US20090272957A1

US20090272957A1 - Connector for railing systems

Info

Publication number: US20090272957A1
Application number: US12/113,693
Authority: US
Inventors: Bruce Nelson; Michael Jaszewski; Rob Eickhoff
Original assignee: Strongwell Corp
Current assignee: Strongwell Corp
Priority date: 2008-05-01
Filing date: 2008-05-01
Publication date: 2009-11-05

Abstract

A connector secures together a first member and a second member, wherein each of the first and second members of has an aperture and a wall thickness at the point ofjoining. The connector includes a body portion having a generally circular cross-section taken along a plane that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the body portion. The connector is secured to the first member in the aperture by an attachment being rigidly joined to the body portion.

Description

BACKGROUND

This invention relates generally a connector for use in railing systems, and more particularly to a connector for mounting a picket to a rail.
Railing systems may generally include an opposed a bottom rail, and top rail and pickets mounted vertically therebetween. The top and bottom rails may include horizontally extending sections and angled sections, such as for steps or inclined ground. Typically, apertures must be cut into the opposing surfaces of the bottom rail and top rail so as to receive ends of the pickets. The installer must estimate the size of the aperture to be cut into the rails, which may be not only be time consuming and inefficient, but also difficult if the pickets will be installed at an angle to the rail. Also, because of cutting tolerances, the pickets may not be tightly received in the railing and resulting in a less durable, weaker railing system than if there were a tight fit. Further, the pickets have portions extending into the rails and thus, are longer than what is actually needed, resulting in added shipping costs and material costs.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for an apparatus that will allow for efficient assembly of horizontal and angled sections of railing systems. There is a further need for the apparatus to enhance the strength and durability of such structures while reducing shipping and material costs.

SUMMARY

According to the present invention, a connector is provided for securing together a first member and a second member, where each of the first and second members has an aperture and a wall thickness at the point of joining. The connector includes a body portion having a generally circular cross-section taken along a plane that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the body portion. Further, the connector is secured to the first member in the aperture by an attachment being rigidly joined to the body portion.
Also, in accordance with the present invention, a connector is provided for securing together a first member and a second member, each of the first and second members having an aperture and a wall thickness at the point of joining. The connector has a first body portion, a second body portion and a flange. The first body portion has a grommet for being received within the aperture of the first member, an ear protrusion extending radially from the grommet, and at least one resilient arm connected to the grommet. The resilient arm allows for securing the first body portion to the first member and the ear protrusion allows prevents rotation of the connector by mating with a notch formed in the aperture of the first member. The second body portion of the connector has a generally circular cross-section taken along a plane that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the body portion. The flange forms a transverse interior end of the second body portion and an interior end of the first body portion is rigidly joined to the flange. The flange includes an internal diameter surface flush with an internal diameter surface of the first body portion and has an external diameter surface flush with at least a portion of an external diameter surface of the second body portion. The external diameter of the flange is greater than a diameter of the grommet. Additionally, the resilient arms are formed in and extend from a sidewall of the first body portion toward an outer face of the flange and the arms have a free end including a retaining end surface adapted for having close proximity to a first side of and surrounding the aperture of the first member. The free end of the first arm is tapered outwardly from the sidewall and is resiliently inwardly movable by camming contact with the periphery of the aperture in the first member as the at least one resilient arm passes through the aperture in the first member. Accordingly, when the retaining end surface moves free of the aperture, the resilient arms move outwardly to a position where a bottom portion of its retaining end surface opposes and engages a portion of an inside face of the first member extending inward from an edge portion of the associated aperture. This allows for captively retaining the entire wall thickness of the aperture of said first member between the internal diameter surface of the flange and the retaining end surface of the first arm.
Further in accordance with the present invention, a railing system has at least one rail, at least one picket, and a connector. The connector secures together the rail and the picket. The rail has an internal cavity and a sidewall that defines an aperture and the picket has at least one open end and abuts the rail at the aperture. The connector has a body portion having a generally circular cross-section taken along a plane that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the body portion. Further, the body portion is dimensioned so as to fit within the open end of the picket an attachment is employed to secure the connector to the rail in the aperture. The attachment is rigidly joined to the body portion and is dimensioned so as to fit within the internal cavity of the rail.
Yet further in accordance with the present invention, a method for assembling a railing system may be accomplished by providing a rail including a wall defining an aperture, a picket comprising an open end, and providing a connector for securing together the rail and the picket at the rail aperture. The method further comprises the steps of securing the connector to the rail and securing the picket to the connector. The connector employed includes a body portion and an attachment. The body portion of the connector has a generally circular cross-section taken along a plane that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the body portion. The attachment secures the connector to the rail and is rigidly joined to the body portion.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description thereof and appended claims in which references are made to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference should now be had to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings and described below. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a railing system having pickets and rails, each picket being connected to the rail by a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the connector of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the connector of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the connector of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the connector of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the connector of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the connector taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the connector taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 9 is a partially cut-away perspective view of a portion of the railing system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the railing system portion of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the railing system portion of FIG. 9.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the rail section taken along line 12-12 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of another portion of the railing system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 14 is a top elevation view of the rail section of FIG. 9.

