Patent ID: 8770553
Filing Date: 2014-07-08
Classification: E04H

Abstract:
1. A fence rail and picket assembly comprising: a) a retainer for joining a picket upright to a fence rail; b) the retainer includes a forward portion including a front edge, locking heads and a tongue portion; c) a plurality of spaced apart and vertically oriented picket uprights formed of sheet material, each upright includes lateral rear flanges, a front wall and defines a retainer cavity for receiving the forward portion of the retainer therein; d) the picket upright including apertures along the rear flanges for receiving the locking heads there through; e) at least two spaced apart parallel and lateral extending fence rails oriented perpendicular to the picket uprights and extending horizontally across each of the picket uprights and abutting tin against the rear flanges of the picket uprights, the fence rails receives the tongue portion of the retainer there on for operably securing the tongue portion to the rail; f) wherein in an installed position, the front edge of the retainer abuts against a front wall of the picket upright and the heads fit interferingly through the picket apertures; g) wherein the retainer further includes a rear edge defining a retainer axis and the heads projecting from the rear edge, wherein the retainer is rotated about the retainer axis from a pre locked position to an installed position thereby urging the heads through the apertures thereby preventing any movement of the retainer except for rotation about the retainer axis and such that the rear edge abuts against the rear flange in the installed position; h) wherein the locking heads are dimensioned to interferingly fit into the apertures of the upright when the retainer is rotated about the retainer axis from a pre locked position to an installed position thereby interferingly urging the heads through the apertures without deforming the locking heads such that the retainer can be subsequently removed without damage or deformation for subsequent reuse.