.  
   
   
       4 . The modular railing system of  claim 3 , wherein said plurality of retention slots comprises four retention slots spaced at approximately 90° intervals around a circumference of said lower portion of each baluster.  
   
   
       5 . The modular railing system of  claim 3 , wherein said alignment tab are formed by removing material from said kick rails.  
   
   
       6 . The modular railing system of  claim 3 , wherein each of said kick rails has ends, and wherein said alignment tab are formed by crushing said ends of said kick rails.  
   
   
       7 . The modular railing system of  claim 3 , wherein said kick rails are formed from sections of C-beam having an upper flange and a lower flange connected by a vertical member.  
   
   
       8 . A modular railing system for railing a substantially-horizontal surface, said modular railing system comprising 
 a plurality of rails, said rails being grouped into rail sets, each of said rail sets comprising at least one rail, each rail having an elongated portion extending between two connector portions; and    a plurality of baluster units for supporting said plurality of rails, wherein each baluster unit of said plurality of baluster units comprises a plurality of rail supports spaced vertically along said baluster unit and affixed thereto, each of said rail supports having a rivet slot punched through it, and wherein each of said connector portions has a retention hole through it, and further wherein a fastener removably connects each of said connector portions to one of said rail supports using one of said rivet slots and one of said retention holes.    
   
   
       9 . A modular railing system for railing a substantially-horizontal surface, said modular railing system comprising 
 a plurality of rails, said rails being grouped into rail sets, each of said rail sets comprising at least two rails, each rail having an elongated portion extending between two connector portions; and    a plurality of baluster units for supporting said plurality of rails, wherein said plurality of baluster units support said at least two rails of each rail set in vertically-spaced relation to each other, and wherein each of said baluster units comprises    a first vertical baluster tube and a second vertical baluster tube, each of said first and second balusters tubes having a lower distal end, each of said lower distal ends having a plurality of retention slots formed therein, and each of said lower distal ends being affixed to a shared base plate that is adapted to be anchored to said substantially-horizontal surface;    at least one elongated web rigidly connected between said first and second baluster tubes, wherein each elongated web has two longitudinal edges and two lateral edges, wherein a first of said longitudinal edges is connected to said first baluster tube, and a second of said longitudinal edges is connected to said second baluster tube, and further wherein one of said lateral edges is affixed to said base plate; and    a plurality of single barrel supports spaced along and affixed to said first baluster tube, each of said single barrel supports that is affixed to said first baluster tube having a corresponding single barrel support spaced along and affixed to said second baluster tube, wherein each of said single barrel supports on said first baluster tube together with its corresponding single barrel support on said second baluster tube collectively comprise a single barrel support pair.