FIG. 15 is a top elevation cross-sectional view of the rail section in FIG. 9.

DESCRIPTION

Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to be taken as a limitation on the invention. For example, words such as “upper,” “lower,” “left,” “right,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “upward,” “transverse”, “longitudinal” and “downward” merely describe the configuration shown in the FIGs. Indeed, the individual components may be oriented in any direction and the terminology, therefore, should be understood as encompassing such variations unless specified otherwise.
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer to like elements in each of the several views, FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a railing system according to the present invention at 20. The railing system includes a plurality of pickets 22 and two rails 25, including a handrail 24 and a base rail 26, and a plurality of connectors 28. The pickets 22 are each configured to be secured to the opposing surfaces of the rails 25 by the connectors 28 of the present invention. Each connector 28 is typically composed of a plastic material, such as polyvinylchloride, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyamide, thermoplastic, or other suitable polymeric materials. However, it is understood that any rigid material, may be used to construct the connector 28, such as metals, wood, fiberglass, adhesives, any combination thereof and the like. The interior of the connector 28 may be solid therethrough such that each connector 28 is generally of rigid construction.
Referring to FIGS. 2-8, each connector 28 is formed to have two adjoining portions, including a first portion 30 and a second portion 32. The first and second portions 31, 32 may be one integral member or may be two separate members connected together. The intersection of the first and second portions 31, 32 forms a longitudinal plane, which is parallel to the outer surface of the rail 25 when the connector 28 is affixed to the rail 25. The first portion 30 comprises a grommet 34, a pair of opposed resilient arms 36, and a pair of ears 38.
The grommet 34 of the first portion 30 has a body having a generally cylindrical shape. The grommet body is substantially elongated along an axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal plane where the first and second portions intersect. The grommet 34 has a proximate end located at the intersection of the first 31 and second portions 32, and a distal end located opposite of the proximate end and farthest from the second portion 32. The grommet 34 also has a diameter that is generally smaller than the diameter of the second portion 32 of the connector 28.
The pair of opposed resilient arms 36 extends from the grommet 34 and may be formed from at least a portion of the body of the grommet 34. The illustrative embodiments of FIGS. 2-8 show the middle segment of each arm 36 extending along and spaced from the body of the grommet 34. The arms 36 may be located on opposite sides of the grommet 34. Each of the arms 36 includes a free end 40 having an outside surface which protrudes radially outward to form a lip and may gradually angle toward the distal end of the grommet 34. The width of each free end 40 is less than the diameter D of an aperture 42 in the rail 25 to which the grommet 34 will be inserted, but greater than a chord C of the aperture 42 (FIG. 10). Each free end 40 comprises a retaining surface adapted to abut against a flange 44 of the second portion 32. The arms 36 are made of a resilient material and reversibly move radially inward toward the central portion of the grommet 34 to a loaded position when external pressure is applied thereto.
The ears 38 of the first portion 30 are protrusions outwardly extending from the proximate end of the grommet 34 along the longitudinal plane defined by the intersection of the first 31 and second portions 32. One or more ears 38 may protrude from any side of the grommet 34. FIGS. 2-8 illustrate two ears 38 protruding from opposite sides of the grommet 34. The ears 38 are adapted to mate with the rail aperture 42 when the connector 28 is completely affixed to the rail 25 so as to prevent the connector 28 from rotating in the aperture 42. The ears 38 may comprise insertion guides 46 extending from the end of the ears 38 in a direction away from the second portion 32 or toward the distal end of the grommet 34. The insertion guides 46 may be of any shape or length, such as a length less than or equal to the length of the grommet 34. The ears 38 and the insertion guides 46 are spaced from the arms 36 so that the arms 36 may have an unobstructed path to move radially. The surface of the ears 38 or insertion guides 46 may be a smooth, rounded surface. The ears 38 may be fabricated from any material, such as any thermoplastic material.
