Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1
BRACKETS FOR TEMPORARY SUPPORT OF A RAIL BETWEEN UPRIGHT POSTS
DURING CONSTRUCTION OF A FENCE OR THE LIKE
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to devices for use in construction
of a fence or other structure in which horizontal rails are suspended between
upright
posts, and more particularly to devices for temporarily supporting the two
ends of the
rail to allow properly aligned installation by a single person.
BACKGROUND
Brackets and other devices for supporting of a fence rail between two
fence posts during construction of a fence have previously been proposed to
reduce
labour requirements by allowing a single installer properly align and fasten
the rail in
place, thus avoiding the need for two installation personnel to align, hold
and fasten the
rail.
Among the solutions proposed in the prior art are permanent hardware
brackets that are mounted to neighbouring posts, and to which the rail is
subsequently
fastened, whereby the brackets become a permanent part of the fence structure.
These
brackets are typically formed from a bent metal plate with a galvanized
coating, and
thus detract from the aesthetic of a purely wooden fence construction in which
wooden
rails are directly fastened to wooden posts. The permanent brackets also
represent an
added material cost relative to a purely wooden construction.
Other solutions instead employ supports that are removably fastened to
the neighbouring posts to hold the respective ends of the rail in place until
the rail ends
is fastened directly to the posts, at which point the temporary supports are
removed
from the posts and re-used to hang the next rail between the next pair of
neighbouring
posts.
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One such solution is shown in U.S. Patent No. US5673903, where a
temporary fence rail support features a C-shaped frame clamped in place around
three
sides of a post in order to support the end of a rail in an offset position
where a face of
the rail abuts against an outer side of the post. The device is incapable of
placing the
rail in an inline position contained entirety between the two posts with the
ends of the
rail abutted against lateral sides of the posts that face toward one another.
The device
also lacks means for automatic alignment in a properly squared orientation on
the post.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2014/0138891 discloses a temporary
fence rail support in the form of a flexible strap that hangs from a fastener
driven into
the fence post. The flexible strap is only capable of providing support, and
does not
provide any guidance for proper alignment of the rail on the post. The
reference once
again focuses on fastening of fence rails in offset positions at outer sides
of the fence
posts.
U.S. Patent No. U59344674 discloses another temporary fence rail
support that once again is specifically designed to support a rail board in
offset relation
to the post at the outer side thereof, and lacks any means for self-alignment
of the
support on the post to ensure proper alignment of the rail.
U.S. Patent No. US683909 discloses a scaffold bracket with a closed
frame that spans fully around an upright to post on all four sides thereof.
The frame
carries a pivotal dog or grip block at one outer side of the post while
placing a rail holder
at the opposing outer side of the post to once again support the rail in an
offset position.
The holder is removable from the frame in order to open up the respective end
thereof
and enable placement of the frame in an embracing position around the post.
Once
again, the design is intended for offset rail placement, and is not operable
to support a
rail in an inline position between lateral sides of the posts.
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U.K. Patent GB593044 discloses permanent metal brackets mountable to
the lateral sides of neighbouring fence posts for in-line placement of the
rail between
the two posts. However, the brackets rely on pre-drilled bores in the posts to
guide the
placement of the brackets in properly aligned positions thereon, and the rails
are
fastened to the brackets, which remain in place as a permanent part of the
fence
structure.
U.S. Patent No. US3373988 discloses a removable beam seat for
supporting a beam horizontally between a pair of vertical columns. Designed
for use
with structural steel, the beam seat employs bulky, complex design that
occupies all
four sides of the column, features two clamps for tightening on the column in
one
direction, and a wedge for mechanism for tightening on the column in the other
direction.
U.S. Patent Nos. US8806729, US9033314 and US9181725 discloses
devices for supporting wooden rails on round pipe-shaped fence posts, but once
again
are designed to place the rails in offset relation outside the posts, rather
than in inline
relation between the posts.
International PCT Application Publication W0201541524 discloses a
temporary fence panel support that is designed for in-line placement of a
fence panel
between two posts. The device simply hangs from a top end of the post without
clamps
or other moving parts that are relied on in many of the other prior art
solutions
summarized above. The lower part of the support that carries the bottom of the
fence
panel is automatically placed at a suitable elevation downward from the top of
the post,
but the support lacks any means for properly squaring the panel relative to
the post.
Instead, the installation process relies on separate panel connectors to set
the final
position in which the panel is to be fastened in place, specifically by
fastened
,
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attachment to the connectors, not to the posts themselves.
