Decorative load-bearing capitals for architectural columns

Abstract

Prefabricated decorative capital includes an axial recess extending partway therethrough from a lower end wall for receipt of an upper end of a prefabricated architectural column shaft. The depth of the recess is somewhat less than the length of the upper end of the column shaft above an external neck ring on the column shaft, whereby when the upper end of the column shaft is received in the recess with the uppermost end of the column shaft flush against the bottom wall of the recess, there is a slight gap between the lower end wall of the capital and the neck ring so the load acting on the capital is transferred to the uppermost end of the column shaft and not to the neck ring.

1 . A decorative capital for architectural columns comprising a body member made of a load bearing material, the body member having upper and lower end walls, and an axial recess extending partway through the body member from the lower end wall for receipt of an upper end portion of an architectural column shaft, the recess having a bottom wall that is contacted by an uppermost end of the column shaft when the upper end portion of the column shaft is inserted into the recess for transferring loads directly from the capital to the column shaft. 
   
   
       2 . The capital of  claim 1  further comprising a coaxial bore extending through the body member from the bottom wall of the recess to the upper end wall of the body member. 
   
   
       3 . The capital of  claim 1  wherein the recess has a depth of several inches for receipt of a corresponding axial length of the upper end portion of the column shaft. 
   
   
       4 . The capital of  claim 3  wherein the recess has a depth of at least 3 inches. 
   
   
       5 . The capital of  claim 1  wherein the recess is sized for relatively close sliding receipt of the upper end portion of the architectural column shaft within the recess. 
   
   
       6 . The capital of  claim 1  wherein the body member is made of a fiber reinforced polymer composite. 
   
   
       7 . In combination, a load bearing architectural column shaft and a load bearing decorative capital adapted to be inserted over an upper end of the architectural column shaft, the architectural column shaft having a neck ring extending radially outward from the column shaft in axial spaced relation from an uppermost end of the column shaft, and the capital comprising a body member having upper and lower end walls, and an axial recess extending partway through the body member from the lower end wall sized for receipt of the upper end of the column shaft above the neck ring, the recess having a depth somewhat less than the length of the upper end of the column shaft above the neck ring, whereby when the capital is inserted over the upper end of the column shaft with the uppermost end of the column shaft flush against a bottom wall of the recess, there is a gap between the lower end wall of the capital and the neck ring so that any load acting on the upper end wall of the capital is transferred to the uppermost end of the column shaft and not to the neck ring. 
   
   
       8 . The combination of  claim 7  wherein the recess has a depth of several inches. 
   
   
       9 . The combination of  claim 7  wherein the recess has a depth of at least 3 inches. 
   
   
       10 . The combination of  claim 7  wherein the bottom wall of the recess is substantially flat. 
   
   
       11 . The combination of  claim 7  wherein the recess is sized for relatively close sliding receipt of the upper end of the column shaft within the recess. 
   
   
       12 . The combination of  claim 7  wherein both the architectural column and the decorative capital are made of a fiber reinforced polymer composite. 
   
   
       13 . The combination of  claim 7  wherein the capital has a coaxial bore extending completely through the body member from the bottom wall of the recess to the upper end wall of the body member, the dimensions of the coaxial bore being less than interior dimensions of the uppermost end of the column shaft.