The second portion 32 generally includes a body 48 that may have, in one embodiment, a generally cylindrical shape. The cylindrical shape yields a circular cross-section taken along a plane that is perpendicular to a central longitudinal axis of the second portion 32. Although the illustrated embodiments are described herein with the second portion 32 having a cylindrical body 48, it should be understood that the second portion 32 may have any shape, including spherical, square, triangular, pyramidal, polygonal, any combination thereof and the like. In another embodiment, the second portion 32 may have a shape so that when the second portion 32 is received in an interior cavity of the picket, the body 48 of the second portion 32 makes contact with at least a portion of the interior surface of two pairs of opposing interior surfaces (or contact along the circumference in the case of a round picket) of the interior cavity of the picket. As such, for example, the second portion 32 may have a shape having at least two curved portions and two flat sides 50. Additionally, the second portion 32 may be a truncated sphere, a truncated cylinder, a chamfered cylinder, a crescent shape, a combination thereof, and the like. As seen in FIGS. 2-8, the ends of the cylindrical body 49 may be chamfered or beveled so as to be more easily insertable into an interior cavity of a round picket. The cylindrical body 48 may be fabricated from any resilient material.
The cylindrical body 48 also includes two opposing sides, both of which have outer surfaces that have at least a portion 50 that is flat. The flat portion 50 of each opposing side is aligned along a plane which is oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal axis. In the illustrative embodiments, two flat sides 50 are shown, but it will be appreciated that any number of flat sides 50 may be utilized.
In one embodiment, the cylindrical body 48 may have multiple finger-like sections 52. The finger-like sections 52 define cut-out portions or slots 54 in the cylindrical body 48, as shown in FIGS. 2-8. These finger-like sections 52 are spaced apart from each other so that adhesive (not shown) can be placed therebetween. Although the illustrative embodiments show four finger-like sections 52 defining three cut-out portions 54, it is to be understood that any number (e.g. two or more) of finger-like sections 52 may be possible so as to define one or more cut-out portions 54. It should also be understood that any other means may be used to increase the outer surface area of the cylindrical body 48, including implementing shape changes, employing a porous material and the like. Further, the finger-link sections 52 which employ flat sides 50 may be chamfered or beveled so that an interior cavity of a round picket may receive the second portion 32 for a tight fit.
The cylindrical body 48 may also comprise a flange 44. The flange 44 radially extends along the base of the second portion 32. The transverse dimension of the flange 44 is greater than the transverse dimension of the proximate end of the grommet 34. The flange 44 may be integral with the cylindrical body 48. However, the shape of the flange 44 may be radially flat so as to be able to flushly abut the rail 25 when connected to the rail 25.
In use, the connectors 28 secure the pickets 22 to the rails 25, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The rails 25 and the pickets 22 are illustrated in FIGS. 9-10 as arranged perpendicular to one another. Each picket 22 and the rail 25 have sidewalls 56, 58 that define respective interior cavities 60, 62. As can be seen in FIG. 10, each rail 25 includes at least one aperture 42 in the sidewall 58, which is sized to receive the first portion 30 of the connector 28 for retainment within the interior cavity 62 thereof. The aperture 42 has a central circular portion 64 and two notches 65 on either side of the central circular portion 64. The central circular portion 64 has a larger diameter than the two notches 65.