In view of the forgoing shortcomings of the prior art, there remains room
for improved devices and techniques for temporary support of rail members
between
neighbouring upright posts during construction of a fence or other post/rail
structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a device for
temporarily supporting an end of a rail during installation thereof between a
pair of
upright posts, said device comprising:
a bracket for placement on a first upright post at a lateral side thereof that
faces toward a second upright post spaced therefrom, said bracket comprising:
an inner face for placement against the lateral side of the first post;
an outer face lying opposite the inner face to face toward the
second post;
an upright bracing flange projecting inwardly from the inner face of
the bracket at an upright perimeter edge thereof to reach inwardly from the
lateral side
of the first post against an adjacent outer side thereof so that the inner
face and the
bracing flange cooperatively embrace a corner of the post at which the lateral
side and
the adjacent outer side intersect, thereby squaring the bracket relative to
said corner of
the post;
a seat extending perpendicularly away from the bracing flange to
receive an underside of the rail atop said seat in a position placing an end
of the rail in
close adjacency or abutment with the lateral side of the first post; and
an upright shoulder situated above the seat in perpendicular
relation thereto and parallel relation to the bracing flange for receiving a
face of the rail
in abutted contact against the upright shoulder, whereby seating and abutment
of the
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rail against the seat and the upright shoulder of the bracket acts to square
the rail with
the post.
Preferably the seat comprises a seating flange projecting outwardly away
from the outer face of the bracket to define a widened seat area whose width
exceeds
5 a thickness dimension of the bracket measured between the inner and outer
faces
thereof.
Preferably there is a tape measure slot in which a catch tab of a tape
measure in insertable to enable a post-to-post measurement between the two
posts
after installation of the device.
Preferably the shoulder comprises a shoulder flange projecting outwardly
away from the outer face of the bracket to define a shoulder width that
exceeds a
thickness dimension of the bracket measured between the inner and outer faces
thereof.
Preferably the tape measure slot is located at an intersection of the
shoulder flange and the outer face of the bracket.
Preferably the bracket comprises a main portion defining the inner and
outer faces and having a vertical leg from which a horizontal leg reaches
perpendicularly outward at an elevation below an upper end of the vertical
leg, the seat
resides atop the horizontal leg, the upright shoulder resides at an inner side
of the
vertical leg from which the horizontal leg extends, and the bracing flange
resides at an
opposing outer side of the vertical leg.
Preferably the main portion of the bracket is L-shaped and consists solely
of said vertical and horizontal legs.
Preferably the bracket comprises a bent plate having a main portion that
defines the inner-and outer faces of the bracket and from which the bracing
flange is
i
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integrally bent.
Preferably the seating flange is integrally bent from the main portion of
the bent plate.
Preferably an entirety of the bracket is defined by a singular bent plate
having a main portion which defines the inner and outer faces and from which
other
portions of the bracket are integrally bent.
Preferably the main portion of the bent plate has a vertical leg from which
a horizontal leg reaches perpendicularly outward at an elevation below an
upper end of
the vertical leg, the seat resides atop the horizontal leg, the upright
shoulder resides at
an inner side of the vertical leg from which the horizontal leg extends, and
the bracing
flange resides at an opposing outer side of the vertical leg.
Preferably the bent plate is L-shaped and consists solely of said vertical
and horizontal legs.
Preferably a fastening hole penetrates the bracket from the outer face
thereof to the inner face thereof to enable temporary fastening of the bracket
to the
lateral side of the post through said fastening hole.
In one embodiment, a seating depth of the bracket measured from the
shoulder to the bracing flange equates to a half-width of the post minus a
half-thickness
of the rail, whereby the bracket is configured to center the rail across the
lateral side of
the post.
In another embodiment, a seating depth of the bracket measured from the
shoulder to the bracing flange equates to a full-width of the post minus a
full-thickness
of the rail, whereby the bracket is configured to place the rail in flush
relation to a third
side of the post that intersects the lateral side of the post at which the
bracket is placed
and that is situated opposite the adjacent outer side of the post that is
embraced by the
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bracing flange.
Preferably there is a visual marker situated on the bracket and spaced
above the seat by a distance that equals a width of the rail, whereby
placement of the
visual marker in alignment with a top end of the post places a top edge of the
rail flush
the top end of the post when the rail is placed atop the seat.
