Hand Rail

In private and public buildings, it is common to provide a hand rail extending along a wall to facilitate the movement of persons along the wall. Such hand rails are particularly helpful in areas where disabled or invalid persons are present. Conventionally such hand rails comprise a length of solid or tubular material maintained in spaced relation to the wall by laterally extending brackets or other devices. In the fastening to the wall, flanges are provided about the sections to provide a means for fastening the hand rails that will adequately support the loads thereon.

Such hand rails often protrude and result in an obstruction even though the ends may be curved to the extent of 90.degree..

Among the objects of the invention are to provide a hand rail which is simple, has minimal protrusions and obstructions, has generally unexposed fastening means and which provides adequate strength at minimum cost.

In accordance with the invention, the hand rail comprises a length of tubular material including a central portion and end portions extending from the bent portion at an obtuse angle. The end portions having free ends defining a plane which is at an acute angle to the plane of the central portion and end portions. The ends of the end portions engage the wall, and means are provided for fastening the rail to the wall at the ends of the end portions.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a wall having a hand rail thereon embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 2--2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 3--3 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 4--4 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing a modified form of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing a further modified form of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing another form of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing another modified form of the invention.

FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view through a modified form of the invention.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary exploded view of the same.

FIG. 12 is a front view, parts being broken away.

FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 12 showing the handrail construction during assembly.

FIG. 14 is an end view of an insert utilized in the construction shown in FIGS. 10-13.

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a further modified form of the invention.

FIG. 16 is a front view of a portion of the structure shown in FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 is a vertical sectional view of a further modified form of the invention.

FIG. 18 is a view taken along the line 18--18 in FIG. 17.

FIG. 19 is an end view of an insert utilized in the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 17 and 18.

Referring to FIG. 1, the hand rail 10 is adapted to be mounted on a wall 11 and is made of a single length of tubular material such as stainless steel of preferably substantially constant diameter. The rail 10 includes a central straight portion 12 that is adapted to extend horizontally in the embodiment shown and end portions 13 bent to form an obtuse angle with the central portion 12. The end 14 of each end portion 13 is cut at an angle so that the plane thereof forms an acute angle with the axis of the end portion 13 and the plane defined by the end portions 13 and central portion 12.

When the hand rail is placed against the wall 11, the plane of the ends 14 of the hand rail spaces the horizontal portion 12 away from the wall with the end portions 13 extending downwardly and outwardly from the wall as shown in FIG. 5. In this manner, a bar is provided that effectively supports the weight of a person grasping the same and yet does not have any protuberances. On the contrary, the inclined portions 13 avoid any tendency for clothing or the like to be engaged which might affect the stability of the person grasping the rail.

Means are provided for fastening the hand rail 10 to the wall through the end portions 13 preferably so that the fastening means is not exposed thereby further minimizing any obstructions which might become entangled with clothing and the like.

As shown in FIG. 3, the means for fastening comprises an insert 15 of solid plastic such as polyurethane or nylon which has a threaded opening 16 and a cross section slightly less than the inner diameter of the tubular portion 13. The insert 15 further includes an inclined surface 17 corresponding with the plane of the end 14. In this form, a bolt or stud 18 is inserted through an opening 19 in the wall 11 and threaded into the insert and a nut 20 is then threaded on the stud. To facilitate handling of the rail before application to the wall, the stud 18 can be threaded inwardly to engage the inner surface of the tube, as shown in FIG. 3, thereby holding the insert in the end portion 13 until the rail is applied to the wall. By further tightening the nut 20 after it is placed on the stud, the stud will be pulled slightly away from the inner surface of the tubular portion 13 bringing the insert surface 17 against the surface of the wall.

It has been found that the engagement of the end 14 with the wall provides sufficient strength to bear the weight of any person using the hand rail.

Where the length of the hand rail is quite substantial, additional support may be provided at points intermediate the ends as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 by utilizing a separate tube 21 which has an end 22 cut at an angle which extends through an opening 23 in the central portion 12. The tube 21 can be fastened to the wall as in FIG. 3 or, alternately, an opening 24 can be provided in the tube 21 to permit insertion of a screw 25, as shown in FIG. 4. The opening can then be filled by a filler plug 26. As further shown in FIG. 4, the insert 15' is molded in situ in the end of the tube rather than being a separate piece as in FIG. 3.

A modified form of fastening of the end portions 13 or tube 21 is shown in FIG. 6 wherein a bolt 27 is utilized in place of the screw 25. In this form, if the wall is made of lightweight particle material, a washer 28 of the general configuration as the end 14 of the tube 13 is interposed between the end of the tube and the wall 11' to prevent cutting of the edge into the wall.

In the modified form of fastening shown in FIG. 7, a metal insert 30 is provided through an opening 31 in the end portion 13. The insert includes a flange 32 conforming with the curvature of the exterior of the end portion and a recess or countersunk extension 33 defining a shoulder 34 for the head of a bolt 35 that is passed through an opening in the wall 11. A nut 36 is applied from the rear of the wall is tightened to hold the rail in position.

In the form of the invention shown in FIG. 8, the countersunk or recessed portion 37 is extruded from the tubular portion 13 and the bolt 38 and nut 39 are provided in the manner of FIG. 7.

In the form of the fastening shown in FIG. 9, a headed bolt 40 is provided which has a head 41 in the form of a thin washer like plate conforming with the external configuration of the portion 13 and extends through the wall 11 with a nut 42 fastening the hand rail.

It can thus be seen that there has been provided a hand rail which will effectively hold the weight of a user and yet does not have obstructions and which can be manufactured at low cost since it does not involve the use of flanges or extra brackets.

In the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 10-14, the handrail 50 is similar to that previously described and comprises a central horizontal portion 51 and end portions 52 having their free ends cut at an acute angle and lying in a plane forming an angle with the axis of the end portions 52. An insert 53 is provided in each end portion and has an end surface 54 at an acute angle to the axis of the insert and at the same angle as the plane containing the end of the end portions 52. A projection 55 in the form of a headed screw engages a slot 56 that extends transversely of insert 53 with its axis spaced from a right angle to the axis of the insert 53.

Initially, the fasteners 55 are provided at the appropriate distances apart on the wall 11, the inserts 53 are partially inserted in the end portions 52 and partially engaged with the headed fasteners as shown in FIG. 13, and finally, a downward force at a right angle to the portion 51 is applied to the central portion 51 causing the inserts 53 to become fully engaged with the head fasteners and to pass axially inwardly into the end portions 52 until the end of the end portions 52 engage the wall. In this manner, the full weight applied to the handrail is taken by the wall and the mounting is achieved without the use of tools except as may be required, the screw and the fasteners 55.

In the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the handrail and inserts are substantially the same as described in connection with FIGS. 10-14 except that the slot 56 is in the form of a dove tail and the head of the fastener 55 has a complementary configuration.

Where the wall is of a softer material that can not take the full force of a relatively narrow thickness of two, the structure such as shown in FIGS. 17-19 can be used wherein a plate 60 is applied to the wall by screws 61 and includes a spaced wall 62 having key slot openings 63 therein. The insert 53a is formed with headed projections 64 that are inserted in the enlarged portions of the key slot 63 and the rail then pushed downwardly, as in the previous forms of the invention shown in FIGS. 10-16, to engage the heads behind the narrow portions of the key slot 63.

In order to provide centering of the inserts and the end portions 52 in the circular wall 62, the projections 64 have their axes lying in a plane spaced from the center of the insert 53a.