The connector 28 may be first inserted into the aperture 42 of the rail 25. To accomplish this, the first portion 30 is inserted into the rail 25 guided by the grommet 34 and the ear insertion guides 46. When inserting the first portion 30 into the rail aperture 42, the free ends 40 of the arms 36 are forced to bend inward toward the grommet 34 by the sidewall 58, generating a camming action to be placed from an “unloaded” position into a “loaded” position. Once the free ends 40 of the arms 36 have passed beneath the periphery of the aperture 42, they spring back outwardly into the “unloaded” position, and thereby underlay the periphery of the aperture 42 along the adjacent inside surface of the sidewall 58 of the rail 25, thereby preventing the first portion 30 from being withdrawn from the aperture 42. More specifically, the sidewall 58 of the rail 25 is captively retained between the flange 44 (shown best in FIG. 9) and the “unloaded” free ends 40 of the arms 36, thereby effectively holding the connector 28 in place. Optionally, the first portion 30 may further include a central slot (not shown) extending through the grommet 34 for facilitating insertion.
Once installing the connector 28 in the rail 25, the first portion 30 resides in the inner cavity 62 of the rail 25 while the second portion 32 protrudes out from the rail 25. At this point, the picket 22 may be connected to the rail 25 by attachment to the second portion 32 of the connector 28 by mechanical means and with adhesive (not shown). Each picket 22 has an interior cavity 60 and at least one open end, which is sized to receive and retain the second portion 32 of the connector 28. As the open end of the picket 22 is moved toward the rail 25, the inner periphery 66 of the picket's interior cavity 60 fits around the second portion 32 such that at least a portion of the surface of the cylindrical body 48 contacts the surface of the interior cavity periphery 66. In a preferred embodiment, both flat side portions 50 make contact with the interior cavity periphery 66 and, in addition, two other opposing portions of the second portion make contact with two opposing surfaces of the interior cavity periphery 66 so that the second portion 32 makes contact substantially around the entire interior cavity periphery 66. This position is shown in FIGS. 11 and 14.
To complete the installation of the picket 22 to the rail 25, the end of the picket 22 is advanced toward the rail 25 until the end of the picket 22 abuts against the outer surface of the rail 25. This position is illustrated in FIG. 9. It is understood that portions of the cylindrical body 48, other than the flat side portions 50, may make contact with the various points of the interior cavity periphery 66 so as to provide greater support of the picket 22. When the second portion 32 is fully inserted into the picket 22, the cylindrical body 48 of the second portion 32 fits snugly inside of the interior cavity 60 of the picket 22 to minimize mobility of the picket 22 relative to the second portion 32.
In one embodiment, the picket 22 may be attached to the rail 25 at an angle θ such that the picket 22 is not perpendicular to the rail 25, as can be seen in FIG. 13. The angled picket 22 is attached to the rail 25 in a similar manner as described above. For example, as the open end of the angled picket 22 is advanced toward the rail 25, the inner surface 66 of the picket's interior cavity 60 accepts the second portion 32 such that at least a portion of the cylindrical body 48 engages with at least one surface of the interior cavity periphery 66. Installation of the angled picket 22 is complete when the end of the picket 22 abuts the outer surface of the rail 25. As shown, the cylindrical body 48 may make contact with various portions of the interior cavity periphery 66 of the picket 22 so as to help ensure the picket's open end does not withdraw from the second portion 32 of the connector 28. For example, a portion 68 of the end of the picket 22 may be wedged between the cylindrical body 48 and the outer surface of the rail 25 so as to secure the open end of the picket 22 thereto. It is understood that any portion 70 of the cylindrical body 48, other than or in addition to the flat side portions 50, may make contact with the interior cavity periphery 66 of the picket 22 so as to prevent any movement of the picket 22 relative to the rail 25.
The procedure as described above is performed for each end of the picket 22. One end of the picket 22 may be connected to the base rail 26 and the other end may be connected to the handrail 24. After installation, the connectors 28 are hidden within the railing system 20.