Preferably the visual marker is an upper end of the bracket or an upper
end of the shoulder.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a device
for temporarily supporting an end of a rail during installation thereof
between a pair of
upright posts, said bracket comprising:
a planar main portion having a vertical leg that is coplanar with a
horizontal leg that reaches perpendicularly outward from the vertical leg at a
spaced
elevation below a top end of said vertical leg, said planar main portion
having opposing
inner and outer faces;
an upright bracing flange reaching perpendicularly inward from the
vertical leg of the planar main portion at an upright outer edge of said
vertical leg that
resides opposite the horizontal leg of the planar main portion;
a seating flange reaching perpendicularly outward from the horizontal leg
of the planar main portion at a horizontal upper edge of said horizontal leg;
and
a shoulder flange reaching perpendicularly outward from the vertical leg
of the planar main portion at an upright inner edge of said vertical leg that
resides
opposite the upright outer edge thereof.
Preferably the bracket comprises a bent L-shaped plate that defines the
L-shaped main portion, and of which the upright bracing flange, the seating
flange and
the shoulder flange are integrally bent portions.
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According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of
installing a rail between first and second upright posts that have facing-
together lateral
sides that intersect adjacent outer sides of said uprights posts at outer
corners thereof,
said method comprising:
(a) with a bracket device having an inside corner, a support seat and a
shoulder that resides in perpendicular relation to said support seat,
achieving a squared
position of said bracket device on the first upright post by embracing the
inside corner
of said bracket about the outside corner of the first upright post, said
squared position
acting to (i) place the support seat of said bracket device adjacent to the
lateral side of
the first upright post in perpendicular relation to the outside corner of the
first upright
post, and (ii) place the shoulder of said bracket device adjacent to said
lateral side of
the first upright post in parallel relation to the outside corner of the first
upright post at
a distance inward therefrom;
(b) with said inside corner of the bracket device embraced about the
outside corner of the first upright post, fastening the bracket device to the
first upright
post to maintain the squared position of the bracket device thereon;
(c) seating an underside of the rail atop the support seat of the bracket
device with a first end of the rail in close adjacency or abutment with the
lateral side of
the first upright post and with a face of the rail in abutment against the
shoulder of the
bracket device, and, with a second end of the rail supported on the second
upright post,
fastening the first end of the rail to the first upright post; and
(d) unfastening and removing the bracket device from the first upright
post.
The method preferably includes, before step (c) installing a second
matching bracket device on the second post by performing steps (a) and (b)
with said
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second bracket device at said second post, and during step (c), using said
second
bracket device to support the second end of the rail during fastening of the
first end of
the rail to the first post.
Preferably, achievement of the squared position in step (a) comprises
placing a visual marker of the bracket device in alignment with a top end of
the first
post, and thereby automatically setting an elevation of the seat at a downward
distance
the top end of the post that equals a predetermined width dimension of the
rail so that
placement of the rail on the seat in a widthwise-up orientation automatically
places a
top edge of the rail flush with the top end of the post.
Preferably the visual marker of the bracket device is an upper end of the
bracket device or an upper end of the shoulder thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a left bracket of a first embodiment rail
support system, as viewed from an outer side of said left bracket.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the left bracket of Figure 1 from an
opposing inner side thereof.
Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating use of the first embodiment rail
support system, with the left bracket of Figure 1 mounted on a left post and
cooperating
with a corresponding right bracket mounted on a right post to suspend a rail
between
said posts.
Figures 4A and 4B are closeup perspective views of the left and right
brackets, respectively, of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a plan view of a metal blank for producing either bracket of the
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first embodiment.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a left bracket of a second embodiment
rail support system, as viewed from the outer side of said left bracket.
Figure 7 is a plan view of a metal blank for producing either bracket of the
second embodiment.
Figures 8A and 8B are closeup perspective views of the left and right
brackets of the second embodiment in use.
Figure 9 is a perspective view of a right bracket of a third embodiment rail
support system, as viewed from the inner side of said right bracket.
Figure 10 is a plan view of a metal blank for producing either bracket of
the third embodiment.
Figures 11A and 11B are closeup perspective views of the left and right
brackets of the third embodiment in use with a first size of rail.
Figures 12A and 12B are closeup perspective views of the left and right
brackets of the third embodiment in use with a larger second size of rail.
Figure 13 is a perspective view of a right bracket of a fourth embodiment
rail support system, as viewed from the inner side of said left bracket.
Figure 14 is a plan view of a metal blank for producing either bracket of
the fourth embodiment.
Figures 15A and 15B are closeup perspective views of the left and right
brackets of the fourth embodiment in use with the first size of rail.
