US Patent 6874766 Plastic deck railing

A deck railing section comprises synthetic posts held spaced from one another by top and bottom rail members. Each of the rail members has a multiple piece construction including first and second interlocking synthetic rail pieces and a metallic reinforcing insert. The insert has holes at post attachment locations along the insert. Each post has screw ports to opposite ends of the post. Rail members are secured to the posts by threaded attachment members passing through the holes in the inserts and into the screw ports of the posts. The first rail pieces are trapped between the posts and the inserts. The second rail pieces lock onto the first rail pieces hiding the reinforcing inserts internally of the rail members.