Although the above procedure describes attaching the first portion 30 of the connector 28 to the rail 25 prior to attaching the picket 22 to the second portion 32 of the connector 28, any order of attaching the connector 28 to the rail 25 and picket 22 may be performed. For example, the second portion 32 may first be connected to the picket 22 prior to attaching the first portion 30 to the rail 25. Additionally, although the description above is an example of use of the connectors 28 for connecting pickets 22 to rails 25, the connectors 28 are also applicable for use in joining the rails 25 to other supporting structures, such as posts or walls, and for use in numerous other configurations for joining individual members together.
In one embodiment, prior to inserting the second portion 32 into the picket 22, an adhesive (not shown) is placed on the cylindrical body 48 of the connector 28 so as to adhere the second portion 32 securely to the interior cavity periphery 66. The adhesive adheres the second portion 32 of the connector 28 to the picket 22 and optionally, the rail 25. If the cylindrical body 48 has cut-out portions 54, the adhesive may be accommodated therein so as to provide a greater surface area of the connector 28 for bonding to the picket 22 via the adhesive.
The cylindrical body 48 of the second portion 32 allows the pickets 22 to be secured at any angle θ to the rail 25 in the case of stairway railing (FIG. 1), ramp railing, or any other railing for any other sloped surface. Angle θ may be such so as to match average stair angles, 35.5° to 42.5°. Additionally, the flat portions 50 of the cylindrical body 48 allow the connector 28 to “self index” non-circular pickets and to prevent the pickets 22 from rotating regardless of the angle θ that the picket 22 is affixed to the rail 25. The connectors 28 may be used with a picket 22 that has any cross-sectional shape, including a rectangular, square, circular, oval, or any other polygonal shape as long as the picket has an open end for receiving the connector 28. In one embodiment, the pickets 22 may comprise an insert (not shown) in the interior cavity 60 of the picket 22. For example, if the pickets 22 have an oval or circular shape, the interior cavity of the picket 22 may have a special insert inside the picket 22 so that the flat side portions 50 of the cylindrical body 48 may abut thereto for preventing axial rotation of the picket 22.
The present invention allows the picket 22 length to extend from the top surface of the bottom rail 26 to the underside surface of the hand rail 24. Accordingly, as compared to conventional pickets 22, which have a longer length, the amount of material that must be used in fabricating each picket 22 is less than and as such, may reduce any associated costs.
The present invention may also provide a more secure and stable connection of the picket 22 to the rail 25 than previous systems due to the cylindrical body 48 snugly fitting in the interior cavity 60 of the picket 22, regardless of whether the picket 22 is angled with respect to the rail 25.
The connectors 28 of the present invention allow the pickets 22 and railings 24, 26 to be shipped separately, and can be easily snapped together in the field. This may result in less shipping costs as the shipped parts may be lighter and more compact. The connectors 28 facilitate assembly of the picket 22 to the rail 25 since the picket 22 only has to be aligned with the connector 28 once the connector is affixed to the rail. Further, the connector 28 can be used universally for either horizontal or sloped railings.
Although the present invention has been shown and described in considerable detail with respect to only a few/particular exemplary embodiments thereof, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that it is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiments since various modifications, omissions and additions may be made to the disclosed embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the invention, particularly in light of the foregoing teachings. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to cover all modifications, omission, additions and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A connector for securing together a first member and a second member, each of the first and second members having an aperture and a wall thickness at the point of joining, the connector comprising:

a body portion having a generally circular cross-section taken along a plane that is aligned along a longitudinal axis of the body portion; and

means for securing the connector to the first member in the aperture, the securing means being rigidly joined to the body portion.

2. The connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the body portion and the securing means is of unitary construction.

3. The connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the securing means comprises:

a grommet for being received within the aperture of the first member, and

at least one resilient arm extending from a sidewall of the grommet toward the body portion.

4. The connector as recited in claim 3, wherein the grommet comprises a reduced outside diameter relative to the diameter of the body portion.

5. The connector as recited in claim 4, wherein the at least one resilient arm comprises a free end including a retaining end surface adapted for having close proximity to a first side of and surrounding the aperture of the first member.

6. The connector as recited in claim 3, wherein the free end of the at least one resilient arm tapers outwardly from the grommet of the securing means and is resiliently inwardly moveable by camming contact with the periphery of the aperture in the first member as the at least one resilient arm passes through the aperture of the first member whereby when the retaining end surface moves free of the aperture of the first member, the at least one resilient arm moves outwardly to a position where a bottom portion of its retaining end surface opposes and engages a portion of an inside face of the first member extending inward from an edge portion of the associated aperture, for captively retaining the entire wall thickness of the aperture of the first member between the body portion and the retaining edge portion of the securing means.

7. The connector as recited in claim 3, wherein the securing means further comprises a means for preventing rotation of the connector by mating with a notch formed in the aperture of the first member, the rotation preventing means radially extending from the securing means.

8. The connector as recited in claim 7, wherein the rotation preventing means comprises at least one ear protrusion radially extending from the securing means and proximate to the body portion so that the at least one ear protrusion is located within the notch portion of the aperture when the securing means is affixed to the first member.

9. The connector as recited in claim 8, wherein the at least one ear protrusion comprises a pair of opposing ear protrusions.

10. The connector as recited in claim 8, wherein the securing means further comprises an insertion guide attached to the end of each of the at least one ear protrusion and extending in a direction away from the body portion, the insertion guide of the at least one ear protrusion extending over the at least one resilient arm.

11. The connector as recited in claim 3, wherein the at least one resilient arm comprises a pair of opposing arms.

12. The connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the body portion comprises a flange forming a transverse interior end of the body portion, an interior end of the securing means being rigidly joined to the flange, wherein the flange includes an internal diameter surface that is flush with an internal diameter surface of the securing means and having an external diameter surface flush with at least a portion of an external diameter surface of the body portion.

13. The connector as recited in claim 12, wherein the diameter of the securing means is less than the diameter of the flange.

14. The connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the securing means and the body portion are formed from polymeric material.

15. The connector as recited in claim 14, wherein the polymeric material comprises a thermoplastic material.

16. The connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the body portion comprises at least a section having a flat side.

17. The connector as recited in claim 16, wherein the at least one flat side section comprises a pair of opposing flat side sections.

18. The connector as recited in claim 16, wherein the at least one flat side section is located on opposite sides of the body portion so as to be flush and abut at least one surface of a periphery of the aperture of the second member.

19. The connector as recited in claim 16, wherein the at least one flat side section of the body portion is oriented about a plane that is perpendicular to the first member when the connector is secured to the first member.

20. The connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the body portion is dimensioned so as to be able to be received into the aperture of the second member.

21. The connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the body portion comprises at least two sections spaced apart from each other, the at least two sections define at least one slot in the body portion.

22. The connector as recited in claim 21, wherein the at least two sections comprises four sections in the body portion so that the at least one slot comprises three slots in the body portion.

23. The connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the body portion has at least a portion having a substantially cylindrical shape.

24. The connector as recited in claim 23, wherein the cylindrically-shaped portion of the body comprises at least two sections spaced apart from each other, the at least two sections define at least one slot in the body portion.

25. The connector as recited in claim 23, wherein the substantially cylindrical shape of the connector is chamfered so as to be inserted into an internal cavity having a generally round cross-section.

26. The connector as recited in claim 24, further comprising adhesive disposed in the at least one slot.

27. The connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the body portion has a truncated spherical shape.

28. The connector as recited in claim 1, further comprising adhesive attached to the body portion.

29. A connector for securing together a first member and a second member, each of the first and second members having an aperture and a wall thickness at the point of joining, the connector comprising:

a first body portion comprising:

a grommet for being received within the aperture of the first member,

an ear protrusion for mating with a notch formed in the aperture of the first member, thereby preventing rotation of the connector, the ear protrusion extending radially from the grommet, and

at least one resilient arm for securing the first body portion to the first member, the at least one resilient arm connected to the grommet;

a second body portion having a generally circular cross-section taken along a plane that is aligned along a longitudinal axis of the body portion; and

