Abstract:
A fence rail clip for attaching a fence rail to a vertical fence. The rail clip has a base with a raised central area flanked by two lateral areas and a rail connector that, vertically or horizontally, slidingly engages the central area of the base. The lateral areas include apertures through which fasteners are inserted to connect the clip to the fence post. A cover snap-fits over each lateral area to hide the fasteners and give the rail clip a clean and aesthetically pleasing appearance.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/246,285, filed Sep. 18, 2002; which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/056,719, filed Jan. 24, 2002, which application issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,726 on Mar. 2, 2004; the entire specifications of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]      1 . Technical Field  
         [0003]     This invention generally relates to connectors. More particularly, the invention relates to fence rail clips which are used to connect vinyl fence rails and fence posts together. Specifically, the invention relates to an adjustable clip that is mounted onto a fence post and includes covers to hide the mounting mechanism.  
         [0004]     2. Background Information  
         [0005]     It has recently become more common to use either vinyl or plastic products for constructing fences and deck railings. While vinyl fencing is aesthetically pleasing and easy to maintain, it is more difficult to connect together than wood. One of the more problematic areas is the connection between rails and vertical fence posts. The instant inventor has proposed a novel adjustable connector for joining fence rails to fence posts in the previously filed applications referenced above. In these previous applications two mechanisms have been disclosed for securing the rail clip to the fence post. The first mechanism comprised a bracket which is secured to the fence post and a rail clip having a complementary sized and shaped recess formed in its rear surface and being slidably engageable with the bracket mounted on the post. The second connector mechanism proposed by the instant inventor was the provision of lateral areas on the rail clip which included slots having apertures formed in them. Screws were inserted through the apertures and into the fence post. This second connector mechanism works well to secure the rail clip to the post but, because the screws are visible, the overall appearance of the connection was not entirely aesthetically pleasing.  
         [0006]     There is therefore a need in the art for an improved rail clip for attaching fence rails to fence posts and which presents a clean and finished appearance without the mounting mechanism for the clip on the post being visible.  
       SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION  
       [0007]     A fence rail clip for attaching a fence rail to a vertical fence post. The rail clip has a base with a raised central area flanked by two lateral areas and a rail connector that, vertically or horizontally, slidingly engages the central area of the base. The lateral areas include apertures through which fasteners are inserted to connect the clip to the fence post. A cover snap-fits over each lateral area to hide the fasteners and give the rail clip a clean and aesthetically pleasing appearance. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]     The preferred embodiments of the invention, illustrative of the best mode in which applicant has contemplated applying the principles, are set forth in the following description and are shown in the drawings and are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.  
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a front elevational view of a fence constructed using the rail clip of the present invention;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a partial cross-sectional front view of the rail clip mounted on the fence post through line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ; showing the covers attached to the rail clip and the rail projecting out of the rail clip;  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a partial cross-sectional front view of the rail clip of  FIG. 2  with the cover removed;  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a bottom view of the rail clip through line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 ; and  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a rear view of the rail clip through line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]     Referring to  FIG. 1  there is shown a fence, generally indicated at  10 , constructed from a plurality of rails  12  and posts  14  connected together by rail clips  16  in accordance with the present invention. While fence  10  is shown with rails  12  being secured substantially at right angles to posts  14 , it will be understood that rail clips  16  allow the position of a rail to be slidably adjusted on clip  16  and consequently rails  12  can be secured to posts  14  at any desired angle.  
         [0015]     Referring to  FIGS. 2-5 , clip  16  comprises a base  18  and rail connector  20 . Base  18  preferably is a single, molded piece that is generally rectangular when viewed from the front ( FIG. 3 ) and is generally semi-circular when viewed from the top or bottom ( FIG. 4 ). Base  18  comprises a central area  22  flanked by lateral areas  24 . Central area  22  has first and second planar walls  26 ,  28  connected together by an arcuate outer wall  30 . First planar wall  26  has a length A-A′ ( FIG. 4 ) and second planar wall  28  has a length B-B′ with length A-A′ preferably being shorter than length B-B′. Central area  22  extends outwardly beyond lateral areas  24  thereby forming side walls  34  and a semi-circular groove  36  is cut into each side wall  34 . Rail connector  20  engages in groove  36 , allowing connector  20  to slide along outer wall  30  and allowing the position of rail connector  20  to be adjusted. The interlocking connection of rail connector  20  and base  18  has been previously described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/246,285 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,726 issued to the present inventor and the entire specifications of these two documents are incorporated herein by reference.  
