Granted Patent B2

US 12,644,289 · App. 18/508,424 · Granted Jun 2, 2026

Inventors: Earl M. Wenger (Leola, PA); Elmer Weaver (Denver, PA); Daniel Fisher (New Holland, PA)

Assignee: Key-Link Fencing & Railing, Inc.

E04F11/1859E04F2011/1821E04F2011/1827

Abstract

Claims (54)

1 . A cable attachment structure comprising a sleeve, a capsule, and a flange-head hollow screw;

said sleeve having a length, a longitudinal axis, a first end, a second end, an external surface and an internal surface;

said internal surface comprising female threads, and

said second end adapted to be turned by a tool;

said capsule having a length, a longitudinal axis, a first end, a second end, an external surface and an internal surface;

said external surface of the capsule comprising male threads engaged with the female threads of the internal surface of the sleeve,

said second end of the capsule comprising a cable gripping adaptation adapted to grip a cable inserted in the first end of the capsule, and

said second end of the capsule further comprising an axial opening having a diameter to allow the insertion of said cable from the first end of the capsule through the opening in the second end of the capsule,

said flange-head hollow screw having an internal surface and an external surface,

said flange-head hollow screw having a first face in which the internal surface has a diameter, said diameter narrowing to a second diameter within the flange-head hollow screw defining a conical shape, and

said external surface of the flange-head hollow screw having male threads adapted to engage the female threads at the first end of the sleeve, and

the internal surface of the flange-head hollow screw having grooves parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve.

2 . A method of attaching a cable to two static vertical posts and tensioning said cable to a determined level comprising the steps of:

providing a first post having a longitudinal axis, a perpendicular axis, and a cable receiver; and

providing a second post having a longitudinal axis, a perpendicular axis, and a cable receiver; and

said cable receiver of the first post having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the perpendicular axis of the first post; and

said cable receiver of the second post having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the perpendicular axis of the second post; and

each said cable receiver comprising a first end, a second end, an internal surface, a capsule, and a flange-head hollow screw,

said first end capped by the flange-head hollow screw,

said second end adapted to engage with a turning tool,

said internal surface having female threads and defining a chamber,

said capsule having an external surface having male threads, an internal surface defining a chamber, a first end, and a second end adapted to grip a cable,

said flange-head hollow screw having an internal surface, an external surface, a head, and a terminus; said head having an opening defining a first diameter, said first diameter narrowing to a second diameter within the flange-head hollow screw defining a conical shape.

3 . A method of assembling a horizontal cable infill for a deck railing segment, comprising

providing a first cable rail support post, the first cable rail support post comprising:

an elongated member having one or more sides, a top, a bottom, and a longitudinal axis;

a base support flange joined with the bottom of the elongated member and comprising a plurality of mounting holes for mounting the first cable rail support post to a mounting surface;

an intervening leveling plate between the base support flange and the mounting surface;

using the mounting holes of the base support flange as a guide to drill holes in the mounting surface;

fixing the first cable rail support post to the mounting surface with mounting hardware;

providing a second cable rail support post, the second cable rail support post comprising:

an elongated member having one or more sides, a top, a bottom, and a longitudinal axis;

a base support flange joined with the bottom of the elongated member and comprising a plurality of mounting holes for mounting the second cable rail support post to the mounting surface;

an intervening leveling plate between the base support flange and the mounting surface;

using the mounting holes of the base support flange as a guide to drill holes in the mounting surface;

fixing the second cable rail support post to the mounting surface with mounting hardware;

the two cable support posts defining a railing axis;

providing a top rail comprising a longitudinal axis, a first end, a second end, a top, and a bottom; and

providing a baluster having a top and a bottom; and further

providing a first baluster mount and a second baluster mount;

attaching the first baluster mount to the center of the bottom of the top rail;

attaching the second baluster mount aligned with the first baluster mount to a baluster mount attachment surface and equidistant from each of the first and second cable rail support posts and parallel to the railing axis;

attaching the top of the baluster to the first baluster mount, and attaching the bottom of the baluster to the second baluster mount such that the longitudinal axis of the top rail is parallel to the railing axis;

attaching the first end of the top rail to the first cable rail support post, and attaching the second end of the top rail to the second cable rail support post;

each of the first and second cable rail support posts further comprising at least one cable attachment, each said cable attachment comprising a longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the top rail, an entrance point, a threaded internal surface, and a threaded capsule adapted to grip an end of a cable and move in relation to the cable attachment:

running a length of the cable having a first end and a second end from the first cable rail support post to the second cable rail support post;

inserting the first end of the cable into the entrance point of the cable attachment of the first cable rail support post to engage and connect to the threaded capsule;

pulling the second end of the cable taut and trimming said cable so that approximately between 1 and 1.5 inches of cable extends past the entrance point of the cable attachment of the second cable rail support post;

inserting the second end of the cable into the entrance point of the cable attachment of the second cable rail support post to engage and connect to the threaded capsule;

rotating each cable attachment while preventing the cable from rotating to cause each threaded capsule to move deeper within the respective cable attachment pulling the cable taut;

repeating the steps beginning at running a length of cable between the first and second cable rail support posts and commencing at rotating associated cable attachments to tighten the cable as needed;

said entrance point of each cable attachment being capped with a flange-head hollow screw having an internal surface, an external surface, and head, and a terminus;

said head of the flange-head hollow screw having an opening defining a first diameter narrowing to a second diameter within the flange-head hollow screw defining a conical-shaped chamber;

said internal surface of the flange-head screw further comprising one or more grooves that are substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the respective cable attachment.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (39)