Supports – Brackets – Specially mounted or attached
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-06
2003-04-15
Chan, Korie (Department: 3632)
Supports
Brackets
Specially mounted or attached
C248S125100, C248S227300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06547197
ABSTRACT:
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable
BACKGROUND of THE INVENTION
This invention relates to bracketed hangers, specifically a bracket that holds to a post a rod with a hook.
Posts are commonly used in home and business environments to hold such objects as mailboxes, plants, birdfeeders and signage. Posts also serve as patio deck, boat dock, and fence components. A typical post remains a single purpose function and is typically unadorned.
The space surrounding a post provides an opportunity to expand its utility. The air space surrounding a post is typically neglected as far as decorating or other display options are concerned.
Attaching a hanger to a post provides an option to fill airspace around a post with decorative or other objects. However, a typical post is away from power sources needed to drill screws into the post to hold hardware or fixtures to attach or hold objects. Also, the physical limitations or infirmity of the post owner may preclude heavy and even light invasive tool use. Also, nails and screws permanently violate or scar the integrity, surface or appearance of the post. Therefore, a bracket that compresses around a post would address these issues.
A further option is needed to easily raise or lower the height of the hanger without having to remove more permanent attachments. Being able to adjust the height of the hanger would facilitate growing plants, as well as a multitude of different sized objects to be changed throughout the year, such as seasonal or holiday decorations. A further option is need to easily remove a rod without tools. A bracket that permits a restraining or detent pin would address these issues.
These needs for increased functionality of post decorating with easy adjustability without the need for invasive and onerous tooling are solved by the invention.
Inventors have created brackets for mounting purposes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,455,007 to Varon and U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,547 to Varon are merely hanging rails with a bracket to provide support. They are neither adjustable nor applicable to a vertical post. The brackets are not affixed by compression. U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,954 to Kobilarcik and U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,635 to Juris disclose brackets for mounting a mailbox to a stanchion; however, the brackets are for a fixed placement for a limited purpose of attaching a mailbox to a post, and are not affixed by compression nor applicable for vertical or hanging usage. U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,319 to Grassi discloses an adjustable planter box hanger; however, the hanger requires two supports for affixing a box to a cross member, akin to a shelf structure, and is not effective for a vertical post. It provides an adjustment to accommodate the size of the box, and fails to provide for manual variable level adjustments, nor is it attached by compression.
Inventors have created hooks alone for plant pots. U.S. Pat. No. 4,908,982 to Quatrini discloses a bent rod with a hook on the other end that slips over a post that is anchored in a barrel. U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,413 to Sharon discloses just a pot hanger. However, neither includes a bracket mechanism. U.S. Pat. No. 4,908,982 is just the bent rod angled around the post with a bracket. The invention also lacks a bracket to hold the rod to the post to provide strength and stability. The invention also includes a barrel feature, whereby our invention is for a freestanding post.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,065,088 to Shell, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,205,815 to Sauer disclose an upright support brackets which are horizontal shelf supports that provide no hook mechanism for hanging, are not attached by compression and are inapplicable for hanging from a vertical post.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,817 to Klumpjan discloses a bracket that holds and supports a post at its base to provide stability to the post. It is provides no hook, no adjustability and is not attached by compression.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The preferred embodiment of the invention provides a bracket that wraps around or slips over a post. The bracket is held to the post by hand-tightening a nut onto a bolt. The tightening action draws a space of the bracket together, thereby compressing the bracket around the post. The bracket includes a slot for one end of a rod. The rod is held in place by a hand-inserted pin which goes through one of any selected holes of the rod, allowing the user to adjust the height of the rod as needed to accommodate the object being hanged. The other end of the rod extending from the post includes a hook for hanging an object. The rod can easily be raiser and lowered, or removed, by withdrawing the pin and to release the position of the rod. The bracket can easily be removed from the post by loosening the nut on the bolt of the bracket.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of our invention are:
(a) to enable simple by-hand installation and repositioning of a bracket onto a post
(b) to provide an easy by-hand adjustment capability as to the level of a hanger from a post
(c) to allow the hanging of objects from a post without the need for invasive hardware such as screws or nails
(d) to provide hardware for hanging objects from a post and without the need for power tools
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patent: 5702081 (1997-12-01), Gallemore, II
Kempf Christopher Joseph
Kempf Pamela Ann
Chan Korie
Kremblas, Foster Phillips & Pollick
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