         [0016]     In accordance with one of the specific features of the present invention, a cover  38  is provided for each lateral area  24 . Each lateral area  24  has an outer wall  40  which extends outwardly from side walls  34  of central area  22  and is substantially semi-circular when viewed from the bottom ( FIG. 4 ). Outer wall  40  broadens to form shoulders  42  that flank a recessed area  44  (  FIG. 3 ) and terminates in an outer edge  45  that lies substantially parallel to side wall  34 . Recessed area  44  has a bottom wall  46  and an interior wall  48  ( FIG. 4 ) which extends upwardly therefrom. Interior wall  48  lies substantially parallel to side wall  34  of central area  22 . A pair of ribs  50  extend outwardly from bottom wall  46  and terminate at outer wall  40 . As may be seen from  FIGS. 4 &amp; 5 , apertures  52  are formed in bottom wall  46  and fasteners  54  are inserted therethrough to secure clip  16  to post  14 . First slots  56  are formed in the underside of bottom wall  46  and at least one second slot  58  is formed in the interior wall  48  of each lateral area  24 . Second slot  58  extends into an interior cavity  60  of central area  22 .  
         [0017]     Each cover  38  is received over outer wall  40  and snap fits into place over lateral area  24  as will be hereinafter described. Cover  38  is substantially C-shaped ( FIG. 4 ) and includes a rear wall  62  with has an arcuate wall  64  extending outwardly therefrom. Arcuate wall  64  is complementary sized and shaped to abut outer wall  40  of lateral area  24 . A pair of tabs  66  ( FIG. 5 ) extend inwardly from the base of rear wall  62  and are positioned to be received within first slots  56  of lateral areas  24 . Tabs  66  are complementary in size and shape to first slots  56 . A detent  68  extends inwardly from the underside of arcuate wall  64  of cover  38  and is positioned to be received within second slot  58  of rail clip  16 . Detent  68  preferably includes a lip  70  which extends upwardly toward arcuate wall  64  and interlocks with the interior side wall  72  of clip  16  ( FIG. 5 ).The positioning and the sizes of tabs  66  and detent  68  and the presence of lip  70  allow cover  38  to be snap-fitted over lateral area  24 . The lip  70  on detent  68  also prevents easy removal of cover  38  from lateral area  24 .  
         [0018]     The present invention is used in the following manner. The rail clip  16  is positioned against the post  14  in the manner shown in  FIG. 4 . Fasteners  54  are inserted through apertures  52  and are screwed into post  14 . A cover  38  is then moved laterally, in the direction of Arrows “C” and “D” respectively ( FIG. 3 ) over the outer wall  40  of the corresponding lateral area  24 . The underside of arcuate wall  64  of the cover  38  abuts outer wall  40  and shoulders  42  of lateral area  24 . Cover  38  is slid inwardly over outer wall  40  and shoulders  42  toward central area  22  until detent  68  slides through second slot  58  in interior wall  48  and tabs  66  are received in first slots  56 . As cover  38  continues to be moved inwardly, detent  68  deflects slightly downwardly as lip  70  slides into second slot  58  and then into interior cavity  60  of rail clip  16 . Lip  70  slides out of second slot  58  and into cavity  60  and springs upwardly and into abutting contact with interior side wall  72  of clip  16 . In this position, cover  38  is locked or snap-fitted onto rail clip  16 . In this position, cover  38  hides fasteners  54 , ribs  50  and all other features of lateral area  24 . Clip  16  therefore presents an aesthetically appealing outer surface as is shown in  FIG. 2  with no connection mechanism between clip  16  and post  14  being visible. When rail connector  20  is engaged in groove  36  and the position of rail connector  20  is slidably adjusted on the arcuate outer wall  30  of central area  32 , the inner edge  20 a ( FIG. 4 ) of rail connector  20  rides along the outer surface  64   a  of arcuate wall  64  of cover  38 .  
         [0019]     If the user desires to remove clip  16  from post  14  or to simply tighten fasteners  54 , the user grasps cover  38  and pulls cover  38  outwardly away from central area  22  (as is indicated by the Arrows “E” and “F” respectively in  FIG. 2 ), rotating cover  38  slightly upwardly as he does so. This causes lip  70  of detent  68  to disengage from interior side wall  72  of clip  16  and detent  68  slides out of second slot  58 . At the same time, tabs  66  slide out of first slots  56  and cover  38  slides off outer wall  40  of lateral areas  24 . The user can then loosen or tighten fasteners  54  as desired and then, if required, covers  38  can be snap-fitted to rail clip  16  again in the manner previously described.  
         [0020]     In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.  
         [0021]     Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.