a flange forming a transverse interior end of the second body portion, an interior end of the first body portion being rigidly joined to the flange, wherein the flange including an internal diameter surface flush with an internal diameter surface of the first body portion and having an external diameter surface flush with at least a portion of an external diameter surface of the second body portion, and wherein the external diameter of the flange is greater than a diameter of the grommet,

wherein the at least one resilient arm is formed in and extends from a sidewall of the first body portion toward an outer face of the flange, the at least one resident arm having a free end including a retaining end surface adapted for having close proximity to a first side of and surrounding the aperture of the first member, the free end of the at least one resilient first arm being tapered outwardly from the sidewall and being resiliently inwardly movable by camming contact with the periphery of the aperture in the first member as the at least one resilient arm passes through the aperture in the first member whereby when the retaining end surface moves free of the aperture, the at least one resilient arm moves outwardly to a position where a bottom portion of its retaining end surface opposes and engages a portion of an inside face of the first member extending inward from an edge portion of the associated aperture, for captively retaining the entire wall thickness of the aperture of said first member between the internal diameter surface of the flange and the retaining end surface of the at least one resilient arm.

30. The connector of claim 29, wherein the at least one resilient arm of the first body portion comprises a pair of opposing arms.

31. The connector of claim 29, wherein the second body portion comprises a generally cylindrical shape.

32. A railing system comprising:

at least one rail having an internal cavity and a wall that defines an aperture;

at least one picket having at least one open end and abutting the rail at the aperture; and

a connector for securing together the at least one rail and the at least one picket, the connector comprising:

a body comprising:

means for securing the connector to the rail in the aperture, the securing means being rigidly joined to the body portion,

wherein the securing means is of a reduced diameter relative to the body portion,

wherein the securing means is dimensioned so as to fit within the internal cavity of the rail, and

wherein the body portion is dimensioned so as to fit within the open end of the picket.

33. The railing system as recited in claim 32, wherein the securing means of the connector comprises a grommet for being received in the aperture of the rail, and at least one resilient arm, wherein the grommet comprises a reduced outside diameter relative to the body portion.

34. The railing system as recited in claim 33, wherein the at least one resilient arm comprises a free end including a retaining end surface adapted for having close proximity to a first side of and surrounding the aperture through the rail wall.

35. The railing system as recited in claim 33, wherein the free end of the at least one resilient arm tapers outwardly from the grommet of the securing means and is resiliently inwardly moveable by camming contact with the periphery of the aperture in the first member as the at least one resilient arm passes through the aperture of the rail whereby when the retaining end surface moves free of the aperture of the first member, the at least one resilient arm moves outwardly to a position where a bottom portion of its retaining end surface opposes and engages a portion of an inside face of the rail extending inward from an edge portion of the associated aperture, for captively retaining the entire wall thickness of the aperture of the rail between the body portion and the retaining edge portion of the securing means.

36. The railing system as recited in claim 35, wherein the width of the free end is less than the diameter of the rail aperture, but greater than a chord of the rail aperture.

37. The railing system as recited in claim 32, wherein the body portion and the securing means are formed from polymeric material.

38. The railing system as recited in claim 37, wherein the polymeric material comprises a thermoplastic material.

39. The railing system as recited in claim 33, wherein the securing means further comprises at least one protrusion extending radially from the grommet for mating with a notch formed in the aperture of the rail, thereby preventing rotation of the connector.

40. The railing system as recited in claim 39, wherein the at least one protrusion comprises two protrusions for mating with two notches formed in the aperture of the rail so as to prevent rotation of the connector.

41. The railing system as recited in claim 32, wherein the second portion comprises at least one flat side section that abuts and is flush with an interior surface of the open end of the picket.

42. The railing system as recited in claim 41, wherein the at least one flat side section comprises two flat side sections.

43. The railing system as recited in claim 32, wherein the second portion further comprises a flange forming a transverse interior end of the body portion, an interior end of the securing means being rigidly joined to the flange, wherein the flange includes an internal diameter surface that is flush with an internal diameter surface of the securing means and having an external diameter surface flush with at least a portion of an external diameter surface of the body portion.

