Fences – Rail – Connection
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-25
2001-09-18
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Fences
Rail
Connection
C256S055000, C052S712000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06290214
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to fences and more particularly to a novel bracket for rail fences to provide faster, more accurate, and stronger attachment for the rails to a post.
One of the most common types of fences uses a post and rail arrangement either for the complete fence or as a basic support arrangement for more decorative design fences. The construction of these fences involves assembling a number of vertical posts usually all of the same height by embedding them in the ground or otherwise providing a firm base support. The post may be round, square, rectangular and cross-section and generally extend upward from the ground at least as high as any part of the completed fence.
The rails are then attached directly to the posts and extend horizontally between the posts and these rails may be either sufficient in number to provide the complete fencing barrier or else utilized as a support for vertical boards or pickets or other type of panels as may be desired. If it is desired that the completed fence have some sort of symmetry in appearance from each side it is common to extend rails between the sides of the post. This construction usually requires some sort of attachment bracket for each rail and also generally requires the length of the rail closely match the spacing between the post sides and therefore requires special cutting if the rails are of a standard size lumber.
The other approach is to attach the rails directly to one side of the post with nails or screws so that the rail ends overlap each another either vertically or horizontally. In order to provide sufficient areas of engagement between the rails and the posts, the posts should be either square to prevent a flat surface adjacent the rail or, if of other shape, have a space cut away to provide the necessary flat surface. In any case, the assembly of the fence requires careful measurement to ensure that all the rail to post joints are at the same height and the strength depends entirely upon the fasteners used to connect the rails to the posts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a novel bracket for the attachment of rails to a side of a post which also attaches the rails directly to each other independently of their attachment to the post. The bracket is preferably preattached to the post by suitable fasteners such as nails or screws after which the two rail ends are inserted into the bracket and suitable fasteners connected through the bracket to the rail ends.
According to the preferred embodiment, the bracket takes the general form of a channel in which the bottom surface is positioned vertically against a post and fastened in place by suitable fasteners extending through the channel bottom into the post. For maximum strength, the post should have a flat surface so that several fasteners can be used in horizontally as well as vertically spaced locations to provide a tight surface abutting contact with the post along most of the extent of the channel bottom. The rails, whose ends have been previously cut to fit within the channel, are then inserted horizontally into t he channel preferably with their ends abutting or nearly so. Suitable fasteners are then inserted through openings in the top and bottom sidewalls of the channel into the ends and for still additional strength, fasteners extend from projections on the channel bottom to receive a fastener that extends into the adjacent rail. As a result, the channel connects the rails to each other independently of their connection to the post so that if the post is damaged, it is less likely that the rails will be broken apart or dislodged and the integrity of the fence structure will remain.
According to the present invention, the erection of a post and rail fence can be done quite rapidly and precisely by allowing the fence posts to be located in place by placing them in a hole in the ground, for example, and then filling in around the post while checking for vertical alignment. The precise height of the fence can then be determined by attaching the brackets at the desired height directly to the post by means of suitable fasteners extending through the channel bottom abutting the post. Thus, it is possible to first locate all of the posts and all of the brackets before any of the rails are installed. After this has been done, it is possible to accommodate any variations and post spacing by cutting rails to the exact length so they extend equidistantly into the bracket channel from each end, although some variations in rail length can be tolerated because of the bracket size.
The rails are then inserted into the channel where they are secured in place by the fasteners extending through the top and bottom channel sides and since the spacing on these channel sides for the fasteners is different on the top and bottom, the fasteners can each extend for almost the entire vertical height of the rail. At the same time, fasteners extend through the projections in the back of the bracket and serve to pull the rails into the bracket channel to abut the bottom wall. Since the rails cover the heads of the fasteners extending through the bracket and into the post, these fasteners are protected from accidental removal since it is necessary to first remove the other fasteners to allow the rail to be removed from the bracket before the bracket can be removed from the post. This arrangement also allows the exposed faces of the rails to be free of projections and fasteners.
Although this bracket is intended primarily for use with wood, it may be used with other materials such as plastic extrusions which employ fasteners such as nails, screws or bolts as desired.
REFERENCES:
patent: 900545 (1908-10-01), Humiston
patent: 3256030 (1966-06-01), Banse
patent: 3524627 (1970-08-01), Boyanton et al.
patent: 3747898 (1973-07-01), Warren
patent: 3989226 (1976-11-01), Burgers
patent: 4899991 (1990-02-01), Brunkan
patent: 5657967 (1997-08-01), Patrick
patent: 5735087 (1998-04-01), Olden
patent: 263363 (1964-07-01), None
patent: 2259923 (1993-03-01), None
patent: 2279975 (1995-01-01), None
Browne Lynne H.
Garcia Ernesto
Pearne & Gordon LLP
U.S. Fence LLC
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