A coupling device includes two coaxial shafts, namely a tubular outer shaft and an inner shaft, capable of rotating about a reference axis; a wrap-around raceway formed on a first one of the coaxial shafts; an oblique raceway formed on the second coaxial shaft and a play take-up rail provided with a complementary raceway and movable relative to the second coaxial shaft parallel to a plane perpendicular to the reference axis. A row of balls is positioned to run parallel to the reference axis on the wrap-around raceway, the oblique raceway and the complementary raceway, to guide the two coaxial shafts relative to each other in translation.

In a railing system comprising a railing panel frontage which extends continuously along the course of the railing and consists of a plurality of mutually adjacent railing panels, in order to increase an additional resistance and security against destruction, an additional securing element, which, given a properly erected railing, extends between a handrail profile, resting on the railing panels, and a structural body or a holding profile disposed on the structural body and connects the handrail profile to the structural body or the holding profile, is provided.

A system and method for waterproofing the interface between a base shoe and a panel is provided. The system includes a weather seal adapted to extend between an inner side wall of the base shoe and an adjacent surface of the panel to seal the gap therebetween. The system includes an elongate groove formed in the inner side wall at a downward offset angle and including a groove entrance that is accessible from directly above. The weather seal includes a foot adapted to be received into the elongate groove when the seal is configured to seal the gap. In this way, the seal may be installed from above and the seal's foot may be pressed into the groove via the groove entrance to secure the seal in place.

A panel retention device is provided and includes a compression pad, a compression plate, a threaded disk, and an adjustable flange. The compression pad has a rectangular cross section and includes a plate opposing surface. The compression plate has a rectangular cross section and includes a pad support surface facing the compression pad and a disk support surface. The threaded disk extends from the disk support surface, and the adjustable flange is removably threaded onto the threaded disk.

The invention is a double-hinged sill for adjustable securing the panels of a handrail system to a floor, the sill has U-shaped channel. A pair of hinged plates is pivotally mounted within the channel. A cylindrical hinge member is provided at the bottom end of each of the hinge plates and extends the length of the hinge plate. A groove for receiving the cylindrical hinge member is provided at the bottom of the sill. The pair of hinge plates is aligned within the sill as mirror images. A series of adjustment and locking screws are provided along the length of the sill and extend there through from either the top of the sill or the sides of the sill and a readapted to selectively impinge against the pair of hinge plates to movably adjust the plates inwardly against a glass panel or outwardly away from a glass panel to vertically align the same and lock it into place.

A system for adjusting and fixing sheet-shaped elements for railings including containment means for a protective sheet-shaped element which are provided with a channel for housing the sheet-shaped element and adjusting means for adjusting the position of the sheet-shaped element, wherein the adjusting means include at least one resting and retaining element with substantially L-shaped cross-section provided with seats for the passage of two pins and with two planes for the sliding of adjusting elements, in such a way that the combination of the movements of the adjusting elements caused by the pins generates a rotation of the resting and retaining element which in turn causes a rotation of the sheet-shaped element.

A securing system for use with glass panels is provided. The securing system provides clamping and securing forces to a panel held within a base shoe system, e.g., of a frameless glass guard railing. The securing system includes a back plate with separately tapered portions, and a shim assembly including tapered shim members. Each tapered shim member overlays a separately tapered portion of the back plate and is laterally positionable thereupon. Downward forces applied to the shim members are translated into lateral forces causing the shim members to move laterally in relation to the back plate. These lateral translations cause the system's width to increase to secure the panel within the base shoe and/or decrease to release the panel from the base shoe. The system also includes tools to apply said downward forces.

It is known for balustrades and partitions to be formed from a flat panel, such as glass, and for such panels to be anchored along a lower edge and substantially unsupported at an upper edge. Vertical alignment of such panels has been achieved by ensuring that the trough in which they are anchored is itself precisely aligned on a horizontal, such that any flat panel inserted therein stands in a vertical plane. According to the invention, a panel may be aligned with its major face in a substantially vertical plane, even when the trough is located with its base substantially not horizontal. In addition, the panel may be held in the base of the trough by the force of an adjustment part on a first joint surface, thereby increasing stability of the panel.

A glass windbreaker has a mobile portion and a fixed portion. The mobile portion includes a glass pane secured between two inner vertical profiles, each of the inner vertical profiles having a rod extending within the vertical profile and matching components secured about the rod. The fixed portion includes a second glass pane secured between two outer vertical profiles. Each of the inner vertical profiles are extendable from within a corresponding outer vertical profile, and the glass pane is vertically movable relative to the second glass pane. A locking mechanism, which includes the components secured about each rod, secures the mobile portion in a closed position relative to the fixed portion.

Systems and methods for balconies and false balconies are described.