44. The railing system as recited in claim 43, wherein the diameter of the flange is greater than the diameter of at least a portion of the aperture.

45. The railing system as recited in claim 32, wherein the body of the second portion comprises at least two sections that define at least one slot in the body portion.

46. The railing system as recited in claim 45, further comprising adhesive disposed in the at least one slot of the body portion.

47. The railing system as recited in claim 32, further comprising adhesive attached to the body portion of the connector and the picket.

48. A method for assembling a railing system, the method comprising:

providing a rail including a wall defining an aperture, the circumference of the aperture having a wall thickness;

providing a picket comprising an open end;

providing a connector for securing together the rail and the picket at the rail aperture, wherein the connector comprises:

a body portion having a generally circular cross-section taken along a plane that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the body portion; and

means for securing the connector to the rail, the securing means being rigidly joined to the body portion;

wherein the securing means is of a reduced diameter relative to the body portion;

securing the connector to the rail; and

securing the picket to the connector.

49. The method as recited in claim 48, wherein the step of securing the connector to the rail comprises inserting the securing means of the connector to the aperture of the rail.

50. The method as recited in claim 49, wherein the securing means comprises a grommet for being received within the rail aperture and at least one resilient arm, and wherein the step of inserting the securing means of the connector to the aperture of the rail comprises:

a. inserting a portion of the grommet into the aperture;

b. forcing a free end of the at least one resilient arm to move inwardly by camming contact with the periphery of the aperture in the rail as the at least one resilient arm passes through the aperture; and

c. forcing the at least one resilient arm completely past the aperture into an interior cavity of the rail so that the at least one resilient arm moves outwardly to a position where the free end capitively retains the entire wall thickness of the aperture of the rail between the body portion and the free end of the at least one resilient arm.

51. The method as recited in claim 48, wherein the step of securing the picket to the connector comprises moving the open end of the picket toward the body portion of the connector until the open end of the picket has received the body portion of the connector.

52. The method as recited in claim 48, wherein the step of securing the picket to the connector comprises securing the picket substantially perpendicular to the rail.

53. The method as recited in claim 48, wherein the step of securing the picket to the connector comprises securing the picket to the rail at an angle other than 90° relative to the rail.

54. The method as recited in claim 48, wherein the securing means comprises a grommet and at least one resilient arm and wherein the grommet comprises a reduced outside diameter relative to the second portion.

55. The method as recited in claim 54, wherein the step of securing the connector to the rail comprises mounting the connector to the rail so that at least one ear extending from the grommet mates with a notch formed the aperture so as to prevent the connector from rotating.

56. A connector for securing together a first member and a second member, each of the first and second members having an aperture and a wall thickness at the point of joining, the connector comprising:

a portion having a shape that allows the first member to be secured to the second member at a non-perpendicular angle; and

means for securing the connector portion to the first member in the aperture, the securing means being rigidly joined to the connector portion.

57. The connector as recited in claim 56, wherein the securing means comprises:

a grommet for being received within the aperture of the first member, and

at least one resilient arm extending from a sidewall of the grommet toward the connector portion.

58. The connector as recited in claim 56, wherein the connector portion comprises at least a section having a flat side.

59. The connector as recited in claim 58, wherein the at least one flat side section comprises a pair of opposing flat side sections.

60. The connector as recited in claim 56, wherein the securing means further comprises means for preventing rotation of the connector by mating with a notch formed in the aperture of the second member, the rotation preventing means radially extending from the securing means.

61. The connector as recited in claim 60, wherein the rotation preventing means comprises at least one ear protrusion radially extending from the securing means and proximate to the connector portion so that the at least one ear protrusion is located within the notch in the aperture when the securing means is affixed to the first member.

62. The connector as recited in claim 56, wherein the connector portion comprises at least three sections spaced apart from each other, the at least three sections define at least two slots in the connector portion, said at least two slots defining at least two openings, each of the at least two openings facing in the same direction.

63. The connector as recited in claim 56, wherein the shape of the connector portion comprises one of a spherical, pyramidal, polygonal, truncated sphere, truncated cylinder, chamfered cylinder and crescent shape.