Figures 16A and 16B are closeup perspective views of the left and right
brackets of the fourth embodiment in use with the larger second size of rail.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Figure 1 illustrates one bracket 10 of a two-bracket rail support system
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according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The bracket 10 is
shown from
opposing sides in Figures 1 and 2, and is referred to herein as the left
bracket intended
for use together with a cooperating right bracket of mirrored configuration to
the left
bracket. Each bracket is intended to temporarily support a respective end of a
fence
rail on a respective one of two neighbouring fence posts during construction
of a fence,
as shown in Figure 3. Each fence post 100, 102 stands vertically upright from
an area
of ground beneath which the bottom end of the fence post is buried to anchor
it in this
upright position. Each fence post has a square cross-sectional shape in
horizontal
cross-sectional planes that lie perpendicularly to the central vertical axis
of the fence
post. Once installed, the rail 104 spans horizontally between the two vertical
posts 100,
102 in elevated relation above the ground in an in-line position between the
two posts.
As shown, the rail may be positioned flush with the top ends 100d, 102d of
said posts.
The present invention is particularly useful for wooden fence construction,
where the posts and rails are respective pieces of dimensional lumber, for
example
4x4-inch or 6x6-inch wooden posts and 2x4-inch or 2x6-inch wooden rails,
though
similarly configured brackets could likewise be used with posts and rails of
various sizes
and material compositions, whether for fence construction or construction of
other
structures that likewise requiring stringing of horizontal rails between
neighbouring
upright posts. It will be appreciated that the terms vertical and horizontal
are used
herein solely for the purpose of differentiating between the upright posts
100, 102 and
the laterally spanning rail 104 suspended therebetween, and is in no way
intended to
specify that the posts and rails must occupy truly vertical and truly
horizontal
orientations, as in practical terms, the actual orientations may deviate
slightly from true
horizontal and vertical due to imperfections in the placement and shape of the
posts
and rails.
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With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the physical structure of the left bracket
shown therein is now described in notable detail. In the interest of brevity,
the
physical structure of the right bracket is not explicitly described in full,
since the left and
right brackets share the same general configuration, and possess mirrored
symmetry
5 to one another in terms of the directions in which flange-like elements
of the structure
project relative to other elements. The bracket 10 is formed entirety of a
bent metal
plate having an L-shaped planar main portion 12 from which a plurality of
flanges
perpendicularly project at positions lying along respective perimeter edges of
the L-
shaped planar main portion 12. These flanges include a vertically upright
bracing flange
10 14, a horizontal seating flange 16 and a vertically upright shoulder
flange 18.
The L-shaped main portion 12 features a vertical leg 20, and a horizontal
leg 22 that reaaches perpendicularly outward from the horizontal leg at the
bottom end
thereof so as to reside at an elevation spaced downwardly from the top end 20a
of the
vertical leg 20. The terms vertical and horizontal are again used to generally
denote
the orientations in which the described elements reside during use of the
bracket when
installed on a respective vertical post. The two legs 20, 22 of the planar
main portion
12 are coplanar with one another, thus occupying a shared primary plane in
which a
majority of the bent metal plate's overall surface area resides. The two legs
20, 22
collectively define opposing inner and outer L-shaped faces 24, 26 of the
bracket that
lie opposite one another across the plate thickness of planar main portion 12
and face
outwardly from the primary plane in opposite directions.
The bracing flange 14 spans a full height of the bracket from the bottom
perimeter edge of the horizontal leg to the top end 20a of the vertical leg.
The bracing
flange resides at a vertically upright outer perimeter edge 20b of the
vertical leg 20 at a
side thereof opposite that from which the horizontal leg 22 extends. The
bracing flange
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14 lies normal to the planar main portion 12, and juts perpendicularly outward
from the
inner face 24 thereof. The seating flange 16 and the shoulder flange 18 also
lie normal
to the planar main portion 12, but project perpendicularly outward from the
opposing
outer face 26 so as to extend in the opposite direction than the bracing
flange 14. The
seating flange 16 fully spans a horizontal upper perimeter edge 22a of the
planar main
portion's horizontal leg 22, and thus lies horizontally perpendicular to the
vertically
upright bracing flange 14. The shoulder flange 18 spans a vertically upright
inner edge
20c of the vertical leg that lies opposite to the upright outer edge 20b from
which the
bracing flange 14 projects. The shoulder flange 18 thus lies in parallel
relation to the
bracing flange 14 across the vertical leg, and in perpendicular relation to
the seating
flange 16 above a proximal end thereof at or near the intersection point
between the
horizontal upper edge 22a of the horizontal leg 22 and the upright inner edge
20c of the
vertical leg 20.
