Fences – Rail – Connection
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-15
2003-08-05
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3679)
Fences
Rail
Connection
C256S019000, C256S059000, C256S024000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06601831
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to railing and fencing and, more specifically, to a modular plastic fence.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Outdoor decks are extremely popular in residential home construction. Homes and apartments, as well as a variety of other buildings, often incorporate exterior decks into their design. These decks provide convenient spaces for a variety of outdoor activities, including cookouts, dining and sunbathing, as well as other leisure activities. Moreover, decks typically are provided with a railing or perimeter fence to keep people from falling over the edge of the deck. Additionally, perimeter and accent fencing is commonly added onto landscapes, creating a boundary for foliage displays and garden areas.
Wood products traditionally have been the primary source of materials for use in decking and fence construction. However, wood products are becoming increasingly scarce due to the harvesting of trees at ever faster rates and the rather limited rate at which timber resources can be replenished. Also, environmental concerns and regulations directed to conservation or preservation of forests tend to restrict the availability of wood products. With the diminishing availability of timber resources, wood products are becoming increasingly expensive. There is, therefore, a substantial need for long-lasting substitute construction materials that can lessen the need to harvest timber resources.
One potential approach to addressing the above need is to provide substitute fence and decking products made of plastic, rather than wood. Plastic fence products provide a long-lasting alternative to wood. In addition, plastic fence products alleviate the need for costly painting and repainting. A variety of plastic building products are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,603 describes a three-layer synthetic construction material made from recycled waste thermoplastic synthetic resin material and cellulose fiber aggregate. This material includes face surfaces consisting essentially of re-hardened fused and rolled thermoplastic synthetic resin material bits, and an intervening core material consisting essentially of a compressed non-homogenous mixture of cellulose aggregate material bits and re-hardened fused thermoplastic synthetic resin material bits. Such plastic material can be used to create fencing elements.
Plastic fences tend to be inexpensive to manufacture, but often present difficulties in installation. In the known plastic fencing products, it has been difficult to provide “shadow box” fencing (a type of privacy fence having relatively wide picket boards and in which adjacent picket boards are staggered front and back).
Accordingly, a need yet remains in the art for an inexpensive, adaptable privacy fence system that can be easily installed and that is made from a light-weight, weather-resistant material. It is to the provision of such a fence system that the present invention is primarily directed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly described, in a first preferred form the present invention both overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and meets the recognized need for such a device, by providing a modular fence system. Generally, the present device is a modular fence system including a pair of upright posts, a first upper rail and a second lower rail. The modular fence system also includes a plurality of upright picket boards extending from the second lower rail to the first upper rail, with adjacent ones of the upright picket boards being staggered front and back. The modular fence system also includes a plurality of mounting brackets secured to the posts for receiving and securing end portions of the rails therein, the brackets also being adapted to receive an edge of an upright picket board therein for securing the edge of the upright picket board near an upright post.
Preferably, the modular fence system includes a third intermediate rail positioned between the first upper rail and the second lower rail, the third intermediate rail having two rows of staggered openings formed therethrough for receiving the upright picket boards therethrough. Also preferably, the first upper rail and the second lower rail each have two rows of staggered openings formed therein for receiving upper and lower ends of the upright picket boards therein.
Preferably, the openings in the rails each have a length sufficiently greater than a width of the picket boards such that the picket boards can be received into the rail openings with the rails being disposed either horizontally or at an angle relative to horizontal, and the picket boards maintained generally vertical. In this manner, the fence system can be configured so that all the picket boards are generally vertical and the rails are horizontal or racked at an angle as may be desired to conform to the slope of the ground. Thus, the same rails can be provided for using the fence system on generally flat ground or on sloped ground.
Furthermore, the intermediate rail can have first and second opening ends, for example, with the first opening end through the top portion of the rail and the second opening end through the bottom portion. The second opening end can be longer than the first opening end so that the opening has the general shape of a trapezoid. In this manner, the first end of the opening will fit closely with the picket board extending through the opening to minimize the intrusion of moisture or debris and to provide an aesthetically pleasing, custom-made, close-fitting appearance, while the second opening end permits the rail to be racked at an angle as desired.
Preferably, the modular fence system's mounting brackets on one of the posts are identical to the mounting brackets on the other of the posts, with only the orientation of the brackets differing. Preferably, the modular fence system's upright posts, the rails, the upright picket boards, and the brackets are at least partially made from plastic.
Another aspect of the invention lies in the design of the brackets. According to this aspect of the invention, a bracket is provided for use with a fence or railing having posts, a first rail, a second rail, and upright pickets extending between the rails. The bracket includes a body having peripheral walls defining an opening for receiving an end of one of the rails therein. The opening also is shaped to receive an edge of a picket therein.
Preferably, the peripheral walls of the brackets includes at least two walls that lean toward each other to form an inversely tapered interior to allow the bracket to receive rail ends therein at angles other than 90 degrees. Preferably, the bracket opening defined by the peripheral walls is generally T-shaped. Also, preferably the generally T-shaped opening includes a first generally rectangular opening portion and a second generally rectangular opening portion, with the first generally rectangular opening portion being about twice as wide as the second generally rectangular opening portion. Most preferably, the bracket opening extends through the peripheral wall in places to allow the edge of the picket to extend out of the bracket on opposite sides. It is preferred that the bracket is made from plastic.
Further, preferably, the body includes at least two flanges for securing the body to a post using fasteners. Preferably, the flanges are formed with throughholes to allow the bracket to be secured easily with common fasteners. Alternatively, the bracket can be adhesively affixed to the post.
Accordingly, each bracket can be attached to one of the posts, and each bracket opening can receive and secure the end portions of the rails therein. Additionally, the brackets can also receive and secure the edge of one of the upright picket boards therein. In this manner, the picket boards adjacent the posts can be secured in place near the corresponding upright post, leaving no gap between the picket boards and the posts, or only a very small gap. Because the picket boards are arranged in a shadow box configuration where there does not appear t
Browne Lynne H.
Dunwoody Aaron M
Erwin Industries, Inc.
Gardner & Groff, P.C.
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