Rail bracket mounting system with locking pin
View Patent ↗A rail bracket mounting system, including a bracket that is attached to a post. The bracket is formed to support the notching of a rail. The end of a rail is then nested into the bracket, and is supported by the bracket. The rail is then secured to the bracket by fasteners such as screws, and a cover may then be placed over the bracket, housing the securing fasteners. The rail may be hollow or solid. A hollow rail may be reinforced along its entire length by the insertion of one or more reinforcing members through a hollow portion of the rail.
1. A fence-rail securing assembly for securing a fence rail to a fence rail support, said securing assembly comprising:
a bracket member configured and adapted to be attached to a first side of the rail support for receiving a free end of the rail thereupon such that a portion of the bracket member resides beneath a lower side of the rail and such that said free end of the rail faces said first side of the rail support, and said bracket member is open such that an upper side of the rail is free from being bounded by said bracket member; and
a securing means for securing the rail to the bracket member, wherein said securing means comprises a pin member that is slidable through a plurality of openings formed in the bracket member and also through a plurality of openings in the rail, when said openings in the bracket member and rail are all disposed in alignment with one another, said pin member being characterized by an absence of male threads formed thereon;
wherein the bracket member comprises side supports; and
wherein said side supports each comprise a contacting face configured and positioned to face the first side of the rail support when the bracket member is attached to the rail support and the rail is secured to the bracket member, and wherein said side supports further comprise a plurality of through-bores extending through said contacting face to thereby face the first side of the rail support when the bracket member is attached to said rail support, for receiving fasteners to attach said bracket member to said fence rail support.
2. The fence rail securing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the securing means consists essentially of a single pin member.
3. The fence-rail securing assembly of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of through-bores are configured to be oriented in a direction substantially parallel to said fence rail.
4. The fence-rail securing assembly of claim 1 , wherein said pin member is configured to be received in said plurality of openings simultaneously.
5. A fence-rail securing assembly for securing a fence rail to a fence rail support, said securing assembly comprising:
an intercoupling means attachable to the fence rail support for intercoupling the fence rail and said fence rail support; and
a single pin member configured and dimensioned for being slidably inserted into, and residing within, at least two openings formed in the fence rail and at least two openings formed in the intercoupling means, simultaneously, to thereby block movement of the fence rail in at least a first direction with respect to the intercoupling means; and
a cover configured for concealing the intercoupling means and pin member when the fence rail is secured to the fence rail support.
6. The fence-rail securing assembly of claim 5 , wherein the intercoupling means comprises a bracket member having two side supports.
7. The fence-rail securing assembly of claim 6 , wherein said side supports comprise a plurality of through-bores for receiving fasteners to attach said bracket member to said fence rail support.
8. The fence-rail securing assembly of claim 7 , wherein said plurality of through-bores are configured to be oriented in a direction substantially parallel to said fence rail.
9. The fence-rail securing assembly of claim 6 , wherein said cover comprises tabs for connecting said cover to said bracket member.
10. The fence-rail securing assembly of claim 5 , wherein said cover comprises two inside edges separated by a width, and wherein the pin member has a length that is substantially equal to the width between the two inside edges.
11. A fence-rail securing assembly for securing a fence rail to a fence rail support, said securing assembly comprising:
a bracket means attachable to the fence rail support for supporting one end of a fence rail in a suspended position and allowing said fence rail to be lifted off said bracket means in an upward direction without movement of said fence rail in a direction along a longitudinal axis of said fence rail; and
a blocking means for being inserted into and extending through a width of the fence rail, such that opposing ends of said blocking means protrude from separate opposing peripheral sides of said fence rail, respectively, and reside between the fence rail support and at least a portion of the bracket means, to thereby block removal of the fence rail from the bracket means;
wherein said blocking means comprises a pin; and
wherein said bracket means comprises elongate slot openings for receiving said blocking means and for allowing movement of said blocking means along said openings.
12. The fence-rail securing assembly of claim 11 , wherein the pin is constructed from metal.
13. The fence-rail securing assembly of claim 11 , wherein the pin is constructed from stainless steel.
14. The fence-rail securing assembly of claim 11 , wherein the pin is 3/16 of an inch in diameter.
15. The fence-rail securing assembly of claim 11 , further comprising a retaining means for retaining the blocking means in position within the fence rail.
16. A fence-rail securing assembly for securing a fence rail to a fence rail support, said securing assembly comprising:
a bracket means attachable to the fence rail support for supporting one end of a fence rail in a suspended position and allowing said fence rail to be lifted off said bracket means in an upward direction without movement of said fence rail in a direction along a longitudinal axis of said fence rail; and
a blocking means for being inserted into and extending through a width of the fence rail, such that opposing ends of said blocking means protrude from opposing sides of said fence rail, respectively, and reside between the fence rail support and at least a portion of the bracket means, to thereby block removal of the fence rail from the bracket means;
said securing assembly further comprising a retaining means for retaining the blocking means in position within the fence rail;
wherein the retaining means comprises a cover configured and dimensioned to slidably circumscribe the fence rail; and
wherein said blocking means comprises a pin.
17. The fence-rail securing assembly of claim 16 , wherein the retaining means circumscribes the bracket means and the fence rail when disposed in position to retain the blocking means.