A hanging aperture 28 penetrates the vertical leg 20 of the planar main
portion 12 near the top end 20a thereof, and as shown may have an elongated-
slot
shape in the horizontal direction in which the bracing flange 14 and shoulder
flange 18
are separated from one another. This hanging aperture 28 is useful to enable
hanging
support of the two brackets of the system on a merchandising display in a
retail sales
environment. A fastening hole 30 penetrates the horizontal leg 22 of the
planar main
portion 12 from the inner face 24 to the opposing outer face 26 thereof at a
generally
central point on the horizontal leg 22. It is via this fastening hole 30 that
a suitable
fastener, e.g. a threaded screw fastener 32, is driven through the planar main
portion
12 of the bracket 10 in order to support the bracket in an installed position
on a
respective fence post.
Figure 4A illustrates the left bracket 10 in such an installed position on the
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left fencepost 100 of Figure 3. The bracket 10 is installed on a lateral side
100a of the
left fencepost 100 that faces toward the neighbouring right fencepost 102. The
lateral
sides of the fencepost refer to the two opposing parallel sides thereof which
face along
the fence line, as opposed to the two opposing outer sides that face outwardly
away
from the fence line. Of these two outer sides of the post, the front outer
side 100b refers
to that which is visible in the foreground of the drawings, as opposed to the
rear outer
side that faces into the plane of the drawing page. The flat inner face 24 of
the bracket
is placed flush against the lateral side 100a of the fence post 100 so that
the bracing
flange 14 spans a short distance inwardly over the front outer side 100b of
the fence
10
post 100 from the outside corner 100c of the post at which the lateral and
front outer
sides 100a, 100b intersect one another. Diverging at ninety degrees to one
another,
the inner face 24 and bracing flange 14 of the bracket create an inside corner
therebetween, which embraces conformingly over the ninety-degree outside
corner
100c of the square post 100.
This embraced fitting of the bracket 10 over the corner 100c of the post
so that the bracing flange 14 of the bracket abuts in flush conforming contact
against
the front outer side 100b of the post while the main portion 12 of the bracket
abuts in
flush conforming against the lateral side 100a of the post automatically
squares the
bracket 10 in relation to the corner 100c of the post. This automatically
places the
horizontal leg 22 of the bracket 10 in perpendicular relation to the corner
100c of the
post, and automatically places the vertical leg 20 of the bracket in parallel
relation to
the corner 100c of the post. Accordingly, the seating flange 16 situated atop
the
horizontal leg 22 of the bracket spans perpendicularly across the lateral side
100a of
the post 100 from the front corner 100c of the post toward the opposing rear
corner
thereof, while projecting perpendicularly outward from the lateral side 100a
of the post
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toward the neighbouring post 102. The seating flange thus creates a support
seat
spanning horizontally across the lateral side of the post to receive the
bottom edge of
the rail atop said seat in a position placing the end of the rail in abutting
contact or close
adjacency to the lateral side 100a of the post 100.
Meanwhile, the shoulder flange 18 stands perpendicularly upright from
the seating flange 16 in parallel relation to the corner 100c of the post at a
spaced
distance inwardly therefrom along the lateral side 100a thereof to define an
upright
shoulder against which a face 104a of the rail can be placed. Accordingly,
with the
bottom edge of the rail 104 seated atop the seating flange 16, pushing the
face 104a of
the rail 104 against the upright shoulder flange 18 aligns the face 104a of
the rail in
parallel alignment to the corner 100c of the post, while the seating flange 16
holds the
bottom edge of the rail in perpendicular relation to the corner 100c of the
post.
Accordingly, simple placement of the bracket against the lateral side of the
post with
the bracing flange 14 embraced against the adjacent front outer side 100b of
the post
automatically squares the bracket in proper alignment on the post, so that
once the
bracket is fastened to the post through fastener hole 30, seating of the
respective end
portion of the rail 104 against the perpendicular seating and shoulder flanges
16, 18 of
the bracket will automatically place the rail in squared alignment with the
post at the
lateral side thereof.
