Device for, and method of, supporting a glass panel for forming a frameless glass panel fence

{
  "publication_number": "US2005246981A1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A1",
  "title": "Device for, and method of, supporting a glass panel for forming a frameless glass panel fence",
  "abstract": "A device for supporting a glass panel (80), the device comprising an anchor member (50) and a mounting member (60) having a first portion (30) and a second portion (62), the first portion (30) being adapted (34) for adjustably mounting the mounting member (60) relative to the anchor member (50), and the second portion (62) being adapted to receive a portion of the glass panel (80), the second portion (62) having a means (14, 24) for locking the glass panel (80) to the mounting member (60).",
  "claims": [
    "1. A device for supporting a glass panel, the glass panel having at least one mounting hole at a bottom portion thereof, the device comprising: an anchor member; and a mounting member having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being adapted for adjustably mounting the mounting member relative to the anchor member, and the second portion being adapted to receive a portion of the glass panel, the second portion having a means for locking the glass panel to the mounting member via the glass panel mounting hole(s).",
    "2. The device of claim 1 wherein the mounting member locking means includes at least one mounting hole formed in the second portion, wherein in use, an attachment member can be inserted through aligned glass panel and mounting member mounting holes for locking the glass panel to the mounting member.",
    "3. The device of claim 2 wherein the mounting member includes two spaced mounting holes for supporting a glass panel having two spaced mounting holes at a bottom portion thereof.",
    "4. The device of claim 3 wherein the mounting member two mounting holes are arranged to be spaced vertically from each other in use.",
    "5. The device of claim 1 wherein the second portion is a slot formed in the mounting member.",
    "6. The device of claim 5 wherein the second portion includes a pair of mounting holes formed on opposite sides of the slot for each glass panel mounting hole.",
    "7. The device of claim 6 wherein the mounting hole(s) in one side of the slot is threaded to receive a threaded shank of an attachment member.",
    "8. The device of claim 7 wherein the mounting hole(s) in the other side of the slot is countersunk to receive a head of the attachment member.",
    "9. The device of claim 5 wherein the slot has a width greater than the width of the glass panel to be supported.",
    "10. The device of claim 5 wherein the slot is formed between two side sections of the mounting member which are attached to opposite sides of a middle section of the mounting member.",
    "11. The device of claim 10 wherein the middle section includes a threaded bore for receiving a threaded portion of the anchor member.",
    "12. The device of claim 10 wherein the anchor member has an elongated portion and a base.",
    "13. The device of claim 12 wherein the mounting member first portion is adapted to receive the anchor member elongated portion for adjustably mounting the mounting member relative to the anchor member.",
    "14. The device of claim 12 wherein the anchor member elongated portion is threaded.",
    "15. A method for supporting a glass panel to the ground using the device of claim 1, the glass panel having at least one mounting hole at a bottom portion thereof, the method comprising: drilling a hole into the ground; inserting the anchor member into the drilled hole and fixing the anchor member in position; mounting the mounting member first portion to the anchor member; placing a portion of the glass panel into the mounting member second portion; and locking the glass panel to the mounting member via the glass panel mounting hole(s).",
    "16. The method of claim 15, wherein the mounting member locking means includes at least one mounting hole, and wherein the step of locking the glass panel to the mounting member includes inserting an attachment member through the glass panel and mounting member mounting holes to lock the glass panel to the mounting member.",
    "17. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of mounting the mounting member to the anchor member further includes the step of adjusting the position of the mounting member relative to the anchor member.",
    "18. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of placing the glass panel into the mounting member further includes the step of adjusting the position of the glass panel relative to the mounting member.",
    "19. The method of claim 15 wherein at least two of the devices are used to support each glass panel.",
    "20. The method of claim 16 wherein the glass panel includes two vertically spaced mounting holes, the mounting member second portion is a slot formed in the mounting member, and the second portion includes a pair of mounting holes formed on opposite sides of the slot for each glass panel mounting hole, wherein the step of locking the glass panel to the mounting member includes the step of inserting a respective attachment member through each aligned corresponding holes of the mounting member and the glass panel.",
    "21. A glass panel fence having the support device of claim 1, and a glass panel having at least one mounting hole at a bottom portion thereof mounted to the device.",
    "22. The glass panel fence of claim 22 having two support devices supporting each glass panel."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to a device for, and method of, supporting a glass panel for forming a frameless glass panel fence, such as for swimming pools, balconies and the like.\n\nKnown frameless glass panel fences are installed by what are known as “inground” methods. One such method includes forming a base of concrete for the fence with a 50 mm wide×100 mm deep channel extending therethrough. Compressed rubber blocks are inserted into the channels and the glass panels are then inserted into the channels to rest on the rubber blocks. Each panel is then aligned with other panels and fixed in position temporarily by wedges and the like in the channel. Epoxy grout is then poured into the channel and left for a few days to set hard to fix the glass panels in position.\n\nThe above method has a number of disadvantages. Firstly, in order to align the glass panels to the correct height, the concrete channel must be formed substantially level which is difficult. Whilst adjustment of each glass panel height may be performed by adding/removing rubber blocks, this requires realignment and temporary fixing of the panels. These steps are labour intensive, costly and requires considerable skill. The pouring of grout is also labour intensive, costly and requires a substantial amount of the grouting material. Accurate alignment of the glass panels is also difficult as glass panels are rarely true.\n\nThe above inground method also requires the concrete base to be thickened by up to 100 mm on each side of the panels requiring expensive additional building materials such as reinforcing steel and concrete.",
  "cpc": [
    "E04F 11/1851",
    "E04F 11/1853"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "E04F 11/18"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Wayne Austin"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2003-04-23",
  "publication_date": "2005-11-10",
  "priority_date": "2002-04-23",
  "application_number": "US-51212105-A",
  "family_id": "3835505",
  "cited_by_count": 19,
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  ]
}