Railing system

Abstract

The invention concerns a railing system comprising a plurality of spacers for spacing a plurality of railing pickets apart, and a rail adapted to internally receive the plurality of spacers and to secure the railing pickets. The spacers comprise a planar top member, side members extending from longitudinal edges of the top member, and wings extending outwardly from a central position of the side members. The rail comprises a substantially elongated planar member and first and second substantially parallel elongated side-walls perpendicularly connected to the planar member. The side-walls each comprise first and second groove members, which are spaced apart to form grooves running substantially parallel to the elongated planar member. The grooves are adapted to receive the plurality of spacers such that the wings of the spacers abut against the first and second groove members when the spacers are assembled in the railing system.

1 . A top rail for a railing system, the rail comprising:
 a first elongated channel defined at least in part by substantially parallel, longitudinally extending first and second sidewalls;   an elongated handgrip portion extending longitudinally along the channel, the handgrip portion comprising a first longitudinally extending edge joined to the first sidewall and a second longitudinally extending edge joined to the second sidewall; and   longitudinally extending first and second grooves located respectively on a first face of the first sidewall and a second face of the second sidewall, the first and second faces of the first and second sidewalls each facing inwardly into the first elongated channel and the first and second grooves each opening inwardly into the first elongated channel.   
   
   
       2 . A top rail according to  claim 1  wherein the first and second grooves are respectively formed between first and second pairs of groove members, the first and second pairs of groove members extending longitudinally along, and projecting inwardly into the first elongated channel from, the first and second faces of the first and second sidewalls respectively. 
   
   
       3 . A top rail according to  claim 2  wherein the first pair of groove members comprises a first lower groove member having a first lower face that is substantially flush with a lower edge of the first sidewall and a first upper groove member that is upwardly spaced apart from the first lower groove member and wherein the second pair of groove members comprises a second lower groove member having a second lower face that is substantially flush with a lower edge of the second sidewall and a second upper groove member that is upwardly spaced apart from the second lower groove member. 
   
   
       4 . A top rail according to  claim 3  wherein the first longitudinally extending edge of the handgrip portion joins the first sidewall along a longitudinally extending location that is upwardly spaced apart from the first upper groove member and the second longitudinally extending edge of the handgrip portion joins the second sidewall along a longitudinally extending location that is upwardly spaced apart from the second upper groove member. 
   
   
       5 . A top rail according to  claim 3  in combination with:
 a plurality of pickets having upper ends dimensioned for insertion into the first elongated channel between the first and second sidewalls;   one or more spacers, each spacer comprising a first longitudinally extending wing extending in a first outward direction for projection into, and extension along, the first inwardly opening groove and a second longitudinally extending wing extending in a second outward direction opposed to the first outward direction for projection into, and extension along, the inwardly opening second groove.   
   
   
       6 . A top rail combination according to  claim 5  wherein the first and second wings are dimensioned such that they are snugly insertable into the first and second grooves for projection into and extension along the first and second grooves respectively. 
   
   
       7 . A top rail combination according to  claim 5 , each spacer comprising:
 first and second longitudinally extending, transversely spaced apart spacer sidewalls, the first wing extending in the first outward direction from the first spacer sidewall and the second wing extending in the second outward direction from the second spacer sidewall; and   a generally planar spacer member extending longitudinally and transversely between the lower edges of the first and second spacer sidewalls.   
   
   
       8 . A top rail combination according to  claim 7  wherein the first wing extends in the first outward direction from the first spacer sidewall along a first longitudinally extending location that is spaced upwardly from the lower edge of the first spacer sidewall and the second wing extends in the second outward direction from the second spacer sidewall along a second longitudinally extending location that is spaced apart from the lower edge of the second spacer sidewall. 
   
   
       9 . A top rail combination according to  claim 8  wherein the spacing between the first wing and the lower edge of the first spacer sidewall and the spacing between the second wing and the lower edge of the second spacer sidewall are dimensioned such that when the first and second wings are inserted into the first and second grooves, the first lower face of the first lower groove member, the second lower face of the second lower groove member and a lower face of the generally planar spacer member are substantially flush with one another. 
   
   
       10 . A top rail combination according to  claim 7  wherein each spacer is shaped such that when the first and second wings are inserted into the first and second grooves, the first lower face of the first lower groove member, the second lower face of the second lower groove member and a lower face of the generally planar spacer member are substantially flush with one another. 
   
   
       11 . A top rail combination according to  claim 5  wherein each spacer comprises a lower spacer face and wherein each spacer is shaped such that when the first and second wings are inserted into the first and second grooves, the first lower face of the first lower groove member, the second lower face of the second lower groove member and the lower spacer face are substantially flush with one another. 
   
   
       12 . A top rail according to  claim 2  wherein the handgrip portion and the first elongated channel form an elongated bore extending longitudinally along the top rail. 
   
   
       13 . A top rail according to  claim 12  wherein the bore has an inverted U-shape in cross section. 
   
   
       14 . A top rail according to  claim 2  wherein the handgrip portion comprises first and second generally planar, longitudinally extending sections adjacent respectively to the first and second edges of the handgrip portion, the first and second sections respectively extending substantially perpendicularly to the first and second sidewalls of the first elongated channel. 
   
   
       15 . A top rail according to  claim 14  wherein the first and second sidewalls project downwardly past the first and second edges of the handgrip portion. 
   
   
       16 . A top rail according to  claim 15  wherein the first and second edges of the handgrip portion are joined to the first and second sidewalls along longitudinal mid-lines of the first and second sidewalls. 
   
   
       17 . A top rail according to  claim 14  wherein the handgrip portion comprises opposed first and second generally planar faces extending longitudinally along a length of the handgrip portion and extending upwardly from outward ends of the first and second sections respectively. 
   
   
       18 . A top rail according to  claim 17  wherein the first and second faces of the handgrip portion are substantially parallel to the first and second sidewalls and are spaced outwardly from the first and second sidewalls respectively. 
   
   
       19 . A top rail according to  claim 2  wherein the first elongated channel and handgrip portion are constituted by a unitary structure of aluminum. 
   
   
       20 . A top rail according to  claim 2  wherein a top of the first elongated channel is defined by a substantially planar member that extends between the first and second sidewalls and longitudinally therealong. 
   
   
       21 . A top rail according to  claim 20  wherein the first elongated channel defined by the first and second sidewalls and the substantially planar member is substantially square in cross section. 
   
   
       22 . A top rail according to  claim 2  wherein the first and second sidewalls project downwardly past the first and second edges of the handgrip portion. 
   
   
       23 . A top rail according to  claim 1  combined with:
 a bottom rail comprising a second elongated channel;   a plurality of pickets each having upper and lower ends dimensioned to be received respectively in the first and second elongated channels; and   a plurality of spacers adapted for engagement in the first and second elongated channels, the spacers configured to space apart the upper and lower ends of adjacent pickets in the first and second channels.   
   
   
       24 . A top rail combination according to  claim 23  wherein the spacers are configured to lie substantially flush with lower edges of the first and second sidewalls when engaged in the first elongated channel. 
   
   
       25 . A top rail combination according to  claim 23  comprising a post, the post comprising an open-ended head defining an internal profile, the profile shaped to conform with, and snugly receive, an outside profile of the handgrip portion of the top rail.