In the first embodiment, the height by which the vertical leg 20 and
shoulder flange 18 reach upward from the seating flange 16 is equal to an edge-
to-
edge face width dimension of the rail, for example measuring 3.5-inches to
match the
finished edge-to-edge face width of a 2x4 lumber rail. As a result, seating
the end of
the rail atop the seating flange 16 acts to place the top edge 104b of the
rail 104 flush
with the top end 20a of the bracket 10. This way, when the bracket is used on
a flat-
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top fence post 100, the top end 20a of the bracket 10 serves as a visual
indicator by
which the appropriate mounting height of the bracket on the post can be gauged
during
installation of the bracket onto the post. When placing the bracket in its
squared-off
position embracing the corner 100c of the post, the top end 20a of the bracket
10 is
aligned flush with the flat top end 100d of the post. This way, when the rail
104 is
seated on the bracket 10, the top edge 104b of the rail 100 will automatically
be placed
in flush alignment with the flat top end 100d of the post 100. Such top end
alignment
of the bracket and rail is useful when constructing a "capped rail" fence,
where capping
pieces of lumber are subsequently placed in edge-out orientation in positions
mounted
atop the installed rails and spanning along the fence line from rail to rail
overtop of the
flat-topped posts. Alternatively, for a different look, the brackets and rails
may be set a
short elevation downward from the top ends of the posts in order to position
the rails
further down the post, for example for the purpose of a "capped post" fence
construction, where the posts feature ornamentally shaped top ends situated
above the
rails of the fence.
Having described the structure of the left bracket and the process of
mounting the left bracket on the left post 100, attention is turned to Figure
4B, which
shows the right bracket 10A mounted to the right post 102. Right bracket 10A
has the
same general structure, with an L-shaped planar main portion 12 having
vertical and
horizontal legs 20, 22; and a set of bracing, seating and shoulder flanges 14,
16, 18
jutting perpendicularly from the L-shaped planar main portion 12 at respective
perimeter
edges thereof. The only difference is that each flange 14, 16, 18 of the right
bracket
10A extends in the opposite direction from the bracket's main portion 12 than
the
respective flange of the left bracket 10. Right bracket 10A thus embraces the
lateral
side 102a and front outer side 102b of the right post 102 at the outer corner
102c thereof
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to square the bracket 10A on the post 102 and thus support the right end of
the rail 104
at the lateral side 102a of right post 102 in squared alignment therewith,
just like the left
bracket 10 supports the left end of the rail on the left post 100 in properly
squared
relation thereto.
So, to install the rail 104, a single-person installer places the left bracket
on the left post 100 in a self-squaring position thereon embracing the corner
100c
thereof, and removably attaches the left bracket 10 to left post 100 in this
squared
position by driving a single threaded fastener 32 through fastener hole 32
with a
cordless screw drive driver. In the same manner, the same single-person
installer
10 likewise places and fastens the right bracket 10A on the right post
102 in the corner-
embracing self-squaring position thereon. Each bracket 10, 10A features a tape
measure slot 34 therein at the upright inner edge 20c of the vertical leg .20
of the
bracket's main portion 12, where the plane of the shoulder flange 18
intersects the
plane of the bracket's outer face 26. This way, after installation of one or
both brackets,
the single-person installer can insert the catch tab of a tape measure into
the tape
measure slot 34 of one installed bracket to measure the distance from this
tape
measure slot 34 at the lateral side of that post to the nearest lateral side
of the
neighbouring post. This post-to-post measurement can then be used to
accurately cut
the rail 104 to optimally fit this post-to-post distance. With both brackets
installed, the
accurately cut rail 104 is then lifted up onto the seating flanges 16 of the
two brackets
10, 10A, and pushed flush against the shoulder flanges 18 thereof. The two
ends of
the rail are then fastened one-by-one to their respective posts 100, 102 by
driving
additional screw fasteners 36 diagonally through the end of the rail from one
or more
faces/edges thereof into the post. With the rail fastened in place to the
posts, the
bracket holding fasteners 32 are removed, thereby freeing the brackets 10, 10A
from
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the posts, and leaving behind an aesthetically pleasing, bracket-free, wood-to-
wood
joint between the post and rail. The brackets 10, 10A are then re-used to
repeat the
same rail installation process on the next pair of neighbouring fence posts.
Figure 5 shows a metal blank 200 from which either bracket 10, 10A of
the first embodiment can be formed. The metal blank is a stamped or cut piece
of metal
plating or sheeting having an oversized L-shape that embodies both the main
planar
portion 12 of the finished bracket as well as flange portions 114, 116, 118
that are bent
out of plane from the main portion 12 to form the respective flanges 14, 16,
18 of the
finished bracket. A vertical leg 120 of the oversized L-shape blank has an
outer bend
line 202 running from the top end 120a of the vertical leg 120 down to the
bottom edge
of the blank 200 at a short distance spaced inwardly from an outer upright
edge 120b
of the vertical leg in parallel relation thereto.