18. A fence system including a securing assembly for securing a fence rail to a fence rail support, said securing assembly comprising:
a bracket means attachable to the fence rail support for supporting one end of a fence rail in a suspended position and allowing said fence rail to be lifted off said bracket means in an upward direction without movement of said fence rail in a direction along a longitudinal axis of said fence rail; and
a blocking means for being inserted into and extending through a width of the fence rail, such that opposing ends of said blocking means protrude from separate opposing peripheral sides of said fence rail, respectively, and reside between the fence rail support and at least a portion of the bracket means, to thereby block removal of the fence rail from the bracket means;
wherein said bracket means comprises elongate slot openings for receiving said blocking means and for allowing movement of said blocking means along said openings.
19. The fence system of claim 18 , wherein the blocking means comprises a pin.
20. The fence system of claim 19 , wherein the pin is constructed from metal.
21. The fence system of claim 19 , wherein the pin is constructed from stainless steel.
22. The fence system of claim 19 , wherein the pin is 3/16 of an inch in diameter.
23. The fence system of claim 18 , further comprising a retaining means for retaining the blocking means in position within the fence rail.
24. A fence-rail securing assembly for securing a fence rail to a fence rail support, said securing assembly comprising:
a bracket member configured and adapted to be attached to the rail support for receiving a free end of the rail;
a pin member for securing the rail to the bracket member; and
a cover configured for concealing the bracket member and pin member when the fence rail is secured to the fence rail support;
wherein said cover comprises two inside edges separated by a width, and wherein the pin member has a length that is substantially equal to the width between the two inside edges.
25. The fence-rail securing assembly of claim 24 , wherein the bracket member comprises two side supports.
26. The fence-rail securing assembly of claim 25 , wherein each of said side supports comprises an opening for receiving said pin member.
27. The fence-rail securing assembly of claim 26 , wherein said pin member is configured to be received in both of said openings in said side supports simultaneously.
28. The fence-rail securing assembly of claim 24 , wherein said cover comprises tabs for connecting to said bracket member.
29. The fence-rail securing assembly of claim 24 , wherein the bracket member comprises a bottom ledge for supporting said rail thereon.
30. The fence-rail securing assembly of claim 24 , wherein said pin member is dimensioned to span a width of said bracket member.
31. A fence-rail securing assembly for securing a fence rail to a fence rail support, said securing assembly comprising:
a bracket member configured and adapted to be attached to the rail support for receiving a free end of the rail thereupon such that a portion of the bracket member resides beneath a lower side of the rail;
a securing means for securing the rail to the bracket member, wherein said securing means comprises a pin member that is slidable through a plurality of openings formed in the bracket member and also through a plurality of openings in the rail, when said openings in the bracket member and rail are all disposed in alignment with one another, said pin member being characterized by an absence of male threads formed thereon; and
a cover configured for concealing the bracket member and pin member when the fence rail is secured to the fence rail support.
32. The fence-rail securing assembly of claim 31 , wherein said cover comprises two inside edges separated by a width, and wherein the pin member has a length that is substantially equal to the width between the two inside edges.
33. The fence-rail securing assembly of claim 31 , wherein said cover comprises tabs for connecting said cover to said bracket member.
34. A fence system including a securing assembly for securing a fence rail to a fence rail support, said securing assembly comprising:
a bracket means attachable to the fence rail support for supporting one end of a fence rail in a suspended position and allowing said fence rail to be lifted off said bracket means in an upward direction without movement of said fence rail in a direction along a longitudinal axis of said fence rail; and
a blocking means for being inserted into and extending through a width of the fence rail, such that opposing ends of said blocking means protrude from opposing sides of said fence rail, respectively, and reside between the fence rail support and at least a portion of the bracket means, to thereby block removal of the fence rail from the bracket means;
wherein the fence system further comprises a retaining means for retaining the blocking means in position within the fence rail; and
wherein the retaining means comprises a cover configured and dimensioned to slidably circumscribe the fence rail.
35. The fence system of claim 34 , wherein the retaining means circumscribes the bracket means and the fence rail when disposed in position to retain the blocking means.
36. A fence-rail securing assembly for securing a fence rail to an upwardly extending fence rail support, said securing assembly comprising:
a bracket member configured and adapted to be attached to the fence rail support for receiving a free end of the fence rail;
a pin member for securing the fence rail to the bracket member; and
a cover configured for concealing the bracket member and pin member when the fence rail is secured to the fence rail support;
wherein the bracket member comprises two side supports;
wherein each of said side supports comprises an opening for receiving said pin member;
wherein said openings in said side supports are configured as oblong slots for allowing movement of said pin member along said openings;
wherein said pin member is configured and is of a dimension to be received in both of said openings in said side supports simultaneously;
wherein said cover comprises two inside edges separated by a width, and wherein the pin member has a length that is no longer than the width between the two inside edges;
wherein said cover comprises tabs for connecting said cover to said bracket member;
wherein said cover is configured and dimensioned to slidably circumscribe the fence rail;
wherein the bracket member comprises a bottom ledge extending between said two side supports, said bottom ledge being configured for supporting said fence rail thereon such that said bottom ledge resides beneath a lower side of the fence rail;
wherein said side supports comprise a plurality of through-bores for receiving fasteners to attach said bracket member to said fence rail support;
wherein said plurality of through-bores are configured to be oriented in a direction substantially parallel to said fence rail;
wherein said pin member is constructed from metal;
wherein said pin member is substantially straight having a uniform thickness along a majority length thereof;
wherein said pin member is configured as a smooth rod, characterized by an absence of threads;
wherein said pin member is configured to be slidably inserted through at least two openings in said fence rail and said openings in said side supports, such that said pin member is configured to reside in all four openings simultaneously to secure said fence rail to said bracket member.