The vertical leg 120 of the oversized L-shape blank also has an inner
bend line 204 running from the top end 120a of the vertical leg 120 downwardly
past
the inside corner of the L-shape where the inner edge 120c of the vertical leg
120 and
the upper edge 122a of the horizontal leg 122 intersect. The horizontal leg
122 of the
oversized L-shape blank has an upper bend line 206 running parallel to the
upper edge
122a of the horizontal leg 122 from a distal end 122b of the horizontal leg
furthest from
the vertical leg. The upper bend line 206 of the horizontal leg intersects the
inner bend
line 204 of the vertical leg at a lower end of the inner bend line 204 . A
slotted or
notched cut-out 208 reaches inwardly from the inner corner of the L-shaped
blank to
the intersection point of the inner and upper bend lines 204, 206 of the
vertical and
horizontal legs 120, 122, thereby separating the seating flange portion 116
that resides
between the horizontal leg's upper edge 122a and upper bend line 206 from the
shoulder flange portion 118 that resides between the vertical leg's inner edge
120c and
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the outer bend line 204. The bracing flange portion 114 is similarly defined
as the area
between the outer edge 120b of the vertical leg 120 and the outer bend line
202.
The L-shape of the blank 200 is thus referred to as oversized, because
the horizontal width of it's vertical leg 120 embodies both the vertical leg
of the finished
bracket's main portion 12, plus the integrally connected flange portions 114,
118 that
are subsequently bent from the plane of the main portion to define the bracing
and
shoulder flanges 14, 18; while the vertical width of the blank's horizontal
leg 122
embodies both the horizontal leg 20 of the finished bracket's main portion 12,
plus the
integrally connected flange portion 116 that is subsequently bent from the
plane of the
main portion 12 to define the seating flange 16. The
hanging aperture 28 is
punched or cut in the vertical leg 120a of the blank 200 between the inner and
outer
bend lines thereof, and the tape measure slot 34 is punched or cut in the
vertical leg
120a of the blank 200 along the inner bend line. The fastening hole 30 is
drilled,
punched or cut in the horizontal leg 122 of the oversized L-shaped blank 200.
To form the finished bracket, the blank 200 is bent by 90-degress across
this outer bend line 202 to create the bracing flange 14 of the finished
bracket. The
blank is bent ninety degrees about the inner and upper bend lines 204, 206 in
a direction
opposite that of the bending operation performed at the outer bend line 204 to
create
the seating and shoulder flanges 16, 18 of the bracket that extend in the
opposite
direction from the bracing flange 14.
It will be appreciated that the blank 200 and the main portion of the
resulting bracket 12 need not necessarily consist solely of an L-shaped area,
and for
example, other shapes may similarly have diverging legs for defining a
horizontal
support seat on which the underside of the rail may be seated, and an upright
shoulder
situated above the support seat for contact by the face of the rail. In the
illustrated
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embodiment, perpendicularly projecting flanges provide this seat and shoulder
with an
increased width relative to the relatively narrow thickness of the plate-
shaped main
portion 12 of the bracket to ensure confident seating of the rail 104 atop the
seat and
against the shoulder. However, in other embodiments where the main portion 12
is
sufficiently thick, out-turned seating and shoulder flanges may be
unnecessary, as the
perimeter edges of the main portion 12 itself may provide a sufficiently wide
support
seat and shoulder for contacting the bottom edge and face of the rail.
Accordingly, the
brackets need not necessary be formed by bent metal plates. In another
embodiment,
each bracket may be a plastic molded piece, whether having seating and
shoulder
flanges that project from a main post-abutting portion, or just relying on the
thickness
of this main post-abutting portion to provide a sufficient seat and shoulder
width.
Likewise, it will be appreciated that while the inner face of the main portion
12 is
preferably flat in order to fit flush against the post, the outer face 26 need
not necessarily
be flat, and so the main portion may deviate from a purely planar
configuration having
flat opposing sides.
In the first embodiment, a seating depth of each bracket 10, 10a
measured from the shoulder flange 18 to the bracing flange 14, thereby
denoting the
distance by which the rail 104 is seated from the bracing flange and the front
outer side
of the post during use of the bracket, equates to a half-width of the post
minus a half-
thickness of the rail, whereby the bracket is configured to center the rail
across the
lateral side of the post. So, a bracket designed for use on a 4x4 post (3.5-
inch x 3.5-
inch finished size) with a 2x4 rail (1.5-inch x 3.5-inch finished size) has a
seating depth
of 1/2 x (3.5 - 1.5) = 1-inch.
Figures 6-8 illustrate second embodiment brackets 10', 10A' of the same
general configuration to the first embodiment, but merely with different
dimensions. In
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this embodiment, the seating depth measured between the contact and bracing
flanges
equates to a full-width of the post minus a full-thickness of the rail whereby
the bracket
is configured to place the rail in flush relation to the rear outer side of
the post. So, in
the second embodiment, a bracket designed for use on a 4x4 post (3.5-inch x
3.5-inch
finished size) with a 2x4 rail (1.5-inch x 3.5-inch finished size) has a
seating depth of
3.5 - 1.5-inch = 2-inches. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the vertical
legs of the
metal blank 200' and the finished bracket's main portion 12 are wider than in
the first
embodiment, while the horizontal leg and the attached seating flange are
shorter than
in the first embodiment.
Figures 9 to 11 illustrated a third embodiment of similar configuration to
the first embodiment, but designed for use with larger posts, and optionally
larger rails.
The illustrated example represents a design compatible with 6x6 posts and
either 2x4
rails or 2x6 rails. In the first and second embodiments, the width of the
brackets from
the bracing flange to the distal end of the horizontal leg was selected to
closely match
the width of a 4x4 post, and thus measured 3.5 inches. In the third
embodiment, each
bracket 10", 10A" is instead 5.5-inches wide to match the finished width of a
6x6 post.
The third embodiment is designed for centered placement of the rail across the
post
width, like the first embodiment, and so using the same formula as the first
embodiment,
the seating depth is 1/2*(5.5 - 1.5) = 2-inches.
To allow optional use of differently sized rails, and more particularly rails
of different edge-to-edge face width (which corresponds to the height of the
rail in its
installed face-out edge-up orientation), the shoulder of each third embodiment
bracket
10", 10A" features two shoulder flanges 18A, 18B instead of a single shoulder
flange
spanning the full height from the seating flange 16 to the top end 20a of the
bracket. A
notch or slot 210 is cut into the inner edge vertical leg 120 of the blank
200", as shown
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in Figure 10, at a height above the upper bend line 206 that equals the full
edge-to-
edge face width of the smaller of the two compatible rail sizes. In the
finished bracket
10", 10A", this creates a gap 19 between the two shoulder flanges 18A, 18B at
a height
above the seating flange 16 that equals the edge-to-edge face width of the
smaller of
the two compatible rails sizes. So, in the illustrated embodiment intended for
use with
either 2x4 or 2x6 rails, the gap 19 is situated at 3.5-inches above the
seating flange,
i.e. at a height equal to the finished width of a 2x4.
Figure 11 illustrates use of the third embodiment with a 2x4 rail 104,
where in order to set the upper edge 104b of the rail 104 flush with the flat
top of the
post, the bracket is fastened to the post in a position aligning the gap 19
with the top
end of the post so that the upper shoulder flange 18B resides above the top
end of the
post, and the lower shoulder flange 18A resides below the top end of the post.
The gap
19 between the two shoulder flanges18A, 18B thus serves as a first visual
marker to be
aligned with the top end of the post 100d, 102d when a first size of rail is
to be installed.
On the other hand, the distance from the top end 20a of the bracket down to
the seating
flange 16 is equal to the edge-to-edge face width of the larger compatible
rail size, i.e.
5.5-inches for a 2x6 rail, meaning that the top end 20a of the bracket serves
as a second
visual indicator to be aligned with the top end of the post when a larger
second size of
rail is to be installed. This is illustrated in Figure 12, where the top end
of the bracket
is positioned flush with the flat top of the post to place the top edge of a
wider 2-6 rail
104' flush with the top of the post.
It will be appreciated that visually detectable indicators other than the
terminal top end 20a of the bracket's vertical leg or a gap 19, break, notch
or slot in the
shoulder of the bracket may be used to set the height of the bracket at an
appropriate
relation to the top of the post for top-flush rail placement.
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Finally, Figures 13 through 16 illustrate a fourth embodiment in which the
brackets 10", 10A" having the same capacity for different rail sizes as the
third
embodiment, but have a seating depth calculated in accordance with the second
embodiment in order to place either of the two rail sizes (e.g. 2x4 and 2x6,
which differ
in width but not thickness) in flush relation to the rear outer side of the
post, rather than
in a centered position midway across the lateral side of the post in centered
relation
between the two outer sides thereof. The brackets 10", 10A" and blank 200" of
the
fourth embodiment thus differ from the third embodiment in that the vertical
legs of the
bracket and blank are wider, and the horizontal legs and seat are shorter.
Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein above
described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made, it
is
intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be
interpreted
as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.
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